Over the past three days, the surrounding Blue Silver Grass had visibly withered by more than half. Vast amounts of their life essence had been extracted and poured into the giant cocoon. The once-vibrant blue-gold leaves had turned yellow and shriveled, like bodies drained of blood.
Tang Hao still stood at the edge of the forest, utterly motionless. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips cracked, yet he had not closed his eyes even once.
Then, the dawn of the fourth day arrived.
A crack appeared on the surface of the giant cocoon.
It was no ordinary crack. It spread from the top of the cocoon like a bolt of black lightning splitting apart the blue-gold cocoon of light.
Immediately afterward, countless cracks burst open at once, densely covering the cocoon's entire surface. A suffocating dark aura erupted from those cracks. It was an aura of Devouring ten, even a hundred times denser than it had been three days ago, carrying an almost tyrannical pressure that rendered the surrounding air stagnant.
Tang Hao's expression changed drastically.
"Is this—"
Before he could finish, the giant cocoon exploded.
It did not split open. It exploded. Countless fragments shot in every direction, turning into black powder in midair and drifting down across the Blue Silver Forest. At the cocoon's former location, a figure slowly rose to his feet.
Tang San.
But not entirely Tang San.
He had grown noticeably taller than he had been three days ago, his body more slender and upright. His formerly dark-blue hair had become an eerie dark red, flying wildly in the morning breeze. It hung down to his waist, each strand like a thread soaked in blood.
His features had become sharper, his skin so pale it was almost translucent, while his lips were red as though