Cultivation Stage

Mingyue started piecing things together. 'Lin hua suddenly had the guts to attack me like that…' Her eyes narrowed. 'Does that mean she has some kind of agreement with my family?'

If something happened to her, Lin Hua should have been the prime suspect. Normally, the blame would fall on her, and while the sect wouldn't care—since a dead prodigy was worthless—her family should have gone all out for revenge. But what if… they wouldn't? Mingyue frowned. She had briefly considered seeking help from her master or an elder, but now that she had calmed down, she knew exactly how that would go. 

At best, they'd offer her some extra cultivation resources. But that no longer mattered. With the ability to absorb life force, she didn't need their so-called "support." And as for killing Lin Hua in her name? That was never going to happen.

[Why not ask the King for his opinion, Queen?]

"The King?" Mingyue paused. "You mean… Alex?" His face surfaced in her mind. She recalled how he had stayed completely calm through everything that had happened. She crossed her arms. "Even if he's composed, he's not from my world, Vesa. I doubt he can analyze my situation properly."

[Oh, right. I forgot to tell you about the King's ability.]

Suddenly, new information poured into her mind. Her eyes widened. "So, such an ability exists…" She pursed her lips, then muttered, "But that still doesn't explain why Alex was so calm in that situation."

[That's just his personality, Queen.

A result of his upbringing. So, do you want to ask the King?]

Mingyue shook her head. "No need." She took a deep breath, suppressing the remaining frustration in her chest. "For now, I'll go to the secret realm first. Let's see how that bitch reacts when she sees me. With my current cultivation, she shouldn't be my match anymore." She glanced around. "Now, which direction should I go?" Suddenly, a translucent display appeared in front of her, marking her location and pointing toward the secret realm.

[You can use this, Queen. The map is quite accurate, built from your knowledge so far. Also, I need to remind you—while you can advance your cultivation by absorbing life force, I will only allow it when you have enough understanding of the stage. Otherwise, your foundation will become unstable.]

Mingyue sighed. "I know, I know. Don't worry about it, Vesa." Then, a thought crossed her mind. "By the way, why did you need to consume my spiritual root and bloodline? Is it because I became a vampire?" A part of her worried that losing them would have unexpected consequences on her cultivation.

[I could have kept them, but it would have been a waste of resources, Queen. As you progress toward becoming a Progenitor, you will grow much stronger and come into contact with superior bloodlines and spirit roots. Instead of holding on to weak traits, it's better to prioritize my strength and unlock more system features.]

Mingyue's fingers twitched slightly, a spark of excitement flickering in her eyes. "Wait… are you saying I'll be able to absorb other people's bloodlines and spiritual roots in the future?"

[Yes, Queen. It is possible. But there will be a price to pay. I will explain in detail once you reach at least 25% Progenitor progress.]

Mingyue's lips curled into a smirk. "Heh… now that's something to look forward to." Time passed, and Mingyue now stood before the entrance to the secret realm. She hesitated, debating whether to go in or wait outside and ambush Lin Hua the moment she emerged.

After a moment of deliberation, she decided to enter. If this place held opportunities, she couldn't risk letting Lin Hua walk away with a major breakthrough. Stepping through the void, she found herself standing on a floating island. The ground was littered with monster corpses, their remains still fresh. At the far end, a stairway led to another island suspended in the air. Mingyue narrowed her eyes. "It looks like this realm is an inheritance ground."

A wave of relief washed over her—she had made the right decision. If she had waited outside, she might have lost the chance to claim whatever inheritance lay hidden here.

[Queen, this is an inheritance ground left behind by a Golden Core cultivator. But I sense malicious intent coming from the soul residing at the peak island.]

Mingyue's eyes flickered. "You can sense that much, Vesa?"

[Yes.] 

A new map materialized before her, displaying the full layout of the secret realm. [Since this realm was constructed using a formation array infused with a cultivator's qi, I was able to crack it open and read the flow of information within. That means I now have access to every trap, treasure, and the purpose of this realm.]

[In total, there are ten levels. Each cleared level grants rewards—thousand-year herbs, top-tier artifacts, and powerful cultivation techniques. Your enemy, Lin Hua, has reached the seventh level. Based on her qi fluctuations, she seems to be resting at the moment.]

Mingyue tapped her fingers against her sword hilt, thinking. "Can you take control of the secret realm?"

[It's possible, Queen, but we must deal with the soul first. I can manipulate the array to teleport you directly to its location, but doing so will alert it.]

Mingyue frowned. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? That means it could attack me and try to possess my body."*

[That is exactly the opportunity we are targeting, Queen. With me inside you, nothing in this world can possess your body. While it struggles to take over, I will extract useful information from its soul and use part of its energy to restore some of the system's strength. So, do you wish to proceed, Queen?]

Mingyue's grip on her sword tightened. After experiencing the system's capabilities firsthand, she no longer doubted Vesa. The knowledge of a Golden Core cultivator was more than worth the risk. Even in her family, the strongest cultivator was only at the Late Nascent Soul stage. A direct inheritance from someone at Golden Core? That was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up. And she definitely wasn't going to share this with Lin Hua.Before moving, a thought crossed her mind."Vesa, how powerful are the weapons in Alex's world compared to a cultivator like me?"

[That depends on the type of weapon, Queen. From the information I gathered, the most advanced weapons should be capable of killing a Heavenly Ascension cultivator easily. However, the King's knowledge of his world is also incomplete. The full extent of their technology remains unknown. It would be wise not to underestimate them.]

Mingyue's expression darkened slightly. Weapons strong enough to kill a Heavenly Ascension cultivator? That meant they could completely erase someone seven realms above her. In her world, cultivation progressed through ten major stages, beginning with the Foundation Stage, followed by Core Formation, then Nascent Soul, and Golden Core. Beyond that, cultivators reached Spiritual Transformation, advancing further into Mystic Integration, then Profound Enlightenment, where their understanding of the Dao deepened. The next stage, Heavenly Ascension, marked the threshold of godlike power, followed by Transcendent, where cultivators surpassed mortal limits. Finally, at the Immortal stage 

At the Immortal stage, one gained eternal life and a body that never aged or deteriorated. And yet, there were weapons in Alex's world that could obliterate someone approaching godhood. Mingyue took a deep breath, calming her thoughts. "I see… Then I really need to look into his world's technology when I get the chance." A cold smirk appeared on her lips. "But first—let's deal with this soul."