The Underground Palace complex was vast, with paths branching everywhere. Strands of the Demon Butterfly’s bewildering illusions permeated the air, obstructing Divine Sense and making it impossible to see the way ahead.
Fortunately, guided by the Red-beaked Sparrows and Senior Brother Fang’s contract, Xie Linlang managed to advance in the right direction, though he occasionally strayed into side paths of the palace that ended in empty rooms.
Some rooms housed cultivators in secluded cultivation, but each had various protective artifacts before them. Amid the swirling Demonic Qi, Xie Linlang sensed that their cultivation levels surpassed his own, so he merely glanced from afar and avoided them.
The Demonic Qi deep within Silent Night Palace was exceptionally dense. If true low-level cultivators arrived in such a Demonic Qi-saturated place, they would easily fall under its influence, descending into irritability, confusion, and arrogance.
Xie Linlang, however, had originally been a true cultivator, and he had dealt with Heavenly Demons for years, making him adept at steadying his mind. Though he felt discomfort, he could still suppress it.
Xie Linlang did not recognize these cultivators secluded deep in the palace. Judging by their attire and cultivation, they were likely elders of Silent Night Palace or seniors in seclusion.
These cultivators all seemed affected by the Demon Butterfly’s illusory barrier, trapped in profound confusion.
Xie Linlang felt something was off.
His cultivation was far lower than theirs—why did he seem unaffected?
A thread of unease rose in Xie Linlang’s heart, but the Red-beaked Sparrows kept chirping softly to guide him, so he could only press forward to investigate.
Clack, clack, clack.
As Xie Linlang walked down a long corridor, he suddenly heard the sound of armor clashing against the ground from behind. His heart sank, and he quickly looked left and right.
The corridor walls were smooth on both sides, with no depressions or places to hide.
Xie Linlang’s gaze fell on a lamp holder protruding obliquely from the top of the wall, resembling coral branches. He formed a Light Illusion Technique hand seal to conceal his figure, stood on one foot on the lamp holder, and pressed himself tightly against the side wall and ceiling.
Soon, the armor sounds grew closer, and three black-armored, masked cultivators appeared.
The cultivators were clad entirely in pitch-black armor, their faces hidden, each holding various artifacts. The one in front carried a round shield, the one behind wielded something like a detection artifact, and the last held a long sword in a guarding stance.
This was a standard pursuit, search, and combat squad.
Xie Linlang’s eyes flickered. He could not discern these three’s cultivation levels!
Were they all at the Soul Transformation Stage or higher?
Sweat beaded on Xie Linlang’s forehead. He was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage now and could not possibly evade the Divine Sense detection of Soul Transformation cultivators or above. If it came to a fight, he had no chance of escape!
As Xie Linlang rapidly thought of countermeasures—even deciding to drop to his knees first and claim he was a new disciple unfamiliar with the palace paths and had wandered here unwittingly—the three Black-Armored Cultivators passed right by the Coral Lamp where he hid, ignoring him completely.
Xie Linlang: “…”
He stared in disbelief at the departing backs of the three Black-Armored Cultivators, stunned for a long moment.
What was going on?
Xie Linlang jumped down from the lamp holder but could not figure it out for the life of him.
Forget it—he would puzzle it out later.
Xie Linlang quickly rallied his spirits and continued onward. After a short while, he sensed something wrong. Why had the Red-beaked Sparrows stopped guiding him?
He tilted his head slightly toward his shoulder. “Senior Fang’s position…”
Halfway through his words, Xie Linlang abruptly shut his mouth.
Unbeknownst to him, the Red-beaked Sparrow that had been chirping nonstop on his shoulder had fallen silent. The small black-gray bird clutched his shoulder tightly, trembling, its red beak even agape in fright.
Xie Linlang jolted in shock. Only then did he notice that the surrounding fog had thickened, nearly turning into pure white.
In the long corridors of the Underground Palace, even a wisp of wind would produce sound, yet the surroundings were deathly silent, as if he had fallen into an enclosed world.
Xie Linlang took a deep breath, pretending nothing was amiss, and took a jade bottle from his robes.
He uncorked it and stimulated it with Demonic Qi. A wisp of fragrance slowly wafted out from the jade bottle.
He did not know how much time passed—perhaps only an instant—when a long, translucent tube brushed past Xie Linlang’s cheek and extended slowly from behind.
The tip of the long tube was a fine needle, which pierced into the jade bottle. Pale yellow Flower Honey was drawn up through the needle into the tube.
Xie Linlang did not dare move and could only hold the jade bottle steady as the tube fed.
This was Flower Honey he had specially refined from Night Lily for the Demon Butterfly. If Night Lily was cultivated with immortal spiritual qi, the resulting lilies could soothe the Divine Soul and purify its impurities, serving as the main ingredient in calming pills.
But if cultivated with Demonic Qi, the flower’s core turned black-purple. Though it still soothed the soul, it gained bewitching and alluring properties. Combined with an Enchantment Technique, it could turn the target into one’s puppet.
Xie Linlang had not yet modified the formula and used a true cultivator’s refining method, so the Night Lily Flower Honey brimmed with Demonic Qi yet retained the tranquility and purifying aura unique to spiritual power.
The honey’s fragrance was rich and alluring, at times seductive, at others pure and pristine. Even its color shifted between yellow and purple.
The tube was translucent, and Xie Linlang watched as the purple-yellow hues flowed through it and vanished. The jade bottle in his hand emptied.
Then the tube slowly retracted.
Xie Linlang steadied his voice and said softly, “Disciple Xie Yu, newly entered the sect, unaware of the palace rules—I’ve disturbed Senior, please forgive me.”
No sound came from behind. Xie Linlang waited patiently. The Red-beaked Sparrow on his shoulder still trembled, indicating the Demon Butterfly Senior had not left.
The hazy fog around him grew denser, turning the entire space pure white.
A layer of thin, gossamer-like mist passed slowly from behind Xie Linlang, like a chill curtain or waterside drapery.
One layer, two, three… Several layers of gossamer drifted through Xie Linlang’s body. He could not help widening his eyes. Each layer was exquisitely beautiful—overall sky blue, fading into blue-white with gorgeous golden spots floating within.
Each golden spot had a black outline, like decorative paintings affixed to the gossamer, resembling golden bubbles formed when light entered water.
