The Illusory Flower Sea lies east of the Tianjue Mountain Range.
Year-round, the place is shrouded in seven-colored mist and a faint haze; the air carries a sweet, cloying, almost intoxicating floral scent.
Everywhere grow flowers of bizarre hues and uncanny shapes.
Some resemble human faces, others look like bells; when they sway in the breeze, it's as though whispers curl around your ears.
Any ordinary creature that sets foot inside will sink into an inescapable illusion within moments, ultimately becoming fodder for the blooms.
Deep within the sea of flowers, a colossal tree a hundred zhang tall stands silent and alone.
Beneath it, a giant butterfly over ten zhang long rests with its gorgeous wings folded, slumbering quietly.
Its wings are a deep, dark blue, layered with complex patterns woven of starlight and rainbow.
Simply looking at it makes the heart flutter and the eyes blur.
She is the Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly Emperor, the true Dominator of this floral Realm.
Yet at this moment, when she should be lost in sweet dreams, the Butterfly Emperor's long, elegant antennae trembled almost imperceptibly.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
What sort of eyes were they?
They seemed to hold every color in the world, so deep they were like doorways to countless dream Realms.
'They're here…'
An ethereal, gentle woman's voice, tinged with languor and caution, echoed through the heart of the sea.
A dreamlike radiance rippled across her vast form; as the light flowed, the giant butterfly's body shimmered and turned translucent.
The glow gathered, solidified, and finally became the figure of a stunning woman robed in seven-colored silk.
Barefoot beneath the great tree, her posture was graceful, her skin snow-white, her long, multicolored hair cascading like a living galaxy to her ankles.
At the center of her brow, a small, lifelike butterfly mark shimmered softly.
Her beauty was otherworldly, bewitching yet ethereal.
It was as though all the spirit of heaven and earth, and every dream, had been poured into her, yet she carried an awe one dared not profane.
The Butterfly Emperor lifted her chin slightly; those eyes, containing a myriad hues, seemed to pierce through layers of flowers and mist toward the western sky.
She could clearly 'see' three figures heading for the Illusory Flower Sea.
Leading them, a silver-haired woman whose aura was unfathomable sent a shiver of instinctive dread through her Soul.
The two following behind—she knew their auras only too well: Ink Scale and Fu Shan!
Judging by their deferential manner, they had clearly submitted.
'Two spineless things…'
The Butterfly Emperor's red lips parted; her voice remained ethereal but carried a note of disdain.
Yet she knew the scorn was mostly a cover for her own dread.
Anyone who could make those two bow so low must possess terrifying, unimaginable power.
'Fight? Flee? Or… negotiate?'
Her gaze flickered; countless thoughts flashed by in an instant.
Fight?
She would have no chance at all.
If the other could subdue Ink Scale and Fu Shan with ease, her own strength was far from enough.
Flee?
The Illusory Flower Sea was the Foundation she had cultivated for millennia; leaving would cripple her power, and where could she run?
Besides, if the visitor had come this far, they were surely well prepared.
It seemed… only negotiation remained.
While these thoughts raced through her mind, Gu Han, accompanied by Ink Scale and Fu Shan, had already reached the edge of the Illusory Flower Sea.
Before them stretched a boundless, kaleidoscopic expanse of flowers, dazzling yet lethally dangerous.
'Palace Lord, this is the Illusory Flower Sea,'
Ink Scale said respectfully, a trace of gravity in his eyes as he looked at the blooms.
'The Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly Emperor excels in illusion and spiritual attacks; her true body hides deep within. Ordinary methods can't find her.'
Fu Shan scratched his head and muttered,
'This gaudy place makes me dizzy just looking at it.'
Gu Han nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping calmly across the dreamlike landscape.
Her Ascension Realm Divine Sense spread out silently like the finest probe.
The natural illusions and mental interference in the sea were like morning mist under sunlight—easily pierced and dissolved.
She 'saw' the giant tree deep within and the woman already transformed and waiting beneath it.
'Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly Emperor…'
Gu Han murmured the name, a faint curve touching her lips.
'She does seem to have better sense than these two.'
She chose not to force her way in; instead, she stepped forward lightly.
With that single step, an intangible Dao-radiance quietly unfurled from her.
There was no earth-shaking roar, no radiance driving back the mist.
Yet the instant that Dao-radiance brushed past, the entire Illusory Flower Sea seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
Every bewitching bloom that had been swaying stopped at once.
The cloying sweetness in the air was cleansed, becoming fresh and natural.
Layer upon layer of the natural maze-like Formations rippled as if a stone had been cast into water—then melted away.
Not destruction, not confrontation, but a higher-order smoothing and setting right.
Like a supreme Dominator gently erasing the excess, distracting brushstrokes from a canvas.
Returning this world to its most primal and clearest state.
Deep within the flower sea, the Butterfly Emperor's delicate body shuddered violently!
