Chapter 5: First Transformation

The attack came without warning.

Lin Xiao was returning from his night training session when the air itself seemed to curdle around him. A presence descended on the outer mountain—vast, hungry, and utterly inhuman.

*Demonic beast,* the Emperor hissed. *A strong one. At least equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.*

Before Lin Xiao could process this, a shape crashed through the tree canopy—something that looked like a corrupted wolf, three times the size of any natural beast, its hide scaled with chitinous armor and its eyes burning with malevolent intelligence.

It had come for him.

The beast lunged, and Lin Xiao threw himself aside, his enhanced reflexes barely saving him from claws that carved furrows in solid stone. The creature was fast—faster than anything he'd faced—and its presence made his demonic essence surge in response.

*It senses what you are,* the Emperor explained as Lin Xiao dodged another strike. *Demonic beasts are drawn to powerful demonic cultivators. This one probably felt your advancement and came to investigate.*

"That would have been useful information to have earlier!"

*I didn't anticipate you'd progress this quickly. Most vessels take years to reach the point where beasts notice them.*

The wolf circled, its movements predatory, patient. It was toying with him, Lin Xiao realized. Testing his capabilities before moving in for the kill.

He couldn't run—the beast was faster. He couldn't call for help—revealing his demonic nature to the sect would be as deadly as the wolf itself. His only option was to fight.

*Then fight,* the Emperor said. *Your body has changed. Your power has grown. Use them.*

Lin Xiao reached for his demonic essence, pulling it from his core and flooding his limbs with crimson energy. The world sharpened—colors becoming more vivid, sounds more distinct, his perception of time stretching to accommodate his accelerated thoughts.

The wolf attacked.

This time, Lin Xiao met the charge. His fist connected with the beast's jaw, demonic energy exploding at the point of impact. The wolf staggered, clearly surprised by the force behind the blow.

But it recovered quickly, its next strike catching Lin Xiao across the chest and sending him flying. He crashed through a wooden structure, feeling ribs crack despite his enhanced durability.

*Your power is growing, but your technique is nonexistent,* the Emperor observed. *You're wasting energy on inefficient strikes.*

"Then teach me something efficient!"

*Very well. Feel the transformation trying to happen. The beast form that the essence wants to become.*

Lin Xiao felt it—a pressure building beneath his skin, like something vast trying to emerge from within. He'd been suppressing it instinctively, afraid of what he might become.

*Don't suppress. Direct. Let the transformation flow but maintain your consciousness within it.*

The wolf was charging again. Lin Xiao had seconds.

He released his control.

Power erupted from his body like a breaking dam. His muscles swelled, his bones shifted, his hands became clawed weapons. Scales erupted across his arms and shoulders, providing armor that hadn't existed moments before.

The transformation was partial—his face remained human, his mind stayed clear—but his body had become something between man and demon. Something powerful.

He met the wolf's charge with newly-clawed hands, tearing through its chitinous armor as if it were paper. The beast howled, spraying corrupted blood, and for the first time, Lin Xiao saw fear in its burning eyes.

He pressed the advantage.

The fight that followed was brutal, primal, stripped of any technique beyond the instinctive violence that the demonic essence provided. Lin Xiao slashed and bit and tore, driven by rage that felt both foreign and utterly natural. The wolf fought back with desperate ferocity, but its initial advantage had evaporated.

When it finally fell, Lin Xiao stood over its corpse, breathing hard, his clawed hands dripping with black blood.

*Impressive,* the Emperor said. *Your first partial transformation, and you maintained consciousness throughout. That's rare.*

"That was... that was..."

*Intoxicating? Yes. The beast form amplifies aggression, dulls inhibition. It's why many Infernal cultivators lose themselves—the transformation feels too good to resist.*

Lin Xiao forced himself to look at what he'd become. Scales covered his arms from elbow to fingertip. His hands were weapons, each finger ending in a claw that could tear steel. His body was larger, denser, shaped for violence in ways that his human form could never match.

And he'd enjoyed it.

The killing. The brutality. The raw satisfaction of destroying something that had threatened him.

*Don't fear the enjoyment,* the Emperor counseled. *Fear would make you suppress, and suppression leads to loss of control. Instead, acknowledge it. Accept that violence can feel good while choosing when to indulge.*

Lin Xiao took a deep breath and willed the transformation to reverse. The process was slower than the initial change—claws receding into fingers, scales sinking beneath skin, muscles shrinking to their normal proportions. It hurt, but less than he'd expected.

When he finally returned to human form, he felt exhausted. The energy he'd spent was massive—maintaining the transformation had drained resources he'd accumulated over weeks of cultivation.

But he was alive.

*You can fight,* the Emperor confirmed. *Not just survive, but actually combat threats. The wolf was equivalent to a Middle Foundation Establishment cultivator. You killed it at Corruption Seed stage.*

"Because of the transformation."

*Because you're naturally suited to the Infernal path. Your soul accepts demonic power in ways that most vessels can't match.* A pause. *This is both advantage and danger. The more compatible you are, the easier it becomes to lose yourself.*

Lin Xiao absorbed this warning as he began disposing of the wolf's corpse. Leaving it near the sect would raise questions he couldn't answer.

He dragged it to a ravine and pushed it over the edge, watching it tumble into darkness.

Tomorrow, he would train harder. Learn to access the transformation without losing control. Develop techniques that used his power efficiently instead of just throwing strength at problems.

Tonight, though, he let himself feel something he hadn't in a long time. Not pride exactly—more like surprise that he'd survived. That he'd done it.

He wasn't prey anymore. That was enough, for now.

---

Su Mei found him in the eastern courtyard two days later, looking worse than she'd ever seen him.

"What happened?" she demanded, her healer's senses immediately cataloging his injuries. "You look like you fought a war."

"Training accident." The lie came easily. "I was practicing some exercises and pushed too hard."

"Exercises don't leave claw marks." Her fingers traced the barely-healed gouges across his chest. "These are from a beast. A demonic one, judging by the residual corruption."

Lin Xiao's heart froze. Could she sense the demonic essence within him?

"There was a beast attack two nights ago," he said carefully. "I was caught outside when it happened. I survived, barely."

"And you didn't report it?"

"Who would believe a servant? The beast is dead now anyway—the outer disciples killed it during their patrol."

Su Mei studied him with eyes that saw too much. "You're not telling me everything."

"I'm telling you what I can."

She was silent for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, she began healing him without further questions.

"Whatever happened," she said as warm energy flowed into his wounds, "you're different now. Stronger. More... present."

"Is that bad?"

"I don't know yet." Her eyes met his. "But I'd like to find out."

Lin Xiao didn't know how to respond to that.

So he let her heal him, and tried not to think about what it would mean if she discovered the truth.

*She's perceptive,* the Emperor observed. *And persistent. She'll uncover your nature eventually.*

"Then I'll deal with it when it happens."

*A pragmatic approach. I approve.*

But as Su Mei's healing continued, Lin Xiao found himself hoping that "eventually" would be a very long time coming.