Nelliel and Lin Huang charged toward the gigantic pitch-black cocoon standing in the middle of the Sea of Sand from opposite directions.
Without the slightest hesitation, both opened their mouths and began devouring it.
Crunch!
Lin Huang tore away a huge piece of the cocoon wall.
The instant it entered his mouth, the black substance transformed into an incomparably pure torrent of spiritual pressure that flowed directly into his body without requiring any digestion.
This cocoon had been formed from the life essence and concentrated reishi of more than one hundred Giant Hollows.
Every bite was equivalent to absorbing pure spiritual power itself.
Feeling the astonishing benefits contained within the cocoon, both Lin Huang and Nelliel immediately increased the speed at which they devoured it.
Before long, the lower portion of the gigantic cocoon, which towered over one hundred meters high, had already disappeared.
As the lower shell collapsed, two pale, shriveled giant feet were exposed.
Compared with the enormous upper body still wrapped inside the cocoon, the legs appeared ridiculously underdeveloped.
The reason was obvious.
The reishi originally meant to form the Gillian’s lower body had been stolen by Lin Huang and Nelliel.
Its evolution had effectively become malnourished.
“ROAR!!!” An earth-shaking roar erupted from inside the cocoon.
Two enormous bone-white hands burst through the remaining shell before clawing downward toward the two thieves attempting to steal its evolution.
Although an incomplete Gillian possessed little intelligence…
Having its advancement interrupted still drove it into uncontrollable rage.
At this moment, its only instinct was to kill the two Hollows before it.
However…
The instant it attempted to stand…
Its body collapsed.
Boom!
Its incompletely formed legs couldn’t support the enormous weight of its body.
The gigantic figure measuring well over one hundred meters crashed heavily onto the Sea of Sand.
The entire battlefield shook violently.
Towering waves of white sand surged in every direction.
Crash!
As the incomplete Gillian fell, the remaining black cocoon surrounding its upper body shattered apart.
Countless black fragments of condensed reishi scattered throughout the battlefield.
The appearance of this failed Gillian was pitiful.
Its Hollow mask hadn’t fully formed.
Only half of its face was covered.
The remaining half constantly writhed with pale flesh that hadn’t completely stabilized.
Unable to stand…
Unable even to crawl…
It could only glare hatefully at Lin Huang and Nelliel as they calmly continued eating the scattered reishi fragments around it.
The next moment…
Black and crimson spiritual pressure rapidly condensed inside its mouth.
It was preparing to fire a Cero.
Seeing this…
Nelliel calmly swallowed the fragment she had just bitten off before turning toward the fallen Gillian.
The instant the Cero erupted…
She opened her own mouth.
Whoosh!
Instead of colliding…
The entire Cero was effortlessly swallowed by Nelliel.
Her cheeks immediately puffed outward.
Then…
She aimed directly at the incomplete Gillian’s head.
Boom!
A far more powerful Cero exploded from her mouth.
Not only had she swallowed the enemy’s attack…
She had mixed it together with her own Cero before firing it back.
“Hm?” “Cero Doble…” “She awakened it this early?” Lin Huang originally intended to intercept the incoming blast with his Sword Scales.
Seeing Nelliel resolve the danger so effortlessly left him secretly amazed.
“As expected of someone who would eventually become one of Hueco Mundo’s strongest Hollows.” Boom!!!
The crimson beam struck the incomplete Gillian’s head with perfect accuracy.
Its unfinished skull exploded instantly.
Fragments of its Hollow mask scattered through the air.
The snake and the antelope immediately leaped upward.
Working together flawlessly, they caught every single mask fragment before it could touch the ground.
Nothing was wasted.
After swallowing the fragments…
They quietly divided the remaining black reishi scattered around the battlefield.
In the end…
The incomplete Gillian that had nearly succeeded in evolving was completely devoured by the two of them.
Their three days of waiting had finally paid off.
After finishing the feast…
Lin Huang immediately felt the spiritual pressure inside his body begin rising at an astonishing rate.
Before long…
It had nearly tripled.
He wasn’t surprised.
After all…
The total amount of reishi contained within the cocoon and mask fragments was roughly equivalent to that of fifty Giant Hollows.
His spiritual pressure reserves had now reached more than half the level normally possessed by a true Gillian.
Nelliel experienced an equally astonishing transformation.
Although she still remained within the Giant Hollow stage…
She now stood only a single step away from becoming a Menos.
