Chapter 225: The Last Twelve Meridians

“Not bad…”

Fang Cun nodded slowly as he gazed at the palm-shaped pit on the ground that seemed to have instantly decayed.

Using the demon corpses from Crow Mountain to nurture butterflies had been the right move.

Before leaving Shoushan Sect, he had chosen to raise the butterflies there precisely to see what mysteries might emerge from feeding them the remains of demon kings—beings far surpassing ordinary ones. Now, after some time, through his innate connection with the butterflies’ Innate Qi, he could sense a change—one both exciting and astonishing.

All the butterflies had grown significantly, with the two largest ones showing the most progress.

Yet, a tinge of regret lingered. Whether influenced by their natural instincts or some intrinsic need to advance, those two big butterflies had fought fiercely. In the end, one devoured the other, becoming the Butterfly King.

This Butterfly King then revealed a domineering nature, driving away and hunting the other butterflies.

It seemed intent on claiming all the demon corpses covering the small Rear Mountain for itself alone.

That wouldn’t do—while it would grow rapidly, the other butterflies would starve.

So, after encountering the Ghost Official incident, Fang Cun summoned the Butterfly King from Shoushan Sect. Using its power, it arrived at Lingwu Sect unnoticed within a single day, lying in wait.

Meanwhile, during this period, Fang Cun studied the various arts from the Seven Clans, Lingwu Sect, and even those brought from Yun Huan Sect. He gained many new insights. The Seven Clans had sent numerous diverse methods and scriptures, but with ulterior motives—many were irrelevant to the Scripture of Arts, Scripture of Souls, Classic of Martial Arts. Instead, they mixed in useless distractions.

For example, Southern Borderlands’ Spirit Transformation method, Demon Race’s Seal Refining method, or techniques like Blood Melting and Bone Extraction from Eternal Night Wasteland. It seemed they knew Fang Cun wanted to complete Shoushan Sect’s arts, specifically needing Martial or Soul Scriptures, yet deliberately avoided those and gave unrelated ones…

Imagine preparing for an exam with practice tests, but someone hands you comic books and UFO encyclopedias instead!

…And most annoying, they’d even slipped in a few fiction magazines!

Fortunately, their dirty trick didn’t work on Fang Cun!

Fang Cun was trained in eclectic methods.

It was precisely from these scattered Seven Clans’ texts that Fang Cun derived a use for this butterfly—

A Seal Refining method combining Spirit Transformation, Seal Tempering, and Soul Merging arts!

…

This butterfly was initially nurtured by Fang Cun’s Innate Qi, gaining sentience and becoming a Gu Insect.

Later, it hatched from a Rogue Cultivator’s body—one at the Foundation Building Realm—and devoured their soul and Innate Qi.

By that point, its power equaled the Foundation Building Realm.

After being raised on the Rear Mountain, it consumed the Demon Hound and the flesh of many Demon Kings, absorbing their residual Demonic Qi and Magical Power. Theoretically, it exceeded Foundation Building. Whether called a Demon King or Light Condensation Realm was unclear; it had truly entered the Divine Realm powerfully.

However, this abnormally raised monster butterfly couldn’t directly fight.

Among butterflies, it was fierce. Against a human opponent, though, even a Breath Refining Realm cultivator could kill it with a talisman.

But when Fang Cun used a method from the Classic of Spirits to attach it to Lin Jiyi, everything changed.

Lin Jiyi could channel its divine nature to unleash far greater power.

Power strong enough to rival a Golden Core expert!

…

Of course, this power had limitations.

Take Lin Jiyi: after just one palm strike, he collapsed, drenched in cold sweat, completely drained.

His own Magical Power couldn’t withstand such a transformation. To master it, he’d need extreme training to increase his power. Even then, in combat, he couldn’t last long. Any prolonged battle risked exhausting him to death…

Several other minor issues existed too.

After all, Lin Jiyi hadn’t truly reached the Divine Realm—it was borrowed power.

Throughout history, a mere Breath Refining Realm cultivator suddenly wielding divine strength? Utterly shocking!

Lady Hongtao, Insect Master, Ghost Scholar—they all stood frozen mid-step, eyes wide with shock and envy. Even Lin Jiyi himself remained dazed, staring blankly at Fang Cun. After a long pause, he suddenly kowtowed three times, sobbing, “Thank you, Young Master…”

“Good. No tricks hidden.”

