Chapter 232: Fusing with the Beast's Remains, Zihuo's Transformation
In a dense forest, a shadowy figure suddenly darted through the trees.
The breeze lifted the edge of a black robe, revealing the handsome face of a young man—Mo Yu. He was the same person who had escaped from Gao Lie's grasp after securing a precious treasure.
When Mo Yu initially chose the third type of mysterious lightning, the Shanxu Void-Breaking Thunder, it was precisely because of its ability to warp through space and aid in escape. With the help of this power, even when facing stronger opponents, Mo Yu could retreat safely, even if he couldn't win.
Although the Shanxu Void-Breaking Thunder was still in its growth stage, the poisonous mist from the Calamity Poison Thunder Bomb had greatly suppressed the soul perception of the Dou Wang expert, allowing Mo Yu to escape easily. The reason he helped Huo Zong detoxify in the end was to further intensify the unresolvable conflict between the Liehuo Sect and the Savage Beast Sect, preventing the latter from fully focusing on chasing him.
As for whether Huo Zong would be grateful to him, Mo Yu was indifferent. Most of those who could make a name for themselves in the Black-Corner Region were not good people.
After a day and a night of desperate fleeing, Mo Yu had put a great distance between himself and Di Yan City. By this time, even if Gao Lie had exceptional abilities, there was no way he could track Mo Yu down from hundreds of miles away.
On the edge of a steep cliff, a black figure suddenly shot out from the forest behind and landed steadily on a large rock at the edge. After a day of escape, the black robe appeared somewhat dirty and disheveled. The young man pulled back the hood to reveal a face that, after a night of rest, had regained its vitality.
Standing at the cliff's edge, Mo Yu took a deep breath of the cool, misty air, and the lingering fatigue finally dissipated completely.
Looking down at the winding road below, Mo Yu couldn't help but smile at the thought of his recent gains. A seventh-grade pill, the Shapeshifting Pill—who would have thought that, just two weeks after entering the Black-Corner Region, he would encounter such a rare treasure? This region, known as the most chaotic place on the continent, truly held many opportunities!
Thinking of this, Mo Yu flipped his hand, and a jade box emitting white mist appeared.
Staring at the jade box, Mo Yu couldn't help but smile in delight. Since his rebirth, this was the highest-quality pill he had ever seen. Even though it was a flawed pill, its value was still extremely high.
Carefully opening the box slightly, a ray of red light immediately shot out, accompanied by the faint sound of a beast's roar.
"We shouldn't waste time. We need to find a safe place to let Zihuo consume it," a raspy voice suddenly echoed in Mo Yu's mind.
"Right." Mo Yu nodded slightly. Now that the Shapeshifting Pill was in his possession, the first thing to do was to have Zihuo consume it.
As for the place for Zihuo to undergo the transformation, it couldn't be done inside the Beast Ring. Although the Beast Ring was a separate space, it lacked the essence of true heaven and earth, which would significantly reduce Zihuo's chances of successfully transforming. To ensure nothing went wrong, Mo Yu needed to find a safe place for Zihuo's transformation.
"By the way, during the transformation, I'll help Zihuo try to fuse with that mysterious beast's remains. Although the Purple Crystal Winged Lion's level is not low, it almost reaches its peak at the sixth level. Without a special opportunity, it's difficult to break through further. The remains, although I'm not entirely sure of their origin, definitely belong to a strong lion-type beast. You're lucky to have come across such a beast's remains. If Zihuo can successfully fuse with them, it will undergo a significant transformation. As for the Golden Beast Eyes, although they're extraordinary, they don't match Zihuo's bloodline, and forcing the fusion could cause a rejection..." Uncle Snake explained slowly.
Hearing this, Mo Yu was stunned. He hadn't considered that Uncle Snake had already thought of so much. Truly, having an experienced elder was like having a treasure.
Uncle Snake's words aligned with Mo Yu's own thoughts, though he hadn't expected Uncle Snake to have already planned it out.
"Thank you, Uncle Snake. Since the Golden Beast Eyes won't work, then let's have Zihuo fuse with the mysterious beast's remains."
