Pearl cried silently for a few long minutes and everyone gathered around him to help him through this trying time. Alex, Scarlet, and Whisker sat next to him, letting him grieve. They were there just to give him support should he need it.

Pearl's breathing calmed a while later, slowly returning to normal, and only then did he finally stop crying. It would take a long time for him to properly grieve through his father's death, but right now, he was ready to take the next step.

He knew he couldn't sit around crying. His father wouldn't want him to.

Pearl gave a deep bow toward where his father had vanished, making an inner vow to always be the beast his father wanted him to be.

Finally, he looked up, refreshed, the sorrow in his eyes vanishing, replaced now with determination.

Alex was the first to notice his changed state, mostly through their bond, so he gave Pearl a deeper hug, saying nothing.

Whisker and Scarlet did the same, all hugging him from all sides.

Pearl sniffed once before smiling. "Thank you for your help, everyone."

Alex patted him on his shoulders. "Don't mention it."

"Congratulations on your evolution, Pearl," Scarlet was the first to say. "You finally became the beast you were always meant to be."

Pearl smiled. "Thank you."

"I thought more of you would change, brother," Whisker said. "But it's only your eyes that are different."

Pearl laughed. "Is that how it appears at a glance?" he asked. "You should feel my body again."

Alex wondered what Pearl meant and sensed his body. His eyes narrowed the moment he noticed it and took a step back in surprise.

"Pearl… is that..."

Pearl turned toward Alex, giving him a massive grin. "I didn't think it would grow, but it did," he said.

Scarlet looked at the two with a confused look. "What are the two of you talking about?" she asked. "I see nothing."

"Move his fur," Alex said. "You'll see."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow and did as asked, ruffling through Pearl's thick white fur. When she moved it, her eyes narrowed slowly as she noticed tufts of fur attaching to a hard piece of something flat. She moved his fur even more, and as the fur fell back in place, she noticed the overlap on them that spread through the entire body.

"Scales!" she shouted out in surprise. "You grew dragon scales."

Alex nodded. "It's more like half scale, half fur. And funnily enough, it's all white. I would've expected some blue at least."

"Really?" Bai Jingshen asked from the side, finally stepping forward to check Pearl's fur. He was a little surprised to find their words to be true, but he had already expected some changes during his evolution.

The last time Pearl had evolved to a White Tiger, he had still had what could only be considered tattoos of dragon scales. At least this time the scales are actually half-present.

"Half White Tiger, half Azure Dragon. And yet he neither has the black stripes nor the blue scales. Maybe it's for the better in a way," Bai Jingshen said.

"Any other changes? Is your claw a talon now? Is your whisker going to grow long? Do you feel horns growing out of your head?" Scarlet asked with great curiosity.

"No," Pearl said with a light laugh. "Nothing of that sort. But, watch this."

Pearl did something. Instantly, the fur on his body firmed up, transforming into full white scales. They started at his forehead and cascaded down his body like falling dominoes. Before anyone could react, Pearl's entire body was now covered with the white scales, not a single tuft of fur left to be seen.

Everyone in the room froze upon seeing that.

Pearl laughed aloud when seeing their reactions. "It's amazing, isn't it? I didn't even know such a thing was possible, but I… I just knew I could do it."

Alex moved in closer, letting his fingers brush against the hardened scales. After seeing him, the rest moved in closer as well.

"It feels harder than normal. I imagine your defense will be stronger this way," Alex said. "Is this a bloodline technique or an ability of your physique?"

Pearl paused. "It's related to my hybrid bloodline, but I believe it's part of my physique," he said, scanning himself. It was strange to see himself without fur and instead scales. He looked very reptilian as a result.

"It feels solid," Whisker said from the side. "I wonder if it's a defensive measure. Can you use your other techniques along with it?"

Pearl thought for a moment and used a technique.

The white scales suddenly glowed a bright golden color as Pearl used the White Tiger's Dominating Body technique. "I can use it concurrently, so it's not really a technique, although it does feel tiring. It's like I'm raising my arm. I can do it myself, but I can't wait to bring it back down."

With a thought, the scales turned into fur again, becoming fluffy. "Well, that's the biggest change, I guess. Other than that, there is only one other physical change, and it's on the inside."

Alex placed his palm on Pearl's body, letting his spiritual sense flow into him, searching for his dantian. When he found it, he also found the new change.

"Supreme Wood Root," Alex said, looking up at Pearl with a bright smile. "Congratulations on your second Supreme root."

"Thanks, brother," Pearl said with a smile. "But compared to your nearly three Supreme roots, it's still lacking."

"Two Supreme roots is lacking?" Scarlet scoffed out loud, sounding aggrieved. "Meanwhile, I only have a single one."

Whisker blinked for a few seconds, staring at the three spoiled individuals. "I don't even have a single one."

Alex scratched the mouse on the side of his face. "I'm going to search a lot about spirit roots in the upcoming years. By then, I'll hopefully have learned enough to help you with yours."

Whisker finally smiled.

"Should we leave?" Pearl asked. "I can't wait to figure out all the other changes I've gone through."

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