Su Kang watched this for the whole night. As the sky began to glow with the sun's rays, the lizard took the orb into its mouth and retreated.

  Su Kang followed it into the river; half an hour later, he saw a lizard entering an underwater cave.

  As he followed him, Su Kang felt a sudden increase of the spiritual qi in the surroundings. When he entered the cave, he sensed the array formation at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel it was an open-air chamber.

  Before him lay a third-level array. Although he could discern no visible anomalies, his spiritual sense was obstructed.

  He studied it for a while, seeking an opening or a weakness within the array, but each attempt ended in failure. After careful consideration, he withdrew. There was no need to rush. The opportunity would come in time.

  Returning to his temporary hideout in the mountain, he found Bai Yunxi sitting in meditation. She opened her eyes as he approached.

  "Did you find anything?" she asked.

  "A lizard beast guards something within an underwater cave," Su Kang replied. "Don't worry, I can easily handle it."

  Bai Yunxi nodded, trusting his words completely. Since her cultivation was lower, she lacked the ability to gauge Su Kang's true strength. To her, he seemed unfathomable.

  They waited following night, but the beast did not emerge. Another day passed. Then another.

  On the third night, under the dim glow of the moon, the beast finally surfaced. Bai Yunxi remained behind while Su Kang stepped forward, concealing his aura and presence.

  The moment the beast prepared to leave, Su Kang unleashed his Heart and Mind Illusion technique. The air trembled with an invisible force as his spiritual power wrapped around the lizard's consciousness.

  The creature's pupils dilated, confusion overtaking its instincts. It thrashed, resisting the illusion's grip, but Su Kang had anticipated this.

  Its cultivation was lower than his own, and its mind, though fierce, lacked the refinement to resist a direct soul attack.

  With its senses in disarray, Su Kang struck. His palm landed on the beast's head, sending a wave of force directly into its body.

  The lizard froze, its limbs locking up as its mind struggled against the overwhelming mental pressure.

  Su Kang proceeded to interrogate the beast. While it lacked the ability to speak, it comprehended his language.

  "He bent down, his voice steady and commanding. "Take me to your hideout."

  The creature, now subdued, led him to an underwater river, through which they entered a labyrinthine cave.

  There, in an open space within the winding tunnels, the lizard retrieved a token and activated an ancient array formation.

  Su Kang's eyes narrowed. He swiftly snatched the token before the beast could react, then pressed two fingers against its forehead.

  A controlled surge of energy forced the creature into a deep slumber. With the lizard subdued, he turned his attention to the formation before him.

  Since the lizard told him everything that he asked, he was not afraid. After entering the formation, he could feel the dense spiritual energy in the space.

  The cave system was vast and complex, with tunnels branching off in every direction.

  He moved ahead into the chamber. After walking for tens of minutes, he felt a presence inside the chamber.

  As he progressed further, an awe-inspiring sight unfolded before him: a colossal moonlight butterfly, its wings unfurled like the night sky, shimmering with shades of silver and blue.

  It fluttered gracefully, casting a spell of tranquility over the cave. Yet, Su Kang felt this was no ordinary creature but a peak second-level spiritual beast.

  He activated the Five Swords mansion technique. Five ethereal blades took shape around him, sparkling like stars woven into the fabric of the universe.

  They surged towards the butterfly in a breathtaking display of light and accuracy.

  He also used Heart and Mind Illusion skills to confuse and attack the soul of the beast.

  He could easily kill the beast, but he wants to capture it. Moonlight Butterfly has a earth-level bloodline. It has potential to break through the third level in the future.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Although the Moonlight Butterfly experienced torment in its soul, it specializes in soul attacks.

  Su Kang had not practiced heart and mind illusion techniques extensively, which allowed the Moonlight Butterfly to quickly recover from his assault.

  However, five ethereal sword energies soon targeted the butterfly, with one sword piercing its body and subsequently exploding.

  The force of the explosion propelled the Moonlight Butterfly, pulverizing the rock beneath it. Four additional swords remained encircling its body.

  He sheathed one of his swords, stepping closer. The butterfly struggled but could no longer move, its body trembling in exhaustion.

