Hello, dear readers! Too lazy to cut it into three parts today, so here is the full chapter!
Do check Episode 4 of my Youtube Series here: https://youtu.be/W3HpWZlDLnM
Anyway, that's it for today, so if you can and want to support my work, do pledge at least a month on Patre0n (Starts at 1€/month) and/or buy my book (8€=9USD) through the links below.
Bye!
Support Links:
-Don't hesitate to Follow, Review, Favorite, Power stone, share etc. (Depends on the platform you're currently reading on) if you like my different novels. It helps a lot with growing the number of readers.
-YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWanderersUniverse
-(Ebook Format)Book 1 - 'Memories Of The Past' is available for purchase through this link for those of you interested (8€=9USD): https://book.stripe.com/4gw9Dr9n0aMn7dK3cd
-I've set up a Stripe page, so if you feel like making a one time donation of any amount, don't hesitate to swing by. Thank you in advance! https://buy.stripe.com/4gwdTHfLo2fR2Xu6oo
-If you prefer having something 'tangible' for your donation, you can visit my patre0n page.
My patre0n: https://www.patreon.com/CalmWanderer
To all my Patrons: Thank you very much for your support!
*************************
Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
After a few seconds, Bryn and Liya found themselves in front of the cultivation room where Sera and Demian were waiting for her, its door slightly ajar.
For some strange reason, upon seeing the latter, the two women felt a surge of nervousness appear in their hearts.
Unbeknownst to them, the normal-sized door seemed to grow progressively bigger in their mind's eyes, their heartbeat and breathing accelerating beyond normal, which, given their cultivation, should have obviously been impossible.
After a few moments of observation, with the tension they were experiencing growing almost out of control, Liya suddenly took a deep breath, turned toward her oldest daughter, and declared.
"Let's go, sweetie. I'm sure they're waiting for us."
Whether those words were uttered to convince Bryn or herself, only Liya was aware.
Nonetheless, they had the intended effect as both sensed some of the tension previously gripping their hearts subsiding somewhat.
Nodding slightly, Bryn replied.
"Let's go in."
As those words left her lips, Liya grabbed her hand, half to reassure herself and half to reassure her daughter, before she pushed the door open completely and walked inside along with Bryn.
As the room behind was unveiled, what greeted them was Demian chatting with Seraphine, with the former standing while the latter was still sitting cross-legged, clearly having been disturbed from her cultivation session.
With a quick sweep of her eyes, Liya noticed the reluctance on her younger daughter's face and the exasperated expression on the young man's own.
"But I need to cultivate more..."
The dark elf's pouting tone felt amusing to both Liya and Bryn, bringing a similar grin to their faces, though neither said a word, instead opting to listen to the 'drama'.
After letting out a tired sigh, Demian then started rubbing his eyes while replying.
"I keep telling you that you don't need to be so impatient. Even if you take more time, with my Perk at work, you won't lose out at all, even if you take a few more days."
Well, that was not exactly true as the dual cultivation attribute of his Perks worked better the less difference there was between their cultivation level.
But no matter the case, their cultivation speed was already so swift that calling it lightning fast would almost be selling it short, especially since with the constant growth of his talent, his cultivation speed kept increasing as well.
So, did those few days or even weeks matter in the grand scheme of things?
Clearly not!
Instead, it would clearly be much smarter to use those few days or weeks to master the new techniques, which would greatly increase her safety when facing her Tribulation.
No matter what, Demian would not play with any of his women's lives just for a slight boost in his cultivation.
Hearing his reproachful tone, Sera realized that she had probably gone a bit too far this time.
Truthfully, she was well aware of that truth, but seeing both him and her sister having reached the Foundation Building Rank, traces of impatience started growing in her heart.
It was not some sort of childish ego thing, but simply because she only wished to be able to help their family of four as much as she could.
After Petrovich's men attacked their penthouse a few months ago, and the only thing she had been able to do was hide like a coward behind a sofa while Demian was the one taking bullets to protect her mother and her, she had sworn to herself that she would do everything in her power to avoid being that helpless, blind girl again.
Fortunately, by using Demian's Perks, she had been able to fulfill that promise to herself during the Estate battle and be a major help to everyone.
Sure, she may have been weaker than her older sister and Demian himself at the time, but if it had not been for her, their side would have had many more casualties, and even her mother might have been among them.
With that success, a feeling of satisfaction mixed with pride had begun to grow in her heart.
Normally, that would have been a positive thing, but as they say, 'Haste makes waste'.
Cultivation was not a sprint but a marathon, with scales involving hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years.
In front of such a long time, what was a mere few days or even weeks?
