Rest In A Demon’s Embrace

"Hold it down!" Luo Xiao's voice was strained as he tried to maintain the Black Pagoda Art steadily on the pair of brothers in front of him. Although his protective pagoda art was dependant on spiritual energy rather than physical, it still scaled its consumption depending on the amount of energy used by the shield itself.

This pair of butterflies did not appear too dangerous, but the dust they shed was in no way a simple thing, and Luo Xiao could feel how it continued to drain his energy with no signs of stopping.

"Their dust is extremely lethal. I don't know how long I can hold on, so we need to drag them down and get them immobile as quickly as possible." Luo Xiao called out once more, and both Da Tou and Xiao Tou focused on the same target, clumsily managing to injure one of the wings and force it to the ground.

As soon as it landed on the ground, the threat it made was much less, and the pressure was also quickly diminishing, making it possible for Luo Xiao to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It is immobilized, leave it alone for now and focus on the second one!" Luo Xiao was not directly a part of the attacking group during this battle, but the amount of energy he drained was no less than the two brothers together, as his shields were necessary for them to target the pair of butterflies.

Fortunately, as he stood aside, he had a better overview of the battle, and could come with comments from time to time, making it easier for the two to knock down the second butterfly as well.

"We should keep some of their dust in some way. Although we do not have the antidote, it can become a savior for us later on." Da Tou could not help but have some lingering fears as he looked at the pair of butterflies on the ground, and the setting sun in the horizon. It was a much more intense battle than he had expected, and all three of them were gasping for air and both physically and mentally exhausted.

"I agree," Luo Xiao could not help but nod his head. He had, as the controller of the shield, fully felt the lethality of the dust, and he understood the benefits it could bring them later on.

Fortunately, before entering the Secret Realm, he had been stuffed with countless jade and porcelain bottles and boxes by Ye Feng, and he took out three porcellain bottles to gather dust for the three of them.

"I will take care of this part." Knowing that they could not touch it, Luo Xiao focused the Black Pagoda Art on his hands, and managed to gather enough dust to fill all three vials full. He quickly sealed the opening with a cap and further enhanced the seal with a formation to ensure that it would not spill out.

"This was a good battle," Xiao Tou sighed on the other side. "Although I feel as if my body has been taken apart and reassembled, I also feel rather comfortable in the tiredness. It is as if my body broke through a certain bondage that kept me unable to proceed in cultivation."

"Sometimes we need to encounter difficult situations and be pushed beyond our limits to advance." Luo Xiao could not help but smile as he heard his words. He, himself, remembered the words that Jiang Yao had told him, and could not help but feel a trace of longing. It had been too long since he last met his lover, and although the distance was for a better future together, he could not help but miss him.

"Do we want anything else from these butterflies?" Da Tou looked at the pair of butterflies in front of him. He felt that they were likely to contain countless treasures, but he did not know which part was more rare, and he was also in a lack of space within his storage treasures.

"I'll take them." Luo Xiao looked at the pair of butterflies in front, and he was especially interested in the wings. He remembered that when he visited the Royal Cloth store, he had seen that their most prominent clothes were made from wings of spiritual cicadas and butterflies. He felt that the wings of this pair of butterflies could make some very luxurious clothes.

Neither Da Tou nor Xiao Tou had any objections. Luo Xiao had been a great help to their group, and they had no use of the two butterflies on the ground, so knowing that they were not wasted was already a relief in itself.

"Let's return."

The group returned to their camp where they quickly rested throughout the night. The following days were spent in the meadow, and as the days passed, their teamwork and individual combat abilities soared. The amount of treasures they found also increased drastically; not only did they find priceless resources from the defeated beasts, many rare herbs could also be found within the tall grass of the meadow.

Like this, the pair of brothers slowly gained more and more confidence in themselves, and Luo Xiao also managed to enhance his own abilities and refine his use of energy.

However, after having been alone at the meadow for two weeks, another group of experts appeared at the outskirts.

It was in the evening as the sun had just gone away. Luo Xiao and the brothers had just returned to the camp when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

Fortunately, their camp was located at a suitable location and camouflaged from not only beasts, but also humans alike, so none of the three were in a hurry to look outside and see who had approached. Even so, they all focused their hearing and tensed their nerves; no one knew if the group were hostile or friendly.