Chapter 86: Fairy! I Want You to Help Me Cultivate

After a thorough exchange between the two,

Chen Xiaoyan finally realized that Shen Qingqing hadn’t entered a dungeon at all, but rather the game’s real world.

The plan to cling to a powerful ally and win effortlessly was completely crushed.

Yet Chen Xiaoyan still felt like she had forgotten something.

“Big Sister Shen, thank you for your hard work this time. Once I clear the dungeon, I’ll come back to find you,” she said.

Shen Qingqing shook her head, not intending to leave.

Before, she had let Chen Xiaoyan leave because she didn’t know the dangers around her.

Now that she did, how could she just let her go so easily?

“The scenery here is quite nice. I’ll wait for you here.”

Without waiting for a response, she transformed into a streak of rainbow light and flew toward the peak of the dungeon’s mountain.

She even found the perfect vantage point to take in the panoramic view.

Then, she closed her eyes and began meditating.

Her memories had been tampered with; the part about entering the dungeon had been wiped clean.

Someone had silently erased that segment of her memory.

This kind of power— even the hidden elders of various sects couldn’t achieve it.

Could it be some celestial deity from above?

Shen Qingqing shook her head to stop her wild speculations.

If someone could erase her memories silently, they could just as easily kill her.

The memory wipe was proof that this powerful individual didn’t want to reveal themselves.

If she didn’t stay vigilant, she might be in mortal danger.

After all, the dead are the best at keeping secrets.

With her eyes closed, Shen Qingqing meditated, but she also kept an eye on Chen Xiaoyan below.

Chongchong and the others knew she hadn’t left and dared not act recklessly; everything proceeded by the book.

Chongchong was extremely displeased with Shen Qingqing’s domineering attitude.

An NPC actually interfering with players—could this game get any more absurd?

If she weren’t afraid of losing levels, she’d definitely stand up and give Shen Qingqing a piece of her mind.

“Everyone, come over. I have something for you,” Chen Xiaoyan called out.

“Huh? Captain, you even prepared something for us? What is it?” they asked.

Chen Xiaoyan smiled.

“Of course, it’s something good. I sacrificed my own time to get this…”

She quickly shut her mouth, almost forgetting Shen Qingqing was still above, and with her keen hearing, would overhear everything.

“Ahem, it’s something Big Sister Shen carefully made for us,” Chen Xiaoyan immediately corrected herself.

“Sister Xiaoyan, don’t keep us in suspense. What is it? Show us!”

“Exactly,” they chimed in.

Chen Xiaoyan pulled out a handful of grass wreaths from her backpack and handed them out one by one.

“Wow, what is this? Don’t tell me you just picked some weeds and made these?”

Chongchong looked at the simple grass wreaths in her hands and immediately started complaining.

Chen Xiaoyan gave an awkward smile.

Though she hadn’t made them herself, the process was pretty much as the girl said.

“These wreaths are imbued with a purification formation set up by Big Sister Shen. They prevent us from being poisoned.”

“Is this to guard against the toxic spores of the demon flowers?”

Mu Qingxue asked in surprise.

Chen Xiaoyan nodded.

“Awesome! With these, those demon flowers without poison are just useless,” Hong Chen Rumo exclaimed, leaning back in excitement.

“Aren’t demon flowers female?”

Xian Yun whispered.

Chongchong looked at Chen Xiaoyan’s flower wreath and then at her own increasingly shabby grass wreath, feeling unfair.

Pouting, she asked, “Sister Xiaoyan, why is yours a flower wreath? And so delicate?”

“Well, they have the same effect anyway.”

“Then can we trade?”

Chen Xiaoyan didn’t answer, not because she cared, but she worried Shen Qingqing might object.

“Sister Xiaoyan won’t say anything; she must be feeling guilty. Hmph ╯^╰”

“Do you want to trade or not? If not, give it back to me,” Chen Xiaoyan reached out playfully.

Chongchong dodged to the side and ran off, sticking out her tongue, then put the grass wreath on her head.

It was kind of ugly, but better than nothing.

The only downside was the color—it was a bit glaring.

Once wearing the wreath, Chongchong noticed the air felt fresher.

“Wow, this purification formation is amazing!”

Seeing everyone put on the bright green wreaths, Chen Xiaoyan felt something was off.

Never mind, she’d deal with it after clearing the dungeon.

“Hurry up and gather. Prepare to start the battle.”

“Oh~”

With the help of the purification formation, the demon flower’s poisonous spores were completely ineffective.

Unfortunately, she was hit by hallucinations again.

And, frustratingly, this time it wasn’t an emperor, but a corporate CEO.

Tsundere little girlfriend, alluring secretary, innocent school beauty…

Surrounded by beauties, birds singing and flowers blooming, fragrance everywhere—today, this time, I will surely claim victory.

But the reality was cruel.

Before she could even move, everything reset.

Having learned from last time, Mu Qingxue transferred Chen Xiaoyan faster this round.

Chen Xiaoyan rubbed her hair in confusion, utterly baffled.

Why was she hit again?

Was she just unlucky, or was the hallucination skill exclusively targeting her?

Ha! I don’t believe it.

Again.

Ten minutes later, Chen Xiaoyan was helped out by Mu Qingxue and the others once more.

Upon waking, she was furious.

“This damn boss is targeting me!”

One or two times would be unlucky, but a third time was ridiculous.

It was as if the hallucination was designed just for her—triggering immediately with no hesitation.

“Xiaoyan, maybe you shouldn’t go anymore,” Mu Qingxue said helplessly. Constantly going in and out not only wasted damage time but also tired her out.

“No. This time, I’ll try not looking at the boss. If it still doesn’t work, I won’t participate.”

Having been hit three times, Chen Xiaoyan had some understanding of how the demon flower’s hallucinations worked.

Each time, she only got hit after seeing its pink beast-like eyes.

So, maybe the demon flower’s skill was released through its eyes?

Back in the battlefield, Chen Xiaoyan refused to look at the demon flower and instead fixed her gaze on her teammates, casting healing skills.

No matter what happened, she wouldn’t waver.

Fairy! I want you to help me cultivate.

Until the demon flower was near death, she remained unharmed.

Sure enough, the hallucination was triggered through its eyes.

As long as she didn’t look, she was safe.

“Your Majesty, why won’t you look at me?”

Suddenly, a sorrowful voice echoed in Chen Xiaoyan’s ear, from a consort in her hallucination.

“Consort Liu?”

Her expression turned serious.

This was definitely the voice of Consort Liu from the hallucination.

Recalling the beauty in flowing robes, a woman of unparalleled grace, her heart began to race uncontrollably.

Hallucinations always combined reality with illusion.

Consort Liu was an extension of Liu Yue.

Naturally, the hallucination version was more perfect.

Like a goddess from the Ninth Heaven, she required no makeup to be stunningly beautiful.

“Your Majesty no longer wishes to look at me. Have you grown tired of Yue’er?”

“I knew it. There’s no such thing as eternal devotion. I shouldn’t have hoped for too much.”

Consort Liu’s voice rang again, filled with sorrow and despair that could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Chen Xiaoyan gritted her teeth, struggling to resist the urge to look up.

But she knew it was all illusion, including Consort Liu.

“Yo, isn’t this Consort Liu? If the emperor doesn’t want to see you, then go to the cold palace, haha. A beauty like you, I’ve never even touched before.”

A sharp voice rang beside her ear.

Chen Xiaoyan knew exactly who it was.

It was Zhao Longjun’s derivative—the Grand Palace Steward, a eunuch.