Chapter 1018: Zhuang Zhou's Butterfly Dream

The Realm of Eternal Samsara at the Emperor Realm was vastly different from before. Waves of indigo light rippled out in an instant, as if the entire void had been engulfed. Li Xiaofei stood within it as though he were a sovereign king.

He raised his hand. The Heart of Guardianship transformed into a hovering sword, saber, and spear. Countless streams of energy were extracted from the Ancestor of Strength’s body, forming a visible tide of energy that surged toward Li Xiaofei.

One of the unique traits of the Realm of Eternal Samsara was its ability to draw upon an opponent’s strength, weakening the enemy while empowering oneself. Li Xiaofei’s aura surged once again. The Ancestor of Strength sensed its predicament and roared repeatedly in rage. Beastly roars could dispel negative conditions.

Li Xiaofei immediately felt the beast’s energy become more difficult to extract. But that was of little consequence.

"Kill," Li Xiaofei commanded.

The saber’s light flashed like a meteor, cleaving downward. The Ancestor of Strength crouched low, using its turtle-like back to endure the blow.

Clang.

The sound rang out in the void, like the clash of metal and iron. Terrifying waves of energy shook the surrounding space, nearly shattering it. The Ancestor of Strength’s body sank under the force, yet it still withstood the strike.

However, before it could react, the sword floating beside Li Xiaofei also plunged from the air, imbued with an even more fearsome power.

Clang.

Another clash rang out and the Ancestor of Strength’s body sank once more. A single crack appeared on the turtle shell on its back. A flicker of panic danced in its eyes.

But Li Xiaofei gave it no time to react. The spear shot out like lightning and slammed down on the same spot where the saber and sword had previously struck.

Clang.

A third resounding clash echoed through the void. After a slight pause, the black spear let out a sharp hiss as it pierced directly into the Ancestor of Strength’s body, running it through.

"Ah..." The Ancestor of Strength roared in fury.

For the first time in countless years, it felt the pain of injury once again . The black spear nailed it firmly in mid-air. Li Xiaofei pressed his palms together, and countless golden and silver specks of light surged toward the Ancestor of Strength.

They merged with the shattered fragments of the Heart of Guardianship, once a blade and sword, and reinforced the black spear, amplifying its power. The spear grew thicker and longer, and no matter how the Ancestor of Strength struggled, it could not break free in the moment.

Strike while the enemy was weak.

Without hesitation, Li Xiaofei unleashed his divine energy, casting secret arts relentlessly on the fractured shell and head of the beast. Blood sprayed through the air, almost drowning out the indigo hue of the Realm of Eternal Samsara.

"Hm?" Li Xiaofei suddenly sensed something was wrong.

He lifted his head. At some point, the void around him had changed. He hadn’t realized he had entered a realm wrapped in a reddish membrane of flesh. The crimson membrane was covered in sharp patterns, resembling upside-down mountains and rivers. It pulsed with rhythmic movements, as if it were a living creature.

Then came the roar of crashing tides. A boundless wave of dark green surged toward him. At the same time, the red membrane above began secreting blobs of dark green liquid that poured down on Li Xiaofei like a torrential storm.

Damn it

.

The Heart of Guardianship activated instantly. It shifted from its spear form into a spherical shield of three layers, gold, silver, and black, that quickly encased him.

Boom.

The dark green wave crashed down and swept Li Xiaofei into its depths.

Sizzle.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Even the outer layer of his law-infused aura began to corrode. It began to dim at an alarming rate. This was the stomach acid of the Ancestor of Strength.

When did it swallow me?

Li Xiaofei’s eyes narrowed.

As a peak predator that had existed since ancient times, the Ancestor of Strength’s terrifying prowess needed no explanation. Li Xiaofei had never assumed he could kill it in just a few moves.

He had anticipated a prolonged battle of attrition, but he had not expected to be the first to fall into a trap. He had been unwittingly swallowed whole by the beast.

