“I know a bit.” Lin Kun nodded, his heart filled with reluctance, but facing this notorious killer, he truly felt uncertain. Though he was far away in the Medicine Capital, he had heard of the infamous “holy terror.” Years ago, when this figure was still a mere child, he had already stirred up storms in the Void God Realm, “oppressing” various factions. A year and a half prior, he had carved out a fearsome reputation, defeating the Dual-Pupiled One and slaying a Venerable, earning the title of the sole Young Supreme in the Barren Domain.
This teenage problem child, who had incurred the wrath of both mortals and gods, left even the ancient sects helpless. The more Lin Kun thought about it, the more terrified he became, deeply regretting provoking him. Now, he was doing everything possible to make amends.
At this moment, the group was brimming with excitement, their interest piqued. Even Yun Xi was visibly thrilled—after all, this was the legendary Emperor Butterfly! Beyond its innate talent for locating spiritual plants, its sheer combat prowess was said to be unparalleled. Even the infamous Rift Demon Butterfly, renowned for its terrifying might in the ancient era, was no match for it. Some in the cultivation world speculated that had the Emperor Butterfly appeared more than once in the ancient times—making its potential harder to gauge—it might have ranked among the “Ten Fears” of antiquity.
This wasn’t baseless talk. Some had indeed concluded that it surpassed even gold, earning the title of Divine Butterfly. This divine insect was overwhelmingly powerful; had it made more appearances and been properly evaluated, the conclusions might have been earth-shattering.
Yet doubts lingered—why had it only appeared once? In such an endless stretch of time, surely there couldn’t have been just one instance? It seemed like a fleeting miracle.
“It is unique, said to be born only once across countless eras,” Yun Xi murmured softly, recalling an anecdote she had read in the dust-covered bone scriptures of the Celestial God Mountain.
How did it come into existence? No one knew. Some ancient beings of celestial rank speculated that it might not even belong to this realm.
After an intense internal struggle, Lin Kun finally calmed himself. Seeing Shi Hao captivated, he realized he had narrowly avoided disaster—the other party likely wouldn’t settle scores with him now.
Upon reflection, he understood that even if such a divine insect existed, a decrepit old man like him, barely at the Array Formation Realm, wouldn’t be able to protect it. It was better to forge a favorable connection now.
There was no need to dwell on Shi Hao’s potential. Everyone knew that given time, he would surpass the current generation’s sect elites. Having weighed his options, Lin Kun felt at peace, no longer conflicted. Without wasting time, he turned and walked to a corner of the medicinal field.
Crouching down, he rummaged through the soil until a crisp *click* sounded. A cluster of symbols lit up beneath the earth, followed by a grinding noise as the ground split open.
Lin Kun retrieved a stone box from a foot-wide array cavity and handed it to Shi Hao.
“Could it really be the Emperor Butterfly?!” Everyone’s eyes widened in tension, their breaths quickening. Even Huo Ling’er’s ample chest rose and fell slightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she stared at the unassuming stone box.
“Be careful. If it is the Emperor Butterfly, even in its larval stage, it possesses unimaginable spirituality and formidable power,” Yun Xi cautioned excitedly.
She had always harbored curiosity and reverence for such legendary creatures. As a descendant of ancient beings herself, she yearned to witness the Emperor Butterfly firsthand.
Lin Kun coughed awkwardly and whispered, “It’s just a crucial clue, not the dormant larva itself.”
The group felt a pang of disappointment but also sighed in relief. This made sense—such a world-shaking divine insect couldn’t possibly be casually produced by a mere King. That would have been bizarre and unbelievable.
Opening the stone box, they found a bronze fragment inscribed with over a hundred mysterious symbols. Though dull and covered in rust, it exuded a gentle, ancient aura.
“This is one half of a bronze fragment. According to our Divine Medicine Sect’s ancient records, if the complete bronze artifact is found, it will lead to the legendary Emperor Butterfly,” Lin Kun explained.
As for the fragment in his possession, he had stumbled upon it after taking over this courtyard. Many years ago, an elder of the sect had collected it and sealed it here.
The group’s enthusiasm waned. From ancient times to the present, countless years had passed without anyone finding the other half. How were they, mere outsiders, supposed to locate it?
“But there’s already a clue. When the Medicine God perished, his relics were inherited by his youngest son. Naturally, the bronze fragment was in his possession…” Lin Kun elaborated.
“So, there’s now a lead on the Medicine God’s descendants?” the Nine-Headed Lion asked.
“Exactly. His remains have been discovered,” Lin Kun confirmed before providing details.
The location was none other than the ancient Divine Valley, guarded by over a hundred formations. Since the ruins had appeared, countless explorers had ventured there daily. Recently, some clues had surfaced.
The Great Red Bird immediately frowned. That place was virtually impenetrable—according to Zi Shan Kun, the formations were likely laid by Celestial Gods, making them nearly impossible to breach in this era.
“Unexpectedly, just yesterday, someone digging there uncovered an underground passage leading straight into the Divine Valley,” Lin Kun revealed.
“How is that possible? Someone cracked a Celestial God’s formation?” The group was stunned.
“It was an ancient cultivator who broke through three formations before perishing inside. Those who entered later found shattered artifacts and a jade tablet identifying the fallen,” Lin Kun explained.
