A Twisted Awakening

“No! Stop it!” Su Mo shrieked.Between her violent struggles, her face flushed, her heart pounded, and her trembling body seemed to ripple.Her jade-like legs tried to thrash, but he pinned her thighs down, leaving her only able to tense her toes, utterly unable to move.”Don’t tear my clothes!” Su Mo cried out helplessly, fear gripping her as she watched the fabric stretch, the continuous ripping sounds piercing her very soul.She had never imagined that Young Master Xu, who had saved her from the tree demon, would transform into such a devil within mere days.Even if he had lost consciousness now, it was still ‘him’!Su Mo began to curse him vehemently, unleashing all her pent-up hatred.”Whoosh—!” Spiritual energy surged, and purplish-blue electric arcs gradually illuminated Su Mo’s body.”Sizzle!”Seeing the lightning strike him, leaving scorched marks on his skin, she felt a surge of exhilaration, her eyes glowing brighter.Fighting far more desperately than ever before, she strained to wring every last bit of energy from her cells, unleashing the most potent current she could muster.”Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!” The current coursed through her, bringing with it a tingling numbness and aching pain, yet Su Mo did not stop.She was acutely aware that the side effects of overusing her lightning-elemental spiritual energy were setting in.But seeing Young Master Xu’s skin charred by the electric arcs, even his dark hair singed, she would grit her teeth and persist.”Let go of me!! Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!!” The entire cave was illuminated in a dazzling purplish-blue.The prolonged roar echoed, its reverberations like silken threads.Struggling to push away the “unconscious” Xu Qingzhu, she stumbled to her feet, clutching a few scraps of cloth to cover herself.Tears, which had fallen unnoticed, now soaked her cheeks. She gasped for breath, frantically searching.’A weapon! Either subdue him or kill him!’ Su Mo’s mind was a tangled mess.Thoughts of transmigrating into a book, or of the future, were utterly forgotten.At this very moment, only a terrifying dread filled her mind, as the image of his monstrous body pressing down on her flashed repeatedly.”The ring! In the storage ring!” Su Mo exclaimed urgently, turning back at once.Her legs ached, giving her the illusion that her entire body was falling apart.”Thud!” She couldn’t help but fall, scraping a layer of skin from her palm. Bright red blood welled up, making her cry out in pain.Clamping her mouth over the bleeding wound, she struggled to crawl forward, hooking her hand onto Xu Qingzhu’s robes to reveal the dazzling storage ring.For the first time, she found it beautiful, and she snatched it up impatiently.However, when she tried to inject spiritual energy, her divine sense was blocked from probing it, and she realized she couldn’t use it—Xu Qingzhu had placed a restriction!’Run!’ There was no need for further thought.Perhaps there were weapons outside, or maybe she could even descend the cliff, but no matter what, she absolutely could not remain by his side.Su Mo’s jade-like hands trembled as she gritted her teeth and pushed herself up.Looking at the colorful streaks of blood on her knees, she only then noticed the sharp stones on the ground had pierced her skin.Pressing her lips together, she pulled them out, then wrapped the tattered cloth around her wounds a few times before shakily standing.They said she was a “fragile college student,” but now, Su Mo felt terrifyingly strong.”Tap…” One step, then two. Her beautiful eyes, framed by disheveled hair, gazed ahead, as if seeing a beacon of light.Until.A large hand seized her ankle, and the immense pull sent her sprawling.Tears welled in her eyes from the pain, and she frantically turned to see his charred body trembling, shedding a layer of impurities from its skin.His powerful hand exerted force, slowly pulling, dragging Su Mo closer.”No… no… Stop it! Wuwuwuwu~~” Su Mo struggled, her weak hands flailing against him.She tried to pry his grip open, she tried to kick.But Xu Qingzhu roared, seizing both her pale calves.****[Xu Qingzhu activated skill: Ancient Strength!][Su Mo could not resist and was afflicted with status: Terror Buff, her body bound and entering a state of Weakness.][The poisoned pill Xu Qingzhu consumed took effect, granting him: Lustful Aura!][Effect: Those within one meter will enter a state of Daze.]”What did he even eat?!” Su Mo clutched her nose, tears streaming down her fingers and onto her body.Bracing herself with her free hand, Su Mo activated skill: Absolute Defense![She unintentionally struck Xu Qingzhu’s vital point; effect: exceptional!][Xu Qingzhu gained: Enjoyment Buff.]In that moment, Su Mo understood something, and she cried out:”Don’t… don’t force me! I’ll help you! I’ll help you!”****”How is it so difficult?”****”Huh? More?!”****Xu Qingzhu awoke.The expected pain was absent; instead, a profound sense of comfort enveloped his entire body.Surprised, he groggily opened his eyes, a faint sound of weeping echoing in his ears.”Wuwu…”Pushing himself up, he saw Su Mo huddled miserably, her legs drawn to her chest, barely covering herself with a few scattered scraps of cloth.However, a certain scent permeated the air, and coupled with the [Mark] Su Mo now bore, Xu Qingzhu vaguely surmised the intensity of the struggle.”You…” Xu Qingzhu began hesitantly.But there was no response; the girl merely cowered in the corner, sobbing, her face buried deep.It even seemed as though she wished to suffocate herself.Carefully, he extended a hand and gently stroked her head. The moment his touch broke, she slowly began to regain her senses, albeit in a daze.She looked up, saw Xu Qingzhu approaching, and immediately recoiled, bumping against the stone wall before scrambling away, tears still flowing.”Don’t come closer! Stay away!” Su Mo’s voice was a little hoarse, her cries evoking sympathy.This sight made Xu Qingzhu lower his raised hand and cast his gaze downwards.For the first time, he felt a pang of guilt, and for this “wicked demoness” no less.’It seems… it’s done,’ Xu Qingzhu confirmed in his mind.From now on, tricking himself into trying to like her, Xu Qingzhu believed, was feasible.No need for further testing; she should be able to serve as a medicinal ingredient, helping him “kill his wife to prove his Dao.”With that thought, Xu Qingzhu suppressed all his emotions.He rose and approached Su Mo once more.