Chapter 302: Chapter 302. Finding Kali, Valeria's change.
Even if the others were moving toward Yasenia, they would need some days of travel to reach her. The secret realm was honestly gigantic, to the point that even though millions had entered, you could only spot groups of five, ten, or twenty from time to time.
Believing that Kali wouldn't wander too far off, Yasenia and Angel didn't search for her outside the forest. They decided to circle the area, using the communication devices as a radar to find her.
While Yasenia and Angel walked around the forest, Angel got curious and began asking some questions. "Yasenia, I have some questions..."
Yasenia looked at Angel, and seeing her serious little face, she stopped running and looked at her. "What's wrong, Angel?"
Angel's face became strange, and she asked a little awkwardly, "W-Why did you stop calling me baby?"
Yasenia was instantly stumped, 'Right, why did I stop?'
Yasenia sighed and smiled, caressing Angel's head softly. "I don't know. It has been so long that... Sigh. Sorry, you are my precious little girl. How could I not be calling you baby, right?"
Angel blinked and said, "But it has only been two weeks. You are acting really strange. Are you okay, Yasenia? Do you want to rest?"
Yasenia felt the dissonance from those twenty years hitting her harshly, 'Two weeks... It has only been two weeks.'
Yasenia hugged Angel closer to her and surrounded her with her arms and long tail. Angel basically disappeared into Yasenia's embrace. Angel was surprised and hugged her back. She could feel clear distress from their newly acquired connection. Angel patted Yasenia's back and said, "There, there. Everything is okay."
Yasenia felt her heart squeezing and kissed Angel's head, "Yes. Now that you are here, everything is okay. I will tell you about it when we all reunite, okay, baby?"
Angel smiled at Yasenia's natural way of calling her and nodded, rubbing against those soft mounds. "Okay. It feels really good to know how you feel through the connection!"
Yasenia chuckled softly and separated slightly to look at Angel's face, "Does it? Are you happy about it?"
Angel's smile bloomed like a beautiful flower, and she nodded happily, "En! I really like it!"
Yasenia kissed her softly. "You are like a healing medicine, baby. I love you, I really do. With all my heart."
Our baby blushed and dove right inside those mounds again, sniffing Yasenia's relaxing floral scent.
After having some more cuddles together, Angel didn't insist anymore on Yasenia's strangeness and spoke about what happened to her after she left the town. Yasenia listened attentively, trying to guess where Kali would go after helping Angel to enter the Trial. Yasenai concluded, "She must have gone to search for wild flora. She seemed very interested in collecting plants along the way."
Angel exclaimed, "Smart! Should we find her tracks around the Ritual area?"
Yasenia shook her head, "The battle between Saintess Fu Jing Jing and me must have destroyed any tracks in the surroundings. I would be able to find her scent trail if I remember it... But it is really fuzzy in my memories. However, I'm sure that if I get a whiff, I will perfectly remember about it."
One whole day went by as they searched for Kali.
In the afternoon of that same day, Yasenia's communication device suddenly vibrated, 'Did I find her?'
Yasenia and Angel followed the signal. When they reached in front of a cave entrance made of roots, Yasenia's nose twitched and picked up a lingering aroma. 'Soft, like recently cut grass, and like recently watered earth. This is Kali's scent without a doubt.'
Yasenia's face brightened, and she said, "Follow me, baby. I picked up something."
Yasenia shot forward, and Angel ran behind her. What impressed them both was the paths they had to follow. The cave system under the trees was complex, filled with twists and turns, and with bifurcations almost every one hundred meters. Not only that, Angel picked up hidden entrances, borrows, and nests between the root walls.
If it wasn't because Yasenia's aura practically making every creature cower in fear, they could have been attacked plenty of times by now.
Were it not because the devices were set on linear distance, Yasenia wouldn't have been able to find this place. She calculated that although they had been moving for almost five minutes, they hadn't advanced a whole lot overall-position-wise.
However, with the help of the device, Angel's spiritual sense, and Yasenia's keen sense of smell, they found the correct exit.
When they exited the root caves, a place worthy of being called a paradise appeared before them. Without them knowing, they have been going lower and lower into the underground. And now, they were in a place where you could see the trees' roots hanging on the ceiling and natural light emanating from them.
The lake wasn't very big, with just five hundred meters from shore to shore. However, it was a beautiful sight to look at. Colorful trees, flowers, plants, and other vegetation surrounded the mirror-like lake.
Moreover, exotic plant-based life surrounded this water body. The creatures were extremely varied, and some Yasenia didn't even know they existed. A walking flower, a human-like cactus, a dress-wearing man-eating plant. The variety was spectacular.
All of them were looking at the center of it, observing the ongoing spectacle.
