Chapter 406: The Nine Nether's Mysterious Transformation

Chapter 406: The Nine Nether's Mysterious Transformation

In front of Ji Xinghuo, the Nine Shadows expanded from a black globule the size of a fist to a two-meter-tall humanoid silhouette. It hovered in the air, its body flowing like ink, as if a shadow had come to life.

It possessed high intelligence and seemed to understand the current situation.

Hearing Ji Xinghuo's words, the lone pair of azure eyes on the Nine Abyssal's head lit up, as if anticipating something.

"Eat this first."

Ji Xinghuo took out a Qingkong Fruit.

While the Qingkong Fruit was only effective for beings below the third stage, what if there was an exception? Besides, there were plenty more in the dimensional space, so there was no harm in trying.

The eyes of the Nine Shadows flickered as it didn't immediately understand the concept of "eating."

Since its birth, it had never ingested anything, relying mainly on the Ultimate Dark Orb to sustain its activity and evolution, occasionally absorbing dark energy.

"Well..."

Ji Xinghuo was a bit perplexed.

"You need to swallow this into your body," he explained, then threw the Clear Void Fruit towards the Nine Nether.

The Nine Tails' body ballooned like a large pouch, and its head opened to form a cavity that caught the fruit before sealing shut, returning to its original form.

Ji Xinghuo watched intently.

The Qingkong Fruit instantly dissolved within the Nine Nether's body, leaving no trace behind.

"It's gone?"

He scratched his head.

Even though he had expected the Celestial Void Fruit to be ineffective, he hadn't anticipated it to be so utterly useless. With a resolute bite of his teeth, he took out a large handful of Celestial Void Fruits, a total of more than ten, and had the Nine Nether Swallow them all, but it was like feeding cakes to a dog—they simply disappeared.

"As expected, ordinary expansion curios are ineffective due to stage limitations," Ji Xinghuo sighed in resignation.

The Nine Shadows was of the Calamity Quake level, equivalent to a sixth-stage powerhouse.

Not only the Qingkong Fruit, but other low-stage expansion curios like the Life Spirit Seed, Amber Cat's Eye Stone, and Red Termite Essence were also useless.

"Only the Tear of the Stars, the Blood Crystal of the Red Emperor, and the Heavenly Treasure Diamond will work now."

Ji Xinghuo took out a Blood Crystal of the Red Emperor, the only expansion curio he had left, with seven remaining in his possession.

Upon seeing the Blood Crystal, the Nine Shadows immediately reacted.

It was like a starving person who, upon smelling food, couldn't help but move closer to the crystal.

"Here."

Ji Xinghuo threw the Blood Crystal to the Nine Nether, who promptly swallowed it.

Immediately, its body began to transform as the Blood Crystal swiftly dissolved, releasing its unique energy and merging with the Nine Nether.

On the interface of the Universal Star Pupil, an additional line of text appeared at the bottom of the Nine Shadows' ability information:

【Number of Fusions: 1】

"Huh?"

Ji Xinghuo was surprised. Why did the Nine Nether directly display the number of fusions, while he and Qinghong did not have such a feature? He pondered this for a while but couldn't figure out the reason, eventually attributing it to the influence of the Ultimate Dark Orb.

Having devoured one Blood Crystal, the Nine Shadows was still not satisfied. It continuously conveyed its desire for more to Ji Xinghuo.

"Can I use another Blood Crystal of the Red Emperor?"

Ji Xinghuo observed that when the Nine Nether devoured the Blood Crystal earlier, the violent will contained within didn't seem to have any negative effects on it.

Without hesitation, he took out another Blood Crystal and threw it to the Nine Nether.

The Nine Abyss eagerly swallowed the crystal and began to digest it, but this time, it was noticeably slower in absorbing the crystal's energy, and its body began to tremble slightly. Its originally azure eyes now had a blood-red sheen to them.

Ji Xinghuo sensed a terrifying will emanating from the Nine Abyss, identical to what he had experienced when he first used the Blood Crystal.

A few minutes later,

The blood color faded from the Nine Abyss's eyes, and its body returned to normal.

【Number of Fusions: 2】

However, it was still not satisfied and immediately demanded more Blood Crystals from Ji Xinghuo, its eyes filled with greed.

Of course, Ji Xinghuo would not give it any more.

While the Nine Abyssals' spirit body was completely under the control of the Ultimate Dark Orb, it wasn't absolutely safe. Compared to the technological prowess of the Red Emperor, the Nine Abyssals' race was insignificant.

If it devoured a third Blood Crystal, the Nine Abyss would likely go berserk and become a pawn of the Red Emperor.

Ji Xinghuo held a few exotic species in his hand.

Mimicry, Fluid Barrier, Torrent Form, Smoke Body, Power Demon, High-Pressure Jet, Blink, and others—these were all prepared for the Nine Abyss, some originally his and some recently purchased at the transit station.

Even back when they were still in the ruins, Ji Xinghuo had already considered this.

