My Xianxia Harem Life

The two continued their search for opportunities deeper within the mysterious realm, following winding paths and ancient trails half-buried in overgrowth.

Though the place radiated spiritual energy and the promise of hidden treasures, it was equally shrouded in danger.

Their steps eventually brought them near a jagged cliffside where the mouth of a cave yawned like a beast ready to devour all who dared approach.

But what truly caught their attention—and filled them with dread—was the creature lying in wait.

Coiled lazily around the entrance was a colossal snake, its glistening emerald scales shifting like armor in the sunlight.

It was nearly as thick as a tree trunk, and its tongue flicked in and out with unsettling rhythm.

Its golden eyes were half-lidded, but there was no mistaking the deadly awareness behind them.

From a safe distance behind a dense thicket, Riley and Diana watched in horror as a group of four cultivators crept toward the cave, clearly hoping to slip past or distract the beast.

But before any of them made it halfway, the serpent uncoiled with frightening speed.

In a blur, it lunged—its jaws wide, fangs glinting—and swallowed the first man whole.

The others barely had time to scream before they too met the same gruesome fate, one by one disappearing into the snake's maw.

Riley exhaled slowly, his body tense. "We can't take that thing on."

"I know," Diana said, her voice low and tight with frustration. She clenched her fists at her sides.

"If we still had our true cultivation levels... even a million of these snakes would be like dust before us. But now—like this—we're no better than those poor fools. We'd be dead the moment it notices us."

The snake slithered back toward the cave entrance, its massive body displacing stones and dragging deep grooves in the earth.

Its movements were surprisingly silent, as if the ground itself feared to protest its passage.

That kind of agility—effortless and terrifying—was not something either of them could counter in their current state.

"It's a pity…" Diana murmured, her gaze lingering on the cave, imagining what kind of treasure might be hidden within. "But we need to leave. It's suicide to stay."

She turned away with a sigh, the disappointment heavy in her chest. But just as she took a step, Riley reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he said quietly.

Diana looked back at him, puzzled. "What is it?"

"I could kill that snake for you," Riley said, his tone smooth and almost too casual for the situation.

"But… you'll have to do something for me later."

Diana's brows lifted. She turned to him with a flat look, though the corners of her lips twitched. "Is that seriously what you're thinking about right now?"

She couldn't see his full face—the mask still covered everything below his eyes—but the glint in them told her everything she needed to know.

That playful sparkle, laced with something far more wicked, hinted clearly at what kind of favor he was talking about.

It made her heart race for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.

"You really don't know how to be serious, do you?"

"I am being serious," Riley said with a slight shrug. "I'm risking my life, after all. The least you could do is reward me."

Diana shook her head and turned away, but not before a soft blush crept up her cheeks.

She could still feel the lingering warmth from last night—his hands on her skin, the way their bodies had moved in sync, the breathless pleasure they had shared.

What surprised her most was how natural it had felt, how easily she had surrendered to him… and how much she had wanted to.

She pressed her fingers against her lips, trying to shake off the memory. "You're such a scoundrel," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm a man," Riley replied, utterly unrepentant. "And I have a beautiful woman blushing in front of me. Can you blame me for being honest?"

He gave her a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in.

Then, after a few heartbeats, Diana exhaled and crossed her arms.

"Alright," she said, though her voice held a trace of reluctance. "If you can really kill that beast… I'll agree. But you better not be bluffing."

Riley's smirk deepened. "Deal. Just remember you said that."

"I won't go back on my word," Diana said, her tone steady despite the nerves fluttering in her chest.

"Good." Riley turned away from her, his expression growing serious beneath the mask.

He took a step forward—and then another—moving straight toward the colossal snake without an ounce of hesitation.

He made no effort to hide, no attempt to sneak around. He was walking right into the monster's line of sight.

Diana's breath caught. "What are you doing? It'll see you!"

"That's the point," Riley said calmly, not even glancing back. "Let it come to me."