  Su Kang stepped forward, his voice cold. "I don't want to kill you. But I will if necessary."

  The butterfly, despite its injuries, did not immediately surrender. Its instincts screamed at it to resist, but it also sensed the undeniable difference in strength.

  Su Kang's tone remained steady. "If you serve me for ten years, I will let you go free. Refuse, and I will end you here. The choice is yours."

  The beast hesitated. It had lived for decades, patiently awaiting its evolution. If it died here, all that effort would be meaningless.

  Seeing its reluctance, Su Kang made another offer. "Fifteen years. In exchange, I will aid your breakthrough to the third level."

  The four swords hummed, their energy fluctuating dangerously.

  The butterfly's wings trembled. It was only a few years away from breaking through, but it knew it couldn't defeat Su Kang. The lizard had already fallen, and now it was alone.

  A firm thought entered Su Kang's mind. You must swear a Heart Oath.

  Su Kang smirked. The bait had worked. "Very well."

  With a calm expression, he spoke the sacred words, sealing their agreement—fifteen years of loyalty in exchange for assistance in its evolution.

  A ripple of spiritual energy surged between them, the oath taking effect.

  Su Kang watched the beast closely. "Good. Now open your spiritual consciousness."

  The Moonlight Butterfly hesitated but obeyed. Su Kang infused a strand of his spiritual qi near the beast's core, forming an invisible tether. If it ever tried to rebel, he could end it instantly.

  At the same time, if he broke his own oath, his cultivation would suffer a severe backlash, preventing him from advancing.

  Satisfied, Su Kang withdrew his swords. "You made the right choice."

  The butterfly remained silent but lowered its wings slightly—a sign of submission.

  Su Kang turned, already thinking ahead. Fifteen years… It's more than enough time for the Su family to rise.

  If the beast attempted rebellion, Su Kang would eliminate it without hesitation. Likewise, if he were to break his oath, he would find himself unable to break through to the next realm.

  "Is there anyone else here, except you?" He asked.

  "Rest assured, there is no one else here." The beast answered with a sigh.

  After confirming his suspicions, Su Kang left immediately to find Bai Yunxi. When he arrived at the cave in the mountains, he found her sitting there, her expression clouded with worry.

  He made no effort to conceal his presence, and upon seeing him, her face lit up with relief. She rushed into his arms, and he embraced her tightly.

  "Haha, Xi'er. You really are my lucky charm." He kissed her forehead and chuckled.

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, he led her away, explaining the situation as they moved.

  He enveloped her in his Qi before plunging into the river. Soon, Bai Yunxi spotted an enormous underwater tunnel.

  Minutes later, the tunnel ended, and they emerged from the water. Bai Yunxi took in their surroundings—a vast chamber, illuminated by luminous rocks and glistening crystals.

  Su Kang took out a token and took her with him as she was observing the sleeping lizard beast.

  She followed Su Kang and saw a giant butterfly with blue and silver wings. She could feel this beast was beautiful and dangerous as well.

  Sensing her unease, Su Kang squeezed her palm reassuringly before commanding, "Take us there."

  The moonlight butterfly nodded and moved ahead. They followed him. Soon they were traveling through the tunnel again.

  The Moonlight Butterfly nodded and moved forward. They followed closely, traversing another tunnel.

  Bai Yunxi noticed the passage sloping downward, leading them deeper underground. The surrounding air thickened with spiritual energy so dense it resembled mist.

  Upon reaching the next chamber, they were met with a breathtaking sight—the walls shimmered with luminescent crystals, pulsing with spiritual essence.

  At the chamber's center lay a third-level spiritual vein, its energy swirling like a vortex. Just standing before it, Su Kang and Bai Yunxi felt invigorated.

  "This… this is incredible!" Bai Yunxi exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder. The spiritual vein was a treasure beyond her wildest dreams.

  Su Kang, too, was taken aback. He had initially expected a second-level spiritual vein, yet reality had exceeded his expectations. This was the jackpot the lizard beast had spoken of.

