Chapter 280: The Radiant Spirit Butterfly

Chapter 280: The Radiant Spirit Butterfly

Ji Xinghuo, upon hearing the delicate voice, immediately located its source through electromagnetic induction, his face betraying his surprise.

"Little Holly, come out." Ren Mian gently urged, "It's not a monster, it won't bite you."

The voice hesitated and asked, "Really?"

"Sister won't lie to you."

Soon, a tiny head poked out from behind Ren Mian's neck. A pair of round, curious eyes met Ji Xinghuo's gaze, only to quickly retreat back into hiding as she exclaimed, "Sister, who is this bearded man? He looks so scary."

"He's Ji Xinghuo, a good friend of mine. He won't hurt you," Ren Mian reassured gently. "It's impolite to hide from friends. Come out now."

"Okay then..."

With a reluctant agreement, the little one hesitated for a few seconds before swinging out from Ren Mian's hair and landing on her shoulder.

Only then did Ji Xinghuo get a clear look.

It was a beautiful butterfly-like creature with two pairs of light blue-violet wings. The intricate patterns on its wings resembled a rainbow, shimmering with a subtle glow. As it flitted about, its wings left trails of vibrant, colorful light, like dancing sprites.

However, its size was minuscule, with a wingspan of less than ten centimeters.

Between the two pairs of wings was a humanoid torso, complete with limbs and facial features. Its tiny body was clad in a skirt made of fine silk, and despite its height of only about three centimeters, resembling a thumbelina, it possessed all the right features. Its countenance was exquisite and cute, and its aura was extraordinary.

Yet, at that moment, her lively eyes held a hint of timidity, and her tiny hands clutched Ren Mian's hair as if she were a frightened little girl.

"Her name is Ye Xiaokui," Ren Mian introduced. "Like your Qinghong, she's also a spirit creature."

"Hello, Xiaokui. I'm Ji Xinghuo," Ji Xinghuo greeted, trying to offer a friendly smile, though his current appearance, even with his human form restored, still bore somewhat fierce-looking blood-colored marks.

"Hello..."

She replied softly and politely, glancing up at Ji Xinghuo before quickly lowering her head again.

"You can call me Brother Xinghuo," Ji Xinghuo said softly. "Xiaokui, are you a Flower Fairy?" he asked, intrigued, as Xiaokui, despite being a spirit creature like Qinghong, could speak, which was extremely rare. Moreover, she seemed timid as a mouse, yet her strength was evidently not weak.

Judging from the etheric energy fluctuations, she was an astoundingly powerful spirit creature, at least at the "Brilliant" grade!

Underestimating her would surely lead to trouble.

"What's a Flower Fairy, Brother Xinghuo?" Xiaokui asked, immediately intrigued, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and replied, "It's a beautiful and kind fairy, just like you."

"Really?" Xiaokui's eyes lit up, and she flew up and spun around in delight. "Brother Xinghuo thinks I'm pretty too! So I must be a Flower Fairy, hehehe..."

She danced joyfully around Ji Xinghuo, leaving several trails of colorful light in her wake. The air was filled with fine specks of light, resembling stardust.

Ji Xinghuo had already guessed her personality; she was like a curious and playful toddler, yet timid, with no hint of guile.

"Qinghong, come in," Ji Xinghuo called out.

Qinghong, who had been in the garden, instantly teleported inside. Xiaokui flinched, her wings vibrating, before transforming into a beam of light and hiding in Ren Mian's hair once more.

"This is Qinghong," Ji Xinghuo explained. "Although it can't speak, it can still be your friend."

"Really?" Xiaokui poked her head out again, her skepticism evident. "I don't believe it."

At Ji Xinghuo's command, Qinghong's body swiftly shrunk to a length of only about ten centimeters. It jumped onto the table and wagged its tail at Xiaokui, its expression one of pure affability.

Ren Mian added soothingly, "Sister has known Qinghong for a long time. Go on, play with it."

Only then did Xiaokui cautiously fly out, mustering her courage to sit on Qinghong's back. Her size matched Qinghong's perfectly, as if it were her mount. Qinghong flickered and teleported to the garden outside, where it began to dash about, soon accompanied by peals of delighted laughter.

Ji Xinghuo then asked, "Sister Ren, what kind of spirit creature is Xiaokui?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Ren Mian admitted with a slight shake of her head. "When I discovered this fragment of the secret realm, Xiaokui was already here. She looked just as she does now, very clever, but she couldn't speak at the time. I slowly taught her, and over time, she learned to communicate and her intelligence grew."

"Later, I researched a lot of information and guessed that she might be a mutated form of the Radiant Spirit Butterfly, just like how your Qinghong is a mutation of the Iron Arrow Blue."

"Radiant Spirit Butterfly?" Ji Xinghuo had never heard of it before.

