Chapter 104 – 「Power of Phantom Demons」

“Thump-thump—thump-thump—thump-thump—”

The beating of his heart gradually became rhythmic, growing increasingly strong and powerful.

With each pulse, Su Ming clearly felt a force distinct from Spirit Power beginning to surge through his body.

Unlike the profound nature of Spirit Power, this energy carried a wild, violent sensation.

This was the Phantom Demon Power, also known as—Demonic Power.

Not the mysterious magic power from myths and legends used to cast spells or perform sorcery, but an abbreviation of “Phantom Demon Power”—similar to human physical strength or vitality, it was a force that directly acted upon the body.

Its emergence confirmed to Su Ming that he was truly progressing toward becoming a Phantom Demon lifeform. His Bloodline was gradually departing from the human Domain, advancing toward a non-human Realm.

When the Spirit Power within Su Ming encountered this Demonic Power, they clashed like fire and water, entangling with each other and causing his body to tremble, ache, and convulse incessantly.

Su Ming could only desperately suppress the rebellion of his Spirit Power, leveraging the effects of various alchemical potions to diligently cleanse his Bloodline, allowing the Demonic Power to circulate throughout his body.

This was the most critical moment.

If Su Ming could endure through this cleansing phase, he would truly transform into a Hunter, possessing the power and Bloodline of a Phantom Demon.

If he failed, all his efforts would be wasted, ending in defeat and marking a tragic conclusion to the first step on this extraordinary path.

To walk his ideal path, Su Ming had thrown all caution to the wind, embracing a do-or-die mentality as he struggled to control his Spirit Power and adjust the Demonic Power, allowing the two forces to coexist in opposition while remaining contained within one body.

For this, Su Ming devoted himself wholeheartedly for the first time, concentrating all his spirit on this transformation without leaving any room for retreat.

……

“————”

A deathly silence began to permeate the Workshop.

Yun Langyue and Shi Lin had been watching Su Ming the entire time—one with an ever-shifting expression, the other continuously taking notes—making the surrounding silence feel overwhelmingly oppressive.

Su Ming, who sat cross-legged on the ground, was already tattered and drenched in blood.

This was no metaphor.

Su Ming was truly bathed in a haze of blood.

Not only was his body covered in blood, but a large pool of blood had also spread beneath him at some point, creating a startlingly gruesome scene.

Under these circumstances, Su Ming’s condition continued to fluctuate.

At times, his entire body would tremble, his face contorted as if enduring immense agony.

At other times, blood would seep from his pores as if his body were expelling it from within.

There were even moments when his limbs, torso, and even his face would suddenly erupt in bursts of crimson light, tearing his skin and flesh apart into a horrifying spectacle.

Yet, each time this trial—which seemed capable of causing his body to explode at any moment—reached its absolute limit, Su Ming managed to overcome it at the final second.

Thus, every time his flesh tore apart, it healed at a visible rate.

The speed of recovery even rivaled the absurd regenerative abilities of Phantom Demons.Each time these tissues recovered, they seemed to become more resilient and powerful, subtly altering Su Ming’s physique.

Originally, as a Sorcerer, Su Ming had a delicate appearance resembling a young puppy—tall and slender with a frame that could hardly be called robust, looking as fragile as a bamboo pole that might topple with a push.

But under the transformation of the Phantom Demon Blood, Su Ming’s muscles began to swell, and his physique gradually took on a more defined shape. Though still not exactly brawny, he now exuded a noticeable masculine vigor.

The current Su Ming not only appeared strong-limbed but also developed visible chest and abdominal muscles.

To an observant eye, this change was nothing short of remarkable.

Even Yun Langyue could sense a newfound aura of determination and physical strength emanating from Su Ming, something he had never possessed before.

This was clear proof that Su Ming had acquired an extraordinary physique unlike that of an ordinary human.

“Has it succeeded?” Yun Langyue hesitated, voicing her uncertainty.

Shi Lin continued jotting down notes, nodding excitedly as he observed Su Ming’s condition.

“Though not entirely complete, his Bloodline transformation is finished. The human blood has been expelled from his body and replaced by Phantom Demon Blood. Combined with the physical changes, it’s likely that the crucial heart and hematopoietic system have been successfully transformed as well.”

If so, even if Su Ming hadn’t fully succeeded yet, he was already more than halfway there.

The power of the Phantom Demon originates from the blood. As long as the heart, Bloodline, hematopoietic system, and other vital structures closely related to blood have been transformed, then the most grueling and dangerous phase of Su Ming’s Phantom Demon Potion ingestion had passed.

As a Great Master in alchemical potions, Shi Lin was no stranger to the state of those who had successfully consumed the Phantom Demon Potion.

Thus, he could tell at a glance that Su Ming’s changes were a sign of his successful adaptation to the infused Phantom Demon Bloodline, granting him the Phantom Demon Power.

