Chapter 457: Lost Her Trail

Besides, even Myriad Beasts Sect did not have enough flying mounts to devote them all to planting Light-Repelling Grass. Once the three-day window passed, the exit from the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm would close. No cultivator had yet found a way to survive ten years in an environment like this. Long-term supplies of food and water alone were already a problem. So the moment the closing time arrived, everyone had to withdraw immediately.

Some kinds of terrain were unsuitable for planting Light-Repelling Grass as well. In that respect, it was no different from cultivating anything else.

The realm opened only once every ten years, and each opening lasted only three days. With some terrain unsuitable for planting, the accumulated areas of Light-Repelling Grass had expanded irregularly over the years, without forming any single vast, continuous region.

Therefore, after entering the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm, anyone who wanted to remain safe could only stay obediently within the areas planted with Light-Repelling Grass. If someone left those areas and something happened, no one would take responsibility.

One could also say that once inside the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm, life and death were up to fate. No one forced anyone to enter. Think it through before coming in. Myriad Beasts Sect accepted no responsibility for anyone's safety.

Starlight filled the sky overhead, along with a brilliant Milky Way, but there was no moonlight. The area around the entrance lay in pitch darkness, crowded with moving figures. No Moon Butterflies were being used for illumination.

No one brought Moon Butterflies inside either. Moon Butterflies were just as afraid of the smell of Light-Repelling Grass, because the parent stock from which they had been bred originated in this realm. Myriad Beasts Sect had captured that original stock here, then spent enormous effort finding ways to breed and improve it into the Moon Butterflies used today.

The creatures of this realm were all strange. They seemed suited only to living in this land of darkness. Once taken outside, they gradually withered and died. The original stock of the Moon Butterfly was like that, and so were the butterfly demons that moved like assassins and killers.

For Myriad Beasts Sect to produce the Moon Butterfly at all had been no easy feat, but the effort had been worthwhile. Moon Butterflies had become something nearly every cultivator required, and one of Myriad Beasts Sect's principal sources of wealth.

It was said this was also the greatest reason Myriad Beasts Sect had been allowed to control this place. Some people still placed hope in the sect, hoping that one day it might conquer the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm completely. Yuan Gang raised his head and looked overhead. High in the air, something dark seemed to skim beneath the stars, too distant to identify clearly.

Guan Fangyi explained, "Those are Butterfly Rakshasas. The scent of Light-Repelling Grass can't reach that high, so it can't stop them from flying overhead. Sometimes they even throw things down from the sky to attack people."

Niu Youdao asked, "I heard people who come inside can capture Butterfly Rakshasas and sell them to Myriad Beasts Sect?"

"First, they have to be alive," Guan Fangyi said. "There are four types of Butterfly Rakshasa. The weakest are the White-Wings, worth only one thousand gold coins each. Blue-Wings can sell for fifty thousand apiece. Red-Wings, also called Blood Rakshasas, are worth five hundred thousand gold coins each if sold to Myriad Beasts Sect. But Red-Wings are extremely difficult to capture. Not only are they ferocious, they're also fiercely unyielding. They would rather kill themselves than be taken alive. Myriad Beasts Sect is probably hoping to produce something from them the way it bred the Moon Butterfly. Unfortunately, these creatures don't belong to the outside world and can't survive long once removed from here. So the sect can only increase the number of specimens it works with and hope for a breakthrough. As long as you can bring one out alive, Myriad Beasts Sect will buy it. Every time the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm opens, Myriad Beasts Sect pours an enormous amount of money into this."

She pursed her lips toward the crowd ahead. "Whenever that happens, there are always independent cultivators who come here to risk their lives, trading their heads for money. If you run into people like that, it's best to stay far away. Butterfly Rakshasas are often enraged by them, and standing too close makes it easy to get caught in the disaster. Myriad Beasts Sect doesn't care. After all, it isn't their own disciples risking their lives. They only need to spend money and let others gamble with theirs."

