Chapter 212: Set Off
As the elements rushed wildly into the cave, a strange sight appeared in the sky. In the dead of night, a black vortex emerged in the already pitch-black heavens, resembling a black hole that seemed to want to absorb everything around it.
The black hole spun continuously, with massive amounts of energy flowing into it. Then, a stream of tangible energy shot down toward the cave, forming a continuous line that looked like the Milky Way descending from the sky—extremely magnificent.
As the energy gathered frantically, the magical beasts inside the cave absorbed it eagerly. Their bodies began to change slowly—shrinking bit by bit. The transformation started from their heads, spreading to their bodies and then to their lower halves, finally reaching their feet. They underwent continuous changes, expressing extreme pain.
Transforming required enduring immense suffering—pain beyond what ordinary people could imagine. This stage was not only painful but also extremely dangerous. If damaged or if they couldn’t hold on, it would end in failure, with death as the immediate consequence. That’s why many magical beasts feared transformation deeply and preferred to remain unchanged for life.
Even those who chose to transform spent a long time preparing, adjusting their physical condition to its best, selecting the safest place to ensure no one could disturb them—especially to avoid enemies who might try to disrupt them, as they were at their most vulnerable at this time, like infants unable to withstand any hardship.
This process lasted a full hour. Throughout that time, screams kept coming from inside the cave, making Rod’s scalp tingle. Melon remained solemn; all he could do was this. The rest depended on that guy not letting them down and holding on until the end.
As the saying goes, those who survive great hardships will surely be rewarded. Once they made it through, a bright future awaited them.
Finally, after an hour and a half, the screams inside gradually faded. The energy in the sky calmed down after its most intense surge. The black vortex slowly dissipated, and the surrounding elements spread out, restoring peace.
“Did it work?” Rod asked softly, looking at Melon beside him.
“There shouldn’t be any problems. It belongs to the intermediate-class magical beasts. It’s no easy feat to cultivate to the peak of the early divine level. Among such magical beasts, it truly deserves to be called a king. You can’t imagine how many difficulties it had to overcome to reach this point—it’s not going to be easily defeated, and that’s why I want to help it! According to their species, it should have been able to take shape at the early quasi-divine level, but the delay in doing so is likely due to lack of confidence. Now, with the help of the Shape-Shifting Grass and its strength far exceeding the requirements for shaping, there shouldn’t be any issues!” Melon said calmly, frowning slightly.
In the World of Magical Beasts, in addition to their strength classification, there is also a level system, with magical beasts divided into three categories: low-level, intermediate, and high-level. Low-level magical beasts generally can only cultivate up to the sacred level, which is considered their ceiling. It’s rare for some to reach the quasi-divine level, which is considered a stroke of luck. Next are intermediate magical beasts, which can usually cultivate to the peak of the late quasi-divine level. Reaching the divine level is almost impossible unless they encounter a favorable opportunity. Clearly, although this magical beast belongs to the intermediate class, its ability to reach the divine level shows its exceptional nature.
Finally, there are high-level magical beasts, which can cultivate to the divine level and are among the top existences in the World of Magical Beasts—true kings! For example, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles are representatives of high-level magical beasts!
There is also another category: those with ancient bloodlines, such as dragons, the Black Phoenix clan, and the Scorpion King clan. It is because of these bloodlines that they are the true apex beings, capable of easily reaching the divine level and having a high chance of entering the super-divine realm. This is the biggest distinction!
Even high-level magical beasts like the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles find it almost impossible to reach the super-divine level, which is why they are constantly suppressed by the other clans. Without super-divine beings, they lack the right to speak or the necessary deterrence.
As for Melon, although Rod couldn’t see his true form, it’s not hard to imagine that he must also be a member of a lineage with some special heritage; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached this stage.
“That’s good!” Rod murmured after thinking this through. He also felt a quiet admiration for that magical beast—efforts required to stand out are self-evident. Even with a stroke of luck, it needed unimaginable hardships to achieve its current status.
“Ah…” A long howl interrupted their conversation. Soon, a figure rushed out of the cave and stood in front of them. It glanced at Rod, then at Melon, before suddenly kneeling before Melon, pressing both knees to the ground. “Lubio greets Lord Melon! Lubio swears to the great Beast God here that he is willing to sacrifice his soul to serve Lord Melon throughout his life, through life and death, never leaving his side!”
