Chapter 246 – A Change from the Past

“Hmm?”

Outside the frozen landscape, Su Ming, who had been gazing at the scenery within the blizzard, suddenly showed a subtle change in expression.

He could feel it.

“The Demon Binding Spell Formula I placed on the little girl has disappeared?”

That’s right—Su Ming could no longer sense the presence of the Demon Binding Spell Formula on Little Hai’er.

Even the supply of Spirit Power from within his body had been cut off, ceasing its outflow.

“Could something have happened to her?”

Su Ming couldn’t help but feel worried.

The disappearance of the Demon Binding Spell Formula inevitably led his thoughts toward the worst-case scenario.

If Little Hai’er had failed in her evolution and her body had already exploded and perished, then naturally, the Demon Binding Spell Formula would no longer exist.

“But this blizzard is still raging.”

Su Ming looked at the storm before him, certain it showed no signs of stopping.

This proved that Little Hai’er’s power had not vanished; it was still sustaining this icy tempest. Otherwise, the blizzard would have ceased long ago.

“She’s still here, but the Spell Formula has disappeared?”

This sign forced Su Ming to consider another possibility.

That is, the disappearance of his Demon Binding Spell Formula was not because the host individual no longer existed, but because the other party’s power had far surpassed his own, thereby erasing the spell-formed spear in her heart and reclaiming her lost freedom.

Once the target’s power greatly exceeded that of the caster, this situation would occur—a fact clearly and explicitly recorded in the Demon Binding Spell Formula manual.

If that were the case…

“Did that girl succeed in her evolution? And has she grown so powerful in an instant that she’s now stronger than me?”

Su Ming contemplated this possibility.

But was it even possible?

“She’s still in her juvenile form. Even if she successfully evolved into a Nightmare Species, she shouldn’t be so much stronger than me already, right?”

Su Ming was skeptical about this.

And at that very moment, an indescribably mysterious sensation suddenly arose within Su Ming’s heart.

“Miling—”

In a daze, it seemed as though a familiar voice had emerged within his heart.

“What is this…?”

Su Ming couldn’t help but freeze in place.

Simultaneously, the blizzard raging before him appeared to be gradually calming. The towering Bloodline aura that had been clearly visible until just moments ago was also receding bit by bit, slowly descending as if being drawn back to its original place of existence.

In its place emerged a fluctuation of power.

An invisible yet potent force, rippling like waves, reverberating throughout the heavens and the earth.

“Roar—”

“Howl—”

“Wail—”

In that instant, roars erupted from all directions, transforming into a wave of sound that swept back and forth incessantly, like echoes in a valley.

These were the collective cries of the Phantom Demons existing within this realm.

They were paying homage to an exceedingly noble presence.

They were cheering for the birth of a noble Bloodline.

A life too magnificent for them had appeared at this moment, compelling them to obey the instincts bursting forth from the depths of their Bloodlines—to cheer for that existence, to submit to that existence.

In that single moment, this realm belonged to that great life, as if the sky and earth were trembling and singing with all their might to celebrate her emergence.

Such a spectacle, such a phenomenon, left even Su Ming utterly awestruck.Even the Bloodline within him was slightly heating up and simmering, as if telling him that a kindred being had been born—exceptionally active.

This was evolution.

This was the triumphant horn of a lifeform launching an assault toward a higher realm and ultimately succeeding in conquering it.

————「Nightmare Species」.

This existence, second only to the handful of terrifying species in the Spirit Demon Abyss, was an undisputed overlord in the world where Phantom Demons swarmed like locusts, had now been born.

“Miling—”

A heavenly, melodic cry resounded through the skies, echoing incessantly and lingering for a long time.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the icy, snow-covered landscape ahead shattered.

Whether it was the raging blizzard or the frozen earth and atmosphere, everything fragmented like glass in an instant.

The ice and snow transformed into shimmering particles and vanished.

The frigid temperatures gradually dissipated as if melting away.

Su Ming instinctively took two steps back, then stood still.

Because before his eyes, amidst the swirling snow, an incredibly beautiful mermaid Princess leaped high into the sky, as if emerging from the depths of the ocean.

Her graceful figure, bathed in the fading snow and rippling water waves, was so breathtakingly beautiful that Su Ming was utterly captivated.

What stunned him even more was her appearance.

A slender and delicate form.

An enchantingly curvaceous silhouette.

Limbs as pure as ivory.

Skin as fair as white jade.

A mermaid maiden, worthy of the title “Princess,” bathed in snowflakes and water ripples, leaped high and imprinted herself into Su Ming’s vision.

That was—

“Little Hai’er?”

Su Ming’s voice was filled with disbelief.

It was because the mermaid maiden’s appearance had changed significantly compared to before.

No, it would be more accurate to say that her facial features hadn’t changed much—what had changed was her physical age.

