The Solar Clone, ever the researcher, had successfully mapped and constructed an Essence Artery Grid—an intricate lattice that multiplied the Quality and quantity of essence flow. Even now, he delved deeper, refining it toward perfection.
And because the six cores had unified—Solar fully integrated with Third Eye—the benefits cascaded.
Golden insight flooded the Solar Clone's mind. Perception sharpened to rival the Third Eye Clone's. Flashes of profound understanding illuminated his research as never before.
The Sacral Clone, once quietly envious of the Third Eye's supremacy in matters of insight and karma, now felt that envy dissolve. The unified nexus granted him access to the same heightened perception. Karmic threads appeared before his vision like silken strands of light; the mysteries of the Divine Sage profession unfolded to him as naturally as breathing.
The memories continued to unfold, clear and vivid, as though Ankit himself had stood beside the Solar Clone through every moment.
He saw Astra—his loyal companion, the cow whose gentle eyes belied terrifying strength—following the Solar Clone deep into forest and mountains around the world where mostly early Stage 1 beasts roamed in packs. At first, the fights were almost laughably one-sided. Astra charged with primal grace, horns glowing faintly with essence, her massive frame shattering trees and foes alike. Victory came swiftly, again and again.
Pride began to creep into her stance. Her tail flicked with arrogance; her bellows carried a note of disdain.
The Solar Clone, ever perceptive, noticed at once.
Without a word, he led her away from the land and into the ocean, diving miles beneath the waves where sunlight thinned to ghostly blue. There, in crushing depths, dwelled the true leviathans—aquatic beasts of mid and late Stage 1, ancient serpents and armored titans whose instincts had been honed across years.
The battles that followed were fierce.
Currents churned into whirlpools. Blood clouded the water. Yet Astra prevailed, time and again. The skills the Solar Clone had patiently instilled—precise essence control, leverage of momentum, prediction of instinct-driven attacks—proved superior to raw feral cunning. She danced through the darkness, horns piercing vital organs, hooves cracking impenetrable shells.
When the last colossal opponent sank lifeless into the abyss, the Solar Clone placed a hand upon her flank.
"Enough," he said softly. "They are not your opponent, let's go."
He brought her home to the fortress.
There, he unveiled Stage 2 of the Primal Harmony Ascendancy—a path crafted solely for her kind.
Stage 1 had forged the three rings: body, mind, soul—crude but stable circuits of essence that elevated her far beyond ordinary beasts.
Stage 2 would transmute those rings into true cores.
Three substages, each a profound metamorphosis:
Substage 1 – Condensation of the Body Core
The body ring compresses inward, crystallizing into a radiant golden core within her heart, multiplying physical might, resilience, and regenerative power a hundredfold.
Substage 2 – Condensation of the Brain Core
The mind ring spirals into a luminous pearl between her brows, sharpening intelligence, granting tactical brilliance.
Substage 3 – Condensation of the Soul Core
The soul ring gathers at the deepest center, forming an core of pure will—the beast becomes capable of projecting this will beyond the body, intimidating foes with overwhelming presence, even crushing the mortals beneath the weight of its will alone.
The Solar Clone began guiding her with unwavering focus, and he also have a greater vision that will crystallize into reality soon. That vision had first sparked from Ankit's path—the profound merging of soul with core.
Inspired, the Solar Clone resolved to weave the same unification into Primal Harmony Ascendancy's Stage 3, granting Astra a transcendent fusion of body, mind, soul, and.
There, the three cores would resonate, then fuse with Astra's innate beast soul, achieving a harmony akin to Ankit's own Nexus Unification. Body, mind, soul, would become one seamless whole.
Human Stage 3 cultivators, overpowered by their two extra cores -- heart and throat, would no longer pose a threat. Astra's unique physiology—vast frame, boundless vitality, will—would bloom into power soon.
Astra cultivated with unwavering devotion. When not immersed in meditation, she aided the family and Puppets.
The memories from the Root Clone flowed in next, deep and shadowed, like roots delving into the black soil of the soul.
Ankit saw how the Root Clone, true to his name and nature, had turned inward first—seeking mastery over the elusive higher elements that bordered the ethereal.
For two full months, the Root Clone entered unbroken slumber within a sealed dream chamber. No food, no movement, only the slow rhythm of breath as he immersed himself in the Dream Element. He wove through endless layers of illusion, shaped nightmares into palaces, dissolved waking reality into mist. When he finally opened his eyes, the Dream Element obeyed him perfectly—dreams could be planted, shaped, or shattered at a thought. He could step into the dreams of others across vast distances, or cloak entire regions in gentle slumber.
From dream, he turned to its darker twin: Fear.