Start cultivating immortality by slacking off and posting ads

Chapter 139 Nightmare Butterfly Devours Dreams, Captured and Defeated; Released from Bondage, the Witch Leaves [Two-in-One]

A thick cloud of black energy suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

This black mist was neither fog nor haze; it was more like a surge of energy.

"If we really have to compare, it's somewhat similar to spiritual energy, only its nature leans more towards negative energy," Tang Hao concluded after a brief sensing.

Then, contrary to his expectations, the Nightmare Aura did not penetrate the skin directly.

Instead, they clung to his body as if they were living creatures.

In just a moment, Tang Hao's body was enveloped and entangled by it.

'There is a similar phrase to describe it: shrouded in black aura.' Seeing this, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Could there really be a connection between the two?'

Before he could think any further, he heard a series of tiny "clicking" sounds.

The Thousand Butterfly Soul-Guiding Pillow was once a magical artifact, but after suffering severe damage in its early years, its grade dropped to that of a spiritual artifact, and its body is covered with fine cracks.

At this moment, seemingly affected by the [Nightmare Aura], it was completely destroyed.

Before he could even lament, a blue energy emanated from the porcelain pillow, composed of countless sesame-sized butterflies.

The moment it appeared, the Nightmare Aura surged towards it as if it were a delicious delicacy.

The two intertwined, devoured and merged, eventually transforming into dozens of tiny, black, misty butterflies that burrowed into Tang Hao's brow and inner sea of ​​consciousness.

'It turns out to be a connection with the [Sleep-Inducing Mantra].' He seemed to be deep in thought.

The next moment, his consciousness was drawn into the Purple Mansion of his mind.

Unlike the dantian and dantian where spell runes are clustered together, here there is only one solitary rune, shaped like a bed.

As soon as the black butterflies entered the sea of ​​consciousness, they rushed straight toward the spell runes of the [Sleep Inducing Spell].

'The Nightmare Aura has fused with the energy of the Thousand Butterfly Soul-Guiding Pillow, and then combined with the power of the Sleeping Spell…'

Seeing the unexpected changes in his mind, Tang Hao's thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

The swarm of black butterflies, like a locust plague, tore and gnawed at the rune-covered bed.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, the black butterflies seemed to have rekindled their fighting spirit, slaughtering and devouring each other.

This process continued until the last black butterfly emerged victorious.

The whole process was like cultivating a Gu worm.

'The mermaid bloodline of the Quan family is truly somewhat sinister. Mermaid pearls formed from their blood can be used to refine Gu poisons, and the nightmare energy generated from corpses arranged in arrays can also be used to refine Gu poisons.'

Tang Hao couldn't figure it out, and he was too lazy to think about it anymore.

The black butterfly rune represents a completely new secret technique, which is vastly different from the previous ones.

An information interface popped up the moment it was fully formed.

"Acquired the Arcane Art [Nightmare Butterfly]"

"【Nightmare Butterfly】: Dream-based Mystic Art"

"Spell Effect: The Nightmare Butterfly, born from the fusion of hypnosis, dream entry, and nightmare energy, can cast effects such as dream invasion, nightmare extraction, and dream illusion. This secret technique can be used flexibly, and more techniques can be developed on your own."

Note: This spell can only be used to guide those who do not dream. Those who do dream will be unable to construct their own dreams if they intrude.

'Can't construct dreams on its own?' Tang Hao wasn't surprised, since none of the things he fused with possessed that kind of power.

Tan Linchuan entered the collective dream by controlling the [Thousand Butterfly Soul-Guiding Pillow], rather than by constructing it himself.

"Wait! Something feels wrong." He scrambled to his feet.

This had happened three times before, and apart from this time, he still vividly remembered the previous two instances.

The first time was the [Cleansing Technique], which caused a transformation under the influence of the [Purifying Glazed Light].

'The essence of the spell hasn't changed much, only its level has risen considerably. It's normal that no notification popped up in the information interface back then.' After a brief analysis, Tang Hao nodded slightly.

Next came Huanqi, who, under the influence of the Yin-Yang principle, refined the water and fire energies within her body into a water-fire lotus flower.

'This doesn't make sense. The Water and Fire Lotus came into being from nothing, shouldn't it deserve an information interface notification?' He felt there was something wrong.

It would have been fine if there hadn't been any comparison before, but now that [Nightmare Butterfly] has set a precedent, he hasn't received any notification about a system upgrade.

This comparison reveals the problem.

Tang Hao immediately immersed his mind in the water-fire lotus. In the past, he would directly activate it without carefully comprehending the details of this technique.

Now, after all this, I suddenly realized: "So that's how it is. The Water and Fire Lotus is not yet complete; it's just a half-finished product."

"Even a semi-finished product has such profound power. If it could be completed..." Tang Hao felt a surge of excitement.

But then he smiled and shook his head, "You're overthinking it. I don't even know what's missing yet."

Having figured this out, he stopped thinking about it and refocused his attention on the Nightmare Butterfly.

With new spells, especially such special secret arts, why not give them a try?

Tang Hao activated the black butterfly in his sea of ​​consciousness and immediately noticed a sudden change in his vision.

