Chapter 203: Layers of Butterfly Shadows

His consciousness was fading; Zhang Nuo felt as if he were suffering a fate worse than death. The immense pain emanating from the depths of his soul was nothing short of a living hell. Having already had more than half of his soul power devoured by the Black Butterfly, he was still struggling to hold on.

"Kid Zhang, hold on!"

Outside the stone door, Chunyangzi held the Array Disk, staring unblinkingly at the scene displayed upon it. He said with a hint of despair that in the current situation, Zhang Nuo was completely at a disadvantage with no power to resist; merely using his soul power to envelop the 'Hell Butterfly' was already an exhausting task.

If things continued this way, once his soul power was exhausted, Zhang Nuo would perish completely! Chunyangzi now felt some regret; perhaps he shouldn't have told Zhang Nuo about the 'Hell Butterfly' in the first place. Had he not, Zhang Nuo might have been able to cultivate smoothly to the Golden Core stage in the Cave Abode.

Feelings of conflict and remorse swirled constantly in Chunyangzi's heart. Just then, a scene appeared within the Stone Chamber that made his eyes light up instantly.

He saw that at the center of Zhang Nuo's brow, the 'Hell Butterfly' that had been tightly enveloped by soul power was somehow suddenly pulled into Zhang Nuo's body, flashing and disappearing into the center of his brow.

"Hm?"

Chunyangzi let out a soft exclamation. He had just seen Zhang Nuo struggling to trap the 'Hell Butterfly', so how had he dragged it into his body in the blink of an eye? Such a forced action would only hasten his demise!

"Could he be trying to stake everything on one throw?"

After a moment of thought, Chunyangzi guessed what Zhang Nuo wanted to do. Continuing the stalemate would bring Zhang Nuo no benefit at all, but bringing the 'Hell Butterfly' into his body so rashly was even less of a good idea!

Within Zhang Nuo's consciousness, he only felt countless black butterflies dancing in his mind. Heavy butterfly shadows were everywhere; there was no sky, no earth, only black butterflies!

At this moment, the pain had faded, and a feeling he had never experienced before made him feel ethereal, as if he were in a fog. He wanted to leave this body; as long as he left, all his troubles would vanish. The death of his parents would no longer be a shackle, and he could live more happily.

With a sudden jolt of soul power, Zhang Nuo's consciousness quickly snapped back to reality! That feeling just now had almost made him abandon his physical body!

"I cannot die! There are still many things waiting for me to do!"

Deep within his soul, a firm thought kept Zhang Nuo from daring to think about comfort again. His soul power was still enveloping the 'Hell Butterfly', and he could feel it resisting incessantly! Waves of powerful yin energy were gnawing at him.

Although he tried his best to restrain it, Zhang Nuo still felt the agitation of his soul wanting to leave his physical body. He knew in his heart that doing this would only accelerate his demise, but he was powerless to stop it.

Just at this moment, from his dantian, a streak of crimson flame rushed rapidly toward the center of his brow. This wisp of flame was very small, almost invisible to the naked eye. The moment the red flame flickered, it merged into his soul power.

The originally snow-white light turned somewhat dark red. As the Red Glow Fire appeared, the enveloped 'Hell Butterfly' let out a long, faint cry!

It seemed not to like the addition of the Red Glow Fire; as its wings flapped, it became even more desperate to break through the encirclement of Zhang Nuo's soul power!

"Red Glow Fire!"

Zhang Nuo had never expected that at such a moment, the Red Glow Fire would take the initiative to save its master! His depressed consciousness became powerful once again, and he controlled his soul power to rush fiercely toward the 'Hell Butterfly'.

Feeling that things were taking a turn for the worse, the 'Hell Butterfly' began to emit thick yin energy. Like ocean waves, the yin energy transformed into a butterfly at the center of his brow, constantly flapping against Zhang Nuo's soul power.

Outside Zhang Nuo's body, black smoke poured incessantly from his seven orifices. Chunyangzi was shocked at the sight and hurriedly pointed his fingers, casting several Dharma incantations that sank into the Array Disk.

Instantly, the entire Stone Chamber hummed loudly. Dazzling white light and countless Fowen swirled and drilled into Zhang Nuo's body.

As soon as these Fowen appeared at the center of Zhang Nuo's brow, they immediately scattered the butterfly formed by the yin energy, which invisibly helped Zhang Nuo a great deal.

Feeling that the situation had improved, Zhang Nuo's soul power once again firmly enveloped the 'Hell Butterfly', while the Red Glow Fire mixed within it continuously attacked the 'Hell Butterfly' from the inside.

This state lasted for as long as half an hour. Chunyangzi outside the stone door did not even dare to blink, and seeing the black smoke from Zhang Nuo's seven orifices diminish, his expression eased slightly.

Suddenly, Zhang Nuo's body collapsed to the ground. Thick yin energy erupted from his body, and his entire person was completely enveloped by it, with not a trace of vitality left!

Chunyangzi was horrified. He had been fine just a moment ago, so how did he end up like this in the blink of an eye! With no time to think, he cast a series of Dharma incantations that sank into the Array Disk. In an instant, countless white Fowen were triggered from the Dharma Array within the Stone Chamber, and with a swirl, they transmitted into Zhang Nuo's body.

