The golden storm subsided around Zhu Hao, but the change in his being was total and absolute. His fat little body thrummed not with mere magical energy, but with the combined, supreme power of three ultimate transformations. The air itself crackled around him.
The Light of the Pig God reflected the monumental shift in his stats:
Light of the Pig God
Name: Zhu Hao
Race: Pig Bear
Level: Level 4 (Energy 0/10000, Experience 0/10000)
Energy: 1137.1053
Experience: 821.2021
World: None (Note: You can travel through the world by consuming energy and experience)
Skill: Taiyin True Skill Level 1 (Energy 0/1000, Experience 0/1000)
Magical Powers: Heavenly Dragnet, Death Scythe, Big and Small Ruyi, Wind and Thunder Sky Wings, Immortal Golden Body; Phantom Clone, Purple Demon Eye, Soul Locking Chain, Earth Escape, Sky Crushing Kick, Heavy Water in the Heart of the Sea (Energy 0/100, Experience 0/100); Gale Bow, Ink Soul Spear, Venomous Fang (Energy 0/10, Experience 0/10)
Backpack: Thorn, Black Chicken Beak, Venom (Energy 0/1, Experience 0/1)...
"The size is as you wish. You can control the multiplier of all attribute amplification and body size at will. This is great!" A flood of detailed operational data rushed into Zhu Hao's divine consciousness regarding Big and Small Ruyi.
Before, his Law of Heaven and Earth was clumsy—a static hundredfold size increase, fixed and inflexible, turning him into a mere human-sized object. Now, Ruyi was the effortless command of dimensionality itself. He could shrink to the size of a dust motes or grow to eclipse mountains, controlling the power curve simultaneously.
His favorite part? The ability to instantly control attribute amplification multipliers. He didn't need to sustain a thousandfold power increase, but the ability to spike his attack power by ten thousand times for a microsecond—a single, devastating killer blow—was intoxicating. Any enemy would be paralyzed by the sheer audacity of the power surge.
As for the Immortal Golden Body, it was the ultimate, carefree defense. A thousandfold boost to durability meant that short of a truly earth-shattering blow from a genuine deity, Lord Pig was now an indestructible little cockroach, impervious to all the tricks of a mere Nascent Soul cultivator.
Finally, the Wind and Thunder Sky Wings were the perfect weapon. They weren't just fast; they embodied the essence of the elements. They were as fast as the wind, as sudden as thunder, and as sharp as a lightning bolt, making his previous Eight Flying Wings look like cheap plastic toys.
"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?"
The Imperial Master, still merged into the monstrous paper crane, was mere meters from Zhu Hao. He was completely unaware that the creature he had just fatally wounded was now operating with the cheat codes of the celestial realm. The National Master was a practitioner of a dark art, but his battle instincts were sharp. He felt a sudden, inexplicable premonition—a primal, cold dread that made his spiritual core quiver. The golden piglet was no longer there; in its place was the presence of a natural disaster.
Dismissing the sensation as the exhaustion of battle, and consumed by the need for revenge, the National Master focused his vicious intent and pounced towards Zhu Hao.
"Wind and Thunder Sky Wings!"
Zhu Hao didn't move an inch. The new wings erupted behind him. They were no longer simple blades of light but vast, magnificent pinions of swirling energy. Thunder crackled and spat blue lightning, and the power of the wind roared, creating a terrifying pressure field.
"How is that possible?!" The National Master's eyes were wide with shock. The sight of the demonic piglet radiating such holy, tempestuous power finally revealed the true source of his dread. This was no mere piglet; this was an Elder God in disguise!
Boom!
Before the crane could even adjust its trajectory, the sound of the wind rising and the thunder roaring merged into one. Zhu Hao was no longer a golden flash; he was the manifestation of the storm.
A single, terrifying bolt of lightning, born from the Wind and Thunder Sky Wings, arced out. It wasn't an attack; it was a deletion. The current of pure elemental energy passed through the juncture of the National Master's neck, moving faster than thought, faster than a Nascent Soul-level cultivator could perceive.
Laugh!
