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After Yu Die and Cai Die entered the palace, a vision suddenly appeared before their eyes.
Their clan had served the Butterfly God in the Butterfly Valley for generations.
Until ten thousand years ago, when a calamity befell their clan.
At that time, many clansmen fought fiercely against one another in their greed to claim the Butterfly God's power.
The entire family was nearly wiped out, with only a small group of clansmen managing to escape the Evil Demon Forest and live in seclusion on the continent.
However, their peace didn't last long. A clansman who had been gravely injured but not killed was rescued by a nobleman within the Evil Demon Forest and brought to what is now Radiant Sun City to recover.
This nobleman was none other than the founding emperor of the Radiant Sun Empire.
At the time, this nobleman had only begun to reveal his ambitions but lacked the strength to achieve them.
The soul ring configurations of the blessed clansmen were naturally far superior to those of ordinary soul masters. Unsurprisingly, the nobleman turned his attention to their clan and began hunting them down across the continent.
The inheritance of the Butterfly God in the Butterfly Valley had been a closely guarded secret passed down through the generations. The nobleman captured their clansmen and subjected them to brutal torture, ultimately extracting the existence of the Butterfly Valley—but remained ignorant of the Butterfly God.
In his quest for greater power, the nobleman led multiple expeditions into the Evil Demon Forest to find the Butterfly Valley, all of which ended in failure.
During one such search, several clansmen managed to escape.
Realizing there was no place left for them on the Sun and Moon Continent, they boarded a ship and sailed toward the other side of the sea.
Whether through the Butterfly God's protection or sheer luck, they eventually reached the Douluo Continent and settled there, multiplying over generations.
The legend of the Butterfly God was passed down through the family, but since the Butterfly Valley wasn't located on the Douluo Continent, its descendants viewed it as nothing more than a myth, paying it little heed.
To ensure the Butterfly God wouldn't be forgotten and to prepare for the family's eventual return to the Butterfly Valley, these survivors prayed to the Butterfly God for a miracle—a divine sign to keep the memory of the Butterfly God alive among their descendants.
The Butterfly Forest in the Great Star Dou Forest was the Butterfly God's masterpiece.
As the bloodline of their descendants became increasingly diluted, they could no longer awaken the Kaleidoscopic Mystic Butterfly martial soul.
Thus, the Butterfly Forest served a purpose—to awaken the bloodline of future generations.
…
The vision ended, and the two sisters gained some understanding of their mother's clan's origins. However, the vision did not mention what happened to their mother after she arrived at the Butterfly Valley.
The sisters called out in the hall but received no response.
Suddenly, a gentle, milky-white light enveloped them, and the voice of the Butterfly God echoed in their minds.
Time flew by, and ten days passed.
Outside, Ning Tianchen and the others grew concerned as the sisters had yet to emerge.
The stone golem explained, "The sisters are undergoing their trial inheritance. This process takes time—it won't be quick."
At that moment, the voice of the Food God echoed in Oscar's mind, issuing the content of his first trial.
The stone golem, with its keen perception, sensed someone approaching the canyon's perimeter and immediately warned Ning Tianchen and the others.
"People are coming. Aren't you going to greet them?"
Ning Tianchen smiled faintly and countered, "Is it Yu Die's mother?"
The stone golem didn't emerge from the ground but instead communicated telepathically with the group. "I must remain here—I can't leave. Those outside have used special means to break through the canyon's outer camouflage, and they come with hostile intent."
The stone golem was the guardian of the Butterfly Valley.
Normally, he would handle such matters himself, but now the sisters were in the critical stage of receiving their inheritance. If they were disturbed, their inheritance would be incomplete.
The Butterfly Valley was surrounded by a barrier that interfered with anyone attempting to find it. Even if someone approached the valley's outskirts, they wouldn't discover its existence.
Throughout history, the only people who had entered here were descendants of the Butterfly God or those who stumbled in by accident.
The latter, however, were typically escorted out of the forest by the butterflies.
This time was different—the approaching group clearly came prepared.
Oscar took the lead, speaking gravely, "My first trial is to locate the Holy Spirit Sect's stronghold in the Evil Demon Forest and deal them a heavy blow."
The name "Holy Spirit Sect" was unfamiliar to Feng Xiaotian and the others, who were unaware of the sect's purpose.
Ning Tianchen, however, knew the nature of this organization but hadn't expected it to already exist on the Sun and Moon Continent.
As the guardian of the Butterfly Valley, the stone golem couldn't leave and thus had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit Sect.
