Chapter 6: Transformation
Chapter 6: Transformation
The cave was dim and gloomy, with water dripping, making it feel especially eerie. The atmosphere was simply perfect.
“My grandfather was called Zeng Guohua…”
Li Yi intentionally lowered his voice and slowed his speech to create a scary mood.
“A crooked path!”
Gu Yanran snorted lightly, her expression disdainful and unmoved.
She had personally summoned a vengeful spirit at age thirteen, sacrificed a Headless Knight at seventeen, and just a few days ago, created a Stitched Abomination. A white paper person? What was so scary about that?
Li Yi pretended not to hear, keeping his rhythm steady as he narrated smoothly.
Gradually, Gu Yanran’s eyes widened. In her heart, she clicked her tongue. What was this kid’s head made of?
“Mouse friend? Was it shapeshifting? Or soul possession? Could it be… that mouse was a Transcendent Magical Beast—the Heaven-Stealing Mouse?”
After a while longer, she became completely immersed in the story, looking tense. Her breathing rose and fell, turned and changed along with the tones of Li Yi’s voice.
Everyone was listening with Focus Mind, not daring to breathe loudly. They had definitely never heard such a thrilling story before!
The Blood-Shedding Manticore named Feixue was startled and jumpy, sometimes letting out frightened whimpers, covering its eyes with its huge paws, appearing rather cute in a clumsy way.
“White Paper Person,” “Mouse Friend,” “Fierce Corpse from the Desolate Grave”—story after story, everyone was captivated, completely forgetting the passage of time.
“If you want to know what happens next, listen to the next installment!” Li Yi slapped his thigh heavily, sighing inwardly. It was a pity he didn’t have a storyteller’s block.
After speaking, he raised his head and puffed out his chest, a hint of challenge in his smile. “How was the story? Not childish, right!”
“Huh?” Gu Yanran was stunned for a moment. Coming back to her senses, she realized that at some point, she and Feixue were pressed close together. She couldn’t help but blush and stammered, “Very good. You… you are hired. The rest of you, disperse now!”
“Thank you!”
The sight of the beautiful girl before him, cheeks flushed, was both pleasing to the eye and allowed Li Yi to vent a lot of pent-up frustration, making him feel greatly pleased.
“Three Magic Crystals per day. Working hours are from noon to five p.m. Understand?” Gu Yanran caught the teasing look in the boy’s eyes and felt somewhat annoyed and embarrassed. Without knowing why, she added, “Don’t be too happy too soon. The day Feixue gets tired of you, you’ll have to pack up and leave.”
As soon as she finished, she froze.
What was wrong with her?
Possessing the Bloodline Ability—“Heart of the Silent Night”—she had been known for her “calm as still water” mental state since embarking on the path of magic.
This was her most powerful talent.
And just now, she had actually felt irritation and spoken pointedly against a mere Outer Academy student. This was truly unprecedented.
“Ninety percent, it was that crooked-path story that disturbed my mental state! Right, it must be that!”
She did not realize this was only part of the reason.
More importantly, perhaps, was the look of high spirits on Li Yi’s face.
Because of the Aura around her, the men she usually saw were either trembling with fear, flattering her, or pretending to be profound. She had never encountered someone so unrestrainedly bold right before her eyes.
For no reason, this boy’s shadow left a faint trace in her heart.
Although, in her eyes, this kid before her was just a little brat of twelve or thirteen.
Li Yi obediently agreed, while secretly muttering to himself: “Don’t worry, my power is beyond your imagination, one section stronger than six…”
After giving some instructions and emphasizing a few rules, Gu Yanran hurried away. She was afraid if she listened further, she would become addicted.
Losing one’s ambition to trivial amusements was a major taboo for a Mage.
But this story was really irresistible!
She secretly resented it, and this resentment, of course, was transferred onto someone’s head again.
“Finally gone, that hindrance.”
Without her, Li Yi relaxed even more. Sitting beside Feixue, he spoke fluently and eloquently.
Amidst conversation and laughter, he smoothly reached the point of the Nine-Layered Demon Tower.
“The fireball fell to the ground, the blue flames gradually extinguishing, it was…”
Li Yi felt a bit thirsty and drank some water. Suddenly, he felt waves of heat from behind. It was Feixue’s huge body leaning against him. He could faintly sense that its body was trembling slightly.
“So big in size, yet so timid. Really a little thing after all…”
He chuckled inwardly, his impression of this seemingly ferocious giant beast changing a lot.
However, thinking that its ancestor was a Heaven’s Revelation magical beast like “Chitu,” which could rival a Dawn Dragon, he didn’t dare look down on it either.
Dusk.
The dull sound of the magic bell rang five times in succession, echoing for a long time.
The terrain here was relatively high. Following the sound, Li Yi could see a tall tower standing erect, star lines intertwined, elemental tides rising. The Well of Stars was gradually reviving, like a Torch Dragon opening its eyes.