Fang Cun glanced him over, privately pleased.

Three kowtows for gods, four for ghosts—Lin Jiyi kowtowed three times, meaning he revered Fang Cun like a god.

Four kowtows? That would be cursing him to die.

So, if someone kowtowed, don’t just foolishly rejoice—they might insult you under their breath…

Meanwhile, Lady Hongtao and the others nearby stared in utter shock.

After a long moment, they collectively knelt before Fang Cun.

More than shock, they felt deep fear.

If their Young Master could bestow Divine Realm power… how strong was he himself?

…

“Half-Step Light Condensation!”

Seeing Lin Jiyi’s awed gaze, Fang Cun guessed his thoughts.

To outsiders, anyone who could grant Divine Realm power must seem unfathomably profound.

But Fang Cun’s true strength? Merely Half-Step Light Condensation.

Although he had openly defeated Bai Huaiyu—a Light Condensation expert from the Bai family, who’d trained for years.

The Light Condensation Realm was called the Threshold of Divinity. One must cultivate a trace of divine will to cross it.

Achieving divinity required refining all of one’s major meridians.

With a solid foundation, divine will would naturally emerge.

Ordinary Qi Refiners? Solid foundation, but no divine will. Fang Cun? Divine will overflowed, but his foundation was lacking!

Currently, Fang Cun cultivated a one hundred and eight meridian refinement technique. Using Shoushan Sect’s Divine Nether Hundred Arms, he’d refined thirty-six meridians. Through Leshui Sect arts, he’d gained another eighteen, totaling fifty-four. After comprehending Yun Huan Sect’s Hundred Flowers Fragrant Realm, he unlocked eight more—now possessing sixty-two meridians perfected. Over halfway there.

What truly delighted him was Lingwu Sect and the Seven Clans—especially the Seven Clans.

The Seven Clans’ texts? Chaotic. Odd. Antiquated.

Fang Cun cherished precisely that strangeness. Weird methods often activated obscure meridians, increasing overlap-free refinement routes.

Thus, in Lingwu Sect, he felt like a fish in water.

By skimming and studying those messy texts, he uncovered ways to refine thirty-four more meridians.

Finding gold heaps amidst trash.

The Seven Clans would never grasp how much they’d helped Fang Cun—more than any sect could offer.

Now, Fang Cun had unlocked methods for ninety-six meridians—only twelve remained.

His ability to deploy Divine Nether Hundred Arms, Hundred Flowers Fragrant Realm, and Butterfly Seal Refinement was due to this ninety-six-percent completion. Like assembling a puzzle, the more meridians he refined, the clearer the larger picture grew.

Because of his unique situation, Fang Cun now stood at the Half-Step Light Condensation stage.

In pure cultivation level? He was inferior to his own monstrous butterfly…

But regarding comprehension of divine will? He doubted any Light Condensation expert could rival him.

…

“The riddle my brother left should soon be solved too…”

Fang Cun pondered quietly.

He possessed strength and talent unmatched by peers at his level, but felt no pride.

His achievements came from two Magic Treasures: the Celestial Merit Record and the Formless Treasure Body Scripture!

As Ghost Scholar put it: “Even a dog could succeed with those artifacts.”

So Fang Cun always dwelled on another question:

What was his brother trying to tell him?

Both treasures were incredibly profound and powerful. Yet, as he trained more, Fang Cun grew convinced they weren’t answers—merely aids. His brother gave them not for amusement but with a specific purpose. Only by grasping that purpose would Fang Cun know what must ultimately be done.

Likely, the third “thing”—the answer—would appear once he mastered all one hundred and eight meridians and reached Foundation Establishment perfection. Like climbing stairs: reaching the top reveals the view.

…

“Just twelve meridians left…”

Fang Cun sighed inwardly, then smiled as he dismissed the thought and said, “Do well.”

Were Fang Cun a native Qi Refiner of this world, maybe his brother’s hints would confuse him. But as a traveler from elsewhere—armed with past life insights—Fang Cun intuited bits of truth even before completing the meridian puzzle.

He sensed something: upcoming tasks would truly need every ounce of service these followers could offer.