“May you have the fortune to obtain it. That Golden Butterfly might not be weaker than the Ten Calamities. Just imagine its immense value!” said the little pagoda, only an inch tall, snow-white and translucent, shimmering with a crystalline glow amidst Shi Hao’s hair.
“What?” Shi Hao was stunned. “This Golden Divine Butterfly is that powerful? Truly as the legends say, capable of rivaling the mightiest beings in the world?”
“Just speculation,” the little pagoda admitted frankly. The Golden Butterfly was too mysterious, having appeared only once in the ancient times, never seen again. As for this time, the pagoda wasn’t certain—it didn’t even believe such a creature should exist in this realm. Throughout history, there had been only one fleeting sighting, and then nothing!
“So mysterious,” Shi Hao murmured, increasingly convinced of the butterfly’s extraordinary origins. Beyond its innate treasures and abilities, its very existence was an enigma.
Shi Hao reverted to his mischievous child self, his large eyes curving into crescents, sparkling with delight, his delicate and handsome face brimming with smiles. He couldn’t help but wipe away a bit of drool.
“This guy’s smile is so shameless,” the Crimson Bird remarked.
Opposite him stood Huo Ling’er and Yun Xi, both staring at Shi Hao with suspicion, mistaking his expression for some nefarious scheme. They blushed with embarrassment and irritation.
“Brother, rein it in. It’s not even dark yet—no need for such flirtatious glances,” the Fire Crow interjected with a smirk.
Indeed, it was easy to misunderstand—Shi Hao wiping his drool, grinning peculiarly, with two stunningly beautiful young women before him.
“I warn you, though I want that artifact back, I won’t compromise. Don’t get any ideas,” Yun Xi said indignantly.
*Thud!*
Huo Ling’er was more direct—she punched Shi Hao on the head, the sound loud enough to show she meant it.
“What was that for?” Shi Hao asked, snapping out of his daze. He wiped his mouth again, his mood still excellent, his gaze gentle as he looked at everyone.
“That smile is so shameless!” the Crimson Bird muttered.
*Thud!*
Shi Hao flicked the bird with his finger—hard enough to crack stone, given his physical strength. The Crimson Bird yelped and leaped high into the air, screeching like a wolf rather than a bird.
“Let’s go!” Shi Hao turned and strode ahead, eager to find a secluded place to unlock the World Treasure Box. This wasn’t the right spot—the people from the formation had followed them.
“Huh? Was I wrong?” the Fire Crow wondered.
A golden radiance shimmered as Shi Hao activated the Kun Peng technique, enveloping everyone in a misty glow as they soared into the sky, leaving the Divine Valley behind.
They didn’t return to Medicine Capital but entered a mountain range instead. Shi Hao needed the little pagoda’s help here, fearing the commotion might attract unwanted attention.
After some thought, Shi Hao announced he would go into seclusion to unlock the treasure box.
Everyone was stunned. Upon learning what it was, they lost hope—such treasures were nearly impossible to open without knowing the intricate symbol sequence inside.
“You can really open it?” Yun Xi, the purple-robed maiden, asked skeptically.
“Don’t doubt me. Given time, I could even carve a path through the heavens,” Shi Hao grinned.
His playful demeanor hadn’t changed since their days in Hundred Shattered Mountains years ago. Yun Xi gritted her teeth in secret—she had expected him to grow more dignified after becoming a king, but his nature remained the same.
“From ancient times till now, few have ever unlocked such a treasure box. Only one case is recorded,” Yun Xi said haughtily, unable to stand his smugness. Every time she saw that expression, she recalled the most awkward moment of her life.
“Anyone who doubts me can bet against me,” Shi Hao challenged.
The group was surprised by his sudden confidence. Did he really have a way?
The mountains were lush with spiritual energy, far from the wilderness—serene, with clear springs and misty vapors.
Curiosity piqued, everyone eagerly awaited the unveiling of the World Treasure Box. Could there truly be a dormant Golden Butterfly inside?
“If you lose, return the divine artifact to me,” Yun Xi bargained.
“Fine. And if you lose, dig up that sacred herb from your mountain for me?” Shi Hao teased.
“No!” Yun Xi refused. That herb was tied to her clan’s fate—too precious to wager, even for a celestial being.
“Then guard my village for me!” Shi Hao countered.
“You—!” Yun Xi glared, her beautiful face shifting through emotions before she finally bit her lip. “I… won’t bet!”
