Chapter 583: Blood Butterfly
In the deepest hall, a figure sat upon an Ink Jade Throne.
He was a tall man, his body completely wrapped in a black robe with dark gold patterns. He wore a Golden Mask on his face.
The mask was exquisitely crafted. The eyes and brows were outlined with blood-red lines as fine as hairs, giving it an indescribably demonic aura.
He was the Sect Hierarch of the Dark Holy Sect. No one knew his real name, and no one had ever seen the true face beneath his mask.
In the hall, the female Grandmaster codenamed Blood Butterfly stood with her head bowed.
Her red robes shimmered with a dark luster under the glow of the Luminous Pearl. A silver mask concealed her face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
“Sect Hierarch.”
Her voice was hoarse, tinged with a suppressed reverence.
“Our Holy Sect’s subordinate organization in Qingyang County… the Tiejiang Gang… has been exposed.”
On the Ink Jade Throne, the Sect Hierarch did not move in the slightest. Only the deep, pool-like eyes within the mask’s eyeholes shifted slightly, landing on Blood Butterfly.
“Speak.”
It was just one word, spoken softly, yet it carried the weight of a mountain.
“The Tiejiang Gang’s leader, Qi Zhen, was secretly capturing experts affiliated with the Seven Sects to cultivate the Holy Skill. However, he was discovered by a True Disciple from the Qingxuan Sect, and his activities were exposed.”
“The Seven Sects immediately joined forces and uprooted the Tiejiang Gang in a single day. Our Holy Sect’s plan to infiltrate Qingyang County…”
Blood Butterfly paused, then said,
“…has failed.”
A brief, deathly silence fell over the hall.
The glow of the Luminous Pearl washed over the Golden Mask, casting a cold sheen.
After a long moment, the Sect Hierarch finally spoke, his voice betraying no hint of pleasure or anger:
“What about Yan Wuji?”
He lifted his chin slightly, and the gaze within the mask’s eyeholes sharpened as if recalling a memory.
“I remember him. He had already broken through to become a Grandmaster. Even within the Holy Sect, a Grandmaster is considered a core member. Did he escape the Tiejiang Gang’s destruction?”
“To answer the Sect Hierarch, Yan Wuji… is dead.”
Blood Butterfly said after a moment’s silence.
“When the Tiejiang Gang was besieged by the Seven Sects, Yan Wuji managed to escape, but the Seven Sects did not give up the chase.”
“A few days ago, the Seven Sects found and killed him in the northern mountains of Qingyang County.”
“Dead?”
The Sect Hierarch’s voice remained flat, but the air in the hall seemed to congeal at that moment.
This wasn’t a deliberately released pressure, but a deeper chill that rose from the very depths of one’s soul.
Blood Butterfly lowered her head further, not daring to speak.
“Why did you not intervene to save him?”
The Sect Hierarch’s voice was quiet, even peaceful, as if he were inquiring about some trivial matter.
But Blood Butterfly knew that the calmer the Sect Hierarch was, the more dangerous he was.
“I tried to rescue him, but I failed,” Blood Butterfly said in a low voice.
“I even fought with the Grandmasters of the Seven Sects. They surrounded me, and I sustained some minor injuries, forcing me to retreat.”
She lifted her right hand and pulled back a corner of her red robe at her right shoulder.
There, a wound was bandaged.
The Sect Hierarch did not speak. He simply leaned back on the Ink Jade Throne, his right index finger tapping the armrest twice.
TAP, TAP.
The dull sounds echoed in the vast hall, each tap seeming to strike Blood Butterfly’s heart.
“The Seven Sects…”
After a long while, the Sect Hierarch slowly uttered these two words.
His voice was still flat, but in his deep, pool-like eyes, a glint of cold light flashed and vanished, like a chilling blade suddenly revealed beneath dark water.
“Even with the accelerated growth from the Holy Skill, it is not easy to cultivate a Grandmaster… A Grandmaster, just like that, dead at the hands of the Seven Sects.”
Blood Butterfly kept her head bowed, remaining silent.
She knew the Sect Hierarch was now intent on killing.
That killing intent wasn’t released, not even causing the slightest stir in the air, but having followed the Sect Hierarch for many years, she knew all too well what this calm meant.
