Overcoming its fear, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly gently flapped its wings and descended to the ground before Qin Sang, revealing her true form.
From a petite, dainty butterfly, she instantly transformed into a giant swallowtail. The magnificent patterns resembling phoenix plumes upon her wings were breathtakingly gorgeous; every time Qin Sang beheld them, he could not help but be struck with awe.
Her long tail streamers trailed against the ground, stretching all the way to the entrance—the cave dwelling was nearly too small to contain her.
Her wings slowly opened and closed as a wondrous light beamed from her heavenly eyes, converging in the air into a halo that enveloped the energy.
Qin Sang ceased his cultivation to watch the butterfly's developments.
The halo was highly unstable, teetering and stumbling as it brought the energy back to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's side.
The butterfly had already raised her wings upright, trapping that stream of energy right between her two heavenly eyes, which then devoured it bit by bit.
Throughout this swallowing process, the butterfly trembled all over, clearly enduring no small struggle.
Qin Sang could sense that she had not yet absorbed this energy.
Though a spirit insect, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could not absorb it directly either. Relying on the natural counter her heavenly eyes held against the Immortal Fat Bee-Dragon, she could only seal the energy within them and then undergo a refining process.
This process would likely be even slower than his own.
Upon realizing this, Qin Sang chuckled. Fortunately, he was in no hurry to refine the Near-Dragon Saliva and had plenty of time to accommodate the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's needs.
"Once she absorbs the energy of a fifth-transformation spirit insect, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly should undergo some promising changes, right?"
Looking at her, Qin Sang was filled with anticipation.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had always been a source of concern for him.
Drawing on past experience, before reaching the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage and attempting to break through the Deity Transformation bottleneck, he would need to raise his essence, qi, spirit, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly all to their peak.
Divine sense would certainly be the fastest to meet the requirements.
For body refinement, he had the Heavenly Demon Refining Form; as long as he invested the necessary time, it would eventually reach that level.
The most troublesome was the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Her cultivation progressed far too slowly and remained tepid. Had she not acquired the Spirit Ascension Sacrificial Secret Art in Hundred Flowers Valley, she might still be stuck at the early fourth transformation to this day.
At long last, she had found an opportunity!
Man and insect sat facing each other.
Inside the cave dwelling, each attended to their own business without disturbing the other.
……
Qin Sang seemed to have forgotten about the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip.
Once plunged into cultivation, one lost all track of the months and years.
A month after the treasure exchange ended, Jiang Mu had sent a voice transmission talisman, and later sent people twice more. Seeing that the talismans remained trapped in the restrictions at the entrance of the cave dwelling, he disturbed Qin Sang no further.
In the blink of an eye, ten years went by.
The restrictions of the cave dwelling, silent for ten years, suddenly stirred with unusual ripples as a figure slowly stepped out.
Ten years of arduous cultivation.
Qin Sang had gained complete control over the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net, and his progress with the Golden Lotus of Fire Seeds was also remarkable. He was preparing to begin refining the source of demonic fire, with great prospects for success and a promising future ahead.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation was also steadily advancing as she absorbed the Near-Dragon Saliva.
Everything was progressing toward the better.
Thinking of his avatar, Qin Sang decided to return to the Qingxu Phantasm to check on its progress. Stepping out of the cave dwelling feeling refreshed, he saw points of light glittering within the barrier conjured by the restrictions.
Dozens of varied voice transmission talismans were trapped by the protective barrier, hovering motionlessly.
Qin Sang beckoned with his hand. The barrier vanished, and the talismans trembled slightly before flying into his palm one after another.
The vast majority contained useless information.
Some were from cultivators he had befriended at Feiyundu, inviting him to discuss the Dao or explore secret realms in search of treasures.
Qin Sang skimmed through them quickly, picked out the one from Jiang Mu, read it, and swiftly made his way toward Area B.
Area B was the hub where merchant chambers gathered, and Six Prefectures Hall was no exception.
Traffic bustled before the entrance of Six Prefectures Hall.
