Chapter 454: The Third Transformation of the Silkworm

Now it was Rose protesting, replacing Sky Dome's earlier complaints in an instant. What was supposed to be a solemn match determining the fate of two great Holy Sanctuaries had been turned into a farce.

Patu stood on the railing, his eyes bloodshot with rage: "Is this fucking match a joke? Not letting a wizard use Witchcraft? Might as well tell Martial Artists not to throw punches!"

"Utterly absurd!" Ning Zhiyuan slammed his fist on the railing, sending vibrations and a surge of electricity through it, zapping the unprepared Sky Dome supporters on the other side into chaos: "I've never seen such a ridiculous match! We protest—this match is meaningless!"

"Shut your traps, Rose!" The Sky Dome crowd was elated. They had nearly lost hope earlier, but now, it was like light at the end of the tunnel.

Wang Feng was undeniably strong—terrifyingly so. But what could a wizard do if forbidden from using Witchcraft? It was like a farmer without a hoe or a tailor without scissors. Could he still work miracles?

"We didn't even complain about a ghost level fighting a Tiger Peak, what else do you want?"

"Exactly, isn't Wang Feng's actual class Spirit Beastmaster? With ghost-level soul power allowing flight, eighteen ice bees, and Skyburst Grenades, we didn't even call it unfair. What's your fucking problem?"

Just as the two sides were about to erupt into another argument, An Nanxi's thunderous roar cut through the noise, silencing everyone.

"The rules of this match have been mutually agreed to by both competing parties and are absolutely binding. Now, please step onto the field—the match begins immediately!"

With that, she floated back, leaving no room for further objections or debate, clearing the stage for the competitors.

Perhaps stunned by An Nanxi's authority, or perhaps resigned to the unchangeable outcome, the Rose supporters exchanged hushed, bitter whispers as they turned their gazes to the field.

No Witchcraft? Was this what the principals had called Wang Feng up to discuss? After coming this far, were they really going to bow to Sky Dome's influence again?

What about the severely injured Fanteixi? What about Winnie, whose condition was unknown?

The Li brothers glanced at their younger sister, killing intent flashing in their eyes. If this match was lost for the sake of political gain, they would make sure Rose and everyone involved paid the heaviest price.

The Li family never feared death—but betrayal was unforgivable.

Listening to the clamor from Rose's side, even the relieved murmurs of Sky Dome's supporters who felt they'd cheated death—it was all just...

A faint gleam flashed in Ye Dun's eyes. He was truly being underestimated.

Without waiting for Wang Feng to descend from the platform, Ye Dun strode onto the field with deliberate steps. His white robes were pristine, showing no trace of his earlier battle with Mapeier.

The murmurs in the stands continued—Rose supporters cursing, Sky Dome's side quietly celebrating—but a clear, resonant voice soon silenced the entire arena with its calm tone.

"Fellow brothers and sisters of Sky Dome, I, Ye Dun," he said calmly, though a sharp glint lurked in his eyes, "have always considered it my greatest honor to be a disciple of Sky Dome. And today..."

He slowly raised his hands, spreading them outward from his sides. "I swear to defend Sky Dome's dignity with my life!"

The Sky Dome crowd fell into a hushed reverence, while Rose's side wanted to puke. After banning Wang Feng from using Witchcraft, what honor was there left to defend?

Truthfully, the silence from Rose wasn't submission—it was because they still believed victory was possible. Their anger stemmed from the unfair double standard. Did they really think Wang Feng couldn't handle Ye Dun without Witchcraft? Their captain was ghost level, after all. No one had ever heard of a Tiger Peak defeating a ghost-level opponent. At the very least, he could just fly into the air—what could a little Tiger Peak do against that? Not to mention the ice bees and Skyburst Grenades. They'd blow that poser to kingdom come!

But the next moment—BOOOM!

A surge of soul power erupted from Ye Dun's body.

Heavenly Silkworm Transformation!

The air vibrated with energy as his pitch-black hair, eyebrows, and even his skin transformed into a translucent jade-like hue, shimmering with an ethereal glow. Ye Dun, naturally handsome, now looked celestial with his silver locks flowing and alabaster skin.

But his appearance was the least remarkable thing. The soul power around him swirled into a spiraling current, lifting him weightlessly upward.

Holy shit! He could fly? Was he ghost level?!

The entire venue fell into dead silence in an instant. Whether it was the people from Zenith or the Rose faction, everyone was stunned.

Though no one explained, the ghost-level soul force pressure emanating from Ye Dun and his characteristic ghost-level hovering stance were unmistakable to all. After a brief moment of shock, the supporters of Holy Sanctuary erupted into the most fervent cheers.

