Transformation

While El soaked in the Lake of Life, idling away, Huo Yutong was undergoing a transformation.

Within the Emerald Swan clan's territory, little Huo sat in a small bathing pool carved out of a massive rock.

As the translucent, gemlike emerald wings behind Bi Ji fluttered, ripples spread through the medicinal bath, so rich it seemed like liquid vitality.

"Green dew grass, golden sun warm jade leaf, jade drool mushroom..."

Watching the petite girl sitting cross-legged, Bi Ji murmured softly.

This medicinal bath contained numerous precious Heavenly Treasures that grew beside the Lake of Life. Their quality varied, but without exception, they were excellent ingredients for strengthening one's foundations, nourishing one's essence, and fortifying the body.

And with her personally extracting their medicinal potency and helping Huo Yutong absorb it...

As long as Huo Yutong did not climb out prematurely, practically none of the bath's medicinal potency would go to waste!

"Let me see whether you truly qualify..."

Recalling what Di Tian had told her, Bi Ji lightly bit her lip. A trace of apology flashed through her eyes, but something far greater soon replaced it.

"The Ice Dragon King chosen by His Highness."

The Emerald Swan raised her left hand, exposing her pale wrist, then flattened her other hand into a blade and slashed it fiercely across her wrist.

As a drop of emerald-gold blood seeped from the wound, a rich fragrance instantly filled the air.

Bi Ji's face grew visibly paler.

That drop was her natal essence blood, containing the essence of the vitality accumulated through over five hundred thousand years of cultivation, along with part of her origin.

Had that drop appeared anywhere in the Star Dou Great Forest outside the Great Ferocious Land, it would have been enough to trigger a massive beast tide!

And had it reached human society, it would have been a peerless elixir capable of healing even the gravest injuries, bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bare bones, and extending the lives of those nearing their end by decades!

Successfully refining and absorbing that single drop of Bi Ji's essence blood would elevate one's very level of existence. If a soul beast whose original limit was merely ten thousand years refined it, they could begin looking toward a future beyond one hundred thousand years of cultivation.

And if a Soul Master with a trash martial soul and only half a level of innate soul power refined it in stages with an expert's help, it would be enough to evolve their martial soul toward the life attribute. Aspiring to become a Super Douluo would be entirely within reach.

Now, just such a drop of blood had merged into Huo Yutong's medicinal bath!

Bi Ji sat cross-legged and briefly regulated her breathing.

This drop of blood was not poison, nor did she intend to harm the child.

It was just that...

Ultimately, Di Tian did not trust humans, even if this was His Highness the Radiant Dragon King's decision.

Although Di Tian never questioned His Highness's decisions, he still wanted to know what shining quality this human possessed that had caught the Radiant Dragon King's eye.

Was it merely her supposed status as the Child of Destiny?

Then, without your fortune, what would you have left?

Bi Ji took a deep breath and looked at Huo Yutong, who still maintained her cultivation posture even as her body began to tremble and sweat appeared on her forehead.

Show us that shining quality of yours. Make us all acknowledge you, little cub!

Of course, Bi Ji also knew that testing the strength of a cub not yet twelve years old would be deliberately making things difficult for her.

Thus, willpower was the most suitable thing to test.

Aside from purifying the medicinal potency within the bath, that drop of Bi Ji's essence blood would elevate Huo Yutong's level of existence.

There would be absolutely no side effects.

However, the process of that elevation would become agonizing.

This drop of Bi Ji's blood was both compensation and a gift, as well as a trial and a test.

"I'm sorry, child..."

"But I must do this."

"The fate of the Soul Beast Clan must never be entrusted to the weak!"

Bi Ji closed her eyes again and began adjusting the balance and fusion between the extracts of those spiritual herbs.

She would do everything possible to ensure Huo Yutong could perfectly assimilate it all.

"Ngh!"

Meanwhile, within little Huo's Sea of Consciousness...

Terrifying agony descended upon her in an instant!

