Boom!
The moment Li Hao made his choice, the life energy he had just infused into the Hell Spirit Cat's body abruptly changed in nature!
It was no longer mere healing.
It became something far more domineering and fundamental, a fusion imbued with an unquestionable will!
A dense, almost solid black light erupted from within the Hell Spirit Cat, instantly forming a massive black cocoon that completely enveloped it.
Every trace of light in the cave was swallowed by the cocoon.
A terrifying surge of Soul Power spread wildly in every direction, centered on the cocoon!
[Bond Evolution initiated!] [Target: Hell Spirit Cat (Mutated Royal Bloodline)]
The system's solemn, grand voice now carried a hint of explanation.
[Analysis commencing... This individual is a direct descendant of the Hell Spirit Cat Royal Family. During its growth, it underwent an unknown beneficial mutation, and its soul purity and potential far surpass those of its kind.] [Due to the unique nature and domineering attributes of its bloodline, ordinary healing methods will cause a violent energy conflict. Only through Bond Evolution using the host's source energy, transforming it into a Soul Beast Girl bound to the host as one, is there a chance of survival.] [Warning: This evolution is extremely difficult and consumes vast amounts of energy. However, upon successful evolution, its potential will break through the limits of its species, making it the sharpest... spear and shield under the host's command.]
A spear and a shield?
Li Hao looked at the violently pulsing black cocoon before him. He felt nothing at all—in fact, he kind of wanted to complain.
It sounded so grand, but wasn't this just a gacha pull?
The guaranteed-SSR kind, at least.
"Daddy!"
An anxious, tearful cry came from the cave entrance.
In the end, Xiao Wu couldn't hold back and ran inside, unable to hide her worry.
When she saw the enormous black cocoon radiating an ominous aura, her little face instantly turned deathly pale.
She could feel the terrifying tearing and reshaping that the life within the cocoon was undergoing.
The pain made her feel as if she were suffering it herself.
"Daddy, i-is it going to be okay?"
Xiao Wu clutched Li Hao's clothes, her body trembling slightly.
Li Hao came back to himself and gently stroked Xiao Wu's head.
His hand was steady, without the slightest trace of panic.
"With me here, it'll be fine."
His words were simple, yet they carried a reassuring certainty that brooked no doubt.
"It'll become part of our family."
He was saying this less to comfort Xiao Wu than to reassure himself.
Since he had already gotten involved, and had already paid something called his "source energy"—which sounded expensive—he absolutely couldn't let this go wrong.
He might be socially awkward, but he couldn't let anything happen to his own collectibles.
Medusa stood silently behind them, a glimmer of interest flashing in her emerald-green, serpentine eyes.
She said nothing. She merely spread her Soul Power, creating an invisible barrier around the cave to guard against any possible disturbance.
At the same time, she kept her senses locked on the black cocoon, curiously analyzing that pure yet domineering Nether aura.
The cocoon's pulsing grew more and more violent.
The anguished howls coming from within gradually weakened.
Li Hao could sense that although the energy inside the cocoon was vast, it was running out of steam.
The Hell Spirit Cat's source energy had been all but exhausted by its earlier grievous injuries and its own attempt to end its life.
If they relied solely on the energy provided by the system, the evolution would take an extremely long time and be fraught with uncertainty.
They couldn't wait any longer.
Li Hao made his decision.
He stepped forward and resolutely pressed his right hand against the violently pulsing black cocoon.
Soul Power surged out!
His own cultivation, the thirty-five levels of a Soul Elder, poured forth without reservation, turning into the purest energy and streaming continuously into the cocoon!
Hum!
The moment Li Hao's Soul Power touched the cocoon, it shuddered violently.
The Nether Power, which had been raging in chaotic fury, seemed to have found an anchor. It quickly began to grow docile and orderly.
Li Hao's Soul Power was like a perfect catalyst and harmonizing agent.
He didn't suppress the Nether Power. Instead, he guided and soothed it, helping it reach a delicate balance with the life energy provided by the system.
The anguished howls stopped.
The violent pulsing gradually eased as well.
The entire evolution process was forcibly brought back on track.
It worked!
Li Hao felt a wave of relief.
So these thirty-odd levels of Soul Power weren't for nothing after all.
As he continued channeling his Soul Power, the black light on the cocoon's surface began to change in a strange way.
Light shimmered and flowed. Within it, the slender, graceful silhouette of a woman slowly emerged at the cocoon's center.
An aura utterly different from the earlier ferocity gradually spread from the silhouette—cold and proud.
The temperature in the cave began to plummet before their eyes.
Tiny ice crystals formed in the air. Even the blood flowing over the ground began to acquire a thin layer of frost.
Xiao Wu couldn't help shivering and instinctively edged closer to Li Hao.
Medusa watched the scene with interest.
This power was pure and absolute, imbued with death's silence and the elegance of the night.
A promising one.
Time passed, second by second.
Li Hao felt that nearly a third of the Soul Power in his body had been drained.
Just then, the cocoon's light finally reached its peak!
Crack.
A crisp cracking sound rang out.
A fissure appeared on the cocoon's surface.
Then came a second, a third...
Like a spiderweb, the cracks rapidly spread. At last, with a muffled bang, the entire black cocoon shattered!
It dissolved into a sky full of drifting black specks of light.
At the center of those fading specks stood a figure, motionless.
It was a girl.
A tight black leather suit traced the stunning curves of her figure, breathtakingly voluptuous.
Her skin shone pale as if it were glowing in the dim light.
A fall of smooth, jet-black hair reached her waist.
She stood perfectly still, eyes closed, her entire being radiating a frigid aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.
It was the future Zhu Zhuqing.
No.
She was Zhu Zhuqing as a Soul Beast Girl—more terrifyingly talented and with a purer bloodline than in the original story!
[Bond Evolution successful!] [Soul Beast Girl: Zhu Zhuqing (Mutated Royal Bloodline)] [Soul Contract established! Loyalty: MAX!] [Her Hell Spirit Cat Royal Family bloodline has been fully activated and resonated with the host's Soul Power. Her innate potential has greatly increased, and her future achievements are limitless!]
The system's notification rang out with the grandeur of a triumph.
Li Hao looked at his perfect "masterpiece," and hadn't yet managed to smile in satisfaction.
The girl's long lashes suddenly quivered.
The next moment,
she slowly opened her eyes.
They were not human eyes, but golden, slit-pupiled eyes, brilliant as stars in the night and so cold they held not a trace of emotion...
Her gaze passed over everything and landed with pinpoint precision on Li Hao.
Confusion. Bewilderment.
And an innate scrutiny and detachment.
Before you continue