Spirit Butterfly Fairy (2)

The clash between two Sovereign-level powerhouses sent ripples rolling across the barrier of light.

Moreover, as the Sword Butterfly True Spirit continually drew on spiritual energy, the barrier rapidly dimmed. Perhaps it would not be long before it lost its effect entirely.

For Heavenly Insect and Demon Butterfly, this was good news...

"The Ancient Sword Butterfly probably had the cultivation of a peak Sovereign when he was alive. But after being dead for so long, his true spirit has suffered severe depletion, and the spiritual energy he can draw on is extremely limited. It looks like he won't be a match for Flying Locust. We need to prepare early..."

Hearing Heavenly Insect's words, Demon Butterfly bit her lip unwillingly, but ultimately nodded in silence.

Strictly speaking, the figure of light fighting above them was her ancestor. Anyone would feel miserable watching their own ancestor's true spirit get beaten into nothingness before their eyes.

This continued for over ten minutes, until the once-solid barrier of light was on the verge of collapse.

Previously, they had needed to slip through gaps caused by disturbances in the spiritual energy. Now, their own strength was enough to force their way through the barrier.

"Go!"

Heavenly Insect waved his hand and shot forward with Demon Butterfly as swiftly as lightning. While they were still some distance from the barrier, the jade mark in his palm flashed, and a streak of sword energy cleaved through the air.

Boom!

Layers of ripples spread across the barrier where the sword energy struck, and it grew even more insubstantial. Several breaths later, a rift several yards wide was torn straight through it.

Whoosh!

The instant the rift appeared, Heavenly Insect and Demon Butterfly darted inside.

As he crossed through the rift, Heavenly Insect heard Flying Locust's furious shout behind him. Clearly, having two ants steal the initiative had enraged him.

But with the Sword Butterfly True Spirit holding him back, he would not be able to break free anytime soon.

After passing through the rift, Heavenly Insect felt the scene before his eyes abruptly change. An enormous garden appeared in his view.

Everywhere he looked were exotic flowers and rare plants; all he heard was the gentle tinkling of spring water.

He took a deep breath, and a strange, faint chime slipped into his nostrils, leaving him feeling as though his world had opened up, his mind clear and his heart at ease.

Heavenly Insect turned to ask Demon Butterfly where the Spirit Butterfly Fairy's inheritance was.

To his surprise, however, Demon Butterfly seemed possessed after entering the garden. Her eyes had lost their luster, and she murmured incomprehensible words as she walked, step by step, into its depths.

"What's going on?" Heavenly Insect looked bewildered and hurried after her.

The two followed the path between the flowers for several hundred meters. After rounding a corner, the view suddenly opened up...

Before them was a pale blue spiritual pool...

At that moment, an otherworldly beauty stood barefoot on its mirrorlike surface, dressed in flowing white-feathered robes, her sleeves fluttering.

Emerald light spread outward in layers from her delicate feet, suffused with immense vitality.

Heavenly Insect's gaze was immediately drawn to the beautiful sight before him, and he stared unblinkingly at the water.

Seeing this, Demon Butterfly gave him a shove in embarrassed annoyance. "You! What are you staring at so intently?"

The woman before them was her ancestor. Naturally, Demon Butterfly felt exceptionally awkward seeing a man stare at her so blatantly.

Heavenly Insect came back to his senses. Seeing Demon Butterfly's expression, he hastily explained, "Don't misunderstand. I wasn't looking at this venerable fairy's delicate feet, but at the water beneath them..."

"You're still saying it!" Demon Butterfly snapped indignantly before finally following Heavenly Insect's helpless gesture and turning her attention to the emerald water.

Splash.

A sound suddenly came from the emerald pool. Tiny green fish swam out of the water, then swished their tails and began swimming through the air around the fairy.

These little fish were emerald all over and gave off a soft glow, appearing extraordinarily lively.

Yet Heavenly Insect and Demon Butterfly sensed spiritual energy fluctuations within them that were both exceptionally pure and exceptionally powerful.

"These are... supreme spirit liquid?!"

After recognizing what the little fish really were, Demon Butterfly sucked in a sharp breath.

"That's right, little one. These are indeed supreme spirit liquid." A gentle voice sounded beside their ears, like a warm breeze brushing softly over them.

Heavenly Insect and Demon Butterfly, whose attention had been wholly absorbed by the supreme spirit liquid, abruptly looked up. The fairy standing over the pool had opened her eyes at some point, and was now looking at them with a gaze more brilliant than starlight. The faint smile on her face inspired boundless goodwill at a glance.

The atmosphere abruptly fell silent. A moment later, Demon Butterfly was the first to react. She immediately knelt and bowed. "Your descendant, Demon Butterfly, pays her respects to you, Ancestor!"