Thinking of the seventh-level beast remains stored in the Beast Ring for so long, Mo Yu felt a surge of excitement. If Zihuo successfully fused with them, its combat power would skyrocket.
With this in mind, Mo Yu couldn't wait any longer. After leaving the cliff, he didn't exit the mountains but instead flew deeper into the remote mountain range.
Zihuo needed to undergo a transformation and fuse with the mysterious beast's remains while attempting to break through to the fifth level. The commotion would undoubtedly be significant, making a secluded area the most suitable location.
After flying for several hours into the depths of the mountain range, Mo Yu finally chose a location. He landed atop an extremely large and steep mountain peak. The peak was thousands of feet high, standing straight and steep, with its summit shrouded in clouds and mist, making it difficult for anyone to observe what was happening above.
"This place will do."
Mo Yu landed at the peak, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction. With a flick of his Beast Ring, Zihuo emerged.
After spending so much time together, Mo Yu and Zihuo had developed a certain level of mutual understanding.
Sensing that a great opportunity was coming its way, Zihuo excitedly circled around Mo Yu, then affectionately rubbed its lion head against Mo Yu's leg.
Uncle Snake appeared, glanced at Zihuo, and said to Mo Yu, "Don't get too excited yet. Although Zihuo's bloodline is decent, its current strength is a bit lacking. Trying to fuse with a seventh-level beast's remains is quite dangerous for it. Since it has some intelligence, why not let it decide for itself? It can either safely transform and remain average or take a risk and strive for something greater."
Zihuo's eyes flickered with light as it clearly understood Uncle Snake's words. Its gaze rested on Mo Yu, and it let out a low growl.
The Soul Imprint wasn't a domineering slave contract but a subtle transformation of thoughts, allowing the beast to retain its own consciousness without losing its will. Zihuo naturally understood Uncle Snake's warning. However, after all these years, it had already developed an inseparable bond with Mo Yu and was unwilling to remain ordinary.
Sensing Zihuo's determination, Mo Yu patted its head and sighed softly, "Let's get started then. Thank you, Uncle Snake."
"You've found yourself a good pet, kid. Alright then, if it can get through this, it will be a significant breakthrough for it, and its future potential could be extraordinary." Uncle Snake chuckled wickedly, then his expression became serious as he nodded slowly.
Boom!
Mo Yu swung his sleeve, and the large, crystalline remains of a seventh-level beast crashed heavily onto the ground, releasing a faint yet overwhelming aura of ferocity.
"To fuse with the remains of a seventh-level beast, we first need to extract the bones. In simple terms, this means we have to remove the original lion bones. This step is extremely dangerous—any mistake could result in the bones being destroyed and the beast perishing," Uncle Snake said in a serious tone as he stared at the imposing remains.
Hearing this, Mo Yu nodded. Fusing with beast remains was not a simple task. But they had reached this point, and whether Zihuo would succeed or fail depended on this moment.
"Mo Yu, the Shapeshifting Pill!" Uncle Snake called out.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu took out the jade box. A pill that emitted a dazzling red light shot out instantly. As the Shapeshifting Pill appeared, a rich fragrance spread throughout the entire mountain peak, making the air around them smell incredibly sweet.
"Activate the Purple-Gold Seven-Winged Serpent Bloodline!"
Uncle Snake took the Shapeshifting Pill, tossed it into the air above Zihuo, and made several intricate hand signs. Beams of purple-gold light shot out, piercing into the Shapeshifting Pill.
Boom!
As the light entered the pill, it twisted violently, and in the next moment, a crimson flame burst forth, causing the very space around it to warp and twist from the intense heat.
"Little one, if you can't withstand this step, there's no point in continuing," Uncle Snake said gravely, his long fingers waving as the Shapeshifting Fire swept down, enveloping Zihuo's body.
As soon as the Shapeshifting Fire wrapped around Zihuo, Mo Yu could almost see with his own eyes how the scales on Zihuo's body began to melt instantly.
Roar!
A heartrending roar echoed from within the blazing Shapeshifting Fire, reverberating through the entire mountain range. Mo Yu watched without blinking as Zihuo struggled frantically within the intense flames. He could vaguely see that Zihuo's body was becoming increasingly distorted, as if its flesh and blood were being melted into liquid.