"Yes," Ren Mian nodded. "It's a very rare insect-type monster, innately possessing some light-based abilities, and it can manifest various light-related powers. Xiaokui isn't an ordinary Radiant Spirit Butterfly, though. She's exceptionally intelligent, and my current strength is also thanks to her help."

Perhaps it was because of Xiaokui that she embarked on the path of light evolution.

"That's right." Ren Mian sighed softly, "But Xiaokui is naturally timid and afraid of fighting. I can't bear to see her scared, so I usually let her stay here."

At this point, a motherly glow appeared on her face.

Obviously, in her eyes, Xiaokui was no longer just a battle pet but held a special place in her heart, much like a beloved daughter.

Ji Xinghuo smiled and said, "It's good to live a carefree life, especially since Sister Ren is already so strong."

"I still have a long way to go." Ren Mian smiled, unconvinced.

Ji Xinghuo was curious and asked, "Has Sister Ren reached the Legendary rank?"

"No, how could it be that fast?" Ren Mian didn't hide the truth, "When I left Olympia, I was still an Advanced Alien. In a year and a half, no matter how fast I cultivated or how many resources I had, it wouldn't be possible to evolve twice within that time frame."

"Then it shouldn't be far off now, right?" Ji Xinghuo's eyes scanned up and down, seemingly observing her strength, but in reality, he was feasting his eyes on her beauty.

Ren Mian felt his gaze like a hand on her, and her face turned slightly red. "If all goes well, I should be able to prepare for the promotion to Legendary rank by next year."

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but whistle in admiration.

Advancing from Advanced Alien to Legendary Alien in just two to three years was an incredible speed that no one would dare believe.

He knew that it was only possible because of his Myriad Phenomenon Eyes.

But what about Sister Ren? What was her secret?

Ji Xinghuo knew that she must have her mysteries, and her background was shrouded in secrecy. Yet, at that moment, he was especially curious to know more.

"Sister Ren, who exactly are you?" He remembered the letter she had given him, which had caused Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou Yi of the Sword Bureau to change his attitude and treat him with special care.

Ren Mian smiled faintly, "It's not time to tell you yet."

"Then when will it be time?" Ji Xinghuo asked further.

She thought for a moment, "When you reach the Heavenly King rank, I'll tell you." After saying that, she stood up, "I'll go and prepare your living quarters."

There was only one room on the second floor of the wooden house, which was Ren Mian's room.

She walked out of the house and, with a casual wave of her hand, moved the exotic flowers and plants planted next to the wooden house to another place. Then, she scattered some seeds on the empty ground, and several trees quickly grew, their trunks intertwining to form a spacious treehouse next to the balcony on the second floor of the wooden house.

The walls of the treehouse were made of tree trunks, with windows cut into them, and inside was a complete set of wooden furniture, including a bed, table, and chairs.

Ren Mian took out some daily necessities and decorated the place, turning it into a comfortable and cozy guest room.

"You'll live here from now on."

Ji Xinghuo climbed up the ladder made of tree branches and stepped into the treehouse, feeling pleased with the arrangement. There was also a small platform at the entrance, from which he could step directly onto the neighboring balcony, which led to Ren Mian's bedroom.

Standing there, he could admire the beautiful garden below.

Across the lake was a vast stretch of peach blossom forest, and in the distance, majestic snow-capped peaks rose on both sides, creating a breathtaking view.

At that moment, it started to snow, and the snowflakes fell gently onto the peach blossoms in the valley, creating a timeless beauty as the crystalline snow contrasted with the vibrant petals.

Ji Xinghuo leaned against the railing, taking in the snowy scene, and felt his heart fill with contentment.

"Brr..."

He exhaled a puff of white breath and turned to say, "What a wonderful place! It reminds me of the winters in Jiuzhaigou, even more beautiful than there."

"So I named this place Peach Blossom Valley." Ren Mian draped a warm cloak over her shoulders.

Ji Xinghuo looked at her, and in that quiet and cold atmosphere, he thought that the scenery was beautiful, but she was even more so.

"Sister Ren, do you still have any more Toad Spirit Eggs?" Ji Xinghuo asked suddenly. They had obtained six Toad Spirit Eggs in total, one for each of them, and Ren Mian had taken the remaining two and compensated each of them with 30 million Asian dollars.

"I used one for Xiaokui, and there's one left." Ren Mian's gaze fell on Qinghong in the garden, "Do you want to use it for Qinghong?"

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Yes."

The Toad Spirit Egg could only be used once, but unlike the Azure Sky Fruit and the Life Spirit Seed, it could be used even after evolving three times.

Qinghong was currently a Heavenly Disaster-level spirit creature, so the Azure Sky Fruit was no longer effective.

However, the Toad Spirit Egg could still be used.

Ji Xinghuo took out a blood-red crystal, "I'll trade this Red Emperor Blood Crystal for the Toad Spirit Egg. Sister Ren, are you willing?"

"You actually have a Red Emperor Blood Crystal!" she exclaimed.

