Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 43: Chapter 44 Butterfly Tide

Under the moonlight, the vibrant swarm of multicolored butterflies shimmered in a beauty beyond words, but the members of the Pang family were already in a state of complete panic.

The kaleidoscope of light filled every direction—above their heads, in front of them, behind them, even underfoot. These radiant butterflies, too numerous to count, descended upon them like a relentless tide. Some warriors frantically swung their swords, trying to deflect the oncoming swarm, while cultivators hurried to cast protective energy shields around themselves. Others chanted incantations to activate their talismans, while a few threw their hidden weapons like rain, hoping to fend off the onslaught. A handful even tried to flee, while some froze in place, completely unsure how to react.

The glowing butterflies, though mesmerizing, were more than just beautiful; their sweetness and charm masked a deadly threat. Even when struck by weapons or magic, they rarely lost their brilliance. Some would momentarily be repelled, only to rebound swiftly, while others dissolved completely under intense attacks, vanishing without leaving any trace behind.

These butterflies never lost their luster, always returning to the battle in their most dazzling form, their wings elegantly fluttering with an air of grace. When one did perish, it would dissolve into a flash of light, disappearing without a mark left on the battlefield.

It was a breathtaking sight, but for the Pang family disciples, it was a nightmare filled with hidden death. If one of the butterflies landed on them, their clothing and skin seemed to melt away like snow, becoming part of the glowing swarm. Even as their bodies succumbed, they were unaware, their faces etched with blissful smiles, their eyes filled with dreamlike joy, as if falling into a serene, eternal sleep.

Seeing their comrades fall into this trance-like state of death, the remaining Pang family disciples felt an overwhelming terror. Some shouted in desperation, "Use the Immortal Slaying Arrows! Kill this witch!"

Others unleashed their most powerful hidden weapons, paying no mind to the collateral damage, hoping to carve a bloody path through the sea of butterflies. Talismans and treasures were deployed with reckless abandon, while some even dropped to the ground, feigning death in hopes of avoiding the fate of their peers.

But the butterflies, as beautiful as they were deadly, consumed half of the Pang family's forces in the blink of an eye. Among them were cultivators on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, warriors on the cusp of the Mountain-Barrier Realm, and even a few capable of advancing further if given the chance. Under different circumstances, they might have overwhelmed Wang Zihan through sheer force.

However, the sudden and mysterious appearance of these deadly butterflies caught them completely off guard. The formation of the Pang family's disciples was utterly decimated by the luminous swarm, and soon, more and more warriors began to collapse, a blissful smile playing across their lips as they drifted into death, their dreams filled with an impossible sweetness.

"A deadly sweetness cloaked in beauty—what a ruthless woman!" Pang Tianshan gritted his teeth, caught off guard as well, finding himself surrounded by the deadly butterflies. However, unlike his subordinates, Pang Tianshan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, just like Wang Zihan. With a flick of his hand, the powerful spell he had been preparing earlier was unleashed.

A small yellow flag appeared in Pang Tianshan's hand, and a gust of yellow wind surged out, howling with the sound of a thousand banshees. The gust swept through the butterflies, carrying many of them into the whirlwind, where they shattered into dazzling silver sparks. Other butterflies were flung aside, repelled by the force of the wind.

Yet, despite the yellow storm's might, a few butterflies managed to land on Pang Tianshan. He felt an overwhelming sweetness spreading across his body, a sensation so pleasant it brought back memories of his childhood, sharing sweets with his brother. The feeling was so intoxicating, so dreamlike, that he wished it would never end.

"What... is this?" Pang Tianshan suddenly understood why so many of his disciples had fallen into the butterflies' deadly embrace, never waking from their sweet dreams. The sensation was so pleasurable, so alluring, that even he, a hardened cultivator, found himself desiring more.

Such sweetness... such a beautiful, dreamlike sensation.

But Pang Tianshan was no ordinary man. He was a leader, a strategist, and unlike his weaker disciples, he had the willpower to resist. With a swift motion, he swept his sleeve, and the butterflies clinging to him burst into points of silver light, vanishing from existence. He then tightened his grip on the yellow flag and summoned another fierce gust of wind, sending it crashing against Wang Zihan's butterfly swarm as their magical powers clashed in a dazzling display of light and wind.

The Yellow Sand Wind Formation Pang Tianshan unleashed was no ordinary technique. Years ago, when his elder brother Pang Tianshou, a cultivator on the cusp of the Golden Core stage, still held the family together, Pang Tianshan had already abandoned any hope of becoming the head of the family.

His brother was only seven years older, and after advancing to the Golden Core stage, he had a life expectancy of over 480 years. It was unthinkable that he would groom Pang Tianshan to succeed him. Moreover, given the resources available to the Pang family, producing even one Golden Core cultivator in a generation was the best they could hope for. Resigned to this, Pang Tianshan instead set his sights on crafting an exceptionally powerful treasure.

