Chapter 2: Transformation

This forest covers a vast area, and due to the dense trees within, even sunlight finds it difficult to penetrate, resulting in an environment that remains dark and damp even during the day, which is why it is referred to as the Dark Forest

Shiyan wanted to find a weapon to go out. He recalled the time when the guards fought among themselves, with flashes of blades and the incessant sounds of metal clashing. However, after searching the cave, he discovered that all the weapons had been corroded in a short period, leaving none usable.

A massive blood cocoon stood tall in the center of the blood pool, its surface as thin as a cicada's wing, shimmering with a faint glow. However, upon merely glancing at it, small flames ignited from the bottom of the cocoon, growing larger and eventually setting the white bones within the blood pool ablaze. In just a short while, both the blood cocoon and the white bones in the blood pool were completely incinerated.

The essence could not break through the barrier of flesh and skin, and after a moment, it returned to normal, sinking once again into the lower abdomen. The red light on the ring flickered for a while, then ceased to shine brightly, and the warmth from the ring also vanished.

However, the blood in the blood pool has completely dried up, leaving not a single drop!

It is better not to look; once I did, I was startled again by Shiyan!

Shiyan felt as if the seven hundred and twenty acupuncture points within his body had suddenly expanded countless times, alternating between intense heat and bone-chilling cold, leaving him in indescribable discomfort

Bang!

A warm sensation emanated from the ring, and in an instant, Shi Yan felt a connection to the ring as if it had become a part of his body. The faint essence within him suddenly surged uncontrollably towards the dark red ring, rushing towards the skin layer, but was obstructed by the flesh on his ring finger, making it difficult to enter the ring

The beauty's eyes suddenly sparkled like arrows

The pain in his mind grew increasingly intense, and in a daze, Shiyan seemed to see his acupoints undergoing strange changes under the infusion of those peculiar liquids, each acupoint within his body appeared to transform into small whirlpools, spinning wildly.

After glancing at the peculiar ring a few times, Shi Yan faintly felt that this ring was closely related to the Blood Pool. After hesitating for a moment, Shi Yan stepped forward to pick up the ring and casually slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand

After shaking his finger for a while and finding that the ring showed no abnormalities, he no longer paid it any mind and began to observe the surrounding scene, while Shi Yan contemplated seriously

In the drained blood pool, only a few dozen fragments of white bones remain, while the thick, crimson blood that once filled the pool has vanished without a trace

Feeling the faint flow of vital energy within him, Shiyan suddenly felt a sense of calm. He knew that even if he could never return, he would not starve to death in this world

The Blood Pool Anomaly Emerges

It is also for this reason that fearless warriors and mercenaries often venture into the Dark Forest, with the aim of hunting high-level magical beasts. However, the benefits are always reaped by a select few. Many underestimate the intelligence and strength of these magical beasts, and instead of achieving their desires, they end up becoming a delicacy for the beasts.

Startled, Shiyan immediately felt that the ring was strange. He hurriedly tried to remove the ring, only to find that it was firmly stuck on his ring finger, as if it had taken root and sprouted. No matter how hard he tried, he found it difficult to take off this peculiar ring.

Essence

Shiyan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that the blood pool had ultimately brought him some benefits, as the essence was now swimming like a small snake within his meridians, clearly a vitality that only martial artists could possess

A martial artist is the strongest individual in this world. The primary criterion for distinguishing a martial artist from an ordinary person is whether there is any essence within a person's body. As long as a person possesses even a small amount of essence, regardless of the quantity, that individual can be referred to as a martial artist

In that thicket, a woman with a graceful figure slowly untied her plain white belt, squatting with her back to her, revealing her snow-white buttocks shaped like a peach, while waving her delicate hands behind her to drive away the annoying mosquitoes, cheerfully relieving herself

The air is humid, waves of heat roll in, and the sound of flowing water can be heard from afar. Ancient trees rise from the ground, likely dozens of meters high, while dense shrubs act like giant umbrellas, blocking out the sunlight, with only a few rays of sunlight stubbornly casting down on the wetland

He soon realized that the pain in his mind and body had vanished, and there were no longer those strange fluids flowing within him. As he earnestly sought to feel and comprehend, he found that aside from a lingering ache in his acupoints, everything in his body seemed to have returned to normal.

