After trying for ages, utterly exhausted, Robert Carter didn’t even produce a single spark. I was just about to give up, but then I thought—if I can’t even manage this, how can I ever hope to achieve my grand ambition of touching every inch of Charlotte Harris’s body? I steadied myself, stretched my limbs, and gradually relaxed.

Focusing my mind at the center of my brow, my spirit became as clear as a lake.

I gazed at Robert Carter, its color redder than blood, vivid and dripping, as if awakening from a long slumber.

The meridians in my body trembled; Robert Carter was connected to my very lifeblood. For the first time, I felt that it was me, and I was it.

It was as if, long ago, it had always been with me, inseparable.

I slowly raised Robert Carter.

I seemed to hear its excited roar.

All these years, you must have been lonely.

You must have been waiting for me.

Waiting for me to raise you.

Waiting for me to awaken you.

Waiting for me to ride the winds and clouds with you!

I! Roared to the heavens!

Sixteen years of youthful memories turned into a cry of unwillingness! My blood was boiling! My spirit was wild! I! Am the Dragon-Butterfly Demon King of the Northern Realm!

Robert Carter slashed out with a howl.

The lake surged forward with five fierce waves of energy, crimson flames bursting forth, blooming in the water like a dazzling firework.

The blazing flames did not extinguish upon meeting water; instead, they shone even brighter!

I burst out laughing. If Olivia Harris tries to hit me with flower petals again, I’ll use Robert Carter to burn them to ashes. Might as well burn her Daoist robe along with them. Heh, I wonder what Olivia Harris looks like with nothing on?

Climbing ashore, I enjoyed a delicious meal of snake soup. In the days that followed, aside from diving into the lake to hunt fish and shrimp, I devoted myself to training with Robert Carter. Sometimes I was so tired I wanted to give up, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through. The flames spewed by Robert Carter gradually grew stronger, and in the end, I could conjure a blazing fireball with just a thought.

“What’s the use of perfecting the Dragon-Butterfly Claw?” Charlotte Harris lounged beside me, lazily saying, “You still can’t escape the heavenly tribulation.”

I shot flames from Robert Carter, roasting a spiny fish as I replied, “I’m not a Dragon-Butterfly. Just because it couldn’t escape the tribulation doesn’t mean I can’t.”

Charlotte Harris giggled, “Such big talk. I’ll be watching. But if you die early, the three of us will finally be free.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t die so easily before I’ve had my fun with you.” I said grumpily, crushing a few yellow pancake fruits into powder and sprinkling it over the fish. Though pancake fruit is salty and astringent, once dried it can be used as a seasoning, just like salt. Over these days, I’d figured out the taste and properties of every fruit in the forest. Once the fish was done, I picked up a purple berry, squeezed out a few drops of its sweet and sour juice, and spread it over the golden fish to remove the fishy smell.

Charlotte Harris extended her long, supple tongue, gently sliding it, “It looks delicious.”

Beauty, your fragrant tongue must taste even better. I thought to myself, but said aloud, “Of course. Back in Luoyang, my beggar’s chicken was top-notch—the aroma would draw stray dogs from three miles away. Well? Want to try some?”

Charlotte Harris shook her head, “I’m a vegetarian.”

“Oh, since you can’t be touched by men, you’re basically a nun. Makes sense to eat vegetarian.”

“That’s not it. They say vegetarianism can reduce the dangers of the heavenly tribulation.”

I cried out in surprise, “Huh? Is that true?”

Charlotte Harris said, “Look at Olivia Harris and Mary Clark—are either of them meat-eaters? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. With your meager demon power, even if you go vegetarian, you still can’t avoid the tribulation.”

I was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, “Will Olivia Harris, Mary Clark, and you also face the heavenly tribulation?”

Charlotte Harris nodded, “Cultivating humans face a minor tribulation every twenty years, a heavenly tribulation every two hundred years, and a profound tribulation every two thousand years.”

I laughed gloatingly, “Ha! So you all have to face tribulations too—not much better off than me. Meat or no meat, I’m going to feast on fish and meat every day, and I’ll outlive you all!”

Suddenly, the sky darkened, black clouds gathered, and with a thunderous crash, torrential rain poured down. I quickly grabbed the spiny fish and darted into a wooden hut by the lakeshore.

This hut was built by me, chopping down trees. It was crude, with a bed made of boulders, ropes twisted from bark, woven into mats and blankets, and a dozen clay pots stacked in the corner, filled with my homemade fruit wine. Strings of dried fruits in all colors hung from the eaves.

Charlotte Harris followed me in; she seemed to have become my shadow lately. I shot a fierce glance at Charlotte Harris’s round, perky hips—such a shame, nice to look at but untouchable.

The rain fell in dense sheets, white mist rising from the lakeshore. The snow lotus petals closed on their own, wrapping around Olivia Harris, as if she were melting into the vast misty waters. Mary Clark stood motionless on the shore, not a drop of water touching her. Rain fell three feet above her head, as if blocked by an invisible giant umbrella, never reaching her.

“Damn, Mary Clark is awesome!” I said enviously. “Is that the so-called Armor Art?”

Charlotte Harris snorted, “Mary Clark’s Armor Art comes from the orthodox lineage. She’s also the chief Valkyrie of the Sea Palace of the Meridian Arts, so of course she’s got skills.”

I’d heard from Charlotte Harris that the Sea Palace of the Meridian Arts was a famous Armor Art sect in the Northern Realm, very powerful. I just hadn’t expected Mary Clark to be the Valkyrie there.