Heaven, Earth, Me

Tatyana and Valeria looked over, clear interest shining in their eyes. Mirrory even materialized herself, making our girls pay deep attention to what Andrea was going to say.

Andrea explained with an uncertain tone. "Several years ago, even before I met Yasenia, I liked reading books in Master Irina's workplace. Between them, there was one book that spoke about the theoretical Dantians, and it said that there isn't just one, but three of them."

The girls blinked, finding the concept a bit ridiculous, but to their surprise, the seniors didn't seem to find it strange and continued listening to the bedridden woman without interrupting.

Andrea took the clue and further spoke about her guesses. "Then, when I read about the books about the Epoch Core realm, they spoke that the cultivator created this core to use as a nucleus to increase their physical strength to the next level. The core of the Epoch Core Realm is more of a storage where the body gets energy instead of all-use storage like the Dantian two fingers below our navel."

The girls, having delved into their own research, were not entirely unfamiliar with these concepts. Andrea continued. "However, the texts I came across didn't specify its location, as if it was a given."

Evelyn inquired with interest. "What do you mean?"

Andrea pointed to the lower part of her chest, right above the diaphragm, and commented. "It is right here, behind the sternum and right below the heart."

The girls blinked, but Kali didn't look surprised. Valeria, Tatyana, and Mirrory were similarly unfazed. Andrea looked at them, especially at Kali, and asked, "You already knew?"

Kali tilted her head, her large fox ears flopping to the side. "Well, I knew that it was there. After all, I've dissected a few Epoch Core Realm cultivators. We also had the ones we got from the city, remember?"

Evelyn asked. "The wife of the acting City Lord?"

Kali nodded, which prompted Evelyn to ask. "Speaking of which. What happened to the Acting City Lord? He has been awfully silent for someone who lost his wife."

Yasenia answered. "Linghui Mingyu, the Mermaid Queen, was informed by me of what happened. After doing her own investigation, she discovered quite a few corrupt people and started a clean-up. You haven't heard of him because the Mermaid Queen apprehended him."

Evelyn laughed. "So, it is like that. No wonder." Then, she looked at Andrea and said, while scratching her cheek. "Sorry for interrupting Andrea. So, summarizing what you said, after entering the Epoch Core Realm, the core we thought would appear in our Dantian turned out to be right below the heart."

Andrea laughed. "That's a good summary, yes. Now I'm guessing that the core is probably the second dantian or the middle Dantian."

Andrea said, a bit doubtful. "According to the book I read, there are three of them. One is in the middle of the forehead between the eyebrows, called the upper dantian; the other is close to the heart, called the middle Dantian; and the last is the lower Dantian, two fingers below the navel."

Tatyana leaned back in her chair and asked with a smile. "So, you told us all this because you want to confirm with us?"

Andrea nodded. "That's right."

Tatyana chuckled. "The middle Dantian has always been a mystery, but not anymore. Even I myself didn't know how to activate to or even where the middle Dantian was. I have an entire group of Transcendent realm cultivators investigating this thing back in Sky Continent. However, who would've thought."

Tatyana smiled. "Well, you are right. That book was telling the truth. Although, it was probably speculative. That core in the middle of your chest is the middle Dantian. Personally, only after fighting and dissecting Body Cultivators with Kali did I finally realize why all the efforts from people in the past had failed."

Mirrory hummed. "I didn't know that even that information got lost after the Heavenly Cataclysm. The entire cultivation world has been thrown back for an entire eon."

Tatyana rolled her eyes. "An eon is quite an exaggeration."

Mirrory looked at her with a smirk. "Is it?"

Tatyana snorted. "I don't believe we are as primitive as people one eon ago. At most, I can give you fifty million years, but more than that, I find it difficult to fathom."

Mirrory commented. "That's because you are thinking that things like the Heavenly Cataclysm happen often. I'll tell you that they don't. While there have been many fights, wars, and situations where gods and goddesses fell like flies during the long cultivation history, Heaven had never interrupted other than striking down some utterly deviant people that would make you look like a Saint."

Tatyana crossed her arms. "Even then, an eon is a billion years. Not even Valeria is that old. Are you telling me that the current cultivators are as primitive as those before Valeria was born?"

Valeria blinked. "Do you know my age?"

Tatyana gave her a side-eye. "I don't. But are you older than an eon?"

Valeria shook her head. "I'm actually not, but why are you so confident that I'm not?"

Tatyana shrugged and said confidently. "Instinct."

Valeria was speechless. Tatyana turned toward Mirrory and commented. "Are you really dying on that hill? You sure you want to say that we were thrown back that much?"

Mirrory nodded again, her face unchanging. "I am. The knowledge about the three Dantians has been passed down since time immemorial. Although the cultivation paths were not always the same, the ones you are currently threading are nothing but new paths created from the original cultivation path."