However, this time, after the Fowen entered his body, there was no reaction at all, as if they were mud oxen entering the sea. Chunyangzi was extremely anxious, and the phantom image formed by his Remnant Soul became faint.

Holding the Array Disk, he paced back and forth outside the stone door. His expression changed several times, yet he could never guess what had happened inside Zhang Nuo's body. In the current situation, he was anxious but helpless.

The power exerted by the Dharma Array he had set up had reached its limit; this was the greatest help Chunyangzi could provide for Zhang Nuo!

At this moment, at the center of Zhang Nuo's brow, the 'Hell Butterfly' had broken through the encirclement of his soul power, and countless black butterfly shadows were running rampant!

However, Zhang Nuo's soul power was not at a disadvantage either. Intertwined with the Red Glow Fire, it turned into countless fine threads, entangling the butterfly shadows that filled the sky, preventing them from making any powerful attacks.

If it were just soul power, the 'Hell Butterfly' could have completely swallowed it, but the soul power mixed with the Red Glow Fire had become exceptionally formidable. After several exchanges, the 'Hell Butterfly' actually appeared to be losing.

'Swish!' After a soft sound, countless black butterfly shadows shot out from the center of Zhang Nuo's brow. However, these butterfly shadows only flew three feet away before being quickly caught up to by the soul power chasing from Zhang Nuo's brow, which bound them in a single entanglement.

Outside the stone door, Chunyangzi looked at the Array Disk in his hand with a look of astonishment on his face. He had clearly felt that Zhang Nuo was about to fail, but he had not expected that the moment the countless black butterfly shadows flew out, the soul power would instead chase them out, and even seem to have the intention of forcibly dragging them back.

However, Chunyangzi also discovered that within the white soul power, there was a faint red color. This made him very confused; normally, soul power was entirely white and could not possibly have other colors. Could it be that something else was mixed into Zhang Nuo's soul power?

As he lowered his head in contemplation, Chunyangzi's eyes suddenly widened, because he had thought of something! That was the Red Glow Fire within Zhang Nuo's body!

Before reaching the Golden Core stage, Zhang Nuo had forcibly refined the Red Glow Fire into his body. This might have had an impact on his soul power, but regardless, Chunyangzi still didn't understand why the soul power would join forces with the Red Glow Fire.

Just as he was pondering, the black butterfly shadows bound by the soul power were all pulled back to the center of Zhang Nuo's brow. Afterward, endless yin energy rushed out from the center of his brow, and a moment later, everything returned to calm.

Chunyangzi frowned. The intense battle had ended just like that; he still couldn't accept this fact, and he didn't know whether Zhang Nuo had won or the 'Hell Butterfly' had won.

After a while, seeing Zhang Nuo still lying on the ground motionless, Chunyangzi began to worry. He did not dare to enter the Stone Chamber easily; if the 'Hell Butterfly' had survived, his Remnant Soul would not be enough for the other party to take a single bite of.

Time passed bit by bit. Three days later, the yin energy at the center of Zhang Nuo's brow had dissipated quite a bit, with only a faint wisp still circling.

For these three days, Chunyangzi had been watching the Array Disk in his hand. Suddenly, Zhang Nuo's finger moved, which gave rise to a glimmer of hope in his heart. Since so much time had passed, if the physical body still had sensation, perhaps Zhang Nuo had won.

Gently opening the stone door, Chunyangzi carefully approached Zhang Nuo's body. When he reached him, he saw a black butterfly condensed from a wisp of yin energy flickering at the center of his brow.

Zhang Nuo's breathing was even, though his complexion looked somewhat dark!

"You kid actually succeeded!"

Seeing that Zhang Nuo was still alive, Chunyangzi shouted with joy. Three days had already passed; if Zhang Nuo's soul power had been devoured by the 'Hell Butterfly', his body would have long since become a cold corpse. Now, the fact that he was still breathing proved he was alive.

Putting away the Array Disk in his hand, Chunyangzi, in his great joy, gently patted Zhang Nuo's forehead. Instantly, a wisp of pure Spirit Power was sent into Zhang Nuo's mind. He saw his body tremble slightly, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, a black butterfly with a body burning with crimson flames leaped out, and at the same time, a power that could seize the soul erupted.

Chunyangzi was so frightened that he retreated several steps, his face looking as bitter as if he had eaten a bitter gourd. The moment Zhang Nuo opened his eyes just now, that fire butterfly deep in his pupils had almost cost him his life! If he hadn't reacted in time, his Remnant Soul would likely have been sucked away!

"That was close!"

Muttering in a low voice, Chunyangzi looked at Zhang Nuo, still shaken.

Supporting himself with both hands to sit up from the ground, Zhang Nuo felt a wave of dizziness. He felt that the battle with the 'Hell Butterfly' had been truly perilous—it could be called a narrow escape from death! He had lost almost half of his soul power; if the Red Glow Fire hadn't attacked the inside of the butterfly at the final moment, it wouldn't have ended so quickly.

However, the Red Glow Fire entering the 'Hell Butterfly's' body had indeed caused it to change. For some reason, the Red Glow Fire and the 'Hell Butterfly' had perfectly combined. Now, the black butterfly in his body had a layer of faint red flames burning on it! It looked extremely eerie! Perhaps this was also a form of evolution for the 'Hell Butterfly'!