Heavenly Insect also recovered his senses and bowed in greeting. "My respects, Fairy!"

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy smiled gently. With a light tap of her delicate feet, she floated before them like a butterfly riding the wind.

"Your name is Demon Butterfly? Quickly, get up. Let me have a good look at you..."

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy gently helped Demon Butterfly up from the ground and examined her closely with a delighted expression, her eyes brimming with affection.

Seeing this, Heavenly Insect quietly shifted aside, leaving the ancestor and her descendant ample space.

As for himself, he stole glances around their surroundings. Naturally, his main focus was the spiritual pool before him, along with the little spirit fish within it...

That's all supreme spirit liquid! If I could collect it all, there might be over ten thousand drops!

However, supreme spirit liquid possessed a trace of spirituality. In a certain sense, it also contained extremely powerful strength...

Although this strength would not erupt on its own, the fish would still instinctively evade capture, so catching them would be no simple matter.

"Well? Do you want this supreme spirit liquid?"

A softly enticing voice sounded beside Heavenly Insect's ear. Without the slightest vigilance, he nodded repeatedly.

"Then, as long as you agree to do one thing for me, I can give you this supreme spirit liquid..."

"Yes, yes... huh?"

The words had barely left his mouth when Heavenly Insect immediately snapped back to his senses. He turned in alarm, only to see a flawless, beautiful face less than a foot from his own.

Startled, Heavenly Insect retreated two steps before stopping and looking at the smiling beauty before him.

"Senior Fairy, please just tell me what you need. I'm young and easily frightened. My heart can't take a scare like that..."

Seeing that Heavenly Insect truly looked frightened, the Spirit Butterfly Fairy broke into a lilting laugh. The alluring charm spilling from her eyes and brows left the man present staring.

"All right, all right. Little one, don't be so wary. I mean you no harm..." The Spirit Butterfly Fairy reined in her smile, but her eyes swept over Heavenly Insect from head to toe as she clicked her tongue in admiration.

"What a young man, with an immortal's grace and jade-like bones!"

"And you certainly have good fortune..."

Heavenly Insect froze briefly, then his heart tightened. He had the persistent feeling that this woman was about to see straight through him.

"Young gentleman, don't overthink it. I have no ulterior motives. I merely heard little Butterfly speak of your circumstances, and there are some things I would like to ask of you..."

"Of course, I won't take advantage of you. You need only agree, and I will grant you a tremendous opportunity. It should be of enormous benefit to your future growth."

"Besides that, I heard your objective this time was an Ancient Sword Butterfly? That is no problem either. Afterward, I can give you an Ancient Sword Butterfly Egg, along with half the supreme spirit liquid here. What do you say?"

The string of promises was like one enormous pie after another falling from the sky onto Heavenly Insect's head.

Yet he was not dazzled by the woman's sugar-coated cannonballs. Instead, his wariness only deepened.

"Senior, may I ask what exactly you want me to do? My strength is meager, and I might not be able to fulfill your request. If I failed your expectations, wouldn't that make me guilty of a grave wrong?"

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy smiled softly. "Don't worry. You can definitely accomplish what I'm asking..."

As she spoke, her gaze landed on Demon Butterfly beside her, who lowered her lovely head slightly beneath that gaze.

Heavenly Insect's eyes widened, and an ominous thought immediately arose in his mind.

Is this woman planning to recruit me into her family as a live-in son-in-law?

Absolutely not!

Although stories about Dragon Kings becoming live-in sons-in-law had been quite popular a few years ago, Heavenly Insect could not accept that plot happening to him. His first instinct was therefore to refuse.

With her head lowered, Demon Butterfly did not see the change in Heavenly Insect's expression. But the Spirit Butterfly Fairy, whose age had honed her shrewdness, saw it all clearly. After a quiet sigh inwardly, she immediately changed her plan.

There was no helping it. The Spirit Butterfly Lineage's circumstances were unique: every generation consisted solely of women. Recruiting husbands into the family was therefore fundamental to its survival. Demon Butterfly was also a candidate to lead this generation of the Spirit Butterfly Lineage, making it even more impossible for her to defy its rules.

Given Heavenly Insect's personality, the two were destined to have an affinity, but no future together.

"Young gentleman, I can give you both the Ancient Sword Butterfly Egg and the supreme spirit liquid. With your abilities, these things should allow your strength to improve tremendously."

"My condition is that, once you are strong enough, you help the Spirit Butterfly Lineage rise again in the Flying Salamander Domain and protect it for ten years!"

"As long as you agree and are willing to swear an oath upon your heart demon, I will give you this final opportunity as well..."

