Transmigrated into the villain? Watch my epic comeback in the ethereal fairy realm!

The passage behind the hidden door was narrow and steep. Dai Yao, held tightly by Ying Yue, practically tumbled and crawled downwards. The whistling wind and the shouts of the pursuers behind them mingled together, like a cacophony of death. Dai Yao felt her heart pounding in her chest; this was more thrilling than a roller coaster ride!

"Hold on tight!" Shadow Moon's voice sounded somewhat distorted in the wind, but the strength in his hands was undeniable.

Dai Yao clung tightly to Ying Yue's hand, feeling like a chick being snatched away by an eagle—weak, pitiful, and helpless. Finally, with great difficulty, the two landed.

Before Dai Yao could even catch her breath, she was stunned by what she saw. The exit of the secret passage was actually in a... bathhouse?! The steam was so thick it was like a fairyland, and the fragrance was so strong it was almost suffocating. Several scantily clad female disciples of the Demon Palace were leisurely soaking in the bath, and the scene was like a vivid and fragrant painting.

Upon seeing the two figures suddenly appear, they were first stunned, then let out a scream that could pierce eardrums. The scream seemed to be a signal, and the entire bathhouse instantly descended into chaos. The female disciples frantically searched for clothes to cover themselves, some even jumping directly into the water, splashing water everywhere, which, together with the pervasive fragrance and rising heat, created an extremely absurd scene.

"Ahhh! An assassin!"

"Guards! Seize the assassin!"

Dai Yao: "..."

What kind of plot is this?! Does it have to be this melodramatic?!

Yingyue was clearly not prepared for this situation. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted and grabbed Dai Yao, rushing outside.

"Come on!"

The two fled the bathhouse in a panic, followed by a group of screaming female disciples of the Demon Palace.

"Stop! Don't run!"

"Catch the assassin!"

As Dai Yao ran, she thought to herself: This is too exciting! It's even more exciting than an escape room!

Just as she was about to be caught, Dai Yao suddenly had a flash of inspiration and remembered the special ability she had gained in the spirit array—sensing the direction of the flow of qi. She concentrated her energy and sensed the flow of qi around her, and sure enough, she found a hidden exit not far away.

"This way!" Dai Yao pulled Ying Yue and ran in that direction.

The two traversed corridor after corridor, dodging wave after wave of pursuers, and finally arrived at the hidden exit. The exit was an inconspicuous wooden door. Dai Yao pushed hard, and the door opened. Outside the door was a dense forest.

"Phew..." Dai Yao breathed a long sigh of relief, finally she had escaped.

“We’re safe,” Yingyue said, a hint of relief in her voice.

Just as Dai Yao was about to say something, her expression suddenly changed.

“Wait…” Dai Yao pointed into the depths of the woods, “It looks like… there’s someone there.”

Yingyue followed her gaze and saw a figure slowly emerging from the depths of the woods.

"It's you?!"

Dai Yao and Ying Yue had just escaped from the bathhouse and hadn't even had time to cheer for their newfound freedom when they were nearly dislocated by the sight of Xuan Yuanpo appearing before them. This powerful explorer stood with his arms crossed, watching them with a mocking expression, as if enjoying a farce.

"Oh, isn't this Yao Nu from the Demon Palace? What's gotten into such a sorry state?" Xuan Yuanpo's tone was full of sarcasm, and his eyes held a hint of contempt.

Dai Yao thought to herself: What's going on?

!

Just out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's den?

What unlucky day is today?

!

"Xuanyuan Po, were you following us?" Yingyue's tone was icy, and her whole body was filled with murderous aura.

Xuanyuan Po chuckled dismissively: "Follow me? Why would I need to follow two small fry like you? I just happened to be passing by."

Dai Yao didn't believe his nonsense; this guy clearly had ill intentions. Her eyes darted around, and an idea came to her.