Yasenia and Angel followed their gaze to the middle of the lake, and there they saw her.
A fox woman was seated cross-legged on the middle of the lake, with a three-meter-tall voluptuous green lady sitting the same way in front of her. Below them, a lotus leaf maintained them afloat as tendrils of water danced around them, pink lotuses blossoming around them.
However, Both women had a big difference compared to the past.
Valeria was the same three-meter-tall voluptuous lady, but her normal green hair was now laced with flowers. It complemented her long floral dress and disposition, making her look like a flower spirit.
The plain wooden staff she normally summoned was floating at the side, more complex than before. Her previously green skin was now lighter, and her aura was incomparably deeper and stronger.
On the other side, Kali had a change Yasenia didn't expect.
Beside the fox tail, there was another!
Her chestnut-colored hair had a reddish glow, and the light green fur on her two tails was more fluffy and soft-looking. However, from what Yasenia remembered, the biggest change was her scars.
They were still there, but now they were the same color as her skin, a healthy rosy color.
They weren't terrifying anymore. Even though they were still somewhat strange, it wouldn't scare people just looking at her face. Moreover, her aura was filled with life-attributed energy, and even the water plants around her were growing at visible speed thanks to it.
They blossomed, lost their petals, and then those petals were carried by their combined aura in a trip around them, beautifying the spectacle even more.
The visuals were extremely beautiful and mystical. It was as if Kali and Valeria were creating plant life around them with their presence alone.
At that moment, Kali's aura spread like a gentle wind, surrounding every creature present. It wasn't violent like other people's aura burst. No, it was as if someone was placing a warm blanket on you.
Yasenia and Angel felt their feelings relax as if a gentle mother cradled them in her embrace.
However, this only lasted for an instant as her aura took a wild turn.
Below them, the water spun, creating a whirlpool, leaving Kali and Valeria sitting on top of a plant-based platform.
Their aura changed and became extremely violent as if showing that Nature, even if gentle, could also be extremely devastating and powerful.
Both of them opened their eyes at the same time, and their auras skyrocketed!
All the life energy that had accumulated in the surroundings rushed toward the pair in the middle of the lake, increasing their cultivation to the next level.
And that level was the Unification Realm.
*BOOOM!*
A tide-like energy wave pushed the water and made the lake's bottom visible. Grey clouds appeared above Kali and Valeria, carrying terrifying lightning.
Yasenia was surprised, "She advanced into the Unification Realm!"
Angel said with a smile, "Hehe, I was first in reaching this realm~."
Yasenia gently looked at her and softly caressed her silky blonde hair. "My little Angel is extremely talented, after all."
Valeria and Kali stood on the plant platform and took out their weapons. A wooden sword and the coiling staff. Then, they looked at the clouds, and Kali softly called, "Come."
Lightning fell right after.
Yasenia observed the Tribulation and was impressed at how easily Kali faced it. However, she was also confused about why the Tribulation seemed so soft. It wasn't that Yasenia was too strong and saw the Tribulation as weak. No, the normal feeling of "Heaven's punishment" wasn't there.
The Tribulation to enter the Unification Realm had twenty-seven lightning bolts.
A single sword swing from Kali destroyed the lightning strikes from the first to the fifteenth.
The next five lightning strikes were blasted into energy particles by Valeria's one strike, and for the last seven, Valeria and Kali combined efforts and destroyed them or blocked them, barely using any skills.
It was as if the Heavens themselves allowed them to go to the next realm as if they wanted Kali to pass the Tribulation.
After that easy display, all the particles from the lightning tribulation rushed toward them. Yasenia saw Valeria waving her staff and redirecting that Heavenly Energy inside of Kali.
After that, their aura's increased one more time, reaching the next level.
Now, the aura explosion was a combination of both traits from Nature. It was a gentle wind that carried strength.
This time, Kali's body didn't have any more changes, but Valeria's was different.
The flowers on her hair multiplied in a stunning display of natural beauty. They interlocked, changed colors, and grew on top of her head, creating a crown made of exotic flowers. Her aura didn't become stronger but deeper, making Yasenia feel pressured. At that moment, Yasenia understood that until she broke through, she wouldn't be able to beat that three-meter-tall lady. She even doubted her winning chances after activating [Day and Night].
The [Golden Crown] had evolved and became a [Golden Flower Queen]!
After the Tribulation, Kali regained her senses and breathed out, feeling extremely refreshed.
She looked at Valeria with a smile. 'All of this thanks to Valeria for finding this spot.'
Suddenly, Valeria looked back at Kali, her green eyes with slit golden pupils radiating a soft light, "Mistress, congratulations on becoming stronger."
The other three women's mouth's dropped open.
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