C12 Transformation

"What kind of growth method is this?" Ling Ji grew even more curious.

Clearly, the Greedy Wolf was in the midst of advancing. It might even have the potential to evolve into a second-tier Rock Wolf King!

Although Ling Ji was not versed in beast control, as a God-Emperor Realm expert, she possessed a certain level of knowledge about Hellbeasts. Typically, a Hellbeast's advancement depended on either cultivation or the acquisition of heavenly treasures.

Yet here was the Greedy Wolf, advancing by devouring corpses? What astonished her even more was that, as it consumed the body of the Rock Wolf King, its wounds were healing slowly.

She now felt an intense urge to witness the Greedy Wolf's further development.

Xing Yun crouched down and pulled out a dagger. He sliced into the forehead of the Rock Wolf King, uncovering a khaki conical crystal core. He then extracted a round inner core of the same color from its heart, each the size of a thumb.

"Not bad at all!" Xing Yun said with a smile.

Hellbeasts possessed two treasures: inner cores and crystal cores. Crystal cores were fairly common, but inner cores were exceedingly rare.

A Hellbeast was likely to have a crystal core and less likely to have an inner core. Both contained energy, but the inner core could also serve as a medicinal ingredient for refining pills, a property not found in ordinary crystal cores.

The presence of an inner core in the mutated Rock Wolf King was excellent news for both Xing Yun and the Greedy Wolf.

Xing Yun held the crystal core and inner core in his palm, turning his gaze to the Greedy Wolf.

The Greedy Wolf looked eagerly at Xing Yun, devoid of the bloodthirsty demeanor it had during the battle.

Xing Yun understood what the Greedy Wolf wanted. He smiled and said, "Finish off the Rock Wolf King first. These are yours."

The Greedy Wolf howled with delight and resumed gnawing on the corpse of the Rock Wolf King.

Xing Yun then took out some medicinal powder and applied it to the Greedy Wolf's most grievously wounded areas.

The Greedy Wolf had performed exceptionally well in the battle, much to Xing Yun's satisfaction.

He wasn't heartless; rather, as a supreme expert who had once achieved enlightenment, he profoundly appreciated the significance of the Dao Heart.

He aimed to cultivate the Dao Heart of the Greedy Wolf, hoping that in time it would surpass the Moonfang Direwolf. Astral Power served as the ideal aid in nurturing the Greedy Wolf's Dao Heart. Packs of wild Rock Wolves gazed upon the Greedy Wolf with awe, but soon became restless. Xing Yun swiftly commanded the Greedy Wolf to emit several howls, signaling the Rock Wolf pack to remain calm. This settled the pack.

The collective consciousness of lower-tier Hellbeasts was pronounced, with a clear 'survival of the fittest' mentality. The victor claimed kingship, making them relatively easy to dominate. However, with higher-tier Hellbeasts, defeating the alpha was insufficient to subjugate the entire clan.

Shortly thereafter, the Greedy Wolf had utterly consumed the Rock Wolf King, leaving not even a trace of bone behind – only the bloodstains from their fierce battle remained. Now twice the size of a typical Rock Wolf, Xing Yun grinned and fed the Greedy Wolf both the inner core and the crystal core.

Ling Ji was taken aback but held her tongue. Conventional wisdom held that the energy within a Hellbeast Crystal Core was wildly ferocious. Even for a Hellbeast with a robust physique, resisting such a surge of spiritual energy was a formidable challenge, with outcomes ranging from severe injury to explosive death.

The Greedy Wolf eagerly gulped down the crystal core and inner core, smacking its lips in delight. It then lay down, opening its massive maw to draw in the Spiritual Qi from the heavens and earth. Suddenly, a tremendous surge of earthy yellow energy burst forth from within the Greedy Wolf, causing it to shudder.

The power of the Hellbeast Crystal Core had been unleashed!

"How reckless..." Ling Ji thought, feeling a sense of resignation. Yet, she understood Xing Yun's intentions and refrained from interfering. The Greedy Wolf's body was wracked with the unleashed energy, which coursed wildly inside it. The Spiritual Qi from the surrounding environment poured into the Greedy Wolf, causing its form to swell even further.