"Senior Xuanyuan, you've come at the perfect time! We've discovered a shocking secret!" Dai Yao said mysteriously.

Xuanyuan Po raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "Oh? What secret?"

"There's a peerless treasure hidden in the secret chamber of the Demon Palace..." Dai Yao said mysteriously, deliberately lowering her voice.

"Treasure?" Xuan Yuanpo took the bait as expected, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.

Dai Yao had a complete plan in mind. She knew Xuan Yuanpo's greedy nature, so when describing the treasure's effects, she deliberately embellished the details. Every detail was carefully designed to make Xuan Yuanpo fall completely into her trap.

As she led Xuanyuan Po through the Demon Palace, she cleverly used its complex terrain and environment to set up trap after trap. These traps, seemingly random, were actually perfectly positioned locations that she had silently memorized during their previous escape.

She had also anticipated the reactions of the Demon Palace members. When Xuan Yuanpo was caught off guard, she acted like a behind-the-scenes chess player, precisely controlling every move. Furthermore, when guiding the neutral elders to quell the internal strife, she didn't simply expose the conspiracy; she also presented detailed evidence she had prepared beforehand—evidence she had secretly collected while sensing the flow of Qi.

Standing behind the neutral elders, she seemed to occasionally launch a sneak attack, but in reality, it was a carefully calculated follow-up strike. Every move was perfectly timed, hitting the vital points of those troublemaking elders and leaving them powerless to fight back. In the end, the neutral elders' faction won a great victory.

The members of the Demon Palace who chased after them were stunned by what they saw.

The usually aloof Xuan Yuanpo was actually completely fooled by Dai Yao.

While keeping Xuan Yuanpo at bay, Dai Yao secretly observed the flow of the Demon Palace's fortune. Suddenly, she discovered a crucial weakness—the fortune of a neutral elder of the Demon Palace was fluctuating abnormally strongly.

A thought struck Dai Yao, and a plan formed in her mind. She deliberately led Xuan Yuanpo to the vicinity of the neutral elder's residence, then shouted loudly, "Elder, help! Someone is trying to steal the Demon Palace's treasures!"

Hearing the commotion, the neutral elder immediately came out to investigate. Dai Yao took the opportunity to reveal to him some of the conspiracies that different factions were plotting for the treasure, and expressed her willingness to help the elder quell the internal strife.

The neutral elders were already dissatisfied with the actions of certain factions, and upon hearing Dai Yao's revelation, they were immediately enraged.

"Outrageous! How dare they be so audacious!"

Seeing that the time was ripe, Dai Yao immediately said, "Elder, I know a secret that might be able to help you..." Dai Yao leaned close to the neutral elder's ear and poured out all the information she had sensed about the flow of qi and the evidence of private transactions between certain factions.

The neutral elders were already highly respected and in charge of the laws of the Demon Palace. Now that the evidence was conclusive, both old and new grudges surged into their hearts. They grabbed their weapons and led Dai Yao to the residences of the elders who had caused trouble.

In an instant, chaos erupted in the Demon Palace, with the light of various magical treasures flashing and shouts of battle shaking the heavens.

Dai Yao hid behind the neutral elder, occasionally firing a sneak attack to deliver a precise finishing blow, looking every bit like a strategist.

This internal strife ultimately ended in a resounding victory for the neutral elders' faction.

Dai Yao stood in the center of the Demon Palace's main hall, surveying her surroundings with a resolute and confident gaze. She cleared her throat and announced loudly, "Regarding that peerless treasure—after careful consideration by myself and the elders, we have decided to use it for the Demon Palace's joint research, to benefit all members!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall, with everyone discussing them.

Although the elders who had coveted the treasure were unwilling, they dared not say anything due to the prestige of the neutral elder.

Most of the members of the Demon Palace agreed with Dai Yao's decision and applauded and cheered for her.

"The Yao women are mighty!"

"The Yao woman is wise!"