Blood sprayed instantly. The colossal paper crane disintegrated, and the figure of the National Master re-emerged, his ugly, shocked face frozen in a rictus of terror. A perfect, crimson line marked his throat, and blood gushed forth, staining his pale robes. He had been instantly defeated. He couldn't even manage a whimper of surprise before his consciousness faded.
"How is that possible? I... I couldn't even block... a single move..." were the National Master's final, disbelieving thoughts.
Bump!
The body of the Imperial Master collapsed, hitting the ground with a sickening, lifeless thud.
"Killed one person (Peak Nascent Soul), Energy +500 (1637.1053 remaining), Experience +500 (1321.2021 remaining), Magical Power: Demon-Trapping Flag (New!)"
"Can you mess with Lord Pig? Ha! The difference between true power and Nascent Soul street garbage is astronomical!" Zhu Hao puffed out his chest, completely vindicated.
His eye immediately caught the prize: a shimmering golden ring on the finger of the rapidly cooling corpse.
"A Space Ring! The essential starter pack for any great conqueror! Brilliant!" Zhu Hao swooped down, expertly plucking the ring from the dead man's finger with his tiny claws and sliding it onto his own little finger. It was comically oversized, but its significance was immense.
"I'll study the inventory later. I'm certain there are quite a few pathetic treasures in there!" he mused, already envisioning mountains of loot and cultivation resources.
First, duty called. He flew over to the central array plate of the Demon-Trapping Formation—the source of Xiao Bai's misery—and, using his new, effortless control, concentrated a pulse of Big and Small Ruyi energy into a Heavenly Crushing Kick.
Boom!
The formation plate exploded into countless fragments of shattered runes. The golden light vanished, the colossal root-like claws that had pinned Xiao Bai dissipated, and the giant white python was instantly freed. She rose from the ground, injured and exhausted, and immediately rushed to Zhu Hao's side, rubbing her massive head against him in an act of profound, grateful devotion.
"Xiao Bai, it's okay. Lord Pig is here. I will always protect you!" Zhu Hao declared, reaching out his little paw to stroke her head reassuringly.
"Sister!"
A surprised, relieved cry echoed nearby. Xiao Qing, having been knocked back to her original snake form by the Taiyin Divine Light, had just recovered enough to transform back into her human-like form—a graceful woman in black robes. She rushed over and embraced the gigantic white head of Xiao Bai, tears of ecstasy and relief streaming down her face.
"This is Xiao Qing... and yes, she seems to be a Lily," Zhu Hao observed, his Purple Demon Pupil instantly confirming the passionate, almost devotional affection in Xiao Qing's gaze towards Xiao Bai. She was slim, pretty, and inherently heroic, a beautiful snake spirit indeed. The tenderness in her eyes was clearly more than sisterly; it was the intense, protective love of a devoted partner.
"Xiao Qing, let me introduce you!" Xiao Bai rumbled softly, happy to see her sister and intending to give a formal, respectful introduction to her porcine savior.
Zhu Hao wasn't waiting for a formal introduction. He immediately vaulted from Xiao Bai's head, landing in a heroic pose, and began his legendary introduction.
"I am the embodiment of wisdom and justice, handsome and powerful, unique in heaven and earth, the Pig God who has charmed thousands of girls! I am also, and primarily, Lord Pig!" He struck a ridiculously majestic pose, tilting his snout up at a forty-five-degree angle toward the heavens, his big eyes filled with deep, profound melancholy and self-reverence.
"Pfft!" Xiao Bai couldn't help it. She chuckled, the sound rumbling through her chest and shaking the ground gently.
Xiao Qing, however, was intensely conflicted. She had just seen this tiny, ridiculous creature effortlessly obliterate a peak Nascent Soul Master. She desperately wanted to laugh at his theatrical self-aggrandizement, but the memory of his lightning-fast brutality kept her in check. Her pretty face flushed crimson, and she bit her lip until, finally, she burst into a giggle that quickly turned into full-blown, joyful laughter.
"See? No one can resist the undeniable charm of Lord Pig!" Zhu Hao declared complacently, completely ignoring the fact that they were laughing at his ridiculousness, and instead filing the data under 'Irresistible Attraction'.
