Metamorphosis

Three days later. Qin Sang flew out of Quheng Island. Tossing the jade token lightly in his hand, Qin Sang smiled slightly. With spirit stones in hand, the young cultivator had taken him to see that 'senior.' That 'senior' was merely an early Core Formation cultivator, incapable of seeing through Qin Sang's disguise. The man was also greedy for wealth; upon seeing the spirit stones, he readily agreed to Qin Sang's request. The so-called steward post was nowhere near as glamorous as the young cultivator had made it out to be. The positions within reach were all on impoverished, puny islands or involved drudgery like patrolling squads. The 'senior' laid out several locations for Qin Sang to choose from, and with a single glance, Qin Sang settled on a small island called Nandu Island. There was only a single mortal city on the island, and the only mountain suitable for a cave dwelling was a single modest peak. Its true advantage, however, was that it was not far from Liangqiu Island. *** "Here it is!" Arriving at Nandu Island, Qin Sang sensed his surroundings and noted inwardly that the spiritual energy was indeed rather thin, though still far better than on completely deserted islands. In the vicinity of Quheng Island, any island with a spirit vein had already been cordoned off. Soon, he appeared above the island's only city, looked up at a verdant mountain behind it, and with a few flickers of his figure, entered the range. There was a protective spirit array within the mountains which, when activated, could shelter the entire city from violent storms. At the moment, the array only enveloped this mountain peak, veiled in thin mist. Qin Sang swept his spiritual sense across it and detected the presence of cultivators inside. He channeled true essence into the jade token. *Buzz!* The jade token vibrated, and the protective spirit array resonated with it. Sensing the disturbance, the cultivators inside flew out of their cave dwellings one after another and arrived at the array's entrance. "Only one middle Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the rest are all in the Qi Refinement stage..." Qin Sang saw through their depths at a glance. Handing forward a jade slip, he took the initiative to say, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. Pindao goes by the Daoist name Mingyue and has been ordered to garrison Nandu Island. As a newcomer, I hope for your kind guidance. May I ask which of you is Daoist Ma Yu...?" The middle Foundation Establishment cultivator was a square-jawed, middle-aged man. Upon hearing Qin Sang's words, his expression darkened. Taking the jade slip with a sullen face, he read through it and replied stiffly, "I am Ma Yu. Since you come by order, Daoist, may I ask what instructions you bring?" Sensing the inexplicable hostility, Qin Sang gave a slight smile, completely unbothered. "Fellow Daoist overstates things. Pindao merely sought a quiet place to cultivate, but was dispatched here against my wishes. Lacking influence, I had no choice but to obey. I will leave the island's affairs in your capable hands. If there is anything you require of me, I will certainly cooperate." Hearing this, Ma Yu looked deeply at Qin Sang, his expression softening slightly. "In truth, there are not many affairs on the island. There happens to be a vacant cave dwelling. Follow me, Daoist..." Once Qin Sang made it clear that he only wished to focus on cultivating, Ma Yu's attitude softened considerably. Dismissing the others, they walked and talked. "Pindao has just arrived. Are there any mighty experts in secluded cultivation nearby, or fellow Daoists of extraordinary background whom one ought to avoid?" Qin Sang probed. Ma Yu pointed toward the southeast outside the island and whispered, "The nearby islands are all inhabited by rogue cultivators like us, so there is nothing much to worry about—with only one exception. A hundred li from here lies Liangqiu Island. Do not be fooled by its modest size; it possesses a high-grade spirit vein and is occupied by a senior surnamed Luo. Senior Luo possesses formidable cultivation and a mysterious background. It is best not to disturb him, lest you bring calamity upon yourself." Qin Sang gazed as far as his eyes could see, but Liangqiu Island was not visible from here. Feigning surprise, he asked Ma Yu about the relevant rumors. Ma Yu assigned Qin Sang a cave dwelling on the back mountain. Entering the cave dwelling, he first took out some spirit stones and set up a Spirit Gathering Array, then summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was now the size of a palm. The eye-like patterns on its wings appeared increasingly lifelike, as if two real eyes were about to open. As its wings fluttered, faint arcs of lightning crackled—the manifestation of its lightning-controlling ability. Because of these electrical arcs, its wings looked much sturdier, possessing a metallic texture. Earlier on the road, Qin Sang had sensed an unusual stir from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Summoning it now, he saw that it had indeed successfully reached the peak of its second metamorphosis, ready to undergo its next transformation! Had it not fallen into a five-year slumber due to its mutation, it would have transformed before entering the Hall of Seven Kills. Delight showed on Qin Sang's face. After playing with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for a moment, he brought out a jade bottle and poured out a few drops of Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly danced joyfully around his palm, feasting heartily. After devouring the Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold, it clung to his finger and grew drowsy, but showed no signs of transforming yet. Qin Sang knew that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could not advance as easily as the fat silkworm. With more than half a bottle of Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold still in hand, he was in no hurry and continued to feed it slowly. Thereafter, Qin Sang settled down on Nandu Island. At night, without fail, he drew upon the astral energy of the heavenly circuit to temper his body. By day, he frequently wandered out, befriending cultivators on nearby islands and secretly gathering information about Luo Daotong. Every ten days, he fed the Heavenly Eye Butterfly once. Without realizing it, he had stayed on Nandu Island for nearly half a year. Through continuous feedings of Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly finally showed signs of metamorphosis, and the fluid in Qin Sang's possession was nearly exhausted. On this day, after swallowing the spiritual liquid, dazzling lightning suddenly erupted from its wings. Qin Sang reacted swiftly, throwing up a protective barrier. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly fluttered up and down in the air as arcs of lightning grew denser and denser. At the same time, the patterns on its wings began to writhe, and the eyes slowly cracked open into slits! *Whoosh!* The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew back into Qin Sang's palm, its body trembling violently as it let out faint, agonized cries. At that moment, the arcs of lightning were wildly bombarding the 'eyes' on its wings. The mutation had brought benefits, granting it the power to command lightning, yet it also exposed the creature to unwarranted peril during its breakthrough. Qin Sang realized that this was the final step of the butterfly's mutation. Everything before had merely been on the surface; only if its innate divine ability and its lightning-controlling ability could merge would it truly become a thunder butterfly. Should it fail, death was all too likely, and decades of Qin Sang's painstaking efforts would be reduced to nothing. Feeling its pain, Qin Sang grew anxious. He immediately sat cross-legged, establishing a mental connection with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to soothe it, doing everything in his power to help it weather this tribulation. Fortunately, it was his natal Gu insect. With Qin Sang sparing no expense of true essence and essence blood to assist it, the butterfly finally passed the most perilous stage, and its condition gradually stabilized. Curling its wings around itself, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly sank into deep slumber. Ultimately, the 'eyes' opened completely, resembling true heavenly eyes capable of peering into the human heart. The electric arcs vanished, fully assimilated into the 'eyes', and the 'pupils' turned silver, adding an aura of divine majesty. Qin Sang could not guess what form the butterfly's divine ability would ultimately take, but he was certain it would only grow stronger, never weaker. He watched for a while, sensing its aura, and clearly felt that in the process of helping it through the tribulation, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had grown much closer to him. This closeness came from the depths of its heart, entirely distinct from the binding constraint of a contract. The metamorphosis would complete while it slept, which would take some time. Qin Sang withdrew it back into his dantian and went back to his own affairs.