Yasenia's senses spread all around the room, saturating the space with her formidable presence and aura. The potent aura she exuded was so overwhelming, it seemed to thicken the atmosphere, making it almost suffocating.
With her gaze focused on her Dantian, Yasenia began the intricate process of manipulating the Celestial Energy star. The star, a mesmerizing galaxy-blue, spun, its black ring accelerating as starlight swirled around it. Yasenia then allowed the Celestial Energy Star to send Celestial Energy through her meridians, its path seemingly random yet purposeful.
The dragoness's aim was to fill her senses with celestial energy and look deeply into its composition and meaning. An intent was based on a creature's understanding of a concept—how they visualized it, thought about it, and interacted with it. There wasn't just one path to the Intent, as each person's concept was mostly unique.
Even if two people practiced the same Fire Intent, that didn't mean that the insights of one of them would serve the other without fault. A concept had a general truth, but because of how energy and the Heavens affected the world, cold fire could exist, a hot sea could exist, a star made of ice, or any other seemingly illogical event.
Allowing her mind to wander, the sensations on her became faint but profound. She could see beyond what she usually saw, allowing her to approach the concepts much more clearly.
Achieving the previous levels of Celestial Intent had always been about gaining control of the Celestial Energy; Yasenia didn't need to explore concepts as much as she needed to move and control them better.
Unlike other elements or concepts, "Celestial" was special in a way that it encompassed too many things.
What was "Celestial"? Something heavenly? Something sacred?
Yasenia didn't think so. A celestial item was an item from the Universe. Something that purely came from the cosmos. Yet, that was a problem because, in Yasenia's opinion, everything seemed to come from the "universe."
'What is the Universe?'
The dragoness pondered. 'Is it a world that has many worlds inside? Are there other Universes out there? Is our Main Heavens just another Heavens? Is it the limits of existence and reality?'
Yasenia was confused. 'Let's not think about that. I'm still too weak and ignorant to tap into those grand mysteries.'
Refocusing on the problem at hand, Yasenia thought. 'What's important now is to increase my control over Celestial Energy. I've managed to gain enough control that using my Celestial skills comes as something natural. However, they are still very strenuous for my body. I guess this will continue until I enter the transcendent realm. Perhaps even after that…'
Yasenia shook her head. 'Celestial Energy is a mix of the Sun, Star, and Moon energies. However, there is more to it. My Celestial Energy is… no. It has something else. I can sense that there are many dormant powers in it that I'm unable to tap into. Controlling it to my current level is also thanks to my Celestial Intent… Hm?'
Yasenia paused as she thought that. 'Then… Why don't I try ruling over the Celestial Energy without my Celestial Intent?'
Yasenia absorbed back all the Celestial Energy moving around her meridians and waited until her inner world calmed down. Then, when everything calmed down, Yasenia stopped using the Celestial Intent, and the Energy Star in her dantian calmed down.
Then, using her own will and energy, she tried stirring the Celestial Energy Star awake. The powerful star didn't budge at first, surprising Yasenia. 'Huh? I can't move it on my own?'
The dragoness frowned, finding this a surprising finding. 'Why? Is Celestial Energy just too powerful? But…' The dragoness's energy moved toward the center of her dantian and tried stirring the Celestial Energy Star awake. Still, her efforts were in vain, and the Star continued spinning at the same speed as before.
Yasenia stopped, and her lips arched. 'I see. So that's how it is. Hahaha.' She was happy that she discovered this. 'My control over the Celestial Energy is a false control… No, that's not correct as well.'
The dragoness tilted her head. 'I can control it with an Intent I've developed, I understand. So, it is not a false control. However, it is like using a tool to control a weapon. That weapon is yours, and you can control it at will. However, if the tool doesn't work, the weapon will also stop working.' Yasenia nodded. 'I need to start gaining control over it without the help of anything but my will.'
The dragoness focused on the Celestial Energy Star and then began a tedious and lengthy process.
During the first month, she focused on trying to affect it even slightly with her own energy. Her energy moved constantly, and she tried to nudge it. Then, after trying so many times that Yasenia lost count, during the second month of constant, 24/7 effort, she managed to make it budge.
It was just a tiny fluctuation, but the dragoness, sitting cross-legged and focused on the star for more than two months straight without a single second of pause, immediately sensed the change.
Like a predator that finally managed to catch her prey, she latched onto that tiny fluctuation, and her energy surged in waves. 'Got you.'
The fluctuation of the Celestial Energy Star became larger as Yasenia attacked it, and the same event began happening all around it.
