Chapter 816: Astonishing Ability

Mortal Realm

Over half a year, Qin Sang had gathered most of the information he needed.

Cultivators near Liangqiu Island held Luo Daotong in great awe, yet very few had actually seen him. Luo Daotong had made only a handful of appearances and rarely left Liangqiu Island. Unlike Sect Master Hanhai, Luo Daotong was a solitary figure; he never took disciples, didn't socialize with friends, and avoided involvement in power struggles. This made Qin Sang feel his task was very difficult.

He had repeatedly spied on Liangqiu Island from afar, observing strange lights shimmering on the island, clearly indicating powerful protective spirit formations. His only chance seemed to be waiting for Luo Daotong to leave the island himself. The timing was unpredictable, and Qin Sang couldn't possibly float on the sea indefinitely, waiting; he could easily miss his opportunity. What Qin Sang had in abundance was patience. He cultivated while simultaneously devising a plan.

Before he knew it, another three months had passed.

Late at night, Qin Sang sat cross-legged in front of his cave dwelling, drawing upon the power of the stars to temper his body. A faint starlight shimmered on his skin, which glowed with a subtle sheen. Suddenly, something startled him awake, and he looked down at his dantian. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had awakened! A look of joy spread across Qin Sang's face as he released the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.

After its metamorphosis, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly appeared even more ethereal as it flew, circling Qin Sang, its form flickering in and out of sight, like a dream under the starlight. Aside from the patterns on its wings, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's form hadn't significantly changed, but its aura had clearly grown stronger. A third-transformation Heavenly Eye Butterfly!

Feeling the affection emanating from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang smiled widely and activated his spiritual sense to communicate with it. According to ancient records, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly would gain "Heavenly Eye" divine abilities after its third transformation, which were said to be very powerful, though not precisely described. Naturally, Qin Sang was very curious. As it was his natal insect, communication was effortless.

Crack! Lightning suddenly erupted from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's wings, turning them both silver-white, as if bathed in thunder. Then, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly sharply flapped its wings, and a bolt of white lightning, as thick as an arm, shot out. Boom! A large bluestone in front of the cave dwelling was struck by the lightning, instantly shattering, and a large pit appeared on the mountain wall, causing the ground to shake a few times.

"Not bad!" Qin Sang felt the power of the lightning and nodded slightly. He had initially thought that after its metamorphosis, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly would possess strength comparable to cultivators of the same realm, but now it seemed slightly less, as this wasn't its innate lightning-controlling divine ability. However, it was more than sufficient for self-preservation; at least, he wouldn't have to worry about it dying unexpectedly.

The lightning strike startled the other cultivators on the mountain, waking them from their meditation, and they came out to investigate. Qin Sang's and Ma Yu's cave dwellings were both at the mountain peak, not far apart, occupying the two best locations on the spiritual vein. Ma Yu was also disturbed and emerged from his cave dwelling, his expression uncertain and surprised.

At this moment, Qin Sang was surprised to discover that he could directly see Ma Yu's figure through the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The cloud-mist barrier created by Ma Yu's cave dwelling's protective spirit formation was virtually nonexistent before the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Although Ma Yu's cultivation was limited and the spirit formation wasn't particularly powerful, Qin Sang wouldn't have been able to see through it directly with his naked eyes without resorting to special infiltration methods. "Is this the Heavenly Eye's ability? It can see directly through illusions!" Qin Sang glanced sideways.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly hovered in the air, the pupils of the eyes on its wings actually moving, their irises silver-white, appearing incredibly lifelike. "Daoist Master Mingyue, what happened?" Ma Yu stepped out of his spirit formation, looked around, found nothing unusual, then approached Qin Sang's cave dwelling and asked loudly. Qin Sang observed his every move.

"This humble Daoist was too hasty during cultivation, leading to an unexpected mishap. I didn't mean to alarm you all. My spiritual power is currently unstable, so please forgive me for not being able to come out and greet you for now..." Qin Sang explained.

"Daoist Master, are you unharmed? If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to say so." Ma Yu asked with concern. Qin Sang had been there for less than a year, but they got along very well. Qin Sang's nature was detached and he avoided struggles for power or gain, so Ma Yu's attitude towards him had steadily improved.

"Fortunately, I discovered it in time; there's no serious harm. Thank you for your concern, fellow Daoist." With a few words, Qin Sang sent them away, all the while keeping the Heavenly Eye Butterfly focused on Ma Yu's movements, for he had made another astonishing discovery!

Ma Yu suspected nothing, dismissed the others, and returned to his own cave dwelling. As Ma Yu opened his protective spirit formation and entered, Qin Sang held his breath, his mind connected to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, staring intently at the formation. Before long, Qin Sang exhaled slowly, his eyes shining with surprise and delight as he looked at the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. "What powerful ability! Not only can it see through illusions, but it can also discern the weaknesses of spirit formations and restrictions!"

Qin Sang was completely taken aback, having never expected the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's abilities to be so potent. Just now, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had effortlessly seen through the flaws in Ma Yu's cave dwelling's protective spirit formation, discovering a way to break it. Qin Sang's own understanding of restrictions was already quite good, but he couldn't achieve such ease. The most astonishing part was that this wasn't due to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's deep comprehension of restrictions and spirit formations; it was purely instinctive and innate talent. This was the true ability of the Heavenly Eye! It would be equally effective against those mysterious and complex ancient spirit formations and old restrictions! Of course, this wasn't a top-tier spirit formation. Currently, its cultivation was insufficient, and its abilities limited. Against more complex and powerful formations, its performance certainly wouldn't be this astonishing.

"Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Heavenly Eye Butterfly... Is this why it can be ranked alongside those rare insects that only exist in legends? This ability is terrifying, far more useful than Fat Silkworm's anti-poison carapace. Once it undergoes another metamorphosis, with its help, he would have a chance to find ways to break the mysterious ancient restrictions and spirit formations in the secret realms of the cultivation world. However, cultivating the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was incredibly difficult. For anyone else, it would be impossible to wait for the day the Heavenly Eye Butterfly reached its third transformation throughout their entire life. The Crimson Gold Vine was also rare and precious in ancient times. Nearly eighty percent of the Crimson Fire Gold Fluid from one spiritual fruit went into the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's stomach, just to help it break through to the third transformation. In contrast, the Fat Silkworm had advanced after consuming just a few drops. If it were left to advance on its own, it would probably take an impossibly long time. There was very little Crimson Fire Gold Fluid left, so the hope of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly breaking through to the fourth transformation could only be described as slim. Without a miraculous encounter, the long wait alone would be enough to induce despair."

Qin Sang suppressed the excitement in his heart, refrained from idle fantasies, and stabilized his mental state. His initial intention in subduing and cultivating this natal insect was to raise a spiritual insect at the peak of its third transformation, to provide assistance when he formed his Nascent Soul. Having successfully helped the Heavenly Eye Butterfly advance to its third transformation, the task was largely complete; anything further would be a pleasant surprise.

Afterward, Qin Sang, unable to put it down, kept his mind connected to the insect, continuing to explore its abilities. The metamorphosed Heavenly Eye Butterfly possessed higher intelligence and could communicate simply with Qin Sang, acting as flexibly as an extension of himself.

An hour later, Qin Sang made a brief appearance outside, then directly departed from Nandu Island. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's abilities had made him consider another possibility: if he could decipher Liangqiu Island's protective spirit formation, he might be able to directly land on the island.