Chapter 815: Transformation

Mortal World

Three days later, Qin Sang flew out of Quheng Island. He weighed the jade token in his hand and smiled faintly.

Holding spirit stones, the young cultivator led him to meet the 'senior'. That 'senior' was merely an early Core Formation cultivator, unable to see through his disguise. This person was also greedy; upon seeing the spirit stones, he immediately agreed to Qin Sang's request. The so-called management positions were not as glamorous as the young cultivator had described; those available for direct intervention involved struggling small islands or arduous duties like patrol guard.

The 'senior' presented several locations for Qin Sang to choose from, and he immediately set his sights on a small island called Nandu Island. The island had only one mortal city and a single mountain suitable for a cave dwelling, but its advantage was its proximity to Liangqiu Island.

"We're here!"

Qin Sang arrived at Nandu Island. After sensing the surroundings, he noted that the spiritual energy was indeed not very dense, but it was still much better than that of the barren islands. Near Quheng Island, any island with a spirit vein had already been claimed.

Soon, he appeared above the sole city. Looking up at the green mountain behind the city, he flickered repeatedly, entering the mountain. Within the mountain was a protective spirit array that, when activated, could shield the entire city from storms. Currently, the spirit array only covered the mountain peak, surrounded by a thin mist. Qin Sang swept his divine sense across it, detecting cultivators' aura inside. He then infused his true essence into the jade token.

'Buzz!'

The jade token vibrated, and the protective spirit array responded. The cultivators inside detected the anomaly and flew out of their cave dwellings, arriving at the array's entrance.

"Only one Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, the rest are Qi Refinement stage..."

Qin Sang saw through their cultivation levels at a glance. He offered a jade slip and courteously said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. This humble Daoist's name is Mingyue. I have been assigned to guard Nandu Island. As I'm new here, I hope for your continued guidance. May I ask which one of you is Daoist Ma Yu?"

The Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator was a middle-aged man with a square face. Hearing Qin Sang's words, his expression darkened. He sternly took the jade slip, and after reading it, stiffly said, "I am Ma Yu. Since Daoist Mingyue has arrived by order, what instructions do you have?"

Sensing the inexplicable hostility, Qin Sang smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, "Daoist Ma Yu, you're overstating things. This humble Daoist merely sought a peaceful place to cultivate, but was reluctantly assigned here; as a person of little consequence, I had no choice but to comply. I'll rely on you to manage the island's affairs. Should you need any assistance, this humble Daoist will certainly cooperate."

Ma Yu glanced deeply at Qin Sang, his expression softening slightly. "Actually, there aren't many duties on the island. There happens to be an empty cave dwelling; Daoist Mingyue, please follow me..."

After Qin Sang indicated he only wished to cultivate diligently, Ma Yu's attitude softened considerably. They dismissed the others and walked while talking.

"As this humble Daoist is new here, I wonder if there are any powerful cultivators in seclusion nearby, or Daoists of extraordinary origins that one should be wary of?" Qin Sang tentatively asked.

Ma Yu pointed southeast, beyond the island, and whispered, "The nearby islands are all occupied by rogue cultivators like us, so there's no need to be cautious about them, except for one place. About a hundred *li* from here is Liangqiu Island. Although it's not large, it possesses a high-grade spirit vein and is occupied by a senior named Luo. Senior Luo is extremely powerful and of mysterious origin; it's best not to disturb him, lest you invite unforeseen calamity."

Qin Sang gazed intently, but couldn't see Liangqiu Island from his current position. Feigning surprise, he asked Ma Yu about the relevant rumors. Ma Yu assigned Qin Sang a cave dwelling in the back mountain.

After entering the cave dwelling, he first took out some spirit stones to set up a spirit-gathering array, then summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was now palm-sized. The Heavenly Eye patterns on its wings appeared increasingly lifelike, as if two real eyes were about to open. As its wings flapped, faint electric arcs flickered, a manifestation of its lightning control ability. Because of the electric arcs, its wings looked much sturdier, like metal.

Just now, Qin Sang had noticed an unusual movement from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly on the way. Now, upon summoning it, he confirmed that it had indeed reached the peak of its second transformation and was ready for metamorphosis and advancement! Had it not been for its five-year slumber due to mutation, it would have already transformed before entering the Seven Kills Hall.

Qin Sang's face showed delight. After playing with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for a while, he took out a jade bottle and poured out a few drops of Red Fire Gilt. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly joyfully circled his palm, feasting greedily. After consuming the Red Fire Gilt, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly clung to his finger, feeling drowsy, but showed no signs of metamorphosis. Qin Sang knew that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly wouldn't advance as easily as the Fat Silkworm. He still had more than half a bottle of Red Fire Gilt left, so he wasn't in a hurry and decided to feed it gradually.

Afterward, Qin Sang settled down on Nandu Island. Every night, he would, without fail, draw upon the power of the Zhou Tian constellations to refine his body. During the day, he often roamed around, befriending cultivators on nearby islands and secretly inquiring about Luo Daotong. Every ten days, he fed the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Unbeknownst to him, he had already been on Nandu Island for almost half a year.

After continuous feeding of Red Fire Gilt, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly finally showed signs of metamorphosis, and the Red Fire Gilt in his hand was almost depleted.

On this day, after consuming the spiritual liquid, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's wings suddenly burst with dazzling lightning. Qin Sang, quick-witted, set up a barrier. He saw the Heavenly Eye Butterfly fluttering up and down in the air, electric arcs growing denser. Simultaneously, the patterns on its wings began to writhe, and its eyes slowly split open a crack!

'Swish!'

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew back to Qin Sang's palm, its body trembling violently, emitting a faint whimper. At this moment, electric arcs were wildly impacting the 'eyes' on its wings. While the mutation had brought benefits, granting it lightning control, it also subjected it to undue danger during advancement. Qin Sang realized that this was the final step of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's mutation; the previous changes were merely superficial. Only if its innate divine ability and lightning control ability could merge would it truly transform into a Thunder Butterfly. Should it fail, it would likely perish, and Qin Sang's decades of effort would be ruined.

Feeling the pain it conveyed, Qin Sang was distraught. He immediately sat cross-legged, communicated with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's consciousness to comfort it, and fully helped it overcome this tribulation. Fortunately, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was his Natal Gu worm. With Qin Sang's full assistance, sparing no true essence and vital blood, it finally passed the most perilous stage, and its condition gradually stabilized. With its wings folded, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly fell into a deep sleep.

Eventually, the 'eyes' fully opened, resembling a pair of true Heavenly Eyes capable of peering into hearts. The electric arcs vanished, completely merging into the 'eyes', and the 'pupils' turned silver, adding a touch of divine power. Qin Sang couldn't guess what the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's divine ability would ultimately become, but he was certain it would only grow stronger, not weaker. He watched for a while, sensing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's aura. He distinctly felt that during the process of helping it overcome the tribulation, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had grown closer to him. This closeness was heartfelt, different from the binding of a contract.

The metamorphosis would be completed during its sleep, requiring some time. Qin Sang put it back into his Dantian and continued with his own affairs.