She stared at him, speechless. It wasn't just confidence in his voice—it was something else. Something colder. Sharper.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered just how much she didn't know about the man who had so easily stolen her heart.

As Riley moved closer, the serpent began to stir. Its great body shifted, scales rasping against stone and earth with a low, ominous sound.

Its golden eyes snapped open, locking onto the intruder walking toward its lair.

Diana's heartbeat thundered in her chest.

The snake uncoiled slowly, deliberately, as if sensing that this prey might be different from the others.

Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air.

Then, with terrifying speed, it lunged forward—massive jaws wide open, aiming to devour Riley in one brutal strike.

But Riley didn't flinch.

In the split second before the beast's gaping jaws reached him, he simply smiled—calm, fearless—and let himself be swallowed whole.

Diana's eyes widened in shock. What… is he doing?

The serpent's mouth clamped shut with a sickening crunch, and its massive body writhed as it swallowed him down in one smooth, horrifying motion.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then came a violent thrashing.

The snake convulsed, its enormous body twisting and buckling.

Something was happening inside it—a fierce struggle.

Its scales rippled unnaturally as though something within was trying to tear its way out.

And then… silence.

The creature slithered back, panting heavily, its mouth dripping with venom and blood.

The light in its golden eyes flickered, then steadied.

"He's… dead?" Diana whispered, her voice cracking. Her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground, staring in disbelief.

"No… that can't be…"

Tears blurred her vision. Why did you do that…?

Around her, the remaining cultivators were far less moved.

"Hahaha! What a fool!" one of them jeered. "He's just another piece of snake food today!"

"Right? Dumb as they come!" another scoffed. "Who just walks up to a beast and lets themselves get eaten?"

"And that mask… what was he trying to be? A mysterious bandit or something?" They all laughed, shaking their heads in mocking disbelief.

But their amusement was short-lived.

"Wait… guys, look!"

One of them pointed with a trembling hand. The others turned—and their expressions quickly changed from smug to stunned.

Inside the snake's body, something was moving.

Something was fighting back.

They could see it now—violent shudders rocking the serpent's long frame, as though a raging storm had been trapped within its flesh.

The snake reared up and shrieked, a guttural, inhuman sound tearing from its throat. Blood sprayed from its sides.

It spasmed again, harder this time, its body writhing uncontrollably.

Diana's breath caught in her throat.

He's alive…!

Whatever was happening inside that beast, it was clear—Riley hadn't died. He was fighting.

And the snake was losing.

What Riley was doing, of course, was far from elegant or heroic.

Inside the snake's gut, he fought with nothing but a dagger in hand—cramped, suffocating, and drenched in digestive fluids.

There was no glory in it, just raw, relentless brutality.

He hacked away at the beast's insides with ruthless precision.

When his clone's body could no longer function, he seamlessly swapped it out for his real one, only to switch again to another clone in the blink of an eye.

It was a gruesome game of endurance and deception—death by a thousand cuts from within.

Finally, the serpent thrashed violently one last time before collapsing with a heavy crash.

A massive wound had torn open along its belly, spilling blood and entrails across the earth.

From within that mess, Riley emerged.

He stepped out slowly, his entire body drenched in blood and gore, looking less like a man and more like a vengeful spirit risen from the depths.

His mask was still intact, but everything else about him was wild and terrifying.

The cultivators who had laughed before now stared in stunned silence.

"T-That… that was inside the snake…?"

"He's alive…? How…?"

"W-What kind of monster is this guy…?" All of them could not believe what they saw.

Diana, still on her knees, stared at Riley with wide, glassy eyes.

Her heart thundered in her chest—not from fear, but from something far more overwhelming.

He was alive.

He'd done it.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

All she could do was watch as he walked toward her, leaving bloody footprints behind with every step.

His figure, soaked in the blood of the beast, looked more like a force of nature than a man.

And still… he smiled beneath the mask.