Yuan Gang cut in from beside them. "You said four types. What's the fourth?"

Guan Fangyi turned toward him. "The last one exists only in legend. It's called the Holy Rakshasa, supposedly the king of all Butterfly Rakshasas. It's different from the others. Not only is it extraordinarily powerful, it can also leave this place and survive in the outside world. Supposedly, if someone subdues one, he can use it to control all the butterfly demons in the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm and travel through the realm without obstruction. But it exists only in legend. As far as I know, no one in the present cultivation world has ever seen one. Legend says Empress Li Ge of the Wu Dynasty had one at her side as a spirit pet. Shang Song subdued it after entering the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm, and it was the main reason he could build an imperial retreat here. If anyone actually captured a Holy Rakshasa, money wouldn't even be an issue. It would be priceless. No matter what price you named, someone would buy it. You might even alarm the nine supreme experts. From then on, wealth and rank would be yours."

Her brows lifted provocatively. "Best just think about it. That kind of fortune isn't for everyone. According to legend, a Holy Rakshasa's strength rivals a Nascent Soul Realm expert. If you really ran into one, you'd better flee for your life. If you managed to escape, you could count yourself lucky. Don't waste time dreaming about anything else."

Her tone carried obvious mockery. Niu Youdao smiled. Those two had never liked the sight of each other. Yuan Gang had no interest in trading barbs with Guan Fangyi today. His attention was elsewhere. After gathering for a while, the crowd began cautiously spreading outward. Most of them had entered the realm for the first time.

"Since we're already here, let's walk around and have a look." Niu Youdao smiled and waved a hand.

Unexpectedly, Yun Ji spoke from beside them.

"We should go our separate ways."

"..."

Niu Youdao stared at her in surprise. He was just about to ask why when Yun Ji shot away without giving even a word of explanation. Everyone looked puzzled. Had Yun Ji not said before that they would travel together? What they did not know was that Yun Ji had indeed intended to follow Niu Youdao for a while and observe him. Then she had run into Yuan Gang.

Staying near Yuan Gang made her extremely uncomfortable. The oppressive sensation that weakened her hands and feet was difficult to endure, so she hurriedly separated from them. In fact, Yuan Fang had once experienced something similar. That was why Yuan Gang had so often beaten him into obedience.

The difference was that Yuan Fang could no longer sense it consciously. He had spent too long around Yuan Gang and gradually become accustomed to the feeling. Habit had become second nature. He had essentially been tempered by it and could now shamelessly grin and cling to Yuan Gang's side without a care. Only when Yuan Gang truly became angry did Yuan Fang become frightened.

These days, Yuan Gang rarely lost his temper with Yuan Fang anyway. Yuan Fang no longer thought of running off, and he listened to Yuan Gang very well. Yuan Fang might occasionally question something Niu Youdao said, but once Yuan Gang opened his mouth, Yuan Fang almost never argued.

If Yuan Gang told him to go east, he would not go west. If Yuan Gang told him to stop babbling, he shut his mouth immediately. Some matters were hardest for those directly involved to see clearly.

Neither Yuan Gang nor Yuan Fang had yet realized the true reason for their relationship. Yuan Fang simply believed Yuan Gang was too violent, forever solving problems with his fists, and that was why he instinctively feared him. There was another factor as well.

When Yuan Fang first met Yuan Gang, the aura around Yuan Gang had not possessed anything like the oppressive force Yun Ji was experiencing now. Yuan Fang had adapted gradually as that pressure increased over time. Niu Youdao watched the direction Yun Ji had gone.

He noticed that even in this dark terrain, every place where she landed seemed strangely precise. She appeared to know in advance where the ground rose and fell, nothing like someone visiting for the first time. His eyes narrowed slightly. Then he lifted his chin toward that direction and led the others after her. There were not many people left at his side now. Only Guan Fangyi, Yuan Gang, and Yuan Fang.

Fufang Garden had not brought many people on this journey to begin with. Then the problem of a spy emerged. Before Uncle Chen's background had been clarified, they did not dare bring him into a place like this. Internal instability was more frightening than almost anything else, and they feared an accident.