Shiyan's expression grew even more unpleasant; he had not anticipated that this blood pool would not only fail to return him to the familiar world, but also bring about such a bizarre transformation.

The cave was strewn with corpses, and there was nothing to eat at all. He glanced at the desiccated pool of blood and suddenly realized that he might never return.

Shiyan stood in the blood pool, with the water reaching only to his waist. However, the blood within the pool seemed to come alive, coiling around his body like tendrils. In just a few seconds, his entire body was covered, completely enveloped by the blood.

A trace of crimson liquid was injected into those vortices, seemingly being rapidly digested and becoming part of the vortices. After the vortices absorbed the liquid, they began to grow larger, and as they expanded, the speed at which they digested the liquid gradually increased

The blood in the blood pool seemed to transform into serpentine strands of crimson, continuing to coil around him, enveloping him in a massive blood cocoon

Generally speaking, as long as merchant caravans operate along specific routes within the Dark Forest and avoid venturing into areas dominated by high-level monsters, they are unlikely to encounter any issues. It is only mercenaries and warriors who specifically target high-level monsters that are prone to encountering them in the Dark Forest, often resulting in heavy casualties.

Rather than calling it emaciation, it would be more appropriate to refer to it as a shriveled mummy

Gulu! Gulu!

As she turned, the woman's true appearance was completely revealed. She had a delicate face resembling a bright moon, around twenty years old, standing approximately 1.68 meters tall. She was endowed with striking beauty, a slender waist, a full bust, and a graceful figure. Her light purple top was wrapped in silver-gray soft armor, which clearly could not conceal her captivating curves, reminiscent of the legendary mountain and forest beauty.

Quickly, Shiyan reached an astonishing conclusion— the blood in the blood pool had all surged into his body!

In the Dark Forest, there are often妖兽 (monsters) roaming about, and妖兽 of levels six and seven are not uncommon. However, the merchant caravans, mercenaries, and martial artists from the three countries who frequently traverse the Dark Forest are well aware that formidable妖兽 typically only inhabit specific areas, while only lower-level妖兽 tend to be nomadic.

He not only did not become bloated; on the contrary, his body was even thinner than before, almost nothing but skin and bones. The clothes that once fit him well suddenly became several sizes too big. There was hardly any flesh on his hands, legs, or anywhere else on his body, resembling a skeleton draped in a layer of human skin

In despair, Shiyan could only leave the passage he had entered empty-handed

Many people, throughout their lives, are unable to possess essence. As long as a person possesses essence, they can strengthen it through diligent cultivation. Therefore, any martial artist who possesses essence will always have a place in this world

Shiyan's expression was somewhat unpleasant; he instinctively looked around him, wanting to see if there were any changes in his body, wondering if he had become excessively bloated.

The Dark Forest is located at the center of the Merchant Alliance, the Fire Empire, and the Divine Protection Empire. The Merchant Alliance lies to the north of the forest, while the Divine Protection Empire is to the south. The Dark Forest directly separates the Merchant Alliance from the Divine Protection Empire. The Fire Empire is situated to the west. For merchant caravans from various countries wishing to conduct trade in other nations, the Dark Forest is an essential route

Just as Shiyan was hesitating whether to go over and take a look immediately, he suddenly noticed a faint "rustling" sound coming from a thicket not far ahead, as if someone was stirring the leaves of the bushes.

... ...

Emerging from the cave, Shiyan observed the surrounding environment for a while. He heard a cacophony of sounds coming from the direction of the flowing water, all centered around discussions about women, occasionally interspersed with lewd laughter of "嘿嘿".

Shiyan instinctively looked in that direction

This is the Dark Forest. As soon as Shiyan emerged, he immediately understood his position from the memories of his original owner.

The blood pool covers an area of 10 square meters. Although it is not large, the blood contained within it weighs at least several tons. Even a large elephant would not be able to drink several tons of blood all at once

It felt as if billions of tiny insects were burrowing through the capillaries all over his body, writhing within his limbs, bones, and internal organs, gnawing at the flesh of his body, inflicting torment akin to being sliced by a thousand knives.

