Lin Xueya sat cross-legged inside the vast, luminous small world, her hands unconsciously resting on her lower abdomen. The faint spiritual fluctuations from the three little lives within her womb seemed to echo in her soul. For the first time since her transmigration, her eyes softened—not with despair, but with warmth and determination.
"These children… they are my reason to live. No matter what happens, I will protect them," she whispered, her voice trembling yet resolute.
The system's cold yet gentle chime rang out in her mind:
[System Reminder: Host's pregnancy has been fully stabilized. Protective spiritual barrier activated. Current fetus status: Healthy.]
A faint golden aura enveloped her belly, like the tender embrace of heaven itself. Xueya could feel the energy strengthening her blood and meridians, soothing both her body and spirit.
She clenched her fists. Memories of her previous world resurfaced—her miscarriages, her broken marriage, her family's cruelty, the loneliness of standing at the edge of despair. All those wounds bled once more inside her heart, but now they were tempered into an unyielding vow.
"I was abandoned once. I lost everything once. But not this time. Not in this life!"
Her voice reverberated across the small world, and the spiritual herbs around her swayed as if responding to her conviction.
The three unborn children seemed to pulse faintly within her womb, their spiritual essence resonating with her vow. It was as if they too acknowledged her words.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xueya gazed upward. The sky of the small world glittered with endless stars. She raised her right hand and drew a blood mark across her palm, pressing it against her chest.
"I, Lin Xueya, swear to the heavens above and the dao below: I will guard my children with my life. For every drop of blood spilled by my enemies, I will repay with rivers. For every tear shed by my children, I will erase with eternal peace. This is my oath!"
The moment her words fell, thunder roared faintly across the starry dome of the small world. A ripple of dao resonance spread outward, shaking the very herbs and mountains within. The Tungku Ilahi glowed faintly in acknowledgment.
The system's voice echoed once again:
[Oath recognized. Heaven and earth bear witness. Host has established a life-bound dao heart.]
Xueya's aura flared violently, breaking through the fragile barrier of her cultivation. The abundant energy of the world surged into her meridians like a flood. In just a few breaths, she advanced a full minor realm.
Her breathing steadied, her back straightened. She was no longer the broken woman of before. She was a mother, a cultivator, and a future sovereign.
The path of eternity stretched far ahead, but now she had something worth protecting—and a fire that could never be extinguished.
---
The small world pulsed with a rhythm of its own, a boundless sea of spiritual energy so dense it almost shimmered in the air. Lin Xueya sat quietly, her breathing synchronized with the flow around her. Each inhalation brought torrents of spiritual qi flooding into her meridians, and each exhalation left her body lighter, stronger, more refined.
"This place… it's heaven itself," she murmured.
The system's neutral tone chimed within her mind:
[Reminder: The small world contains spiritual energy a hundred times denser than the outside. Continuous cultivation here will yield results beyond imagination. Estimated time to double current cultivation: three months.]
Lin Xueya widened her eyes. In her old body's memories, even geniuses took years to achieve what she could now grasp in a fraction of that time. To her, who had once been powerless and abandoned, this was nothing short of a miracle.
She shifted her focus inward. The rivers of qi in her body grew wider, stronger. Her dantian, once fragile, now brimmed with vitality. She could feel her veins expanding to carry the surge, as if her entire existence was being reforged.
Suddenly, the herbs in the surrounding fields began to sway. Their fragrance intensified, and faint motes of light floated from them, converging toward her. It wasn't just energy—these plants willingly released their essence to support her cultivation.
Lin Xueya's heart trembled. "Even heaven and earth want me to grow stronger…"
For hours, she immersed herself in meditation. The cycles of energy spun endlessly, breaking barriers in her meridians. A roaring sensation filled her chest, like a dragon awakening from slumber.
Then—boom!
A pillar of golden light erupted from her body, soaring upward into the skies of the small world. It stretched endlessly, forming a beacon that resonated with the stars above.
[System Notification: Congratulations! Host has broken through to Foundation Establishment Realm (Initial Stage). Reward unlocked: Minor Dao Protection Talisman.]
Lin Xueya's eyes snapped open, golden light flickering in her pupils. Her body radiated warmth, her spirit felt boundless. The aura around her was no longer that of a helpless woman—it was sharp, commanding, like the edge of an unsheathed blade.
She slowly stood, her robes fluttering in the unseen wind of qi that surrounded her. She clenched her fists, marveling at the raw strength surging through her veins.
"This… is just the beginning."
She lowered her gaze to her belly, gently caressing it. The three lives within pulsed with even stronger vitality, nourished by her breakthrough.
"For them… I will climb as high as heaven allows."
Above her, the golden pillar of energy slowly faded, but its mark upon her soul remained. Lin Xueya had stepped firmly onto the path of eternity.
---
The Ilahi Furnace stood in the center of the small world like a divine monument. Its bronze surface was carved with runes that shifted and glowed faintly, exuding an aura of antiquity and power. Lin Xueya approached it with cautious reverence.
"This furnace… it feels alive," she whispered.
The system's voice answered:
[Notification: Tungku Ilahi is bound to host. It recognizes you as master. Do you wish to access alchemy inheritance?]
"Yes."
A flood of knowledge poured into her mind, vast and profound. Recipes, techniques, dao insights of countless alchemists—everything was transmitted directly into her soul. Her head ached, but her heart surged with exhilaration.
Among the sea of knowledge, one simple formula caught her attention:
Blood and Soul Nurturing Pill.
A pill designed to strengthen blood flow, calm the mind, and stabilize a mother's womb. It was perfect for her current state.
