Ch. 151 - Transformation

Disguise, interference, concealment...

Some information about the functions of the black mist spontaneously surfaced in Tianyang’s mind, leaving him momentarily stunned.

It wasn’t an illusion!

I can really control the black mist? Does this mean I’ve turned into a Black Citizen?

Tianyang quickly mobilized his Star Resonance, and the energy within him began to manifest externally, with tiny glimmers of light drifting from his fingertips.

But he could still use Star Resonance. What was going on? Could it be a hidden ability of the Avenger class? If so, this class was far too bizarre!

Tianyang vaguely felt that this transformation might be related to the fruit juice spilled on him.

Initially, that juice turned into pure energy flames, but now it had disappeared. Where did it go? Energy doesn’t vanish into thin air; it only transfers.

So now, has it transferred into my body?

This speculation sent chills down Tianyang’s spine. He had no way of knowing what kind of changes might occur now that a portion of the energy originally meant for the Black Prince had transferred into his body.

For now, the ability to communicate with the black mist and utilize it to a certain extent was only the beginning of the transformation.

Perhaps in the future, he might fall into darkness and become one of those unspeakable, grotesque beings!

“Hey, White Hair, are you okay?”

Kunlan’s voice brought Tianyang back to his senses. The boy’s gaze was flustered as he shook his head lightly.

Tianyang didn’t dare reveal his transformation. Without understanding what had truly happened, casually disclosing his abnormality could result in being forcibly detained in the fortress and sent to a laboratory as a test subject.

That was absolutely not the life he wanted.

Fortunately, for now, everyone’s attention was on the Black Prince. After devouring the fruit, the Black Prince simply stood there. Apart from his body glowing red and the surrounding temperature rising, nothing else had happened.

But everyone could sense that something was undoubtedly happening within the Black Prince’s body. The increasingly powerful aura emanating from him was unmistakable.

“To hell with it, I’m taking him down now!” Kunlan leaned forward, dashed ahead, and sped towards the target like a streak of light.

Cangdu, with an injured leg, couldn’t stop him. Tianyang, preoccupied with his own internal changes, was momentarily distracted, allowing Kunlan to charge forward unchecked.

As for Jiyu, she remained fully alert to their movements but was too far away to intervene.

And so, Kunlan drew closer and closer to the Black Prince.

When the distance shrank to just ten meters, Kunlan suddenly shifted directions, circling behind the Black Prince before accelerating. In the blink of an eye, he was at the target’s back.

Kunlan leaped, crossing his twin blades as he slashed at the Black Prince’s neck. “Die!”

The gray hair at the back of the Black Prince’s head suddenly lifted as an invisible force field spread outward, rendering Kunlan’s blades unable to strike. Instead, he was forcibly pushed away by the field, flying backward unwillingly.

As soon as he landed, he darted forward again, but this time, the Black Prince abruptly turned and shouted at him.

A shockwave suddenly erupted between the two, and Kunlan, as if struck by an enormous invisible hammer, was sent flying backward, crashing more than ten meters away.

Looking again, one could see that the Black Prince’s body was beginning to transform.

Thick black smoke billowed from behind him, its trailing edge glowing with bright red flames. From a distance, it appeared as though the Black Prince were draped in a cloak.

This cloak of black smoke and firelight billowed and fluttered behind the Black Prince.

On his head, the crown-like helmet began to develop intricate patterns. These designs formed ornate motifs across the helm, and at its center emerged a golden crystal, resembling a gem embedded in the crown.

The armor on his body, already glowing red-hot, extended, reshaped, and reformed into a new, more imposing design. Golden patterns emerged on the armor, adorning it and enhancing its majesty.

The Black Prince’s physique also subtly changed. He grew slightly taller, his body became sturdier, and when the armor ceased transforming—from its originally simple, lightweight design to a more heavy and ornate form—the Black Prince now exuded the aura of a newly enthroned king. His presence was utterly different from before.

Cangdu’s face turned pale as he murmured, “Could this be the Black King?”

Kunlan angrily pounded the ground. “In the end, we couldn’t stop this guy from evolving.”

But Tianyang didn’t believe that the Black Prince had fully evolved into the Black King. Even though he had undergone a complete transformation inside and out, Tianyang remained unconvinced.

But that demonic fruit had been shot down by Jiyu before it fully matured. Then it was blasted apart by himself, and part of the juice's energy transferred into his body.

In other words, the Black Prince had obtained an immature and incomplete fruit. Such a fruit should not be enough to evolve him into the Black King.

Even so, the aura emanating from the Black Prince at this moment was overwhelmingly oppressive. Just facing him was already immensely challenging. It was hard to imagine what it would be like if he made a move.

It would likely have nothing to do with anything pleasant. Most probably, they would all meet a grim fate.

"We need to leave..." Tianyang glanced at Cangdu. "This is no longer an opponent we can handle. We should retreat for now."