The Nine Abyss's ability system mainly referenced three profession templates: the Eccentric Genius, Water Master, and Demon Refiner.

Balancing transformation and control.

These exotic species were all related to the three profession templates, but they were only a part of Ji Xinghuo's plan, as many abilities were difficult to acquire at the moment.

"I can only fuse two exotic species for now."

After careful selection, Ji Xinghuo chose two species that he believed would be of the most use to the Nine Shadows and had a fusion success rate of over 80%.

【Exotic Species: Torrent Form】

【Grade: Super Limit】

【Fusion Success Rate: 52%, 17%, 83%】

It was incredibly high.

Ji Xinghuo had encountered Torrent Form before. On Earth, the Nile River giant lizard he hunted possessed this ability.

It allowed its body to transform into a liquid state, becoming a torrent that could merge with large bodies of water like lakes, rivers, and seas. It could manipulate hundreds or even thousands of times its own water volume, resulting in a massive surge in combat power.

Torrent Form was a perfect match for a "Water Master," and many powerful water-type monsters also awakened this ability.

Although Nine Nether was not a water-type monster, its energy body possessed liquid-like characteristics.

When it used "Cold Flame Wave," the addition of Torrent Form would increase its coverage and lethality.

The second exotic species was Mimicry.

【Exotic Species: Mimicry】

【Grade: Outstanding】

【Fusion Success Rate: 65%, 26%, 88%】

【Can be Upgraded: Yes】

This was one of the core abilities of the Eccentric Genius.

Ji Xinghuo had originally intended to purchase "Organic Change" and "Inorganic Restoration" as well, as they formed the foundation of the Eccentric Genius' ability to transform in myriad ways. However, Nine Nether's "Darkness Aberrant Body" already possessed similar capabilities.

By fusing with "Mimicry," Nine Nether would gain the same transformative abilities as the Eccentric Genius.

Mimicry could only change Nine Nether's appearance to match the target, simulating their voice and iris, but it couldn't replicate their abilities.

Additionally, it required physical contact with the target and had a time limit.

Ji Xinghuo hesitated between "Mimicry" and "Fluid Barrier."

The Fluid Barrier could greatly compensate for Nine Nether's lack of defense. With its spiritual energy at Level 4, the Fluid Barrier it supported would be extremely sturdy, significantly enhancing its resistance to energy attacks. Alternating its use with the Hollow King's transformation would make it even harder to kill.

However, considering that as long as the Dark Void Orb remained intact, Nine Nether could resurrect itself after a few hours even if it was killed, improving its defensive capabilities didn't seem as urgent.

On the other hand, Mimicry would allow Nine Nether to change its appearance and join the battle immediately.

"Let's fuse with Mimicry first," Ji Xinghuo decided, instructing Nine Nether, "Open your mouth." Its head split open, and its body transformed into a large pouch once more.

He threw the Torrent Form exotic species into its mouth first.

The Torrent Form was a low-viscosity liquid substance that immediately began fusing with Nine Nether's body.

Before long, its body suddenly spread out like a pool of water, covering the ice surface.

Then it undulated continuously, like waves.

The black liquid substance swept through the ice cave, splashing against the icy walls but refusing to freeze. Instead, it melted the ice, causing the cave to deepen. The torrent inside grew stronger, with each wave higher than the last, creating a tsunami-like roar.

The torrent gradually calmed and swiftly contracted, reforming into Nine Nether's true form.

"Success," Ji Xinghuo muttered as he saw the updated interface information.

【Ability: Torrent Form (Level 1/349)】

He immediately threw the "Mimicry" exotic species to Nine Nether, and a few minutes later, it smoothly fused with another ability.

【Ability: Mimicry (Level 1/167)】

As an Outstanding ability, Mimicry didn't require much spiritual source energy to upgrade.

Ji Xinghuo asked Nine Nether to demonstrate its new ability. It extended a wavy tentacle and lightly touched Ji Xinghuo's finger. Its body rapidly changed, turning from black to white. The vortex-like lower half transformed into a pair of legs, and the upper half became more substantial, generating skin. The blurry, oversized head gained distinct facial features and stood before him.

A minute later, a second Ji Xinghuo stood in the ice cave.

They were identical, and the duplicate even wore the same superpower battle armor, right down to the weapon on its back.

Not only could Mimicry replicate the target's appearance and shape, but it could also create any external objects they possessed.

Ji Xinghuo was amazed.

It was like looking into a mirror; even though he knew it was fake, his eyes couldn't detect any flaws.

Of course, this fake Ji Xinghuo was only skin-deep.

Mimicry couldn't replicate abilities.

If it could simulate the generation of abilities as well, it wouldn't be classified as an Outstanding ability.

During mimicry, Nine Nether could only use its own abilities, so it would be found out as soon as it engaged in combat.

Nevertheless, it was still incredibly useful.

"Change again," Ji Xinghuo instructed, pointing to Qinghong beside him. The fake Ji Xinghuo walked over, reached out, and touched Qinghong. Its body immediately began to transform again, but this time, the process was much slower, likely due to the significant difference in their true forms.

