Focusing on her soul, Mira noticed that her Nascent Soul had changed slightly. Unlike in her Progenitor Form, where her physical body became more ethereal, her Nascent Soul seemed to become more physical.
Not to the point that she could dispatch it and force it to complete tasks for her, but it certainly was peculiar.
'Maybe it's just a side-effect of this new form.' Mira surmised, feeling like she was correct in her assumption.
Other than that, there were a few other noticeable changes in her soul.
Although there wasn't much left for her to uncover, only about 30%, the black sections seemed even darker than before. Most likely from the increased purity in Qi along with the two other energies flowing through her.
Lastly, everything just felt more… alive. The magma and Earth acting as the foundation seemed real. The ice hill her Nascent Soul stood on emitted a chilling aura, with the raindrops looking like they were real.
The Cyclones, Yin Lightning, and Yin Fire each acted as if they were real.
Mira, curious about what was going on, ordered her Nascent Soul to reach out and touch the various elements.
When the spatter of rain touched its hand, Mira immediately felt the connection to her Water affinity throb.
After the Yin Lightning surged through its semi-physical body, sparks began flying out of Mira's real body.
The same went for the rest of the elements. Every time she focused on one and then came into contact with it, she felt like she was touching the origin of her affinities. As if her Physique, body, mind, soul, bloodline, Qi, Primal Energy, and Yin Essence were slowly becoming one inside this place.
This place that was once filled with absolute darkness was slowly filling up with elements.
The only thing that left Mira bewildered was the light in the center of the cyclone that formed after she broke through to the 6th Stage.
Whenever the Nascent Soul made contact with it, she had no reaction.
'Am I just not meant to have a Light Affinity?' Mira wondered. She didn't particularly care if she had the affinity or not, as she had plenty enough on her plate as it was, but it did leave her guessing.
'Maybe I'll find out once I reach the 9th Stage.'
The light had to come from somewhere, right? Perhaps the only thing she had to do was keep chipping away at the darkness, and everything will be revealed.
With a look of anticipation on her face, Mira stopped investigating her soul and began her breakthrough.
The Qi that was overflowing in her meridians immediately circulated itself through her body until it reached the World Core in her soul.
Then, as if her Nascent Soul came to life, it stood up on the ice mountain until it almost touched the tangible darkness above it and slashed.
*Tink!*
"UGH!" Mira grunted, a trickle of blood coming out the side of her mouth. Her scythe rebounded off of it, doing almost no damage, merely creating a scratch.
'Fuck! Why the hell is it so strong?!' She cursed, glaring at the darkness, which seemed almost crystalline.
The pain Mira felt was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was an all-encompassing agony, searing every fiber of her being, a sensation akin to a thousand blades burrowing into her core, trying to rip apart her very essence.
Each nerve ending seemed to be on fire, while her bones felt like they were being crushed under a mountain. The pain was not just physical but also spiritual like she was ripping apart her soul and affinity.
Like she was ripping out pieces of her consciousness and putting them back together.
But Mira wasn't one to surrender. Determined and resolute, she focused on the crystalline darkness, preparing for another assault.
Having the Nascent Soul raise its scythe again, she swung, creating a slight indention.
"Mmf!" Mira bit her tongue, trying not to grunt.
She'd been through enough pain in her life. She wasn't about to let her own breakthrough get the better of her!
With every slash against the darkness, fragments broke away, liberating the energies contained within. But as predicted, the darkness reabsorbed those fragments, growing denser, more formidable, and seemingly impenetrable.
Yet, with each crack she managed to create, the world beneath the darkness slowly revealed itself.
Dark clouds began to churn and spin, forming a cyclonic maelstrom.
The heart of this tempest was an eye, a serene center where rays of golden light pierced through, casting luminescent beams that refracted off the emerging elements.
As more of the obsidian shroud was torn away, glimmering ice crystals began to emerge, catching the fragmented beams of light and casting prismatic rainbows across the tumultuous realm.
They sparkled with an otherworldly beauty, exuding an ethereal glow that seemed to dance with the very energies Mira had come to know so intimately.
Water droplets, infused with the brilliance of the Yin Lightning, began their descent from the swirling clouds above.
As they fell, they merged with the ice, creating a breathtaking spectacle of cascading lights and electric sparks.