"If you want to leave, go ahead!" Kunlan's eyes sparkled, and he even excitedly licked his lips. "It's rare to come across such a big fish. Letting it go would be too much of a waste!"

Cangdu shouted, "Are you crazy? You'll get yourself killed!"

Kunlan turned to glance at them. "I don't care."

With a strange cry, Kunlan charged at the Black Prince.

Tianyang shook his head, flashed to Cangdu's side, hoisted him onto his back, and started running in the direction of the giant tree.

As he ran, he shouted, "Jiyu, retreat!"

The black mist surged, and Tianyang felt a subtle connection. With the omnipresent mist of the reverse realm, he seemed to sense where the exit of this space was.

To him, the black mist was no longer an obstacle but something he could utilize.

Realizing this, Tianyang was slightly startled, feeling as though he was gradually transforming into a Black Citizen.

Behind him, thunder roared, mingled with Kunlan’s furious shouts. Tianyang didn’t need to look back to know that the brash guy definitely wasn’t getting any advantage this time.

Earlier, even with all four of them combined, they struggled to suppress the Black Prince. Now that he had evolved and Kunlan was fighting alone, the guy didn’t stand a chance.

As Tianyang dashed through a patch of black mist, he suddenly sensed something, threw Cangdu to the side, and dove in another direction.

Still midair, Cangdu was bewildered. Then, he saw a pitch-black thunderstorm sweep through the space between them.

The storm twisted and writhed across the ground, sending debris flying. If Tianyang had reacted a second slower, he and Cangdu would have been consumed by the electric storm!

Cangdu hit the ground, barely scrambled to his feet, and turned to see the Black Prince raising a thunder sword.

The sword crackled with electricity, forming pitch-black orbs above the Black Prince's head. As the Black Prince swung the sword, the orbs, each the size of a human head, shot out with a sharp whistle. Some targeted Kunlan, while others pursued Tianyang and Cangdu. Two even skimmed past them, heading toward Jiyu!

Cangdu propped himself up with his Spring Water Sword, gauged the trajectory of the orbs, and desperately threw himself aside at the last moment.

When the orbs hit the ground, they didn’t explode but created a pitch-black high-voltage electric field!

Cangdu rolled to the edge of the electric field. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a black orb skimmed across the ground toward him from within the field!

These orbs could track targets. Cangdu gasped, not daring to hesitate, and hurled his Spring Water Sword in reverse.

The sword struck the orb, releasing a burst of electricity midair. Several arcs grazed Cangdu's fingertips, leaving him momentarily paralyzed. The surge of Star Resonance within him spiraled out of control, causing him to stagger as blood flowed from his eyes and nose.

Elsewhere, Tianyang was facing two orbs himself. Almost instinctively, he clasped his hands together, summoning the black mist to envelop him and obscure his form.

Shrouded in the mist, the orbs seemed to lose their target, veering aimlessly before discharging their energy upon contact with obstacles, creating high-voltage fields.

Inside the mist, Tianyang’s expression was grim. Manipulating the mist to interfere with the orbs' tracking had been surprisingly effortless, almost instinctual.

That natural ease unsettled him further, heightening his concern over his transformation.

A pained cry reached Tianyang’s ears. He released his control over the mist and expanded his tactical vision. In the next moment, Kunlan appeared within his field of view.

The blue-haired youth seemed to have been caught in the high-voltage electric field. His hair stood on end, his skin was badly burned, and his body twitched uncontrollably. Yet despite his injuries, his chest still heaved, showing he was miraculously alive.

The Star Resonance defense armor of an Ascender could absorb and resist most energy impacts. Even so, Kunlan’s survival spoke volumes about his astonishing vitality.

But the crisis was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning.

Beneath the giant tree, the Black Prince raised his thunder sword, the black lightning around him thrashing wildly. The currents seemed restrained by some force, not allowed to dissipate freely.

The writhing lightning gradually formed the outlines of serpents. Thick as oil drums, their coiled bodies moved sinuously, with flat, triangular heads and even faintly visible scales!

There were three serpents in total, all composed of lightning. They faced Kunlan, Tianyang, Cangdu, and Jiyu. Opening their mouths, with tongues of electric current flicking out, they lunged forward!

Kunlan was the first to be targeted!

The guy was still paralyzed from the electric field, unable to move even a finger.

The black lightning serpent reached him in an instant, its wide maw spraying arcs of electricity as it struck.

Suddenly, a glow of Star Resonance light appeared in front of the Black Prince. Walls made entirely of Star Resonance energy rose from the ground, one after another, obscuring the Black Prince from view.

The walls quickly combined into a structure resembling a prison. As the Black Prince was sealed within this Star Resonance prison, the three lightning serpents lost their connection to him.

The energy composing their bodies rapidly dissipated. In the blink of an eye, the serpents vanished into the air, as if they had never existed.

At that moment, Tianyang heard a voice behind him say, “Just in time…”

It was the voice of Fengmei, the commander of the Storm!

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