The target of Mimicry couldn't be too dissimilar in size and shape.

Noticing that Nine Nether was struggling to transform, Ji Xinghuo immediately injected spiritual source energy, directly upgrading Mimicry to (Level 5/67777).

Even at Level 5, Mimicry didn't advance any further.

However, the transformation capability became more versatile. As long as a target had been simulated before, Nine Nether could retain that form and transform into it at any time. Moreover, it wouldn't be merely a superficial copy anymore, as it would also possess the physical strength of the target.

Qinghong was startled, lowering her head and letting out a low roar filled with hostility.

Jiuyou also refused to back down, her gaze colliding with Qinghong's.

"Change back," Ji Xinghuo said with a headache. In the future, he would have to train these two to fight together, but they seemed to dislike each other. Especially Qinghong, who was clearly unhappy that he had allocated spiritual source energy to Jiuyou.

Originally, it enjoyed having all the benefits to itself, and now that someone was taking a share, Qinghong was naturally unhappy.

Considering this, Ji Xinghuo had specially strengthened Qinghong by investing over 100,000 units of spiritual source energy into it.

But it seemed to have a minimal effect.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the interface and had a little over 10,000 units of spiritual source energy left, so he decided to allocate it all to Jiuyou, upgrading its Torrent Form to (Level 4/30,599). It still didn't advance, but the torrent's range expanded severalfold, and its ability to manipulate water currents surged.

200,000 units of spiritual source energy were completely depleted.

Over the next few hours, Ji Xinghuo had Jiuyou practice its new ability and work together with Qinghong in battle.

Although both battle pets were averse to each other, they fought surprisingly well together.

This delighted Ji Xinghuo.

Seeing that it was about time, Ji Xinghuo called off their training.

Qinghong immediately shrank and jumped into his pocket, while Jiuyou transformed into a faint light and entered the Dark Magic Ball, as if it didn't want to spend a second more with the other, and would have started fighting if not for Ji Xinghuo's forceful order.

Ji Xinghuo was at a loss for the moment.

However, as long as it didn't affect their battles, he could let it be.

He flew out of the ice cave and returned to the North Pole Transit Station, landing in Carlura's shop. Before he even arrived, his electromagnetic senses had already grasped the situation.

"Sir, please have a look!"

After greeting him, Carlura projected a light screen in his hand, listing the information of the five large boxes of exotic species, including their categories, quantities, prices, and even some additional notes on the more unique ones. It was very detailed.

Ji Xinghuo casually glanced through it and went straight to the total price.

For over 40,000 exotic species, Carlura's total offer was 7.5 million True Dragon Coins.

This was a bit higher than what Ji Xinghuo had expected. After all, they were in the True Dragon Dynasty, where exotic species were abundant. Although the average quality of the ones he traded in was relatively high, it was still difficult to sell them at Earth's prices.

He didn't sell any of the most valuable Super Limit exotic species.

Carlura said cautiously, "Sir, if you're not satisfied with the price, we can negotiate further."

"No need, let's leave it at that," Ji Xinghuo said, not wanting to haggle.

In fact, he wasn't that interested in making money from the exotic species. He just didn't want to waste them. Additionally, if someone found the corpses of the monsters he had hunted and realized that he hadn't collected the exotic species, it would easily arouse suspicion.

"Thank you, sir!"

Carlura was happy to have made the deal and added, "Our shop provides a service to exchange True Dragon Coins for Ether Crystals, but we charge a handling fee."

"Oh?" Ji Xinghuo became interested. "How much do you charge?"

"Six million True Dragon Coins for one Ether Crystal," Carlura replied in a low voice.

In the True Dragon Dynasty, the official exchange rate for one Ether Crystal was five million True Dragon Coins. Here, they were charging six million, a 20% handling fee. It couldn't get more extortionate than this.

Ji Xinghuo was about to refuse when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

He had killed Cang Huigui and obtained over 30 million True Dragon Coins from her, which he hadn't spent yet.

This was a good opportunity to launder the money.

"I'll add 32.5 million to make it a total of 40 million True Dragon Coins for 700 Ether Crystals," Ji Xinghuo proposed, which was equivalent to exchanging each Ether Crystal for 57,000 True Dragon Coins, a slight bargain.

Carlura's face fell.

Ji Xinghuo didn't want to haggle, "You can either accept the exchange or give me 7.5 million True Dragon Coins back."

"Alright." Carlura reluctantly agreed.

Ji Xinghuo knew that he was still making a hefty profit. He pretended that he didn't have the money on him and returned to the hotel to retrieve the True Dragon Coins from the Dragon Ring before coming back to make the exchange for 700 Ether Crystals.

As he was about to leave, Carlura called out to him.

"What else is there?"

Carlura smiled and said, "Sir, I have a free piece of information for you. A few days ago, someone spotted a Calamity-grade Black Ring Earth Devourer in the Silent Wasteland, and it's said to possess a Starfall exotic species. Sir, if you're interested, you can go and try your luck."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end