“Sect Hierarch.”
She spoke tentatively, her voice tinged with caution.
“Should we move against the Seven Sects…?”
“No rush.”
The Sect Hierarch raised his left hand, stopping Blood Butterfly’s words.
The hand was long and fair, with well-defined knuckles, looking no different from that of an ordinary man. But Blood Butterfly knew that this hand had easily crushed the throats of more than one Grandmaster.
“The Holy Sect is currently in a dormant phase. It is not wise to cause a major disturbance,” the Sect Hierarch said slowly, his voice level but carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
“If we were to move to annihilate the Seven Sects now, it would surely shake the world, which would be detrimental to the Holy Sect’s grand plan.”
He paused, his deep eyes narrowing slightly.
“We’ll keep a record of this debt for now.”
He looked up, his gaze falling upon Blood Butterfly.
“The day the Holy Sect truly emerges will be the day the Seven Sects are annihilated.”
Blood Butterfly’s heart tightened. She said respectfully, “The Sect Hierarch is wise.”
The hall once again fell into silence.
The glow of the Luminous Pearl fell upon the Ink Jade Throne, illuminating the figure in the Golden Mask, making him appear both distinct and hazy, like a slumbering Demon God quietly awaiting the day of its awakening.
…
「Qingxuan Sect.」
Fang Han’s life returned to its usual rhythm.
Every day, he would cultivate his Inner Qi with the *Cyan Profound Technique* in the morning, practice the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* before noon, and cultivate the *Xuanwu True Skill* and *Wind God Step* in the afternoon.
In addition, he would set aside some time each evening to practice the *Netherworld Guide* and *Ghost Shadow*, but he no longer poured most of his energy into the *Netherworld Guide* as he had before.
After all, Secret Techniques were only supplementary. What truly determined how far one could go on the Martial Dao was one’s own strength.
Time slipped by quietly amidst the day-after-day routine of cultivation.
Before he knew it, December had arrived.
The weather turned abruptly cold. The wind in the mountains carried a bone-chilling coldness, letting out a mournful howl as it swept through the forests.
Though the bamboo forest in the True Inheritance Courtyard was still green, it shivered in the cold wind.
Qiu Lan and the maids in the courtyard had all changed into thicker clothes.
Fang Han, however, still wore only a thin cyan robe.
With his current cultivation at the Middle Stage of Second Grade, his qi and blood were as abundant as a blazing furnace, making him long since impervious to heat and cold.
Even the cold wind of deep winter felt no different from a summer breeze on his face.
「Afternoon.」
「The rear courtyard’s Cultivation Field.」
Fang Han stood in the center of the open space and took a Jade Bottle from his robes.
He uncorked it and tipped out the last Vajra Pill.
It was the size of a longan, pure gold in color, and shimmered with a gentle luster. A scorching, tyrannical aura emanated from the elixir’s surface, as if it would ignite the surrounding cold air.
“The last one.”
Fang Han muttered to himself and then popped the elixir into his mouth.
The elixir dissolved instantly, and a current as hot as magma surged from his throat into his abdomen before exploding outwards.
The searing Medicinal Power surged like an untamed stallion, rushing through his meridians to his limbs and bones, seeping into every inch of muscle, every segment of bone, and every strand of fascia.
HMMMM—
Fang Han focused his mind, and his Inner Qi moved in response.
The Cultivation Method for the *Xuanwu True Skill* flowed through his mind. His body twisted slightly, assuming an extremely strange posture.
His muscles tensed, and his bones emitted faint cracking sounds.
The scorching Medicinal Power was refined and absorbed, bit by bit, merging into his muscles, bones, skin, and membranes.
He could clearly feel his physical body being reinforced, layer by layer.
His skin was gradually becoming fairer—not a pale white, but a healthy white with a lustrous sheen.
His muscle fibers were growing tougher, each one like repeatedly forged refined iron, containing astonishing power.
The jade-like luster on the surface of his bones grew brighter. The increase in density brought with it a subtle, continuous hum, like countless tiny hammers striking an anvil.
More than two hours later, at dusk.
Fang Han slowly ceased his cultivation. His bulging muscles gradually relaxed, and his contorted posture returned to normal.