'Maybe, he's right. I've been a bit too obsessed.'
The young woman reflected, letting out a light sigh.
As her mind cleared and her previous irritation washed away, her gaze fell on the two newly arrivals bringing another thought to her mind.
Looking at the two smirking like children, a streak of annoyance mixed with mischievousness appeared in her heart, prompting her to exclaim with an 'innocent' expression.
"You two are finally here. I almost thought you'd given up on bonding with Dem. We did have some VEEERRRYYY fun bedroom 'activities' while you both idled around. Too bad you weren't there."
Seeing the smirk on their faces replaced by annoyance, Sera's heart finally felt some balance, her eyes narrowing in obvious pleasure.
'Better not mess with the first wife, bitches, or you better be prepared to be bullied back. Call it 'tough love'!'
Of course, out loud, she kept quiet, knowing how to keep her 'edge' hidden.
Now, whether it should be called edge or pettiness was still up for debate, but...
Snorting in displeasure, Liya did her characteristic, ridiculously seductive, 'angry' pose with her arms crossed below her heavy, bra-covered bust while commenting 'furiously', though the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.
"You're really looking for trouble, young lady. You think that just because you're stronger than me—FOR NOW—, you can bully me? Your own mother?"
While standing up from her previous cross-legged position, Sera rolled her eyes before gesturing toward her mother's upper body and retorting playfully.
"I'd be more scared if you weren't almost completely naked, trying to show off your boobs and ass in front of all of us."
Those words wiped the fake angry looks off of the oldest redhead's face, replacing it with a proud smirk as she retorted while slightly pushing her chest forward.
"Beautiful things shouldn't be hidden, don't you think? Also, whether it's you or your sister, you have no right to criticize me with what you're both wearing."
Indeed, both sisters were only wearing bras and a pair of tight shorts each, though Sera's own were both a lot more revealing, displaying a vast swath of soft ebony skin to the other three's eyes without any shame.
As they say, the apple never falls far from the tree.
Although it could not be said to be ALWAYS true, in this case, it clearly was.
Whether it was the mother or the youngest daughter, each was as shameless as the other, with their arms planted on their waists and chests protruding out proudly, as if to fight over who had the largest assets.
This was...
Ridiculous...
But then again, Demian was someone broad-minded, a true man of culture, so he was anything but bothered by the situation.
Thus, while the two were play-fighting with each other, throwing teasing remarks at each other's bodies as if they cost nothing—not that they did—, Demian was silently admiring each of their body, realizing how true the concept of complementary growth from Yin and Yang was.
Alone, both were stunning.
However, when each stood beside the other, their respective beauty seemed to gain a greater quality, propelling them beyond mere physical attraction.
'Is it the 1+1=3 I've heard of before? What if Bryn were added to the mix?'
While he pondered nonsensical topics, Bryn felt exasperated at the situation.
Weren't they supposed to bond?
What is up with this ridiculous situation?
After a few moments, she finally grew too impatient to listen anymore and suddenly exclaimed, interrupting the 'battle' between the two narcissistic women.
"That's enough with you two horny sl...Women! I just want to bond and be done with it, alright?"
Irritated, she almost let slip a bad word, but when she remembered that her mother was one of the two she was about to curse at, she smoothly replaced it with a 'tamer' word.
Hearing the golden-skinned woman's exclamation, Liya and Sera coughed with slight embarrassment before the latter commented.
"Right, the bond. I'll send a message to Teacher and Uncle Sergei to warn them of the potential commotion."
Actually, none of them knew what would happen externally.
Granted, with Demian's recent breakthrough, they did have some expectations about what benefits they would receive, but they knew nothing about how much commotion that would create.
Would it be as chaotic as during Demian's previous breakthrough?
Only by going through with it would they know.
Nonetheless, in case the commotion grew too big, they needed to warn Sergei and Ling, not only to help the four Mikhailovs fend off any external inquiries but also because the couple was partially aware of the four's... 'Unusual' characteristics, and would not question them much.
At most, they would only ask about the changes, but not how they came about, avoiding the awkward situation of having to lie to people they had come to care about.
Truly, when one had secrets, the best people to interact with were those smart and respectful people.
It truly saved them from many annoying situations.
Thus, while Sera was busy sending the two a message, Liya turned her gaze toward Demian and asked, her voice betraying a slight trace of anxiety.
"So... How do we do this, darling? And who should go first?"
Her question immediately caught Bryn's attention, whose gaze also moved toward his face, awaiting his answer.
Crossing his arms while sporting a pensive expression, the young man replied hesitantly.
"I don't think the order matters that much... Honestly, you should both get the same benefits, no matter who goes first."
