Chapter 253: A Beast's Awakening

"Brother Lu Qing, this carriage is truly extraordinary with the empowerment of your arrays. I estimate that we must have traveled over a thousand miles today."

Mag exclaimed in awe as they rested in a grove in the evening.

"A thousand miles in a day!" Mag continued, marveling at the carriage's incredible speed. He had heard tales of legendary Celestial Steeds that could achieve such feats, but he never imagined that one day, he would be driving a carriage capable of the same.

The most remarkable part was that the two steeds pulling the carriage didn't seem overly exhausted after a full day's journey. They were now leisurely grazing on the grass by the road, showing no signs of the tremendous strain such a feat should have imposed on them.

Even the passengers, thanks to the arrays, had a smooth ride, free from the usual bumps and jolts of traveling on rough terrain. They all felt far less weary than they would have after a day of conventional travel.

"It's nothing special," Lu Qing said with a smile. "In ancient times, there were cultivators who crafted flying treasures that could soar through the winds, piercing the azure skies. They could traverse thousands of miles in an instant—now that was true magical prowess."

Although Lu Qing had inscribed three arrays on the carriage, enhancing it with extraordinary power akin to a magical treasure, it wasn't technically a treasure or even a spiritual artifact due to the limitations of its base materials. At best, it possessed a hint of a treasure's characteristics but fell far short of the real deal.

"Soaring through the winds, piercing the azure skies, and traversing thousands of miles in an instant..." Not only Mag but even the elderly physician were captivated by Lu Qing's description, their minds wandering to the exhilarating freedom such speed would bring.

After a moment of daydreaming, they began setting up their camp and preparing the evening meal.

"Brother, why isn't Xiao Li awake yet?" Xiao Yan asked, a hint of worry in her voice, as she held the still-sleeping Xiao Li.

Ever since consuming the Spirit Beast Fruit, Xiao Li had been in a deep slumber, even through mealtimes. Usually, he would eagerly ask Lu Qing for fish snacks at every meal, but he had been asleep for two days now, showing no signs of waking up. Xiao Yan couldn't help but be concerned.

Lu Qing took Xiao Li from her and checked on him with his spiritual sense and his ability. "Don't worry, he's fine. He's still digesting the fruit's power and should wake up in another day or two."

"Another two or three days?" Xiao Yan felt relieved that Xiao Li was alright, but she couldn't hide her disappointment. She had no one to play chess with during his sleep.

"Don't worry, he'll be back to playing with you once he wakes up," Lu Qing reassured her as he gently placed Xiao Li back into his little bed in the carriage.

To be honest, even Lu Qing was surprised by how long Xiao Li had been asleep this time. However, when he sensed Xiao Li with his spiritual sense, he could feel a powerful energy lurking within the little beast. The information revealed by his ability indicated that Xiao Li was undergoing a critical transformation.

The Spirit Beast Fruit had indeed had a profound effect on Xiao Li, explaining why he had been asleep for so long. Lu Qing was curious to see what new heights Xiao Li would reach after this transformation.

Even before consuming the Spirit Beast Fruit, Xiao Li had been powerful enough to easily kill Inner Organ Realm experts. His innate stealth ability rendered him virtually unstoppable, even against Martial Arts Masters. One could say that aside from anomalies like Lu Qing, Xiao Li was practically invincible among those at the Post-Natal Realm.

Lu Qing was eager to see what new surprises Xiao Li had in store for them after this extended slumber. As they continued their journey, Lu Qing kept a close eye on Xiao Li's condition. He noticed that the energy within Xiao Li was growing stronger, and the black fur on his body, like flickering flames, was becoming deeper and more intense.

Finally, on the evening of the third day, as they were having their evening meal, a figure suddenly shot out from the carriage and appeared before Lu Qing in the blink of an eye. Two big misty eyes looked at him pitifully.

Lu Qing paused, his bowl halfway to his mouth. "Xiao Li, you're awake?" he asked, surprised that he hadn't sensed Xiao Li's awakening at all, not even when he had suddenly appeared in front of him just now.

The elderly physician's face mirrored Lu Qing's shock.

Like Mag, he had also failed to detect Xiao Li's movements in advance.

More importantly, he sensed a dangerous aura from Xiao Li, indicating that Xiao Li now posed a certain level of threat to him.

