Chapter 489: Shapeshifting

Chapter 489: Transformation

Li Wei and Gu Sewei sat upon the level clearing halfway up the mountain, reminiscing on the eight years that had drifted by.

Beneath their feet, strange and hollow echoes rumbled continuously from deep within the snow-covered peak.

It was the sound of Sheng Xi gnawing upon metal ores.

Li Wei listened quietly as Gu Sewei recounted the ways he had changed through her eyes over the years.

Toward the end, Li Wei suddenly voiced a question he found rather important.

"I have a question. When we return and I see Teacher Gu Ze, should I change how I address him and call him 'Brother-in-law'?"

"Ah?" Gu Sewei gasped, a touch of panic flitting across her features at his words.

Only then did she remember that Li Wei's official identity was that of Gu Ze's disciple.

How on earth was she supposed to explain this state of affairs to Gu Ze?

Gu Sewei hesitated and pondered for a long while before murmuring, "I don't know either. How about we just don't tell my brother for now?"

Li Wei, for his part, had no objections.

The breakthrough in their relationship had occurred entirely within the realm of dreams.

In the waking world, both of them still remained completely chaste.

As Li Wei and Gu Sewei waited for Sheng Xi to finish her meal, a group of uninvited guests arrived upon the snowy plains.

"Roar!"

Sated and full, Sheng Xi let out a roar thick with vitality.

She burst through the summit of the snow mountain from deep within its belly, the peak itself already hollowed out by her feeding.

Boom!

A massive deluge of snow and shattered rock was thrown into the air, scattering in all directions.

Li Wei hastily raised a magic shield to ward off the cascading snow and stone raining down from above.

He lifted his gaze to watch Sheng Xi as she soared straight into the clouds.

Shimmering with a brilliant golden luster, the Sacred Dragon wheeled through the sky, unleashing her power without restraint as she relished her hard-won freedom.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A fierce gale battered the earth, and a colossal shadow fell over Li Wei's head.

Boom!

Sheng Xi landed heavily upon the mountainside, lowering her head to look at Li Wei as she spoke, "Now, I no longer have to hide myself away."

Li Wei gazed back at her and said, "Though your strength has grown immensely, you still cannot afford to let your guard down. The enemies we must face possess power beyond imagination."

Hearing this, Sheng Xi nodded, "Oh, I know."

She turned her eyes toward the distant horizon; on the other side of that sky lay the enemy.

The enemy was exceedingly powerful; even though she had now become a Legendary Dragon, she was still no match for them.

A thousand years ago, the Dark Demonic Dragon had already entered its prime.

Calculating the duration of a dragon's peak by their immense lifespans, even after a thousand years, the Dark Demonic Dragon might very well still be at its zenith.

It might take another few centuries before its power would begin to wane from its peak.

Sheng Xi had never abandoned the thought of seeking vengeance against the Dark Demonic Dragon.

Yet, the only way she could ever achieve her revenge was to wait for the passage of time, to wait for herself to gradually mature, and to wait for the Dark Demonic Dragon to fall from its peak and diminish in strength.

Aside from the incomparably powerful Dark Demonic Dragon, Sheng Xi was also currently threatened by the Holy Light Church.

Up until now, Li Wei only knew that the Holy Light Church seemed to be searching for the Sacred Dragon.

As for why they sought the Sacred Dragon, he remained entirely in the dark.

Furthermore, Rocks from the Alchemy Tower also seemed to be acting on someone's orders, hunting for any trace of dragons.

If Sheng Xi were to expose her identity, it would draw an immense horde of enemies down upon them.

Li Wei understood all too well that Sheng Xi yearned for freedom, that she longed to soar untethered through the open skies.

But given the current situation, unless Sheng Xi was willing to confine herself to some desolate, uninhabited corner of the world, she would sooner or later be discovered, bringing down endless trouble. Yet, he could not bring himself to advise Sheng Xi to cower inside his small magical cottage.