The agonizing roar continued for over ten minutes before gradually fading away—not because the pain had ended, but because Zihuo's mouth had been burned away, leaving it unable to roar anymore.
Within the fiercely burning Shapeshifting Fire, Zihuo's body had now been reduced to a bloody, shapeless mass.
"Extract the lion bones!"
Uncle Snake's eyes flashed with determination. He reached out his hand, and a large hand formed of purple-gold light plunged into the Shapeshifting Fire, piercing into the mass of flesh before violently pulling.
Rip!
A twisted, pale white lion skeleton was forcibly torn from the mass of flesh!
Mo Yu frowned at this scene; anyone who witnessed it could feel the immense pain Zihuo was enduring.
"Mo Yu, the seventh-level beast remains!" Uncle Snake ordered, his expression extremely serious.
"Boom!"
Mo Yu nodded solemnly, delivering a powerful strike to the seventh-level beast remains, sending them crashing into the Shapeshifting Fire.
As the seventh-level beast remains entered the Shapeshifting Fire, the mass of flesh reacted as if it sensed something, writhing wildly and wrapping around the bones.
Bang! Bang!
As the flesh wrapped around the seventh-level beast bones, a crystalline glow emanated from the bones, attempting to repel the flesh. However, despite being repelled, the flesh tenaciously clung to the bones, refusing to be shaken off.
"These seventh-level beast remains still hold the essence of the beast's life, and they will resist Zihuo's attempt to fuse with them. Unfortunately, we can't help with this; it's up to Zihuo to conquer them," Uncle Snake said, his eyes focused on the flames.
"Moreover, Zihuo's beast soul is fused with its flesh, but in this state, it can only last for one hour. If it can't successfully fuse with the seventh-level beast remains within that time, it will die," Uncle Snake added.
Mo Yu silently nodded, then sat down cross-legged, his eyes fixed on the flames, a serious expression in his silver eyes.
The battle between the flesh and the lion bones in the fire continued for nearly half an hour. As time passed, Mo Yu's expression grew more somber, causing Uncle Snake to shake his head in resignation. In all the time he'd known Mo Yu, he'd rarely seen him so tense.
Another ten minutes passed, and as the hour approached its end, Mo Yu stood up, his gaze locked on where Zihuo was transforming, his brow furrowed tightly.
Although he had initially contracted Zihuo with the simple intention of taming a beast as a pet, over time, Zihuo had become like family to Mo Yu. Especially after the passing of his grandfather, Housekeeper Mo, Zihuo had come to hold extraordinary significance for him.
Now, seeing Zihuo in such a precarious situation, Mo Yu couldn't help but feel anxious.
As Mo Yu waited anxiously, a sudden rumbling sound erupted from the Shapeshifting Fire, and the flames suddenly expanded.
Mo Yu's attention was instantly drawn to the scene, his silver eyes fixed on the fire.
Uncle Snake also appeared beside Mo Yu, his gaze locked on the fire.
Inside the fire, the earlier struggle seemed to have ceased. Faintly, a massive figure stood silently within the flames, and a surge of ferocious energy suddenly spread out, as if a king among beasts was awakening!
"Did it succeed?" Mo Yu's pupils contracted as he sensed the intense ferocity emanating from the figure.
Roar!
Under Mo Yu and Uncle Snake's watchful eyes, the massive figure inside the flames suddenly raised its head, letting out a deafening lion's roar.
The roar, filled with ferocity and authority, echoed throughout the mountain range, causing countless beasts in the area to tremble in fear.
"The majesty of a Lion King!" Uncle Snake murmured, his snake-like eyes gleaming.
As the lion's roar reverberated through the heavens and earth, the Shapeshifting Fire seemed to be drawn in, rushing into the massive figure and being completely absorbed.
"This little one is preparing to break through to the fifth level and transform..." Uncle Snake finally smiled, his voice carrying a hint of relief.
"Yeah..."
Mo Yu also sat back down on the ground, feeling the heavy weight on his heart slowly lift.
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