With this, the group understood the situation.
“This is still a secret. Only a handful know. Right now, some of the Medicine Capital’s elites are already exploring the breached formations in the Divine Valley, hoping for gains.”
Hearing this, the group could no longer stay put.
After gathering more details, they followed Lin Kun’s lead and swiftly arrived at the ancient Divine Valley. The area was still shrouded in immortal mist, with auspicious lights flickering faintly, exuding an air of profound mystery.
This time, Shi Hao didn’t bother observing the sacred spiritual root at the valley’s center. Instead, he headed straight for a section outside the valley, cordoned off by various formation banners.
Clearly, the area was under someone’s control. The banners fluttered, sealing the space within, where thick mist churned, obscuring visibility.
As a prominent figure in the Medicine Capital, Lin Kun adhered to the principle of shared benefits, allowing him to escort others inside. The area was guarded by powerful figures, barring ordinary cultivators.
“Elder Lin, you’ve brought quite a crowd this time,” remarked a few cultivators stationed at the entrance of an ancient underground passage, restricting entry.
Lin Kun smiled, exchanging pleasantries before leading Shi Hao and the others inside without obstruction.
The ancient tunnel was deep, descending a hundred zhang before leveling out toward the valley. The remnants of the path’s creation spoke volumes of the immense effort and sacrifice required to breach the formations.
Residual runes lingered in the tunnel, their terrifying aura still palpable. Had they not been neutralized, any trespasser would have met a gruesome end.
Soon, they ascended through the tunnel, emerging into a lit area—the first formation’s interior.
“Eh? It’s like a separate world!” The Fire Crow gasped.
The group shuddered in unison. The space was vast beyond measure, stretching farther than the eye could see—far exceeding the valley’s apparent size from the outside. And this was just the first formation. With over a hundred combined, how immense would the total area be?
Their heads spun. Could this be a condensed stretch of the Great Barren? Measuring the first formation, they found it truly boundless. Extrapolating, the valley’s actual scale was unimaginable.
“I estimate the combined formations span hundreds of thousands of li, perhaps even infinitely,” Huo Ling’er speculated.
Such a colossal territory was mind-boggling. What kind of ambition could erect formations covering hundreds of thousands of li? It was a feat that could shake the ages.
“What’s the purpose? Who’d go to such lengths for fun?” The Nine-Headed Lion clicked his tongue.
“There’s little vitality here,” Shi Hao noted with surprise. The first formation’s interior was sparsely vegetated, as if all essence had been drained.
“Beyond protective formations, there are spirit-gathering arrays, all funneling energy toward the valley’s heart,” Yun Xi explained.
“Could the essence and underground spiritual veins across hundreds of thousands of li be nourishing that single heaven-earth spiritual root at the center?” Huo Ling’er mused, intrigued.
What kind of plant could demand such terrifying resources?
Even Shi Hao was shaken. This valley was undoubtedly the work of a supreme being—perhaps not even of this realm.
“Let’s hope it wasn’t left here intentionally, waiting for someone to return and claim it,” Shi Hao muttered. If so, an invincible figure might reappear.
Guided by Lin Kun, they entered another ancient tunnel leading to the second formation. The passage clearly bore spatial runes, allowing them to traverse great distances swiftly before resurfacing.
The second formation was equally vast and barren, devoid of anything valuable.
Lin Kun warned, “Proceeding further is dangerous. The Medicine God’s son died in the third formation, having only breached part of its restrictions.”
“Let’s go,” Shi Hao said, eager to investigate but unwilling to take reckless risks.
Inside the third formation, a safe zone housed over a hundred individuals—elites from the Medicine Capital, accompanied by disciples and descendants, scouring for opportunities. The spoils were limited, and the area was small, with mist obscuring the periphery.
Many combed the edges, hoping for discoveries.
“Look, plenty of shattered artifacts.” The area was littered with broken formation banners, exploded primal bones, and cracked medicinal cauldrons.
“This is the remains of that senior,” Lin Kun said, pointing ahead.
The corpse’s flesh had long vanished, its bones a sickly gray-black, brittle to the touch. The victim had been crushed by terrifying formation forces, his essence drained by a spirit-siphoning array.
“Staying here drains vitality fast,” Shi Hao noted shortly after entering.
The third formation wasn’t fully breached, so even the safe zone wasn’t entirely secure, harboring latent dangers.
“Elder Lin, you’ve arrived,” someone greeted.
“The Medicine God’s son—our patriarch—was extraordinary. Our research suggests he might have reached the Divine Realm in his later years, entering with partial formation charts,” another elder added.
The revelation stunned Shi Hao. Activating his Dual Pupils, he detected divine light flickering in one of the bones—undeniable proof of divinity.
A Divine Realm expert had only breached two and a half formations, and even then, likely with aid. How terrifying was this place?
Shi Hao’s hopes dwindled. The area was perilous, and after a sweep, he found no trace of the bronze fragment.
“Wait—there it is!” Just as he was about to give up, his Dual Pupils caught a familiar aura—identical to the bronze fragment in his possession.
Upon closer inspection, his heart leaped. It was the exact missing half—an unexpected, joyous discovery.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage