Beyond the low hills, far in the distance, lay a desolate garden—crumbling walls, overgrown with weeds taller than a man. This was a ruin, said to be where the Medicine God once dwelled in solitude. Over time, it became a relic for later generations to revere and mourn. Shi Hao, the Nine-Headed Lion, and others had waited here for a long time. As they cleared away the rubble and dug through the earth, a small altar emerged.
With a resonant hum and a flash of white light, a small, fist-sized jar appeared on the altar—pure white and crystalline. Its sudden appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention. Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with brilliance, narrowing in excitement and exhilaration. The others were equally thrilled, scarcely believing their success. After all these years, from ancient times to the present, the legendary Divine Ice Jar still existed!
“Fantastic! We’ve succeeded! The Emperor Butterfly shall return to this world!” The Scarlet Bird couldn’t contain itself and let out a triumphant cry.
“This… we actually found it! That’s the artifact of the ancient Medicine God! Legends say he traversed countless mountains and ruins, following myths to uncover it. And now, it lies before us!” Lin Kun’s face was filled with awe.
Huo Ling’er’s delicate cheeks flushed with excitement, her beautiful face alight with joy. Coming to the Medicine Capital had yielded unimaginable rewards—even uncovering something from myth and legend! Yun Xi, too, was stunned, her fair face marked with astonishment. This was undoubtedly a stroke of immense fortune. Obtaining this divine insect meant a treasure art rivaling the Ten Calamities was about to emerge.
Whether it was the Emperor Butterfly or its divine abilities, the implications were profound. If word got out, it would stir a storm of unimaginable proportions. Yet, for now, the outside world remained oblivious to Shi Hao’s monumental discovery.
The spiritual energy in the Medicine Capital grew denser, especially at its heart—the low hills. Wisps of radiant mist coiled around them, painting a breathtaking scene.
“What… what’s happening?” More and more people expressed shock and confusion.
The Divine Medicine Sect was particularly alarmed. Elders and disciples alike gazed at the sacred mountain, recalling ancient legends.
“In ancient times, this mountain was already sacred, but the Medicine God later sealed it, trapping the spiritual energy beneath. Now, with this sudden change… could the underground formation have been damaged?” Some even whispered that something was sealed beneath the hills—and now, it might be emerging.
Soon, the Divine Medicine Sect was abuzz with activity as many hurried toward the low hills to investigate.
Atop the hills, auspicious mist surged from an ancient well, making the place resemble an immortal’s paradise. The gray-robed woman, sensing the disturbance, sat in meditation, her gaze piercing through the void as if nothing could escape her notice.
In the ruins, Shi Hao swiftly sealed the ice coffin inside the World Treasure Box and then tucked it into the small pagoda to mask its aura. Yet, two beams of light tore through the mist—divine eyes, it seemed—startling Huo Ling’er and the others.
Shi Hao’s heart pounded. They had already moved far enough away, using an ancient divine formation to teleport the artifact. Could they still have alerted her? How terrifyingly powerful was she, to track something sent through a divine formation and pinpoint its path through the void?
“Have you not left yet?” The gray-robed woman, shrouded in immortal mist, gazed at Shi Hao from afar, her presence ethereal and transcendent.
Despite the great distance—the ruins were practically in the city’s outskirts—she had located them with terrifying precision.
“Sister, I left something behind. I’ll be on my way soon,” Shi Hao replied with an innocent smile, though his mind was anything but calm.
The woman’s eyes, like divine rainbows, swept over them—was this the undefeated legend of ancient times, the one with the Dual Pupils?
“She noticed? Impossible! How could she track something sent through a divine formation?!” The Nine-Headed Lion transmitted his shock silently.
“You underestimate me,” the woman’s voice carried clearly despite the distance, amused and lighthearted.
“What? I only used mental transmission—how could she hear me?!” The lion shuddered.
“Don’t think recklessly. Don’t project your thoughts outward. This sister possesses the supreme art of ‘Heart’s Echo,'” Shi Hao warned.
Yun Xi, Huo Ling’er, and the Five-Colored Luan Bird were dumbfounded. To read minds from such a distance? This woman was beyond terrifying!
“I know something extraordinary is sealed within these hills. I’ve never forced it out because I deduced it couldn’t survive,” the woman mused, her beauty otherworldly, her wisdom radiant.
Shi Hao was stunned—she knew what was hidden here?
As if reading his mind, she smirked, her ancient divinity carrying a playful air. “With Heart’s Echo, deducing such things is trivial.”
Shi Hao’s face fell. Had all their efforts been for nothing?
But then she added, “I sense you possess something that can sustain it. Since fate has brought this creature to you, I won’t take it.”
Relieved, Shi Hao exhaled. Such magnanimity—truly befitting an ancient legend.
“Sister, you truly are extraordinary,” he praised sincerely.
Yun Xi and Huo Ling’er rolled their eyes at his shameless flattery.
“When it becomes a butterfly, I shall borrow it for three days,” the woman said cheerfully, her youthful demeanor at odds with her divine status.
Shi Hao could only nod.
As spiritual energy thickened around the hills, the woman withdrew her gaze, leaving the group in stunned silence.
At least their efforts hadn’t been in vain. But Shi Hao remained wary—this “undefeated legend” was far more formidable than he’d imagined.
Once things settled, the others turned to Shi Hao eagerly, desperate to see the legendary creature.
Retrieving the bronze fragment and following the beast-skin instructions, Shi Hao activated the World Treasure Box. Symbols shimmered, and a radiant gate appeared. He stepped into the pocket dimension.
“So cold!” He immediately dropped the jar onto the altar—its chill was soul-piercing. Earlier, he’d handled it with a treasure art, avoiding direct contact. Now, he understood its true frost.
The Scarlet Bird, skeptical, reached out—only to recoil as ice encased its body, nearly freezing it solid.
Without touch, the cold was imperceptible. But contact was unbearable. Even Huo Ling’er and Yun Xi tried, only to stagger back, pale-faced.
This was no ordinary artifact. The Divine Ice Jar, small as it was, could freeze even the mightiest cultivators to death if held too long.
“This divine ice never melts—a sacred treasure for preserving flesh and soul. Even in ancient times, gods couldn’t obtain it,” Yun Xi recalled from ancient texts.
The jar alone was priceless, let alone the Emperor Butterfly within!
“Don’t act recklessly. I’ll unseal it as the beast-skin instructs,” Shi Hao said, channeling his power into the jar.
The symbols on its surface glowed, and it opened effortlessly.
Inside lay not a butterfly, but a golden pill—round, radiant, and fragrant.
“A golden elixir!” the Scarlet Bird squawked.
The aroma alone was intoxicating, as if one whiff could elevate them to divinity.
“Could this be the legendary Nine Revolutions Divine Pill?” the bird gasped.
Rumors said consuming it could instantly make one a god—though few in history had ever crafted it.
Shi Hao examined the pill closely. Perfectly round, flawless, exuding medicinal fragrance. It seemed undeniably like a pill, not a living creature.
“Cut it up! Let’s share it and ascend together!” the Scarlet Bird drooled.
“Get lost!” Shi Hao kicked it aside, probing the pill with his divine sense.
But the pill blocked all detection.
Then—it moved.
The Five-Colored Luan Bird gasped as the pill unfurled, transforming into a golden silkworm—no, a divine insect, plump and translucent, exuding fragrance.
Shyly, it blinked its large, luminous eyes before darting under Shi Hao’s collar to hide.
Incredibly fast—like golden lightning.
It sniffed around, then nuzzled against him, as if seeking something.
“Ah, do I truly possess something you need to survive?” Shi Hao murmured, joy swelling in his heart.
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