Chapter 705: Chapter 705

Qin Sang suddenly turned his head, eyes narrowing as he looked the gaunt elder up and down, then asked without warning, "Was it you just now, contacting someone outside?"

The gaunt elder’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly masked it and forced a laugh. "Daoist Qin, what are you talking about? Who are you talking about?"

Qin Sang fixed his gaze on the man, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold, mocking smile.

None of the other six people present had noticed that, before entering the cave, he had left the Sky-Eyed Butterfly outside.

After its second metamorphosis, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly had gained the ability to turn invisible. What surprised Qin Sang was that this ability had already become quite powerful, even shortly after the metamorphosis. It could already fool the perception of early-stage Foundation Building cultivators.

If not for the fact that the Sky-Eyed Butterfly was his life-bound insect gu, sharing a spiritual link with him, even Qin Sang himself would not have sensed it standing invisibly right in front of him unless he had deliberately searched for it.

Invisibility was the only new ability it had gained after its second metamorphosis. Compared to other spiritual insects at the same stage, and even compared to Foundation Building cultivators and Demonic Spirit Realm beasts, it was undoubtedly very fragile.

Perhaps it was precisely this fragility that allowed it to slip under the notice of stronger enemies, enabling its kind to survive in the perilous world of immortal cultivation.

Just before they entered the underground cave, when the others had been distracted by the frost-covered grass, Qin Sang had discreetly released the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. As he expected, no one noticed.

He had the Sky-Eyed Butterfly lie in wait on a tree.

Perhaps it was because it had been refined into a life-bound insect gu, fed with his own blood and essence, or maybe Yuling Sect’s records were simply mistaken, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly was not nearly as fragile as the ancient texts claimed. It would not die from just a single touch.

After the second metamorphosis, its strength had also improved considerably.

Although it still could not compare to a Foundation Building cultivator, it could already outmatch most Qi Refining cultivators. Combined with its powerful stealth, it could preserve its life in a dangerous situation, which was why Qin Sang felt safe leaving it outside.

Inside the underground cave filled with freezing mist, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly would have been useless. If he had brought it in, it would have been killed the moment it showed itself. Leaving it outside to monitor the situation was a much better option. Check latest chapters at novel(ꜰ)ire.net

If anything went wrong, it could alert him immediately, giving him a chance to escape.

Because of the blood-bound connection between them, Qin Sang could vaguely sense the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s thoughts, even though its intelligence was low.

It only sent him a single thought right now, but as its cultivation improved, this sense would grow clearer. Eventually, it would become almost like an extension of his own self, able to see what he saw.

Of course, this type of connection only worked within a certain range. If a powerful barrier stood between them, the link could be cut off.

Fortunately, the cave was not as deep as he had imagined. His connection to the Sky-Eyed Butterfly remained intact.

Qin Sang did not trust Daoist Fan or the other five. He had dared to come here only because he had confidence in his evasion speed, which far surpassed that of his peers. If danger arose, he was confident he could flee before anyone else.

Originally, he thought that if a falling out occurred, it would likely be over a rare treasure in the cave, or perhaps Daoist Fan had hidden intentions that got exposed.

He had not expected trouble to arise before they even laid eyes on the so-called Spiritual Infant’s cave dwelling.

Just as he was about to step into the rift in the barrier, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly suddenly sent him a thought. The mist outside had rippled strangely, as if a phantom shadow had darted away and vanished. His heart skipped a beat.

There were only seven of them in the cave.

Before entering, they had all been wary of each other. No one could leave the others’ sight, and the early warning barrier had been set up by everyone working together. Unless someone else had a tool as stealthy as the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, it should have been nearly impossible for anyone to act in secret.

The only moment such an act could occur was when the group had been scattered by the backlash of the barrier and caught off guard by the black light. Everyone had been too busy fending off the shockwave to notice.

If someone on the inside had signaled someone outside, that was the only opportunity they would have had.

In that instant, Qin Sang had already decided to withdraw.

Even though they had carefully scouted the waters around the island, their range was limited.

If someone had been hiding further away, and received a signal from within, they could easily coordinate with a traitor inside to attack. In the narrow confines of the cave, his Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman would be difficult to use effectively.

Naturally, the first person he suspected was Daoist Fan. Using a Spiritual Infant’s cave dwelling as bait to lure others here, then ambushing them with accomplices, made perfect sense.

But Daoist Fan, being the initiator of the plan, would have been watched closely. Even in the chaos of the black light, it would have been hard for him to move without drawing attention. The risk of exposure was high.

Then Qin Sang noticed the gaunt elder had somehow ended up behind him. That was when he realized something was wrong. When the black light erupted, he had already activated the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman in secret to retreat. No one should have been faster than him.

His sudden accusation had caught the gaunt elder completely off guard, and he had indeed slipped up.

Is this man working with the short cultivator? Or has he brought in his own allies?

It did not matter anymore.

The signal had already been sent. The ambushers outside would arrive soon. Before figuring out their strength and numbers, there was no way he could afford to get trapped inside the cave.

Though it sounded complicated, Qin Sang made his decision in an instant.

With a cold sneer on his face, he noticed the gaunt elder tightening his grip on the bone fan astra, and without a moment’s hesitation, he struck.

The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells surged forward, transforming into a fire dragon that lunged straight at the gaunt elder’s face.

The elder had not expected Qin Sang to act without even offering a chance to defend himself. Caught off guard, he was shocked at how decisively Qin Sang had turned on him. In a panic, he hurriedly waved the bone fan, releasing a pillar of pale light in an attempt to block the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells.

His hands shifted through several seals in rapid succession. The bone fan creaked as its bones extended outward, transforming into a series of slender, gleaming bone swords.

But before the transformation could complete, the elder’s expression suddenly changed. From the black light on either side of him, two dark figures burst out simultaneously.

Qin Sang had learned his lesson from the battle outside Duyan Island against the black-robed youth.

Even when facing someone at the same stage, unless he had absolute certainty, he would no longer waste time trying to capture and interrogate them. He would strike with thunderous force and kill first.

He had no desire to experience the power of a Lightning Command Talisman ever again.

The yaksha’s speed was terrifyingly fast. In the blink of an eye, it had closed in, its ghostly claws multiplying into thousands, releasing a thick wave of corpse qi as it attacked.

"A Golden Core refined corpse..."

The gaunt elder was terrified. Caught unprepared, he had no time to respond. The pale light from the bone fan was torn apart like paper by the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells.

The Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions had already formed an array, possessing power comparable to a middle-grade astra. How could a mere bone fan hope to resist it?

The elder finally realized just how terrifying Qin Sang’s true strength was.

A crisp snap rang out as the bone fan was blasted away by the flames. The elder’s defenses lay wide open. The flying yaksha seized the moment. Its ghostly claw, brimming with corpse qi, easily pierced through the elder’s protective true essence and plunged deep into his abdomen, then twisted violently.

The elder let out a blood-curdling scream, only to see the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells already inches from his face.

In a flash, he was engulfed in fire, reduced to a flaming figure. Qin Sang silently reached over and took his Mustard Seed Pouch.