Mira didn't even stand a chance against such a powerful strike. No, to be more accurate, there were probably only a handful of people in the entire Mortal Cultivation World that could survive the final strike of the Heavenly Punishment Tribulation.
That's the terror of Heavenly Tribulations, especially a Heavenly Punishment Tribulation.
The entire reason for there being a Heavenly Punishment Tribulation is to kill those who are attempting to break 'Heaven's Rules'. Although the Heavens have to play by their own rules as well, many of those rules no longer apply once the Heavenly Punishment Tribulation is activated.
Not only that, but the Heavens aren't dumb. Although the Heavens don't exactly have emotions, they are able to sense how dangerous and troublesome someone is.
Take Mira, for example. Even though her luck is abysmally low, she's still been able to survive up until this point due to her own intelligence, strength, mentality, and starting place. Such a person should have long since died.
However, against all odds, Mira has not only lived but also thrived! When the Heavens sent the Tribulation to kill her, it did so knowing that it needed to send a Heavenly Punishment Tribulation way beyond her current strength if it wanted to make sure she died.
It wasn't until today Mira learned that the so-called 'defying the Heavens' phrase, which seems to not only be a common quote amongst cultivators but mortals as well, is nothing but a joke!
How dare people say that with enough hard work and talent, one can defy the Heavens!!
Just look at her right now!! She didn't even get a chance to say or do anything before her body burst apart and disappeared without a trace!
That's the result of one who wishes to defy the Heavens: death!
Or is it…
Surprisingly, although Mira's body was destroyed during the final attack and her soul was continuously damaged, both her dantian and her soul were still intact even after that last lightning strike.
As soon as the last lightning strike fell and the world turned a deep shade of red, the ominous clouds overhead soon dispersed.
The clouds leaving meant several things, but most importantly, it meant that the restriction placed on Mira, the one that prevented her from breaking through, was lifted!
As soon as the restriction was lifted, an incomparably strong force erupted out of Mira's dantian. Immediately, the silhouette of a tree with a yellow trunk and white and black leaves appeared where Mira's body once lay.
This was the [Samsara Dogwood Tree's] power!
Then a cool and soothing aura shot out of Mira's dantian and into her soul, dispelling any remnants of lightning and healing it. Not only that, but it was also strengthening her soul!
This was the power of the [1,000-year-old Soul Cleansing Flower]!
Next, the powers of the [Immemorial Dao Comprehension Ice],
[1 Liter Frost-Fire Phoenix Blood],
[1 Liter Golden Empyrean Winged Wolf blood],
[A pond of Yin Qi Water],
[1,000-year-old 7-Colored Lotus]
[Sub-Zero 9-Tailed Fox Progenitor Blood Essence],
[1 ton of magma],
[10 Kilograms of Black Gold],
[1,000-year-old Heavenly Yin Flower],
[1 ton of Heavy Qi Water],
[1,000-year-old Dragon Ginseng],
And the [1 Liter of Venom from a Peak-Rank 6 Black Death Cobra] burst forth from Mira's dantian and began taking the shape of a person.
Slowly, the Frost-Fire Phoenix and Golden Empyrean Winged Wolf blood merged together along with the Sub-Zero 9-Tailed Fox Progenitor Blood Essence to form bone marrow and a heart.
The bone marrow, once formed, had an icy blue color with specks of gold. The same goes for the heart, though if one looked closely, they'd be able to see that it held various shades of blue that each gave off a different feeling.
There was still some leftover blood, which would be used later when more of the body had been formed.
Next, the other item energies, besides the [Immemorial Dao Comprehension Ice], [1,000-year-old 7-Colored Lotus], and the [1,000-year-old Heavenly Yin Flower], began merging and taking shape in the form of bones, muscles, tendons, skin, internal organs, etc.