Heavenly Insect raised an eyebrow. So that's all...? Although protecting the Spirit Butterfly Lineage for ten years sounded troublesome, once he was strong enough, that so-called protection would be no more than a matter of giving his word.

Of course, the truly difficult part was helping the Spirit Butterfly Lineage rise in the Flying Salamander Domain. From what Heavenly Insect knew, although the Flying Salamander Domain was not a major domain on the Spirit Insect Continent, the factions within it were far from weak...

The domain lord currently ruling the Flying Salamander Domain was named Tian Yuan. He belonged to the twelfth of the Twelve Branches bearing the Heaven Lineage's main surname and possessed the cultivation of a Seventh Grade Sovereign. In terms of the original story, he was comparable to the Three Emperors when Mu Chen first arrived in the Great Luo Heavenly Domain.

And if Heavenly Insect remembered correctly, his father, Tian She, came from the last of the Twelve Branches bearing the main surname, which was also the weakest branch. That made him and Tian Yuan members of the same branch...

Judging from the current circumstances alone, making the Spirit Butterfly Lineage the overlord of the Flying Salamander Domain again was nearly impossible.

Clearly, Demon Butterfly had just explained these circumstances to her ancestor, which was why the latter had placed her hopes on Heavenly Insect.

It had to be said that the Spirit Butterfly Fairy truly thought highly of him.

If Heavenly Insect swore upon his heart demon, he could not go back on his word later. Otherwise, when he attempted to break through to a higher realm, heaven and earth would sense it, causing demonic thoughts to proliferate and his breakthrough to fail.

Of course, if someone believed they had no hope of reaching the Sovereign level in their lifetime, then such a heart demon oath was nothing more than a fart.

But someone like Heavenly Insect, who aspired to reach the highest heights of the Great Thousand World, had to be cautious.

After pondering for a long time and weighing the gains against the losses, Heavenly Insect ultimately could not resist nodding in agreement...

There was no helping it. Both the Ancient Sword Butterfly Egg and the supreme spirit liquid held a fatal allure for Heavenly Insect, and both were treasures he urgently needed. By comparison, that so-called great opportunity was less important.

Seeing Heavenly Insect nod, both the Spirit Butterfly Fairy and Demon Butterfly beside her once again wore sincere smiles.

Only, the latter's smile held a trace of disappointment...

Just as Heavenly Insect was about to swear upon his heart demon, a tremendous crash suddenly came from the horizon. Then, as though the sky above their heads had shattered, enormous cracks appeared across it.

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy's expression turned stern, and an aura of killing intent spread outward from her, making even Heavenly Insect's heart jolt.

It seemed the Spirit Butterfly Fairy's true spirit was not as harmless as she appeared. The combat strength she could unleash here on her own ground would probably still be astonishing!

"To think he could break through my Ten Directions True Spirit Array. Is this the Flying Locust you mentioned, little Butterfly?"

Demon Butterfly nodded gravely. "Yes, Ancestor. Flying Locust is a Fourth Grade Sovereign, and he also has a Black-Feathered Star Locust whose strength is no weaker than his own. Together, their strength cannot be underestimated!"

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy nodded slightly. "Anyone capable of getting past Qingyu's obstruction does indeed have some remarkable qualities."

With that, the Spirit Butterfly Fairy looked at Heavenly Insect and said softly, "It seems I must trouble you this time, young gentleman. Sorry for the trouble..."

"Me?" Heavenly Insect looked utterly dumbfounded.

Surely you aren't expecting me to risk my life fighting a Sovereign right now?

Seeing Heavenly Insect's bewilderment, the Spirit Butterfly Fairy smiled. "Don't be afraid, young gentleman. I'm not asking you to face Flying Locust yourself. I merely wish to borrow your White Jade Sword Butterfly Puppet!"

Heavenly Insect understood. So that was what she meant.

You should've said so earlier. You really gave me a fright just now...

"Please feel free, Senior Fairy. After all, this White Jade Sword Butterfly Puppet was yours to begin with. I merely stole it by a stroke of luck when I had no other choice."

The Spirit Butterfly Fairy nodded gently, then raised a hand and beckoned. Heavenly Insect felt a chill flash across both palms. The two Spirit Butterfly Jade Marks transformed into glowing butterflies and sank directly into the White Jade Sword Butterfly Puppet's forehead.

"My beloved!"

At the Spirit Butterfly Fairy's affectionate call, the Sword Butterfly True Spirit that Heavenly Insect and Demon Butterfly had previously seen outside the array arrived in an instant. Under her control, he likewise merged into the White Jade Sword Butterfly Puppet...