Still, he offered his conjecture: "Those outside are likely the ones you're looking for. They possess a special artifact capable of nullifying the valley's barrier. I hope you can destroy it."
"The Butterfly Valley belongs to the Butterfly God—it must not be desecrated by outsiders."
After a brief moment of thought, Ning Tianchen agreed.
Whether for the smooth continuation of the sisters' inheritance or for Oscar's first trial, they had no reason to ignore this situation.
However, before setting out, he reminded them, "My instincts tell me that the Holy Spirit Sect is no ordinary religious organization. They are very likely a group of evil soul masters."
Aside from an evil soul master organization, how could a divine trial task them with eliminating ordinary soul masters?
Under the stone golem's guidance, a brightly colored butterfly led them out of the valley.
When they reached the spot where Lone Wolf had collapsed earlier, his figure was nowhere to be seen—he had likely already been escorted out of the Evil Demon Forest by high-level butterfly spirit beasts.
…
A squad stood atop a cliff at the perimeter of the Butterfly Valley, gazing down below.
"Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, the Radiant Sun Emperor spared no expense in his search for the Butterfly Valley, yet found nothing."
"Never would I have thought we'd find it so quickly."
This group's strength was no joke—if it weren't for their formidable abilities, they wouldn't have survived deep within the Evil Demon Forest.
The leader flipped through a yellowed parchment scroll in his hands, comparing its contents to confirm that this was indeed the place they sought.
"Without the guidance of our lord Cassius and the artifact he provided, we would never have found this place."
A few days ago, this priest had been praying before the statue of Cassius when he suddenly received a revelation and the artifact. He then gathered the sect's elite forces and set out for this location.
"Praise be to our lord."
The squad placed their right hands over their chests and prayed devoutly.
"High Priest, does this place truly house the legendary god?" one team member asked.
The leading priest didn't answer directly. "The existence of a god here comes from the secret diary of Radiant Sun Emperor. Whether it exists or not has yet to be confirmed. Our lord sensed divine energy fluctuations here and sent us to investigate."
"If we can bring this power back and offer it to our lord, his great revival will be advanced by ten thousand years."
"That's all I can tell you for now. From this point forward, you must stay sharp. You are the sect's finest—I trust none of you will falter in the upcoming operation!"
Every member of the squad stood tall, responding loudly to the priest's words.
Though the Butterfly Valley housed only butterfly-type spirit beasts, there was no guarantee that none of them were exceptionally powerful.
The priest led the group cautiously, believing that without strong guardians, the Butterfly Valley couldn't possibly survive deep within the Evil Demon Forest.
After all, the outer barrier couldn't fend off attacks from spirit beasts. Any intruding spirit beasts would need to be driven away by powerful individuals!
Meanwhile, inside the Butterfly Valley.
Some high-level butterfly spirit beasts with telepathic abilities reported the movements of this group to Ning Tianchen and the others.
The butterflies couldn't distinguish between evil soul masters and ordinary soul masters—they only knew that these individuals possessed immense strength.
Of course, the squad paid no mind to the butterflies fluttering above their heads—after all, who would suspect butterflies of carrying messages?
Ning Tianchen instructed, "We can't fight within the canyon. Find a way to lure them to the outer perimeter."
At present, they only numbered six. According to the butterflies, the opposing squad consisted of ten people.
Six against ten—there was bound to be leakage.
Ning Tianchen didn't want the battle to spill into the Butterfly Valley, lest it directly or indirectly affect Yu Die and her sister's inheritance.
As for the high-level spirit beasts in the valley, their combat abilities weren't particularly strong. Ning Tianchen didn't intend to involve them in the fight to avoid unnecessary casualties.
…
"The environment here is excellent. High Priest, why don't we rebuild the sect's headquarters here?"
The tranquil and peaceful atmosphere of the Butterfly Valley offered a rare sense of ease to those accustomed to living on the edge—it was no wonder someone would suggest such an idea.
The leading priest also entertained the thought, but…
"The location of the sect's headquarters is not something to be taken lightly. We'll report this matter to our lord upon returning and await his decision. If approved, it won't be too late to relocate then."
With that, the group continued toward the valley floor.
Ning Tianchen and the others had been waiting for some time along their path.
Ning Tianchen set up a large-caliber thermal weapon. As soon as the group came into view, he decisively pulled the trigger.
The bullet's speed far exceeded the speed of sound, and its target was the leading priest, flying straight toward his face.
