This transformation was not exclusive to Baidya.
As the void corrupted by black smoke on the sky grew larger, similar changes appeared across the Federation's world.
Washington Grand Area, Shengjing City, Kun Ning Mountain, Hunter Association Headquarters.
Ye Haimo sat on a brown tiger skin chair, his gaze sweeping over his beautiful female secretary, focusing on the buttons of her tight uniform, worried one might suddenly pop open.
If it truly did, Ye Haimo would uphold his gentlemanly conduct and be the first to help her fasten it.
This female secretary was also a powerful super-ability user. She remained unfazed by Ye Haimo's stare.
She had worked by his side for a long time. Initially, she worried about being harassed by her superior, but later discovered he was all desire and no daring.
If anything were to be revealed, he wouldn't even dare to look.
Next to Ye Haimo's office lay a shimmering蜃龙 (Shènlóng), but it resembled a beached fish.
Ye Haimo had confiscated its phone, preventing it from watching videos and practicing its illusions in the office.
Suddenly, the 蜃龙 raised its hand, transforming from its beached state to a combat stance. Its illusions were based on the micro-manipulation of flowing water, making it highly sensitive to energy.
It sensed that the energy in the air had suddenly intensified.
Ye Haimo also felt the anomaly after the 蜃龙, but the source of this anomaly came from himself.
The energy within him suddenly became extremely active. What was once an insurmountable bottleneck now felt as thin as rice paper.
Ye Haimo curiously pushed against his cultivation level, and with a booming sound, infinite energy descended from nowhere.
The female secretary looked at Ye Haimo in surprise. Her president no longer looked like a slightly balding, greasy middle-aged man. Beneath that ordinary appearance, it was as if countless bizarre dragons roared.
These roaring dragon phantoms coalesced behind Ye Haimo into a majestic, colossal, and mysterious dragon-like being—a creature whose appearance she had never seen before.
The 蜃龙 turned to look at Ye Haimo, its mouth agape in shock, drooling onto the ground unnoticed.
Ye Haimo was also startled. He hadn't expected his cultivation level to break through so easily with just one attempt.
He immediately flew out of the building and headed towards a nearby barren mountain.
Upon breaking through to the Cataclysmic level, super-ability users would resonate with the 'world,' causing permanent alterations to their surroundings.
When Xun Ying broke through, it was in the Xun Clan's Sword Tomb, where the Xun Clan's successive generations of 'Sword Immortals' also broke through.
That place had already transformed into a world of 'swords.' Any super-ability user other than a swordsman who ventured into the Sword Tomb would be immediately attacked by sword energy and easily torn to shreds.
Ye Haimo didn't know what impact his advancement would have on his surroundings, but if it was a negative one, the Washington Grand Headquarters would no longer be viable.
As he flew, Ye Haimo saw waves of powerful auras erupting from within the Grand Headquarters. More than one person had suddenly advanced at this moment.
"Something must have happened. My breakthrough might not be a good thing."
Without time to ponder further, Ye Haimo sat atop the barren mountain, closed his eyes, and felt his energy.
The surrounding birds, beasts, snakes, and insects instinctively moved towards Ye Haimo's location. Dozens of meter-long fish in the river leaped out and struggled towards him.
The closest snake to Ye Haimo rapidly thickened and elongated. Its fine scales transformed into hard dragon scales, four claws sprouted from its flanks, and horns began to emerge from its head.
It was transforming into a dragon!
It wasn't just this snake; other creatures also began to exhibit dragon-like characteristics...
...
American Grand Area, Northern Massachusetts, a left turn at a three-way intersection on Route Els, followed by a short distance, would reveal a barren stretch of land.
The vegetation on this land possessed excessive vitality, with exceptionally tall trees, overgrown wild grass, and rampant thorns.
Proceeding further inward, one could find a dilapidated, desolate small town.
This town, named Weich, was the base of operations for the "Profane Blood" in the American Grand Area.
Weich town was not well-known in the vicinity. Many drivers who frequently traveled Route Els were unaware of its existence.
The town had very few outsiders, making it a safe haven for the Profane Blood.
Within a manor north of the town sat Aigel, the Corrupted Blood of the American Grand Area, the Foul-Mouthed Sorcerer.
This powerful Corrupted Blood was considered part of the radical faction within Profane Blood. He preferred to convert ordinary people into terrifying异类 (yìlèi - abominations/异类) through subtle influence.
In places he targeted, people initially noticed nothing amiss, but their minds would gradually become unstable, and their appearances would undergo subtle changes.
That place would eventually become a desolate land like Weich town, inhabited only by monsters that could no longer be called human.
Aigel had already completed the transformation of Weich town. Its inhabitants were now monsters wearing human skin. In the future, anyone who entered the town would also be mutated into the same kind of being.
