Primordial Spirit

After three months

"Ugh, cultivating is really boring!" she groaned, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, her expression lit up. "Hmm? My bloodline's purity is at 10%! I CAN FINALLY WAKE UP!" she shouted, sitting up abruptly.

As she looked around, she flexed her fingers with a satisfied grin. "It's so good to have my body back," she muttered, only to notice Yang Kai entering her room.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm here to visit," Yang Kai replied casually.

"Visit? You better get out, visiting a sleeping girl," Kate retorted, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister Kate," Su Yan chimed in as she entered, gracefully taking a seat beside Kate. "I've been with him every time he visited. Or Junior Sister Xia was."

Kate relaxed slightly, her gaze shifting to Su Yan. "How do you feel now?" Su Yan asked gently.

"I feel good, but not great," Kate admitted with a small smile.

Su Yan tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "About the bet between you and Junior Brother, how does it work? Does he have to announce it, or can he just attack you outright?"

Kate waved a hand dismissively. "I don't really care, Senior Sister. If I'm injured, he can attack to gain an advantage. Anything is fine underhanded tricks, ambushes, whatever. I'm just that confident." She smirked, exuding unwavering self-assurance.

"I see," Su Yan replied, nodding thoughtfully.

Kate's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you so curious, Senior Sister?"

"I'm just worried Junior Brother might've tricked you," Su Yan said with a faint smile.

"I see," Kate replied calmly.

"I DID NO SUCH THING!" Yang Kai shouted indignantly, his face flushed.

"How is your state now?" Su Yan asked, her tone calm but laced with concern.

"Can you go outside now?" Yang Kai added, his arms crossed as he studied Kate.

"I should be able to protect myself," Kate replied confidently, sitting straighter.

"That's good," Yang Kai said with a nod. "We're currently on the way back."

"I see," Kate murmured thoughtfully before shifting her gaze to Su Yan. "Can you leave now, Junior Brother? I want to tell Senior Sister something."

"Huh? Okay then," Yang Kai replied, a bit confused but compliant as he turned to leave the room.

"Senior Sister, you've been looking at me. Do you want to ask me something?" Kate asked, her tone casual but perceptive.

"Yes, actually," Su Yan replied, hesitating briefly before continuing. "I want to ask you about the bead you fed me."

"It's a technique I cultivated," Kate began, her expression unwavering. "The bead is called the Flowery Bead. Once someone who eats it loses their Primordial Yin, I can connect to their Primordial Spirit."

Su Yan's face flushed at the explanation. "I-I see... so that's how it works," she said, her voice faltering slightly.

"Those who eat it can also sense others who have consumed one," Kate added, watching Su Yan's reaction.

"I see... so your plan is to feed these beads to those who will be Junior Brother's wives?" Su Yan asked cautiously.

"Yes," Kate replied with a nod. "Everyone I feed the bead to will be connected and become Yang Kai's future wives."

"I see... so that's how it is," Su Yan said, her voice soft but thoughtful as she processed the revelation.

"Heavenly Time River is a forbidden technique that allows one to glimpse someone's future," Kate explained.

"Forbidden?" Yang Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's forbidden because it's forbidden," Kate replied curtly, avoiding his gaze.

"You looked into my future?" Yang Kai pressed further.

Kate sighed internally, thinking, God, this is getting more and more out of hand.

"Beat me first if you want to know more," Kate said dismissively as she flopped back onto her bed. "Now get out. I want to rest."

"Fine," Yang Kai said, smirking as he turned to leave. "But I'll beat you one day."

Kate merely waved him off, closing her eyes as Yang Kai exited the room.

Outside of Kate's house, Yang Kai stood still, his brows furrowed. "Kate is becoming more and more mysterious. What is she really planning?" he thought to himself.

His gaze drifted toward the horizon. "And by the looks of it, my wives know something about Kate that they don't want to tell me," Yang Kai continued, frustration brewing within him. "I've asked them, but none of them answered. I can't trick them either, because I don't want them to get angry at me."

Suddenly, he felt two distinct life energies rapidly approaching. His instincts flared. "I better get away," Yang Kai muttered, quickly taking to the skies. Concealing his presence, he vanished before the figures could sense his location.

After some time, Kate is in deep contemplation, "Yang Kai is probably suspecting something," she thought, her expression unreadable. "I guess I might have to use that technique to ease the blow when he discovers the lies I told his parents and wives."

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of her chair as her mind churned. "To soften the impact, I need to reveal things to him little by little. I'll show him that I don't care about human lives if it means saving the one life I truly care about. I'll sacrifice thousands to save one."