Through the memory of another stone rock, he understands that the essence is the source of power for warriors in this world and also the foundation for warriors to unleash powerful martial techniques

Putting his mind at ease, Shiyan immediately noticed that the blood cocoon enveloping his entire body still existed, tightly wrapping him up.

When this thought emerged in his mind, the next moment, an unbearable sharp pain suddenly erupted in his head, causing all of Shi Yan's consciousness to vanish, and he fainted instantly

The blood cocoon burst open, creating a large opening. Shi Yan suddenly jumped out and looked around. He discovered that he was still in that peculiar stone cave, surrounded by countless bones.

The excruciating pain spread throughout his body, as if a twisted knife was mercilessly grinding his brain, making him wish for death.

Uncertain whether it was due to the pain exceeding his capacity to endure, Shi Yan found himself in a dazed state, feeling as if his body had become a massive vessel. The strange liquid surging into him through every pore seemed to be altering his body in a way he could not comprehend

Specifically, they are altering the seven hundred and twenty acupuncture points present in his body

In the desiccated pool of blood, a red glow shimmered, and an ancient ring adorned with intricate blood patterns lay quietly in the pool.

A strange liquid flowed slowly along his veins, like a trickling stream. Wherever this liquid passed, the veins within him that had never encountered foreign forces felt as if they were being torn apart. The liquid surged rapidly, splitting into countless streams, frantically injecting into all seven hundred and twenty of his acupuncture points.

The woman suddenly slapped her smooth, fair left hip with her hand, sending a bold mosquito to its demise. Her flesh first contracted inward in a captivating manner, and after she quickly withdrew her hand, it rippled with intoxicating waves, clearly demonstrating excellent elasticity, stirring a response in Shi Yan's heart.

... ...

As Shi Yan's greedy gaze wandered incessantly over her exquisite figure, the beauty suddenly became alert; despite the several large banana leaves between them, she was able to accurately locate Shi Yan's eyes.

In addition to demon crystals, the fur, fangs, bones, and even venom of demon beasts are highly valuable, making high-level demon beasts truly treasures in their entirety

The sound of a sudden movement or action

The signal of hunger emanated from his stomach, and Shiyan suddenly felt an insatiable appetite, as if he could devour an elephant

Uncertain of how much time had passed, Shiyan awoke once again, slowly and gently.

Under the reluctant gaze of the stone rock, the woman finished her brief respite, quietly adjusted her belt, and muttered to herself: "Damn mosquitoes..."

Shiyan was momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained his composure, unreservedly surveying her dazzlingly white figure, secretly admiring how captivating her backside was, wondering what her true appearance might be like

According to the strength of the vital essence within the body and the level of cultivation, martial artists are strictly classified into ten ranks, namely: Postnatal, Prenatal, Human Position, Hundred Tribulations, Earth Position, Nirvana, Heaven Position, Divine Communication, True God, and God King. Each rank is further divided into three tiers.

The stone rock cannot be seen, wanting to howl, yet unable to produce any sound, the body is also unable to move

Shiyan struggled to break free with all his might

The woman was clearly unaware of the presence behind her, and amidst the sound of the rushing water, she hummed an unknown tune, feeling quite cheerful

Without any warning, the woman suddenly turned around, and two arcs of blue lightning appeared in her hands, enveloping the mosquitoes that had gathered behind her. With a crackling sound, all the mosquitoes were exterminated.

Shiyan's gaze was like a torch, intensely falling upon her, secretly admiring that this woman could rival the most beautiful stars in the world.

High risks accompany high rewards. If mercenary adventurers can slay level six or seven beasts in the Dark Forest, they will immediately receive a substantial amount of crystal coins. Level six beasts already contain demon crystals, which are of great assistance to martial artists, alchemists, and blacksmiths alike, and are worth their weight in gold

Suddenly, he felt a warm current flowing through his veins like a small snake. After a brief circulation, he felt completely at ease, and his hands and feet seemed to possess a bit more strength.