“Ah, what a disappointment. When will I ever catch one—beautiful and powerful? So hard to find,” Shi Hao sighed dramatically.
The others chuckled, while Huo Ling’er rolled her eyes. “Eat more pig ears to boost your strength. Maybe then you’ll manage.”
Yun Xi shot Huo Ling’er a sharp look, which the latter returned defiantly.
“I sense murderous intent!” the Crimson Bird declared solemnly.
—
On the mountain peak, ancient pines stood verdant amidst scattered boulders, the atmosphere tranquil.
“Be careful, little pagoda. Those girls said this thing is dangerous. Even with supreme power, forcing it open might collapse the miniature world inside, causing spatial implosion—utterly terrifying,” Shi Hao warned.
“I never use brute force,” the pagoda replied.
A wisp of chaotic energy seeped into the fist-sized bronze block. Instantly, hundreds of mystical symbols lit up, covering its surface in a dazzling display.
By the end, it no longer resembled bronze but a radiant divine jade, translucent and glowing.
“Huh? It’s solid inside—no space,” Shi Hao muttered, suddenly nervous. Had they been chasing a phantom hope?
The pagoda didn’t force it open but silently deduced the symbol sequence, rearranging them with threads of chaotic energy.
The bronze box shone brighter, floating metallic characters forming in the air, rapidly interlocking.
“The void is distorting!” the distant observers gasped, feeling the very world tremble.
On the peak, Shi Hao gaped as the characters merged into a gateway—a portal to a miniature world.
“Incredible!” Shi Hao cheered. Success!
“Go retrieve it,” the pagoda instructed.
Shi Hao stepped through the portal into a dim, confined void. At its center stood a lone stone table.
“Charge!” the Crimson Bird yelled as the group rushed in.
“Ugh, how stingy—just a lousy stone table? No treasures?” the Fire Crow grumbled.
“Got it,” Shi Hao grinned, waving a beast-skin parchment—left by the Medicine God, detailing his findings.
The Medicine God had obtained the Golden Butterfly from this very box, unlocking it with an incantation found in an ancient ruin.
“No Golden Butterfly?” the Nine-Headed Lion asked.
“It’s in Medicine Capital—clearly written here,” Shi Hao explained. The Medicine God had taken the divine egg to hatch it using the earth’s ancestral veins.
The group studied the parchment in awe.
The butterfly’s incubation required boundless spiritual essence—proof of its extraordinary nature.
Medicine Capital sat atop the earth’s life-giving veins, the perfect nurturing ground.
“Sealed beneath that low mountain, in the ancestral veins?” Lin Kun gasped. That was their sect’s forbidden ground—impossible to enter.
“Could it have hatched and escaped?” the Crimson Bird wondered.
“No, the records are clear,” Shi Hao said.
The Medicine God had placed the egg in a divine ice jar within the veins, setting up a formation to return it to the jar upon hatching. He had planned to personally claim it later.
But he died before the butterfly emerged.
“The Medicine God was cautious—even he feared failing to tame a creature rivaling the Ten Calamities,” Huo Ling’er noted.
The group nodded. Even a figure as mighty as the Medicine God had tread carefully.
“All his efforts for nothing,” the Crimson Bird said bluntly.
“We actually found it…” Lin Kun, the elder of Divine Medicine Sect, murmured in disbelief.
A legendary treasure, pieced together from ancient fragments, leading to the Golden Butterfly’s whereabouts.
“Elder Lin, I won’t forget your help,” Shi Hao said, patting his shoulder.
Lin Kun sighed. What was done was done. Even if he had kept the box, he lacked the resources to nurture the butterfly—or the power to protect it.
Perhaps this was an investment. If Shi Hao rose unhindered, who could oppose him in the future?
Returning to Medicine Capital, they swiftly located eight ancient altars buried around the city, activating the formation to summon the divine ice jar.
They didn’t storm the Divine Medicine Sect but waited outside the low mountain for the jar to emerge.
“Huh? The spiritual energy’s thickening,” many in the city murmured in confusion.
The Divine Medicine Sect was in uproar—the low mountain had suddenly blurred, shrouded in mist, exuding immortal-like energy.
Deep within the earth’s veins, a pool of luminous liquid—the essence of the ancestral roots—bubbled with vitality.
A white jar lay submerged, its surface alight with symbols. A formation activated, and—*whoosh!*—it vanished, reappearing outside.
The pool erupted with light, the jar now gone, delivered into Shi Hao’s hands.
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