TheLazyDreamer
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37 Moonlight Butterfly
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 11:06:24 +0000 UTCFrom their cave, they could see the glimmering expanse of the lake and the winding river beyond.
She sat beside him, quietly flipping open the travel journal of cultivators, her fingers tracing the pages with care.
The flickering lantern between them cast dancing shadows across her face, accentuating the gentle focus in her eyes.
A quiet intuition stirred within her — this place held something rare, something hidden. She couldn’t explain how she knew, only that a deep urge to support Su Kang tugged at her heart.
As night deepened, Su Kang sensed a disturbance in the lake. Without a word, he stepped away, moving alone to investigate.
Beneath the moon’s reflection, something vast emerged from the water — easily the size of a warhorse. Its scales shimmered with a slick, oily black luster, and jagged obsidian-like spikes lined its spine. Its gaping jaws revealed rows of knife-like teeth.
The air around it pulsed with raw energy. The spiritual pressure it gave off was no weaker than that of a foundation-building cultivator — perhaps even stronger.
A mutated lizard beast.
Su Kang concealed his presence, narrowing his eyes as he watched.
The creature reached into a stone crevice and drew out a silver-white orb, gently placing it among the rocks. The orb gleamed under the moonlight, slowly absorbing the cold radiance.
“A Yin-attributed treasure,” Su Kang mused, his gaze sharpening. Though he couldn’t identify the exact item, he clearly sensed the flow of moonlight and Yin energy converging into it.
“It’s storing lunar energy,” he thought. “But this creature... its nature isn’t aligned with Yin. So why is it nurturing such a treasure?”
Su Kang observed in silence throughout the night. As the first light of dawn crept across the sky, the lizard retrieved the glowing orb and slipped back beneath the surface.
He followed it into the river. After half an hour of cautious pursuit, he spotted the creature entering an underwater cave.
As Su Kang moved deeper, he noticed a sudden thickening of spiritual qi. At the end of a long tunnel, the narrow passage gave way to an open-air chamber.
An intricate array formation pulsed faintly at the far end.
It was a third-level array—well-constructed and deceptive. There were no obvious irregularities, his spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate it.
He studied the formation carefully, testing for weaknesses or hidden openings, but each attempt proved futile. After a moment of thought, he decided to withdraw. There was no need for haste. The opportunity would come.
Back at their temporary mountain shelter, he found Bai Yunxi meditating. She opened her eyes as he approached.
“Did you find anything?” she asked softly.
"A lizard beast guards something within an underwater cave," Su Kang replied. "Don't worry, I can easily handle it."
She nodded, unquestioning. Her cultivation couldn’t gauge Su Kang’s true strength—he felt unfathomable to her.
They waited. The following night came and went with no sign of the beast. Another day passed. Then another.
On the third night, beneath the dim glow of the moon, the beast finally emerged.
Su Kang moved ahead alone, concealing his presence. As the beast began to depart, he struck—unleashing his Dream Art Illusion technique.
The air shimmered with invisible force, and spiritual power surged toward the creature’s mind.
The lizard's pupils widened in confusion. It thrashed violently, instincts rebelling, but Su Kang had anticipated resistance.
Its cultivation was lower, and its mind lacked refinement—an easy target for soul-based techniques.
With its senses in chaos, Su Kang stepped forward. His palm struck its head, spiritual force surging into its consciousness.
The beast froze, locked in place by the overwhelming pressure.
Standing beside it, Su Kang spoke calmly. “Take me to your hideout.”
Though it couldn’t speak, it understood. Subdued and dazed, the creature led him into a winding underwater passage.
They arrived at a spacious cavern deep within the system. The lizard produced a token and activated an ancient formation.
Su Kang's eyes sharpened. He moved quickly, snatching the token before the beast could react. Then, pressing two fingers to its forehead, he released a precise stream of energy.
The lizard collapsed into a deep sleep.
Now alone, Su Kang turned to the formation. The lizard had revealed all it knew—there was no need for hesitation.
As he stepped inside, a wave of dense spiritual energy washed over him.
He moved ahead into the chamber. After walking for tens of minutes, he felt a presence inside the chamber.
As he progressed further, an awe-inspiring sight unfolded before him: a colossal moonlight butterfly, its wings unfurled like the night sky, shimmering with shades of silver and blue.
The cavern was vast, its tunnels snaking out like veins. He walked for tens of minutes, navigating by instinct, until a presence stirred ahead.
As he entered the final chamber, he froze.
Suspended in the air was a colossal Moonlight Butterfly, its wings spread wide like a canvas of stars. They shimmered with silver and pale blue hues, each motion casting an ethereal glow across the walls.
Beautiful—and dangerous.
Yet, Su Kang felt this was no ordinary creature but a peak second-level spiritual beast with an earth grade bloodline.
He activated the Five Swords mansion technique. Five radiant blades formed around him, glowing like starlight woven from the heavens.
They surged towards the butterfly in a breathtaking display of light and accuracy.
He also used Dream Art Illusion skills to confuse and attack the soul of the beast.
He could easily kill the beast, but he wants to capture it. Moonlight Butterfly has a earth-level bloodline. It has potential to break through the third level in the future.
But the Moonlight Butterfly was no ordinary beast—it specialized in soul skills.
Su Kang had not practiced heart and mind illusion techniques extensively, which allowed the Moonlight Butterfly to quickly recover from his assault.
Before it could retaliate, one of the sword energies struck its wing and detonated.
The explosion flung it into the stone floor, shattering the rock beneath. The other four swords hovered menacingly, forming a cage of gleaming death.
Su Kang stepped forward, his voice cold. "I don't want to kill you. But I will if necessary."
The butterfly, despite its injuries, did not immediately surrender. Its instincts screamed at it to resist, but it also sensed the undeniable difference in strength.
Su Kang's tone remained steady. "If you serve me for ten years, I will let you go free. Refuse, and I will end you here. The choice is yours."
The beast hesitated. It had lived for decades, patiently awaiting its evolution. If it died here, all that effort would be meaningless.
Seeing its reluctance, Su Kang made another offer. "Well, how about this... Fifteen years of service. In return, I’ll help you break through to the third level.”
The four swords hummed, their energy fluctuating dangerously.
The butterfly's wings trembled. It was only a few years away from breaking through, but it knew it couldn't defeat Su Kang. The lizard had already fallen, and now it was alone.
A single thought reached Su Kang’s mind:
You must swear a Heart Oath.
Su Kang smirked. The bait had worked.
"Very well."
With a calm expression, he spoke the sacred words, sealing their agreement—fifteen years of loyalty in exchange for assistance in its breakthrough.
A ripple of spiritual energy surged between them, the oath taking effect.
He watched the beast closely. "Good. Now open your spiritual consciousness."
The Moonlight Butterfly hesitated but obeyed. Su Kang infused a strand of his spiritual qi near the beast's core, forming an invisible tether. If it ever tried to rebel, he could end it instantly.
But the Heart Oath worked both ways. If Su Kang betrayed the terms, his cultivation would suffer catastrophic damage.
Satisfied, he withdrew his swords. "You made the right choice."
The butterfly remained silent but lowered its wings slightly—a sign of submission.
Su Kang turned, his thoughts already far ahead.
Fifteen years… It's more than enough time for the Su family to rise.
