A brilliant golden light broke forth from Rubie's body while her body underwent abrupt and visible changes.
Her crimson body became bigger and more intimidating while her eyes turned from black to golden. Even her tail grew longer and even separated into 7 ends, each covered with a crimson substance that looked more like a crimson liquid than flames!
"Is this... Evolution?" Khal mumbled with a somewhat dazed voice and watched as Rubie became more and more different than she was previously.
After many minutes later, Rubie's evolution stopped completely after the golden light vanished, leaving her standing before Khal with a completely new appearance.
"SCREECH!!" with a glorious cry that was thunderous, Rubie leaped into the air and landed atop Khal's shoulder, now her stance on him way more majestic and confident than ever before!
It looked almost like that everything in her presence was nothing more but ants that couldn't catch her attention at all!
"Fifth Cultivation Stage! She reached the Fifth Stage just by drinking the toxin?" Khal couldn't help but exclaim out loud, immediately surprising Rubie on her shoulder.
"You almost gave me a heart attack you know that, right?" Khal laughed seeing this, his previous nervousness gradually vanishing.
Rubie, however, misunderstood what he tried to say, and began to rub herself against him, even purring in a low pitch like a cat, showing just how much he loved Khal.
"Haha!" Khal could do nothing but laugh, even more, his anxiety flying out of the cave right in that instant.
After calming down fully and checking if Rubie was truly fine, Khal decided to get a quick nap before going to Moon Mountain and see just how strong Rubie did become, but just as he thought... Her strength improved leaps and bounds!
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Like a silent reaper under the full moon, Rubie hunted Third and even Fourth Stage Beasts ten times bigger than her as if they were just mere worms and nothing more!
No matter if they could conceal their presence or run as fast as lightning, before her golden eyes and ridiculous speed they became completely helpless.
Even Khal, who was also on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, could hardly follow her movements that's how fast she became!
Once killed her 38th prey and consumed its Essence, Rubie landed on Khal's shoulder who looked at her with a flabbergasted complexion.
Khal was unable to utter a word for several minutes, finding it hard to believe that Rubie was a Beast on the Third Cultivation Stage about 2 hours ago!
'If I would have known that the toxin has such a miraculous effect on her, I would have given to her way sooner.' sighed Khal inwardly, regretting his obliviousness.
If he would have known this sooner and helped Rubie evolve before the Thousand Life Tournament, then maybe he could have won the whole event without breaking a sweat!
But alas, he didn't, so grieving over something that had already happened was pointless and he knew this way too well.
Instead, he used this new opportunity to boost his strength, hoping to reach the peak of the Fifth Stage as fast as he could. And with Rubie there together with his Bloodshed Touch, the word 'fast' was a huge underestimation.
Just under a few hours, the two killed a bit more than 300 Beasts, all around the Third and Fourth Cultivation Stage, pushing Khal's power from 1374 units of Beast Essence all the way to 2482!
Yes, just under a single night Khal obtained more than 1000 Beast Essence, separating him only 18 units away from reaching his bottleneck which was considered crazy!
Of course, any normal Cultivator wouldn't have been able to do the same thing as him as they had neither Rubie nor the ability to see all beings through obstacles, thus Khal's ridiculous growth could be said 'normal' or expected.
However, because it was already morning and he practically massacred the entire bottom of Moon Mountain, leaving almost no living Beast there, Khal had no choice but to go back to Moon Academy and continue his progress there.
Once back, Khal decided to buy a few Essence Pills to push himself to the utmost peak!
Walking inside the Pharmacy Department and buying 4 Low-Quality Essence Pills for 4 Gold coins, Khal tossed two inside his mouth while giving the remaining two to Rubie.
[Notify! Heaven's Eyes has consumed 14 'Beast Essence'!]
[Notify! Heaven's Eyes has consumed 32 'Beast Essence'!]
Instantly, a warm sensation swept through his body together with the notifications, and Khal felt his power reach 2500 Beast Essence.
Yet, even though he needed 18 units and consumed 46, once he reached the bottleneck it didn't go further nor did he broke through as he thought, but instead, Nova's voice sounded in his mind.
[You need to unseal at least one sealed Essence Path to break into the next Stage!]
"Oh, yeah... True. I almost forgot." Khal mumbled in a low voice as he realized his mistake and closed his eyes.
Swish!
Right as he did, he controlled his Essence toward the sealed gate that he attempted to open previously, and pushed the Essence against it.
But to his great surprise, he didn't have to struggle nor did he have to expect insane pain like the last time, as the sealed gate opened without a problem, filling the previously empty Essence Path to the brim!
BAM!
In a blink, Khal felt as the invisible barrier that blocked his breakthrough until this moment suddenly collapsed, and his power skyrocketed right into the Sixth Cultivation Stage!
[You have successfully unsealed the Path of Mountain Hearts!]
[Congratulations! 'Power Core' Heaven's Eye has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]
[Congratulations! 'Power Core' Stellar Domain has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]
[Congratulations! 'Power Core' Bloodshed Touch has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]
[Congratulations! You have officially become a Real Cultivator!]
Khal listened to Nova's voice with a smile plastered over his face while he enjoyed the feeling as his body broke into the Sixth Cultivation Stage.
'Finally... The Sixth Cultivation Stage...' Khal felt an indescribable feeling inside his body, almost as if he was just born new!
However, just as he was ready to stand up, Nova's voice resounded once again.
[Congratulations! Now that you have become a Real Cultivator, 'Personal Status' and 'Essence Status' have been blended and improved into 'Cultivator Status'!]
[Congratulations! Now that you have become a Real Cultivator, you are qualified to obtain 'Cultivation Quests'!]
[Congratulations! Now that you have become a Real Cultivator, you are qualified to obtain 'Secret Art Improver'!]
'...'
Khal remained silent for quite a while as he tried to digest the new information that barraged him one after another, and only after an entire minute later did he lower his gaze to look at his bracelet that now had more than a few things flying around it.
<<Cultivator Status>>
<<Power Core Status>>
<<Obrainer Status>>
<<Artifact Creation Status>>
<<Essence Path Status>>
<<Cultivation Quests>>
<<Secret Art Improver>>
With a dazed expression, Khal swallowed hard before he decided to see what these new powers were, starting with his Cultivator Status first.
Swish!
{Cultivator Status}
• Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)
• Hidden Talent: Lost
• Body Essence: 1050
• Beast Essence: 0
• Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator
° Physical Strength: 1
° Mental Strength: 1
° Soul Strength: 1
° Physical Resistance: 1
° Mental Resistance: 1
° Agility: 1
° Speed: 1