Pausing for a second, he then corrected himself.
"Actually, it's not exactly true. Since there is a great difference between your cultivation levels, you might not get the same benefits."
Turning his gaze toward Adeliya's captivating oval face, noting her clenched jaw and how she subconsciously nibbled on her bottom lip.
The older woman may usually act as if she were fearless, but he knew better.
Although he had been too dense to notice before his 'awakening'—blame his young age—, a few months prior, now, with his cultivation constantly increasing and his previous life experience, it was easy to see through her facade of fearlessness.
Fear?
That was an emotion she was intimately acquainted with.
Whether it was during the Penthouse shootout, when Demian and Bryn went on their killing raid, or even during the Estate battle, she had clearly felt terrified.
Whether it was worry for her daughters, for Demian, or even for herself, fear was ever-present in her Heart.
However, as the saying goes, 'Bravery is not lacking fear but possessing the mental strength to overcome it'.
No matter what happened, she was always able to put her worries and concerns aside and bravely move forward.
And now?
Now, she was about to bond her Soul with another being, a man both familiar and unfamiliar.
He was both the kind of man she dreamed of, but paradoxically was frightened to 'have'.
He was supposed to be under her protection, but became her protector, the home she had been longing for for so long.
He was...
Her man!
As Liya's mind was full of a myriad thoughts, Demian added.
"Liya, Love, because your cultivation and current talent are the lowest, you should get the most out of the bonding ceremony."
Turning his gaze toward Bryn, who seemed to be calmer than her mother, at least outwardly, he then continued.
"Of course, you'll still get some benefits from it was well. And that's just the immediate 'rewards', but the most important Perk—pun intended—is the permanent cultivation boost effect. With the addition of you two, the Perk's effects are bound to grow much stronger, so don't be too upset if you get less than your Mom."
His reassuring words had a somewhat soothing effect on Bryn's nerves, the latter then shaking her head slightly while wearing a warm smile.
"I don't really care as long as I can bond with you."
The feeling in those few words brought a surge of happiness to Demian's heart, who commented playfully.
"I'll make sure you won't regret your decision today."
The two shared a brief smile before the golden-skinned woman's gaze turned toward her mother and said.
"Mom, you should go first. You heard what Dem said. I might not get many benefits this time around, so it doesn't matter if I go second."
With a look of hesitation, Liya replied.
"Are you sure, Sweetie? I don't mind going after you..."
Unlike her caring words, however, the other three immediately caught the hint of expectation turning into slight reluctance in her voice.
It seemed like her body was more truthful than her words.
Finding her mother's attitude both amusing and strangely adorable, Bryn simply nodded and said.
"Just go first. I'll wait."
Seeing the two having made their decision, Demian then moved to the center of the room and sat cross-legged, gesturing for Liya to sit in front of him while saying.
"Love?"
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, the older redhead nodded firmly and responded 'Coming', while moving to follow his instructions.
A moment later, and the two were sitting face to face, their respective expressions vastly different, with Demian's own radiating warmth while Liya's was much tenser.
Taking another deep breath, the latter asked with some hesitation.
"What now?"
Hearing the tension in her voice, the raven-haired man explained, his deep voice possessing a strong soothing quality, which seemed to wash away some of the concerns gripping her heart, leaving her much more relaxed.
"There's nothing complicated to it. We only need to hold hands and wish to bond our Souls together. Then, we should feel some sort of connection. At that point, you should naturally understand what to do to finalize the bond without me having to explain it."
As something came to his mind, his grin turned slightly mischievous before he added.
"Actually, kissing each other might make it easier to bond. You know, it would help distract you from overthinking. At least, it worked very well with Sera."
That last sentence elicited a few giggles from the woman in question, who was standing behind him.
Not paying too much attention to the mischievous dark elf, he instead gazed into Adeliya's captivating brown eyes, waiting for her decision.
Although his suggestion sounded frivolous, it was not without merit.
After all, the bonding could very well fail if their hearts housed sufficient reluctance.
Honestly, the chance of that happening was extremely low for either of them, and failed bonding was not permanent, but could instead be reinitiated at a later time.
However, why make it more complicated than it needed to be?
Kissing each other would throw those subconscious worries and concerns out of the window, not removing them, per se, but covering them enough to make the bonding ceremony's success a sure thing.
It sounded like a 'security' loophole, but in reality, it was not.
After all, for a Primary Bond to activate, the feelings from both sides needed to reach a certain level, and mere Lust was not sufficient.
As for the secondary Bonds, deep trust was enough since they clearly existed for a different purpose than the primary ones.
Back to the situation.