Looking at Melon, the man spoke in a deep voice. As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared on the forehead of this man named Lubio before disappearing into Melon’s forehead.
“You… why go to such extremes?” Clearly unprepared for Lubio to do such a thing right away, Melon was taken aback and said reluctantly with a pained expression.
“Lubio has no regrets. This life was given to me by Lord Melon, and this opportunity as well. I am willing to serve him loyally!” Staring resolutely at Melon, Lubio said firmly.
At this point, Rod and Melon could clearly see the man’s appearance—his face was firm with distinct features, and like Melon, his body was covered in bulging muscles, full of explosive power. His rough physique gave off the impression of a true hero.
“There’s no need to sacrifice your soul. Do you know the consequences?” Melon said with a pained expression, acting ingratiating despite having gained an advantage. He truly felt a bit sorry for him.
“I have no regrets. After sacrificing my soul, I will become Lord Melon’s most loyal servant, never abandoning him or betraying him. Once such a resolve is formed, my soul will burn, and I will never be able to be reborn!” Lubio nodded firmly.
Rod, listening from the side, was stunned. He dared to make such a vicious oath—truly an extraordinary person. At the same time, he secretly admired the man’s honesty! A fine talent. He even felt a bit envious of Melon for having tricked such a loyal and powerful warrior with a Transformation Pill.
“Very well, then follow me. Have we reached the intermediate stage of the divine realm?” Suddenly, as if realizing something, Melon said in surprise.
“Yeah, lucky enough. I reached the intermediate stage of the divine realm just as I was transforming. Hehe, but I guess it will be hard to make further progress. For us intermediate-level magical beasts, reaching this level is already a miracle!” Lubio nodded with a smile, excitedly, but then showed a hint of sadness and disappointment. Indeed, due to his bloodline, it was indeed difficult for him to progress further.
“There’s always a way!” Those words also served as comforting words that made Melon sigh in relief. It also made sense why the transformation earlier had such a huge impact—turns out, transformation and breakthrough were combined together.
Rod was also secretly surprised. He didn’t expect this guy to have reached the mid-stage divine level as well. Truly a lucky fellow. At the same time, he felt relieved inwardly—having a strong helper could only bring benefits to him.
The group chatted for a while. As for Rod, Rubio still felt a hint of fear toward him. The brutal battle in the cave remained deeply etched in his memory. He swore he would never fight this perverted guy again in his life—it was pure suffering, something no one could endure!
“Alright, you go rest for now. Since we’ve completed the transformation today, we’ll set off tomorrow. There’s not much time left!” After chatting for a while, Melon pondered for a moment before speaking to Rubio and Rod.
The two naturally agreed without any objections.
“Hey, Rod, where are we going tomorrow?” As Melon turned to rest, Rubio stood beside Rod and asked softly.
“The competition, to earn the right to enter the Netherworld. I’m going to participate!” Rod replied briefly, his mood inevitably turning somber.
“Damn it, the competition? You’re going? Although you have mid-stage divine strength, it seems insufficient. It might get troublesome!” Unexpectedly, Rubio knew quite a lot about this competition. Frowning, he muttered to himself.
“Still, it’s hard to say. You’re extremely abnormal—anything is possible!” Then, recalling the battle earlier that day, he shuddered and said gloomily.
Rod just laughed off his complaints without saying much. It seemed the events of that day had caused this guy a lot of pain, and he was still holding grudges.
After a night’s rest, they finally got some much-needed relaxation. At dawn, Rod and the soundly asleep Rubio were pulled up by Melon, who led them outside the cave. It was unclear when this guy had prepared three magical beasts of imperial-level strength as mounts. The poor beasts were terrified, sensing the powerful aura of the three of them, and could only submit and be at their mercy.
“Let’s set off!” Sitting on the backs of the sturdy magical beasts, Melon said with a smile.
The next moment, the three of them rode the three magical beasts toward Wuyou City! Fifteen days remained before the competition began.
On this day, Rod stepped onto the stage at the heart of the Source of Darkness! He intended to show everyone in the Source of Darkness everything he had, and challenge the strongest among them. He took the first step into the realm of darkness.