The sensation of being enveloped by the dense and overwhelming Primal Energy was beyond words for Mira and Elenei. They could feel it penetrating every fiber of their being, seeping into their bones and merging with their very essence.
The bridge ahead led to another uncharted territory, but both women were oblivious to their surroundings. Their minds were engrossed in the task of assimilation, processing the vast knowledge and power now coursing through them.
As the Primal Energy flowed into Mira, the Nexus Points in her body lit up, working in tandem to channel and refine the new power she was absorbing. However, there was simply too much for her.
The Dragon Statue acted as if it had unlimited energy, as it kept pouring it on the two of them without end.
Mira's Nexus Points quickly swelled up with Primal Energy, almost to the point that it seemed like they would burst.
She needed to do something.
She needed to… create… something.
'Should I try and merge my Qi with this energy?' Mira thought but immediately shook her head, 'No. I don't know what'll happen if I do that. Not to mention, I don't think there's enough Primal Energy for me to do so.'
Then, what should she do?
Mira's mind, which was being overflowed with energy, was working overtime to come up with a solution.
First, she had to identify the characteristics of Primal Energy. It was fierce, powerful, and unruly, yet it was more systematic than Qi. It focused more heavily on enhancing physical attributes for more strength rather than energy accumulation.
'Honestly, it's the perfect energy for beasts to cultivate with.' Mira subconsciously thought. But then, her mind came to a halt.
Wait.
'That's it!' Mira's eyes lit up as she found a solution.
Right now, her Nexus Points were just that, points. While they did strengthen those various parts of her body, that was all they did. She'd also need to keep the Primal Energy within them to keep those areas 'unblocked', but that still left the rest of her body out of balance.
Currently, her cultivation technique and systems are all about harmony. The Primal Energy in her body had destabilized her a bit, even though she was becoming more in tune with herself.
So, all she needed to do was return to her previous state but add on this new energy!
With a goal in mind, Mira's brows furrowed in concentration as she controlled the rampaging Primal Energy within her.
'I don't know if what I want to do is even possible, but… I'll make it possible!' Her eyes were ignited with desire.
With determination, Mira began by shaping the influx of Primal Energy on the right side of her chest, meticulously molding it into the form of a heart. This would be no ordinary heart but a vessel to house this unique energy and connect the various Nexus Points.
Taking a deep breath, she constructed a pathway from the newly formed heart, designed specifically to distribute Primal Energy. She had to isolate some of her Chaotic Silk Meridians to do this, but thanks to her having so many pathways, it went relatively smoothly… minus the pain.
Each connection to her Nexus Points was intricate, a bridge connecting different Nexus Points:
From the Primal Heart to the Soul,
From the Soul to the Brain,
From the Brain to the Eyes,
From the Eyes to the Vocal Chords,
From the Vocal Chords to the Skin(nape of the neck),
From the Skin to the Spine,
From the Spine to the Lungs,
From the Lungs to the Tail Root,
From the Tail Root to the Feet,
From the Feet to the Core,
From the Core to the Human Heart,
From the Human Heart to her Human Blood Essence,
And lastly, making its way back to the Primal Heart.
As the energy pathway took form, a whirl of energy could be seen swirling around Mira. The sheer magnitude of it astonished anyone who saw it, even Elenei, who was deeply engrossed in her own assimilation process.
With her pathways set, Mira focused her attention on the crowning step of her grand plan. From deep within her, she summoned her Sub-Zero 9-Tailed Fox Progenitor Blood Essence. This ethereal substance moved like liquid silver, shining and shimmering as it was drawn toward the Primal Heart.
There was a brief moment where time seemed to stand still. A heavy silence settled as the two potent energies faced each other. Then, with a gentle push from Mira's consciousness, they merged.
The world seemed to explode in a cascade of colors as the two formidable energies combined, creating an explosion of ice and fire, warmth and cold, primal instinct and profound thought. The atmosphere surrounding Mira was tumultuous, yet amidst this chaos, she remained the eye of the storm.
As the energies settled, the chaotic whirlpool of color gradually faded. What remained was a stream of Primal Energy pulsating through Mira.
She now had two beating hearts within her body. One was her human side, which kept her alive. The other was her beastly side, which further empowered her body with this newfound energy.
Primal Energy, laced with the Qi from her Core, flowed through her body, slowly but surely merging with one another. Her aura felt colder yet more alive than ever before.
Mira had successfully taken what seemed like a step backward to leap even further ahead in her journey. She had crafted something that was entirely hers, a bridge between two worlds that had always been part of her yet had never been truly integrated.
Now that these two elements were separated, she could begin to understand each one in more depth.
With a continuous stream of Primal Energy flowing through her, the lines between her beastly and human sides began to blur even further. It was as if they were finally a part of her. Or, at least, a part of her new heart.
But that was just toward exploring her beastly origins and maximizing the traits from both species, human and fox.
She took a deep breath, absorbing the newfound harmony within her. The sensation was both alien and familiar. With a satisfied smirk, she glanced over at Elenei, who was still integrating this energy into her Bloodline to extract more 'memories'.
Her aura was growing by the second, showing that she was heading in the right direction.
The Dragon Statue was still releasing Primal Energy, so Mira figured she might as well absorb more of it until she couldn't hold anymore. Closing her eyes once again, she directed it toward what she dubbed her Primal Heart, feeding it with more energy.
In the background, she could sense more people and beasts making their way past the statue before they sat down not too far away from her.
A few tried to assassinate her or steal her tokens while she was distracted, but a quick slap from her, now-empowered Golden Tail, sent them flying with numerous broken bones.
Without anyone noticing, a day passed as they all sat there, absorbing this energy. A few beasts had minor breakthroughs, including Elenei, who had broken through to Mid-Stage Rank 5 thanks to the Primal Energy.
By this point, Mira had filled up her Primal Heart completely, and Elenei no longer felt the need for this energy. So, the two of them stood up, ready to move on to the next island.
However, before they started walking, Mira turned around and looked at everyone, a sharp glint passing through her eyes.
'Should I kill them?'
Getting rid of them here and now would be so easy. Especially considering there were a few within the group that would be troublesome to deal with later.
'I should.' Mira nodded, the resolve in her eyes solidifying.
Taking out her scythe, she walked over to a beast who seemed to be on the precipice of breaking through to Rank 9, only to be stopped by a barrier.
"Leave them be," The deep, thundering voice of the Dragon Statue entered her mind.
Turning toward it, Mira frowned.
"I know you want to get rid of the competition," It continued, "But that's what this Realm thrives on. If you can't get rid of your opponents at their best, how can you prove your path is superior?"
Mira's frown deepened, at his words, as not even 24 hours ago, people were trying to assassinate her while she was meditating. Why didn't he stop them?
"Because you're crazy." The Dragon Statue answered as if it were reading her mind.
"And you're a fucking statue." Mira retorted while putting away her scythe and walking away. "Tch. Why can't the dead just stay dead…" She grumbled.
"I'm not dead," The Statue replied again, causing Mira to pause for a moment, only to resume walking a second later.
"Then, you will be soon." Mira threw his words back at him.
"..."
The Dragon fell into a dumbfounded silence. Did that woman just…?
"Pffft-HAHAHAHA~" A boisterous laugh echoed in Mira's mind, causing her eyes to roll around as it jostled her brain. "Good! Very good! That's how things should be! If you want to prove your superiority, then come and kill me! Hahaha~!"
'Haa… This is why I hate old people.' Mira thought as if she wasn't old herself.
Without another word, Mira and Elenei stepped off of this floating island and headed toward the next one, where hopefully, she would be able to expand on her Primal Heart.