Leaving Uncle Chen alone outside might make him suspicious, however, so Old Six Xu had been left behind as well. The excuse was simple: if something happened, or if Niu Youdao's group failed to return, someone outside needed to know the situation and send word home so that preparations could be made. Old Six Xu was therefore responsible for receiving and supporting them from outside.

Old Thirteen had always been responsible for guarding the Goldenwing used for communication and remained in Myriad Forms City. He had not come here either. As for the ten members of the Shangqing Sect following behind them, Niu Youdao did not regard them as his own people. Tang Yi still brought them along anyway. The terrain here was unfamiliar. Before long, they lost Yun Ji's trail.

The group stopped at what resembled a fork and looked around. Other cultivators occasionally passed nearby. Strictly speaking, it was not really a crossroads.

The planting of Light-Repelling Grass followed the terrain, avoiding steep slopes and cliffs. Here, the safe zone branched out like limbs from a tree, extending in three directions. No one knew which branch Yun Ji had taken. Choosing among the three was difficult. Niu Youdao looked toward Yuan Gang.

Yuan Gang was an expert at tracking from footprints. He could often tell from tracks whether someone was male or female, even roughly estimating height and weight. Yet Yuan Gang shook his head as well.

The light here was too poor, and Yun Ji had traveled by leaping and gliding over the ground. Finding her tracks quickly under these conditions would be difficult.

Guan Fangyi asked, "Why are we following her anyway? Who exactly is that mysterious woman?"

With Tang Yi and the others nearby, Niu Youdao did not answer. He continued looking around. Even if he could not find Yun Ji, he still needed to choose a direction. Once he had a route in mind, Niu Youdao turned toward Tang Yi.

"Why are all of you following me?"

Tang Yi stepped forward. "Don't misunderstand. We mean you no harm. This place still has dangers. Just think of us as escorting you."

"Escorting me?" Niu Youdao immediately looked amused and said mockingly, "You can't even protect yourselves, yet you want to escort me? Since I dared come inside, naturally I have my own means of protecting myself. I don't need you worrying about it. I appreciate the thought. Stop following me. Leave immediately. Get out of the illusory realm."

Wei Duo stammered, "M-Master Dao..."

"Shut up!" Niu Youdao pointed at him. "Just seeing you annoys me. Get lost immediately!"

Wei Duo fell silent at once. Tang Yi simply looked at Niu Youdao without moving. The Shangqing Sect disciples behind her did the same. They had the distinct air of people prepared to cling shamelessly no matter what he said. Annoyed, Niu Youdao paced back and forth several times. He was beginning to admire their persistence. At last, he beckoned toward Tang Yi. Tang Yi walked over. Under everyone's gaze, she followed Niu Youdao farther to one side.

Only after they had put some distance between themselves and the others did they stop. Niu Youdao turned toward her.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

Tang Yi said, "The Shangqing Sect truly did wrong you. But the sect never expelled you. You remain a disciple of the Shangqing Sect. I will personally bear the Shangqing Sect's mistakes. Do whatever you want to me. I only ask that, for Martial Uncle Dong Guo's sake, you do not abandon the Shangqing Sect. Consider this me begging you..."

As she spoke, her body lowered. She was actually preparing to kneel before him.

Niu Youdao immediately caught her by the arm and hauled her back upright. "Don't pull this on me! Sect Leader Tang, how great a grudge do you have against me that you refuse to let me go no matter what? Are you trying to get me killed? Are you genuinely muddleheaded, or only pretending? Back then, all of you knew enough to throw me to Shang Chaozong precisely so you could sever ties with him. How can you not understand now that the Shangqing Sect cannot become entangled with Shang Chaozong? Are you deliberately trying to harm me?"

Not far away, the others could make out the two figures tugging at one another beneath the starlight. Guan Fangyi curled her lip, her face full of contempt.

[End of Chapter 457]