Chapter 67: The Twin-Souled Demoness


    Yao Ji had clearly anticipated that the giant ape spirit beast wouldn''t be enough to stop Li Xiaotian. While Li Xiaotian was dealing with the spirit beast, she had already begun her escape. By now, she had reached the tunnel entrance and was about to crawl inside.


    "Be careful, she''s trying to escape!" Han Ming shouted in warning.


    If the woman escaped, it would spell endless trouble. She knew his name and appearance, and he had nearly killed her. It was only a matter of time before she sought revenge. If she hid in the shadows and ambushed him at every turn, it would be a nightmare.


    The old man, however, merely smiled calmly. In a flash, he vanished and reappeared right in front of Yao Ji, blocking her path.


    Seeing herself trapped again, Yao Ji let out a maddened scream. Her body suddenly radiated a blinding, multicolored light.


    Is she going to self-destruct!? Han Ming''s heart raced.


    Everyone had their own core. Warriors and mages alike formed cores once their combat energy or magic reached a certain level. Han Ming, now a second-tier grand mage, had formed his magic core. However, since he didn''t practice combat energy, he had never formed a combat core.


    It was certain that each person could only have one core. This was why it was impossible for anyone to simultaneously cultivate both combat energy and magic.


    When pushed to the brink of despair, some people might go mad and detonate their core. The resulting explosion could severely injure or even kill others of the same tier.


    Yao Ji''s body was now emitting intense light, a clear sign that she was about to self-destruct.


    Han Ming was frantic. He had finally met Li Xiaotian and couldn''t let the old man die like this. The old man was so frail—who knew if he could survive Yao Ji''s self-destruction?


    In a moment of desperation, Han Ming grabbed the pouch containing the Destruction Butterfly eggs tied to his waist and hurled it at Yao Ji.


    It was a desperate move, and he had no idea if it would work.


    The old man''s eyes gleamed. His right hand shot out like a claw, crushing Yao Ji''s head in an instant, completely thwarting her attempt to self-destruct.


    As Yao Ji died, thousands of tiny glowing particles burst from her body.


    At the same time, the pouch Han Ming had thrown arrived.


    The particles, which had begun to scatter and dissipate, suddenly gathered together and were swiftly absorbed into the pouch.


    The sudden turn of events stunned the old man.


    The pouch floated in mid-air, spinning rapidly and forming a faint vortex. The glowing particles were slowly drawn into the vortex and absorbed into the pouch.


    The pouch emitted a soft glow as more and more particles were absorbed. The process continued slowly and steadily.


    Han Ming stared in shock, unsure of what to do. He hadn''t expected this outcome.


    He had only wanted to stop Yao Ji from self-destructing but lacked the ability to do so. In his panic, he had thrown the pouch without thinking.


    Now, the old man had effortlessly killed Yao Ji, and this bizarre scene was unfolding before his eyes.


    What should he do?


    The old man was watching intently as the pouch absorbed the glowing particles.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Han Ming guessed that the particles were the life force Yao Ji had stolen from others. Now that she was dead, the unrefined life force was dispersing.


    He knew this, and he was sure Li Xiaotian knew it too.


    What if the old man, seeing the pouch''s power, decided to take it for himself?


    Han Ming''s mind was in chaos.


    More than half of the particles had been absorbed, and the process showed no sign of stopping.


    "What is in there? How can it absorb life force too?" the old man asked, his voice filled with awe.


    Han Ming didn''t know how to respond.


    After a while, all the particles in the air had either been absorbed or naturally dissipated. The pouch''s glow faded, and it fell to the ground.


    Han Ming watched the old man cautiously, wanting to retrieve the pouch but afraid the old man might attack him.


    The old man stared at the pouch for a moment, then looked up, his eyes sharp and menacing. "Who are you? Are you with Yao Ji!?"


    Han Ming was startled and quickly explained, "No, absolutely not."


    The old man stepped closer, and Han Ming backed away in fear.


    If the old man could kill Yao Ji so easily, dealing with Han Ming would be child''s play.