A ghost-level speed-type Martial Artist! That's Wang Feng's natural counter! Even if he used Witchcraft, it wouldn't necessarily guarantee a win, let alone now that he's forbidden from using it. This is practically handing them victory on a platter!

"Ghost level! Captain Ye Dun is ghost level!" The crowd in the stands didn't care about the details—they didn't understand nor did they want to. But just like how the Rose supporters reacted when they saw Wang Feng reach ghost level, the Holy Sanctuary supporters' emotions were finally ignited, cheering wildly.

"We've got this! A ghost-level speed-type Martial Artist can absolutely stand against him! No, no—we can definitely win!"

"Long live Holy Sanctuary! Long live Ye Dun!"

The tens of thousands who had seemed deflated just moments ago now erupted into a frenzied chant, standing up in the stands, waving their arms and clothes, shouting and jumping.

Game over! A ghost-level Martial Artist against a Wizard who can't use Witchcraft! Need we say more?

Amid the excited and wild cheers, Team Rose was dead silent.

Ghost level? Is he really ghost level?

"No, he's at Tiger Peak." Hei Wukai's eyes gleamed as he blurted out.

It wasn't uncommon for someone to temporarily step into the ghost-level realm by leveraging the traits of a soul seed while still at Tiger Peak. His Ghost Yasha form was like that, and so was Long Feixue's Celestial Descent technique. But... Ye Dun's case seemed different.

Ye Dun's entire body was trembling slightly, clearly not yet fully accustomed to the ghost-level power, as if he were stepping into it for the first time. But that was strange—his transition into ghost-level power had been unnaturally smooth. If he had just broken through by shouting before the fight, that would be far too exaggerated.

"Celestial Silkworm, one of the Hundred Great Soul Seeds recorded in the Nine Heavens Annals." Long Jing spoke slowly, clearly intrigued by Ye Dun below the stage. "It's said that the Celestial Silkworm has three transformation opportunities in its lifetime. If successful, it allows the cultivator to temporarily leap an entire major realm, letting them experience higher realms... With such a miraculous trait, if used to break through to Dragon Level, those three experiences at the Dragon Level realm might truly give birth to another Dragon Level powerhouse on this continent. With Ye Dun's talent, breaking through to ghost level through conventional cultivation wouldn't even be an obstacle. Yet he wasted one transformation opportunity on a mere match... What a waste!"

"Brother Long Jing's vast knowledge is truly admirable, to know even such an obscure and rare soul seed in such depth." The Saint chuckled. "But there's one point Brother Long Jing got wrong."

"Oh? I'd love to hear it."

"This is no waste..." The Saint chuckled. "A man has his principles. The honor of the Holy Sanctuary is beyond the comprehension of imperial thinking. Besides, if Ye Dun can overcome Wang Feng today, the psychological growth he gains might very well outweigh the cost of this transformation opportunity!"

The two laughed together. Though their conversation wasn't loud, those nearby could hear it clearly. Lao Huo, sitting not far off, felt his heart turn cold.

Heavenly Silkworm Transformation? Three transformation chances? Holy shit!

If Wang Feng hadn't been restricted, perhaps he could have found a way to defeat Ye Dun. But now, forbidden from using Witchcraft and facing a ghost-level Martial Artist, how could Wang Feng possibly fight? His trademark move of flying and throwing Skyburst Grenades would be completely useless now!

Lao Huo was utterly stunned. Glancing around at Fu Changkong, Zhao Feiyuan, and the others, all wearing knowing smiles, Lao Huo suddenly realized—he'd been played.

They'd been tricked! Schemed against by these motherfuckers!

Had he known Ye Dun possessed ghost-level combat power, no amount of persuasion would have made him agree to restrict Wang Feng from using Witchcraft! These sons of bitches used the excuse of delaying for a day to mislead him, making him think Ye Dun wasn't all that strong. But in the end...

"Damn it, can you be any more shameless?" Lao Huo had had enough—he threw all pretense of decorum aside. At this point, he was ready to fight these two. He'd been made a complete fool of. "A ghost-level Martial Artist against a ghost-level Wizard, and you still had to come up with all sorts of excuses to restrict our Wang Feng from using Witchcraft first..."

"Look, he's throwing a fit again." Zhao Feiyuan chuckled. "Swearing isn't good, Lao Huo. It's unbecoming. As the principal of Rose, you should set an example. Have some dignity! Or else, 'if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will follow.'"

Crooked your damn...

