Chapter 629 - 3: Never Mind Then

"Multi-stage transformation?" Su Zhou repeated the words subconsciously before it finally clicked what Yara was getting at.

"Hmm, true. While it’s not necessary right now, a multi-stage transformation would certainly have its benefits for me."

This was no idle thought—Su Zhou’s reasoning was perfectly sound.

First, as a Transcendent’s power increased, their human form would increasingly restrict their true combat potential.

No matter how much people might praise the human form as some kind of Innate Daoist Body, the truth was that the evolution of symmetrical, bipedal creatures with four limbs was practically an inevitability. It wasn’t uncommon for similar lifeforms to appear on other worlds. This body plan had its advantages, like freeing the hands to use tools and channeling more nutrients to the brain—the very foundation of human civilization—but it also had inherent weaknesses.

That’s why the ancient Immortal Gods developed various Dharma Divine Techniques, Mythical Forms, or different ’combat modes’ for their True Bodies.

And as their power grew, the gap between their combat strength in human form and their true, all-out combat power as a Transcendent became enormous.

But just as an athlete can only sprint at full speed for a dozen seconds or so, a Transcendent in their most powerful True Body cannot maintain an all-out, full-power assault for very long.

Take Su Zhou, for example. If he were to truly go all-out controlling the thunderclouds, raining down Dragon Breath like a downpour, he could only sustain it for ten seconds at most.

Ten seconds of a dense, frenzied barrage of Dragon Breath that scoured the ground like a thunderstorm—that was his limit. Of course, within those ten seconds, even if a hundred Beast Kings from the Beast God Realm charged him, they would be reduced to nothing but ash.

At first, it was fine when the power difference between his True Body and human form wasn’t so vast. But later, when using the True Body became overkill for weaker enemies, yet fighting in human form was too much of a hassle, an intermediate form became necessary. This was the rationale behind what Yara called a multi-stage transformation.

At that moment, Yara was wagging its tail and shaking its head. "The key to a multi-stage transformation is the ability to switch at will—first to stage one, then stage two, and finally stage three. If the enemy makes no move, neither do you. You only unleash as much power as they do."

Su Zhou was confused. "Huh? Why? Shouldn’t I just use a stronger form to crush them, regardless of how much power they show?"

The Snake Spirit looked at Su Zhou as if he were a hopeless case. "Never mind that this defeats the entire purpose of having multiple stages. What if the enemy can also transform? If you reveal a stronger form right away, aren’t you just showing your Bottom Card?"

"Think about it this way: the enemy thinks victory is in their grasp. They play their Bottom Card and are feeling pretty pleased with themselves. But then they look over at you and—whoops!—you’ve transformed. How awesome is that?"

’Logically, your reasoning is sound.’ Su Zhou scratched his head, still not quite getting it. ’It might be awesome, but isn’t it just a waste of time? It’s not as if I can’t see through an enemy’s Bottom Cards. I don’t make a move unless I’m certain.’

"Sigh, where’s the fun in that?" the Snake Spirit coaxed. "I’m telling you, transformations are a classic trope."

Su Zhou replied perfunctorily, "Sure, sure. A classic."

Yara continued, "Whether in stories for men or for women, in comics or in novels, transformations always have a place."

Su Zhou grew wary. ’I have a feeling you’re not talking about the same kind of transformation.’

Yara pressed on. "Look, so many of your human stories have similar tropes! For example: Magical X Girl transformations, Masked X Warrior transformations, Ultraman transformations, Super SaiXan transformations, FrieXza transformations, the dorky-girl-with-glasses transformation. This is definitive proof! Transformation is a primal human instinct, something the masses delight in!"

Su Zhou cut in, "Hold it right there! That last one..."

Yara concluded, "Anyway, they’re all transformations. You should consider it, Su Zhou. Draw inspiration from these classic human tropes and come up with your own special designs."

Su Zhou replied, "Good grief, so all of those count as ’transformations’... Say, Yara, have you been watching too much crosstalk comedy lately?"

The Snake Spirit ignored him completely. "Now, for your first stage transformation, I suggest you consider a miniaturized version of your True Body’s features that you can use in human form. After all, aren’t those Immortal Dragon Scales under your skin just miniaturized versions? How else could you have withstood the simulated deep-space environment of the Moon? After that, you could think about modifying your eyes. Whether it’s for firing Dragon Breath or something else, it would significantly boost your combat effectiveness in your regular state."

"Well, thank you so much for your great suggestions."

By now, Su Zhou was about to land on a deserted riverbank in Hongcheng. He said irritably, "How about I transform you first? Watch, become a hat."

Su Zhou stretched out his hand, took Yara off his wrist, and with a flick towards his head, a hat instantly appeared.

Although Yara had just been spouting nonsense and trash-talking, and he had found himself subconsciously playing the straight man to its routine, Su Zhou knew the suggestion was actually a good one.

If he ever faced an enemy who was also hiding a Bottom Card, revealing his own first would likely put him at a disadvantage. At the same time, he had to admit that while the transformation sequences in movies and novels were fictional—and anyone who tries to find realism in fiction definitely has a few screws loose—that didn’t mean some elements weren’t worth referencing.