Everything inside the cabin instantly blurred, and within a radius of several dozen feet, there were dozens of clusters of light, each with its own distinct brightness and brilliance.

These were not things he saw with his naked eye, but rather things seen through a secret technique.

“The blood is mixed with black, there are nine people in total, and judging from their location, they should be Yao Guang and the others.” Tang Hao was the first to identify the most conspicuous ones.

He returned to the cabin, where the nine women naturally guarded him. The captured Moon Spring Island cultivators on the deck had been taken over by Lang Gan and the others.

The others, judging from their glow alone, come in all shapes and colors, some of which are difficult to distinguish.

Based on their location and activity level, it can be determined that they are cultivators from Moon Spring Island or members of Langgan's group.

"The silvery-white glow is so unique and dazzling; it must be the Pure Dust Child without a doubt." Tang Hao saw another conspicuous figure.

"what?"

Beside the silver-white figure, he saw another somewhat familiar glow.

It is also a mixture of blood and black, but blood is the main color and black is only a few strands. Its dazzlingness is second only to that of the Cleansing Child.

"Is this Hua Guigui? She does resemble Yao Guang and the others somewhat." Tang Hao guessed that it was probably because their power sources were similar.

Everyone else is fine, but the monks from Moon Spring Island are perfect candidates to be guinea pigs.

He spread out his divine sense to lock onto them, and then activated [Nightmare Butterfly].

Several invisible black butterflies instantly emerged.

With a single flash, it traversed a vast distance and entered the brows of the Quan family elders and others.

Under Tang Hao's divine sense, none of the Quan family elders or others showed any unusual behavior.

After trying it all, the novelty wore off and fatigue washed over him again. He slumped onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Hua Guigui kept glancing towards the cabin.

"The appointed time has arrived. I should be able to get the [Blood Shark Pearl] today!"

Her eyes darted around without blinking, and she muttered to herself, "It's already past 9 AM, why aren't they out yet?"

Seeing that there was still no movement at the cabin entrance, she paced back and forth impatiently.

"I already said I'd give it to you, so why the rush?" Jingchen Tongzi sat on the gunwale, his gaze fixed on the Moon Spring Island cultivator, as if trying to discern something.

"It's best to keep the goods safe until we have them. Who knows if that kid will change his mind before we get them?"

Hua Guigui glanced at the boy sideways, giving him a look that said, "You're so naive."

"Tch, we disciples of the Qinghua Sect don't go back on our word," Jingchen Boy retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, really?" She finally turned her head and looked the boy up and down.

He clicked his tongue and said, "Whether he's a disciple of your sect is another matter. I have a feeling he's from the Hehuan Sect."

The Dust-Cleansing Child immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Yesterday you said he came from the Thieves' Sect, and today you claim he is the Holy Son of the Joyful Union Sect. I, your servant, will say it here: he is a disciple of my sect!" The servant was agitated.

They've been arguing about this all night.

It's not that the two have reached a level where they no longer need sleep, but rather...

"Elder, those two little brats are arguing again."

"I don't know what they're arguing about, but it's quite interesting to watch." The Quan family elder's face was completely bloodless, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking like his body had been hollowed out.

Hearing this, he replied listlessly, "There's a barrier separating us; we can't hear or see clearly. You guys must be really bored."

"What should I do? I want to sleep for a while, but I have nightmares as soon as I fall asleep."

"I can't even fall asleep, I'm startled awake even when I'm just taking a nap."

"Alas..." the old man sighed, "There are many strange things at sea, we were just unlucky to run into them."

"But Langgan and the others seem to be fine!"

The old man fell silent.

Strange to say.

Not long after being captured yesterday, they began to suffer from recurring nightmares, and all twenty-odd of them were affected.

At first, only a few individuals showed abnormalities.

They assumed it was due to excessive worry about their fate as prisoners.

But as everyone began to show unusual behavior, the group finally realized that something was wrong.

"Well, perhaps it's because we're all lying or sitting on the ground," the elder of the Izumi family said, forcing a smile. "Who can really explain the strangeness of the sea?"

He always prided himself on his extensive knowledge and was naturally unwilling to admit his ignorance.

"I'm starting to feel the strain. I don't know when that Master will appear. He should at least give me a word on whether he wants to kill me or torture me!"

Feeling both physically and mentally weak and exhausted, and glancing at the relatively healthy young people around him, the old man sighed inwardly: 'I'm really getting old!'

After a fierce battle, he was already quite exhausted and felt rather tired. Furthermore, his soul was injured by the Lord of the Flame Sea.

As a result, after enduring the torment of nightmares for nearly a day and a night, I had reached my limit.

"Moreover, this bizarre nightmare seems to have tampered with my dream as well." The elder of the Quan family shuddered as the dream he had just experienced flashed before his eyes.

Not long after the nightmare began, he dreamed that a black butterfly laid eggs in his dream.

Just recently, when he couldn't help but fall asleep again, the insect egg had already transformed into a caterpillar, which was slowly gnawing at his dream.

The old man was certain that this was no ordinary dream.

