Chapter 66

In the area where the East China Sea meets the Pacific Ocean, there lies a mysterious island that has never appeared on any world map. The island is shrouded by supernatural forces, preventing human exploration, even with the most advanced equipment unable to detect any trace of its existence.

This is the territory of the Venerable Spirit Butterfly, known as Spirit Butterfly Island.

Countless large, colorful butterflies dance in the sky above the island, a distinctive feature of the place.

Among them, a butterfly the size of a washbasin descended from the sky and landed in front of a young girl on the island. On its back was attached a... newspaper.

Yes, a newspaper.

"Thank you for your hard work." Softly, Yuruko reached out to take the newspaper from the butterfly's back. She was sitting on a stone bench in a pavilion, her long hair tied into a ponytail.

It was a very ordinary newspaper, not much different from the regular ones on the market, but the content was rather fantastical.

Headline: The Southern Eternal Life Sword Sect, one of the four major sword sects in the world, had a conflict with his dao companion the day before, and the sect leader made a harsh statement, vowing to sever ties. However, by the time the article was written, reliable sources reported that the sect leader had been kneeling on 'Infinite Vajra Durian' for a whole day, loudly repeating 'I was wrong, please forgive me' ten thousand times.

The sect leader of the Southern Eternal Life Sword Sect has always given off a fierce and masculine impression, a very rugged man with a strong masculine aura, making him extremely popular among female cultivators. In contrast, his dao companion is known for her gentle and watery demeanor.

Thus, this gossip unsurprisingly made the front page.

On other pages, there was a warning about the appearance of the 'Mad Tyrant' from the Infinite Demon Sect in a certain area of eastern China, urging everyone to be cautious. The disciples of the Infinite Demon Sect are all known for their extreme and unconventional personalities. However, the 'Mad Tyrant' is an exception, being one of the few harmless types in the demon sect—provided no one provokes him. The problem is, this gentleman has a natural 'provocative' constitution. Even if he quietly eats a skewer of lamb by the roadside, he might still be challenged. If he had a masochistic constitution, it would be one thing, but he is an extreme disciple of the Infinite Demon Sect. Thus, the bloody incidents caused by a skewer of lamb are not the first...

In addition, there were reports of which cultivator had recently struck it rich by gambling on spirit stone raw materials, becoming wealthy overnight.

There was also a story about a powerful cultivator who had crossed the vast sea to challenge the local deities in the West, seizing some treasure. In recent years, the local deities in the West have been frequently attacked by unknown forces, leaving them bewildered.

There was also a dedicated section for cultivators to post advertisements for the purchase, sale, and trade of various heavenly materials and treasures. As long as the price was right or there was a need for a certain treasure, one could contact the owner or have the newspaper act as an intermediary for the transaction.

This was a special newspaper for cultivators, different from human newspapers. It was very casual, reporting whatever news there was. Gossip, intelligence, transactions, and danger warnings—everything was included.

"Hey? Is this the 'floating mysterious island' that people have been talking about recently!" Yuruko's eyes lit up as she read a piece of news that caught her interest.

The report said that recently, a cultivator had discovered the legendary 'floating mysterious island' in the sky over the East China Sea. It was faintly visible, with birds singing and flowers blooming, abundant spiritual energy, and even extinct creatures living there.

Was it a legacy of some ancient predecessor, or a special realm within a realm? Or perhaps a fragment of the world?

Such places always come with both danger and opportunity, making them ideal for exploration and adventure.

The cultivator only managed to take a few photos before the mysterious island disappeared again.

"The East China Sea is not far from here." Yuruko's heart raced. Should she find an opportunity to sneak out and explore?

Her long legs were crossed, her delicate feet slightly raised and gently swaying. The crystal-clear toes peeked out from her women's sandals, which Song Shuhang had bought for her a few days ago.

"Yuruko, what are you reading?" A gentle and steady voice sounded, and a handsome middle-aged man appeared behind Yuruko. He was incredibly handsome, so much so that he had no friends—this was the Venerable Spirit Butterfly, the master of Spirit Butterfly Island.

"I'm reading today's Cultivator Daily. By the way, Father, I found a very interesting place. How about we go there for a trip while we have some free time?" Yuruko's eyes sparkled as she held up the newspaper, full of anticipation.