More importantly…
The intensity of her spiritual pressure had already reached the same level as the incomplete Gillian they had just defeated.
In other words…
Even before evolving…
She already possessed Menos-class spiritual pressure.
Feeling the enormous increase in her own strength, Nelliel happily looked toward Lin Huang.
Although they had known one another for less than three months…
Under Lin Huang’s leadership, the two had continuously hunted stronger prey together.
The progress she made during this short period far exceeded everything she had achieved throughout all the years she had previously wandered Hueco Mundo alone.
However…
Just as she turned toward him…
A dramatic transformation suddenly began.
Vast amounts of purple spiritual pressure continuously gathered around Lin Huang.
The pressure became denser and denser.
Moments later…
A gigantic pillar of spiritual pressure nearly one hundred meters tall completely enveloped his body.
“Little Huang…” “He’s evolving into a Giant Hollow?” Nelliel couldn’t hide her shock.
The scale of Lin Huang’s evolution was almost identical to the phenomenon surrounding the birth of a Gillian.
Yet…
His evolution proceeded astonishingly quickly.
Only a few minutes later…
The enormous pillar of purple spiritual pressure gradually dispersed.
Standing where Lin Huang had once been…
Was a majestic white serpent measuring more than forty-five meters long.
Two sharp horns rose from his Hollow mask.
His silver scales gleamed brilliantly beneath Hueco Mundo’s eternal night.
His spiritual pressure surged upward once more.
After carefully sensing it…
Nelliel realized something astonishing.
Lin Huang’s spiritual pressure had already reached exactly the same level as her own.
He had also stepped into the realm of Menos-class spiritual pressure.
Although both of them were technically still Giant Hollows…
The quality of their spiritual pressure had already reached the threshold normally possessed only by Menos.
The difference between them…
Was their stage of evolution.
Nelliel had already reached the absolute limit of an ordinary Hollow.
To become any stronger…
She would have to evolve into a Menos.
Lin Huang, however…
Had only just become a Giant Hollow.
This meant…
His accumulation of spiritual pressure had only just begun.
He still possessed enormous room for further growth before eventually evolving into a Menos.
“ROAR!” Unable to suppress his excitement, Lin Huang raised his head toward Hueco Mundo’s eternal sky and released a loud, triumphant roar.
Although his current strength remained insignificant compared with the countless powerful beings existing throughout Hueco Mundo…
Or even throughout the Three Worlds…
Being able to clearly feel himself growing stronger step by step filled him with incomparable excitement.
He gazed toward the silent darkness stretching endlessly overhead.
His heart burned with ambition.
At this moment…
He desired nothing more than a worthy opponent capable of allowing him to unleash his full strength.
Turning toward Nelliel, he smiled.
“Come.” “Let’s hunt a real Gillian.” Although their strengths were now nearly identical…
The thought of fighting Nelliel had never once crossed his mind.
The reason was simple.
Every battle Nelliel fought was solely for survival.
Deep within her heart…
She had always disliked meaningless slaughter.
She genuinely regarded him as her closest friend.
How could she possibly fight him with true killing intent?
Likewise…
He would never force such a battle upon her.
He wasn’t someone like Nnoitra Gilga.
“Little Huang…” As they continued traveling together…
The usually cheerful Nelliel unexpectedly became quiet.
After remaining silent for some time…
She softly asked, “Do you really think…” “I can successfully become a Menos?” She had already reached the absolute peak of ordinary Hollows.
The next step…
Was the greatest obstacle in a Hollow’s evolution.
If she failed…
She would permanently lose herself.
She would become nothing more than a mindless Gillian.
After witnessing the horrifying Hundred Hollow Devouring only days earlier…
It was only natural for her to feel uneasy.
Hearing her question…
Lin Huang gently smiled.
“Don’t worry.” “A mere Gillian bottleneck can’t stop you.” “You won’t just become a Menos.” “You won’t stop at Adjuchas either.” He paused briefly before speaking with complete certainty.
“You are destined to become the highest class of Menos.” “A Vasto Lorde.” Hearing those unwavering words…
The anxiety within Nelliel’s heart immediately eased.
She happily lowered her head before gently rubbing the side of her Hollow mask against Lin Huang’s enormous serpent head.
Watching her smile return…
Lin Huang couldn’t help thinking to himself, “You’re joking, right?” “If even someone like you, who is destined to become one of Hueco Mundo’s greatest Vasto Lorde, can’t break through…” “Then almost no Hollow in Hueco Mundo ever could.”