She scanned the fields of herbs in the small world. Every ingredient listed in the recipe was here, growing in abundance. Ginseng older than centuries, lotus seeds shimmering with dew, soul-nurturing grass that glowed under moonlight—it was as if the world had prepared itself just for her.
She gathered the herbs carefully and placed them inside the furnace. Her heart pounded. This would be her very first attempt at alchemy.
The system guided her gently:
[Step one: Refine impurities. Step two: Fuse essences. Step three: Condense pill with dao flame.]
With a deep breath, Lin Xueya summoned her qi. A pale golden flame sparked from her palm and ignited the furnace. The herbs inside hissed, releasing their essence in wisps of colorful smoke.
Her control was shaky at first. The flame wavered, nearly too strong, then too weak. Sweat dampened her forehead. Memories of failure in her past life threatened to haunt her again, but she bit her lip and pressed forward.
"No… not this time. I won't fail again."
Slowly, her rhythm stabilized. The essences merged, swirling into a golden mist inside the furnace. She focused, channeling her determination into the dao flame.
Time passed. The mist condensed, forming into small, round pills that shone with gentle light.
Ding!
The furnace lid opened slightly, releasing a fragrant aroma that filled the world. Inside lay three shimmering pills, glowing like tiny suns.
[System Notification: Alchemy success. Host has refined three Blood and Soul Nurturing Pills of Excellent Grade.]
Tears welled in Lin Xueya's eyes as she held the pills in her palm.
"This… this is my path forward. I'm no longer powerless."
She consumed one pill. Warmth surged through her veins, calming her body, strengthening her womb. She could feel the three lives within her responding, their spiritual essence growing stronger.
Lin Xueya clenched her fist. "For my children… and for myself… I will become the greatest alchemist this world has ever seen."
---
The stillness of the small world was unsettling. The fragrance of the Blood and Soul Nurturing Pill lingered in the air, but Lin Xueya's heart refused to calm.
She sat cross-legged, her breathing steady, yet her mind replayed the fragments of memory—blood, a scream, a man's hand torn away from hers. Her husband's life extinguished before her eyes.
Clutching her belly, she whispered, "Why? Why were we attacked on the third day of our marriage? Who wanted him dead?"
The system's cold chime echoed:
[System Notice: External information regarding human affairs cannot be provided. The system exists solely to guide cultivation, survival, and growth of the host and unborn heirs.]
Her eyes trembled. So, the system would not answer her questions about enemies, nor the truth behind the slaughter. That path… she had to walk alone.
Another notification sounded:
[Host Status: Stable. Fetal vitality: Increasing steadily. Current cultivation: Mid Foundation Establishment.]
[Unlocked Function: Mission Panel.]
Curious, Lin Xueya opened the panel.
Survival Mission: Protect the unborn heirs until birth.
Reward: Strengthening Pill (Basic).
Cultivation Mission: Reach Core Formation within three years.
Reward: Random Spirit Tool.
Hidden Mission: ???
Her hand tightened into a fist. These tasks were not trivial—they were a path carved in blood and perseverance.
"Survive… protect my children… grow stronger…" she murmured. Each word ignited a deeper flame in her chest.
The small world trembled faintly, resonating with her determination. It was not the system that would reveal her enemies—it would be her own investigation, her own blade.
"For him… for them… I will find the truth myself."
She looked at her reflection in the jade pond nearby. No longer a frightened widow. A cultivator, a mother, and now… a warrior forged by loss.
"This is only the beginning," she said, voice cold yet resolute. "Whoever hides behind this veil of blood—I will uncover you. And when I do… you will pay."
The system chimed one last time, indifferent yet unwavering:
[Mission Panel Activated. The path forward belongs to the host alone.]
---
Her fingers traced her lower abdomen, sensing the faint pulse of three tiny lives growing within. A fragile yet unyielding responsibility tied her to this new existence.
"I cannot hide here forever," she whispered. "If I want to protect them, I must step out into the real world… and face it."
The system responded with its neutral chime:
[Reminder: The small world may be entered or exited freely by the host and heirs. Entry is undetectable to outsiders.]
That was all. No advice, no guidance on enemies. Her path belonged to her alone.
Xueya closed her eyes, and the memories she inherited from her new body surged forth—her husband's warm smile during their brief three days together, the celebration in the clan, then fire, blood, and silence. The pain of loss weighed heavy, but beneath it blazed determination.
"I swear… I will not let your death be in vain," she murmured, her gaze sharp.
Summoning her first clone, she watched as the figure took form—an identical mirror of herself, yet with eyes that awaited her command.
"You will scout ahead," she ordered calmly. "If danger lingers outside, I need to know before I step into it."
The clone bowed, a perfect copy of her voice replying, "As you will." In an instant, the figure vanished into the portal that connected the small world to the ruined courtyard outside.
Minutes passed like hours. When the clone's voice returned telepathically, her expression hardened.
"The courtyard is in ruins. Bloodstains remain. The attackers have left, but… something feels wrong. A lingering aura, thick with malice."
Xueya clenched her fists. The danger had passed for now, but shadows remained.
She exhaled deeply, summoning her courage. Then she stepped forward, crossing the portal with steady resolve.
The world outside greeted her with silence. The once-bright courtyard was charred black, shattered walls crumbling under the weight of destruction. Her husband's blood still marked the stone tiles, dried and dark.
Her heart twisted, but she forced herself to look. To remember. To bear witness.
"This is the first step," she said, her voice low but unwavering. "From today on, I walk the path of an immortal—not for glory, but for survival, for vengeance, and for my children."
The cold wind howled through the broken beams, carrying with it the faint scent of ashes. Lin Xueya straightened her back, eyes shining with determination.
She had stepped onto the immortal path. There was no turning back.
---