Chapter 816: Astonishing Ability

In half a year’s time, Qin Sang had learned almost everything there was to know.

Cultivators near Liangqiu Island all held Luo Daotong in deep respect, yet very few had actually seen him. His public appearances could be counted on one hand, and he rarely left Liangqiu Island.

Unlike the Hanhai Sect's leader, Luo Daotong was a complete loner. He never took disciples, had no friends, and kept himself away from any disputes over profit.

This made him a particularly tricky target for Qin Sang.

Several times, Qin Sang observed Liangqiu Island from afar. Strange lights often flashed across it, proof of a formidable defensive spiritual array. It seemed the only opportunity was to wait for Luo Daotong to leave the island on his own.

But when that might happen was impossible to predict. Moreover, Qin Sang could hardly hover on the sea indefinitely without risking missing the moment entirely.

Patience, however, was something he had in abundance. While cultivating, he also kept thinking of possible approaches.

Three more months passed in the blink of an eye.

Late at night, Qin Sang sat cross-legged outside his cave dwelling, drawing down the cosmic orbit’s star power to temper his body. A faint layer of starlight shimmered on his skin, the glow flowing like liquid.

Suddenly, something startled him. He looked down toward his dantian.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly had awoken! Delight flashed across Qin Sang’s face as he released it.

After metamorphosis, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly moved more lightly than before, flitting around him with a figure that appeared and vanished, dreamlike under the starlight.

Its form, apart from the patterns on its wings, had not changed much, but its aura had clearly grown stronger.

It was the third metamorphosis of the Sky-Eyed Butterfly!

Feeling the affection it conveyed, Qin Sang smiled broadly and extended his spiritual consciousness to communicate with it.

According to the records, after the third metamorphosis, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly would gain the Sky Eyes supernatural ability. It was a powerful skill, though the exact details were never clearly described. Naturally, he was eager to find out.

It was, after all, his life-bound insect gu, making communication effortless.

Zap!

Lightning suddenly erupted from the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s wings, turning them silver-white. Then it gave a sharp beat of its wings, shooting out a white lightning bolt as thick as an arm.

Boom!

The bolt struck a bluestone in front of the cave dwelling, shattering it on the spot. The mountain wall behind bore a large crater, and the ground trembled several times.

"Not bad."

Qin Sang assessed the lightning’s power with a slight nod.

He had thought that after metamorphosis, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly might rival cultivators of its own stage, but it still fell a bit short, which was unsurprising, since lightning control was not one of its innate supernatural abilities.

Even so, it was more than enough for self-defense, and he no longer had to worry about it dying unexpectedly.

The thunderclap roused the other cultivators on the mountain, who emerged from meditation to investigate.

Qin Sang’s cave dwelling and Ma Yu’s were both on the mountaintop, the two best spots along the spirit vein. Ma Yu, too, was stirred and emerged from his own dwelling, a questioning look on his face.

Just then, Qin Sang noticed with surprise that through the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s eyes, he could directly see Ma Yu’s figure.

The cloud-like screen formed by Ma Yu’s defensive spiritual array was utterly transparent before the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. Although Ma Yu’s cultivation was limited and his array not particularly strong, normally Qin Sang would not be able to pierce it with the naked eye without special means.

"So this is the Sky Eyes' ability. I can see straight through illusions!"

In the air, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly hovered. The eyes on its wings moved, silver-white pupils alive with motion.

"Daoist Master Ming Yue, what happened?"

Ma Yu stepped out from his array, glancing around. Finding nothing amiss, he approached Qin Sang’s cave dwelling and called out. His every movement was reflected clearly in Qin Sang’s sight.

"I was too hasty during cultivation and triggered an accident. I did not mean to disturb my fellow Daoists. My spiritual power is unstable at the moment, so I cannot come out to greet you." Qin Sang answered.

"Are you injured, Daoist Master? If you need help, just say the word." Ma Yu was genuinely concerned.

Though Qin Sang had been on Nandu Island for less than a year, their relationship was cordial. Qin Sang was calm in temperament, free of ambition, and Ma Yu’s attitude toward him had steadily improved.

"Fortunately, I caught it in time. There’s no harm done. I appreciate your concern."

With a few words, Qin Sang sent them back. All the while, he kept the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s gaze fixed on Ma Yu, for he had made another startling discovery.

Ma Yu, suspecting nothing, dismissed the others and returned to his cave dwelling.

When Ma Yu opened his protective array to enter, Qin Sang held his breath, keeping his mind linked to the Sky-Eyed Butterfly and locking onto the array.

Before long, he exhaled slowly, eyes shining with delight as he looked at the butterfly. "What a formidable ability! It not only sees through illusions but can also detect the weak points in arrays and barriers."

He had never imagined the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s ability would be so powerful.

It had just revealed the flaw in Ma Yu’s defensive array and the method to break it with utter ease.

Qin Sang’s own knowledge of barriers was respectable, but even he could not manage it so effortlessly.

Most astonishing of all, this was not a matter of deep comprehension of arrays but pure instinct and talent. This was the ability of the Sky Eyes.

It worked just as well against mysterious and complicated ancient spiritual arrays and barriers.

Of course, this was not a top-tier array, and with its current cultivation, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s power had limits. Against more complex and powerful arrays, it could not be expected to perform so spectacularly.

"Sky-Eyed Butterfly... So this is why it can stand alongside legendary insects? This ability is terrifying. It's even more practical than the fat silkworm’s Poison-Warding Armor. Once it undergoes its fourth metamorphosis, with its help I may have a chance to unravel the mysterious ancient barriers and arrays guarding the cultivation world’s hidden realms.

"But nurturing a Sky-Eyed Butterfly is no easy feat. For most, even a lifetime would not be enough to see it reach the third metamorphosis.

"Scarlet Gold Vine was rare and precious even in ancient times, and nearly eighty percent of the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold in a single fruit went into its belly just to push it to its third metamorphosis. The fat silkworm, by contrast, advanced after only a few drops.

"If left to advance on its own, who knows how many lifetimes it would take.

"With the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold nearly gone, the chances of it reaching the fourth metamorphosis are slim. Without a fortuitous encounter, the wait would be long enough to crush hope."

Suppressing his excitement, Qin Sang steadied his mind.

His original aim in acquiring a life-bound insect gu was to raise a spiritual insect to the peak of the third metamorphosis to aid him upon entering the Spiritual Infant Realm. Now that he had succeeded in pushing the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to the third metamorphosis, the goal was already more than half fulfilled. Everything else would be an unexpected bonus.

Unable to put it down, he kept his mind linked to the butterfly, exploring its ability. After metamorphosis, its intelligence had grown, allowing it to communicate with him simply and move like a part of himself.

An hour later, Qin Sang made a brief appearance outside, then left Nandu Island directly.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s new ability had given him another idea. If he could find a way to break Liangqiu Island’s defensive array, he could set foot on it without waiting for Luo Daotong to leave.