"Hehe..." Ji Xinghuo laughed, "I possess not only the Red Emperor Blood Crystal but also many other things that Sister Ren might like."

He took out another exotic species.

It was a lump of gray-white gel, tough and viscous, emitting a strange odor.

"Rubber Body!"

Ren Mian's eyes lit up. This super-limit exotic species was clearly more appealing to her than the Red Emperor Blood Crystal.

Ji Xinghuo understood the reason. "Rubber Body" was one of the occupational template-constitution abilities of the Crystallized Light Attendant, and it was quite crucial.

The body of the Crystallized Light Attendant transformed into crystal, hard as a diamond, impervious to any sharp blade. However, like most crystals and diamonds, it had the drawback of being brittle and susceptible to penetration by blunt force.

That's where "Rubber Body" came in—it could compensate for this weakness.

Although the fusion of the Rubber Body made the Crystallized Light Attendant's body slightly less hard, it significantly reduced its brittleness and increased its toughness. Now, it no longer feared blunt force attacks.

Crystals may be impervious to sharp blades, but they fear blunt force. Conversely, rubber bodies may withstand blunt force, but they are vulnerable to sharp blades. Combining these two qualities eliminates the Crystallized Light Attendant's weakness, bringing its defense to the pinnacle!

Previously, when Ren Mian was fighting the Winged Man, Ji Xinghuo noticed that she hadn't fused with the Rubber Body yet. That was why the Winged Man's double-handed greatsword had such a powerful impact on her. If she had the Rubber Body, she could have easily deflected the sword.

"Xinghuo, you've given me so many surprises," Ren Mian said happily. "I've been searching for the Rubber Body exotic species for a long time but haven't come across it."

As she spoke, a small glass bottle appeared in her hand, containing the Toad Spirit Egg.

"Here you go."

Ji Xinghuo gave her the exotic species in exchange for the Toad Spirit Egg.

The two items differed significantly in value, with the exotic species being more expensive. However, Ji Xinghuo didn't mind; Ren Mian had helped him too much, with items like the Qing Guo Kong, Quickwind Boots, and Thunder Chase Battle Blade. He still owed her tens of millions of Asian dollars, so he considered the Rubber Body exotic species as repayment.

But Ren Mian didn't see it that way. "I won't let you suffer a loss," she said. "All these ether crystals belong to you."

She handed him a bag.

Ji Xinghuo opened it and was surprised to find over a dozen ether crystals inside, their combined value far exceeding that of the Rubber Body exotic species.

"That's too much," he said, returning the Red Emperor Blood Crystal to her.

"Keep the Red Emperor Blood Crystal. Xiao Hui and I have both used it," Ren Mian shook her head, smiling. "I've basically used all the general expansion elixirs, and they have no effect on me."

Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred. "What about the Paradise Treasure Diamond?"

"I've used that too," she replied.

Ji Xinghuo was now truly impressed and envious, truly understanding what it meant to be wealthy and generous. His wealth couldn't compare to Sister Ren's.

"Oh, right," Ren Mian suddenly remembered. "You can keep the weapons and equipment of those Winged Men, as well as their exotic species. You don't need to give me a share."

Ji Xinghuo could only nod in acceptance.

He realized that whenever he was with Sister Ren, he always managed to profit from this wealthy lady.

"Qinghong!"

Ji Xinghuo called out.

Qinghong, with Little Sunflower on her back, rushed over and spat out seven or eight Winged Humanoid corpses, piling them up in the courtyard in front of the wooden house.

"So gross!" Xiaokui cried out, urging Qinghong to run away.

Ji Xinghuo jumped down to inspect the corpses and their equipment. Among them were three Legendaries and five other fourth-rank Winged Men, all carrying extraordinary weapons and gear.

Soon, he had collected several super-ability equipment.

The most valuable was the female Winged Man's "Fire Feather Bow," a top-tier two-star super-ability bow, close to three stars and far superior to the Invisible Sting he had used before.

There was also the double-handed greatsword of the Winged Man from the Mad Eagle Clan, another two-star super-ability weapon.

Additionally, there were several one-star and two-star super-ability weapons and accessories, most of which originated from the Sky Feather King Court. If sold, the total value would be around forty ether crystals.

However, what truly excited Ji Xinghuo wasn't the weapons and equipment but the exotic species formed by the Winged Men's awakened abilities.

The Winged Men's most powerful talent was their wings, which gave them the "Feather of the Winged Man"!

Third-rank and above Winged Men had a certain probability of forming the "Feather of the Winged Man" exotic species upon death, and the higher the rank, the greater the probability and the stronger the power of the exotic species.

Out of the eight Winged Man corpses, six had produced the "Feather of the Winged Man."

That meant six super-limit exotic species!

Moreover, one of the "Feather of the Winged Man" exotic species was unique, belonging to the Winged Man from the White Feather Clan who was a Stringmaster.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end