Scene 5a - Beast Transformations

Mear moved closer to Xue, extending the hand holding the bowl of wine forward and making a toasting gesture. Xue meekly copied her actions, and with a clink, Mear greedily drank everything from her bowl in one smooth motion.

On the other hand Xue merely took a sniff of the drink and immediately felt her body light up with an expiable feeling. Her eyes constricting behind her mask, Xue lifted the drink to her mouth and drank in large gulps. The blood colored liquid flowed down her throat, not a single drop managing to escape despite the messy manner in which it was being drunk.

A primordial feeling awoke within her as a deep connection suddenly snapped into existence between her and Mear Mear and the taste of iron, no the taste of bestial blood filled her mouth as the connection popped into being. It should have felt disgusting, yet instead, Xue felt a wild, freeing flavor that called to her like a wolf called for the moon.

Suddenly her bones cracked and muscles tore as ivory fangs grew from her mouth, her nails grew pointed like claws, and her pupils turned to silts while her eye color changed to that of quicksilver. Indescribable pain wracked through her body as if it was being burned from the inside out. Yet no matter the pain, Xue felt that she should never let go of the bowl until she had drunk everything within till the last drop.

The bowl suddenly dropped to the ground with a clattering sound as Xue huddled into a ball, her body shaking uncontrollably. Mear watched on, the smile having long since vanished from her face, Mear watched on without an expression and no longer a smile on her lips, “This is the trial my previous Master left for the next person to inherit me. This one is sorry to lie to you, Preyling, but if you can control the Blood of 10,000 beasts, I shall follow you till the ends of the earth.”

Blood began to flow from Xue's body as she desperately held onto the strands of reason trying to slip from her grasp, yet an agonizing bestial roar still escaped from her mouth. Her bones constantly broke and reformed, broke and reformed until it had been completely reconstructed many times over.

“You can make it Preyling! You’re 10% of the way there!!”

“20%!”

“30%!”

“40%!”

…

“70%!”

The forty-five minutes of nerve wrecking pain seemed like an eternity for Xue, yet she never once let go of that last strand of sanity, chanting her name the whole time to help her remember who she was, “ I am Xue, I am Xue, I am Xue.”

Suddenly her head raised as a howl of rage suddenly burst forth from within, “I!”

In an instant, her blood assimilation had reached 78%!

Mear’s eyes shone brightly as she thought, ‘It was a wise choice to choose you, Preyling.’

“AM!”

Shockwaves rippled through the air as her blood fusion reached 85%!

“XUE!”

"94%!"

“And,” as of reaching a critical juncture, her words softened instantly, causing Mear to worry even as Xue reached 95%.

“I,” ...96%

“Will,” ...97%

“Keep,” … 98%

“Living,” … 99%

Seething on the brink of madness, Xue’s howl as suddenly increased in volume as she suddenly shot to her feet while blood dripped from her clothes, giving her a demonic appearance that caused even Mear to feel surprised as the cave started to rumble causing the bones on the wall to rattle, “ON!”

100%!!!

The caved rumbled and the bones on the wall rattled as if in response to her words.

A warm smiled once again appeared on Mear’s lips as she watched Xue stagger in exhaustion. With a wave her hand, a comfy bed appeared out of nowhere and Xue passed out on it without another word.

Smiling from ear to ear, Mear waved her hand once again, cleaning the blood off of Xue’s body and restoring her lost blood, “Well done, Preyli- no... Master.”

Scene 5B - Beast Transformations

Back within reality, Xue had fallen over while coughing up filthy black blood on her bed, startling her siblings into rushing over to her side. Vince, who had been the closest, caught Xue as she fell, concern written all over his face. Rune was the next to reach Xue, and a worried call immediately escaped her when she saw Xue's pitiful looking state.

“Younger Sister!”

Nena whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she grabbed Xue’s hand, “No, you can’t die Xue!”

Before long all the siblings had gathered around their unconscious sister, full of worry and crying in the fear that their sister would die just like their mother. Overwhelmed, Vince didn't hesitate to yell towards the black robed people on the other side of the door, “Get Master Mo and a doctor! Xue must have had a cultivation backlash, hurry her life is in danger!”

Yet the moment the words left his mouth, Master Mo appeared from thin air, “There is no need to worry, my disciples. Your sister has merely passed her weapon’s test and is finishing her weapons bond.’”

Saren gazed at Master Mo coldly, “Test? You never told us about a test!”

Fury could be seen in all eight of the pairs of eyes directed at Master Mo, but he couldn't blame them. He would be just as mad as they were if not more if the same had happened to Marley, “I didn’t expect the trial would come so soon... it is your Master’s oversight on this matter. A weapon should only invoke the trial when its new master has broken through at least the Heavenly Refinement or Core Refinement realm.

The spirit must have challenged your sister sooner than expected in order to quickly help her grow stronger. I should have told you, children, the true dangers your weapons hold before something like this happened... Luckily your sister has great fortune.Although your sister has been given a great fortune, quick look.”

Master Mo’s words somewhat quelled the siblings’ resentment, though traces still lingered. He could only sigh as the siblings turned their attention back to Xue.

Fangs grew from Xue’s mouth and her hands shone with a newfound softness. Her fingernails transformed to possess sharp thin points, changing them into dangerous weapons. Her lips had turned a bloody red, and her sun-kissed skin gained a sharper glow to it. Yet the most shocking change was perhaps how her blond hair had become curvy and untamed like a wild beast'.

While the siblings stared in awe at their sister’s shocking transformations, Xue suddenly opened her newly changed silvery slitted eyes. She jumped out of Vince’s arms with an explosive power that sent him flying across the room, landing nimbly on all fours like a cat, her hammer on her back.

The siblings stared in shock as Master Mo checked on Vince, but eventually, Saren managed to choke out, “Elder Sister Xue... are you ok?”

Cracking her neck and causing a strange sound in the process, Xue stood up and stared at her hands before smiling and closing her hands, causing loud cracks. She turned to her family and her smile only grew wilder, causing her to give out a charm that enthralled each and every one of her siblings, “Never been better, little brother.”