Hearing Demian's suggestion, Liya's lips twitched slightly, jokingly wondering if she was doing the right thing for a brief moment before she nodded and replied.
"I'll follow your lead."
Seeing the trust in her gaze, the playfulness vanished from his face, replaced by affection as his gentle voice reached her ears.
"Let's do it that way, then."
As the last word left his lips, Liya's body was pulled from her location by an invisible force, floating toward his own body at an impossible speed, her legs opening automatically to circle around his waist, her soft and imposing buttocks firmly set in the hollow between his crossed legs, and her arms surrounding his neck with her hands gently grabbing his shoulder-length hair.
Before she could even process the sudden change, the thirty-year-old-looking redhead had her waist being grabbed by a strong pair of hands while tender whispers caressed her ears, eliciting a few shivers of pleasure and anticipation from her entire body.
"Kissing might be better if we get a bit closer, don't you think?"
Noting the strangely familiar and reassuring proud smirk on his face, a mysterious feeling appeared in Liya's Heart.
'Why was I even feeling anxious about? Isn't it just bonding my Soul with the cheeky man I know and love?'
As that thought appeared in her mind, it swiftly took root, taking the place of those doubts previously plaguing her, as if she suddenly gained a sense of clarity after the rain.
She finally realized a simple truth: They were already each other's home, so, put crudely, it was merely a matter of 'reinforcing' what already existed and not creating something out of thin air.
Thinking that way, her worries and concerns suddenly seemed really foolish, didn't they?
Letting out a sigh, her expression turned briefly complicated before the tension in her face completely disappeared, leaving only a peaceful smile, as her heart finally attained the serenity she had unknowingly been longing for but had never reached before.
Gazing at those deep blue eyes filled with love, she felt as if her body was bathed in warmth, prompting her to reply, her tone matching his own.
"My cheeky nephew, it seems like you've successfully stolen my heart... I hope you're ready for the consequences..."
Her silky voice made Demian's heart itchy, prompting him to reply, his voice growing progressively quieter as his head grew closer to her own, his warm breath tickling her full red lips.
"Adeliya Mikhailov, my dear Aunt and the woman I've fallen hopelessly in love with... Of course, I am..."
As those last few words left his mouth, his lips suddenly met her own, making both of them freeze completely, both body and mind, as a strange sensation appeared inside their heads, something familiar to Demian.
The Soul Bonding was finally starting!
As soon as the ethereal feeling appeared in their mind, the young man let go of any stray thoughts, focusing only on his deep love for his adorable, smart, and ridiculously sexy Aunt.
As for Adeliya, she kept in mind how much she longed for her handsome, protective, and caring nephew, especially her deepest wish, which was to spend the rest of her life with him.
Interestingly, none of their concerns about the bonding ceremony failing ended up happening.
Not only did it go well, but it was actually even smoother than expected, with the connection being activated almost instantly, leaving both of them dazed for a moment before their attention was suddenly caught by the following changes.
Indeed, as soon as the Bond was established, a presence appeared in their respective Hearts, something that Demian was already familiar with, but was entirely new to Liya.
Interestingly, even Seraphine could now sense her mother through the bond, though the connection was somewhat blurrier than Demian's, as if something was placed between her and Adeliya.
'Is it because it's an 'indirect bonding', unlike the direct bond with Dem?'
Sera pondered while observing the energy fluctuations erupting from Adeliya and Demian's bodies.
Indeed, both were in the process of receiving the 'benefits' now that the bond was established.
On Demian's side, it took only a brief moment before his body exploded with breakthrough fluctuations.
Entry Fourth Level Foundation Building!
In an instant, the bottleneck that was already severely weakened after those few days of passive and dual cultivation crumbled like a sand castle with the wave of mystical energy washing every part of his flesh and bones, removing those deeply buried impurities and elevating his Essence further.
Not only was his cultivation still climbing, but the young man could sense the concentration of Golden Immortal Energy growing at high speed in his Marrow, Soul Power, and Acupoint Systems, turning the vague traces clearer.
Of course, Demian could sense that the improvement he would gain this time would only be 'marginal', not even reaching 1% completion.
However, those 'marginal' results would still boost his combat power and cultivation speed somewhat, so calling them useless would be inaccurate.
After all, cultivation itself was a lengthy affair, let alone when it had to do with anything Immortal-related.
In any case, he would certainly not complain about receiving free stuff.
However, what he was more interested in was Liya's current transformation.
Feeling the changes in the woman's body through the bond and his Soul Sense, Demian felt stupefied.
'Is she awakening some kind of bloodline like Sera and Bryn?'
