As the dawn painted the Shimmering Meadows with strokes of gold, Mira, who now had on the Ethereal Veil, and her companions traveled to the southeast.
The village, named Oakshade, was a small, isolated settlement surrounded by towering trees. It was populated mostly by mortals, although there were a few Body Tempering Realm cultivators amongst them.
The villagers led simple lives, farming and hunting in the forest that bordered the village. Unaware of Mira's arrival and the drastic changes she could bring, they carried on with their everyday tasks.
When Mira, Rhydian, and Hana landed outside the village, everyone paused what they were doing and looked at her in fear. Although most of them couldn't sense the cataclysmic power she possessed, they could tell that this group was dangerous.
Anybody who looked human but had the body parts of beasts was dangerous in their books. The only normal person in their group was Hana, but she looked so tired that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.
As Mira approached the villagers, a tall, elderly man with a snowy beard stepped forward. This was Tiber, the village elder. His body was bent with age, but his eyes held a sharp glint that spoke of wisdom gathered over the years.
"Strangers are not common in Oakshade," Tiber started, his voice carrying the weight of years. "Why have you come here?"
"We are travelers," Mira began, noting the tension amongst the villagers. "But we don't mean any harm. I am Mira, a... researcher, of sorts. I have something that might benefit your village."
Tiber scrutinized Mira, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What sort of benefit are you talking about?"
"Strength... a chance to transcend your current limitations," Mira explained, keeping her tone neutral. "I'm testing the effects that beast bloodlines have on the human body and have reached a point in my research where I can begin conducting human trials."
The villagers stirred at her words, exchanging glances. Tiber remained silent for a moment, considering her proposition. However, his gaze couldn't help but hover over Mira's tails, Rhydian's wings, and her sharp claws.
'She must've tested the effects of her research on herself before coming here.' Tiber thought, his opinion of Mira raising. He didn't know much about the cultivation world, but he didn't think Mira was a bad person.
If only he knew better…
"Such power… does not come without risks, does it?" Tiber asked, finally breaking the silence.
"No, it doesn't," Mira acknowledged, appreciating the elder's insight. "But, where there are dangers, there is opportunity. If you have the resolve to risk your life, you can change your future."
"Life? We have to risk our life just for her experiments?"
"Nobody said you had to do anything, but… still… putting my life on the line for some unknown person is a bit…"
"Right? This seems kind of sketchy."
Amidst the whispering of the villagers, Tiber nodded slowly, contemplating her offer. After a few moments, he finally responded. "We've survived on our own strength for generations. It might sound arrogant in your eyes, but we don't need any help from strangers. I might not know much, but I do know that when one has power, troubles are soon to follow."
Tiber paused, allowing his words to sink in with the rest of the villagers before her added, "However, I also don't think it's right of me to turn down this opportunity if what you say is true. So, if someone is willing to volunteer, then I see no problems with you conducting your experiments here."
Mira hummed, acknowledging his agreement, but inwardly, she had the desire to remove this guy's head and force the rest of the villagers to become her guinea pigs. Still, she pushed those thoughts down, as having their cooperation would make her testing go much smoother.
"So, who amongst you is willing to risk it all for a chance to transcend?" Mira asked, her piercing gaze sweeping over the villagers.
A profound silence descended upon the crowd. They exchanged uncertain glances. Mira's offer was enticing, but the potential risks were too daunting for many. Finally, a young man named Sam stepped forward.
"I volunteer," Sam declared, a determined expression on his face. He was tall and slender, with a glint of adventure in his eyes. "I want to protect Oakshade better. If you can help me do that, then I'm willing to take the risk."
His declaration was met with an assortment of reactions. Some villagers applauded his bravery, while others voiced their concerns, fear for his safety clear in their eyes. His twin sister, Sara, looked worried but didn't try to dissuade him. She knew her brother too well - once he made up his mind, there was no changing it.
Mira nodded approvingly, appreciating Sam's bravery. "Very well, Sam. We will begin preparations immediately."
Because this guy was young and had a stronger physique than the other kids, Mira decided to go all out from the beginning, using the best Blood Essence she had concocted over the last few days.
It was a combination of a Nightshade Jaguar and an Iron-hide Leopard. They were both Rank 1 when she found them, but this was the result after pushing them to Rank 3 and merging their Blood Essences together. Since they were from the same family of animals, the merging was successful, albeit barely.
This one was by far the most unstable thing she's created, but it hadn't shown any signs of blowing up in her face yet, and since this kid looked like he held the most potential in the village, he was the perfect test subject.
The integration process began as Mira started to infuse the Blood Essence into Sam's body. Immediately, Sam's body stiffened as a wave of pain washed over him. His veins throbbed with an intensity he had never experienced before, and his breath hitched in his throat. The villagers who were watching turned away, unable to bear the sight.
Despite his agony, Sam did not utter a sound. He clenched his jaw, sweat streaming down his face as he withstood the pain, his face growing pale.
However, it wasn't long before it became too much for him to hold in.
"AAHHHHHH!" He cried out in pain, his body thrashing around as it felt like his blood was melting.
Mira stood beside him, her eyes focused and her [Harmonic Trinity] technique circulating, helping to guide the foreign energy through Sam's body.