Kate let out a soft sigh. "Once he realizes how far I can go how easily I can sacrifice any number of lives to fulfill my personal goals it might help him process the truth when he finally learns of my deception."

She shook her head, her thoughts spiraling. "My thoughts are going in circles," she muttered, rubbing her temples.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud creak, jolting Kate from her musings.

"Kate, you're awake," Su Yan said, entering the room with a soft smile.

"You've been in a coma for about a year and almost four months," Xia Ning Chang added, stepping in behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Su Yan asked as Xia Ning Chang handed over a small bottle of pills.

"Thanks," Kate said, taking the pills and swallowing them. "I'm feeling quite good now. I just need to stabilize my Source."

"That's good to hear. Junior Brother said we're about to reach the Shadowed Star," Xia Ning Chang informed her.

Kate frowned thoughtfully. "Since when did Yang Kai learn an illusion technique or something similar?"

"It might have been that time when we met Sister Luo'er," Xia Ning Chang replied. "It's a technique that only targets one person, so it doesn't work on a crowd."

"Did Junior Brother trick you?" Su Yan asked, her voice tinged with rising anger.

"Yeah," Kate admitted with a sigh. "He used your image to ask me about the Flowery Bead."

"Oh, that bead?" Su Yan asked curiously.

"Right. Sister Luo'er sensed a similar feeling from someone," Xia Ning Chang added.

"Oh, a new sister?" Su Yan asked, her tone laced with amusement.

"Her name is Xue Yue. She's from the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce," Kate explained.

"I see, one of the top forces," Su Yan said, nodding thoughtfully.

"That's right, so you two better work harder," Kate added with a teasing smirk.

"Junior Sister is right," Su Yan agreed, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Is that the only effect of the Flowery Bead?" Xia Ning Chang asked curiously.

"Yes," Kate replied. "The bead allows those who consume it to sense each other and grants me the ability to create a Primordial Spirit from the person who loses their Primordial Yin."

"What is this Primordial Spirit exactly?" Su Yan inquired.

"When someone ingests a Flowery Bead and loses their Primordial Yin, it gives rise to a Primordial Spirit," Kate explained. "The spirit is essentially a copy of the person who consumed the bead. It can fight alongside me, and it possesses endless regenerative abilities as long as I have Qi. Since it's made from my Qi, it can also enter a Full Assault Mode, where it sacrifices its regeneration ability for greatly enhanced prowess. The best part is, it will grow as the original person grows, and, if necessary, it can detonate."

"Does that mean if I become more powerful, my Primordial Spirit will also become stronger?" Su Yan asked, her tone filled with intrigue.

"Yes," Kate confirmed. "Even your cultivation advancements will reflect in the spirit. Additionally, each spirit has its own unique trait."

"What are these unique traits?" Su Yan asked.

"I don't know," Kate admitted. "It depends on the individual's cultivation and essence, so the traits are revealed only after the spirit manifests fully."

"I see. That really is a powerful technique," Xia Ning Chang said, her eyes filled with admiration.

"Indeed. How did you acquire such a technique? Is it from that forgotten time?" Su Yan asked, her gaze steady.

"I got it from a friend during my travels," Kate replied, her expression calm and unreadable.

"Then when will Junior Sister take our Primordial Spirit?" Su Yan asked.

"Once I can control more of my Qi, I might take them," Kate replied, "but I can also just wait for you all to reach completion first."

"Having nine Primordial Spirits is kind of ridiculously powerful," Su Yan remarked with a slight smile.

"Well, Junior Sister Kate is ridiculously powerful herself," Xia Ning Chang said, her tone teasing but affectionate.

"Hahaha, you're giving me too much credit," Kate laughed lightly. "I admit I'm strong, but it's useless if I can't fully control my strength."

"What do you mean you can't control it?" Su Yan asked, her expression curious.

"I've become a Divine Spirit," Kate explained, "but my blood isn't pure right now. It's making it difficult to control my strength effectively."

"How about your abilities?" Su Yan continued.

"They should be fine, but I can't give a definitive answer yet," Kate admitted.

"I see. Junior Brother told me that you're purifying your blood. How's your progress?" Su Yan asked.

"I think I've purified about 10% of it," Kate said thoughtfully. "With that, I can unleash roughly 5% of my bloodline's abilities."

"I see," Su Yan replied, her tone contemplative.

"Then we'll not bother you anymore, Junior Sister," Xia Ning Chang said with a gentle smile.