"Xiao Li, you're awake!"

Xiao Yan was overjoyed and would have rushed over to hug Xiao Li if she hadn't been holding a bowl.

Xiao Li nodded, but her eyes still held a hint of grievance, and she tugged at Lu Qing's clothes with her small claws.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

Having spent so much time with Xiao Li, Lu Qing immediately understood what it meant.

Xiao Li nodded again.

"I'll get you some fish jerky."

Lu Qing immediately headed towards the carriage and soon returned with a large basin of fish jerky, which he offered to Xiao Li.

Xiao Li's eyes lit up, and she pounced on the food, devouring it eagerly.

It seemed that the long sleep had left her ravenous.

Lu Qing didn't disturb her but quietly activated his ability, focusing it on Xiao Li.

Golden light emanated from Xiao Li's body.

Black Night Spirit: Innate Spirit Beast, Juvenile Form, Female.

Incredibly fast with sharp claws that can shatter rocks, rend metal, and cut through all matter.

By refining the Spirit Beast Fruit, its bloodline has evolved and transformed, becoming an Innate Spirit Beast and activating its bloodline legacy.

After the bloodline transformation, its innate talent has also transformed into a divine ability, allowing it to distort space with its fur, completely merging with darkness, and concealing all traces of its presence.

According to legends, the Black Night Spirit loves to eat fish but is naturally averse to water, leaving it longing for fish from afar.

Upon reading Xiao Li's information, Lu Qing was delighted.

As expected, refining the Spirit Beast Fruit had brought about a tremendous transformation.

Xiao Li was now an Innate-level Spirit Beast, and her innate talent had also undergone a transformation.

Lu Qing recalled that Xiao Li's talent used to be merely a skill that allowed her to distort light and conceal her movements.

However, against Innate Realm experts, her presence could still be detected through their spiritual sense.

Now, his ability revealed that Xiao Li's talent had transformed into a divine ability.

It wasn't just about distorting light anymore; she could distort space, merge with darkness, and hide all traces of her presence.

No wonder he hadn't sensed Xiao Li's movements earlier; her talent had indeed undergone a remarkable transformation.

From now on, this little fellow would truly become a master of the shadows.

With the ability to distort space, once she hid herself, even a peak Innate Realm expert at the pinnacle of perfection might not be able to detect her presence.

Additionally, the information mentioned that Xiao Li had activated her bloodline legacy, so Lu Qing decided to find time to ask her about it later.

As Xiao Li's secrets were involved, Lu Qing didn't inquire about her transformation in front of everyone.

It wasn't until early the next morning that he took Xiao Li to a valley.

"Xiao Li, after refining the Spirit Beast Fruit, do you feel any changes in your body?"

Xiao Li tilted her head in thought, and suddenly, her fur rippled, and she slowly disappeared before Lu Qing's eyes.

"Is this your new transformed divine ability?"

Lu Qing's spiritual soul power surged within his mind's eye.

To his surprise, he couldn't sense Xiao Li's presence at all.

Everything around them was calm and serene, without any signs of disturbance.

If he hadn't witnessed Xiao Li's disappearance with his own eyes, he never would have guessed that a unique spirit beast was lurking nearby.

Suddenly, Lu Qing sensed a ripple in the surrounding space.

Only because his spiritual soul power was exceptionally powerful and unique was he able to perceive it.

Then he felt a slight weight on his shoulder, and when he turned, he saw Xiao Li standing on his shoulder, looking at him expectantly as if waiting for his praise.

Lu Qing couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Amazing! Xiao Li, after your talent transformation, even Innate Realm warriors will find it difficult to detect your movements."

Xiao Li's head tilted back proudly, and she crossed her front claws at her waist, looking smug.

Seeing her anthropomorphic gesture, Lu Qing couldn't help but chuckle.

He patted her head gently, "You're becoming more and more like Xiao Yan."

Xiao Yan often struck a similar pose, hands on her hips and a smug look on her face.

The two little ones spent so much time together that even their mannerisms were starting to mirror each other.

"By the way, Xiao Li, aside from your enhanced talent, do you feel any other strange changes?"

Xiao Li tilted her head, deep in thought.

