Master Zhang picked up the caterpillar in front of him with his fingers and said, "You two little kids, this is no ordinary caterpillar."
The young lovers exchanged a glance. A caterpillar is just a caterpillar; what could be so special about it?
“Senior Zhang, hehe… could this caterpillar be a thousand-year-old caterpillar king?” Xiao Wenbing asked with a grin.
Master Zhang smiled slightly and said, "Watch carefully."
He suddenly tossed the caterpillar in his hand into the air. The caterpillar leaped high into the air, reaching its highest point, and was about to fall down.
However, at this moment, a sudden change occurred. Xiao Wenbing and his companion saw the caterpillar transform into a cloud of light in an instant. Then, the light dissipated and turned into a beautiful, colorful butterfly.
This butterfly grew rapidly in the wind, and in a short while, it had grown to the size of a person.
Xiao Wenbing swallowed hard and hesitated before asking, "Golden Core stage?"
He sensed a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy, and the source of this fluctuation was none other than the giant butterfly. The power of this spiritual energy was even greater than that of Zhang Jie, and it was estimated that only a top-level Golden Core cultivator like Chen Shanji could compare to it.
"Good, you understand now." Zhang Daoren stroked his beard and laughed heartily. He felt an unusual sense of satisfaction at being able to surprise Xiao Wenbing, this freak who had formed his core in a year.
"Is this... a monster?" Xiao Wenbing asked uncertainly.
"Indeed, this is a thousand-year-old butterfly fairy," Zhang Daoren said with no small amount of pride.
"A thousand-year-old butterfly fairy?" Xiao Wenbing looked left and right, then suddenly asked, "Isn't it said that a demon can transform into human form after a thousand years of cultivation? Why can't it transform yet?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Daoren hesitated for a moment. If any other junior in the Core Formation stage had said this, he would have already scoffed and reprimanded them severely. However, since it was Xiao Wenbing, he cautiously asked, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, which sage told you this?"
“Huanzhu Louzhu and Wu Cheng’en,” Xiao Wenbing said in a serious tone.
“Huanzhu Louzhu? Wu Cheng'en?” Zhang Daoren pondered for a long time before finally saying, “Please forgive my ignorance, I have never heard of these two Daoist masters.”
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Eighty: The Thousand-Year-Old Butterfly Fairy
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“Hehe…” Zhang Yaqi, who had been silent, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Daughter, what are you laughing at..." Zhang Daoren asked疑惑地, only then did he take a closer look at Zhang Yaqi. However, in that one glance, the old Daoist, who had cultivated for nearly a thousand years, suddenly stood up and shouted, "What..."
Zhang Yaqi turned pale; she was quite frightened.
Xiao Wenbing was also secretly shocked, wondering what could have caused the old Taoist priest to lose his composure like this.
He scanned himself and Zhang Yaqi, but found nothing unusual.
"Who...who are you?" Zhang Daoren asked in surprise.
“My daughter is Zhang Yaqi,” Zhang Yaqi replied immediately.
“Zhang…Ya…Qi…” Zhang Daoren repeated, word by word.
"Exactly."
Zhang Daoren hesitated before turning to look at Xiao Wenbing, who quickly and decisively said, "Senior Zhang, she is indeed the real Yaqi."
Zhang Daoren rubbed his eyes, his lips slowly moving as he mumbled a few words that no one could understand.
"Godfather, what's wrong?" Zhang Yaqi asked worriedly.
"You...have reached the Core Formation stage?"
Zhang Yaqi stared blankly at Zhang Daoren, whose expression was almost dazed, speechless for a moment. Xiao Wenbing, however, was experienced; he had seen the same expression on Xianyun Laodao and his senior brothers many times before, and was no longer bothered by it. This was the essence of being used to the familiar and accepting of it.
"Indeed, Senior Zhang, thanks to your generous gift of medicine and your earnest teachings, and especially thanks to your boundless blessings, Yaqi successfully completed the elixir a few days ago," Xiao Wenbing said respectfully.
"Generously giving away medicine?" Zhang Daoren stroked his beard, frowned and pondered for a long time, then asked in a low voice, "What medicine did I give away?"
“Foundation Building Pill…” Xiao Wenbing replied curiously. Could it be that this old guy really has amnesia? However, it is reasonable for him to have some minor ailments at his age.
“Foundation Building Pill?” Zhang Daoren’s eyes widened suddenly. “Absolutely impossible. How could a Foundation Building Pill transform Yaqi in just a few months? It would be one thing if she only comprehended the Qi, but to form an inner core is absolutely impossible.”