"Want to go out again?" The Venerable Spirit Butterfly raised an eyebrow and smiled lovingly. "But in the next few days, you must first familiarize yourself with the 'contract array' with the spirit ghost. Once you complete the contract with the spirit ghost, I'll take you out. This is the agreement you voluntarily made with me. You won't go back on your word, will you?"

After her unauthorized departure, her father, the Venerable Spirit Butterfly, did not scold her. Instead, he made an agreement that she had to resolve the issues she brought back herself. Until she completed the contract with the spirit ghost, she had to stay on Spirit Butterfly Island.

"I'm not the type to go back on my word. Once I say something, even a hundred, no, a thousand horses can't catch up!" Yuruko said firmly, but then her face fell. She had never realized that signing a contract with a spirit ghost would be so troublesome. She had already failed several times.

"Then you should work hard." The Venerable Spirit Butterfly's gaze fell on the sandals on his daughter's feet.

The style was a bit old-fashioned, looking like something from a street vendor.

He had never seen his daughter wear these before. Did she buy them during her trip to catch the spirit ghost?

Although they weren't very attractive, he should still praise and encourage his daughter for buying something herself for the first time.

The Venerable Spirit Butterfly was a good father.

Thinking of this, he put on an expert's smile and nodded. "When did you buy these sandals, Yuruko? As expected of my daughter, you have a good eye!"

The loving father wanted to use more lavish words to praise his adorable daughter, but facing these street vendor sandals, he struggled to think of any more words of praise.

"Hehe, Father thinks they look good too." Yuruko lifted her little foot and giggled, her mood brightening. "Senior Song bought them for me after we caught the spirit ghost. My previous pair was damaged during the catch. Hehe, Senior Song is indeed very capable and interesting. Even his taste in shopping is good; he picked out sandals that even Father likes."

The Venerable Spirit Butterfly's smile froze, and he felt a lump in his chest, as if he had eaten something foul.

Senior Song, the one who helped her catch the spirit ghost, was a member of the group she mentioned.

His daughter seemed to care a lot about this Senior Song.

Most importantly, Senior Song was a man!

His eldest disciple, Liu Jianyi, seemed to have some things he hadn't explained clearly. That lazy good-for-nothing, he deserved a beating!

Speaking of that lazy good-for-nothing, the Venerable Spirit Butterfly's lips twitched again. That guy, because he was too lazy to breathe, actually cultivated some kind of 'tortoise breath technique' and promoted some nonsense about 'saving energy.' The Venerable Spirit Butterfly felt that he must have been blind when he chose this guy as his successor.

Thinking of that lazy good-for-nothing, his chest felt even more congested!

If this continued, he might need to carry some 'emergency heart pills' or something.

***

On the way back to school, Song Shuhang was thinking about how to find opportunities for practical combat—maybe he could pick fights with delinquents every day?

Additionally, he needed to find time to practice the 'Vajra Foundation Fist Technique' in the afternoon, around four or five o'clock.

With his current physical condition, it took nearly twenty-three hours for his blood and qi to recover to a level suitable for practicing the fist technique.

This meant that at this stage, he only had one chance to practice the fist technique each day. To complete the foundation-building within a hundred days, he had to seize every opportunity and not waste a single moment.

Of course, the recovery speed of human blood and qi would increase as one's strength grew. By the later stages of the First Stage, one could easily practice the technique a dozen times a day.

In addition, to speed up the recovery of blood and qi, one could take pills like 'Blood and Qi Pills.' Northern River's Loose Cultivator had once introduced these pills to Shuhang. They were made from extremely precious herbs and were true First Stage pills, unlike the 'body tempering liquid,' which was a medicinal liquid.

After taking one pill, a cultivator at the foundation-building stage could fully recover their blood and qi within half an hour.

These pills were not only useful for foundation-building but also for opening the acupoints at the First Stage, which required a large amount of blood and qi.

If he could obtain such Blood and Qi Pills, he could complete his foundation-building sooner. Then, he would have a better chance against assassins. He desperately needed strength.

It felt a bit greedy, though.

As he walked, he found himself back in the bustling alley of the Daji District.

Today, he didn't see the short-haired girl who had been pinned against the wall. Perhaps it was still early, and she hadn't woken up yet?

There weren't many people in the alley.

It was very peaceful.