After a while, Xiao Li's eyes lit up, and it began to wave its little claws at Lu Qing, gesturing excitedly.

However, this time, the message it was trying to convey was too complex, even for Lu Qing to understand all at once.

"You're saying...suddenly, something appeared in your mind. What is it?" Lu Qing asked, interpreting Xiao Li's gestures.

Xiao Li seemed to realize that this method of communication was too cumbersome, so it jumped down from Lu Qing's shoulder.

It walked over to a stone slab, extended its claw, and sliced off a piece of stone.

Then, it began to write in the sandy valley floor with the stone in its claw.

"I forgot, Xiao Li, you can read and write," Lu Qing chuckled, feeling a bit foolish. He bent down to read the words Xiao Li had written in the sand.

Although Xiao Li's handwriting was crude and childish due to a lack of practice, it was still legible.

Lu Qing read for a while, his face gradually revealing his surprise.

"Xiao Li, do you mean that suddenly, some strange things appeared in your mind, similar to the cultivation techniques I taught Xiao Yan?" he asked.

Xiao Li nodded and continued writing in the sand.

"And you feel that the cultivation techniques in your mind are very familiar and will be of great help to you?" Lu Qing added.

Xiao Li nodded again, its claw with the stone moving once more.

"Are you asking me what to do?" Lu Qing inquired, deep in thought. "Xiao Li, can you write down the cultivation technique that appeared in your mind?"

Xiao Li shook its head.

Lu Qing understood. Xiao Li's cultivation technique likely came from its bloodline, and it might not be something that could be easily described with mere words.

It was a pity that Lu Qing's ability didn't prompt him with a simulation download option, possibly because Xiao Li hadn't learned the technique yet. Otherwise, he could have used his ability to help Xiao Li analyze the technique and ensure it was safe.

Nevertheless, Lu Qing pondered for a moment before speaking, "Since the cultivation technique appeared after your bloodline transformation, it must be related to your bloodline's legacy. Xiao Li, go ahead and try cultivating it. It should be fine, and I'll let you know if I sense any problems."

Xiao Li's eyes sparkled. Although it felt that the cultivation technique in its mind was familiar, it was still something that had appeared out of nowhere, and it couldn't help but feel a bit afraid. But now that Lu Qing had assured it, Xiao Li felt much more at ease.

As the companion who had fought alongside Lu Qing the most and knew him best, Xiao Li was well aware of just how formidable he was. If he said there was no problem, then it could rest assured and begin cultivating.

"Go ahead and start cultivating, Xiao Li. If there really is any issue, I'll let you know right away," Lu Qing said. He guessed that once Xiao Li learned the cultivation technique in her mind, he might be able to download and simulate it himself, thus uncovering its secrets. Perhaps he could even use this opportunity to investigate Xiao Li's origins.

Lu Qing had always been curious about Xiao Li's mysterious background. Especially after its bloodline transformation and the acquisition of its new ability, he felt that there was more to Xiao Li than met the eye.

Unfortunately, Xiao Li had no memory of how it ended up in the mountains behind Jiuliu Village or of anything before it woke up. This made it difficult for Lu Qing to uncover any clues about its past.

However, with Xiao Li's activation of its bloodline legacy, he felt a glimmer of hope. Lu Qing intuitively sensed that Xiao Li's extraordinary origins might be connected to some ancient secret.

Of course, these were just his speculations for now, so he didn't mention them to Xiao Li.

Next, Lu Qing proceeded to assess Xiao Li's strength. He discovered that after advancing to the Innate Spirit Beast level, not only had its innate talent transformed into a divine ability, but its speed and attack power had also doubled.

Its claws, already capable of shattering rocks and piercing metal, had become even sharper. Even a thousand-refined weapon couldn't withstand its claws; it could easily slice through them.

Lu Qing took out a piece of celestial meteorite iron, and Xiao Li was able to leave claw marks on its surface.

Seeing the claw marks on the celestial meteorite iron, Lu Qing was astonished.

Although the celestial meteorite iron he held was unrefined and unenchanted, displaying only the inherent strength of the material itself and not its full potential, it was still much harder than ordinary thousand-refined weapons and comparable to divine weapons.

The fact that Xiao Li could scratch it meant that even divine weapons might be rendered useless after a few swipes of its claws.

Truly terrifying!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end