Chapter 55: The Baleful Energy Devouring Butterfly
It wasn’t just Si Er who felt troubled—everyone else felt troubled after hearing those words as well.
Without an ascension passage, there would be many additional complications.
In theory, the highest level a soul cultivator could reach should be Soul Saint. But in reality, no one had ever cultivated to that realm. Even Soul Emperors had been exceedingly rare throughout history.
And even if someone reached that level, without a path to ascend, they would still only be left waiting for death.
Some great powers, unwilling to accept their fate, might resort to irrational acts—such as seizing a more perfect body.
Si Er hadn’t thought that far. After finishing his bout of melancholy, he looked at Yu Feiqing’s wounded expression and couldn’t help laughing.
Well, Yu Feiqing deserves it! A simp is a simp—lick to the end and you’re left with nothing.
But simps just like licking anyway. They might not move their male god, but they’ll definitely move themselves. I hope Yu Feiqing can always be so self-moved.
Oh ho, here comes Di Lintian’s domineering CEO speech.
Ranran, don’t be sad, don’t be lost. What is the Si family worth? My grandfather could wipe them out with a mere wave of his hand.
Don’t worry. I’ll remember this grudge for you. One day I’ll make the Si family pay in blood!
Wait—what blood debt is there between the Si family and Si Ran? Letting him enjoy over a decade of good days wasn’t enough? He’s still aggrieved?
My dad didn’t even chase Si Ran for debts—he only went after that shameless Si uncle. That’s already more than fair to Si Ran, right?
The people around them nodded subconsciously. Exactly—how was this “blood debt” being calculated? Was there something wrong with that Di Lintian’s brain?
And the way he said his grandfather could wipe out the Si family of Dongyao City with a wave—was that ancestor of the Di family stronger than a Soul Sovereign?
Di Lintian’s grandfather is pretty powerful—a Great Ascension stage cultivator. But he’s in the Upper Domain! How could he possibly come to the Ten Thousand Beast Continent and reduce everything to ashes?
On the Cang Beast Continent, once a cultivator surpasses the Void Refinement stage, they must ascend to the Upper Domain. They can’t come back down to support family in the Lower Domain—unless they don’t want to become immortal.
The surrounding students listened with envy. People from the Cang Beast Continent could cultivate into immortals—that was truly enviable.
Still, they couldn’t quite follow the cultivation levels. After all, it wasn’t the same system as theirs.
Si Er didn’t understand the gap between the two systems either, so he asked Guagua.
Guagua, which do you think is stronger—our Soul King from Ten Thousand Beast Continent, or a Void Refinement cultivator from Cang Beast Continent?
[It’s hard to convert directly. A Soul King’s soul power and divine sense would definitely be stronger than a Void Refinement cultivator’s. But purely in terms of physical body, they might not even beat someone at the Golden Core stage.]
That tragic?
Si Er was stunned.
But don’t we have spirit beasts?
[Cultivators on the Cang Beast Continent also each have several spirit beasts. Competing in battle power with them is easy to lose.]
[If Ten Thousand Beast Continent wants to defeat Cang Beast Continent cultivators, relying solely on soul power is too difficult. It’s best to strengthen the physical body as well.]
[Even if your combat power isn’t outstanding, you absolutely can’t be a glass cannon.]
“But the spiritual energy here is so hard to absorb…”
Si Er thought carefully.
If we can’t cultivate normally, could we improve through medicine? I’ve seen lots of strengthening potions on Ten Thousand Beast Continent.
[In theory, yes. But those potions contain residual baleful energy, which would leave hidden dangers in the body.]
But don’t the insect races like absorbing baleful energy? Couldn’t we let them absorb the baleful from the potions first?
[That’s theoretically possible too. But insect races are greedy. Most of them, when absorbing baleful energy, will also drain the other medicinal effects.]
“Is there a species that only absorbs baleful energy?”
[Let me check… There is!]
Guagua perked up.
[There’s a kind called the Baleful Energy Devouring Butterfly. Of course, that’s not its original name. Among the insect race, it’s called the Radiant Holy Angel Butterfly.]
Radiant Holy Angel Butterfly? A light-element butterfly?
What? It’s dark-element? A dark-element one called that? Is this the legendary ‘naming yourself what you lack’?
Oh, right. The insect race’s understanding of ‘radiance’ is different from ours.
They think the purer a bug’s power is, the more sacred it is. Since the Baleful Energy Devouring Butterfly only consumes baleful energy—and baleful energy is their favorite power source—they consider it the most sacred and gave it that name.
So what does it look like?
Four black wings, each with an eye-shaped pattern on them? Ugh! Just imagining it is terrifying.
It looks pretty scary too. That proboscis is so long—I’m getting goosebumps.
Is it strong, given its high status among the insects?
Oh, it becomes strong after emerging from the cocoon. But as a caterpillar, it’s useless except for absorbing baleful energy.
Perfect! Isn’t that the ideal baleful-absorbing insect? There just happens to be a nest of such caterpillars under the thousand-year-old banana tree in the back mountain of Black Tortoise Academy. After class, I’ll go scoop them up.
Ahhh—but caterpillars are so scary! Guagua, can you help me handle them later?
[Ahhh!]
Guagua’s fur stood on end.
[Hard pass! Too ugly! Absolutely not!]
But before Si Er could even make a move, an elder just so happened to “pass by” that banana tree—and just so happened to “accidentally” discover a nest of caterpillars.
The elder let out an exaggerated gasp. “Ah! How could there be a nest of caterpillars here?”
“Oh my, these caterpillars look extraordinary!”
“Heavens! They seem capable of absorbing baleful energy! I must take them to the other elders for careful study.”
Sitting on the training field in a daze, Si Er was utterly confused.
Why is it that the moment I thought about that nest of caterpillars, someone picked them up?
Though that’s fine—I’m afraid of caterpillars anyway. If possible, I really don’t want to touch them.
But this is too strange. It’s like whatever I think of just comes true.
If I wished for Chi Yizao, Jiang Yifan, Yu Feiqing, those three scumbag men, and that black-hearted lotus Si Ran to trip and fall flat on their faces in front of everyone—and the more embarrassing the better—would someone make that happen?
The person responsible for eavesdropping immediately sent this segment of Si Er’s inner thoughts to the five great elders. The five elders exchanged looks before Elder Xuan Wu finally stood up.
“Since Student Si Er wants to see it, let’s fulfill his small wish. After all, those four aren’t good people.”
“I’ll arrange for a few clever ones to handle it.”
Elder Xuan Yi asked, “Have the clever lads we arranged this morning taken action yet?”
Elder Xuan Wu replied, “Not yet. But we’ve already found out that Di Lintian’s current master is Elder Qingdao of Azure Dragon Academy. Elder Qingdao is a decent person, but…”
His gaze drifted toward Elder Xuan Si.
Elder Xuan Si flew into a rage from embarrassment. “Why are you looking at me? Don’t tell me you expect me to seduce him?”
“I’m telling you—that’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Elder Xuan Wu chuckled. “Oh, Fourth Brother, for the sake of our Ten Thousand Beast Continent, just make a small sacrifice.”
“Even if you don’t like Elder Qingdao, you can’t just stand by and watch him be deceived in love, right?”
“That Di Lintian isn’t a good person. He’s from the Cang Beast Continent, after all—who knows if he’s even sincere about taking Elder Qingdao as his master?”