The longer this town persisted, the greater the damage to the barrier of reality would be. Gods from the inner world could channel more power here, and Profane Blood as a whole would grow increasingly powerful.
Aigel packed his belongings, preparing to wreak havoc on another group of people.
He rarely participated in large-scale activities, hence his low profile. However, the harm he could inflict far surpassed that of some boisterous super-ability users of the same rank.
Just as he was about to leave, Aigel's expression suddenly became ecstatic. He felt a barrier that had troubled him for years suddenly vanish completely!
This meant he was on the verge of advancing to the Cataclysmic level!
Once he reached it, he would have the right to contend for control of Profane Blood. He had long been dissatisfied with Galax the Godblood.
That guy, as the会长 (huìzhǎng - president) of Profane Blood and its only Cataclysmic-level powerhouse, had been easily defeated and severely wounded by the "Night Knight," forcing him to flee.
If Aigel succeeded in this advancement, he would seize all power within Profane Blood from Galax.
And then... attack the American Grand Area Hunter Association Headquarters and personally kill the Night Knight!
The power of filth and desecration surged within Aigel, rapidly distorting and mutating Weich town and the surrounding forests.
Black, worm-infested slime appeared on the ground. Trees grew wildly but took on increasingly monstrous forms. Strange faces materialized on the rocks.
The nearby environment had been permanently mutated!
Aigel opened his eyes and licked his lips. He almost laughed out loud.
He was now a Cataclysmic-level powerhouse and could rightfully call himself a Godblood. The sweet taste of happiness washed over him. Humming a tune, he wanted to go out and find a few unlucky individuals to turn into twisted monsters to celebrate.
"Do you feel happy after becoming Cataclysmic-level?"
A low, hoarse voice sounded behind Aigel, causing his hair to stand on end and goosebumps to erupt on his neck.
'Galax8&*...'
Aigel pointed backward, and countless segments and chunks of flesh wrapped in slime materialized from the void, launching indiscriminate attacks behind him.
Finally, a colossal mouth, dozens of meters in diameter, lined with spiral teeth, spewed out foul-smelling liquid and engulfed the fleshy segments and everything within its range.
But that eerie sensation remained, clinging to him like a shadow, making Aigel feel as if his back was covered in thorns.
BOOM!
The giant mouth exploded, scattering shattered flesh everywhere.
A man shrouded in dense black smoke emerged, walking through the rain of scattered flesh.
He was enveloped in black smoke, his face obscured. One could only vaguely discern that he wore black armor with a large black cape.
"Night... Knight!"
Aigel instinctively wanted to flee. In the American Grand Area, the Cataclysmic-level powerhouse, the Night Knight, was a nightmare that haunted all hidden organizations and monsters.
Although he was known as the "Sinner," he was essentially a lone wolf, combating monsters and hidden organizations alone every night, making life hell for hidden organizations in the American Grand Area.
If there were no monsters to fight, the Night Knight might even target gangs.
Because he only operated at night, he was known as the Night Knight.
However, Aigel remembered that he was now a Cataclysmic-level powerhouse and forcibly suppressed his fear.
"You haven't appeared for a while. Why can't you stay hidden like a rat and insist on coming out to bother people?"
The Night Knight spoke slowly, "Your courage seems immense. Those who speak to me like that have all seen their own brains."
"You'd better look at your own brains, Night Knight. If you had come ten minutes earlier, I would have fled in panic. Now, I am a god!"
The Night Knight remained silent for a moment, then tossed something the size of a basketball in front of Aigel. "I was a little late. You've become quite troublesome, so let's resolve this matter."
The object stopped rolling. It was a bloody head!
The multiple eyes on the head were still rotating rhythmically, sending shivers down one's spine.
This head... belonged to Galax, the Godblood!
Aigel recoiled, his expression one of horror.
Even though he looked down on Galax, he knew how difficult Galax was to kill; in his eyes, he was nearly immortal. Yet, such a being had fallen to the Night Knight. Su Dan Fiction Network.
The Night Knight drew two black short swords and crossed them to stab at Aigel. Aigel summoned countless rotting limbs, but both swords shattered them. A wound also appeared on his shoulder.
Simultaneously, he sensed a power within the Night Knight that was even more twisted than his own. He immediately felt a desire to retreat.
"This guy... is a monster. A monster more powerful than a Cataclysmic-level!"
"Leave here, leave this monster's territory. Anywhere is fine, as long as I can hide from this monster..."
Before Aigel could retreat far, a black short sword was embedded in his skull and violently pulled out, bringing with it some red and white matter.
Through the gaps in the black smoke and armor, Aigel saw the Night Knight's eyes—eyes bloodshot and filled with hysterical madness.
"I told you, those who speak to me like that see their own brains!"