As they left the battleground, Mira, Rhydian, and Hana headed far away from the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.
Mira didn't know what sort of commotion Rhydian's breakthrough would cause, but she didn't want to take any risks.
Their journey led them to a secluded forest nestled on an island in the middle of a large lake, over 1000 kilometers away from the Mountain Range. Mira could feel the Qi concentration here was thinner than what she was used to, but consequently, the surrounding beasts were at most Rank 6 - a perfect environment for Rhydian's breakthrough.
Mira hopped off Rhydian's back, gently lowering Hana onto the ground. "Alright, Rhydian, this should be far enough," she declared, casting her gaze around the dense forest.
With a determined nod, Rhydian stepped forward, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
Mira turned to Hana, who was looking at Rhydian with wide eyes. "Hana, I need you to stay close to me," she instructed, a serious tone underlying her words. "Rhydian's breakthrough is going to be intense."
Hana nodded quickly, clinging to Mira's side. "I understand, Mira."
While Rhydian was preparing for her breakthrough, Mira took out many beast corpses, Spirit Stones, and other miscellaneous items that she had no need for but might as well put to use and laid them out in front of the wolf.
Lastly, she took out the Shadowfang's corpse, skinned it, and removed all its meat. While meat was still useful as a cultivation resource, out of everything, it was the most impractical for humans. There were certain organs that could be used to make pills, which she kept, but other than that, the rest of the flesh didn't hold much value.
She would've offered everything to Rhydian, aside from the Blood Essence, but as it was a beast that she'd killed alongside the help of others, she didn't think it'd be right of her to give away their hard work so carelessly and decided to only toss away the meat.
'If they're upset about this, then I'll just give away some of the herbs that Aelina had given me.' Mira thought before pushing this matter aside entirely.
Rhydian eyed the items Mira had laid out before her, a deep rumble coming from her chest as she expressed her appreciation. The wolf then turned her attention to the heap of Shadowfang meat. With a gulp, she started to devour everything Mira had prepared, her body absorbing the vast resources at an incredible rate.
As she consumed it all, her body began to tremble. A radiant, golden aura wrapped around her, and the energy levels within her starting to spiral out of control. It was a sign that the breakthrough was imminent. Mira and Hana backed away, watching the spectacle unfold.
With a roar that echoed throughout the forest and past the massive lake, Rhydian's body was engulfed in a blinding light. The air around her crackled with explosive energy, sending ripples through the serene lake nearby.
The earth beneath her cracked, and a cyclone of Qi formed around her. Its wind lifted leaves and debris into the air, creating a vortex of power that further highlighted the magnitude of the process.
Then, the changes began.
Her body started to enlarge, each limb elongating and muscles bulging. Her golden fur grew denser, gleaming like the sun as her radiant aura enveloped her. Her fangs lengthened, her claws sharpened, and her eyes shimmered with a deep, intelligent golden light, where if you looked closely, you could see a swirl of colors within her irises.
Lastly, her feathers fell off and were replaced with newer, stronger, and sharper ones. Mira didn't need to touch them to understand that they weren't nearly as soft as they were before.
As her transformation progressed, Mira could feel a change in Rhydian's aura. It was more refined, more complex. She realized what it was - Rhydian's soul was transforming.
Similar to humans, Rank 8 was the moment when beasts' souls truly evolved to match their growing intelligence. While for humans, the Soul Transformation Realm was based on their Dao, for Beasts, Rank 8 was more related to their bloodline. It's also this transformed soul that gives them the ability to swap between beast and human forms.
Though, most beasts never use their human forms in the first place, as the way the two races use Qi is inherently different.
After what felt like an eternity, the light began to recede, and Rhydian's beast form, over twice as large and much more majestic, stood before them. But the transformation was not over.
With a soft, almost delicate growl, Rhydian's form began to shimmer again, this time shrinking. The fur receded, the claws shrunk, and the muscular beast form reshaped into a human figure.
