Chapter 1018 - Metamorphosing Into a Butterfly

At the same time, Su Yi realized something.

Although the golden silkworm had blocked his second strike, its luster was increasingly dim, and its fine gashes showed signs of splitting.

There was no doubt about it: its injuries had worsened!

“Can we… stop here? I… admit defeat!” The silkworm’s clear, icy voice rang out. It sounded incomparably weak, and its tone was full of bitterness and dejection.

As if lowering its head and admitting defeat to Su Yi came as an enormous shock and humiliation.

“Old Monster Su, why not seize this opportunity to take the silkworm for ourselves?” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer was a bit tempted. The way he saw it, the silkworm was incomparably extraordinary and mysterious. If they captured it for themselves, it would provide inestimable benefits!

“If we keep something so dangerous at our side, it’ll most likely lead to disaster.” Su Yi disregarded the idea and attacked again.

Boom!

Sword qi rumbled and boomed, and murderous intent filled the skies.

This time, as Su Yi drew upon the power of reincarnation, he added a wisp of the Sword of the Nine Hells’ aura.

He refused to believe that he couldn’t kill this strange golden silkworm.

“Dammit!” The silkworm obviously seemed frantic. It had already lowered its head and admitted defeat. Who’d have thought that this early-stage Profound Illumination kid would be so ruthless as to ignore it completely? He seemed dead-set on eradicating it!

But it had no power left to defend itself with. It could only watch as the slash descended upon it.

But then, the depths of its clear gaze shone with a strange luster, and it muttered, “I said you couldn’t kill me…”

Boom!

Sword light burst, and sword force ran rampant.

Beneath Su Yi and Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s attentive gazes, the golden silkworm’s cyclical body trembled violently, and the numerous, minute cracks covering its skin split with an audible bang.

Misty golden light surged into the air.

Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded before Su Yi and Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s eyes.

The silkworm had exploded into misty golden light, but they saw an indistinct chrysalis flying and dancing within the golden glow. A slender body and beautiful wings took shape bathed in golden radiance, like a nirvanic rebirth.

“Breaking free of its cocoon and becoming a butterfly?” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer was flabbergasted, and he found this difficult to believe.

Su Yi furrowed his brow too.

The silkworm really was a wondrous lifeform. When it broke through its chrysalis and underwent metamorphosis, it was sure to sublimate.

It was just that it was extremely strange.

It had obviously been attacked, and its body had shattered into pieces, yet it had actually become a butterfly! This was no different from coming back to life!

This development came as a complete surprise to Su Yi and Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer, and they immediately sensed that something wasn’t right.

In the end, all of the misty light surged into the butterfly’s body.

It was only about the size of a fist, and it was thin and transparent, with wings as thin as a cicada’s. It was a dreamlike, ethereal golden, and it gave rise to strange, natural Dao Markings!

A moment later, it transformed into golden ripples, outlining a graceful figure in the air.

“Fellow Daoist, many thanks for helping me break through my fetters and reforge myself!” A pleasant but smug voice rang out.

A moment later, the graceful figure of a young woman condensed in midair. She was a moving beauty clad in rainbow raiment.

Her long hair emanated faint golden light, and it fell to her waist. Her figure was slender and graceful, with an air of holiness and purity.

Her features were exquisite and picturesque, with curved eyebrows and skin as smooth as lamb suet. Her pink lips were slightly arched with a hint of a proud smile.

Strikingly, there was a perfectly round golden imprint between her eyes, the image of a golden silkworm holding its tail.

There was no denying that she was a moving, breathtaking beauty. She had a slender waist and shoulders that looked like the work of a master sculptor, and she looked like the very picture of grace.

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s heart shook, but then, he gnashed his teeth with fury. “I get it now! That witch was using us!”

Su Yi rubbed his brow and muttered. “It’s true; the prettier the woman, the craftier she is.”

Even he had to admit it: he’d fallen for her trap!

The silkworm had seemed like it was on the verge of death, but from beginning to end, it had been deliberately using Su Yi’s power to help it break through its shell and become a butterfly!

Off in the distance, the picturesque beauty laughed. It sounded like the music of the heavens. “You can’t put it that way! You were already trying to kill me anyway, and I just so happened to need external power to shatter my shell.”

There was no hiding the smug glee in her voice.

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer gnashed his teeth in fury.

Both he and Su Yi had overcome numerous great dangers and experienced the wind and waves of worldly affairs. Who’d have thought a golden silkworm would manage to trick them like this?

This was unquestionably humiliating.

But then, Su Yi asked out of nowhere, “Weren’t you working with that Qing Xiao guy we met earlier? Why not have him help you?”

When she heard Qing Xiao’s name, the young woman’s clear eyes shone with a nigh imperceptible hint of murderousness.

A moment later, she laughed. “Why ask me that? You were quite tough earlier, weren’t you? You were dead-set on killing me, so why aren’t you attacking anymore?”

Her pink lips curved into a provocative arc, and her gaze was playful, like a cat toying with a mouse.

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer coughed dryly. “Miss, regardless of whether our intentions were good or bad, we helped you achieve metamorphosis and rebirth. Seems to me that we’d best bury the hatchet. Fighting and killing will only ruin the scenery.”