For the first time, eyes that contained myriad colors showed incredulous terror!
Her mind was linked to the sea of flowers, and she could clearly sense the home-field advantage she had nurtured for thousands of years.
The natural illusory Formations and mental domains she prided herself on, capable of trapping and killing those of the same rank,
lost all their wonder in an instant, melting away like spring snow beneath one step of the other party.
This wasn't brute-force breaking; it was suppression and erasure on the level of rules themselves!
The opponent's strength had already reached a Realm she could neither imagine nor comprehend!
The gap was simply too vast!
So vast that even the last shred of hope of using the terrain to maneuver was utterly crushed.
Gu Han's voice, clear and serene, rang over the now "pristine" Illusory Flower Sea.
"This seat is Gu Han, master of the Yaochi Immortal Palace. Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly Emperor, will you show yourself?"
The Butterfly Emperor drew a deep breath; her exquisite features flickered through several emotions before settling into a resigned calm.
She knew the other had already "seen" her and had given her the chance to appear with dignity.
A flash of seven-colored light, and the Butterfly Emperor's figure was already above the flower sea, facing Gu Han from afar.
She stood barefoot upon the Void Realm, her seven-colored gown and long hair stirring without wind, breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet the innate charm and languor in her brows had been replaced by solemnity and awe.
The Butterfly Emperor inclined slightly, her voice ethereal and melodious:
"May I ask what instruction the Palace Master brings in visiting my humble flower sea?"
Her bearing was neither humble nor arrogant, preserving the dignity of a Demon King while clearly expressing respect for the strong.
A hint of admiration flickered in Gu Han's eyes.
This Butterfly Emperor was indeed smarter than the Ape King and better than the Flood-Dragon King at dealing with the mighty.
"Instruction is too strong a word."
Gu Han went straight to the point, her gaze settling on the Butterfly Emperor:
"This seat sees your extraordinary talent and peerless illusions, and feels an appreciation for such genius."
"Would you join my Immortal Palace as an Elder Protector?"
A bitter smile rose in the Butterfly Emperor's heart.
Could she say no?
The strength and methods displayed left her without even the thought of escape.
Refuse?
She feared the other would not give her the chance.
Besides… the Yaochi Immortal Palace?
A Sect she had never heard of, yet with such a terrifying Palace Master, its Foundation and prospects far exceeded imagination.
Joining such a Sect… might not be a bad thing?
After a whirl of thoughts, the Butterfly Emperor lifted her dream-like eyes toward Gu Han:
"May I ask what rules must be followed upon joining, and what might I gain?"
She asked directly, revealing her shrewdness.
Before absolute power there was little room to bargain, but she had to clarify duties and benefits.
Gu Han smiled faintly; this Butterfly Emperor was indeed astute.
"The Immortal Palace has its rules, which will be given to you later."
"As for what you will gain…"
A gleam flashed at Gu Han's fingertip, and a transparent, butterfly-shaped crystal suffused with hazy seven-colored light appeared.
"This is a 'dream illusion crystal', of great benefit to your cultivation—consider it a greeting gift."
This dream illusion crystal had just been recommended by the System based on the Butterfly Emperor's attributes, costing 500 mastery value.
It was a treasure for spiritual and illusion-type beings.
The Butterfly Emperor's gaze was instantly locked onto that crystal!
She could clearly feel the power within perfectly suited to her!
It was the treasure she had dreamed of, capable of pushing her Dao of Illusion to the next level!
The last trace of hesitation melted away before this crystal.
With both hands she accepted the floating dream illusion crystal, feeling its surging power; a genuine smile graced her exquisite face as she curtsied again:
"Butterfly Dance is willing to join the Yaochi Immortal Palace and obey the Palace Master's commands!"
Gu Han nodded and flicked out a spark of light, sending the Immortal Palace's information into her Sea of Consciousness.
"Since you have joined the palace, we are of the same Sect."
"From today you are an Elder of my Yaochi Immortal Palace, responsible for Sect Formations, illusion defenses, and Disciples' mental training."
"Yes, Palace Master."
Butterfly Dance answered respectfully and carefully stored away the dream illusion crystal.
Thus, the Three Great Demon Kings of the Wan Jue Mountain Range all came under the banner of the Yaochi Immortal Palace!
Gu Han felt rather pleased.
Each of the three had distinct strengths and promising potential; with a little cultivation they would become the future backbone of the Yaochi Immortal Palace.
"Let's go—return to the palace with me."
Gu Han flicked her sleeve, preparing to take the three back to the Yaochi Immortal Palace.
Yet at the instant she turned, her peripheral gaze seemed to sweep casually over an unremarkable cliff edge of the flower sea.
Her eyes lingered there for a moment, a faint glimmer flashing in their depths.
Then, as if she had noticed nothing, she stepped forward with the Three Great Demon Kings and vanished.