Black gold laid the foundation for her bones and was further tempered by the magma and Heavy Qi Water. Meanwhile, the rest of her body used Yin Qi and Heavy Qi water as the foundation as Black Gold, Magma, and the Dragon Ginseng energies strengthened them further. Then, the Venom from a Peak-Rank 6 Black Death Cobra was merged into the rest of Mira's body, granting her a certain amount of immunity against poisons.
In just a few minutes, all of the parts Mira's body comprised before her destruction were created. However, this wasn't the end. No, this was merely the beginning!
The energies that were formed from the[Immemorial Dao Comprehension Ice], [1,000-year-old 7-Colored Lotus], and the [1,000-year-old Heavenly Yin Flower] spread throughout the rest of Mira's body. The changes these three items caused to Mira's new body were immense yet mysterious. Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Lightning, Ice, Dark, and Light elements all revolved around Mira's body, with ice being vastly stronger than the rest of them.
However, that wasn't all. The elements other than ice didn't look how their respective elements normally looked or behaved. They looked more like Mira's Yin Elements, like her Yin Lightning or Yin Fire…
It also seemed like Mira's Extreme Overlord Yin Physique evolved or became something else entirely, but Mira would have to discover its effects on her own.
Once these energies finished merging and forming into Mira's new body, something strange began to occur in Mira's bloodline and her appearance. As Mira's Sub-Zero 9-Tailed Fox Progenitor Bloodline was partially merged with the blood of a Phoenix and Golden Empyrean Winged Wolf blood, it was strengthened and caused certain changes to occur both inside and outside Mira's body.
Soon, 9 various colored tails popped out of Mira's back, and two silvery-blue fox ears popped out of her head! Also, the affinity her bloodline had with the ice element was also resonating with the rest of her body, causing various changes to happen inside her body!
However, that was only the beginning! Only half of the Foundational items were used in Mira's new body's initial creation, but that doesn't mean the other Foundational items aren't important. It's just that the other items needed Mira's body to be made before they could be integrated.
Once Mira's new body was formed, it was time to implant her new meridians! The energies containing the [Peak-Earth Grade Qi Gathering Array], [World Tree Seed], and [Chaotic Silk] items burst forth!
Before these energies even touched Mira's body, the [World Tree Seed] and [Chaotic Silk] energies merged into one, creating something entirely unique, and began spreading out in Mira's body, starting at her dantian.
If Mira were still conscious right now and was able to examine her body during this process, not only would she be shocked, but she would probably be going through some of the worst pain she would ever feel in her life.
Actually, it was so painful that even though she was unconscious, her body still convulsed from the pain!
However, that's not why she would be shocked. She'd be shocked to find out that her new meridians were spreading out like branches in a tree, with her dantian being the trunk!
Then, she'd start making connections as to why the [World Tree Seed] was part of the Core Formation Recipe. It was for this very reason! To form her new meridians!
Although it was just the seed of a World Tree and wasn't actually the real thing, it still contained the powers that made up a World Tree. The World Tree is an entity capable of spreading its roots and branches across Realms. It can shoulder the Heavens and sustain the Underworld! And although its primary purpose isn't to transfer energy across Realm, it's capable of doing so, and it does a damn good job at it too.
Wouldn't forming one's meridians using the energy of a World Tree Seed make their meridians basically invincible?!
That, combined with the properties of the [Chaotic Silk] item, would make for some meridians that are capable of more than just absorbing and transferring energy.
Not only that, but with how many new meridians are being created in Mira's body, her control over her own Qi would vastly outclass other cultivators.
There were also a few meridians being created that actually led directly into Mira's soul as well! This would normally be impossible, but this becomes possible because her meridians are made from the energies of both a World Tree Seed and Chaotic Silk.
Naturally, this was partially done because of Mira's cultivation technique and how it actually revolves around her scythe, which was now sitting in her Soul Sea.
However, this would've happened regardless of Mira's cultivation technique, as having meridians in one's soul is just too beneficial in the later stages of cultivation.