    "Don''t come any closer. I was the one who led Yao Ji here. I came to save you. You can''t repay kindness with cruelty," Han Ming pleaded, trying to defend himself.


    "Tell me, what''s in that pouch? Have you also practiced that demonic art? How else could you absorb Yao Ji''s life force?"


    Before Han Ming could respond, the old man vanished.


    Han Ming''s heart sank. He stomped his feet into the ground, propelling himself toward the pouch like a blur.


    But the old man reappeared in his path, a withered hand gripping Han Ming''s throat and stopping him mid-air.


    "Speak! If you don''t, you''ll die alongside that traitor!"


    The old man''s eyes grew colder.


    Han Ming, held in the old man''s grip, felt all his strength leave him. He couldn''t resist.


    At this life-or-death moment, he had no choice but to tell the truth. Whether it brought fortune or disaster was up to fate.


    "It''s... it''s the eggs of the Destruction Butterfly..." Han Ming choked out.


    "What!? The Destruction Butterfly!?"


    The old man was visibly shaken. He took several steps back, staring at the ordinary-looking pouch in disbelief.


    As the old man released him, Han Ming fell to the ground, rubbing his sore neck. "I came across these eggs by chance some time ago and have kept them with me ever since. They naturally absorb life force, but I don''t know why they can absorb life energy too."


    The old man, still skeptical, approached the pouch. He raised his hand and struck the air above it.


    A ripple of energy shook the pouch, causing the seven eggs to tumble out onto the ground. They appeared unharmed, and Han Ming breathed a sigh of relief.


    They''re fine, they''re fine...


    "Indeed..."


    The old man examined the eggs closely for a long time before finally speaking.


    "Take them back. It''s your fortune to have obtained such a rare treasure. Keep them safe. Perhaps one day, the butterflies will emerge."


    Han Ming was overjoyed and quickly gathered the eggs, placing them back into the pouch and securing it at his waist.


    "The Destruction Butterfly is not of this world. I once encountered a single-colored one years ago. It belonged to a sinister sect that had somehow obtained it. The sect leader was a genius who spent decades studying the butterfly and developed a bizarre technique from it. That technique eventually fell into my hands," the old man said, gazing upward as if reminiscing.


    Though there was no sky in the cave, Han Ming didn''t point it out.


    "Back then, that sect used the technique to dominate, stealing life force from others. They were unstoppable for a time. But their methods were too cruel, and they eventually incurred the wrath of heaven. I was asked by a friend to wipe out the sect. I killed them all and took the technique. I couldn''t bring myself to destroy it, considering the sect leader''s genius. But I was severely injured in the process—not by the sect, but by the single-colored Destruction Butterfly," the old man said, opening his robe to reveal a large patch of blackened skin on his chest.


    Han Ming had witnessed the power of the Destruction Butterfly firsthand. He had only survived by redirecting its attention and letting others take the brunt of its attack. The fact that this old man had faced one and lived was a testament to his incredible strength.


    The old man closed his robe and continued, "The technique was derived from the Destruction Butterfly, and the butterfly is its natural counter. Both absorb life force, yet they are also each other''s bane. It''s a strange paradox. I found the technique too malevolent and never practiced it, keeping it with me instead. But somehow, Yao Ji learned of it and eventually betrayed me to steal it."


    Han Ming chuckled. "Well, Yao Ji''s dead now. But... I suppose there are others in her sect who practice the technique. We could just go out and kill them all."


    The old man laughed heartily.


    Han Ming was puzzled. What was so funny?


    "If Yao Ji were so easy to kill, do you think I would have hidden in this cave for decades, afraid to leave?"


    "What!? But you just killed her!"


    Han Ming was completely confused. The old man had clearly killed Yao Ji, yet now he was saying she wasn''t dead. What was going on?


    The old man sighed. "Yao Ji was born with twin souls. That''s why I took her as my disciple in the first place. The one you saw die was only one of her souls. Normally, she wouldn''t separate her souls. It seems she was either in a hurry or at a critical point in her cultivation, forcing her to send one soul out to possess another body and oversee her sect."