Lin Huang couldn’t help but admire the Leopard Hollow that charged fearlessly toward a Gillian despite the overwhelming difference in strength.
“Good grief…
what a reckless little fellow.” The Leopard Hollow sprinted on all fours, swiftly circling behind the Gillian before leaping high onto a nearby dead branch.
Using the branch as a foothold, it launched itself once more, landing atop the bony spikes surrounding the Gillian’s neck.
Taking advantage of the momentum, it bit down viciously into the Gillian’s neck.
Rip!
Against all expectations, the attack actually tore away a chunk of black Hollow flesh.
The Leopard Hollow immediately swallowed the piece of flesh before turning toward Lin Huang and letting out an excited cry.
Its expression clearly conveyed the same message.
“Look!
Even as a Powerful Hollow, I can injure a Gillian.
I’m useful, so keep me around!” “ROAR!” Although the injury was insignificant…
The humiliation was enormous.
Driven entirely by instinct, the mindless Gillian flew into a rage.
It raised one of its enormous bone-white feet before repeatedly stomping toward the tiny Leopard Hollow, intending to crush it into the ground.
The Leopard Hollow continuously dodged left and right, barely escaping each devastating stomp.
Although a Gillian stood well over one hundred meters tall and appeared slow and cumbersome compared with Lin Huang…
For a Powerful Hollow whose spiritual pressure merely approached that of a Giant Hollow, every attack was terrifyingly fast.
Soon…
The Leopard Hollow realized it could no longer evade forever.
Instead of continuing to retreat…
It suddenly charged forward.
Leaping high into the air, it landed directly upon the Gillian’s gigantic foot before slashing repeatedly with both front claws.
Ten shallow claw marks immediately appeared across the hard white bones.
“ROAR!” Minimal damage.
Maximum insult.
The Gillian completely lost its temper.
Black and crimson spiritual pressure rapidly condensed inside its mouth.
It intended to erase this troublesome Leopard Hollow with a single Cero.
Seeing the attack gathering…
The Leopard Hollow immediately turned to flee.
Unfortunately…
Its speed wasn’t quite enough.
The fully charged Cero was about to fire.
At that exact moment…
A silver-white serpent tail suddenly flashed across the battlefield.
The Sword Scales at its tip effortlessly sliced through the Gillian’s body.
Slash!
The towering Menos was cleanly cut in half.
Without wasting any movement…
Lin Huang removed one half of the Gillian’s Hollow mask before tossing it toward the Leopard Hollow.
“This half belongs to you.” “It’s a reward for your courage.” “You’ve proven yourself.” “You may continue following me.” “Meow!” The Leopard Hollow immediately cried out in delight after receiving Lin Huang’s approval.
The following day…
Deep within the southwestern region of the Forest of Menos…
This territory belonged to an Adjuchas named Twist Farrell.
A pure white Leopard Hollow measuring roughly three meters long boldly stood before the territory’s ruler, letting out an openly provocative roar.
Its intentions couldn’t have been clearer.
It was openly challenging the local ruler.
Not far away…
Standing atop the trunk of a giant dead tree…
Was a fiery-red Ape Hollow roughly five meters tall.
Its Hollow Hole was located beneath its abdomen, and it radiated the spiritual pressure of a lower Adjuchas.
“Heh…” “You insignificant Hollow.” “You actually dare challenge a great Adjuchas?” “How amusing.” The Ape Hollow looked at the Leopard Hollow with cruel amusement before immediately ordering the more than one hundred Gillians under his command to surround it.
Although the Leopard Hollow had consumed half of a Gillian’s Hollow mask and greatly increased its spiritual pressure…
Its strength still only approached that of a Giant Hollow.
Even relying on its agile movements and remarkable speed…
Escaping from over one hundred Gillians remained nearly impossible.
For a moment…
It appeared certain that the Gillian horde would trample it to death.
Slash!
The Ape Hollow standing atop the giant tree suddenly felt a chilling sensation behind him.
Before he could react…
A brilliant flash erupted.
The Sword Scales at the tip of a silver-white serpent tail cleanly sliced him in half at the waist.
It was Lin Huang.
Hidden within the shadows all along…
He had finally revealed himself.
“AAARGH!” The instant the Ape Hollow was bisected…
The Gillians chasing the Leopard Hollow immediately lost their orders.
They froze in place like puppets whose strings had been cut.
“You…!” As the Ape Hollow’s upper body fell from the giant tree…
He finally saw the silver-white serpent that had attacked him.
“So you’re another Adjuchas…” “And yet you resort to sneak attacks…” “How despicable!” Feeling the spiritual pressure radiating from Lin Huang…
The Ape Hollow immediately recognized him as another Adjuchas.
Like Liotta Ekk and Karl Taylor before him…
He was only a lower Adjuchas.
His spiritual pressure was noticeably inferior to Lin Huang’s.
Furthermore…
Everything had unfolded exactly according to Lin Huang’s plan.
The Leopard Hollow had openly acted as bait.
Meanwhile…
Lin Huang remained hidden through Stealth, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Victory had come almost effortlessly.
Even after being cut in half…
The Ape Hollow hadn’t died immediately.
Ignoring the desperate curses echoing behind him…
Lin Huang calmly swung the Sword Scales once again.
Slash!
The Ape Hollow was completely killed.
His Hollow mask was neatly removed before Lin Huang wrapped it with his tail and immediately began chewing.
After finishing the Adjuchas’ Hollow mask…
Lin Huang activated Sonído.
His silver-white body flashed directly into the center of the confused Gillian herd.
The Sword Scales became flashing blades.
Every swing claimed another Gillian.
One after another…
The towering Hollows collapsed.
Within a short time…
The entire Gillian army had been completely exterminated.
After gathering every Hollow mask…
Lin Huang handed only a single complete Gillian mask to the Leopard Hollow.
It wasn’t because he was stingy.
The Leopard Hollow had only recently become a Powerful Hollow.
One complete Gillian Hollow mask was already close to the limit of what it could safely digest.
Any more would likely overwhelm its body.
Without delaying…
Lin Huang devoured the more than one hundred Gillian Hollow masks together with the Adjuchas’ Hollow mask.
Nearby…
The Leopard Hollow also swallowed the enormous Gillian Hollow mask that was several times larger than its own body.
After spending an entire day digesting the tremendous amount of reishi…
Lin Huang’s spiritual pressure increased by roughly another ten percent.
“As expected…” “The stronger I become…” “The more reishi I’ll need to continue advancing.” Feeling the gradual increase in his spiritual pressure…
Lin Huang quietly reached his conclusion.
Even after obtaining such overwhelming spiritual pressure…
His true body still showed no signs of evolving into a Menos.
He remained within the category of an ordinary Giant Hollow.
Although Lin Huang hadn’t advanced…
The Leopard Hollow had reached another breakthrough.
Pale blue reishi rapidly gathered around its body.
Soon…
A Cocoon of Metamorphosis more than fifteen meters in diameter completely enveloped it.
It was evolving from a Powerful Hollow into a Giant Hollow.
Watching the enormous cocoon…
Lin Huang slowly smiled.
“This cocoon is large enough.” “It won’t just attract nearby Gillians.” “It should also lure those Adjuchas who have long since exhausted their own potential.” “After all…” “Devouring a Hollow possessing Vasto Lorde potential might be the only chance they have to rewrite their own destiny.” Because of that…
Unlike the previous time…
Lin Huang deliberately refrained from releasing his spiritual pressure to drive away approaching Menos.
Instead…
He completely concealed both his presence and spiritual pressure.
Patiently…
He hid nearby.
Waiting for the fish to take the bait.