This process continued for several hours. The sun had already set, and the moon had risen high into the night sky. The villagers had retreated to their homes, leaving only Sara, Tiber, and Mira's companions by Sam's side.
After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally began to subside. Sam let out a long breath, his body slumping with exhaustion. Mira, looking slightly fatigued, nodded with satisfaction. "The integration was successful."
He had grown taller, his muscles denser, and he released a more primal aura of strength.
However, her satisfaction was marred by a lingering concern. As she examined Sam's energy structure and body, she noted that it was incredibly unstable.
Unless he had another lucky chance or some divine intervention, advancing further than the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm would be near impossible. Trying to enter the Foundation Realm may very cause him to explode.
Still, Mira considered this a success since just making it past the Body Tempering Realm was most likely impossible for Sam before this.
Sam opened his eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the new sensations. His body felt different, more powerful and agile. There was a raw energy flowing within him, waiting to be unleashed. He looked at Mira, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Mira," he said, his voice hoarse. "I feel... stronger."
"Don't thank me yet," Mira replied, a cryptic smile playing on her lips. "You may have gained strength, but due to the unstable nature of the Bloodline you gained, your potential was limited as well."
"It doesn't matter," Sam shook his head, "Who cares about my potential? What matters is that I now have more strength than I did before!"
Mira was a bit taken aback by his words before she realized who she was talking to and understood why he would say that. For cultivators, one's potential determined how far down the path of cultivation they could go.
They lived their lives caring more about how far they could go rather than how much power they had now. On the other hand, the lifespan of villagers was short. Immediate power was worth more to them than something unknown like "potential".
'He won't be this grateful 100 years from now when he realizes he hit his limit. The process of getting stronger, as well as the strength itself, is like a drug. Once you get a taste of it for yourself, you can't help but want more.' Mira shook her head at his naivety but said nothing of it.
Why should she care about some dumb little village boy?
***
Over the next week, Mira conducted her experiments tirelessly. She met with the villagers who had volunteered to undergo the transformation one after the other. Some of them reacted well to the foreign bloodlines and developed remarkable abilities. However, not everyone was as fortunate.
Some villagers succumbed to the overwhelming influx of foreign energy, their bodies unable to withstand the sudden and violent changes. Their death cries echoed through the otherwise peaceful village, serving as a chilling reminder of the risks involved.
Yet, despite the dangers and casualties, some villagers continued to step forward, resolute in their decision to risk their lives for a chance at a better future. It was a cycle of hope and despair, victory and defeat, life and death.
As the days passed, Mira was able to refine her approach and mitigate some of the risks involved. She had grown more familiar with the process and could control it more precisely, reducing the chances of fatal outcomes. Nonetheless, it was still a gamble.
The villagers who survived the process exhibited a variety of unique abilities, dependent on the Beast Bloodlines they had been infused with. Some developed enhanced strength, others gained heightened senses, and a few demonstrated more exotic abilities, such as the ability to command elements or morph their bodies.
Mira observed them all with a keen eye, diligently recording the effects of the process. She discovered that the Celestial Nectar had a definite limit to how much it could purify and the efficiency of the integration. Even though she could increase the grade of a bloodline, combine similar ones, and more, that didn't mean the body would accept those changes.
If one didn't have some connection with the bloodline first, then it didn't matter how pure she made it. They would be unable to take it.
Moreover, the human body also had a limit to how much foreign energy it could assimilate without destabilizing.
However, despite these limitations, the breakthroughs were groundbreaking. Mira had significantly expanded the known boundaries of cultivation by integrating Beast Bloodlines into human bodies. It was an alchemic breakthrough that had the potential to revolutionize the entire world of cultivation.
After a week of intense research and experimentation, Mira finally received a message from Aelina. It was a simple message informing Mira that it was time to return to the Sect.
Mira gazed at the message for a while, her thoughts drifting back to the recent happenings. The villagers of Oakshade, both those who had survived and those who had not, had significantly contributed to her research. Their sacrifices had not been in vain.
With these findings, she and Aelina could bring the Battle Maiden Sect to extreme heights and conquer this world!
Before departing, Mira visited Sam, who was training with Hana. While the two weren't exactly close, they did help motivate each other to keep working out.
"I must leave now," Mira told him.
Sam paused his training and turned towards her, a look of gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Mira," he said earnestly, "For everything."
Mira nodded, her gaze sweeping over the transformed village one last time. "Remember, just because you have this bit of strength doesn't mean you're invincible. Just like I came here to experiment, someone might find out about your unique situation and kill you all to extract the very things I gave you."
With that, Mira, accompanied by Rhydian and Hana, left the village of Oakshade. The villagers watched them go, their faces filled with mixed emotions.
However, in the middle of the village, they found a book titled, [The Basics of Cultivation].
As the figures of Mira and her companions disappeared into the horizon, the village fell silent, taking a moment to appreciate the gift that they'd been given.
Meanwhile, Mira flying through the air, just shook her head with a slight frown.
'I must really be getting soft.' Her frown deepened. 'It's all that damn Maria's fault! She's the one making me do these nonsensical things! I wouldn't be this stupid if it wasn't for her!'
***
[A/N: A bit longer of a chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Now, it's time for some action!]
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