He let out a long, turbid breath. The breath condensed, refusing to disperse, tracing a white trajectory through the cold air that shot out several feet before slowly dissipating.
‘I’ve improved again.’
Fang Han perceived the changes in his body, a faint smile gracing his lips.
By using the Vajra Pill to supplement his daily cultivation, the progress of his *Xuanwu True Skill* far exceeded his imagination.
Compared to when he had just reached Minor Achievement, his physical strength had now improved by leaps and bounds. The lustrous sheen beneath his skin was almost tangible.
‘At most, it should only take a few more months to break through to the Mastery Realm.’
Fang Han made a mental estimate.
The cultivation of a Body Hardening Technique was often slow, with each breakthrough to a new realm taking a very long time. However, the improvements brought by each realm were enormous.
If his *Xuanwu True Skill* reached Mastery, he would break through the “Essence” gate of the Three Gates of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. At that point, his physical defense would reach a level where he would be difficult to injure by anyone below the Grandmaster Realm.
That meant even if he faced an expert among First Grade Martial Artists who had succeeded in Breaking the Three Gates, he could withstand their attacks with his physical body alone and avoid serious injury.
This would be a life-saving trump card and the foundation for his future push into the Grandmaster Realm. This was also why, typically, only a Sect that possessed Grandmaster Martial Arts could produce a Grandmaster.
With his daytime cultivation finished, Fang Han walked out of the Cultivation Field.
Remembering that he had used up all the Vajra Pills he had exchanged for from the Sect Treasure Vault, he summoned a servant.
“Have Qiu Lan come here.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
The servant bowed and hurried away.
Before long, Qiu Lan approached from under the covered walkway.
She wore a thick, light-cyan dress with a collar trimmed with a circle of white fur. Her hands were tucked into her sleeves as she walked with a light and quick step.
“Senior Brother, you were looking for me?”
She walked up to him and bowed.
Fang Han took out his Identity Token from his robes and handed it to her.
“Take my Token and go to the Sect Treasure Vault. Exchange it for fifteen bottles of Vajra Pills.”
Qiu Lan accepted the Token with both hands and replied:
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Fang Han nodded slightly and added a reminder:
“Go now, and hurry back.”
“I understand.”
Qiu Lan bowed, then turned and walked briskly towards the courtyard exit. The sound of her footsteps quickly faded into the cold wind.
Watching Qiu Lan leave, Fang Han withdrew his gaze.
If he wanted his *Xuanwu True Skill* to break through to Mastery within a few months, he couldn’t be stingy with the Vajra Pills.
Half an hour later, the sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Qiu Lan walked quickly into the courtyard, presenting the Identity Token and a cloth pouch with both hands.
“Senior Brother, the Token and the elixirs.”
Fang Han reached out, first putting away the Token, then opening the cloth pouch. His eyes swept over the fifteen Jade Bottles neatly arranged inside.
Each Jade Bottle was engraved with the two words “Vajra Pill.” They were smooth to the touch, and a faint warmth emanated from them.
After confirming everything was in order, he retied the pouch.
“Good work. You may go rest,” Fang Han said.
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Qiu Lan bowed and withdrew.
“Four major merits, and now only three are left,” Fang Han muttered to himself, a touch of melancholy in his heart.
‘Merit points seem plentiful, but they disappear so quickly when you spend them.’
Fifteen bottles of Vajra Pills cost exactly one major merit.
And under normal circumstances, even an Upper Three Grades Martial Artist might not be able to earn one major merit in half a year.
‘If it weren’t for the Sect’s recent time of troubles, I never would have been able to earn so many merit points.’
Fang Han shook his head.
First, he discovered Qi Zhen practicing a Demon Skill. Then, he tracked down Yan Wuji, allowing the Seven Sects to join forces and kill him. Both acts were rewarded with a major merit.
Adding the merit points accumulated from previous missions like exterminating the Black Crow Thieves and killing You Xin, he had amassed his current fortune.
But opportunities like these were not likely to be common.
With the Tiejiang Gang destroyed and Yan Wuji dead, a temporary peace had returned to Qingyang County.
In the days to come, it would probably be difficult to encounter another mission that would earn a major merit in one go.
‘Still, this is good.’
A faint smile touched Fang Han’s lips.
No missions meant he could devote himself entirely to his cultivation.