"You are shameless!" Xiao Qing muttered under her breath, a smile still twitching at her lips.
"What did you say, little snake?" Zhu Hao's fat face instantly turned serious, and he fixed Xiao Qing with a stern, intimidating stare.
"I—I didn't say anything, Lord Pig!" Xiao Qing squeaked, instantly terrified. She remembered that even the National Master had fallen easily to this creature.
"Okay, Lord Pig, stop scaring Xiao Qing," Xiao Bai intervened softly. She nudged her sister gently. "Xiao Qing, don't worry. Lord Pig is a good person; he was just teasing you. He saved my life!"
Before the sisterly reunion could continue, Zhu Hao's eyes narrowed, tracking an energy signature he hadn't fully resolved.
"Hey! There is still a little snake demon hiding over there!"
Before anyone could react, the Wind and Thunder Sky Wings flashed. Zhu Hao's figure dematerialized and instantly reappeared, standing directly in front of the trembling form of Tokiwa, the muscular snake demon who had been hiding and watching.
"Ah! Lord Pig, spare me! I am not an enemy! I only came to help!" Tokiwa cried out, dropping immediately to his knees. He had witnessed the whole fight, and his previous desire for Xiao Bai had been entirely replaced by paralyzing fear. His only hope was that Xiao Bai would intercede.
"Lord Pig, he's from our Snake Valley. His name is Tokiwa. Please let him go!" Xiao Bai implored, rushing over with Xiao Qing. Despite their history, their loyalty to the Snake Mother—or at least, to the Snake Valley—was still an instinct.
Zhu Hao ignored the plea entirely. His eyes were cold and focused on the terrified Tokiwa.
"You were dispatched by the Snake Mother to kill Xiao Bai, weren't you?" Zhu Hao roared, his voice amplified by the Big and Small Ruyi power to an earth-shaking volume. The sheer, dominating presence of the Immortal Golden Body descended upon Tokiwa, making his head buzz and his mind go blank.
"How did you know?!" Tokiwa blurted out instinctively in his panicked state. He immediately tried to backtrack: "No! That's not true! The Snake Mother merely asked me to assess the situation for aid!"
"You dare to quibble in front of Lord Pig? Die!"
Zhu Hao was not in the business of holding lengthy trials. The information had been confirmed. The problem needed a solution. He swept one of his Wind and Thunder Sky Wings in a casual, final arc.
Swish-Crack!
The blade of pure wind-thunder energy sliced through the air. Tokiwa's body simply separated, falling instantly to the ground, his mission failed, his life extinguished.
"Kill a Snake Demon (Golden Core), Energy +40 (1677.1053 remaining), Experience +40 (1361.2021 remaining), Magical Power: Venomous Fang (Duplicate, discarded)"
Xiao Bai and Xiao Qing stared at the lifeless body of their former colleague. Then, Xiao Bai's immense head turned toward Zhu Hao, her eyes filled with profound sadness, not for Tokiwa, but for the collapse of her world.
"Why, Master? Why would she kill me? Why?" Xiao Bai cried out, her roar shaking the surrounding peaks.
Zhu Hao flew to her head, his eyes soft with genuine empathy mixed with cold knowledge.
"Xiao Bai, that Snake Mother is no different from the Imperial Master. She practices the Taiyin True Skill just like him. She didn't teach you or raise you out of love or maternal duty. She was raising you like livestock, feeding you so you would be fattened for harvest," he stated bluntly, the truth delivered with the cold precision of his new knowledge. "There is no need to feel sad for a predator. You still have me, Lord Pig!"
"Sister, he is right! I will always be with you. Wherever you go, I will follow!" Xiao Qing, regaining her composure, rushed to press her head against Xiao Bai's scales.
"Lord Pig," Xiao Bai rumbled, the sadness receding, replaced by a terrible resolve, "and Xiao Qing, thank you. But I still want to go back and take a look. I need to see the truth with my own eyes."
"A final trip for closure? Excellent decision," Zhu Hao agreed instantly. "Then this Lord Pig will go with you. Let's clean out that den of vipers!"