"Lao Huo, you're in the wrong here." Fu Changkong also smiled faintly. "The restriction on Witchcraft was Wang Feng's own choice—we didn't force him. Besides, calling Ye Dun a ghost-level Martial Artist isn't accurate. Didn't you hear what the Saint and Prince Long Jing just said? Ye Dun is only at Tiger Peak. The Heavenly Silkworm Transformation merely lets him temporarily experience the ghost-level realm."

"Exactly, Lao Huo. You already knew about Ye Dun's Celestial Silkworm from the last match. If you hadn't heard of the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation, that's just your own ignorance. How can you blame others?" Zhao Feiyuan said with a laugh. "Besides, the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation only has three chances in a lifetime. Ye Dun originally reserved it for breaking through to Dragon Level. Using it here is a huge sacrifice. Yet you accuse Lao Fu of scheming against you? Ask him yourself—if he'd known Ye Dun would waste one transformation opportunity, he probably wouldn't have even let him step onto the stage!"

"Absolutely not! As mentors, how could we prioritize a single match over a student's lifelong future?" Fu Changkong sighed and shook his head. "But it's too late now. That child Ye Dun is too fixated on victory. I failed to consider this... What a pity."

The two of them tag-teamed perfectly, leaving Lao Huo no room to interject. He could only stand there, mouth agape, his mind in turmoil.

"Huh? What the hell are you 'eh'-ing about? Damn it, you got the upper hand and still play the victim, where's your integrity?!"

Lao Huo was so furious he could almost spit blood: To hell with this, I shouldn't have agreed to bring Wang Feng here in the first place! Speaking of which, where is Wang Feng?

That’s when he remembered Wang Feng and saw him walking onto the field below, standing firm.

Compared to Ye Dun's imposing aerial stance, Old Wang appeared much calmer, as if he wasn’t the one about to compete. At this moment, Wang Feng was doing a final check on his Ice Bees.

At this point, the Rose faction could only force themselves to rally. The captain hadn’t given up—the captain was about to release his Ice Bees!

Sure enough, a buzzing sound rang out.

A few shaky Ice Bees emerged from Old Wang’s sleeves, but before they could form a proper formation—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The shaky Ice Bees all crashed to the ground, clearly still injured from their earlier battle with Tianzhe Yifeng and not yet recovered. Old Wang smirked. He had thought about teasing the crowd, but it seemed better to save these Ice Bees for later use.

Old Wang didn’t seem bothered, but the Rose Holy Sanctuary stands fell into stunned silence, jaws dropping everywhere.

This… this…

Seeing Old Wang shake his head and reluctantly tuck the Ice Bees back into his sleeves—compared to Ye Dun’s airborne, full-of-energy posture—the momentum was already lost.

Come to think of it, after that intense battle with Tianzhe Yifeng, those Ice Bees had all taken hits. How could they recover in such a short time?

Unconscious bias is the most dangerous. In an instant, the image of a Spirit Beast wizard who couldn’t use Witchcraft or his Ice Bees was vividly painted in everyone’s minds.

People brag about fighting "with one hand tied," but this guy had both arms tied! How the hell is he gonna fight?

"Little bees, buzz buzz, flying through the flowers!"

The Zenith crowd was howling with laughter, while the Rose faction was completely crushed.

"Stop the match! This unfair match must be stopped! We demand a stop to this!" Famier was the first to shout from the stands.

Immediately, the Rose stands erupted in deafening roars: "Zenith Holy Sanctuary is behind this! They must have forced Senior Brother Wang Feng with some shameless method! Nobody’s gonna accept this outcome!"

"Since when is back-to-back fighting fair? Postpone the match! So what if the barrier’s broken? Fix it first, then fight—then there’d be no need to restrict Witchcraft!"

"Exactly! The venue was chosen by Zenith Holy Sanctuary—they should take responsibility! How is it fair to make Senior Brother Wang Feng bear the consequences?!"

The Rose side was fuming. They’d seen shamelessness before, but never to the extent of Zenith Holy Sanctuary’s! If they didn’t get answers today, screw the match!

"Silence!" An Nanxi was at her breaking point. She had presided over countless matches, but few were as troublesome as today’s. One misstep, and she’d be branded with infamy. It was just that both sides were being way too extra. "Not using Witchcraft was Wang Feng’s own decision. No one forced him, and there was no conspiracy. As a Holy Sanctuary disciple, in such a solemn place, he must take responsibility for his own words."

Wang Feng chose this himself?

Everyone instinctively looked toward Wang Feng on the field, only to see him looking utterly indifferent—even smiling at the Rose stands. Clearly, the referee wasn’t lying.

