Qin Sang turned his head abruptly, narrowing his eyes as he took in the scrawny old man from head to toe, and asked coldly, out of nowhere, "Was that you contacting people outside just now?"
The scrawny old man's expression shifted, but he masked it immediately and forced a smile. "Fellow Daoist Qin, what are you talking about? What people?"
Qin Sang stared at the scrawny old man, the corners of his mouth curling into a sneer.
None of the other six people present had noticed that before entering the cavern, he had left the Heavenly Eye Butterfly outside.
After completing its second metamorphosis, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had gained the ability to become invisible. To Qin Sang's surprise, though it had only recently transformed, this ability was already extraordinarily potent—enough to conceal itself even from the senses of an early Core Formation cultivator.
If it were not his natal insect gu, bound to him by that intrinsic connection, even Qin Sang would fail to detect it if it hovered invisibly before him unless he deliberately searched for it.
Invisibility was the only new ability the butterfly had acquired after its transformation. Compared to Foundation Establishment cultivators, Demon Spirit beasts, or even other twice-transformed spirit insects, it was undeniably fragile.
Perhaps for that very reason, its ability to deceive foes whose cultivation exceeded its own by an entire realm was precisely what allowed its kind to survive in a cultivation world rife with endless perils.
Earlier, when they were outside the cavern, Qin Sang had used the frost-covered grass to draw everyone else's attention and quietly released the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. True to his expectations, no one had noticed.
Qin Sang had ordered the butterfly to lurk in a tree.
Whether it was because it had been refined into a natal insect gu and nourished by Qin Sang's essence blood, or because the records of the Yuling Sect were flawed, the butterfly was not nearly as fragile as written—not something that would perish at the slightest touch.
After its second metamorphosis, its strength had also improved considerably.
Though it could not compare to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could outmatch ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators. Combined with its formidable concealment abilities, preserving its life in the face of danger was not difficult. That was why Qin Sang had felt comfortable leaving it outside.
In a subterranean cavity filled with cold mist, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly would be entirely useless. Qin Sang would not dare summon it here, where exposing itself meant certain death; it was far better to leave it outside to keep watch on the entrance.
If anything went awry, it could alert him immediately so he could make a timely escape.
He shared a blood connection with his natal insect gu. Though the butterfly's intellect was still low, Qin Sang could vaguely sense its thoughts.
Right now it was merely a stray thought, but as the butterfly's cultivation advanced, this perception would grow increasingly distinct. Eventually, the butterfly would function almost like an avatar of Qin Sang, enabling him to see what it saw.
Naturally, this perception remained effective only within a certain range, and could be severed if blocked by powerful restrictions.
However, the cavern was not as deep as Qin Sang had anticipated, and the bond between him and the butterfly remained intact.
Qin Sang trusted neither the plump cultivator nor the other five. He had dared to participate only because his escape speed far outstripped that of ordinary cultivators of the same realm, giving him the confidence to slip away at the first sign of trouble.
He had assumed that if the group were to turn hostile, it would be over an extraordinarily precious treasure found within the cave dwelling, or because the plump cultivator had harbored ill intentions and been caught making a suspicious move.
He had never expected trouble to arise just after entering the cavity, before they had even laid eyes on the Nascent Soul cave dwelling.
Just as he was about to step through the breach in the restriction, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had suddenly transmitted a thought: an abnormal ripple had passed through the cold mist, and an illusory silhouette seemed to have shot out and vanished. Qin Sang's heart had skipped a beat.
There were only seven people in the cavern.
Before entering, all seven had been wary of one another, none able to leave the sight of the rest. The warning restrictions outside had also been set up jointly. Unless someone possessed a means similar to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, it was virtually impossible to play any tricks under everyone's watchful eyes.
The only opportunity had been when the restriction retaliated, scattering the group as they scrambled to fend off the barrage of black light and momentarily lowered their guard.
If an insider wanted to send a signal to someone outside, that had been the sole chance.
In that instant, Qin Sang immediately contemplated retreat.
Though they had carefully surveyed the sea around the island, their search radius had been limited.
If someone were lurking further out and coordinated with an insider after receiving the signal, Qin Sang's Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman would be hard-pressed to unleash its full potential inside this cramped cavern.
The first person Qin Sang suspected was naturally the plump cultivator. Using a Nascent Soul cave dwelling as bait to lure others here and ambushing them with accomplices lying in wait was the most logical scheme.
Yet as the instigator, the plump cultivator was closely watched by everyone else. Even amidst the black light, escaping the notice of all six would have been extremely difficult and fraught with exposure.
Upon seeing that the scrawny old man had actually ended up behind him, Qin Sang's suspicion shifted to him at once. When the black light surged, Qin Sang had secretly driven the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman to dart backward; no one should have retreated farther than he had.
Qin Sang had caught him off guard with a bluff, and the old man had indeed betrayed himself.
Was this man an accomplice of the plump cultivator, or had he summoned his own cohorts?
None of that mattered!
The signal was already sent, and those lying in ambush outside would arrive shortly. Before gauging their strength, Qin Sang could under no circumstances allow himself to be trapped in this underground cavity.
Though complex to explain, Qin Sang reached his verdict in a heartbeat.
With a cold sneer, Qin Sang saw the old man's grip tighten around the bone fan magic treasure, and struck without hesitation!
Whoosh!
The Nine Nether Demonic Fire transformed into a flaming dragon, lunging straight for the old man's face.
The scrawny old man had never anticipated that Qin Sang would strike so decisively over a single disagreement. In sheer terror, he frantically waved his bone fan, unleashing a pale-white beam of light to block the demonic fire.
His hand seals shifted rapidly, and the bone fan rattled as its ribs thrust outward, turning into slender, gleaming bone swords.
Before the fan could complete its transformation, the old man's expression changed drastically as two dark shadows burst out simultaneously from the black light on both sides of him.
From his fierce battle against the black-robed youth outside Douyan Island, Qin Sang had learned his lesson. Even when facing an opponent of the same realm, he no longer entertained thoughts of capturing them alive for interrogation, opting instead to annihilate them with thunderous force.
He had no desire to experience the might of another Thunder Decree Talisman.
The Flying Yaksha moved with blinding speed, closing the distance in an instant as its ghostly claws blurred into thousands of phantom strikes, unleashing a surging cloud of corpse qi.
"A Golden Core-level refined corpse..."
The scrawny old man was appalled. In his haste, before he could mount a proper defense, the pale light unleashed by his bone fan was effortlessly shattered by the Nine Nether Demonic Fire like rotten wood.
Arranged in a formation, the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners possessed power rivaling that of a medium-grade magic treasure. How could a mere bone fan of his hope to withstand it?
Only at this moment did the old man realize just how terrifying Qin Sang's strength truly was.
Snap!
With a crisp crack, the bone fan was blasted away by the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, leaving the old man's defenses wide open. Seizing the opportunity, the Flying Yaksha unleashed a burst of corpse qi through its ghostly claws, effortlessly piercing the old man's protective true essence, plunging straight into his abdomen, and twisting violently.
The scrawny old man let out a shrill scream, only to discover in horror that the Nine Nether Demonic Fire was already right before his eyes.
In an instant, the old man was turned into a human torch, and Qin Sang quietly snatched away his mustard seed bag.
Chapter 705