Dai Yao's inner monologue: Hehe, not only did I get out of the crisis, but I also gained a lot of goodwill. I've really hit the jackpot!

After cleaning up the mess at the Demon Palace, Dai Yao finally had a chance to go find Ying Yue. She found a quiet corner, and the two sat facing each other.

“Yingyue, about my identity…” Dai Yao took a deep breath, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—a longing for the past world, unease about the unfamiliar world she was in now, and an expectation of trust in Yingyue.

She spoke slowly, her voice trembling slightly: "Actually, I'm not from this world... In my original world, I was just an ordinary office worker, living a nine-to-five life. But suddenly one day, I came here, and everything here is both new and dangerous to me. Countless times I've been afraid and confused in the dead of night, not knowing where to go. But since I met you, Shadowmoon, I've gradually gained the courage to survive in this world. You're like a guiding light in the darkness."

“I understand.” Yingyue nodded, her tone surprisingly calm. “No matter where you come from, you are my most important partner.”

Dai Yao hugged Ying Yue tightly, deeply moved: "Thank you!"

The two hugged each other tightly, and at this moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.

“Oh, right, there’s one more thing…” Yingyue suddenly spoke up.

"what?"

Yingyue took out an ancient jade pendant from her bosom and handed it to Daiyao: "Take this and go to the forbidden area of ​​the Demon Palace..." Daiyao had just escaped from the "palace intrigue" scene in the Demon Palace and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when Yingyue stuffed another ancient jade pendant into her hand and mysteriously told her that she was going to the forbidden area of ​​the Demon Palace.

"Forbidden Land? Wait, this plot isn't going right!" Dai Yao mentally complained. She originally thought she could be all lovey-dovey with Yingyue and start a sweet dual cultivation session, but instead she got a forbidden land adventure?

Is this what they call "bitter before sweet"?

Looking at Dai Yao's bewildered expression, Yingyue's lips curled up slightly: "What, scared?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Yao immediately straightened her back, put her hands on her hips, and looked fearless: "What a joke! Do you think I'm easily scared? It's just a forbidden area, a piece of cake!" (Inner monologue: By the way, what kind of treasures are usually found in forbidden areas?)

Could it be some ancient mythical beast or unparalleled martial arts technique?

Hehehe...

So, Dai Yao followed Ying Yue to the forbidden area of ​​the Demon Palace with great pride and high spirits.

Before she could even marvel at the eerie and terrifying forbidden area, a system notification suddenly rang in her mind: "Ding! Detection indicates the host is about to enter a new spirit array. Please prepare!"

Dai Yao: ? ? ? There's a spirit array? Are you going all in?

Yingyue seemed to sense Dai Yao's doubts and explained, "The forbidden area of ​​the Demon Palace is not just this one place, but is made up of multiple hidden spirit arrays connected together, each containing different opportunities and challenges."

Upon hearing this, Dai Yao immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry!" She loves opportunities and challenges the most!

Yingyue handed the jade pendant to Dai Yao: "This jade pendant can help you open the entrance to the first spirit array. Remember, be very careful."

Dai Yao accepted the jade pendant and nodded solemnly.

She walked to a seemingly ordinary stone wall and placed the jade pendant on it. A flash of light appeared on the stone wall, revealing a portal that shimmered with a strange light.

Dai Yao took a deep breath, turned around and smiled brightly at Ying Yue: "Wait for me to come back!" After saying that, she stepped into the teleportation portal without hesitation.

Watching Dai Yao's disappearing figure, Yingyue murmured softly, "I hope you can return safely..."

Inside the portal, Dai Yao had barely steadied herself and hadn't even had time to observe her surroundings when she heard a voice in her ear: "Welcome to the first spirit array—the Illusion Maze."

Dai Yao: "...Wait, an illusion? I..."

"Yao'er, be careful!" A familiar voice suddenly rang out, and Dai Yao turned around abruptly, only to see...