Chapter 53: The Demon Realm – Butterfly Valley

Everyone fell silent. Sang Chu knew what Lu Minli was worried about, so she said,

“I’ll use my wood ability to check. Don’t worry, as long as Yu doesn’t have any psychic powers, I should be able to sense it. If Yu really does have a psychic-type ability, then just wait for me to come back and confirm it.”

Yi replied, “Alright.”

The group carried the unconscious people back to their rooms and laid them on the beds. Then, using her wood ability, Sang Chu began to examine them one by one.

First was Xiuying. Strangely, her energy appeared as a small white square, all her energy condensed into this little cube.

Yu’s energy was just a palm-sized green object,

Vague and unclear—it was hard to tell exactly what it was.

Sang Chu checked Sang Jingwen as well. His energy was normal, nothing unusual in color or form.

Lu Minli had a brown object and a black one, which matched his abilities: brown for earth, black for his own innate skill.

Yi’s energy was a flame.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have Dr. Li’s special vision, or she could have analyzed more information.

After checking everyone, Lu Minli stared at Yu and said, “Yu probably doesn’t even know it himself, but he might have a wood-type ability. Anyway, aside from Ah Chu, now I have another wood-type user on my team.”

Sang Chu nodded, “As long as it’s not a psychic ability, there’s nothing to worry about. Psychic powers are important, they can enhance other abilities. You have to keep practicing, and you too, brother.”

Sang Jingwen said, “I know, little sister. You go treat Aunt first, I’ll take Yu to the other rooms, then we’ll talk.”

“Okay.”

After she finished treating everyone, Sang Chu finally sat by Xiuying’s side, gently extending a tendril of her wood ability into Xiuying’s body.

Tu You knew Sang Chu was about to travel through space, so he hopped around anxiously.

Just as Sang Chu finished healing, Tu You asked, “Ah Chu, are you buying your ticket now?”

“Yeah. What’s the maximum time I can stay?”

“You can only stay in one world for up to a year.”

“Then I’ll stay for a year. Go ahead and buy the ticket!”

“Alright, I’ll go check the tickets. Wait for me!”

With that, Tu You disappeared.

Sang Jingwen leaned against the door, looking at Sang Chu. “Sang Sang, you must be careful.”

“Don’t worry, brother, I’ll be fine. I’ll come back soon!”

Sang Jingwen looked at her with concern, stepped forward, and hugged her tightly. “You have to come back safe. Your brother will be waiting at home.”

“I know. If anything happens at the base, go to Lu Minli. He’s clever—talk things over with him.”

After a moment’s thought, Sang Chu whispered in his ear,

“Take care of yourself. No matter what happens, you’re the most important. If necessary, you can hide the base anywhere you need to.”

“Alright.”

……

Sang Chu and Tu You walked through a vast blue world, surrounded by countless blue-green stars within arm’s reach.

[What is this place?]

It was an unknown place, so Sang Chu didn’t dare speak openly with Tu You, only communicating privately.

Tu You seemed a bit tired and settled directly on Sang Chu’s shoulder. [This is Butterfly Valley in the demon realm.]

[Butterfly Valley? Like a checkpoint?]

[Something like that. Be careful—checkpoints like this are usually dangerous.]

Sang Chu nodded and proceeded cautiously.

She didn’t know how long she’d been walking,

But the road was still a straight path of blue-green starlight.

Sang Chu stopped, a bit confused. [Why is this Butterfly Valley not full of butterflies? It’s just this endless straight road of blue-green starlight.]

[I don’t know either. I only know Butterfly Valley got its name from the many butterflies that used to be here. It’s a very strange place in the demon realm.]

As he spoke, Tu You suddenly widened his eyes and pointed with his big ears. [Ah Chu, look! Is that a person over there?]

Sang Chu looked in the direction he indicated. [Looks like a person? Or maybe a corpse?]

She extended a vine toward the figure, checking for breath and pulse. [It’s a corpse. But how did he die in the middle of the road?]

[Ah Chu, look at what’s hanging from his waist!]

Sang Chu’s eyesight wasn’t as good as Tu You’s, so she couldn’t see clearly. She controlled the vine to reach for the waist, infusing it with her spiritual power.

[It’s a token.]

Tu You shouted excitedly, [Take it! Quick, take it!]

[What is it?]

Sang Chu was puzzled, but she took the token anyway. When she held it in her hand, she saw it was engraved with the character “Heaven.”

On the back of the token was a bamboo branch blooming with plum blossoms.

[This is a Heaven Token. As long as you have it, you can enter the demon realm directly without wandering outside. Since this guy died here, I’ll just go in as well, right?]

At this, Sang Chu couldn’t help but feel a chill. [But he died lying right here in the open!]

[You need a bit of an adventurous spirit. Besides, you have a wood ability—just change your appearance to look like a wood demon and you can get in. Or do you want to die of exhaustion on this road?]

Sang Chu hesitated for a moment, then covered herself with her wood ability, letting vines grow all over her body.

[Will this work?]

Tu You sniffed her and nodded, [But why don’t you have a demon scent?]

[I’m human, how could I have a demon scent?]

Sang Chu was speechless. Tu You said, [Just amplify your wood ability as much as possible. As long as you don’t have a human scent, you can probably bluff your way through!]

When people are desperate, they can only laugh. This big rabbit didn’t even know if he could be trusted—one moment he said she didn’t have a demon scent, the next he said as long as she didn’t have a human scent, it was fine.

[You better not be tricking me. If I die, you won’t have it easy either…]

Sang Chu muttered helplessly. She amplified her wood ability again, covering her whole body.

Suddenly,

The vines on her body began to bloom with clusters of small white flowers, and a faint fragrance wafted from her.

Tu You, upon smelling it, seemed intoxicated. He shrank down and curled up in the flowers, his voice dreamy: [Ah Chu, you smell so good…]

He took a deep breath, the sweet scent relaxing his whole body.

Sang Chu suddenly remembered Da Bai Jiao, who had once said she smelled nice. Was it because of these flowers?

But she hadn’t bloomed flowers before, had she?

Wasn’t it just that wood core?

Sang Chu thought for a moment, took the wood core in her hand, and absorbed it directly. [How about now? Any scent?]

Tu You was lost in the fragrance. [Even better… I can’t… I need to sleep for a bit. Be careful on your own!]"