The young woman laughed derisively. “Are you afraid? But very well. I’m in an excellent mood, and I have nothing better to do, so I can chat with you.”

Su Yi laughed coldly. “But I don’t want to chat.”

The young woman was stunned, and her willowy eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”

Boom!

Su Yi attacked again without the slightest hesitation.

The young woman shot forward in a flash, and his attack hit nothing but air.

A teasing look appeared on her exquisite, elegant, and aloof face, and she clucked her tongue. “Frantic? Getting frustrated? Did getting fooled embarrass you so badly that your shame turned to anger? Or are you just young and impetuous?”

Su Yi said nothing. He simply leaped ahead and attacked.

The woman giggled, her gaze mocking, but she made no attempt to block. Instead, she dodged, staying one step ahead of Su Yi’s attacks. She floated like an immortal, as elusive as a ghost.

“Little fellow, it’s no use. With your paltry early-stage Profound Illumination Realm cultivation, you can’t hurt this big sister.” The young woman’s rainbow raiment swayed, and wherever she passed, she left a gentle, soul-stirring fragrance in her wake. She was like an immortal beauty, ethereal and untraceable.

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s heart filled with anxiety.

The young woman manifested of the golden silkworm was simply terrifying. She shuttled freely through the branches of the Tree of the Ten Thousand Worlds of Samsara, and its chaotic power didn’t affect her in the slightest!

“Old Monster Su, how about we retreat? This woman is far too dangerous and crafty. We can’t act recklessly,” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer transmitted to Su Yi.

“Recklessly. No, you’re mistaken: I’m just searching for an opportunity. Besides, haven’t you noticed that all this witch has done so far is dodge?” Su Yi transmitted back, but his expression never wavered. “If she were really just toying with us, there’d be no need to dodge.”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s eyes narrowed. He was starting to understand.

“Little fellow, if you stubbornly refuse to back down, don’t blame this big sister for being ruthless.” The young woman’s voice was gentle, and her eyes were like limpid pools, but they glinted with cold intent.

“That so? Go ahead, show me what you’re like when you’re ruthless,” Su Yi said calmly.

Even as he spoke, he continued swinging his sword, not the least bit negligent.

The young woman furrowed her beautiful brow and was just about to say something when Su Yi suddenly used the secrets of reincarnation to activate the Record of the Netherworld.

Boom!

The Record of the Netherworld lit up, and chaotic secret markings rose on its page-like surface.

The Tree of the Ten Thousand Worlds of Samsara swayed, and its leaves rustled. The formerly tranquil source energies of the Netherworld suddenly boiled over, becoming violent and explosive.

The young woman’s expression froze in place. Her graceful figure stiffened, and she inwardly cried out, This is bad!

But just as she was about to dodge…

Boom!

Chaotic power swept toward her from all sides, like a tidal wave or avalanche.

“Activate!” The golden imprint at the center of the young woman’s forehead lit up, as if on fire. A perfectly cyclical ring spread outward and enveloped her.

The golden ring cycled, with neither beginning nor end, endless and self-sustaining as it blocked the descending chaotic power.

Boom!

The golden ring trembled violently, shaking the young woman’s delicate frame.

Eyebrows curved like crescent moons knit together, and her starry eyes blazed with anger. “You really are despicable, little guy! You can’t beat this big sister, so you’re using the power of chaos to your advantage. How shameful!”

She was obviously frantic, and there was no sign of her former contented calm. She’d even resorted to attacking Su Yi verbally.

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer could no longer suppress the urge to grin. “This is called ‘heaven and earth fighting alongside you.’ If you’re not convinced, why not suppress your cultivation base down to Profound Illumination Realm, then duke it out with my Little Brother Su, you witch? Wouldn’t that be fairer?”

As he spoke, raging waves of chaotic power bore down on the young woman from all sides, sealing off all her escape routes. She could no longer dodge like she had before.

And in the face of this suppressive power and raging onslaught, the golden ring revolving around her fluctuated violently. That terrifying impact made her sway on her feet, and she cut quite a sorry figure.

Her picturesque face paled, and she looked utterly enraged.

“Just as I thought. Although you underwent metamorphosis and broke through, your wounds were still severe, and even your cultivation has yet to truly recover. You were just bluffing earlier,” laughed Su Yi. “Otherwise, there’d be no need for you to dodge. You could have just attacked and suppressed me.”

“Hmph!” The young woman snorted coldly, and her spring-like eyes blazed with fury.

Boom!

Chaotic power bore down, and ultimately, the divine golden cycle around the young woman shattered with a bang, unable to take it.

This startled the young woman. Her heart sank, and her face paled. I’m finished!

But it was then that the waves of chaotic power suddenly froze in place, then dispersed with a bang, receding like the tides.

The young woman looked dazed, and her eyes filled with disbelief. A moment later, she gazed at the young man in blue standing in the distance. “Why… Why not attack me?”

“Don’t you think this is the perfect time for a chat?” Su Yi said calmly.

As he spoke, he set Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer beside him and put away the Tiny Heart of the Cosmos.

Then, he took out a jug of wine. One hand supported the Record of the Netherworld as he stood amidst the mists of chaos, his tall, upright figure utterly transcendent and detached.