Xing Yun watched the Greedy Wolf's transformation, nodding pensively, while Ling Ji looked on, utterly bewildered.

"What do you think the Greedy Wolf will turn into?"

Xing Yun's voice echoed unexpectedly in the Voidlands, catching Ling Ji off guard. "You're initiating conversation with me?"

"How should I know?" Ling Ji pouted, then as a thought struck her, she couldn't resist asking, "Could it possibly evolve into a Mutated Rock Wolf King?"

Xing Yun's laughter boomed through the Voidlands once more. "Clever!"

"I don't buy it!" Ling Ji shook her head emphatically.

Mutated Hellbeasts were one in a million, and the Greedy Wolf wasn't even a Mutated Hellbeast to begin with. How could it possibly transform into a Mutated Hellbeast just by feasting on a corpse?

But Ling Ji soon found herself at a loss for words. The Greedy Wolf was drenched in blood, and suddenly, Astral Power burst forth from within, creating a pale golden shield around it.

The frenzied energy of the Crystal Core and the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth were transformed into a gentle force upon contact with the shield, flowing into the Greedy Wolf.

Indeed, the Greedy Wolf's body began to grow, eventually surpassing even the Mutated Rock Wolf King in size.

Simultaneously, the Greedy Wolf's presence underwent a complete transformation, now possessing the strength of a Second Stage Hellbeast.

After a ferocious battle, the Greedy Wolf had effortlessly ascended to a Second Stage Rock Wolf King, becoming a unique variant!

"Why is its presence stronger than that of the Rock Wolf King?" Ling Ji exclaimed in astonishment.

"Because it has also devoured the soul of the Rock Wolf King," Xing Yun responded nonchalantly, leaving Ling Ji utterly astounded.

Could a First Stage Hellbeast actually devour a soul?

Xing Yun was an enigma, fueling her growing curiosity. She thought that even if she were to remain trapped here indefinitely, broadening her horizons wouldn't be so bad.

Meanwhile, the veiled Lee Xiao'er had arrived at the perimeter of the Demonic Spine.

Gazing up at the Demonic Spine, Xiao'er's brows knitted in concern. "How could someone at the Profound Vein Stage, so clearly outmatched, dare to venture here? Should we encounter a Beast Tide, I fear even I may not escape unscathed..."

Her extraordinary perceptiveness and search techniques had already confirmed Xing Yun's previous presence in this area.

After a brief hesitation, Xiao'er finally made her way into the Demonic Spine.

Deep within the forest, the newly evolved Greedy Wolf prostrated before Xing Yun, its eyes brimming with tears. It had roamed for so long without ever imagining that it could achieve revenge, let alone evolve into a Rock Wolf King like its father. But it knew without a doubt that its rebirth was a gift from its master.

With its evolution into a Rock Wolf King, the Greedy Wolf's intelligence had soared, surpassing that of an average second-tier Hellbeast.

Xing Yun issued another command, and the Greedy Wolf let out several authoritative howls at the subdued Rock Wolves, essentially declaring, "I need to rest for a moment. Stay in line and do not defy my master!"

The wild Rock Wolves lay down obediently.

Xing Yun nodded in approval. With a mere thought, the Greedy Wolf vanished, returning to the Voidlands, and Xing Yun proceeded to tame the rest.

In the Voidlands, Ling Ji approached the resting Greedy Wolf, caressing its fur with admiration in her eyes. She respected the Greedy Wolf's combative spirit.

Shortly thereafter, a dull yellow glow emanated from the Greedy Wolf's forehead, and a golden orb of spiritual energy emerged, hovering in the air.

This was the second-tier Hellbeast's Fellheart Energy, a contribution to the Voidlands following its advancement, potent enough to effortlessly forge an Awakened Soul warrior.

Having swiftly subdued fifty Rock Wolves, Xing Yun was ready to continue when piercing howls echoed from the distance. He and his subordinates cast wary glances toward the source.