"We're glad you've awakened," Su Yan added, her tone warm.

"Thanks," Kate replied with a small smile, "but I might fall asleep again soon since I need to continue purifying my blood." As she spoke, she opened a Gate of Babylon (GoB) in front of her.

"Since I've already given Senior Sister Su Yan a gift, I'll give you one too, Senior Sister Xia," Kate said, her voice soft but resolute.

"What does Junior Sister Kate mean?" Xia Ning Chang asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.

"Is it like the Vimana?" Su Yan interjected, her expression brightening.

"Yes," Kate replied with a nod.

Two golden lights emerged from the GoB, entering Su Yan's and Xia Ning Chang's foreheads. A violet-colored lotus tattoo appeared on both of them.

"Me too?" Su Yan asked, a hint of surprise in her tone.

"Of course, Sister Su Yan. From now on, you can use the Vimana however you like," Kate announced.

"And you, Senior Sister Xia," Kate continued, "I'll give you access to Dingir. Since you don't prefer direct combat, I've given you a Noble Phantasm more suited for support. You can use it to cast healing spells, provide attack boosts, or other enhancements. For now, you can open a maximum of two, but that number will increase as you grow stronger."

The two bowed deeply, their gratitude evident. "Thank you, Junior Sister Kate, for everything!" they said in unison.

"And also, Senior Sister Su Yan," Kate added, "you could only use the Vimana as a flying artifact before, but now I've given you full authority over it. You can now access its weapons as well."

"I see. Thank you again," Su Yan replied sincerely.

Kate nodded weakly, a tired smile on her face. "Then, please, Senior Sister Xia, study this new language carefully and stay safe," she said, her voice fading.

The GoB dissolved into golden dust, and Kate's body slackened as she lost consciousness, falling into a deep sleep.

Outside Kate's house, Xia Ning Chang let out a thoughtful sigh. "Looks like she's really having a hard time," she said softly.

"You're right," Su Yan agreed, her gaze lingering on the closed door. "We don't know how much she's suffered on her travels, but she's strong, isn't she? So don't worry just trust her."

"Senior Sister?" Xia Ning Chang said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Su Yan asked, turning toward her.

"H-how do I activate the power given to me by Junior Sister?" Xia Ning Chang asked, her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, you just-" Su Yan paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "Wait, how do I explain this... uhmm... ... ... Think of its name, and it feels like summoning Qi, but don't actually use Qi."

"Do you get it? The feeling it gives is really strange, so I can't fully explain it to you," Su Yan added with an apologetic smile.

"Thanks, Senior Sister. I'll try it now," Xia Ning Chang said, determination in her voice.

"Think of its name and the feeling of summoning Qi, but don't use any Qi," Xia Ning Chang repeated to herself, closing her eyes to focus.

"Dingir... ... and then summon Qi without Qi, just the feeling of it," she thought.

A golden Gate of Babylon appeared before her, and a gleaming Noble Phantasm, Dingir, descended into her hands. Xia Ning Chang's eyes widened with delight as she cradled the item, her excitement palpable.

"It worked!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her joy.

Su Yan smiled warmly at her junior sister's enthusiasm. "See? You're already starting to understand how it works."

"So this is the Noble Phantasm, Dingir," Xia Ning Chang murmured, examining the artifact in her hands with awe.

"Can you use it?" Su Yan asked curiously.

"Hmm." Xia Ning Chang focused intently, trying to activate its power. After several moments of effort, nothing happened.

"Sorry, Big Sister, but I can't... I can't read any of these spells," Xia Ning Chang admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Really?" Su Yan said, raising an eyebrow.

Xia Ning Chang furrowed her brow. "Hmm?"

"Did you notice something?" Su Yan asked, noticing the change in her expression.

"I tried to investigate it with my Divine Sense, and it looks like I can decipher the language," Xia Ning Chang explained, her tone brightening with excitement.

"I see, that's good," Su Yan said with an encouraging nod.

"Then you should go and learn it," Su Yan added.

"You're right. Thanks, Senior Sister," Xia Ning Chang said, smiling warmly. She held Dingir close before taking off into the sky, her determination carrying her toward her next task.

After Xia Ning Chang left, a massive Gate of Babylon (GoB) materialized above Su Yan.

"Junior Sister said I have the authority over this artifact... I mean, this Noble Phantasm," Su Yan murmured as the Vimana emerged from the GoB, its golden, intricate design gleaming brilliantly in the light.

