Chapter 126: A Fight to the Death, With No Other Way Out

“I don’t know what else to say except to apologize. It was never my intention for you to fall into such misery. If I could, I would do anything to make amends for the harm I caused you back then. I truly want to do something to compensate for the pain you have endured all these years.” Although these words were just innocent childhood remarks from Yu Shang, they inadvertently led to a catastrophic disaster, even implicating his entire clan.

“You want to make amends? Fine, then give me your life! If you hadn’t recklessly exposed my whereabouts back then, I wouldn’t have been forced to cultivate against the heavens, suffer grievous injuries, and now be dependent on the blood of living beings to rebuild my body. I’m just short of the fresh blood needed to successfully reincarnate—your life will fill that gap perfectly!” The butterfly hissed venomously at Yu Shang, wishing nothing more than to kill him outright.

“Don’t forget you have far more important matters to attend to. There’s no need to throw away your life over one careless mistake from years ago. Even if you hadn’t spoken, others would have eventually revealed my presence. The outcome would have been the same—those people would never have spared me. You did nothing wrong and shouldn’t have to bear the price. The fault lies solely with those greedy and insatiable ones. From beginning to end, this matter has nothing to do with you!” Ye Wangchen saw the guilt in Yu Shang’s eyes and feared he might despair over something so seemingly absurd, potentially ending his own life and abandoning his dreams.

“So your so-called compensation was just empty words. But let me make this clear—I am not bluffing when I say I want your life! Don’t worry, since we have shared some history, I’ll be merciful and won’t torment you as I have those others.” The butterfly suddenly flew to a flourishing tree nearby, glaring at the trapped vengeful spirits struggling to break free from its branches. Yet in its tone, there was a faint trace of regret and profound helplessness.

“So the vengeful spirits trapped within the tree are all victims you slaughtered, sacrificing countless lives just to rebuild your body. How did you become like this? You are no longer the pure and kind spirit I once knew. Now, you resemble a demon clawing out of hell—repulsive and terrifying!” Yu Shang’s heart ached as he looked at the butterfly. How could a few short years have twisted it into such a dreadful being?

“This world is a law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. Don’t tell me you haven’t harmed others in the process. Don’t pretend to be so righteous before me. We are all the same, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals. If you were ruthless enough, you would be far crueler than I am now!” The butterfly whispered near Yu Shang’s ear, as if warning him not to let lies deceive even himself; he was never truly a good person and never would be.

“There must be other ways to rebuild your body; it doesn’t have to be at the cost of countless lives. I beg you, stop this madness before it’s too late. The consequences will be unbearable!” Yu Shang persisted, unwilling to give up hope. He still believed that the innocent and kind butterfly from their childhood had not been extinguished, merely blinded by the clamor of the world. Once the clouds parted, it would surely see the moonlight again.

“Even if I now repent and stop, it’s already too late. I have slain too many souls; the sins I bear can never restore me to what I once was. Blame the unfortunate timing of meeting the wrong version of me. Rest in peace.” With those words, the scattered bones on the ground began to reassemble themselves. In the blink of an eye, the skeleton stood before them once more. The butterfly flew back to the heart cavity and took control, driving the skeletal form toward the two men.

Yu Shang reluctantly raised his **blade to meet the attack, with Ye Wangchen close behind. The skeleton was swift, easily evading their combined assaults, leaving them at a disadvantage. Realizing the danger, Yu Shang ceased holding back and fully engaged in the fight. With a fierce reverse strike, he struck his **blade, unleashing the true energy embedded in its hilt. Illusory blades formed and surged toward the skeleton.

The skeleton summoned a gentle breeze, which instantly transformed into a howling gale, fiercely sweeping toward the illusions. When the wind collided with the true energy, it vanished silently without the devastating clash they had anticipated. Meanwhile, Ye Wangchen seized the moment to launch several scorpion-shaped throwing daggers at the skeleton, but they merely grazed the bones and fell harmlessly to the ground. The skeleton bore no damage.

Yu Shang frowned at the sight. The skeleton’s bones were incredibly hard—so much so that even the scorpion daggers, renowned for their penetrative power and secret techniques, could not leave a scratch. The Wang family’s scorpion daggers were legendary for piercing even superior artifacts, yet this skeleton remained unscathed. Their chances of victory had just diminished further.

