The Forbidden Godly Beast

Chapter 3: The Slaughter of Silver and Blood

The air in the clearing turned to absolute ice. The breath leaving Shaktivel’s lungs crystallized into tiny shards before falling to the frozen grass. Three pairs of glowing silver eyes locked onto him, radiating a murderous intent that would have paralyzed any ordinary mortal. These were Frost-Bite Wolves, Silver-Rank Tier 3 monsters, and their pack mentality made them deadlier than a lone Gold-Rank beast.

A week ago, Shaktivel would have been nothing more than a light snack for these creatures. But right now, with the dark energy of the Third Layer of Qi Condensation coursing through his rebuilt meridians, his blood was boiling with a strange, intoxicating fearlessness.

"Three against two," Shaktivel muttered, his lips curling into a cold, dangerous smile. "The odds aren't fair... for them."

The largest of the three wolves, the alpha of the small pack, let out a piercing howl that caused the frost on the trees to shatter. In a flash of silver light, the two smaller wolves blurred forward, launching themselves from the left and right flanks. They moved like ghosts through the mist, their razor-sharp claws extended to shred Shaktivel to pieces.

“Left one is mine. Right one is yours, contractor!” the adolescent shadow beast roared inside Shaktivel’s mind.

With a burst of speed that surprised even himself, Shaktivel dove to the right. The wind from the wolf’s near-miss sliced through his tattered cloak, but his newly sharpened senses allowed him to track its movement perfectly. As he hit the ground, he rolled and channeled his raw Qi into his right fist. A faint, dark purple aura coated his knuckles.

He lunged forward, driving his fist straight into the ribs of the right wolf as it tried to turn.

BOOM!

The impact sounded like a hammer striking an anvil. The Frost-Bite Wolf let out a pained yelp as Shaktivel’s sheer physical strength, enhanced by the shared energy of the devouring, shattered its silver-armored ribs. The beast was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a thick oak tree.

Meanwhile, the shadow beast was putting on a display of pure horror. The left wolf had tried to bite the shadow beast’s neck, but its jaws closed on nothing but empty air. The shadow beast’s body momentarily dissolved into liquid darkness, evading the attack entirely.

Before the wolf could realize what had happened, the shadow beast materialized directly above its head. Its jaw split open once again, revealing that endless, terrifying black vortex.

“Kneel before the void!” the beast growled.

The gravitational pull erupted instantly. The left wolf didn't even have the chance to cry out. The vortex wrapped around its massive, silver-furred body, crushing its bones with immense pressure before pulling the entire three-hundred-pound monster down into the tiny throat of the shadow beast.

Gulp.

Another silver beast vanished into the endless hunger.

[System Notification: Host’s Beast has devoured a Silver-Rank Tier 3 Beast.] [System Notification: Shared energy transferring to the Host...]

Another wave of burning energy flooded Shaktivel’s body. He felt his cultivation barrier instantly crack again.

[System Notification: Cultivation Level Up! Host has reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation!]

"The Fourth Layer!" Shaktivel gasped, feeling his muscles expand with even greater power. He looked across the clearing. The wolf he had punched was struggling to get up, its breathing ragged. But the alpha wolf—the largest one—was standing frozen, its crimson-tinted silver eyes wide with an emotion it had probably never felt before: sheer, primal terror.

It looked at the shadow beast, which was already expanding in size once more. The shadow beast’s muscles tore and reformed, growing into the size of a massive warhorse. Its obsidian scales grew spikes, and the violet fire in its eyes flared like small suns.

The alpha wolf realized it was facing a monster far higher in the cosmic food chain. It turned its tail and tried to run, leaping into the thick brush to escape into the dark forest.

"Oh no, you don't," Shaktivel cold-smiled. "You're our ticket to the top."

With his new Fourth Layer speed, Shaktivel became a streak of shadow. He intercepted the alpha wolf within three breaths, dropping from a tree branch directly onto its back. He wrapped his arms around the beast’s thick neck, locking it in a chokehold. The wolf thrashed violently, unleashing a blast of freezing frost from its body to freeze Shaktivel solid.