Mirrory commented. "Before the Heavenly Cataclysm, people with the three Dantians unlocked were few but not that rare. It is a fact that most creatures had considered the Body Cultivation path extinct until you discovered this forsaken place by pure chance. Perhaps other places that cultivate the Body Path are out there, but none of the high-level worlds seem to be aware of it."

Tatyana got thoughtful. "Hm… Fair. Still, if the story of this world is true, then that Distancia guy is probably out there using Body Cultivation. There is a chance that Body Cultivation has already spread in the places he visited."

Mirrory snorted. "A cultivator sharing his secrets? Distancia seems to be a person with a self-righteous character but a narrow view of the world. He probably thinks that his beliefs are the correct ones and what others think is incorrect unless it aligns with his thoughts. A person like that doesn't share the core of his strength easily."

Mirrory analyzed. "He probably left it behind in Distancia because of how isolated this place is. By the time the body cultivation of this place starts spreading, he will already be in another complete dimension of strength. Moreover, compared to his, what people here in Distancia know would be nothing but the basics."

Tatyana pondered and couldn't help but agree. "Well, you are right. I also have a few secrets that I haven't told others." Then, the Death Empress looked at Andrea. "Regardless. The three Dantians are real and something you girls will have to unlock in the future if you want to become a true powerhouse of the cultivation world."

Valeria added. "There are a few more things that we must get for higher realms, but for now, having unlocked the middle Dantian is more than enough for you girls to be completely unmatched in the same realm."

Yasenia crossed her legs and pondered. "What do we do with the other otherworlders? They also know about this."

Tatyana smiled. "They thought they did."

Yasenia asked, confused. "What do you mean? They've clearly sent signals out, right?"

Tatyana snorted. "Do you think those signals can travel such large distances without a single obstacle? While they have a lot of permanency, and if their worlds were in the nearby vicinity, it might be possible that these people come from who knows where. The reason they came was because…"

Tatyana looked at the spirits and smiled. However, her smile was terrifyingly cold. "What I'm about to say concerns your mission, but it has something to do with us. You can either leave the room or stay, but make an oath that you will never intentionally or unintentionally spread information about it without our permission."

Embera knew that Tatyana was anything but a simple human woman, so she took her words very seriously. Even when her strength was at the peak of the Fifth realm, she didn't dare disrespect her. Even now, when Tatyana sent a wave of her suppressive aura, they felt as if they were going to suffocate even though they were spirits.

Embera cleared her throat and explained solemnly. "Since this concerns our mission, staying should probably be best. The seniors from our home world told us to investigate and, if possible, bring back whatever caused the cosmic fluctuation."

Tatyana nodded and spoke. "Well, I don't care what their intentions were, are, or will be. Just swear this oath, and you'll be fine."

Streams of energy hit the foreheads of all the spirits present, Soluna included. After reviewing the oath, they didn't find any problems, so they all recited it.

Tatyana was now somewhat reassured. Even if oaths weren't completely effective, she had observed their personalities, and she was sure that they wouldn't spread it even if they had known without oaths.

Still, some security locks were due because Yasenia's safety was at risk.

Tatyana turned toward Yasenia and continued where she left off. "As I was saying, these spirits came here because of the fluctuation created the day we made that cultivation technique. The energy fluctuation of an Immortal-Ranked Cultivation Technique being created is powerful and deep. So much so that it had probably made a round around the entire lower heavens."

Tatyana placed her chin on the palm of her hand as she amusedly looked at the wide-eyed spirits. "We've seen only these groups as otherworlders because, as I said, this is the lower heavens, and only worlds on the verge of ascending would have people powerful enough to start tracking where it came from."

Embera stuttered while speaking rapidly. "W-Wait, wait, what rank? What kind of cultivation technique can create a fluctuation powerful enough to shake the foundations of the ENTIRE lower heavens!?"

Tatyana lifted her eyebrow. "You probably don't know it. Immortal Rank."

Nyxeris, the light spirit, asked with an uncertain expression. "So, um. How many ranks is that above a peak-level Transcendent Treasure?"

Tatyana rolled her eyes. "A lot."

The spirits felt their lips twitch.

Andrea asked. "So, is there anything special I must do with this new Dantian, or, as Body Cultivators call it, [Epoch Core]?"

Tatyana nodded. "Yes, you have to practice its use like any other skill. You need to analyze its connections and paths closely and how it turns energy into bodily strength. Moreover, since it is linked with your spiritualized Dantian, you need to find a way to make both of them link together."

Tatyana clarified. "This last step is for the far future, so don't worry much about it now. Your priority is making use of the [Epoch Core] as if it were your second nature. Try to use it to strengthen your entire body, release bursts during impact, and much more. In short, think of it and your muscles as one."

Andrea frowned, finding it complicated. It wasn't only she, as the rest of the girls similarly found all of what Tatyana said quite a tricky matter. Andrea sighed. "Well, I'll try my best."

Tatyana laughed. "As you should."

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