Butterflies, insect eggs, and caterpillars are all real.

'This matter must not be known to anyone!' The Quan family elder was unsure whether others had been affected, but in his own judgment, it was best to keep it a secret.

Just as he made up his mind, the cabin door clicked open.

Accompanied by the nine women, Tang Hao returned to the deck of the flying boat.

Dozens of eyes immediately fell upon them.

"Senior Brother Yanming."

"Lord Yanming."

"Fellow Daoist Yanming."

"Hey, your little maid has recovered, but where's my [Blood Shark Pearl]? Give it to me now!"

Tang Hao looked over immediately, noticing who had broken formation. Hua Guigui had already run up to him with her little hands outstretched.

He didn't delay any longer. This little witch's ability to hide was truly remarkable; she could even evade the sensation of the water and fire lotus.

Although we don't yet know if the other party's methods can evade the Nightmare Butterfly's special vision, it would be a good thing to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Tang Hao took out a wooden box and handed it over without hesitation. Just as he was about to say something polite to get rid of him, another voice suddenly came.

"Your Holiness, the Holy Son of Yanming, we beg you to spare us..."

The one begging for mercy was none other than the old and arrogant elder of the Quan family.

At this moment, the other party had a fawning expression on his face, looking as if he was about to die.

As soon as he spoke, the prisoners from Moon Spring Island all began to beg for mercy.

"Your Holiness, please spare us."

"I was wrong, I will never do it again, please forgive me!"

"Your Holiness..."

"..."

"Stop!" Tang Hao quickly stopped the noise, his ears aching from the noise. He glanced at the old man and said, "I still prefer your unruly self."

The old man gave him an awkward, unsightly smile.

"Moon Spring Island is now the territory of the Holy Maiden of the Moon, Tantai Mingyue. I'll give her face and you can leave!" Tang Hao waved his hand.

The nine women immediately stepped forward and removed the various forbidden items and techniques from the Moon Spring Island cultivators.

"Waaaaah... I don't have to die..."

"Thank you, Holy Son, for sparing my life!"

"Thank you, thank you, Holy Son, you are a good person."

For a moment, a cacophony of gratitude rose and fell.

Picking at his ear, Tang Hao frowned and said, "Get out of here quickly. If you run into my trap again, I will not let you off easily."

Just then, there was a small deserted island below. With a flick of his sleeve, he unleashed a burst of magical power that swept everyone towards the island.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Holy Son. You are so magnanimous. I will stay far away from you in the future and never get in your way!"

As the Quan family elders plummeted downwards, they cupped their hands together like megaphones and excitedly shouted towards the airship.

'This old man's behavior changed so drastically overnight; he must have been truly terrified.'

Tang Hao pursed his lips and shook his head. With a hand seal, the flying boat immediately flew towards the depths of the desolate sea.

Sensing the connection in his mind rapidly fading, he lowered his arm.

Turning his head, he saw that even with the Cleansing Dust Boy holding her back, the witch was practically pressed against him.

He quickly jumped back a step and scolded, "What do you think you're doing? Trying to be a pervert?"

"You're kidding me!" Hua Guigui's starry eyes shattered instantly.

Then, she quickly composed herself and regained her composure.

She clasped her hands to her chest and pleaded, "Yanming, fellow Daoist, what would it take for you to exchange a second-tier [Blood Shark Pearl] for me?"

As soon as she got the items, Hua Guigui couldn't wait to pop one into her mouth.

Before she had even fully refined it, she felt that her strength had recovered by nearly 10%.

'Completely refining a second-tier [Blood Shark Pearl] won't guarantee a return to peak condition, but recovering to the state before Bai Jue destroyed it shouldn't be a problem.'

With this thought in mind, her gaze toward Tang Hao became even more intense.

Tang Hao glanced at Jingchen Tongzi, who shrugged and quietly relayed their agreement.

"I still can't give it to her. All the second-tier beads are currently on cooldown; giving them away would be a huge loss. Besides, I don't need to keep an eye on her."

He didn't want to meddle, but he also didn't want trouble to get him into trouble: 'I still need to find a way to get rid of this person.'

Tang Hao's eyes darted around before he said, "I still have a great use for these second-tier [Blood Shark Pearls]. I can only release one at a time in at least a month, so you..."

"Yes, yes, I can wait!" Hua Guigui nodded hurriedly and quickly took out a communication jade talisman and handed it over, "Be sure to send me a message when the time comes."

Tang Hao took the jade talisman, intending to throw it into the reward space later, but who knew if this thing would also have a location tracking feature.

"Then please leave, sir!" He gestured for him to proceed.

This time, Hua Guigui was quite straightforward. With a flash, she and Jingchen Tongzi, who was closely following her, left the flying boat.

The distance between the two sides increased rapidly.

A voice drifted from afar: "I'll be waiting for you near Moon Spring Island. Please, please contact me!"

The flying boat flew for another half an hour.
After determining the location, Beishan Ming was about to send a message to Langgan, asking her to take her leave.

Tang Hao had already landed the flying boat on a small island.

"I have other important matters to attend to. You may all leave now!"

(End of this chapter)