A horde of Stormblade Wolves, led by a colossal alpha, charged towards the cave, their fangs bared and claws ready, a blatant challenge to their authority.

The Stormblade Wolf King had arrived, seeking confrontation.

Upon sighting the Stormblade Wolves, both Xing Yun's pack and the wild Rock Wolves showed signs of trepidation. They howled back at the approaching wolves, yet they were powerless to halt their advance.

Gazing upon the encircling ranks of Stormblade Wolves, a quick estimate suggested there were at least three thousand of them!

Xing Yun had fewer than seven hundred subordinates, and there were only two thousand wild Rock Wolves at his command.

The Stormblade Wolves had a natural advantage over the Rock Wolf King. It wasn't just the wind attribute's dominance over the earth attribute; the Stormblade Wolf's nimble form could easily evade the rock flows, whereas the Rock Wolves might not be able to sidestep the Stormblade Wolves' wind blades.

Given the Stormblade Wolves' superior speed, if a Rock Wolf couldn't hold its own against them, it wouldn't even have a chance to flee. And even if it managed to defeat a Stormblade Wolf, catching up to one was another matter entirely.

Xing Yun's pack of Rock Wolves faced grim odds!

Meanwhile, at the Keep in Grimgarth, an uninvited guest made his presence known.

In the courtyard, Lee Lang and Liang Zun were approached by a middle-aged man flaunting a white paper fan, striding toward them with an air of haughtiness.

Lee Lang greeted him with a bow of his fists, "Mister Xuan, our master is currently in deep cultivation. If there's any matter, perhaps we could discuss it on another day?"

This man was none other than Xuan Yizhou, the notorious "scholar" of Grimgarth. Despite only being at the peak of the Profound Vein realm, his eloquence and knack for manipulating narratives and forming factions had made him a master at stirring up trouble with his rhetoric.

Xuan Yizhou had played no small part in the recent unrest in Grimgarth, casting aspersions on Xing Yun and the Keep.

Yet no one dared to provoke him, as rumors were rife that he had the backing of the Black Knife Order.

The Black Knife Order, a formidable organization beyond the Demonic Spine, commanded legions and wielded enough might to overwhelm the city's guard.

"Old Lee, you certainly carry yourself with great authority," Xuan Yizhou remarked with a sardonic chuckle.

Lee Lang hastily replied with a placating smile, "Not at all, not at all. It's simply that our master is indeed in the midst of his practice. Once he emerges from his retreat in a couple of days, I'll make sure you're notified."

Beside him, Liang Zun's face was set in a stern expression. He remained silent, being a warrior unaccustomed to verbal sparring and even more reluctant to fail in his duty to Xing Yun by allowing Grimgarth to be compromised.

"Oh! The master loves to flex his authority, and even the dogs below know to bark on cue," Xuan Yizhou said with a hearty laugh.

"You!" Liang Zun couldn't contain himself and spoke out, only to be restrained by Lee Lang.

"Mr. Xuan, might I inquire about the purpose of your visit? I'd be more than willing to relay your message," Lee Lang said with an apologetic smile as he presented a bag of gold coins to Xuan Yizhou.

Xuan Yizhou accepted the gold coins unapologetically, then exhaled loudly through his nose and mocked Liang Zun, "Liang Zun, take a lesson from your father. You don't even know the first thing about paying respects!"

Liang Zun bit back his response, having already agreed to let Lee Lang handle the situation.

"Even if you keep silent, it doesn't change the fact that you're a dog, a dead dog at that, under the thumb of a spoiled brat. The kind that doesn't dare yelp when kicked," Xuan Yizhou said with a brazen laugh.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, Lee Lang hastily interjected, "Please, Mr. Xuan, could you state your business?"

"There's a real pleasure in toying with dogs!"

Xuan Yizhou chuckled to himself before producing a letter and declaring with an air of importance, "Actually, I'm here on behalf of the Black Knife Order to deliver this message."

"The Black Knife Order?!"

At this revelation, the guards let out a collective gasp of alarm, and even Lee Lang and Liang Zun's faces turned pale.