Perhaps the **blade’s power could shatter its bones, but the skeleton’s speed was unmatched—Yu Shang could not hope to rival it. How could they approach it unnoticed? Yu Shang was troubled; without a new strategy, death at the butterfly’s hands seemed inevitable. The butterfly? Yes, that very one! A smile flickered across Yu Shang’s face as he realized every creature had its fatal weakness.

“Ye Wangchen, I’ll draw its attention onto myself. You take this chance to strike directly at the butterfly. Remember: be fast, precise, and ruthless. If we spook it, we’ll never get another chance to finish it!” Yu Shang transmitted his plan silently. Since they couldn’t breach its defenses, they’d strike at its heart. Despite the protective bones, the core body was still vulnerable. Once revealed, no armor could save it.

“I understand. But be careful—you’re its target. I don’t want to lose my opponent before we’ve had a proper fight,” Ye Wangchen replied with concern, worried for Yu Shang’s safety. After this night’s trials, he felt Yu Shang was truly a friend worth trusting, someone who had opened his heart.

Yu Shang smiled faintly but said nothing, charging the skeleton with killing intent blazing in his eyes. He no longer saw the butterfly as a childhood companion but as a mortal enemy—either it dies, or he does. He had already spared it once; it had failed to cherish that mercy. He would be merciless now. In this world, if one does not look out for oneself, one is doomed. Neither he nor the butterfly had a choice.

Infused with Yu Shang’s true energy, the **blade struck with overwhelming force, nearly overwhelming the skeleton. If not for its speed and evasiveness, it would have turned to dust by now. However, Ye Wangchen had yet to find the right moment to use his scorpion daggers to claim the creature’s life. At that moment, Yu Shang sensed a strange force as he neared the tree—an irresistible pull, as if the tree was calling his **blade.

After several exchanges, Yu Shang grew weary. While evading an attack, the unseen force drew him in again, slamming him hard against the tree. Blood gushed from the wound along the trunk. Both Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen were startled—how could a tree bleed? This was unheard of! Perhaps the tree had long since become a spiritual entity, its veins flowing with blood. Yet they sensed no sign of life within it.

Only the skeleton’s reaction was more intense. Seeing the bloodied tree, it rushed over, gazing blankly at the spilled blood before tenderly stroking the bark, as if the injured one was not a mere plant but someone dear to it. Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen regained their senses simultaneously, nodded to each other, and raised their weapons to strike at the grieving skeleton.

The **blade, forged to shatter the toughest bones, and the scorpion daggers, designed to pierce the butterfly’s life force, aimed for a flawless victory. When the **blade struck, the skeleton was too slow to evade. The bone shattered with a grisly crack, scattering fragments across the ground.

As the butterfly dodged the blade and fled to the tree, Ye Wangchen’s daggers relentlessly pursued it. Startled, the butterfly took flight, but it was too late—one dagger pierced its wing, causing it to plummet to the ground, gravely wounded.

Yet the butterfly’s resolve remained unbroken. Despite its injuries, it refused to yield. Perched on the ground, it roared with a voice audible for miles: “You drove me to this! Even if we perish together, I will drag you down to hell with me!” Dragging its injured wing, it took flight again, flapping fiercely. Blood leaked from its wounds, splattering everywhere, but it paid no heed, beating its massive wings faster and faster.

The butterfly grew larger and larger, nearly as tall as a person. Its enormous wings stirred violent gales, howling toward Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen, preventing them from attacking. Helpless, they watched the giant butterfly’s next move.

The butterfly gathered the scattered bones from the ground and cast them into the blood pool. Spreading its wings, it slowly flew before the tree. Suddenly, a beam of radiant light emerged from the tree, piercing the giant butterfly’s body, turning it into a scattering constellation of starlight that dissolved into the blood pool.

Ye Wangchen was stunned. “It just vowed to die with us, but now it ended its own suffering? This is incredible!” He couldn’t fathom why the butterfly would choose such an extreme end after all the chaos. He had thought they were doomed to die in that cursed place, yet the creature’s drastic choice left him bewildered.

“You’re not really so naïve as to believe it would let us go so easily, or foolish enough to sacrifice the very life it sought to reclaim. If that’s your belief, then I won’t stop you. Stay here and wait for the butterfly to come for your life,” Yu Shang said without looking back, activating the swift technique “Wind Rider” to speed ahead. Ye Wangchen, suddenly enlightened, hurried after him without hesitation.