  Looking around, he observed the ancient architecture carved into the surrounding rock. The chamber had been deliberately shaped, not formed naturally.

  "Who is the person behind all this? Explain to me." He inquired.

  A third-level array formation, this chamber was created around the spiritual vein, and later it was joined with the cave.

  This whole area is covered by the array; it couldn't be done by these two beasts.

  "It was created by a human cultivator centuries ago. A poisonous green lizard was the master of this place."

  "Later a human cultivator found this vein and fought with the lizard. Their fight damaged this vein to some extent."

  "After defeating the lizard, he arranged this array to hide this vein. He left this place under the monitor of my mother." The Moonlight Butterfly explained the whole story.

  "But he didn't return for some reason. Later this place was handed down to me after my mother's death."

  "Hundreds of years later, this vein was promoted again to third level. Before I could advance to the third level..." The butterfly didn't speak anymore.

  Su Kang understood everything. This moonlight butterfly is the child of the spiritual pet of the human cultivator.

  "That settles my doubts." Su Kang had sought to capture the Moonlight Butterfly for answers, fearing that a major sect or influential family was involved. But this vein was ownerless—a true hidden treasure.

  Since the human cultivator could arrange a third-level array formation, then either he was a core formation cultivator or a peak foundation building cultivator.

  His thoughts aligned with an old legend Bai Yunxi had once told him.

  "The story of Rift Valley City," Bai Yunxi murmured, excitement flickering in her emerald eyes.

  According to legend, Rift Valley City was founded centuries ago by two cultivators.

  But for unknown reasons, they eventually turned against each other, leading to a fatal conflict. One of them died, while the other fled northward.

  Some stories speak of that they found a treasure in the north and fought for that treasure.

  While some stories say that they fought each other after one person returned from the north but refused to share the secret map of a treasure.

  Many cultivators later searched for the secret treasures in the north of the Rift Valley, but they didn't find anything.

  Now, Su Kang understood why. The energy of this vein had been sealed, leaving no trace. Even if minor leaks occurred, the Qi would have dispersed into the river, escaping detection.

  Looking at her emerald eyes shining with excitement, he felt bitter for some reason. He had risked his life many times to get some spiritual items or treasures.

  This time he got a third-level spiritual vein without sweating even a drop. The lizard is equal to mid-stage foundation building, and the moonlight butterfly is at the peak of the second level.

  He could kill both of them together.This was extremely easy for him.

  Su Kang pondered the future implications of their discovery. A third-level spiritual vein was a rare thing. Jiang state didn't have any fourth-level spiritual veins. Third level spiritual veins were already the best veins.

  "Should we report this to the Su family?" Bai Yunxi whispered, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

  Su Kang nodded thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving the retreating figure of the moonlight butterfly.

  "You're right, Xi'er," he replied.

  "This spiritual vein could be a significant asset for our clan. It would surely strengthen our position."

  However, Su Kang knew that the path to prosperity was not without its perils. Building a city around the vein would be a declaration of their possession, but they were not yet ready to face the challenges that would come with such a claim.

  The Su family doesn't have enough members now. They have to collaborate with other families or sects to build a city around this place.

  Spiritual veins can't be removed from their place because it will damage the flow of spiritual energy under the earth.

  It will damage the spiritual vein and nearby spiritual veins as well. This can only be done by someone who has practiced and studied techniques related to Earth veins.

  This kind of technique is not found in the Jiang State, so he has no other option.

  Just then, Fate's voice echoed in his mind.

  "Can you give this spiritual vein to me?"

  Su Kang immediately understood Fate's intentions.

  Spiritual veins are considered an accumulation of blessing and luck, since they are formed slowly over the years.

  Nobody destroys spiritual veins, including beasts and humans.

  Destroying one is taboo.

  Even cultivators at war refuse to obliterate each other's spiritual veins, fearing the wrath of the Heavenly Dao.

  They might not be able to advance to the next realm forever, or they might perish in heavenly tribulations during the breakthrough.

  If Fate ended up destroying it, then Su Kang is afraid of the consequences. Even enemies don't destroy the spiritual veins of each other.