Legend has it that before the Mysterious Realm was created, there existed some terrifying creatures, among them a butterfly.
With just a gentle flap of its wings, it could affect an entire world, causing earth-shattering changes.
Ling Xiao didn’t know if the little butterfly in his Mountain and River World was related to that legendary butterfly, but for now, this little creature had been a great help to him.
The black flames, which even he couldn’t easily absorb or convert, were effortlessly consumed by this little thing, as if it treated the flames like a delicacy.
But there were also frustrations.
This little butterfly had eaten many of his spiritual herbs and plants, and not only that, it even devoured his Fairy Dragon Martial Soul and Iron Cedar Martial Soul.
Ling Xiao couldn’t help but marvel. How could such a tiny thing have such a huge appetite, and not be picky at all?
Fortunately, when it was about to consume the Plague Demon King Martial Soul, the black flames entered from outside. Perhaps finding the black flames tastier, it chose to give up.
“You little monster, I only used the Fairy Dragon Martial Soul once after obtaining it, and you ate it. What kind of creature are you?”
While inwardly inspecting his body, Ling Xiao didn’t stop fleeing. He was fully capable of multitasking, so this wasn’t an issue.
As if hearing his complaints, the little butterfly rolled its round eyes, showing a “stingy” expression.
Wait a second!
This thing didn’t seem to be a butterfly after all!
Ling Xiao now looked closely and realised that, while its wings were undoubtedly butterfly-like, its body had nothing to do with a butterfly.
Its body was that of a tiny person, no taller than his pinky finger.
This little figure was draped in green clothes, as if formed from condensed energy. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a little beauty.
She looked delicate and charming, though her size was just too small.
“Come on, you call me stingy? You devoured the spiritual herbs and medicines I worked so hard to cultivate, and ate my martial souls. I only said one thing about you, and you think I’m stingy?”
If not for how adorable this little thing looked, Ling Xiao would’ve wanted to slap it.
While eating the black flames, the little thing glanced at the medicinal field with a dismissive expression.
It seemed unable to speak, only able to express itself through actions.
Curious, Ling Xiao looked at the medicinal field and noticed that, although the little thing was greedy and ate herbs over a thousand years old, it left the seedlings intact, not destroying everything for short-term gain.
That wasn’t exactly destruction.
But even so, it was too much. The Vein-Strengthening Grass he had just obtained in the Moonlight Treasure Pagoda was meant for refining Vein-Strengthening Pills. And that thousand-year-old Golden Snow Lotus? He hadn’t even dared to use it himself, yet this little thing ate it.
Ling Xiao was still upset about it.
Seeing his dissatisfaction, the little butterfly made a sighing gesture, then pointed at the Mountain and River World, indicating it wanted to go out.
“You want to go out? It’s dangerous out there!”
Ling Xiao, of course, wouldn’t let it leave. What a joke, after eating so many of his precious things, it had to pay some interest.
“Mhm, mhm!”
The little butterfly made a fighting gesture.
“No way, you’re saying you can help me fight? You, a tiny thing like that? Save it.”
Though he said this, Ling Xiao suddenly remembered how it devoured the black flames so quickly. His greatest fear right now was those black flames. With this little butterfly’s help, things might actually be much easier.
But before letting it out, Ling Xiao had to take full precautions. Who knew if this little butterfly would slip away the moment it was released, leaving him with nothing?
He recalled that before it was born, it had absorbed a massive amount of his soul force.
It had also absorbed a large amount of the Mountain and River Martial Soul’s energy.
His soul force wasn’t something that could be digested so easily.
With that thought, Ling Xiao tried activating the Mountain and River Will.
In that instant, the lively and cute little butterfly suddenly fell from mid-air to the ground, its body trembling as if it had sensed something terrifying.
“Heh, didn’t expect you to have fears too.”
Ling Xiao chuckled.
It seemed that, despite its power, this little butterfly was no match for the Mountain and River Martial Soul.
Though the Mountain and River Martial Soul belonged to the Human King, its origins were still a mystery.
More importantly, all martial souls in the Mysterious Realm were created by the Mountain and River Martial Soul, making it the Lord of All Souls.
Calling the Mountain and River Martial Soul the supreme entity of the Mysterious Realm wasn’t an exaggeration.
With this in mind, what was there to fear about the little butterfly escaping? Though formidable, it was clearly wary of the Mountain and River Martial Soul’s will.
With that, he immediately released the little butterfly.
“Listen up, little thing. You can’t just eat stuff in the Mountain and River World. If you want to eat something, tell me, and I’ll try to satisfy you. But after eating, you’ve got to work. I don’t keep useless freeloaders.”
Ling Xiao wasn’t worried about the little butterfly eating him out of house and home. With his abilities, finding food for it was easy.
He just hated how it recklessly ate his things.
This time, it didn’t consume anything critical, but if it had eaten the Plague Demon King Martial Soul, he’d have gone mad.
“Mhm, mhm!”
The little butterfly nodded vigorously. Seeing its big, watery eyes, Ling Xiao softened a bit.
“Alright, I won’t scare you anymore. But what I said before still stands. If you mess around, I won’t let you off.”
Ling Xiao didn’t bother bullying a little butterfly, but he had to stick to certain principles to ensure it didn’t ruin his plans.
Whoosh~~
Behind him, an even more terrifying beam of light shot toward him.
This time, thirty beams had merged into one.
The beam was still over ten metres away, but its scorching heat had already set Ling Xiao’s clothes ablaze.
His clothes, standard issue for outer sect disciples of the Moonlight Sect, weren’t exactly treasures but had some resistance to high heat and cold.
Yet they seemed to catch fire instantly. This wasn’t a pleasant feeling. If he were hit, he’d probably be reduced to ashes in an instant.
Thankfully, he had consumed a Fire Spirit Fruit before, greatly enhancing his flame resistance. Though his clothes were burning hot, his skin could still endure.
But as the beam got closer, the temperature soared. Ling Xiao figured that even in his Ancient Golden Dragon form, he might not withstand this heat.
He had no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were alive.
“Little guy, it’s up to you!”
Ling Xiao placed all his hopes on the little butterfly. For some reason, perhaps because it had absorbed so much of his soul force, he felt a strange sense of closeness to it.