Previously, Little Hai’er was beautiful, yes, but she resembled a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl—petite in stature and with a youthful face, more cute than beautiful.

But now, the mermaid Princess’s appearance had abruptly matured from that of a young girl.

Her slender, delicate form and enchanting curves unmistakably signaled that the maiden had grown up.

Her appearance now resembled that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, still carrying a hint of youthful innocence but no longer the little girl of the past.

“Miling!”

The beautiful mermaid maiden swam back and forth in mid-air, her long tail shimmering with crystalline brilliance under the sunlight, its scales reflecting a gem-like radiance, utterly mesmerizing.

Water ripples layered upon one another as her elegant tail swayed, creating circle after circle of undulating waves. The mermaid maiden joyfully frolicked through the air, a scene equally exquisite and delightful.

Only when the mermaid maiden finally grew tired of playing did she blink her pair of large, water-blue eyes, sway her wavy, water-blue hair, and gaze downward.

There, the man who had left a deep impression on her stood against the wind, snow, and sunlight, staring at her in a prolonged daze.

The mermaid maiden’s beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons.

“Miling!”

With a song-like cry far more mature than before, the maiden flicked her tail and dove swiftly toward the man.

“Wait…!?”As the incredibly beautiful mermaid girl came flying toward him, Su Ming finally snapped out of his daze and his expression changed.

Unfortunately, it was already too late for him to stop her.

“Boom!”

With a loud collision sound, the mermaid girl threw herself into Su Ming’s arms.

Su Ming nearly let out an embarrassing cry, but he managed to catch the mermaid girl in his arms and steady himself.

Even so, the impact sent him sliding backward over ten meters, leaving two deep furrows in the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

The sheer force of it made Su Ming’s expression shift again, and he looked down at the girl in his arms with astonishment.

“Meeling! Meeling meeling!”

Her melodious voice rang out incessantly, unmistakably conveying her joy and delight.

The mermaid girl clung tightly to Su Ming, nuzzling against his chest while happily chirping, as if overjoyed.

Su Ming, however, found it hard to remain calm.

Not only because the girl in his arms was excessively beautiful, and the sensation of her warm, soft body was overwhelmingly pleasant, but also because he still hadn’t fully processed what was happening.

Staring blankly at the mermaid girl—whose happy eyes had curved into crescent moons and whose beautiful fishtail swayed constantly, creating ripples of water—Su Ming spoke in a highly uncertain tone.

“You… you’re really Little Hai’er?”

Su Ming ended up asking such a foolish question.

“Meeling meeling! Meeling!”

The mermaid girl, however, nodded repeatedly, still overjoyed, and even kept nuzzling deeper into Su Ming’s embrace. Her enthusiasm was so intense that Su Ming inwardly groaned at being unable to handle it.

In the past, the mermaid girl had never been this passionate or intimate with him.

After all, compared to Xu Qianqian, Su Ming’s attitude toward Little Hai’er could hardly be described as gentle—there had been far more coercion and bribery involved, forcing the innocent mermaid girl to reluctantly submit and become the Phantom Demon he raised.

Even though later, under Su Ming’s generous offerings of red agate, the naive and unworldly mermaid girl’s attitude toward him had improved significantly, she had never been this affectionate or close before.

Yet, incredibly, Su Ming didn’t find it abrupt or awkward at all—it even felt natural.

It was as if this mermaid girl before him was meant to be a part of him, destined to be this intimate with him.

That mysterious, indescribable feeling lingered in his heart, and after the mermaid girl threw herself into his arms, it gave Su Ming a sense of being connected by Bloodline.

“What in the world is going on?”

Su Ming was bewildered.

“Meeling!”

Little Hai’er, however, continued happily swishing her fishtail and chirping repeatedly in Su Ming’s arms.

Seeing this, Su Ming could only temporarily suppress the inexplicable feeling in his heart and began to seriously observe Little Hai’er.

This time, he wasn’t looking at her appearance, but at her aura and presence.

“You succeeded in evolving, didn’t you?”

Su Ming confirmed this point.

From the current Little Hai’er, Su Ming could sense an extraordinary aura.

It was hidden and not openly displayed, yet anyone who caught a glimpse of it would instinctively hold their breath, their hearts ringing with alarm.

Including Su Ming, who felt the same.

Just from this alone, Su Ming was certain that Little Hai’er’s changes weren’t merely superficial.Her power had also undergone an extraordinary enhancement.

Just as a lower-rank Professional advances to an Upper-Rank Professional, stepping from the Mortal Domain into the superhuman Domain.

Just as a lower Phantom Demon evolves into an upper Phantom Demon, transforming from cannon fodder into a noble existence.

The latent power hidden within Little Hai’er seemed to have been truly awakened.

“Mirin~!”

The mermaid girl let out a light chant, simultaneously revealing a beautiful smile while radiating a terrifying Aura.

(End of Chapter)