Qin Sang made no attempt to conceal himself. Just as he reached the front of the hall, Jiang Mu hurried out with a rueful smile, bowing in greeting. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you kept me in the dark so thoroughly!"
They had met back at Yanshuixu, and Qin Sang had never revealed his true cultivation in front of him.
Jiang Mu had rated Qin Sang as highly as he could, thinking he was at most at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. He never imagined that Qin Sang was actually an unknown Great Cultivator.
"You never asked, Fellow Daoist, so it can hardly be called concealment," Qin Sang replied with a smile, returning the courtesy.
Jiang Mu shook his head repeatedly and gestured with an inviting hand, guiding Qin Sang inside Six Prefectures Hall.
Qin Sang had thought Jiang Mu would probe indirectly about his identity. The world's Great Cultivators all had renown and recognized names; the sudden emergence of one whose origin was unknown would inevitably arouse curiosity.
After the treasure exchange ended, Qin Sang had counter-killed the crocodile demon using little-known divine abilities as well.
Six Prefectures Hall was bound to draw connections.
Jiang Mu, however, was tactful enough not to utter a single word about it, instead bringing up the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip on his own initiative. "Ten years ago, the junior of our hall followed your instructions, Fellow Daoist Qin, and successfully bid on the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip. It has been kept in Jiang's care ever since. I take it you are here to collect the treasure?"
"Indeed."
Qin Sang came straight to the point as well. "Has your hall uncovered the origin of the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip?"
Jiang Mu sighed. "This request of yours truly put us in a difficult spot... Please follow me, and you will understand."
Dismissing the attendants, Jiang Mu led Qin Sang into the inner hall. Winding through several covered corridors, they reached a secluded courtyard and knocked on the door of one of the meditation chambers.
"What are you knocking for! As if you wouldn't come in if I told you not to!" A shout came from inside, thick with annoyance.
Jiang Mu smiled faintly and pushed the door open. "This old man was only worried about disturbing your quiet cultivation, young friend."
Qin Sang stepped inside after him.
The meditation chamber was not large, visible at a single glance.
This was a forge room equipped for refining artifacts. Because Feiyundu hung suspended over the lake, it did not draw upon a subterranean fire vein, but rather a special spiritual fire specifically meant for artifact refinement.
The flame seed was a dusky yellow flame, chosen for its mildness and ease of control.
Shelves along the wall held a number of jade slips, ancient volumes, and spiritual materials for artifact refinement.
There was only one long-haired young man in the room, possessing a mid-Core Formation cultivation. In Zhongzhou, he could be considered a decent expert, yet unkempt as he was, he sat carelessly on the floor clutching an ancient tome.
When they entered, the young man did not even lift his head. Speaking to Jiang Mu without the slightest courtesy, he sneered, "Much obliged for your concern, Senior Jiang! This truly is a wonderful place for 'quiet cultivation'! After keeping your young master locked up here for ten years, you finally remembered me? Have you figured out how to torment me yet?"
To this day, he still could not fathom how he had offended Six Prefectures Hall.
Knowing that escape was hopeless and that he had no chance of defying Six Prefectures Hall alone, he simply indulged in venting his frustrations.
Jiang Mu took no offense, gazing at the young man with a smile. "Over these ten years, not only have we gifted you numerous artifact-refining manuals, young friend, but we also provided various spiritual materials for you to hone your craft, even purchasing your finished works at high prices. We can hardly be said to have mistreated you, can we?"
The young man slammed the book down and snapped furiously, "Ten years of imprisonment for no rhyme or reason! If you were in my shoes, Senior Jiang, would you take it lying down? The world claims Six Prefectures Hall conducts business with integrity, but who knew you were all sanctimonious hypocrites, bullying me just because I'm a rogue cultivator with no backing!"
"Fellow Daoist Qin, this young friend Shen Chen is the owner of the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip, and he refined it with his own hands,"
Jiang Mu said, making way for Qin Sang.
Having learned that Qin Sang was a Great Cultivator, Six Prefectures Hall had dared not be negligent. After careful weighing and analysis, they judged that Qin Sang's goal was the treasure and would not escalate things beyond control.
