The Empress is Dead 159 Chapter 159 Red Monarch

Clan head Gu nod in acknowledgement seeing the resolve in Lin Xulian's eyes. Taking out a dagger from his robes. He then slashed his own palm until it is completely covered in blood. Then he placed his bloodied hand on the center of the stone door and infused it with his internal energy.
Lin Xulian watched in awe as the mixture of blood and internal energy slowly crawled and traced the carved runes filling the stone door. She didn't notice the runes until the blood highlighted them. When all the runes are completely covered, the stone door made a rumbling sound moved aside on its own revealing a path.
The path is dark and seemingly endless if you look at it from the entrance. It also gives off a humid and cold air that makes it look and feel even more eerie and dangerous. But Lin Xulian didn't feel intimidated at all. In fact, it made her more excited and curious. She believes that great things can be found not in fancy and bright places, but in the dangerous ones.
"Follow me princess." Gu Lingdao instructed. Lin Xulian immediately followed without a word. And once they are inside, the stone door closed on its own. The place was suddenly engulfed in complete darkness. But a few seconds later, the place was illuminated with blue cold flames coming from the torches hanging on the wall. The flame isn't warm but instead cold.
Once the area is completely illuminated, Lin Xulian discovered that they are actually in a cave. The ground is wet with some little pools here and there. The wall is also damp and water drips from the roof. She also noticed that the path is going downward. And after a few moments of walking, she could already hear the grotesque sound of insects and worms crawling.
After almost an hour of walking, Lin Xulian could already see a wide clearing at the end of the path. And at the center of the clearing is a swamp almost similar to that of the eldest prince, Xing Guang's manor. The difference is, the bugs are more poisonous and obviously hostile.
"Princess, at the center of the swamp there is a platform. You have to stay there for the entire ritual." Gu Lingdao started when they arrived at the edge of the swamp. Lin Xulian used her qigong to jump at the center of the swamp. Setting her feet on the platform, she turned around to hear clan head Gu's further instruction. "Now, you have to assume your meditative position." Lin Xulian then sat on a lotus position.
"In this ritual, the parents usually use their internal energy for the child. But since you are already an adult and can control your internal energy, you have to use your own. These bugs are not ordinary. They are Gus that were cultivated and lived through the continuous harsh battle for survival. The objective of this ritual is to subdue these Gu using your internal energy.
You have to engulf as much Gu as possible with your internal energy so you could find the royal Gu that is willing to serve you as its partner. And once you found it, it will try to meld into your consciousness. At that point, the pain will also start and you have to endure it and rely on your will." Gu Lingdao instructed in one go. "You can start anytime, princess.""Thank you, clan head Gu." Lin Xulian said before exhaling and putting all her focus on the task at hand. Closing her eyes and descending into full concentration, Lin Xulian started circulating her internal energy then slowly releasing it as far and as deep as possible.

Gu Lingdao nod in approval as he watches the capacity that Lin Xulian managed to cover with her internal energy. Noting the fact that her qi sea is not that wide yet, still if she is outside she won't be able to fill it with energy without the stone. But in the Qiangdu country, he estimated that she could fill it in three to four days. Surprisingly, she managed that feat in a single day. 'She is a Lin after all.' He thought.
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Days passed without Lin Xulian noticing. Thankfully because she is cultivating her internal energy, she didn't need to eat or drink to live for quite some time. But after those days, she wasn't able to find her royal Gu. At this point she decided to try another method. Instead of releasing her internal energy out around herself, she released it outward in one direction then move it around.
With her new method, she could cover more space. But the downside is, because the Gu are alive, they will move continuously. She is just hoping that the Gu doesn't move that fast. Or else, the ritual will end up in an endless chase.
Seeing her new method, Gu Lingdao commend her ability to adapt. Having a limited internal energy, Lin Xulian thought a method to maximize its capability. But his concern is the same as Lin Xulian. He doesn't know if this new method could hasten the search or would be an endless chase. It only depends on her destined royal Gu.
Anyway, this mishap is favorable in Gu Lingdao's point of view. With this she could prove her eagerness, sincerity and dedication in learning the art of Gu. He wants to know just how much she could give and do to acquire this ability.
After another two days, Lin Xulian's search finally bore fruit. Noticing a pull of connection from her right side, Lin Xulian focused her internal energy on that part. On the side, Gu Lingdao finally saw a Gu surrounded with a familiar purple glow crawling out against the other bugs.
Gu Lingdao's eyebrows raised in surprise seeing the creature emerging from the swamp of bugs. It is a black caterpillar with red dots. It started crawling towards Lin Xulian's direction. But when it finally reached the platform almost a meter from Lin Xulian, it suddenly stopped.
Gu Lingdao face palmed himself after witnessing the next scene. The caterpillar started its next stage of metamorphosis and formed a chrysalis. And as he expected, they will have to wait for few more days for it to complete its transformation. Fortunately for Lin Xulian since she is meditating, she could not feel the flow of time.
After almost two weeks, the chrysalis finally made a movement. Gu Lingdao watched in awe as a red monarch butterfly with black outline emerged from its cocoon. It is actually a total surprise for him seeing the royal Gu that chose Lin Xulian. Normally, a butterfly is not poisonous. But if its caterpillar form eats poisonous plants and herbs, it will eventually become poisonous.
But who would have thought it would survive the swamp of other carnivorous poisonous bugs, given that it was born an herbivore. Maybe it was thrown in the swamp as food for the other Gu. However, it managed to adapt and fight its way to this day. Until its partner arrive for it.
Somehow Gu Lingdao could make sense why the butterfly Gu chose Lin Xulian. They both doesn't belong in the group. Lin Xulian being not a member of Gu clan, while the butterfly Gu is not originally poisonous and is an herbivore to boot. But destiny played tricks on both of them and they met in this ritual.
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Fully emerging from its cocoon, the red monarch butterfly flew towards Lin Xulian landing on her forehead. In Lin Xulian's meditative state, all she could see in her consciousness is a ball of purple light slowly moving towards her. Then that light levitated and landed right in front of her. Then the ball of purple light got bigger until it is all that she could see.
Then her environment changed. She was back in her home in the Beast mountain at the Lin Martial Arts School. It was as if her life was replayed right in front of her. Her heart feels warm seeing the familiar view. But everything changed when Feng Jun Yi's face and the palace showed up. The warm feeling disappeared and she started feeling pain in her chest and head. She can't help but scream in pain and agony.

Chapter end

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