The ice began to coat Shaktivel’s arms, turning his skin blue. The pain was agonizing, but his determination was a burning inferno. "Eat... this!" he roared, channeling every ounce of his dark Qi into his hands, crushing the beast’s windpipe with a sickening CRACK.

The alpha wolf went limp, crashing to the forest floor, dragging Shaktivel down with it.

The shadow beast trotted over, its heavy claws leaving deep gouges in the frozen earth. It looked down at the dead alpha and the injured wolf nearby.

“An excellent hunt, Shaktivel,” the beast praised, its voice now deeper, rattling the bones in Shaktivel’s chest. “You are proving to be a worthy contractor. Now, let us finish the feast.”

The shadow beast opened its mouth, and two separate black vortexes erupted, wrapping around the remaining two Silver-Rank wolves. The sheer pressure caused the surrounding trees to bend and snap. Within seconds, both massive creatures were sucked into the darkness, leaving absolutely nothing behind—not even a drop of blood.

Gulp. Gulp.

The transformation this time was violent. The shadow beast roared into the night sky, a sound so terrifying that every living creature within a ten-mile radius went completely silent. Its skeletal wings fully opened, wrapped in an aura of dark, divine flames.

And inside Shaktivel, the liquid fire became a raging volcanic eruption. His meridians didn't just widen; they turned into thick, golden rivers capable of holding ten times the amount of Qi of a normal cultivator.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

The system notifications flashed rapidly across his vision, blinding him with light.

[System Notification: Host’s Beast has unlocked the Second Seal. Current Form: Greater Shadow Fiend (Low Gold-Rank Potential).] [System Notification: Cultivation Level Up! Host has reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation!] [System Notification: Cultivation Level Up! Host has reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation!]

When the light faded, Shaktivel stood up slowly. The black, foul impurities from his body had been entirely burned away by the divine energy. His skin was now flawless, his eyes held a subtle violet tint, and his hair fluttered despite there being no wind.

The Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation.

In less than twelve hours after being exiled as a "defective piece of trash," he had surpassed the greatest geniuses of the Surya Empire. Prince Kael, who had mocked him with his Fourth Layer cultivation, was now nothing but a small bug beneath his feet.

Shaktivel looked at his companion. The beast was now a magnificent, terrifying creature of midnight and gold, its pressure alone causing the grass around it to wither into ash.

"Seven layers in one night," Shaktivel laughed, a dark, dangerous sound. "If the High Priest could see his 'corpse' now, he would die of fright."

“Do not settle for this small pond, Shaktivel,” the Greater Shadow Fiend growled, leaning its massive head down so its violet eyes were level with his. “The Surya Empire is just a speck of dust in the Grand Upper Realms. There are gods out there who use dragons as mounts and phoenixes as pets. That is our true target.”

"I know," Shaktivel said, his eyes narrowing as he looked back toward the direction of the capital. "But a house must be cleaned from the inside out. Before we conquer the heavens, I will wipe out everyone who stood by and watched my family bleed."

Suddenly, the shadow beast’s ears twitched. It turned its massive head toward the deeper, darker center of the Forbidden Forest.

“Shaktivel... do you smell that?”

Shaktivel sniffed the air. Amidst the scent of frost and ozone, a strange, sweet aroma drifted through the trees. It smelled like ancient herbs and burning starlight. Simultaneously, a massive, golden pillar of light shot up from the core of the forest, piercing the dark clouds and illuminating the entire night sky.

A treasure. An ancient, hidden inheritance or a Heaven-Rank spirit herb had just matured.

"An inheritance," Shaktivel whispered, his heart pounding. "Every sect and clan within a thousand miles will see that light. They will send their strongest elders and disciples to claim it."

“Then let them come,” the shadow beast smiled, revealing rows of razor-sharp, obsidian teeth that gleamed in the golden light. “The more cultivators that come... the more food I have to break my third seal.”

Shaktivel leaped onto the back of the Greater Shadow Fiend, gripping its spiked scales. "Let’s go. It’s time to show the world what a 'defect' can do."

With a powerful leap that shattered the ground beneath them, the beast and the boy vanished into the darkness, charging straight toward the light of the ancient treasure, completely unaware that a certain four-winged falcon and its arrogant master were already heading to the exact same spot.