Slowly, meticulously, and not stopping for a single second, the Celestial Energy Star's spinning speed changed. As it increased in speed, the dragoness felt a very faint trace of Celestial Energy entering her meridians. It was faint enough that she wouldn't even be able to cast a single Celestial Skill, but the second that strand entered her energy system, there was a change.
The Celestial Energy Star seemed to come alive for a second and released a pulse of tremendously powerful energy, hitting Yasenia's brain and making her lose concentration as her vision went black.
When the dragoness opened her eyes, she looked around, confused and with a headache. "What happened? Why did the Celestial Energy Star react that way?... Huh?"
The dragoness paused and muttered. "[Celestial Intent]."
BOOM!
The entire area was instantly engulfed in an Empyrean presence, making Yasenia's eyes widen. "This… this is not Level 4…"
The dragoness looked into her Dantian and focused on the planetoid that carried the Celestial Intent. The aura coming from it was a notch above the rest, stunning her. "Level 5!? How!?"
Her Celestial Intent had indeed broken through twice, becoming a Level 5 intent. The difference from Level 3 to 5 was so significant that the situation resembled as if Yasenia had instantly broken through several cultivation levels.
The change in strength was so significant that comparing her previous self with her new self was not even appropriate. The dragoness didn't rush to do anything and got thoughtful. "Think, why did I skip a level…?" However, she couldn't even get a clue. "All I can think is that me being able to control the Celestial Energy Star slightly is quite a big deal."
She was happy but a bit frustrated. 'I guess that was the correct answer. It is not controlling the Celestial Energy, but I need to learn how to manipulate the Celestial Energy Star… Why?'
Yasenia closed her eyes and then opened them, muttering. "Is the Celestial Energy Star an equivalent to a Dantian for the Celestial Energy? If so, it makes sense. If I couldn't control my own Dantian, I wouldn't be able to draw energy from it, so… I first need to master the star before I move on to the energy?"
The dragoness found that explanation was reasonable.
Regardless, she was happy. 'With this, I will be able to fight the tribulation much better. I should try again.'
Yasenia refocused and sat cross-legged again. Then, she tried manipulating the Celestial Energy Star, and she managed to make it move very lightly. 'Hm… How do I increase its rotating speed? More energy? Well, that's a bit of a brutish method; there should be another way.'
As she thought, Cecile flashed in her mind. 'Harmony? Do I need to harmonize with it?'
She tried again, this time trying to match her energy signature with the Celestial Energy Star's one. However, the instant she tried, another pulse of energy from the star hit her soul, making her vision flicker.
It felt like the Star was telling her it was too soon to do that. Yasenia didn't insist and bit her lip. 'I'm too weak. If I could increase [Celestial Intent] to Level 6 or 7, I could've…' Yasenia took in a deep breath and then exhaled. "Forget it. I've done everything I could."
She stood up and took a shower. She hadn't showered in months, but the water that fell onto her body through the shower head didn't really wash off anything. Her natural energy had already purified her body, making her look immaculate even if she hadn't showered for years.
Of course, the scent around her would be slightly thicker, making walking around places with weak people dangerous. After all, her scent was becoming a weapon on its own for low-level people.
By now, peak-level Body Modification Realm Cultivators were probably at the limits of who could smell her scent without going crazy over her. Yasenia couldn't help but lament. "I really love my constitution since it makes my dears excited, but it is a bother not to be able to be near mortals. They are just too fragile."
The dragoness laughed. "Well, I love it when my dears sniff me all around when we are close, so I guess the positives outweigh the negatives~."
Meanwhile, outside, Angel was working on a formation, her face a bit downcast. Mirrory smiled and asked. "What, missing her?"
Angel slammed her table with a big pout. "It's been nine months! I've never been separated from Yasenia for so long!"
Mirrory burst into laughter. "Well, get used to it. From now on, her time away will only increase. There might be times when you don't see each other for centuries."
Angel's big blue eyes widened. "CENTURIES!? I'LL DIE OF LONELINESS!"
Mirrory laughed louder. "Well, that's normal for- Oh?" Mirrory paused and smirked. "It seems that she is out of-."
Mirrory didn't even finish her sentence when Angel shot outward like a golden blur.
The ancient mirror looked from within her soul with a smirk and muttered. 'So impatient.'
Kali and the rest of the girls also dropped everything and came out to welcome Yasenia.
Tatyana looked in that direction and smiled while placing a hand on her very slightly rounder stomach. 'It seems that your mother is out, baby~.'
"Let's go, Kaleina, Flame. Your Mommy is out."
Kaleina's golden slit eyes lit up with happiness as she jumped agilely, a very different look from nine months ago when she stumbled when she walked in her human form.
**********
Small Proofreader note: If you're reading this on June 18th, it's Mort's birthday! Wish him a happy birthday, or else~, hehe~.