Chapter 39: Testing Boundaries

Hongyun speculated along these lines, growing ever more certain that his reasoning was sound. Though not an expert on tribulation objects, he was by no means ignorant, and could naturally make some deductions.

If the longevity-extending evil elixir was merely the residue left after a tribulation object absorbed a certain amount of energy and fortune, such a thing would inevitably retain traces of the tribulation’s aura. Once used, it would be little better than succumbing to inner demons.

What puzzled him was why the tribulation objects in this Bottle World were so feeble. By his calculations, their strength would not surpass the upper limits set by this realm.

Once his cultivation had fully stabilized, he pressed his fingers to his arm and drew a fine cut. Two drops of blood rolled down, striking the ground and carving a deep pit.

At the Nirvana stage, one’s blood weighed as much as a millstone; an arm lost could be regrown, and a simple movement could unleash ten thousand pounds of force.

Satisfied, he nodded, casually tossed his old robe aside until it turned to ash, and donned new attire.

He raised a hand and refined the black iron staff he carried, kneading it into the shape of an unsharpened longsword. Slinging it over his back, he donned a conical hat and set off toward Moonlight Mansion, his body rising with the surging evil aura.

At the Nirvana realm, one moved as lightly as a swallow, able to ride the clouds and soar, unbound by earthly constraints.

...

With the aid of the clouds, Hongyun traveled a full day before finally returning to Moonlight Mansion.

The moment he stepped through the city gates, he sensed the desolation and deathly silence within. The former prosperity he had seen here had faded almost entirely.

Now, with his heightened spiritual sense, he needed only to listen briefly to grasp the reasons.

There were three main causes.

First, the Roc Demon King had sent messengers to request reinforcements. After repeated petitions, the Yinshade Moon Rabbit clan could no longer refuse. They had dispatched a Nirvana-level demon cultivator, twenty Body-Refined demon elites, a hundred Fiend-Congealing minor demons, and two thousand innate and acquired demon soldiers. Most of these had been selected from Moonlight Mansion itself, leaving the city suddenly deserted.

With battle raging between humans and demons, life or death uncertain and few expecting to return, sorrow pervaded the city, and none had any heart left to maintain its former splendor.

Second, after the opening of the Demon Vault, none of the Body-Refined demon cultivators who entered emerged alive; all perished inside. Among the dead were not only the lords of various towns and wanderers, but also the patrons and pillars of several minor factions within Moonlight Mansion. Under pressure from rivals, their fate was easy to imagine.

Third, word came from the Yinshade Moon Rabbit clan that, failing to obtain the longevity elixir, the old lord of the mansion planned to attempt his tribulation ahead of schedule—on the sixteenth of this very month, at the hour of the full moon.

The Moon Rabbit clan was known for their gentle nature. Aside from their pride, they imposed few restraints on the half-demons and other demons within the city—a rare display of kindness among demonkind. Should their elder fail in his tribulation, their days of peace would abruptly end.

...

Listening to all of this, Hongyun narrowed his eyes, interest flickering there. He had intended to leave in haste, but seeing the current state of affairs, he found he was in no rush at all.

He was curious to see what exactly the Butterfly Metamorphosis realm entailed.

Within the Rising Moon Sect, each cultivated according to their own method. Aside from some requirements for Fiend Congealing and Body Refinement tribulations, the sect rarely delved into the specifics of individual cultivation techniques—mostly leaving disciples to their own comprehension.

Hongyun had long ago obtained the method for advancing to the Butterfly Metamorphosis realm, but its instructions were sparse, leaving him uncertain how to proceed.

“When water fills to the brim, it overflows; as the moon swells, the river surges; feathers molt into butterfly wings; the celestial heart is as the full moon.”

Overflowing water was easy enough to grasp—it referred to one’s cultivation and understanding. The surging moon and river, he guessed, pointed to his own anomalous manifestations.

As for “feathers molting into butterflies,” he knew it signified transformation, but what form that transformation took remained unclear.

No matter. With a peak Nirvana demon elder about to undergo tribulation, he had all the more reason to stay.

Still, the clan was cunning: with just a few words, they had concealed the truth of what happened in the Demon Vault, and none in the city seemed to doubt them. That alone showed their craft.

Yet one thing continued to baffle Hongyun: the figure he’d seen in the Demon Vault was not a Body-Refined demon. Who, then, had that been?

...

With this puzzle in mind, Hongyun made his way to where Chai Xiaoyue was temporarily lodging.

Upon his arrival, she sniffed the air, her face lighting up with joy as she turned to him in delight.

“Uncle Yun!” she exclaimed, bounding to his side and glancing around with pride. “I’ve already reached the mid-innate stage!”

Feigning surprise, Hongyun praised her warmly, then smiled and took her back to their quarters.

That night, after Xiaoyue had fallen soundly asleep, Hongyun rose and slipped into the city, seeking out a remote, deserted area. There, he drew a deep breath, summoned his evil energy, and conjured a partial manifestation the size of a mountain, which he brought crashing down.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, the abandoned buildings were half-destroyed, and the entire Moonlight Mansion quaked.

At once, a flood of moonlight poured down, blanketing the city, as several strange manifestations erupted from the ground and rushed toward him.

Observing the commotion, Hongyun merely arched an eyebrow. He casually drew several weapons he’d acquired in the Demon Vault, wrapped them in evil aura, melted them to iron, and flung the molten metal forward.

In an instant, the manifestations were riddled with holes—some nearly collapsing.

Satisfied with the force and pressure of this strike, Hongyun then gathered the moonlight before him, condensed its power into a massive grinding wheel shaped like a full moon, and sent it crashing down.

Whoosh, whoosh—

Suddenly a gust of wind heralded the arrival of a massive sword, which shattered the moon-grinding wheel in a single blow.

In the distance, a figure in silver armor, clad in moonlight, stood atop a moon rabbit manifestation and approached.

Now, Hongyun could make a rough judgment.

He weighed the pressure and strength of that blow, understanding now what he needed. Having achieved his aim, he made no further move, but stepped back, manipulating the moonlight to melt into the shadows beyond the great formation’s reach.

As the silver-armored figure drew near and watched Hongyun’s retreating form, he spoke in a voice utterly devoid of emotion:

“That was a Nirvana cultivator, likely testing us. Be on your guard.”