But the pain never subsided. It remained, reminding Mira of the price she paid for each centimeter she claimed. Every droplet that merged, every crystal that shimmered, came at a cost.
As the darkness began to shrink, the dance of the elements became even more profound. The previously veiled cyclonic eye grew larger, revealing more of its golden glow. The refracted beams of light played with the Yin-infused droplets, creating an aurora-like spectacle, filling the vast expanse of her soul with colors and sparks that greatly contrasted her once black soul.
Mira could feel her connection with the elements deepening. It was as if every droplet and every spark were a part of her, echoing her heartbeat, resonating with her very essence. They were not just manifestations but extensions of her being.
Every clash with the darkness peeled back another layer, unveiling more of the grandeur hidden beneath.
By the time Mira managed to reduce the darkness to a mere 20% of her entire Soul, a tiny explosion went off in her body.
Her Qi surged, flowing endlessly through her core, meridians, body, soul, hearts, and tails, creating a circuit. With every pass-through, it became denser and stronger until, finally, it settled down in her core.
Every ounce of her being was strengthened continuously until it reached a breaking point.
Finally, after what felt like years but was most likely just a few hours or days, with one last push Mira broke through to the 8th Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Inside her Soul lay a swirling dance of dark clouds, refracted beams of golden light, cascading water droplets infused with Yin Lightning, and a rain of glittering ice crystals.
The still-present pain, though diminished, reminded her of the ordeal she had endured. But instead of feeling defeated, Mira felt invigorated.
This breakthrough had, by far, given her the biggest leap in strength, but things weren't over yet.
She was still overflowing with Qi after absorbing not only the Griffin but also the reward.
'Should I try and break through again?' Mira lay down on top of the Spire and looked up at the sky, feeling spent.
She knew it was a bad idea, but at the same time, this might be her last chance before she was thrown into battles and chaos again.
"Fuck it!" Mira exclaimed. "I'm reaching the Peak of the Nascent Soul Realm today!"
But not before she completed 10 stages in the Abyssal Battle Ladder…
And maybe took a little nap…
Unable to stay awake any longer, Mira slumped over and fell asleep, the peak of the Spire still locked to all the participants below or outside it.
Dreams of battles, challenges, and distant memories played in her mind. The Abyssal Battle Ladder, a daunting gauntlet of foes and trials, called out to her even in her dreams. It seemed like her mind and body craved the challenge to test the newfound strength she had gained from her breakthrough.
She woke up with a jolt, still on top of the Spire. The dreams, or perhaps premonitions, were clear. Before she could think about another breakthrough, she had to conquer the Abyssal Battle Ladder.
About a day later, after what felt like an endless cycle of battles, Mira sat back down, having just finished 10 Stages, or 100 Rounds in the Abyssal Battle Ladder, earning as many points as she could.
Doing so also helped her adjust to her new strength, which would undoubtedly help her in the last breakthrough in the Nascent Soul Realm.
After her intense bouts in the Abyssal Battle Ladder, Mira's newfound strength pulsed with energy, ready to be channeled into another breakthrough. Feeling prepared, she assumed a meditative posture, ready to face the next challenge.
As she began the process, channeling the Qi to the World Core of her soul, she felt an unexpected barrier, a feeling she hadn't experienced in her previous stages. Like a dam holding back a river, her Qi was unable to flow freely. She tried pushing through it with sheer force, but the more she pushed, the stronger the resistance grew.
Frustration began to set in. She took a deep breath, attempting to channel Qi from different parts of her body: her twin hearts, the Yin Essence, and Primal Energy. Each pathway she took led her to the same invisible barrier. The harmony she once felt between the various energies inside her was now marred by a disharmonious rhythm.
Doubts began to creep into Mira's mind. 'Was it because I absorbed the Griffin and that strange reward?' she wondered. 'Or is it something inherent to my being? Is it related to the light affinity? No, it could also be that my bloodline hasn't fully sublimated.'
There were too many things it could be, with the most likely one that Mira still wasn't sure why her Nascent Soul was different than others.
She tried a few more times but with no luck, she could only stop for now.
Still, she was more than satisfied with her current gains.
Focusing on her connection to Elenei, it seemed she was finished with her business and was ready to move to the next island.