Anyways, in just a few minutes, countless small meridians were formed inside Mira's body, and now it was time for the energy of a [Peak-Earth Grade Qi Gathering Array] to begin integrating itself into Mira's body.
The energy quickly started forming various runes and inscriptions on Mira's dantian and meridians, which only took a few seconds until the whole process was complete.
After this process was completed, the energy of the [Dao Comprehension Stone] burst out of Mira's dantian and went straight into her brain and soul. The energy was split in half as it moved toward both places and merged. Although this was the quickest process so far, the benefits were beyond imagination.
Now onto the second to last Foundational item, [Liquid Metal], along with the [Abyssal Sea Metal].
The energies made up of these two items erupted out of Mira's dantian and charged straight into Mira's Soul Sea, where her scythe is located, and began merging with her scythe.
Almost instantly, Mira's scythe was turned into a liquid before everything combined, making a completely new scythe that was stronger and had higher growth potential. That's not to say it couldn't already grow and evolve alongside Mira, but it's just that the scythe wasn't originally made to evolve alongside its user.
It can only do that because it's a spiritual weapon, and Mira is using a cultivation technique that revolves around this scythe. Sure, Spiritual Weapons can partially grow alongside its user, but doing so wouldn't make them top-tier weapons among their respective ranks.
In fact, that's partially the reason Mira hasn't been using her scythe as much over the last few years. Her ice abilities have just been more useful and stronger than her scythe.
However, that all changes with these upgrades! The upgrades done to her scythe aren't as simple as it just being able to evolve alongside Mira. No, it will perfectly suit Mira's strength whenever she makes a breakthrough.
If she's in the Core Formation Realm but has the strength of those in the Nascent Soul Realm, then her scythe will be able to accommodate Mira's strength.
Essentially, the two of them will now have the same cultivation. Mira's scythe can no longer be categorized by normal weapon standards such as Human, Mortal, Earth, and Heaven Rank!
Once a new scythe formed inside Mira's Soul Sea, it was time to move on to the next part of the breakthrough.
The [10 tons of blood], [Fire Elemental Essence], and [Ice Elemental Essence] energies shot out of Mira's dantian and started integrating into her body. Though, only about 15% merged with her body. The rest of the energy merged with her soul and mind increasing Mira's comprehension of her Absolute Ice Dao and Yin Fire.
The blood energy, however, combined with Mira's soul and eyes, increases her killing intent's effectiveness.
Now, unless Mira specifically withheld it, anyone who looked into her eyes would shoulder the weight of Mira's massive killing intent! There were other benefits as well, but Mira would have to discover those slowly when she wakes up.
Mira's breakthrough has finally reached its final phase after those last three items merged with her!
All of a sudden, a burst of pure Qi erupted from her dantian that contained the energies of the [Beast Core of a Fire and Ice Peak-Rank 6 beast], [Beast Core of any ice-type Low-Rank 7 Beast], and [Peak-Rank 6 Beast Cores of a Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Dark beasts].
The pure Qi cycled through her new meridians, nourishing and revitalizing not only her meridians but her body, soul, and scythe as well.
Strength and power began coursing through every ounce of Mira's body and acted as the catalyst for Mira's breakthrough into the Core Formation Realm.
Soon, the energy from the last item, the [High-Grade Spirit Stone Mine Source], burst forth but didn't leave Mira's dantian. Instead, it settled in the center of her Dantian, forming a crystal that continuously produced Qi, which consequently spread to the rest of Mira's body, prompting the final step of Mira's breakthrough.
The [Orb of Limitless Death and Infinite Life] seamlessly merged with Mira's dantian, causing ancient black runes to be inscribed on her icy blue dantian.
After the runes finished inscribing, Mira's entire body burst with power and a deathly aura erupted out, causing the nearby land to freeze, wither, and disintegrate; thus, completing Mira's breakthrough into the Core Formation Realm!