Huo Yutong was not even given time to adjust. Her spiritual form, which had been cultivating cross-legged just like her physical body outside, could no longer maintain its posture.

Incoherent whimpers and howls escaped her mouth,

She collapsed onto her own Sea of Consciousness, tears and snot smeared across her little face.

The warm medicinal potency that had seeped into her body like a murmuring stream suddenly changed.

If the medicinal potency that had slowly filled her meridians and nourished her organs had been a gentle drizzle, moistening everything in silence...

Then now, after Bi Ji's essence blood fell into the bath, that drizzle had become a raging storm in the heart of a surging ocean!

Ocean waves powerful enough to crack an ironclad warship descended without warning upon the tiny wooden raft that was Huo Yutong.

"Little Yu Tong!"

At this sudden change, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had remained beside her all along, cried out and rushed over, helping her up and laying her across his plump thighs.

"This is...!"

Tian Meng swept his spiritual power over Huo Yutong's body outside and instantly understood what was happening.

"Bi Ji's essence blood?!"

Huo Yutong's frail body simply could not withstand such immense nourishment. The vitality that should have gradually strengthened her body went wild, galloping through her like a horse that had broken its reins!

Every cell of flesh and blood within her was utterly shredded by this power, then began healing at a speed that could only be described as insane.

Huo Yutong endured the agony of her body being fed inch by inch into a meat grinder, while simultaneously feeling the itching and swelling of her bones and skin being recast piece by piece and her tissues regenerating.

Under normal circumstances, she should already have exploded or turned into a monster whose flesh proliferated endlessly.

But outside stood Bi Ji, ranked fourth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, with over five hundred thousand years of cultivation and a specialty in healing and vitality!

With her precise control, Huo Yutong had no need to fear for her life.

Indeed, amid this endless cycle of her flesh being destroyed and restored, Huo Yutong's body was beginning to be completely remade.

This was a truly tremendous opportunity!

But for Huo Yutong, whose physical condition was abysmal and whose body had yet to develop, it was also torture.

"Yu Tong, can you still hold on?"

Having sorted out the situation, Tian Meng, who had been beside himself with worry, regained his composure.

He tucked a stray lock of golden hair behind his ear and let Huo Yutong's head rest against his broad chest.

He gritted his teeth.

"If you really can't take it, let me take over all your senses temporarily!"

If necessary, he would bear this suffering for her!

Fortunately, he had already used his powerful spiritual power to forcibly take control of Huo Yutong's body and sever the synchronization between her spirit and her body.

Otherwise, caught so utterly off guard, Huo Yutong might have climbed out of the pool under the influence of her body's instinctive desire to survive before she could even react.

"...I... I'm fine."

The small figure within the Sea of Consciousness mirrored the spasms and convulsions of her physical body.

Feebly, Huo Yutong squeezed a few words out between her sobs and howls.

"Thank you, Sister Tian Meng."

"But... let me take control of my body again..."

"Little Yu Tong..."

A tremor flickered through Tian Meng's golden eyes.

"Trust me!"

Huo Yutong stubbornly pushed herself upright, pulling away from Tian Meng's soft embrace.

Enduring pain far worse than being sliced to death, she resumed the same posture as her physical body outside.

Even that single movement took her a long time and several failed attempts before she succeeded.

To gain something, you must inevitably give something in return.

If she fled from a mere trial that did not even threaten her life,

Then what would she do when she encountered situations far harsher and more desperate in the future?

Simply wait to die?!

Her mother Huo Yun'er's gentle, loving face, the smile of the black-haired, red-eyed boy, and...

"White Tiger Duke's Mansion! Dai Huabin! Duchess!!"

A trace of scarlet flashed through her clear spirit eyes,

For power, for revenge, for the future, she could endure anything.

"..."

Tian Meng watched Huo Yutong, his gaze heavy.

He raised his arm, but for a long time, he did not move.

"Bring it on, Sister Tian Meng!"

Huo Yutong gave a wan smile and deliberately spoke in an irritating tone.

"That spiritual separation you did for me is really getting in the way!"