This was the most primal, instinctive form of slaughter for any beast. Li Xiaofei had no doubt that if he delayed any longer, it would not be long before the Ancestor of Strength’s stomach acid dissolved him entirely and turned him into nourishment. Its body was comparable to a weapon of the Emperors Realm.

At that thought, Li Xiaofei immediately activated Spatial Point Theft. He flickered as he vanished.

A moment later, he reappeared outside the sealed domain, and came face to face with Lin Beichen’s grin.

"You're out?"

"Hm?"

"Couldn't beat it?"

"It went okay."

"Want to try again?"

"Sure."

The exchange was brief. Li Xiaofei re-entered the sealed domain. Lin Beichen stood at the entrance, still smiling as he waited.

Half a day later, Li Xiaofei emerged once again.

"You lasted longer this time."

"Not bad."

"Going again?"

"Of course."

The unyielding Li Xiaofei entered once again. Lin Beichen continued to wait patiently. So it went, over and over, dozens of times.

Ten days and ten nights passed. Li Xiaofei was lasting longer with each attempt. Lin Beichen maintained his ever-present smile.

Having fought the Ancestor of Strength many times, he was well aware of the terror that came with this beast, one that had existed since the dawn of the primordial era. It was virtually immortal and indestructible, possessing the Law of Evolution and capable of endless self-enhancement.

It was nearly impossible to truly destroy it. Otherwise, the Ancestor of Wisdom would have taken action long ago. If there were rankings within the Emperor Realm, then the Ancestor of Strength would certainly be among the most ancient and powerful.

For someone like Li Xiaofei, who had only just stepped into the Emperor Realm, trying to take on such a formidable challenge was no simple task. Still, since Li Xiaofei needed to solidify his foundation at this level, having a true source of pressure was essential. Choosing the Ancestor of Strength as his opponent was the right call.

That was also why Lin Beichen stood guard at the gate. First, he could guard against the possibility of the Ancestor of Wisdom launching a sudden attack. Second, he could ensure Li Xiaofei wasn’t caught off guard or tricked by the Ancestor of Strength.

Even though the Ancestor of Strength lacked a profound intellect, one should never underestimate a beast’s battle instinct. Sometimes, raw instinct could be more terrifying than cultivated intelligence.

So Lin Beichen waited. He watched as Li Xiaofei repeatedly entered and exited. Then one day, the smile on his face subtly froze. In the distance, a figure slowly approached along the winding path of Wind and Rain Cliff.

Only one person knew this path well enough to tread it, the Ancestor of Wisdom. But Lin Beichen quickly noticed that this person was not the Ancestor of Wisdom.

It was a very handsome man. His looks were nearly on par with Lin Beichen’s own. His steps were steady, neither hurried nor slow. He crossed the stairways, passed through the passage, made his way across the mountain’s interior, and finally arrived at the entrance of the sealed domain.

When the man saw Lin Beichen, he smiled. There was a trace of nostalgia in that smile, as though he were reuniting with an old friend. Lin Beichen looked at him with curiosity as well. The man’s cultivation realm appeared to be at the quasi-Emperor level.

But there was something strange about his condition. It felt... off.

"I know you," Lin Beichen said. "You once followed Li Xiaofei, wandered through the Realm of Ruins, and even received a sword technique I casually invented out of boredom."

"Indeed." The man cupped his hands and said, "I must thank you, Sword Immortal Lin."

Lin Beichen grinned. "At the time, I didn’t notice anything strange about you. Tsk, you really hid yourself well. I thought you were just pretending to be a Reaper. I didn’t expect you were actually pretending to be human."

"Like Zhuang Zhou dreaming of the butterfly.[1]" The man shook his head. "At this point, I don’t even know who I am anymore."

1. Zhuangzi, Chapter 2: "On the Equality of Things" (齐物论). In this Taoist classic attributed to Zhuang Zhou (also known as Zhuangzi), a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher, he recounts the dream of becoming a butterfly, raising timeless questions about the nature of reality and identity. ☜