Fortunately, Pang Tianshou greatly valued his younger brother and spared no expense in commissioning a master to craft the Divine Feather Earth Flag for him. On top of that, Pang Tianshan had learned a technique known as the Whirling Wind and Dust Net from a powerful figure. This net technique complemented the Divine Feather Earth Flag perfectly, and when cultivated to a profound level, it could rival the might of a False Core cultivator.

Pang Tianshan had invested an immense amount of effort and resources into the Whirling Wind and Dust Net, refining it to a level where it was incredibly easy to wield, yet devastatingly powerful. With just a few gusts of wind, he could topple any martial artist at the Tiger-Slaying Realm. Even in a direct confrontation with a fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator, Pang Tianshan would have the upper hand.

Now, as Pang Tianshan waved the flag forcefully, the Whirling Wind and Dust Net formed a yellow sandstorm that clashed head-on with the colorful light butterflies summoned by Gu Yinghua. The battle between the two forces was fierce and relentless.

Though the Five-Colored Light Butterflies were numerous and each brimming with spiritual energy, the Whirling Wind and Dust Net easily swept up dozens, even hundreds of them at once. Within moments, the net was filled with shining silver points of light as the butterflies were shredded to pieces. Some of the butterflies were ejected from the net, still glowing with spiritual energy, but their power had been reduced to a mere fraction, leaving them unfit for further combat.

Pang Tianshan, with repeated waves of his yellow flag, managed to break through the butterfly swarms time and again, gaining the upper hand. Yet, deep inside, he couldn't help but grow increasingly envious of Gu Yinghua's Buddhist techniques. He knew that to fully cultivate the Whirling Wind and Dust Net to its peak—where it could truly rival a False Core cultivator—he would need at least three jin and six liang of Primordial Dust Essence. But despite exhausting all of his resources, Pang Tianshan had barely managed to collect eight liang. As a result, his net had always been somewhat inferior.

While the Whirling Wind and Dust Net had an advantage over Gu Yinghua's Seven Treasures Pool and Eight Virtues Water, and it had already annihilated countless butterflies, Pang Tianshan was well aware that his technique was just a drop in the ocean compared to the profound nature of Gu Yinghua's Buddhist methods. If Gu Yinghua ever fully mastered the Seven Treasures Spirit Pool and Eight Virtues Water, Pang Tianshan would be utterly powerless, unable to withstand more than a few rounds.

Such was the flaw of family cultivators like Pang Tianshan. Although backed by their clans, they were ultimately just elite itinerant cultivators. In contrast, true sect cultivators—like those from the Shenshao Sect—were on an entirely different level. And Gu Yinghua, with her connection to Wugou Shinni, a Nascent Soul master, had access to techniques that far surpassed anything Pang Tianshan had learned.

As he cast a glance at Gu Yinghua, Pang Tianshan couldn't fathom how her colorful butterflies had evolved from the Virtue Water technique. Nonetheless, with just these butterflies, Gu Yinghua had waged a fierce battle against the elite forces of the Pang family, slaughtering countless of their finest disciples. Her technique was unquestionably a quasi-Golden Core level Buddhist art.

Yet, Gu Yinghua herself was on the verge of collapse. With her Foundation Establishment cultivation, pushing the Five-Colored Light Butterflies to such an extreme was already beyond her limits. She now stood precariously, her entire body trembling. The Seven Treasures Pool at her feet barely covered her toes, and the once-clear water had turned a dark crimson, like molten sugar, swirling with a deep, ominous red hue.

A light breeze could have easily toppled her frail form. Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth, staining her crimson robes even darker. Yet, despite her clearly weakened state, Gu Yinghua remained steadfast, refusing to retreat even a single step.

"Lady Gu, after you've slaughtered so many of my family's elite disciples, I should subject you to our thirty-six forms of punishment, making you wish for death," Pang Tianshan growled, his voice filled with hatred. "But I've had a change of heart. If you hand over your Seven Treasures Pool and Eight Virtues Water technique, I swear on my Dao heart that you will remain unharmed until I deliver you to that master of yours."

Despite her pallor, Gu Yinghua let out a cold laugh. "I just want to use my bathwater to wash the feet of my servants!"

"Impossible!" Pang Tianshan roared in fury. "It's already a miracle I'm willing to spare your life. Look at how many of my family's elites you've slaughtered! Would you show mercy to that damned Liu Suiyun if our positions were reversed?"

In truth, Gu Yinghua had killed as many Pang family elites as Liu Suiyun. Now, the Tian Nü Temple had become a graveyard for the Pang family disciples, with countless of them lying dead, their faces twisted in ecstatic smiles, lost in dreamlike bliss. Yet, in Pang Tianshan's eyes, Gu Yinghua's value far outweighed that of Liu Suiyun.

"Surrender the technique, and I will spare your life!" he demanded once more.

Despite her exhaustion, Gu Yinghua's lips curled into a sweet smile. "You should be grateful. Even my bathwater tastes sweeter than anything you'll ever know."

But then, her expression suddenly shifted, her voice turning cold and cutting. "Since you're so eager, why not try my 84,000 Drops of Heavenly Sweet Water!"