Three

"Yet basically, though don't forget I said this could be dangerous. Those butterflies are no joke, and there should be a dozen or so of sacred-blood ones. Unfortunately they're all inedible." Trying to reignite a bit of her interest in the adventure.

Descending the depths of the cave, a blue hue came into view. Coming closer they found a small ordinary flame butterfly. 

After noticing Ren it camakazied him dying and granting him a beast soul.

"Ordinary creature blue-flame butterfly killed Beast soul gained. Flesh inedible."

[ordinary creature blue-flame butterfly: beast soul type: boomerang]

Nodding they delved deeper, coming across some mutant butterflies and dozens of primitive butterflies.

"Ow, those mutant butterflies are hot even with this sacred-blood armor." Huangfu Jing complained.

Scoffing in amusement. "Then get ready for the sacred-blood ones." Ren replied.

A few steps forward, he sensed half a dozen sacred-blood creature's, knowing they were all butterflies. He nudged Huangfu Jing. "Stay back for a minute." 

Not wanting Huangfu Jing to engage in to dangerous situation, he step forward gaining the butterflies attention. 

Throwing a punch at each of them they were quickly dispatched releasing a burst of heat that scorched and even melted a lot of his armor.

He unsummoned the armor to recover temporarily.

"Sacred-blood creature blue-flame butterfly killed Beast soul gained. Flesh inedible."

Gaining two out of the six beast souls, he ushered back to Huangfu Jing, getting the all clear.

"Wow that was quick and really hot even from that distance." She spoke, getting a partially strange lol from Ren.

She blushed furiously, realizing another meaning her words could hold. "That's not what I meant!" She re-stated trying to fix her previous words.

"Heh, I know what you meant. You're the one who thought differently." Ren smiled mischievously, slightly aggravating her in a friendly manner.

They continued down the cave. Sensing an abnormality of heat ahead, Huangfu Jing stopped, while Ren continued both knowing an abundance of butterflies were clumped together.

Seeing the brightness of the butterflies he saw hundreds of butterflies of all different levels feeding on a corpse of a giant sand worm.

Noting all the sacred-blood butterflies he cycled his body strengthening geno art, darting at his targets he successfully dispatched eight out of the ten sacred-blood butterfly's in a burst of heat of each bitterly dozens of primitive and ordinary butterflies died under the overwhelming heat, while the rest were unharmed.

Now holding the combined focus of the now close to forty butterfly's he focused on defending himself from the sacred-blood butterflies and some of the mutant ones that where aiming at vital points.

Dispatching each and everyone as they kamikazed him at the cost of his armor now in shambles.

Just when he was sighing in relief cycling a geno art that helped cool him down. An intense blue light made its presence known.

Widening his eyes this time in fear, realizing this was a blue-flamed butterfly super creature. He was not confident in the least at being able to take the brunt of a kamikaze blow from super creature.

Also knowing he couldn't escape from its pursuit he yelled in a desperate tone, he growled noticing Huangfu Jing was exiting her hiding place while cycling his body strengthening passed its limits. "Huangfu Jing, Run!"

Not understanding his words until she felt the heat greater than she had ever felt before threatening to melt her skin and boil her blood standing dozens of meter away from the scene. She didn't need to be told to run as her survival instinct took control of her body forcing her to run for her life.

As they collided Ren summoned every single beast soul he owned in a desperate last stand.

Feeling his armor getting obliterated, summoning another they kept getting obliterated, so he kept summoning till he had no more.

His flesh was close to melting straight off his bones.

The nightmare-cat was taking its fair share of the damage shrieking and spasming like crazy. 

The heat slowly died down and he was still alive, laying on the ground appearing as a corpse with his organs and bones exposed all over. 

He was slowly healing due to his geno arts.

"Super creature blue-flame butterfly killed. Beast soul gained. Flesh inedible. Life essence available."

Huangfu Jing not realizing she reached the end of the cave despite still feeling intense heat fell onto the sand, realizing Ren was still down in the cave and not understanding why he stayed. She contemplated going back down to check on him. Deeply concerned of his condition but the heat still remained and a moment later an even more terrifying wave of heat exited the cave like a shockwave, she took a step back.

Finally feeling the heat die down. She begun descending the cave again to check if Ren was even alive, though the remaining heat slowed her progress down no matter her perseverance.

Taking hours longer to reach Ren, she witnessed the destruction and Ren though instead of on the brink of death, dead or entirely destroyed.

He sat in meditation, completely naked but completely fine. He almost appeared evolved just like the shura she witnessed evolve.

In fact he did, sorta. With more than half of his body destroyed but living and healing. He craved energy to continue the healing process, but in a environment surrounded by rocks and dust. His body transformed infused with his bodystenghing and regeneration techniques finding a way to absorb nutrients from the desolate earth and air. His body connected with the life essence of the blue-flamed butterfly, the life essence of the demon creature he previously killed and the residual energy from the other corpse of butterflies despite their inevitable aspect it's nutrients remained degenerating into the earth and air.

Ren grasped the energy in a subconscious flow state, his body was rebuilt harvesting all the energy in a small radius.

Feeling another collision with no malicious intent, he slowly opened his eyes noticing Huangfu Jing hugging his body in tears. "You idiot! What happened!? I was so concerned!"

Grabbing her waist, trying to comfort her he took note of all his beast souls being destroyed except for a few useless outliers and thankfulling the super nightmare-cat, albeit almost dead, but recovering in his soul space.

He spoke in a lighthearted mood. "Heh, I'm fine. Better than fine actually with a little beauty clinging to my nude body." He teased.