Mira's physical transformation was nothing short of breathtaking. The eclipse within her soul realm, a representation of both light and darkness, began to resonate with her body. Her crimson eyes began to shimmer with flecks of gold, reminiscent of the setting sun.
This new hue was a testament to her newly acquired Light Affinity.
Her Extreme Overlord Yin Physique, known for its inherent darkness and cold dominance, began to evolve. It wasn't a gradual change; it felt more like a rebirth.
As the Radiant Crystal Essence's power pulsed through her, her physique adjusted, merging the yin properties with the newfound warmth and brilliance.
Veins of gold started to spread across her skin, coiling around her arms and legs and illuminating her body from within. Her once fair skin now had a radiant glow, displaying a perfect harmony of yin and yang.
As the transformation progressed, her hair, which was initially an icy silver, now bore streaks of luminous gold, flowing down her back like a cascading river of stars against the night sky. The change was more than just visual; it was deeply rooted in her essence.
An ice crown also formed on her head with seven other gems, each reflecting her affinities embedded on it.
When it came to her Qi, the quality underwent a transformation that even the most seasoned cultivators would envy.
The Qi circulating within her meridians was more refined, pure, and potent.
Each cycle that her Qi made around her body felt ten times stronger than before. It was to the degree that Mira didn't feel like she had made a simple minor breakthrough and more like a major one.
Yet, the most astonishing development was in her Soul Sense. Mira's Nascent Soul, which had grown to look exactly like her physical appearance, seated majestically atop the ice mountain and surrounded by the internal eclipse, began to spread its influence.
Slowly at first, then with increasing momentum, it expanded beyond her body, stretching out into the environment. One kilometer, ten kilometers, fifty... it didn't stop until it reached an astounding 100 kilometers in every direction.
The landscape within this radius was clear to her; every tree, every creature, every stone from the surrounding islands was laid bare before her Nascent Soul's gaze. Mira could feel the world on a level she had never experienced before. It was like the boundaries of her own self had been extended, and she became one with the world around her.
In comparison, most people at her stage could only extend their Soul Sense up to 10 kilometers, and that was if they were geniuses with sufficient talent. It wasn't until the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm that people reached into the hundreds of kilometers with their Soul Sense. In fact, it could be said that with just her Soul alone, Mira was already teetering on the edge of the Mortal Shedding Realm.
It was clear that her breakthrough was beyond ordinary. It wasn't just a step forward; it was a leap into an entirely new realm of power.
However, all of this was almost trivial compared to the upgrade she felt with her Ice Affinity. She couldn't quite put it into words, but it felt like it had beaten all her other affinities into submission.
She felt like she was truly on the road to becoming the ruler of ice.
Mira slowly opened her eyes, the combined hues of crimson and gold reflecting the world around her with unprecedented clarity. She could feel the power coursing through her veins and the unparalleled connection to the energy around her.
She stood up, her movements graceful and fluid, embodying both strength and elegance. With a slight movement of her foot, the plateau beneath her responded, rumbling in acknowledgment of her newfound might.
After a while, she returned to her usual hybrid self, with only a few minor differences.
Raising her hand, she created a tiny ice crystal and began shaping it in various ways. She sculpted it into an ice dragon, a statue of herself, and all kinds of weapons and shapes. Just this alone showed how naturally proficient she was at controlling ice.
It was as if she didn't even need to think about it. The ice just responded naturally, according to her wishes.
Next, she imbued other elements into it.
First, she tried lightning, which still seemed to be Yin Lightning despite the addition of Light.
The ice crystal soon morphed into a lightning bolt, sparks flying everywhere. But the odd thing was that instead of imbuing, it was more like she combined the two, yet it still took the form of ice.
A second later, the crystal exploded in her face due to instability.
'Interesting.' Mira commented. She experimented with her other affinities and achieved the same result. Something was different about the way she combined her elements.
It was simpler yet more complex at the same time.
Before, she just overloaded her techniques or abilities with other elements in hopes of boosting their power, but now it felt like she was transmuting her ice by transposing other elements into it.
She wasn't quite sure if that's how it really worked, but that's what she noticed visually.
'It seems that while I've grown stronger, my control over my affinities has decreased. Except for my ice affinity, which saw a massive increase.' Mira noted. She wasn't dissatisfied with this at all.
If anything, this was great! It meant she could get that much stronger before reaching the Soul Transformation Realm–if she even needed to go through that.
'Is it because of that ice mountain?' Mira thought as she swept her consciousness across her soul.
The ice mountain, along with her Nascent Soul, stood above everything. Not to mention, now it took up the vast majority of her soul. It was like an indestructible rock, weathering the storms around it.
Now that she reached the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul Realm, a few things regarding her unique soul began to make sense.
For one, it was definitely linked to her physique.
Two, the different sections were symbolic in some way. For example, the eclipse probably represented the duality of her life. Her current self was like a frozen block of ice that blocked any sort of radiance(emotions) from affecting her, generating her primary affinity. Fleeting moments of care may appear, but she was ultimately a cold, indifferent person.
That was just a guess, but after everything that happened, she knew she was correct.
Lastly, the point of everything being hidden behind that black veil, forcing her to chop it up, was to reinforce the idea that even if she couldn't see the path ahead, as long as she kept moving forward, eventually, she'd find what she was looking for.
At least, that's how she interpreted it. She didn't have anyone else to consult with this, and the Guardian refused to tell her anything.
'However, I'm confident in my conjecture.' She thought. 'Although my soul might be unique, at the end of the day, it's a reflection of me. As long as I understand myself better, I can understand my soul.'
Mira stood still for a moment, absorbing all the revelations that had transpired within her. She felt different–evolved–yet there were certain parts of her that remained unrefined. Her connection with the elements was both enhanced and complicated by her breakthrough.
She took a deep breath, the cold air of the floating island filling her lungs, and closed her eyes. She whispered to herself, "I guess I'll have to find time to train."
Mira concentrated on her newfound abilities, letting the sensation of her enhanced Qi envelop her. The elements called to her, waiting to be used, but each time she tried to merge them, they resisted, clashing and repelling against one another.
She needed to understand them better, to build a synergy between them. That would be her next goal. No longer was it sufficient to merely use her elements; she needed to master the art of combining them seamlessly.
The FLDIL, sensing its role was complete, began to retract its energy. With a soft, luminescent glow, it slowly sank into her Soul Sea.
Suddenly, in front of her, an ethereal bridge appeared. It stretched out far into the distance, its end unknown as whatever was next wasn't close. The bridge, though illusory, held a promise of another journey, another discovery.
Without a second thought, Mira stepped onto the bridge, feeling a pull, an attraction to whatever lay beyond. The floating island behind her began to crumble, disintegrating into particles of light and shadow.
Her Soul Sense, although vastly improved, couldn't discover the other end of the bridge. But that didn't deter her. In fact, it only strengthened her resolve. The unknown was where she thrived, where she grew, and where she discovered more about herself.
However, she had a sinking feeling that she was getting close to the end of the Realm, which only furthered her excitement.
A predatory smirk etched on her face, her crimson eyes gleaming. 'What else is left for me to plunder and kill?'
