Chapter 97: The Dual Cores and an Unexpected Interruption

Upon hearing Moweila’s explanation, Bai Yu’s burgeoning excitement immediately deflated.

She had already envisioned her battle strategy, planning how to disguise her abilities before stunning her opponents with a decisive counter-attack.

It seemed her grand fantasies would remain just that—fantasies.

[While it may not serve as a frequently utilized ability, this black hole vortex, functioning as a secondary heart, grants you the power of underwater breathing.]

Moweila continued, explaining that the vortex possessed a superior capacity for absorbing oxygen from water, far surpassing the efficacy of ordinary secret arts.

Most secret arts offering underwater breathing demanded significant spiritual expenditure and came with temporal limitations; Bai Yu’s, however, functioned as a perpetual, passive ability.

“Underwater breathing, now that’s genuinely useful.”

Bai Yu nodded, relieved to finally possess an ability she deemed genuinely practical.

[In essence, this black hole vortex merely marks a foundational starting point on your journey of advancement, yet it’s an exceptionally robust one.]

Even without Moweila’s explicit mention, Bai Yu instinctively understood.

A spiritual energy capacity of this magnitude was utterly unprecedented in her experience.

Indeed, even if she were to speak of it, no one would likely believe her.

As Bai Yu sensed the black hole vortex within her, it felt akin to one of her spiritual cores having taken tangible form.

Nevertheless, the spiritual energy within her body remained predominantly [Stars], for the disparity between a third-tier and a second-tier core made their relative strengths immediately apparent.

“Is it possible to control the spiritual energy distribution? I’d like to experience that black-haired form again.”

Bai Yu inquired of Moweila, hesitant to carelessly direct her spiritual energy towards the black hole vortex, fearing a catastrophic spiritual rampage should she mishandle it.

[Can you not be so naive? This is an entity residing within your own body; how could it possibly spiral out of control so easily?]

Moweila responded with a sigh of exasperation, as Bai Yu’s peculiar thought processes frequently rendered her speechless.

A flush crept across Bai Yu’s cheeks upon hearing this, and without further ado, she disregarded Moweila, directly guiding the spiritual energy within her body toward the black hole vortex.

The spiritual energy emanating from the [Stars] spiritual core was instantly devoured upon entering the vortex, only to re-emerge as the pitch-black essence of the [Evernight] spiritual core.

“It actually works!”

A surge of excitement coursed through Bai Yu; if this spiritual energy was truly her own, then it must surely be amenable to her control.

Bai Yu, much like a child discovering a novel toy, continuously manipulated the spiritual energy within her, shifting its form with delight.

As the spiritual energy of the [Evernight] core intensified, Bai Yu’s hair slowly deepened to black, and her eyes transformed into obsidian pools, mirroring the depths of a star-studded night sky.

A subtle, starlike luminescence shimmered within their depths.

“I’ve truly transformed!”

Gazing at her reflection, Bai Yu acknowledged that while her white hair had been undeniably charming, her original hair color had always been black.

This transformation felt like a nostalgic return.

Perhaps this could even serve as a means of concealing her identity in the future.

Reverting to her original appearance proved even simpler; she merely needed to channel the spiritual energy of the [Evernight] core back into the black hole vortex.

The vortex functioned like a crucial transit hub, meticulously balancing the two distinct spiritual cores.

Furthermore, Bai Yu discovered that her abilities subtly shifted, adapting to her current form.

When the [Evernight] spiritual core held sway, Bai Yu perceived a significant enhancement in all her night-based capabilities.

Moreover, she sensed that in this particular form, even activating [Kin of the Night] during daylight hours would grant her a tenfold amplification.

Conversely, her other two secret arts, [Blade of the Faceless Moon] and [Silvermoon Slash], experienced a noticeable reduction in power.

Now that she had ascended to the third-tier dimension, Bai Yu could unleash the full potential of these two secret arts.

Her hundredfold spiritual energy reserves allowed her to expend it without reservation, akin to drawing from a bottomless well.

The black-haired Bai Yu couldn’t suppress a triumphant laugh, her eagerness for a truly exhilarating battle now irrepressible.

****

However, at that very moment, the door to Bai Yu’s room abruptly burst open, and two figures surged in, instantly pinning her down.

“What’s happening? Why are they so incredibly strong!”

Bai Yu had no time to process the sudden assault; she had been reveling in her newfound power just moments before, and now found herself inexplicably restrained.

Bai Yu immediately channeled all her strength, thrashing violently against her captors.

She even activated [Kin of the Night], willing an endless surge of power to flow through her body!

Yet, just as she felt on the verge of breaking free, her two assailants reapplied their pressure, pinning Bai Yu down once more.

‘How could this be?’ Bai Yu fumed, her anger boiling.

She vowed to discover the identities of her attackers.

This was simply too much.

Turning her head, Bai Yu was astonished to find her own Mother and Stella holding her down.

They held Bai Yu firmly, preventing any escape.

For a fleeting moment, an awkward silence descended as the three of them stared at each other.

In the dimness of the room, Tianyu and Stella both froze upon seeing Bai Yu’s face; the black-haired girl before them was, astonishingly, Bai Yu.

Yet, moments before, they had distinctly sensed two disparate spiritual energy fluctuations.

While Tianyu and Moweila lacked Lu Xingyao’s precise ability to discern individual spiritual auras, they were still highly perceptive.

As high-ranking Arcanists, they had unmistakably detected the presence of two entirely distinct spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Bai Yu’s room.

Such a scenario could only indicate one thing: an intruder.

Their hearts pounded with shock; how could anyone possibly infiltrate their defenses, especially under the watchful eyes of an eighth-tier Arcanist like Tianyu?

Without hesitation, they burst into the dimly lit room and immediately pinned Bai Yu to the floor.

Tianyu had even braced herself, prepared for a formidable confrontation.

It was only upon seeing Bai Yu’s endearing face that they finally registered the truth.

Their initial thought was whether someone might be impersonating Bai Yu, especially given that an imposter had previously attempted to infiltrate by posing as Tianyu herself.

Tianyu was certainly not one to be deceived twice.

Consequently, neither she nor Stella released their grip, instead pressing Bai Yu for answers.

“Speak, who exactly are you?”

Tianyu’s voice was sharp and menacing as she delivered a firm smack to Bai Yu’s rear.

“Ah! Stop hitting me!”

Bai Yu immediately curled into a ball, struggling fiercely, but their relentless grip caused agonizing pain throughout her body.

“It’s me, Bai Yu! Your daughter! Please, stop hitting me!”

Tears welled in Bai Yu’s eyes, utterly bewildered by the situation.

Tianyu paused, her actions momentarily halted by the familiar timbre of the voice, which stirred a flicker of hesitation within her.

Yet, the memory of a previous impersonation attempt remained starkly vivid, making Tianyu wary of readily trusting the person before her.

Maintaining her hold on Bai Yu, she decided to pose a few questions.

“Why were your parents first called to your kindergarten?!”

Tianyu’s abrupt question caught Stella off guard, eliciting a moment of stunned silence from her.

‘Isn’t that a rather tangential line of questioning?’ Stella inwardly mused.

Nevertheless, Bai Yu, still pinned beneath them, responded fluently and without hesitation.

“Because I bullied the girl sitting next to me! Now, let me go! Waaah!”

Bai Yu felt as though her world was crumbling; not only had her embarrassing past been exposed, but she was also being spanked right in front of Stella.