Chapter 20: Transformation

The final words of the chant left Malikai's lips.

"...ignite the sovereign flesh…"

A heavy silence followed.

His vision blurred. His breath hitched. Then—

Darkness.

He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel time. He only heard.

A voice.

Soft, yet chilling. Distant, yet echoing directly in his ears. A woman's voice—calm, eerie, mesmerizing.

"Buri… Buri… Buri…"

Over and over, like a lullaby from a realm that should not exist.

"Buri… Buri… Buri…"

The name burrowed deep into his soul. Like it belonged to him. Like it wasn't him.

"Buri… Buri…"

SNAP.

His crimson-gold eyes flew open.

His body remained cross-legged in the now-quiet pit. The once-roaring molten golden blood had dried and vanished, leaving behind only a shallow pool of liquid that shimmered with ethereal clarity.

Reflected in that divine mirror... was a new Malikai.

His breath stilled. He leaned forward slightly.

The boy who entered the pit was gone.

In his place sat a being of refined sovereignty.

Before, he was already handsome—crimson-haired, tall, sharp-eyed. Now? Now, he was… too handsome.

Regal. Elegant. Dangerous.

His face had gained an ethereal quality, like it was carved from divine obsidian and lit from within by celestial flame. His crimson eyes remained, but now, golden irises ringed his pupils, burning with both power and insight.

He rose to his feet.

No longer six feet tall. He stood a full 6'5, his body taller, broader at the shoulders, and yet—somehow—slimmer. Lithe. But the compact power he could feel within every muscle was terrifying.

"I feel like I could destroy a mountain with a single punch…"

A subtle flex of his hands made his joints crack. His bones had changed. He could feel it—fortified, unyielding, inscribed with runes he could not yet read. Even his two hearts beat differently, in perfect rhythm, surrounded by strange golden-red symbols that pulsed with every beat.

His dantian now held two cores. One crimson. One radiant gold. A dual-core constitution.

His body refinement—once untrained—had leapt straight to the peak of Core Formation Realm. The same level Iris was at now.

He had slept for at least three days. And the place was quiet, undisturbed.

He looked down at his body—blood-crusted, yet untouched by wounds. Regal wings flicked out from his back, longer and sharper now. His tail, too, was sleeker, more dangerous, tipped with a jagged, crown-like blade.

"What… have I become?"

He stretched his body. Muscles rippled beneath his skin. With a flap of his wings, he floated upward and landed outside the pit.

"It's time to return. Iris must be worried by now."

He frowned. There was no portal. No exit. No path back.

"How do I leave…?"

He thought about the chambers he had been in—about Iris. And then—

Flash.

His body vanished.

A breath later, he was back in the secret cultivation chamber, still seated in lotus position. The divine realm was gone, but the power remained.

He blinked once.

"So... I just have to think about leaving?"

He closed his eyes and focused again, not on his chambers, but on the tree in his spiritual sea.

Instantly, he was pulled back.

He appeared before the tree once more—its golden leaves swaying in invisible wind. He stood there briefly… then focused on his body again.

Flash.

He returned.

"So I can go back… without the tree?"

His lips curled slightly. It was rare for him to smile, but this discovery intrigued him.

He rose and exited the chamber.

Outside, Iris sat on the ground, sharp eyes fixed forward, guarding his doors with discipline. The moment she saw him, her eyes widened.

Her mouth parted.

"Y-You… Malikai?" she stammered.

He stepped forward.

His aura alone made her legs tremble slightly. It wasn't the usual sharp danger. It was regal. It was like being in the presence of someone who should be worshipped, not spoken to casually.

"You've only been cultivating for a few hours… and you've already broken through to the Core Realm?" she asked, stunned.

He nodded slightly, his expression calm.

She blinked. Her instincts screamed that he was now leagues beyond her, even though she was at the peak of the same realm. She wasn't a weakling. She'd fought Nascent Soul cultivators before. But right now... if he struck, she wasn't sure she'd survive even one blow.

Her face flushed lightly.

"His aura… so refined. So majestic. So… intoxicating…"

His eyes were different. His presence was different. Even his face—no longer boyish—was simply too beautiful.

"Congratulations," she finally said.

Malikai gave her a rare smile. A slight curve of the lips. It sent another faint shiver down her spine.

"How long have I been cultivating?" he asked.

"Only a few hours," she replied. "Maybe five."

He showed no reaction outwardly, but his mind sharpened.

"Only hours… but I spent three days in that realm?"

"That place… has a time difference."

That information alone made his heart race with silent excitement. A realm where he could train for days and only hours passed outside? It was invaluable.

"Come," she said, her voice still dazed. "Dinner is ready."

He followed her quietly.

She led him to the dining area she had prepared with care. A simple stone table with several dishes kept warm by a formation. She glanced at him several times, hesitation in her eyes.

He noticed.

"Spit it out," he said calmly.

She paused, then lowered her gaze slightly.

"What… happened to you? Your face, your body, your aura—it's all different. You were always powerful, but now... now it feels like I'm speaking to a different person."

Malikai's gaze didn't waver.

"A technique I began cultivating."

He said no more. His tone left no room for further questioning.

Iris lowered her head and nodded once.

They continued eating in silence, save for the occasional glance she threw his way when she thought he wasn't looking.

After they finished, she asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

Malikai set down his cup.

"Challenge more cultivators," he said flatly. "Earn more points. Use the special realms this city offers… and hone my battle power."

His tone was calm, but it carried the weight of unshakable will.