A dragon was never meant to hide away in a dark hole like a common mouse.

Sheng Xi likewise understood the conflicted thoughts swirling within Li Wei.

Their souls had already become intertwined, allowing her to feel the subtle shifts of emotion in his heart.

Sheng Xi said nothing; instead, she lowered her head as a sacred radiance began to emanate from her body.

The divine light enveloped her entirely, and very quickly, the holy glow rapidly shrank down to the size of an ordinary human.

As the light dissipated, Sheng Xi stood before Li Wei, transformed into a human girl.

Li Wei's face filled with astonishment, "Ah, you can turn into a human?"

Gu Sewei also stared at the newly transformed young girl in absolute wonder.

Sheng Xi wore a battle-skirt woven of white and gold, her supple golden hair cascading down to her waist, while two golden dragon horns protruded from the strands atop her head, looking very much like ornaments pinned into her hair.

She blinked at Li Wei, the draconic majesty in her eyes gradually receding as the golden vertical slits characteristic of a dragon vanished, replaced by ordinary round golden pupils, though her aura remained exceedingly noble, like that of a proud little imperial princess.

Sheng Xi explained, "After breaking through to the Legendary rank, I gained a transcendent trait called 'Transformation.' It allows me to change into creatures I have come into contact with."

Li Wei looked amazed, "So incredible? Is this a power unique to the Sacred Dragon, or do all dragons possess it?"

Sheng Xi replied, "It should be an ability exclusive to the Sacred Dragon. In my inherited memories, I rarely see other dragons capable of transforming into humans or other creatures."

A smile broke across Li Wei's face as he looked at the two dragon horns atop Sheng Xi's head and asked, "Can the horns not be hidden away?"

Sheng Xi murmured, "For now, this is the best I can do. Once my strength grows a bit more, I will be able to conceal them completely."

Hearing this, Gu Sewei smiled and said, "It is fine, leave it to me."

Li Wei turned to look at her, watching as she rummaged through her spatial ring for something.

Moments later, Gu Sewei produced a golden crown and gently placed it upon Sheng Xi's head with both hands; the crown merged seamlessly with the dragon horns, making them impossible to notice unless one looked very closely.

At a single glance, one would simply assume the horns were a deliberate part of the crown's design.

Li Wei smiled with satisfaction, "It truly suits Sheng Xi remarkably well."

Sheng Xi touched the crown atop her head, asking with an expression full of curiosity, "Really?"

"Quick, let me see what I look like!"

With a wave of Gu Sewei's hand, a mirror forged of ice crystals materialized before Sheng Xi, clearly reflecting her current appearance.

Sheng Xi stood before the mirror, admiring herself a little vainly as she looked from side to side, occasionally adjusting the crown on her head in an effort to make herself look even prettier.

Li Wei turned a curious gaze to Gu Sewei and asked, "Why do you have a crown inside your spatial ring?"

Gu Sewei replied, "Oh, this is not a crown. It was a gift given to me by Her Majesty the Queen when I became the Holy Maiden."

"Ah, then isn't that incredibly important to you?"

Li Weigang wanted to ask Sainte to return the crown to Gusevi.

But Gusevi interrupted him, saying: "It's alright, it's just a decorative item. Although it's made of pure gold, it's not some special magical artifact—just a keepsake with sentimental value."

"Besides, seeing how much Sainte likes it makes me happy too," Gusevi said with a smile.

Having finished admiring herself, Sainte ran over and wrapped her arm around Li Wei's right arm, looking up at him coquettishly: "Let's go eat something delicious. Stones and ice blocks are too tasteless—I want to eat that roasted meat from last time."

Li Wei stroked Sainte's hair with his left hand, smiling as he replied: "Alright, once we return to the Ice and Snow City, I'll let you eat your fill."

"Oh yay! Then let's hurry up and set off," Sainte said eagerly.

Gusevi watched as Sainte clung to Li Wei like a little girl, begging him to buy her delicious food, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

(End of Chapter)