After a few seconds, what stood before them was a woman of breathtaking beauty and power.
Her height was formidable, standing at 2.2 meters tall. Her body was tanned and muscular, like an exotic warrior, yet not bulky.
Her hair, long and messy, cascaded down her shoulders and back like a waterfall of golden silk, catching the sunlight in a dazzling display of radiance. The strands were thick and rugged, resembling her beastly fur more than human hair. Yet, there was a wild, untamed beauty to it that left Hana in awe.
But it was her eyes that held the most intense animalistic trait. The golden orbs shone with the wisdom and ferocity of a beast, their instinctual sharpness gaze something that not many humans could replicate.
Her nails were sharp and pointed, reminiscent of the claws she possessed in her beast form. They were the color of obsidian, looking as deadly as they were beautiful.
Her elongated canines were slightly visible even when her mouth was closed, giving her a fierce, wolf-like countenance that only added to her intimidating aura.
The most prominent features, however, were the long, furry tail that swung behind her, matching the color of her hair, and two wolf ears propped atop her head.
As Mira and Hana watched, a pair of large, golden wings unfolded from her back, stretching out to their full span. They shimmered in the sunlight, the golden feathers looking both regal and formidable. The wings were large enough to wrap around her body, a feature that further distinguished her as a formidable beast, even in her human form.
Her aura was extremely ferocious, very wild and untamed as she was still adjusting to her new power. The energy around her was palpable, the lake's water rippling from the sheer intensity of her presence.
Rhydian, now in her human form, looked at her own hands, turning them around as if discovering them for the first time. She touched her new features, her tail, her wings, and finally, her sharp nails, a slow, content smile spreading across her face.
"A-Ah… A-h. A~h." She opened her mouth to try and speak, but all that came out were strange noises.
As Mira watched Rhydian struggle to vocalize, she stepped forward and lightly touched the newly transformed woman's arm. "Speaking in this form will take some getting used to since your vocal cords are more complex."
Rhydian turned her golden eyes toward Mira, a silent understanding passing between them. She tried again, her voice rough and growling but intelligible this time. "Mi...ra."
Mira nodded approvingly, responding with a firm, "That's right."
Meanwhile, Hana stood by, her eyes wide as she watched the powerful beast transform into a strong and unique woman.
"Woah! I figured you'd look like a little kid since you sleep all the time! I didn't expect you to turn into an adult woman!" Hana cried out as she came running toward her, rubbing her face against the beast woman's tail.
"Ahhh! You're so soft! Not as soft as Mira's tails, but a close 2nd… or would it be 10th? Bah! Who cares!?" Hana exclaimed, "Mmmm~ I wish I could rip this off of you and snuggle with it at night. Mira's tails are great, but they're too big! This one is perfect."
She was saying some really strange things, but Rhydian didn't pay any attention to her.
Still, as a precaution, Mira wrapped Hana in Qi just in case Rhydian couldn't control her strength and accidentally killed the girl.
Rhydian continued her exploration, running her hand down her body before moving to her head to feel the coarse hair that was an extension of her. Her gaze fell on her wings, their wide expanse rustling gently as she tentatively flexed the powerful muscles that controlled them. She let out a deep growl, satisfaction seeping into the sound as she realized the potential her new form possessed.
She did lose a decent chunk of raw power, but she could already see the benefits of using this form.
Rhydian turned her attention back to Mira and Hana, her gaze softening as she looked at them.
She took a step forward, almost stumbling a bit as she wasn't used to walking on two legs, but the strength and balance of a Rank 8 beast wasn't something to scoff at, and she quickly got used to it. With Hana still attached to her tail, she slowly made her way forward, her steps creating indents into the earth beneath her.
As they stood in the midst of the tranquil forest, the silence was broken by Rhydian's voice, now a bit more controlled and a touch softer. "W-We... continue. Test. Mo…more kill."
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