Paying a small price to curry favor with a Great Cultivator was well worth it.
Thus, they had secretly sent people to track down the owner of the whip and brought him to Feiyundu.
The young man froze, staring at Qin Sang in shock and suspicion. Only then did he realize that the one behind his predicament was not Six Prefectures Hall, but this mysterious stranger.
Six Prefectures Hall was actually carrying out this man's bidding—just who was he?
Qin Sang was somewhat surprised.
The young man's cultivation was lower than he had expected, appearing to have entered the mid-Core Formation stage not long ago. When he refined the whip, his cultivation must have been lower still.
Qin Sang had assumed the creator of the whip would be at least in the late Core Formation stage!
Unless one possessed extraordinary talent, an artifact refiner's skill was closely tied to their cultivation base.
The Demon Binding Rope was capable of suppressing the Jade Bone Devil.
Even though the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip merely drew upon a portion of the rope fragment's power without touching the core spirit formation, for a young man like him to forge a complete, functional magic treasure was remarkable in itself.
"Where did you obtain the meteoric iron fragment on the whip?" Qin Sang asked Shen Chen directly, without dodging Jiang Mu.
Seeing this, Jiang Mu stepped aside.
He too was deeply curious about what kind of treasure this meteoric iron could be to nearly cause a Great Cultivator to lose his composure.
After the treasure exchange, the hall master and others had scrutinized the whip repeatedly through formal hearings, but could only determine that the fragment was extraordinary and dated back before this era—unable to glean anything more.
Qin Sang's tone was mild.
Yet Shen Chen felt an inexplicable dread toward him. Knowing his life and death hung in this man's hands, he dared not act as insolently as before, answering obediently, "In the southern part of Manzhou, inside a sinkhole."
At this point, Jiang Mu interjected, "We sent people to Manzhou. The sinkhole lies not far from the South Sea. They found no other fragments nearby, but according to our analysis, that sinkhole does not appear to be naturally formed."
He watched Qin Sang's expression as he spoke.
"There are two conjectures. First, it may genuinely have been extraterrestrial meteoric iron crashing from the heavens, blasting out the sinkhole upon impact. Second, mighty beings may have battled nearby in the past, altering the terrain, and the iron was merely a shard of some peculiar treasure that shattered. We lean toward the second theory. Legends have long persisted that an earth-shattering battle once took place across the two southern Man prefectures, reducing them to the scarred wasteland seen today..."
The two southern Man prefectures again!
Qin Sang's heart stirred.
Fragments of the Demon Binding Rope had ended up in Manzhou.
The Cult of the Gu God preached their doctrine throughout the two southern Man prefectures, describing the South Sea Immortal Palace as the Pure Void Immortal Realm.
There were indeed many secrets buried in those two southern Man prefectures!
His avatar still carried the Gu God Token bestowed by the Cult of the Gu God.
Earlier, his true body had been at a crucial juncture of breakthrough, and later his avatar had entered secluded cultivation to practice the Ice Soul Divine Light, leaving him unable to spare the time to contact the cult. Perhaps it was time to actively reach out to them?
The thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. Showing no reaction on his face, he raised his left hand, spiritual light wreathing his fingertips as he drew rune after rune in the air, forming the outline of a spirit formation.
This was the spirit formation his Senior Sister and Bai had comprehended to aid in activating the Demon Binding Rope, of which Qin Sang displayed only a small fraction.
"Recognize this?" Qin Sang asked the young man.
Shen Chen looked up and stared at the formation for a moment. His jaw dropped wider and wider, his eyes glued to it in sheer fascination, completely forgetting to reply.
Jiang Mu moved to snap him out of it, but Qin Sang waved his hand to stop him.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn,
Shen Chen suddenly let out a loud cry of agony, clutching his head with both hands.
"This formation far exceeds the scope of your cultivation stage. You may contemplate it, but it is best not to attempt using your divine sense to simulate the runes and arrange the formation in your violet palace," Qin Sang cautioned, having seen through what was happening.