However…

“His transformation doesn’t seem to be over yet.”

Shi Lin shifted his gaze to Su Ming’s forehead.

There, eerie patterns flickered incessantly, like flames in a fire—sometimes extinguishing, sometimes glowing crimson—creating a rather sinister impression.

Clearly, Su Ming’s own spirituality was still exerting an influence.

In other words, it was hard to guarantee that no unforeseen issues might arise later.

“Human spirituality and the demonic nature of the Phantom Demon are indeed two opposing forces. Even now, this spirituality refuses to relinquish the demonic energy within him. If not for the Green Potion and the assistance of so many alchemical potions, the probability of him surviving this conflict would be appallingly low.”

At this point, Shi Lin couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

Although aided by the Green Potion and others, it was still an incredibly rare feat for Su Ming to endure the agony of continuously cleansing his Bloodline and transforming his body.

Had Su Ming relaxed or given up even for a moment, this transformation would have failed long ago.

Yun Langyue seemed to have a deep understanding of this.

“This guy has never indulged himself over the past year, always striving to restrain his performance, willingly remaining an ordinary student without seeking even a hint of the spotlight.”

Yun Langyue suddenly smiled.In her view, someone as capable as Su Ming, a young man in his prime, should find it difficult to restrain his desire to show off.

Others would spare no effort to stand out, striving to become top students admired and looked up to, yet Su Ming was the opposite—unwilling to show himself for even a moment, keeping an extremely low profile.

In terms of endurance, self-restraint, and self-awareness, he was truly exceptional.

Being able to endure such hardship might seem unbelievable at first glance, but in reality, it was perfectly normal.

“I now believe he can succeed.”

Shi Lin uttered these words with deep emotion.

This indicated that, previously, Shi Lin hadn’t believed Su Ming could succeed either.

It couldn’t be helped—Dual Professionals were just that difficult to achieve.

Two incompatible forces, like fire and water, trying to merge them into one was truly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Such individuals, even if searched for across the entire world, might not exceed the number of fingers on one hand.

For Su Ming to succeed was truly challenging.

Fortunately, everything was moving in the best possible direction.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Shi Lin let out a surprised exclamation.

“What’s wrong?”

Yun Langyue instinctively tensed up and immediately asked.

“Look.” Shi Lin pointed at Su Ming, saying in astonishment, “His hand…”

Hearing this, Yun Langyue shifted her gaze to Su Ming’s hand.

It was Su Ming’s right hand.

For some reason, Su Ming’s right hand was covered with numerous marks.

No, those weren’t marks.

“Cracks?”

Yun Langyue was momentarily stunned.

Su Ming’s right hand was covered with cracks, even the palm was the same, as if severely split. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that these cracks neither bled nor penetrated deep into the flesh. Instead, they emitted a faint blue glow, making Su Ming’s right hand look as if it were tattooed, as eerie as the Vision Mark on his forehead.

The Vision Mark on his forehead flickered with a fiery red light.

The cracks on his right hand shimmered with a faint blue glow.

The red and blue lights reflected each other, seemingly in opposition yet complementing each other, creating an exquisite beauty.

Yun Langyue and Shi Lin exchanged a glance, then spoke in unison.

“Mutation!”

Yes.

That was mutation.

A mutation similar to Xu Qianqian’s bloodthirsty impulse.

A mutation akin to Yao Beibei’s exceptional instincts.

Among Hunters, there was a small group of people who, due to excessively high Bloodline concentration, exhibited traits leaning toward Phantom Demons, possessing some of their characteristics.

Xu Qianqian and Yao Beibei’s Mutation Traits were invisible to the naked eye, while Su Ming’s manifested as a physical mutation.

“This…”

Yun Langyue furrowed her brow, unable to help feeling a bit worried.

The emergence of Mutation Traits had both advantages and disadvantages, leaving Yun Langyue unsure how to describe her feelings at this moment.

Especially physical mutations—these were not generally considered a good thing in the world.

After all, humans were exclusionary by nature, often rejecting mutated Hunters who grew beast ears, tails, scales, or claws.

Su Ming now exhibited such a mutation, and it was impossible to tell whether it was a blessing or a curse.

As for Shi Lin, he glanced at Yun Langyue’s expression and offered a rare word of comfort.”Don’t overthink it. Perhaps his mutation isn’t as pronounced as those special cases.” Shi Lin said this: “Moreover, according to research findings, mutated individuals generally have higher Bloodline concentration than ordinary Hunters. If he truly has mutated, that proves his Bloodline concentration is exceptionally high. In the future, it would be much easier for him to Awaken Demonization and become a high-level Hunter compared to others.”

Hearing this, Yun Langyue’s expression gradually softened, and she nodded in agreement.

(End of Chapter)