Without hesitation, Su Yan flew toward it. "What are your capabilities?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Suddenly, a surge of information flooded Su Yan's Knowledge Sea. Her head throbbed, and a faint trickle of blood ran from her nose.

"Ugh... so this is a warship," Su Yan thought, steadying herself as the pain subsided.

Two smaller GoBs appeared on either side of the Vimana, and futuristic-looking machine gun barrels emerged, their sleek designs gleaming menacingly.

"Hmm, I better not disturb Junior Sister's sleep," Su Yan decided, wiping the blood from her nose. With a glance at the powerful artifact, she guided the Vimana to a secluded area and flew away to continue her studies.

Meanwhile, inside Kate's Knowledge Sea.

"I'm out again," Kate muttered, the silence around her almost deafening. She let out a frustrated groan. "Ughhh, I feel like my insides are turning upside down."

She glanced down at her hand, clenching and unclenching her fist. "What is wrong with my body? Why am I losing consciousness left and right? Is my soul not compatible with my body anymore?" she mused, her thoughts spiraling.

"Did I miss something?" Kate pondered, searching her fragmented memory. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Right! The huge lake with the massive tree in the middle!"

Her excitement faltered as she slapped her forehead. "Wait a minute... I'm inside my Knowledge Sea. How can I use it here? I can't materialize it here!"

As frustration bubbled within her, a sudden thought illuminated her mind like a spark in the darkness.

"The golden cages... They're directly connected to the Gate of Babylon!" Kate exclaimed, her determination reignited. Without hesitation, she took off, flying toward the towering structure of the massive golden cage that loomed within her Knowledge Sea.

Inside the Gate of Babylon, Kate gazed at the towering bookshelves that stretched endlessly into the horizon.

"Has the Gate of Babylon become a soul-type artifact?" she muttered, her fingers lightly brushing against one of the glowing shelves. "But once I entered it, the Void Archives were left behind..." Her eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned. "I see now! The Gate of Babylon and the Void Archives have completely merged! How could I have forgotten this?"

Her shout echoed through the expanse, and moments later, Chu Yuechan appeared, her presence elegant and calm.

"Is something the matter, Milady?" Chu Yuechan asked, her voice gentle yet curious.

Kate turned to her with a determined expression. "Right, I have a mission for you and your daughter. Don't worry; it's not dangerous. I want you two to infiltrate High Heaven Sect. Once the Great War begins, you will act as my informants. I guarantee your safety, so there's no need to worry."

Chu Yuechan and Yun Wuxin, who had just appeared beside her mother, bowed deeply. "We won't disappoint you, Milady!" they said in perfect unison.

Kate smiled faintly, her gaze softening. "Isn't the Ancestral Divine Ice Cultivation Technique miraculous?"

"Indeed, Milady," Chu Yuechan replied. "This cultivation technique is simply heaven-defying. It has brought us unimaginable benefits."

"Good," Kate said with satisfaction. "Continue using it and refining your cultivation. I'll take you both outside another time, but for now, I'm dealing with some complications here."

"Understood, Milady," the mother and daughter replied in unison, their loyalty unwavering.

With a final glance at the merged expanse of the Gate of Babylon, Kate turned her attention back to her tasks, her mind already planning the next steps in her intricate web of strategies.

At the desk Kate frequently used, a book flew over and landed gracefully before her.

"Everything I own is automatically sorted here in the Void Archives," Kate mused as she opened the book and flipped through its delicate pages. "So, once something becomes mine, it should be here."

Her fingers stopped on a page, and her eyes lit up. "Here it is Celestial Emberlake. Wow, what a grandiose name. It's like the Dragon Pond and the Phoenix Parasol, but this... this contains the Dao of Creation and Destruction."

Kate's lips curled into a mischievous grin as her mind raced. "If I can obtain the Dao of Time from the dragons and the Dao of Space from the phoenixes..." Her thoughts trailed off, her smile becoming sharper.

"Then there's also the matter of building a Dao Seal and creating a Small Universe. I better choose the best of the best for that!" Kate declared, determination blazing in her eyes as she closed the book, already plotting her next move.

After some time, Kate let out a sigh. "Looks like there's no other choice. I have to plant the Celestial Emberlake so I can cultivate there," she said, her tone carrying a mix of resignation and determination.

"But for now, I have no choice but to focus on awakening my body," Kate muttered as she sat cross-legged.

She closed her eyes, her thoughts swirling. "For now, let's study the Destruction Element." A faint energy began to ripple around her, the beginnings of her dive into the profound mysteries of destruction.