This priest's strength was no joke. In an instant, he reacted, catching the bullet with his hand.
Two seconds later, the sound of the gunshot reached their ears.
"Ambush!" the leading priest shouted. The squad immediately assumed defensive positions.
Large-caliber thermal weapons could easily injure soul emperors, but against higher-level soul masters, they were practically useless.
Ning Tianchen put away his weapon and clicked his tongue. "True. To have made it this far alive, these people must have some real strength."
On the other side, the leading priest quickly pinpointed Ning Tianchen's position based on the direction the bullet had come from.
Ning Tianchen showed no fear. Stepping onto his Seven Kill Sword martial soul, he moved forward to confront them.
The aura emanating from these individuals caused his Killing God Domain to stir restlessly. The murderous intent they exuded was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
No further explanation was needed—these people were undoubtedly evil soul masters. And given their current strength, the number of people who had died at their hands must have reached a horrifying figure.
In just a few breaths' time, Ning Tianchen arrived above them and said condescendingly, "You've taken a wrong turn. This isn't a place you should be."
The leading priest looked up, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Ambushing us from the shadows isn't exactly honorable. Is this how you treat your guests?"
Seeing Ning Tianchen, he was somewhat surprised. After confirming that Ning Tianchen wasn't "one of them," he telepathically ordered everyone to prepare for battle.
"Friends are greeted with fine wine, but enemies? Only blades and spears!" Ning Tianchen sneered.
After a pause, he asked, "And may I ask your names?"
The leading priest smiled faintly and replied, "Cooper. And might you share your name as well?"
Ning Tianchen ignored him. "Knowing your names is for the convenience of engraving them on your tombstones. As for my name—heh, knowing it won't do you any good."
Cooper shrugged. "It seems you're determined to oppose us. Very well, but you're nothing more than an annoying ant. Peter, take care of him."
From the group, a middle-aged man named Peter stepped forward.
His martial soul was the Hellfire Grizzly Bear. Upon activating it, his entire body was enveloped in hellfire.
"Boy, next time, you'd better open your eyes wider," Peter sneered.
"Sixth soul skill: Hell Fang."
"Low-tier Soul Sage," Ning Tianchen scoffed, showing no concern for Peter's attack.
Without hesitation, he raised his right hand in the shape of a sword finger and flicked it casually. A streak of silver sword energy shot out.
The power of this sword energy was immense, instantly shattering Peter's attack. With another flick of his wrist, another streak of sword energy flew out.
Before Peter could comprehend what had happened, the sword energy sliced him cleanly in half at the waist.
The whole thing happened so fast that even his brain hadn't processed it yet. When he looked down, he saw his own body severed in two.
At the moment of death, his eyes widened in disbelief, unable to close even in death.
Cooper's expression shifted slightly. His brows furrowed, and he clenched his teeth tightly, saying grimly, "My mistake. I shouldn't have underestimated someone with the guts to block our path."
These words were naturally meant for his team to hear.
After all, Peter had died because of his underestimation, and he needed to provide a reasonable explanation.
Ning Tianchen tilted his head slightly. "It's not too late to realize that now. Come, let's fight in the air."
With that, his figure soared into the sky.
He wasn't worried about the others not following. The sword energy attack he had demonstrated earlier was meant to show them that he possessed long-range combat capabilities.
If Cooper didn't follow, with Ning Tianchen holding the aerial advantage, their group would become sitting ducks.
Cooper sneered, and a pair of blood-red bat wings sprouted from his back.
His martial soul was the Blood Oath Bat. The moment his martial soul manifested, his soul rings appeared one after another.
White, yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—nine soul rings in total.
Under normal circumstances, if the first soul ring was a ten-year white ring and the fifth was a thousand-year purple ring, even with exceptional talent, it would still be extremely difficult for a soul master to break through to the Title Douluo level.
Breaking through to the Title Douluo level relied heavily on vitality. High-level soul rings provided soul masters with abundant vitality, making it easier to reach higher levels.
In cases like this, unless the individual absorbed a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, their soul power level would never exceed 93.
Yet, Cooper's soul power level was 94.
Seeing this, Ning Tianchen couldn't help but marvel at the potency of the cultivation techniques used by evil soul masters.
The downside was that such power required the killing of countless innocent lives.
Plundering others' lives to enhance oneself was not only selfish—it was unforgivable!
"Why don't you show me your soul rings?" Cooper sneered confidently, convinced that Ning Tianchen was no match for him.
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