Chapter Eighty-Two: Transformation

Qin Yu was startled by the scene before her. Could something have happened to Little Green? At that moment, the Little Red in her arms grew anxious upon witnessing the same scene. It was just about to dash toward where Little Green was, but Qin Yu held it tightly in her embrace. Little Red raised its head, gazing up at Qin Yu in confusion.

Looking down at Little Red, Qin Yu quietly said, "Don't act rashly. We have to trust Little Green. Besides, if we go now, we would only add to the casualties." Her voice carried a note of resolve and trust, mingled with unmistakable worry.

Little Red glanced at Qin Yu, then at Little Green, who was now more than half-shrouded in black light. It held itself back and said nothing, its gaze fixed steadily on Little Green.

In the blink of an eye, Little Green was completely enveloped by the black light, which now began to spread elsewhere. Qin Yu, seeing this, thought to herself that things were going badly. Just as she was about to speak—

Suddenly, Little Red raked her with a sharp claw, forcing Qin Yu to release her in pain. Freed from Qin Yu’s arms, Little Red immediately rushed toward Little Green, heedless of the increasingly dense black light.

Blood dripped steadily from Qin Yu’s wounded hand, seeping into the earth and disappearing without a trace.

In that moment, the black light blanketed the entire space. As Qin Yu touched the darkness, her consciousness grew hazy, and soon she slipped into unconsciousness.

Within the space now cloaked in blackness, tremendous changes were underway. The once-present ore veins had vanished. The blue mist that had hovered in a corner fought against the encroaching darkness, but the enemy was too powerful, and in no time it was consumed. Blood continued to drip from Qin Yu’s hand, absorbed instantly by the earth.

From the blood-soaked ground, brilliant red flowers began to bloom, their faint crimson glow shimmering in the darkness. Strangely enough, these feeble lights were not devoured by the blackness; rather, they began to consume it. The flowers multiplied at a staggering rate, soon carpeting the entire land. Red and black lights intertwined, and gradually, the crimson completely engulfed the darkness. In about ten minutes, the whole space was awash in red.

The man who had hovered in the air now plummeted to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. He furrowed his brow in pain, but showed no sign of waking.

The alluring red blossoms covered every inch of the space, swaying of their own accord despite the absence of wind, lending the scene a strange and eerie air. Soon, however, each flower swiftly withered and decayed, dissolving back into the earth.

After a moment, only a single flower remained standing tall amidst the emptiness. Its location was precisely where Qin Yu's blood had fallen. The little flower greedily absorbed the last traces of her blood, and Qin Yu's face grew deathly pale from blood loss. Once it seemed satisfied, the flower shook itself; a flash of red light passed, and the wound on Qin Yu's hand healed completely. The flower seemed very pleased with itself, swaying more exuberantly, as if it could speak, one would surely hear it exclaim, "So full, so comfortable!"

At the instant the flower flashed crimson, in the space within the dagger by Qin Yu’s side, Little Blossom suddenly shuddered, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Little Black, who was cultivating at the moment, sensed something amiss and asked, "Little Blossom, what’s wrong?"

Little Blossom shook her head, lowered her gaze, and fiddled with her fingers, murmuring, "It’s nothing, really."

Little Black didn’t believe her. He walked over, scooped up her soft little body, and said, "Little Blossom, if something’s wrong, let’s solve it together!"

Little Blossom squirmed, casting a disgruntled look at the now much larger Little Black. "Just now I sensed a familiar aura, which startled me. But maybe it was just my imagination? It was only for a split second."

Little Black pinched her cheek, aware of her annoyance at his sudden growth. But after all, it was his own fault for absorbing so many of his kind last time—how could he not grow? Yet, he rather enjoyed things as they were, holding Little Blossom in his arms, soft and comfortable.

Most importantly, now he was strong enough to protect her! It was a good feeling indeed.

Though their thoughts differed, neither considered the state of their master, Qin Yu. If she ever found out, the days ahead would not be easy for the two of them. After all, Qin Yu was quite adept at a bit of mischief now and then.

So, what was Qin Yu’s current situation?

In a way, it was thanks to that swipe from Little Red. If not for it, although Qin Yu herself would not have been in grave danger, the space itself might not have fared so well. The entire space could have been destroyed.

In the midst of her unconsciousness, Qin Yu vaguely heard a man calling to her, "Yu’er, Yu’er..."

She longed to answer, but found she could not open her mouth. She desperately wanted to know who was calling her; the voice was so familiar, it made her want to weep.

As she thought this, suddenly everything before her grew bright. In a haze, she saw a man beckoning to her, as if urging her to join him. But she could not move. She watched him, watched as he beckoned yet drifted farther and farther away, until a single tear slid down her cheek.

Only when his figure vanished did she come to herself. Gazing at the desolate space around her, Qin Yu steadied her heart and told herself it was all a dream, that she needed to wake up—wake up.

With that thought, she slowly opened her eyes. She felt the wetness on her face, wiped it with her hand, and the lingering warmth and moisture left her bewildered. So, it hadn’t been a dream?

Qin Yu stared at her hand for a long while, then suddenly remembered something and quickly looked around. Seeing Little Red not far away, she hurried over, and as she stood up, she noticed a brilliant flower by her hand. She was momentarily surprised, but her concern for Little Red overpowered her curiosity about the flower. She spared it only a glance before walking straight to Little Red’s side.

In her anxious state, Qin Yu did not notice the small flower bend its stem as she left, looking somehow aggrieved.

She scooped up Little Red, stroked its warm body, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the now less than ten-centimeter Little Green tightly cradled in Little Red’s arms, Qin Yu gently rubbed its body before carrying them both back to examine the curious flower.

The flower seemed to realize Qin Yu was approaching. It straightened itself, standing as rigidly as a soldier under inspection.

Qin Yu, seeing this, thought to herself, Could this be another little creature gaining sentience?