The butterfly still fluttered with that same unfettered grace, a boundless freedom of spirit, untainted by worldly dust. It radiated the aura of one who had achieved true liberation.
Shua!!
As it approached the Nightmare Gate, a dreamy glow shimmered briefly across the surface of the gate—then it vanished into thin air.
The butterfly's effort missed its mark. The gate had already fled.
"Emperor Yi, you were lucky this time.But next time... don't count on such fortune."
The Faceless Holy Son's icy voice echoed from the void.
Though his trap had failed, his rage had not subsided. Still, this had only been a spontaneous maneuver—a side strategy triggered by unexpectedly discovering Chen Xuerou's presence.
It wasn't a full-scale ambush.
At best, it had allowed him to probe more of Yi Tianxing's strength.
And from that perspective, the loss wasn't irredeemable. He had gained intel.
Besides, the VoidlingClan wasn't the only faction involved. A genius from the Nightmare Clan had participated too. That Nightmare Gate was in fact his innate spiritual treasure.
The collapse of the nightmare worlds had damaged the gate, and worse—the Rainbow Dream Butterfly had absorbed a vast amount of nightmare power.
A painful loss.
"What a shame.I nearly harvested a dream-type spiritual treasure. That would've been a real prize."
The butterfly's voice was gentle as it shook its wings.
"Might I ask your name, senior?" Yi Tianxing asked respectfully, gazing straight at the butterfly."Allow me to thank you properly in person."
"There's no need. That Rainbow Dream Butterfly beneath you is no ordinary beast.Even without me, it could've eventually broken free.I merely helped a little."
As the butterfly sparkled—
It transformed into a middle-aged man in green robes, exuding a peaceful harmony that felt like a manifestation of heaven and earth itself.
Just standing near him filled one's heart with ease. His aura carried the unique essence of Daoism.
He embodied true freedom—unfettered, detached, yet present.
"Might we ask your honored name, senior?"
Jiang Ming bowed deeply.
He felt no qi fluctuations from the man—but that made it even more terrifying.To witness him singlehandedly collapse an entire nightmare realm just by fluttering like a butterfly...
This was a man not bound by the mortal world.
"I am Zhuang Zhou."
The man smiled softly.
"Zhuang Zhou?!"
Everyone's faces changed.
Shock. Awe. Reverence.
Zhuang Zhou, also known as Zhuangzi, was a legendary Daoist philosopher of ancient Huaxia.
A thinker. A sage. A writer. One of the two foundational pillars of Daoism, alongside Laozi.
His teachings emphasized freedom, detachment, and spontaneous harmony with nature.
Most famously, he once dreamed he was a butterfly—and upon waking, couldn't tell whether he had dreamed of being the butterfly, or whether the butterfly had dreamed of being him.
This paradox symbolized his pursuit of true freedom, the Daoist ideal of "Great Freedom and Great Ease".
His status in Daoist thought was no less than that of a saint, and even gods of vast power wouldn't dare treat him lightly.
"So it is Zhuang Zhou, the Sage of Nanhua.We greet the True Man of Nanhua."
The Shushan sword cultivators all bowed reverently.
Zhuang Zhou was also known as Nanhua Zhenren, "True Man of Nanhua."
"No need for formality.This isn't my true form—just a manifestation for the sake of leisure."
"Call me Wandering Immortal or True Man of Freedom, if you must. Zhuang Zhou, Nanhua, or Xiaoyao—it's all the same. Just a name."
He smiled with a serenity that seemed to ripple across heaven and earth.
"Yi Tianxing greets the True Man," Yi said with a smile."To ride in as a butterfly and shatter dream worlds… that is true freedom. Enviable indeed."
He could tell this was not Zhuang Zhou's true body, but a reincarnated avatar, much like the Bodhi Daoist he had met before.
Still, avatar or not—such a being stood atop his own Dao.
"Compared to you, Emperor Yi, my little feats are nothing.You've built the Great Yi Dynasty, sheltering billions of human beings.That is a true merit of heaven and earth."
Zhuang Zhou said this with heartfelt admiration.
"Now that we've met," Yi Tianxing said warmly, "I can't let you go without hospitality.That would be uncivilized."
"Look—White Crow City is almost here.Let's go there and talk over a meal."
"We've collected some rare ingredients—Gemstone Flesh and Hydra meat.We'll make a feast."
His gaze landed gently on Nannan and Chen Xuerou.
"Gemstone Flesh? Hydra meat?"Zhuang Zhou's eyes lit up."Those are rare indeed.If prepared by a true master, such a meal would be unforgettable."
Though he pursued the Way of Freedom, gourmet cuisine was one of the few worldly pleasures he had never forsaken.
To taste Gemstone Flesh—a delicacy so rare as to be priceless—was something even he couldn't resist.
Boom—
White Crow City arrived.
"Emperor!"
The soldiers bowed in unison.
"Come. Let's head back."
Yi Tianxing gave the order.
None objected.
Nannan had come looking for him—she would follow without hesitation.The sword cultivators of Shushan were curious about the Great Yi, and this was a golden opportunity to witness its strength firsthand.
As they entered, they saw—
Soldiers lined in formation, uniform in strength. And not ordinary troops—each one rivaled peak Fate Map Realm cultivators, many even reaching the Dharma Phase Realm.
"Even their foot soldiers are this strong…This is no mere dynasty—it's a Celestial Dynasty!"
"Just one legion could crush a typical immortal sect!This is the power of a mature fortune dynasty."
Unlike immortal sects, whose growth was limited by resources and disciple count—
A fortune dynasty could draw upon billions, even hundreds of billions of people to find talent. It was an endless stream of potential.
And the Great Yi Dynasty had surpassed the boundaries of normal dynasties—It had become a true Celestial Dynasty.
To underestimate it… was to court disaster.
"Marvelous. Truly worthy of being the foremost human dynasty."
Zhuang Zhou nodded in praise.
They entered White Crow City.
"Li Zhilin—pass word to the chefs," Yi ordered."Begin preparations. Tonight, in the city lord's mansion, we host the Gemstone Spirit Banquet."
"Let the generals attend as well. It's a private affair.Take whatever ingredients you need."
This was not just hospitality—This was a moment to ease the nerves of those who had just faced death in the nightmare realm.
And what better way than a legendary feast?