As the pain receded, Shen Chen thanked him in a low voice with lingering fear. "Thank you for the warning, Senior."
Hesitating briefly, he could not resist asking, "This formation... does it share the same origin as the meteoric iron fragment?"
"You have never seen it before?"
A look of surprise crossed Qin Sang's face.
If the lad had never seen the formation before and could discern the connection between the two in such a short time, his talent was truly remarkable. No wonder he had managed to forge the whip.
Shen Chen shook his head. "Junior only picked up a few fragments back then; I found nothing else."
Qin Sang questioned him thoroughly once more. Confirming that the young man knew only this much, he exchanged a glance with Jiang Mu, tossed a bag of spirit stones to Shen Chen, and was about to leave when he abruptly paused.
"Did you say earlier that you are a rogue cultivator?" Qin Sang looked Shen Chen up and down.
Scrutinized by Qin Sang, Shen Chen felt entirely ill at ease. Daring not conceal anything, he explained in full detail, "When Junior was young, I took a master from a minor sect. But because my master offended an expert within the sect, we were expelled together. Later, an accident befell my master, and he died of severe injuries. By chance, I learned artifact refining and made a living forging magical tools for others. Bit by bit, I managed to support myself. Unwilling to be bound by restrictions, I never joined another sect..."
Sensing Qin Sang's intentions, Jiang Mu chimed in, "Little Friend Shen is exceptionally gifted and gained some renown in Mozhou to the southwest, receiving invitations from quite a few sects."
Qin Sang gave a slight nod and asked in a low voice, "Would you be willing to learn the art of artifact refining from me?"
Shen Chen froze on the spot.
Imprisoned by Six Prefectures Hall for ten years, he had assumed he had provoked serious trouble and had little time left to live. Never could he have imagined such an unexpected turn of events—this seemingly formidable, mysterious expert actually wanted to take him on as a disciple!
Qin Sang had acted on a whim. He had not originally planned to take a disciple in Zhongzhou, but the thought arose after seeing Shen Chen recognize the connection between the Demon Binding Rope and the spirit formation at a glance.
In the future, once he subdued the demonic fire source, he could restore the demonic banners to their original state and reconstruct the Demon Sealing Stake.
The Demon Sealing Stake served the same purpose as the Demon Binding Rope in restraining ancient demons, but was of a higher grade—an unmatched treasure against ancient demons.
The difficulty was that the stake was broken in two.
He would first need to repair the Demon Sealing Stake, and then derive a spirit formation tailored to it based on this one, which was extraordinarily tedious and cumbersome.
In this day and age, traces of ancient demons were appearing everywhere.
There was no telling when he might run into an ancient demon again; preparing beforehand was by no means a bad idea.
However, for the foreseeable future, Qin Sang would find it difficult to spare the attention for such tasks.
Taking Shen Chen as a disciple was a casual move planted for later.
Though Shen Chen's cultivation was somewhat low right now, the fact that he could reach the mid-Core Formation stage as a rogue cultivator while concurrently practicing artifact refining showed that his innate talent for cultivation was by no means poor.
So long as Qin Sang was willing to expend some effort, pushing him into the Nascent Soul realm would not be difficult.
Shen Chen was stunned for only a brief moment before prostrating himself. "Disciple Shen Chen pays respects to Master!"
Though this man had kept him confined for ten years, he had not harmed him, and after finishing his questioning, he had even tossed him a bag of spirit stones. Evidently, he was not someone vile or wicked.
Furthermore, to make Six Prefectures Hall break its rules proved that this man possessed extraordinarily high cultivation and status.
These two reasons alone were enough to convince Shen Chen.
"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qin on accepting a fine disciple!"
Jiang Mu clapped and chuckled, a rueful expression on his face. "We have all seen Little Friend Shen's natural gift in the Dao of artifact refinement. Jiang had entertained thoughts of inviting Little Friend Shen to join Six Prefectures Hall once this matter concluded, but alas, Fellow Daoist Qin has beaten me to it!"
Chapter 1598