“Time’s up!” Li Yi reached out his hand, wanting to stroke Feixue’s fur like Gu Yanran did. It gave him a cold glare, so he could only awkwardly withdraw his hand. “Well… I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Feixue’s body flashed and vanished.
“What’s wrong? So unfeeling, no pleasantries?”
Li Yi joked, about to leave, when he saw it holding something in its mouth, blocking his way.
Thud!
The object fell to the ground. Li Yi looked closely. It seemed to be the leg of some sort of magical beast, bluish-black and dripping with fresh blood.
This creature was definitely not ordinary. It was already dead, and with only one leg remaining, it still emitted a bone-chilling coldness, icy air spreading everywhere!
What on earth was it?
Li Yi was secretly shocked.
Feixue nudged it with its nose, pushing it toward him.
“For me?”
Li Yi was stunned. He had heard stories about cats repaying kindness, placing dead mice and dead fish before their benefactors.
Could it be that a Transcendent Magical Beast like the Blood-Shedding Manticore also had this habit?
“Well, thank you then!” Li Yi certainly wouldn’t refuse such an offer. He grabbed it with both hands, struggling to lift it onto his shoulder.
But Feixue wouldn’t let it go. It nudged him again. Li Yi stumbled, and the piece of flesh fell to the ground.
It gestured again. After guessing for a while, Li Yi finally understood the general idea.
“What do you mean? You… want me to eat it here?”
Li Yi wore an expression of difficulty. Could this thing even be eaten?
But it seemed… hard to decline such warm hospitality…
Looking at Feixue’s very determined gaze, Li Yi’s face showed bitterness.
Looks like he couldn’t leave without eating.
…
“Does this little thing want to stuff me to death?”
On the path among the clouds, Li Yi desperately rubbed his stomach. He had really eaten a lot. Only after showing his bulging belly to Feixue was he able to get away.
His stomach was so heavy that he walked somewhat unsteadily, almost losing his footing several times, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He didn’t notice that his unstable footing wasn’t due to his heavy stomach at all, but because his soul had become so robust that his physical body could hardly contain it. There were occasional signs of his soul trying to leave his body!
In the distance, a pair of beautiful red pupils watched him from afar, their gaze somewhat dazed.
Under the moonlight, in the cavern, a red-haired girl sat cross-legged, enchanting and moving.
She had bright eyes and white teeth, the makings of a little beauty, delicate like carved jade.
The girl’s red hair and red pupils didn’t spoil her natural beauty; instead, they added an exotic charm.
“Little Red Riding Hood? Snow White? Do you still think I’m a three-hundred or four-hundred-year-old child?”
Her small mouth puffed out, looking extremely cute.
“This person has such a small appetite… Is he really human? How come his appetite isn’t even one-tenth of that person’s?”
“Ah, ah…” Suddenly rubbing her own hair, she looked annoyed. “That Deep Prison Dragon’s toe was my favorite snack!”
…
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Like a tightly wound toy, Li Yi maintained a tight two-point-one-line rhythm. The degree of his diligence and hard work amazed Yan Zhao. Every time they met, Yan Zhao would tease him a few times, saying the slow bird must fly early.
His cultivation results were quite fruitful—he had already reached half a step into the third level!
And under his intense cultivation, the Turtle Hibernation Art became increasingly refined. At times, he had illusions of transforming into a giant turtle, carrying the Luo Chart on its back, standing tall between heaven and earth!
The accumulated Magic Crystals had also reached ninety.
Li Yi was very excited.
Life was dull and plain, but very fulfilling. The only ripple was perhaps Feixue’s “warm hospitality” every now and then.
The first time, Li Yi was vomiting and had diarrhea, spending the whole night with the toilet, almost setting a record to become the first magic apprentice in history to die on a toilet!
But the next day, he was shocked to discover that overnight, his mental power had increased by a full twenty percent!
This discovery thrilled him wildly!
You must know, the most important part of magical aptitude was mental power.
And a twenty percent increase was almost equivalent to a weakened version of a Bloodline Ability!
Later situations were largely similar: mostly a heavy blow followed by a sweet date.
Often, he was tortured to a state of ecstasy one day, and the next day, he would either have clearer vision and sharper hearing, or his soul would transform, or his physique would strengthen. All sorts of mysteries were wonderfully indescribable.
As time went on, he actually started to somewhat love this feeling.
A precursor to Stockholm syndrome?
Li Yi cursed himself secretly.
He didn’t know that those foods were collected from many planes with the full force of the entire academy to nurture the guardian divine beast.
Summarized in eight words: they were—natural treasures, Dragon’s liver and Phoenix marrow!
If Gu Yanran knew that Li Yi was so openly reaping the benefits of socialism like this, she would probably be so angry she’d vomit blood.