Xiao Wenbing chuckled awkwardly, knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, so he had no choice but to recount his trip to Canada in detail.
Zhang Daoren listened with rapt attention. When he heard that Xiao Wenbing had used the life-saving golden talisman to save Zhang Yaqi, his expression became quite excited, as if he had remembered something, and his eyes even showed a hint of confusion.
Finally, Xiao Wenbing's speech ended. Zhang Daoren remained silent for a long time, then sneered, "Vampires, the Holy See of Light, hehe... You want to hurt my precious daughter? Yaqi, don't worry, although I'm not very capable, I've been refining pills for many years and have some close friends. I will definitely not let this grudge go."
Xiao Wenbing immediately shook his head and said, "Senior, please don't get involved in this matter."
"Why?" Zhang Daoren asked in surprise.
Xiao Wenbing took Zhang Yaqi's hand and said, "I will settle Yaqi's score myself and do not want to do it through others."
Looking at Zhang Yaqi, whose face was slightly flushed but who did not break free from her small hand, Zhang Daoren finally burst into laughter and said, "What ambition! Well then, with your aptitude, Fellow Daoist Xiao, it will only take about a hundred years to avenge this, and this old Daoist will be able to enjoy some peace and quiet."
"Thank you, senior."
Master Zhang smiled broadly and said, "My daughter, your success in achieving the elixir is an immense blessing. Yes, your father has a worthy successor, and you can finally fulfill your wish."
Zhang Yaqi's face flushed even more, and she said softly, "Thank you, Father."
Master Zhang burst into laughter, filled with indescribable joy and relief, as if he had let go of a worry and untied a thousand-year-old knot in his heart, exuding an indescribable sense of freedom and ease.
"Senior, is it possible that even after a thousand years of cultivation, a demon cannot transform into human form?" Xiao Wenbing asked respectfully after he finished laughing.
Master Zhang nodded and affirmed, "Although I don't recognize those two fellow Daoists, this Butterfly Fairy's cultivation is at least twelve hundred years old."
"Godfather, this is the first monster we've ever seen," Zhang Yaqi said softly, looking curiously at the giant butterfly.
"Yes, senior, since monsters exist, why do we rarely... no, we've never seen one?"
Zhang Daoren gave a bitter smile and said, "Thousands of years ago, there were quite a few monsters, and those who had achieved success in cultivation were no less than human cultivators. However, since more than a thousand years ago, their numbers have dropped sharply. Those who were capable have left Earth to seek development in better places, and as for those who were not, well... in short, they have become extremely rare in the last hundred years."
"Why is that?" Xiao Wenbing asked, hearing the old Taoist's sighs. He knew there must be a reason.
"Monsters are not human. Their true forms have no intelligence. Only by unintentionally absorbing the essence of heaven and earth can they embark on the path of cultivation. And the essence of heaven and earth can only exist in places where people rarely go."
At this point, Zhang Daoren paused, but Xiao Wenbing already understood his meaning. In today's modern society, how many remote and untouched places are there? It's inevitable that monsters will gradually disappear from the stage of history.
Zhang Daoren pointed at the butterfly fairy and said, "This butterfly fairy has lived for more than 1,200 years and has long been deeply versed in human nature. However, its power is not yet sufficient to transform into an infant and take shape."
"Nascent Soul? Senior, could it be that it has cultivated for over a thousand years and still hasn't reached the Nascent Soul realm?" Xiao Wenbing found it unbelievable.
"Indeed, demons are not like humans. After they undergo the Nascent Soul stage, they can reshape their bodies and become human. Their subsequent cultivation is no different from that of humans. However, before the Nascent Soul stage, their cultivation progress is extremely slow, and they also have to deal with natural disasters and man-made calamities that may come at any time. Alas... very few of them have the opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation, and even fewer can truly undergo the Nascent Soul stage. They are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, less than one in ten."
Xiao Wenbing asked curiously, "Are you saying that it has already developed human-like abilities?"
"If it didn't understand human nature, how could it have cultivated to the top level of the Golden Core stage?" Zhang Daoren said calmly.
Xiao Wenbing stepped forward and reached out to touch its wings, only to see it obediently lower its head without resisting.
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Eighty-One: The Butterfly Fairy Recognizes Her Master
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"Interesting, interesting, it's quite obedient!" Xiao Wenbing laughed loudly.
