Liu Feng's limbs gradually grew longer, and his hair grew longer too, its color deepening until it shimmered like golden silk beneath the sunlight.
His face, softened by the night, began to change subtly as well, its features growing sharper.
Before, at first glance, he had seemed like a girl. Now he looked more like his daytime self, grown up.
He looked about fourteen or fifteen, handsome enough to charm both men and women.
"Liu Feng got bigger..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion opened her mouth, utterly dumbfounded.
She gently licked Liu Feng's cheek, then thought for a moment. "He still smells the same! Still so sweet!"
The Scarlet King raised a paw and lightly tapped Liu Feng's body, astonished.
"His body has grown much stronger! Even a thousand-year-old Soul Beast probably couldn't match him!"
Though Liu Feng wasn't human, his physical constitution was stronger than a human's. Even so, it still couldn't compare to a Soul Beast's.
Now, however, it had improved dramatically!
This was far too strange!
Still, there were no signs that Liu Feng was in danger.
"Liu Feng... Liu Feng..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lowered her damp nose and gently nudged Liu Feng's cheek.
The Scarlet King watched Liu Feng expectantly, sitting obediently across from him like a big dog.
"Mm..."
Liu Feng's long eyelashes trembled lightly, then his eyes opened.
His violet eyes were utterly captivating, instantly drawing the attention of both Ferocious Beasts.
In that instant, they both seemed to be sinking into a beauty beyond words.
Elves were beautiful creatures, as though they had been formed by the very essence of heaven and earth.
It wasn't just men and women—even Soul Beasts of different species could sense that beauty.
"Slurp, slurp...!"
Without a word, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion rushed forward again, stretching out her tongue to smear it all over Liu Feng's face.
"Stop licking me..."
Liu Feng hurriedly pushed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion away. He'd nearly drowned.
"Liu Feng, you're so beautiful..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stared wide-eyed, as if she wanted to tuck him away inside her eyes.
The Scarlet King added, "You're even a little more beautiful than the most beautiful Scarlet Demon Mastiff in my clan!"
"..."
Liu Feng gave the two of them a helpless look.
He touched his newly grown wrist. Even while unconscious, he had actually been able to sense what was happening around him.
The changes he'd undergone were because of the Sprite Dragon!
As it devoured the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Soul Power, the Sprite Dragon had absorbed some for itself while also reshaping Liu Feng's body.
As it happened, because of the unusual nature of his soul, Liu Feng had two different forms.
So it had simply reshaped his nighttime form, giving him the appearance of a boy around twelve or thirteen.
Of course, his physical constitution didn't change with his form.
Feeling the explosive new strength inside him, Liu Feng figured he could probably punch a cow to death!
All in all, it was a good change!
At a thought, a purple orb of light appeared above Liu Feng's head.
Faintly, he could hear a "thump, thump," like a heartbeat.
The Sprite Dragon was about to hatch!
Liu Feng still didn't know what kind of Sprite Dragon his would be, or what abilities it would bring him.
But he was looking forward to it.
"Liu Feng, Liu Feng, look at this! I snatched it off that good-for-nothing!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion tossed him an insect husk as thin as a cicada's wing.
Liu Feng's eyes lit up. "This is a treasure!"
The shed husk of a million-year Soul Beast!
It could stretch and change shape under the influence of spiritual power.
In the original story, this was the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's trump card for Huo Yuhao's trip to the Extreme North.
It could serve as thermal underwear for Huo Yuhao, disguise itself as the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's true form, and even trap the Ice Empress in the end.
That showed just how precious it was!
"Then it's yours!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion said happily at once.
Liu Feng patted the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's fluffy head.
The Scarlet King cleared his throat. "We should head back. We'll pick up all the Brocade Chickens along the way."
"And, Auspicious Beast, no matter what, you let the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm go. Go back and think about how you're going to explain that to Di Tian."
The Scarlet King stood up and reminded her.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was carefree and hadn't taken it to heart at all.
"Rumble, rumble...!"
Just then, the sound of Soul Beasts thundering across the distance reached them.
The stampede caused by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hadn't died down yet!
The Soul Power it had released in its final outburst was like a natural treasure.
The Scarlet King led Liu Feng and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion back to the core area without incident.
It was now the middle of the night. The bright moon cast a round jade disk across the lake's surface.
The Scorpion Tiger was still fast asleep beneath the treehouse, but the aura of its Soul Power had increased by several thousand years!
If it hadn't still been sleeping, it would have pounced on Liu Feng the moment it saw him return.
As soon as Liu Feng landed, he caught the scents of Di Tian and the other Ferocious Beasts.
They hadn't shown themselves, but they were nearby.
He gently stroked the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, a little worried she might be punished.
After all, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was part of their "family fortune."
She had meant to give it to Liu Feng, but it had gotten away.
"Di Tian..."
The Scarlet King suddenly lowered all three of his heads toward the space ahead.
Di Tian appeared out of thin air and gave them a slight nod.
"I saw what happened after the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm left. Since Liu Feng gained something from it, we haven't really lost anything."
As he spoke, Di Tian took hold of Liu Feng's shoulder and quickly checked him over.
Only after confirming that he was fine did he release him.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion tipped her head back, looking very pleased with herself.
"I told you that letting Liu Feng devour that good-for-nothing was the best use for it!"
Liu Feng felt a little warmth in his heart. He could tell Di Tian wasn't lying; he truly didn't care that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had escaped.
That also meant Di Tian regarded him as one of their own.
"Roast chicken! Roast chicken!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's big tail suddenly thumped Liu Feng on the head as she eagerly urged him along.
Liu Feng gave a hearty nod and ran with her toward the lakeside.
Once they were far away, Bi Ji and the other Ferocious Beasts appeared one after another.
Bi Ji let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face.
"Liu Feng is a good child..."
Zi JI nodded too, folding her arms and watching with an inscrutable gleam in her slit pupils. "That's right. He's even prettier now. I like him!"
Bi Ji's expression froze. She shot Zi JI a wary look.
The other Ferocious Beasts couldn't help marveling at him too, increasingly amazed by Liu Feng's species.
Di Tian said calmly, "More than that, he's a gifted child. We have little hope of becoming gods, but what about Liu Feng? If he were human, he would certainly become a god."
"!!!"
The many Ferocious Beasts all turned their eyes toward Di Tian.
Becoming gods was what they dreamed of more than anything!
Di Tian continued, "If we can nurture Liu Feng into a god, perhaps... he could become the hope of breaking the Soul Beasts' plight."
At those words, the Ferocious Beasts realized just how important Liu Feng was.
When they looked over at Liu Feng roasting fish, their gazes grew even more eager.
They had all heard about something that happened ten thousand years ago.
Sea God Tang San had two brothers-in-law who, after an accident led them to sacrifice themselves for him, had their bodies remade once he became a god. Even the chickens and dogs around them had ascended to heaven!
Those two hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts had even been their juniors!
If only they could nurture someone like Sea God Tang San...
They excitedly began discussing plans for raising him.
But none of them noticed that Liu Feng had quietly fallen asleep, as a blue divine thought descended from the heavens and drifted into his mind.
Before you continue