This… this was a death wish!

The Rose side was totally deflated, jaws on the floor, utterly speechless. Meanwhile, the Zenith Holy Sanctuary stands erupted in mocking laughter.

"So it was Wang Feng’s own idea? Rose is way too arrogant, and this Wang Feng is the most arrogant of all," Zhao Ziyue said with a laugh. "Daring to face ghost-level Ye Dun without Witchcraft—does he think he’s invincible? Totally delusional."

"Win once and he forgets who he is," Jiaoxi said gleefully. What could be more satisfying than seeing Ye Dun dominate? Speaking of which, ghost-level Ye Dun was so handsome. "Unlike our Ye Dun, who stays humble. True experts don’t show off everywhere!"

"Backwater folks are all like this—no clue how the real world works," Maxwell remarked, though his eyes were fixed on the back of the Rose stands. He spotted Gule, even though he was cloaked. Maxwell knew him too well—he could recognize that build even blindfolded. Licking his lips, Maxwell sneered. "No sense of his place… Heh, he’s signing his own death warrant!"

The how doesn’t matter—only the result does.

Over the roar of the crowd, the two combatants had already taken their positions.

The earlier incident with the ice bees was just a minor episode. Old Wang wasn’t about to slack off. Having reached the ghost level, opponents like Tianzhe Yifeng and Ye Dun were formidable, serving as crucial benchmarks for Wang Feng to adapt to and understand his newfound power. Moreover, in a ghost-level battle, negligence could come at a heavy price.

As their soul force began to surge, Ye Dun’s manifested as a radiant silver, while Wang Feng’s continued to climb. Their auras had already clashed, revealing their unshakable confidence. Despite having only recently entered the ghost level, Ye Dun had swiftly mastered the art of aura suppression and confrontation, displaying an aggressive edge. No question—he was a genius. From his elevated stance, he sought dominance and openings.

Old Wang wasn’t like Hawkland, and his comprehensive understanding of soul seeds was likely unparalleled on this continent.

This was the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation. A Celestial Silkworm had three chances to metamorphose in its lifetime. To outsiders, burning one transformation might seem like no big deal, but Old Wang knew better—Ye Dun had truly staked everything.

The Celestial Silkworm was already an exceptionally powerful soul seed, balanced in nature, excelling in every aspect of soul seed characteristics. With such a seed, reaching the ghost level was practically guaranteed with even moderate effort. But once at the ghost level, just how valuable were those three transformations?

For top-tier talents in the major Holy Sanctuaries, reaching the ghost level—even the peak of ghost level—wasn’t particularly difficult. With ample resources and expert guidance, someone like Ye Dun would inevitably reach ghost peak, perhaps even becoming one of its elite.

Yet, those three precious chances were meant for breaking through to Dragon Level.

The difference between ghost peak and Dragon Level was a mere half-step, yet it was a world of difference. Upon reaching Dragon Level, one transcended the mundane, becoming someone even nations had to respect—a being no major power would dare offend.

The peak of what humans could achieve… Currently, the Nine Heavens Continent had only a handful of such individuals in the open. With these three trump cards, it was clear that Ye Dun’s backers would pour all their resources into elevating him to ghost peak, leveraging the Celestial Silkworm’s traits to attempt the Dragon Level breakthrough.

Now, suspended mid-air, Ye Dun stood clad in white, his silver hair lashing like a storm. He seemed to have gradually adapted to this ghost-level power—his body no longer trembled, and his silver soul force stabilized further. Though his demeanor remained restrained, the faint currents around him carried a terrifying soul pressure. None of the fumbling you’d expect from a fresh ghost-level rookie; in fact, his explosive force seemed to surpass even Tianzhe Yifeng’s!

This was the disparity between soul seeds. Both were at Ghost Initial, but the Celestial Silkworm was one of the Hundred Great Soul Seeds recorded in the Nine Heavens Annals. Once such a seed reached the ghost level, it didn’t just outclass other soul seeds—it crushed them underfoot.

Ye Dun spread his arms, now fully in control of his power. This was the might of the ghost level—thrilling, yet unsurprising. His decision to expend such a precious opportunity wasn’t solely for Wang Feng. On one hand, the Holy Sanctuary faced a crisis; allowing Rose to claim victory would severely impact the resources allocated to him in the future. On the other, he understood the wisdom of securing one bird in hand over a hundred in the bush. Since the Saint was already aware of his circumstances, there was no need to conceal the Celestial Silkworm any longer. This was the ideal stage to unveil it—as long as Wang Feng didn’t disappoint him.