Zhang Daoren smiled slightly; he had long anticipated Xiao Wenbing's surprise.
In fact, most people who see the Butterfly Fairy for the first time have this kind of expression. And although Xiao Wenbing is a complete freak when it comes to martial arts training, that doesn't mean he's a freak in real life.
Therefore, it's not surprising that they exhibit the same behaviors as others...
However, seeing Xiao Wenbing's great interest in this thousand-year-old butterfly fairy, Zhang Daoren was secretly delighted, for this way, his wish could be fulfilled.
The old man sighed slightly, pointed at the Butterfly Fairy, and suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, the reason I sent it to see you today is to ask you to take care of it for me."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. This old guy really never fails to say something shocking. Why did he suddenly come up with this idea?
Seeing his doubts, Zhang Daoren sighed, "It has followed me for over eight hundred years, and I am reluctant to part with it. However, I am currently unsettled, and I estimate that the Heavenly Tribulation will be within a hundred years. Whether I can survive this tribulation depends on the will of Heaven. But in any case, it can no longer stay by my side, so I have no choice but to trouble you, fellow Daoist."
Zhang Yaqi tugged at Zhang Daoren's sleeve and comforted him, "Godfather, you are blessed with good fortune and will surely get through this tribulation safely."
Zhang Daoren patted her small hand and continued to say to Xiao Wenbing, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, are you willing to grant this old Daoist's wish?"
Seeing that Xiao Wenbing was still somewhat hesitant, he continued, "Butterfly Fairy already has the cultivation of the top Golden Core stage. When she followed the old Daoist, she also learned a lot of techniques. If you have her by your side, she will be a great help when fighting. Hmm, in terms of her cultivation, she is definitely not inferior to that old vampire."
Xiao Wenbing was greatly moved upon hearing this. He had witnessed Alfred's abilities firsthand; even when Feng Baiyi and Zhang Jie joined forces, they only managed a draw against him. Although the two of them still had some trump cards up their sleeves, it was already quite remarkable.
If one were to gain such a helper out of nowhere, it would indeed be a thing with no harm whatsoever.
Moreover, he himself was only at the Core Formation stage. If he suddenly gained a Golden Core stage subordinate, it would be an extremely impressive thing to talk about. Thinking of this, he made up his mind and bowed deeply to Zhang Daoren, respectfully saying, "Alright, then thank you very much, senior."
Upon hearing Xiao Wenbing's agreement, Zhang Daoren visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "Since Fellow Daoist Xiao has agreed, why not use the method of blood and essence to make it recognize you as its master?"
Following Zhang Daoren's instructions, Xiao Wenbing took out a drop of his heart's blood and dripped it onto Diexian's head. The drop of blood instantly dissolved, leaving a bright red mark on Diexian's head. In the darkness, Xiao Wenbing seemed to sense a wisp of divine thought, a wisp of divine thought that had completely submitted to him.
“Fellow Daoist Xiao, from now on, Butterfly Fairy will be your servant. You can decide its life or death with a thought, and it will never betray you. However…” Zhang Daoren’s words suddenly stopped.
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch; to gain great benefits, one had to pay a great price. Since such a good thing existed, Zhang Daoren wouldn't let it recognize a master, which meant there must be drawbacks. However, by then, it was too late.
"But what?" Xiao Wenbing asked cautiously, afraid that the old Taoist priest would say something he would regret.
“However, since you are its master, it will draw some spiritual energy from you every time you cultivate.” Seeing Xiao Wenbing’s expression, fearing that he would turn hostile, Zhang Daoren quickly explained, “With Fellow Daoist Xiao’s talent, I suppose you won’t care about this small loss.”
Xiao Wenbing immediately breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting down the heavy weight that had been hanging over his heart.
The loss of spiritual energy might be a major problem for other cultivators, but for him, it was an extremely simple matter. He could simply copy a few more of his natal golden talismans, and everything would be solved.
However, after each absorption of the spiritual power of his natal golden talisman, his body needed a long adaptation process to the sudden increase in spiritual power. Otherwise, he even planned to continue absorbing and directly become an immortal.
Therefore, absorbing spiritual energy is a significant matter for orthodox cultivators like Zhang Daoren. However, in his eyes, it is nothing more than a drop in the ocean, something he doesn't care about at all.
Is this it?
Seeing Xiao Wenbing's nonchalant expression, Zhang Daoren was filled with admiration. He truly deserved to be called a rare freak.
"There is one more thing."