Transformation

If Aunt Rou had had an Immortal Herb back then...

If he had remembered this sooner...

The Star Dou Forest was the largest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the entire Douluo Continent, and the Lake of Life was one of the places with the most abundant spiritual energy in heaven and earth.

Such a blessed land was certain to nurture countless natural treasures.

As Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, Da Ming and Er Ming knew every inch of the Star Dou Forest like the backs of their hands. As long as they searched carefully, finding an Immortal Herb was far from impossible.

If he had thought of this method sooner...

If Aunt Rou had possessed an Immortal Herb to conceal her aura...

Bibi Dong would not have discovered her true identity.

Aunt Rou would not have died.

The thought was like a dull blade, cutting into Nezha's heart over and over again.

His fingers clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms as blood dripped through the gaps between them.

He hated himself for not remembering sooner.

Nezha gritted his teeth and forced that regret deep into his heart.

But it was not too late.

Aunt Rou was gone, but Xiao Wu was still here.

He would never let Xiao Wu suffer the same fate as Aunt Rou.

No matter what it took, he would find an Immortal Herb so Xiao Wu could safely enter human society.

"Er Ming."

Nezha raised his head and looked at the mountain-like Titan Giant Ape. His voice was still hoarse, but his tone was exceptionally solemn.

Er Ming turned around, tear tracks still lingering in his bell-like eyes.

"I need your help," Nezha said. "Go into the Star Dou Forest and find something."

"What is it?"

Nezha took a deep breath and tried his best to recall the descriptions of Immortal Herbs from the original work.

He did not dare say too much that might expose his origins, but he could still roughly describe the most basic characteristics of Immortal Herbs in a way that made sense.

Finally, Nezha added, "This plant may be able to conceal Xiao Wu's Soul Beast aura, so no one will discover her true identity when she enters human society in the future."

Er Ming froze for a moment, then nodded heavily.

"I understand."

He did not ask why Nezha knew of such a thing. Nor did he ask which book a child who had never left the forest in six years could possibly have read it in.

He simply rose to his feet, turned his massive body toward the depths of the forest, and launched himself forward with a sudden burst of power. Like an arrow leaving the bowstring, he vanished into the dense woods in the blink of an eye.

Because as long as it could protect Xiao Wu, nothing else mattered to him.

Da Ming and Er Ming were the same. They had lost Ah Rou; they could not lose Xiao Wu too.

Nezha watched the direction Er Ming had gone. The Qiankun Ring in his hand emitted a faint crimson-gold glow, illuminating his young face.

He silently swore that this time, he would protect Xiao Wu.

Whether with an Immortal Herb or with his own life.

Without fail.

Night fell.

The nights in the Star Dou Forest were far from quiet. Insect chirps rose and fell, while the low growls of Soul Beasts occasionally echoed from afar.

Under the moonlight, the waters of the Lake of Life shimmered with rippling light, bathing the entire lakeshore in a soft glow.

In the clearing by the lake, Xiao Wu stood at the center as the night breeze gently brushed through her pink fur.

Da Ming coiled nearby, his enormous bull-headed, serpent-bodied form creating a protective ring around her.

His vertical pupils remained open, vigilantly watching every movement around them.

Nezha stood several steps away from Xiao Wu. All three heads and six arms had been released, while the Fire-Tipped Spear, Qiankun Ring, Red Armillary Sash, Wind Fire Wheels, Golden Brick, and Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Shield glimmered with crimson-gold light beneath the moon.

He did not know whether there would be any accidents during the Transformation process, but if there were, he would protect Xiao Wu at any cost.

"Are you ready?" Da Ming's deep voice sounded.

Xiao Wu nodded. Her gaze lingered for a moment in the direction where Ah Rou's body lay before she withdrew it and took a deep breath.

"Let's begin."

Transformation.

For a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Transformation meant abandoning a hundred thousand years of cultivation, abandoning its incomparably powerful Soul Beast body, and being reborn as a human in the frailest form of a child.

It was no different from a desperate gamble. If they lost, then after a hundred years, they would become nothing more than a handful of dust, without even a chance at reincarnation.

But if they won and stepped into God Rank, they would transcend reincarnation and live forever.

Xiao Wu closed her eyes.

Rings of pink light began to shine from her body. The light was soft and warm, like the first ray of sunlight entering the forest in spring.

The radiance grew stronger and brighter, and gradually, Xiao Wu's body began to change.

Her enormous pink rabbit body slowly shrank. Her soft fur gradually faded away, revealing smooth skin beneath.

Her limbs began to lengthen and reshape, transforming from the legs and claws of a Soul Beast into human arms and legs.

Her large rabbit ears slowly shortened and shifted toward the position of human ears, while long pink hair grew from the top of her head.

The entire process lasted a long time.

When the final wisp of pink light faded, the one standing there was no longer an enormous pink rabbit, but a little girl who looked about the same age as Nezha.

She had brilliant long hair that fell all the way to her waist, skin as fair as snow, and delicate features like those of a porcelain doll.

She wore a pink dress condensed from Soul Power and stood barefoot on the grass.

Xiao Wu slowly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were still that gentle pink, exactly the same as Ah Rou's.

Nezha looked at Xiao Wu before him, and for a moment, he was dazed.

He had seen Xiao Wu's transformed appearance countless times in the original animation, but witnessing it with his own eyes was a shock no image could convey.

Xiao Wu lowered her head and looked at her hands. They were human hands, with five long, slender fingers.

She curled them into fists, feeling every change in this completely new body.

Her hundred thousand years of cultivation were gone. Her Soul Beast strength was gone. Now, she was merely a child who had just completed Transformation, with Innate Full Soul Power.

Yet she felt no regret.

"Sister Xiao Wu," Da Ming lowered his bull head, complicated emotions flickering in his vertical pupils. "How do you feel?"

"Very good." Xiao Wu's voice had changed as well. It was no longer the mature voice she had possessed as a Soul Beast, but the crisp, soft voice of a little girl. "Just like Mom said back then, it feels a little strange, but... it's all right."

When she said the word "Mom," Xiao Wu's voice trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her calm.

Nezha stepped forward and took Xiao Wu's hand. It was small, soft, and cool.

"Xiao Wu, welcome to the human world."

Xiao Wu looked at him, and the corners of her lips finally curved into a faint smile. It was the first smile she had shown since Ah Rou's death.

Outside Notting City.

Two figures approached from afar, a boy and a girl, both appearing six or seven years old.