Chapter 46: Rebirth in the Wake of Death

The boundary between life and death was shattered, and the most incredible miracles began to gestate in this world.

Those countless waves, seen by heaven and earth as thorns in their flesh and nails in their eyes, were all to be eradicated. In such circumstances, the appearance of the Spirit Butterfly was never favored by fate; it was an anomaly destined to be struck down.

Thus, the seven-day fate imposed upon the Spirit Butterfly seemed inevitable, didn’t it? The heavens sought its destruction, and catastrophe was unavoidable. The Dream Immortal Butterfly was merely a fish that slipped through the net. Alas, without sufficient strength as a safeguard, even if one could temporarily escape the merciless snare of heaven and earth, in the end, death and oblivion were still inevitable.

Ye Chen’s mood was somewhat complicated—things were not looking good. He had thought it was just an ordinary Spirit Butterfly, never expecting such hidden truths behind it. If only everything were simple, without so many convoluted reasons—how wonderful that would be.

"If Heaven takes a dislike to me, and someday brings a calamity that sweeps me away in one fell swoop, that wouldn’t be surprising at all."

Ah, living under the constant threat of divine extermination, life would surely be unbearable.

Yet Ye Chen was not overly dejected. The future was ephemeral and intangible; from his current vantage point, it was out of reach. No matter how much he pondered, nothing would change.

In truth, to be like a salted fish, awaiting the inevitable fate with peace of mind, might not be so bad. At least one could enjoy a carefree period of life. Of course, he was only joking—Ye Chen was not so carefree as to be utterly indifferent.

With a crack, the world groaned under an unbearable weight—tearing at the seams. From endless death, the Dream Immortal Butterfly was reborn, unleashing boundless fury upon the world, scorching mountains and seas. The faint currents of the Great Dao twisted and writhed, like heavenly fire incinerating the world, destroying all things.

Even glimpsed only in memory, the scene was charged with an unimaginable, overwhelming force that Ye Chen could hardly withstand. Even a fleeting glance threatened to shatter him outright—truly incredible.

He dared not look further, hastily calming his mind and sealing his senses.

"What a pity. Had I been able to witness the entire past and present of the Dream Immortal Butterfly, I would have gained much. Not only would my understanding of this world deepen, but I might have inherited some legacies as well."

Thinking this way, he felt he had suffered a great loss.

"Still, there are some things I can guess."

Ye Chen mused, "In this world, the Spirit Butterfly was never meant to exist—or at least, it has not existed for long. Only after the world began to decay did such a change arise."

"It is an unforeseen product, one that runs counter to the will of heaven. Not to mention the Dream Immortal Butterfly, born from the metamorphosis of the Spirit Butterfly, which bears infinite might and is surely one of the most wondrous creations under heaven."

"Unfortunately, something went awry in the end. The Dream Immortal Butterfly perished prematurely. My strength is insufficient to withstand the terrifying visions in that memory—I couldn’t see what transpired, and know nothing of the process. This hidden danger is impossible to guard against."

The path of the Spirit Butterfly seems increasingly unfeasible—the further one goes, the more perilous it becomes. Even if it reaches maturity and transforms into the Dream Immortal Butterfly, at best it is on par with the Bone Demon. Yet the Bone Demon is dead; how could I defy the heavens?

Fortunately, I never pinned much hope on this path. To abandon the proper Way of the Divine for a doomed pursuit would be utter folly.

Ye Chen was not troubled by the Bone Demon’s past and present, but another thought arose in his heart: "In this wretched place, it hardly seems possible for two Dream Immortal Butterflies to emerge in succession."

At present, Ye Chen was not yet a Dream Immortal Butterfly—he was still one step away, unable to break through. Even if he did, there would still be a vast difference between him and the Bone Demon; at the very least, he could never match the Bone Demon’s domineering power and overwhelming might.

Therein lay the distinction—it showed that Ye Chen and the Bone Demon were not treading the same path.

He glanced at Ning Peach Blossom, thinking to himself, "I was dragged into this quagmire by Ning Peach Blossom; perhaps she knows something."

Ning Peach Blossom looked dazed and bewildered, clearly deeply shaken, as though in profound shock.

"Could it be that Ning Peach Blossom is just as clueless?"

Ye Chen did not ask aloud. After all, the Ning Peach Blossom before him was merely a manifestation of a fraction of her true power, a flickering afterglow—hardly comparable to her true self. Some matters of great consequence might well be hidden from her; that was only to be expected.

"A fragment of the Bone Demon’s arm has made you stronger. If you were to obtain other parts, you might truly inherit all of the Bone Demon’s power."

Ning Peach Blossom looked at Ye Chen with a trace of envy. Such rapid progress was enviable—it was far easier than painstaking cultivation bit by bit.

Ye Chen shook his head and laughed. "Though my strength has improved a little, there’s been no immediate, earth-shattering change."

To speak truthfully, unless Ye Chen truly transformed into the Dream Immortal Butterfly, this bit of progress was as gentle as spring rain—insufficient to change anything.

Moreover, even if he became the Dream Immortal Butterfly, he would still not be the same as the Bone Demon. Ye Chen could not soar to the heavens in a single bound and possess unparalleled might; he would remain weak.

Ye Chen’s goal was still to travel far along the path of the Divine—that was his true foundation.

The Way of the Divine was not without flaws—it relied heavily on incense and the power of faith. If disaster struck, his entire foundation could crumble in an instant, beyond the hope of rescue.

But the speed of cultivation was remarkable—almost without bottleneck. As long as there was enough incense and faith, Ye Chen could grow at a sprinter’s pace.

Especially in a world full of strange and unsettling things, where Ye Chen was on edge and his nerves were fraying, what could dispel his worries but strength? With power enough, he could laugh in the face of changing fortunes, his mind untroubled and steady as a rock.

Once he reached the heights and surveyed the world from above, the hidden dangers of incense and faith might not be insurmountable.

In the end, all paths lead to the same destination, but Ye Chen first needed a ladder to climb.

Otherwise, lingering at the foot of the mountain and indulging in idle fantasies was nothing but self-torment—a laughable folly.

"Is that severed arm the true culprit?"

The voice of the Witch sounded, touched with a hint of anger.

Though she was asking, the Witch was already certain that the severed arm was the source of all evil.

It seemed as if Ye Chen had dispatched it easily, but the arm concealed deep secrets. Had it not been trapped within the Void Realm, this matter would have been far more troublesome to resolve.

The Witch would not underestimate it for that—it had caused the entire upper echelon of the Bamboo Tribe to lose their senses, which clearly bespoke great evil.

"Yes, that severed arm is the culprit."

Ye Chen sighed. "Even in death, it was restless—seeking to have the Bamboo Tribe and the Dove Tribe destroy each other."

"But why?"

The Witch could not understand—if both the Bamboo Tribe and the Dove Tribe fell, what possible benefit could there be?