A month later.
A soft breath drifted through the cave abode. Qin Sang awoke from his meditation, gazing at his dantian with delight.
Hard work pays off; after a month of quiet cultivation, his cultivation had finally stabilized, and he could proceed with the next stage of his training.
At this thought, Qin Sang's expression turned exceedingly solemn. Whether Senior Qingzhu's self-created cultivation method was truly viable could now be tested.
He did not rush into meditation. Making thorough preparations, he then summoned his two spirit insects.
Among them, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly looked considerably different from before, while the fat silkworm was slumbering within its cocoon.
After devouring the lightning on Red Leaf Island, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had slept for five full years before waking. Even during their fourth metamorphosis, many spirit insects would not remain dormant for so long.
After waking, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly lived up to expectations and acquired the power to command lightning.
Its form had also altered, especially its wings. Lightning seemed to flow through them constantly; whenever they flapped, arcs of electricity flashed, making the two massive heavenly-eye patterns even more dazzling, eye-catching, and vivid enough to leap out!
It seemed to have become a Heavenly Eye Thunder Butterfly!
However, this newly gained divine ability to command lightning was not as powerful as its innate abilities.
Spirit insects typically possessed singular divine abilities whose power generally exceeded their own cultivation realm. Some rare, exotic insects could even leap an entire tier.
For instance, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's concealment ability could not be penetrated even by Core Formation stage cultivators.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly could command lightning to attack and could also cast Lightning Escape, yet whether it was the might of the lightning or the speed of its Lightning Escape, while formidable, they did not exceed its current tier.
These merely enhanced the butterfly's combat capability.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was currently in the late stage of its second metamorphosis. Where it once had no choice but to flee when facing late Foundation Establishment cultivators, it now possessed the strength to put up a fight.
Still, this brought Qin Sang immense satisfaction. Now that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had some capacity for self-defense, he would no longer have to be quite so cautious whenever he released it in the future.
Moreover, Qin Sang had great faith in the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's future.
The divine ability to command lightning was exceedingly rare even among immortal cultivators; only major sects with profound heritages were likely to possess such legacies. Lightning was the most yang, most unyielding force in the world, something countless cultivators dreamed of commanding.
Qin Sang still remembered the Three Calamities Heart-Devouring Formation he had experienced years ago when stealing the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid in the restricted grounds of Yuanzhao Sect.
That formation had been modeled after the tribulation of Nascent Soul formation.
It was said that the heavenly tribulation upon forming a Nascent Soul consisted of not just a lightning tribulation, but the three calamities of lightning, fire, and wind, possessing terrifying might that had brought about the demise of countless cultivators.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was his natal insect gu and could aid him in crossing tribulations; possessing the ability to command lightning, it would surely be of considerable assistance.
Naturally, it was far too early to think about such matters; he had not even sorted out his Nascent Soul formation yet, and here he was contemplating crossing tribulations.
Qin Sang let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
The only bad news was that over the five years of slumber, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation had not improved in the slightest.
The white mist and lightning it had swallowed seemed to have been entirely consumed by its mutation.
Originally, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly would have had a chance to break through to the third metamorphosis before the Hall of Seven Kills opened. Because the mutation had consumed so much time, it was virtually impossible for it to grow to the peak of the second metamorphosis and break through to the third in the remaining five years.
Entering the Hall of Seven Kills this time, he likely would not be able to rely on the butterfly's power.
Perhaps this was just the balance of gains and losses.
Qin Sang fed the Heavenly Eye Butterfly some medicinal pills, then turned his gaze to the fat silkworm.
The fat silkworm's metamorphosis this time was surprisingly smooth. Qin Sang had merely tested the waters by feeding it three drops of Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold, and the fat silkworm had promptly begun spinning a cocoon and entered its metamorphosis.
Qin Sang surmised this was likely because he had provided it with venomous beast demon cores to absorb starting back in the middle stage of its second metamorphosis. Over the years, it had absorbed several in succession; throughout its entire second metamorphosis period, the worst thing the fat silkworm had consumed was the inner core of a peak Demon Spirit stage beast.
Other spirit insects enjoyed no such fortune.
During its second metamorphosis, the fat silkworm had slept for over half a year. It did not disappoint Qin Sang this time either, having fallen into slumber three years ago without the slightest sign of awakening to date.
"With five years remaining, that should certainly be enough. I've never heard of any spirit insect sleeping for so long during its third metamorphosis. The fat silkworm can repel poisons and will gain new divine abilities after its third metamorphosis. Those secret realms and ancient halls are invariably rife with toxic miasmas; inside the Hall of Seven Kills, the fat silkworm will probably be more useful than the Heavenly Eye Butterfly."
Qin Sang gently touched the glowing cocoon, sensing the fat silkworm's aura, and then stowed both spirit insects away.
"I can begin testing it now. Before cultivating, I must thoroughly comprehend the technique..."
Taking a deep breath, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, quieting his mind.
The two killing talismans left behind by Senior Qingzhu surfaced in his mind. Previously, they had appeared deeply obscure and difficult to comprehend, but after his breakthrough, the parting clouds finally revealed the truth, allowing him to gradually understand and grasp them.
Silence reigned within the cave abode. Qin Sang sat motionless as a pine tree.
Time flowed on; who knew how long had passed.
Qin Sang was immersed in the world of the technique, captivated beyond escape. At times he was entranced, at other times filled with wonder—marveling at Senior Qingzhu's peerless genius in actually forging his own path based on the original technique!
Compared to the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter, the technique Senior Qingzhu had created was somewhat obscure and narrow, lacking the grandeur and direct path to the Great Dao of the original.
This was because Senior Qingzhu had incorporated his own understanding and personal experiences into his creation.
This was unavoidable.
The person who created the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter was bound to be a senior powerhouse whose cultivation reached the heavens—someone who could see to the very end of the Dao at a glance, simplifying the complex yet encompassing everything, distilling the true essence of the killing Dao.
Every person who practiced this technique could find the path that suited them best.
Compared to that senior, Senior Qingzhu was as a firefly to the bright moon; yet he had managed to extend the technique while only in the Core Formation stage, even if he could harness only a fraction of its essence.
The word "genius" was no longer sufficient to describe him.
The deeper Qin Sang comprehended it, the more he admired Senior Qingzhu and yearned to witness his demeanor with his own eyes.
Yet soon he felt dejected once more; Senior Qingzhu had vanished without a trace, and for years Qin Sang had been unable to uncover the slightest piece of news about him, not even knowing whether he was still alive.
Soon, he roused his spirits, cast aside stray thoughts, and resolved to cultivate this technique.
During this period, Qin Sang had realized a great deal, recognizing that the technique was viable. Under the protection of the jade Buddha, he could follow Senior Qingzhu's path all the way through.
At the same time, he came to a clear realization: the technique indeed had flaws.
Barring any surprises, cultivating further in the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter would grant new divine abilities—perhaps a second sword ray, perhaps something else.
Yet the technique Senior Qingzhu had created could not do this. It merely allowed a cultivator to barely stumble onward so the path was not cut off entirely, leaving no leeway to heed anything else.
Qin Sang even suspected there might be other differences, which could only be discovered once he truly cultivated it.
Awakening briefly, Qin Sang took a medicinal pill and calmly adjusted his condition. Only after attaining a state of mind still as tranquil water did he guard his mind closely and cast his inner vision upon his origin soul.
Within the deep cave abode, Qin Sang's aura fluctuated erratically, but it was all concealed by the restrictive formations, leaving him undisturbed.
Chapter 739