It turned out that the effect of Purple Snow Sap Essence was indeed far more potent than Purple Snow Sap.
Su Ming was unsure whether Xiao Hai'er's aptitude had improved after consuming Purple Snow Sap Essence, and he had no way to detect it. But judging solely from the effects visible so far, it was already extraordinarily powerful.
Under the effects of Purple Snow Sap Essence, Xiao Hai'er had completely grown into maturity. She was no longer a juvenile and had become a true Nightmare Breed. Even her life form seemed to have undergone some changes, granting her special abilities.
For example, her ability to transform into a human, which Su Ming bluntly called "becoming a spirit," was no longer like before, when she merely refracted light through water vapor to create illusions. She had genuinely changed her appearance and form.
In human form, Xiao Hai'er could perfectly conceal all her demonic nature and fully stimulate the spirituality within her. Even if she were scanned and examined with the most precise alchemical instruments, the results would show that she was simply human.
In mermaid form, Xiao Hai'er was the exact opposite. She could conceal all her spirituality and unleash her demonic nature, displaying the formidable power of a Nightmare Breed. Compared to before, she had become countless times stronger.
Both forms were now Xiao Hai'er's true body. There was no distinction between one being real and the other being fake.
It was like humans. Even if they awakened Demonization and transformed into demons, that did not mean they were no longer human and had become Phantom Demons. Xiao Hai'er's transformation was similar to the change between a High-level Hunter's human and demonic forms. The difference was that High-level Hunters experienced a tremendous surge in power after Demonization, whereas Xiao Hai'er's