Normally, most cultivators would be unaware of her current physical state, at most knowing that something strange was happening to her.
However, after experiencing the situation twice already with the two sisters, especially with Sera, where the two had been directly connected physically and through the Soul Bond, it would be ridiculous if he could not even notice the obvious signs.
What were those signs?
Instability.
From the core of her Essence to the most inconsequential skin cell, every part of her being was losing the inherent stability that every being naturally possessed, but few truly realized the importance of.
Living beings follow the principles of movement and stillness, both part of the Yin-Yang principles.
Stillness creates stability, movement induces change.
Neither was dispensable for life to exist, though the degree differed from individual to individual, and even from living beings to 'dead' beings(Ore, Energy, etc.).
However, in Liya's case, the degree of instability went beyond that 'safe' range for a human, as if her entire existence was starting to lose its integrity.
If they had some specialized tools with them, Demian would have been able to observe the woman's DNA strands breaking and recombining at a speed that defied common sense, forming a strange structure that resembled the 'normal' human's DNA but with some added mystical aspects.
Then, the young man would have been able to guess that, though she would lose her Elementary Human race identity, the bloodline awakening inside her still seemed close to the former, as if the two possessed some unfathomable links despite being considered two different races.
Actually, what none of the four was aware of was that both Seraphine's Shadow Void Elven Bloodline and Brynhild's Golden Jade Giant presented similar characteristics, as if all those 'humanoid' races could be retraced to an older and superior bloodline, one unknown to those on Earth.
Human race...
Truly mysterious...
Back to Adeliya's ongoing transformation.
As time passed, her Essence moved from her previous Elementary Human state to a new and much more powerful state.
'The Carmine race?'
As the transformation process grew progressively more complete, new information started pouring into Liya's mind, resolving her previous doubts.
Carmine Race.
Similar to the Shadow Void Elf race, it was considered a sub-species of the Blood Race, whose most famous representative was the Vampire race.
However, unlike the latter, who favored death and control, the Carmines' attributes were the extreme opposite, favoring Life and Freedom.
In a way, they were somewhat equivalent to the Light Elf for the overall Elven Race, though much rarer and still sharing the Vampire race tendency for blood mastery and seduction.
As Extreme Yin turned into Yang, and Extreme Yang turned into Yin, the Carmines were equally extraordinary as Healers and as killers, mastering a kind of Blood intent strong enough to hold others' lives in their palms.
Of course, where there were benefits, there were also drawbacks.
In the Carmines' case, although their spell-casting affinity was one of the best, their close combat abilities were weaker compared to those races specialized in Body Refining, like Bryn's Golden Jade Giant Race.
Every race had its own 'weakness', after all, though individuals could still overcome it with luck and cultivation.
That being said, she could still easily crush her previous 'human' self with a single punch, and that was what mattered the most to her.
As for needing to specialize in spell-casting?
Was that even a problem?
With Demian and Brynhild being close combat fanatics, it was better for her to act like a full-time Healer and only use the lethal Spells included in her bloodline memories only when needed.
Anyway, saving people was more enjoyable for her than killing, so that suited her very well.
'Funny how the Carmine Race fit my personality so perfectly.'
She exclaimed inwardly, half-amused, half-curious.
However, the changes were not limited to bloodline memories.
Carmine, being a Peak Mortal Race, meant that their cultivation talent was extremely high.
Granted, some Carmines only awakened a Flawed-Grade Bloodline, which lowered their talent to a certain degree, though nowhere near what Elementary Humans went through.
Nonetheless, the worst Carmines were born with Tier 1 strength, while the best could even possess Tier 3 strength at birth.
Of course, the latter was extremely rare, not only needing a Flawless Purity-Grade Bloodline but also being nurtured in the womb with extremely precious Heaven and Earth treasures.
Honestly, the chance of nurturing a newborn with Tier 3 strength in a Mortal World was nonexistent, even in those Transcendent Forces.
Only in the Immortal Realm, with its vastly superior environment, could such a situation occur, though only in those Peak Mortal Forces or even Immortal-level Forces.
In any case, although Liya's situation was none of the above, she had another major advantage, something that went beyond what those Immortal Force's scions could ever dream of possessing: Demian's Perks!
Thus, the Inferior-Grade Carmine Bloodline that was previously deeply buried inside her and was now awakening with the Bond's stimulations started shedding its impurities, growing more extraordinary by the second, and with it, her Essence was elevated further.
Her long burgundy-colored hair began turning blood-colored, its hair-like texture turning almost liquid-like as it started to naturally float a few centimeters above her back, reminiscent of a cloud of crimson liquid.
Under her closed eyelids, her irises were mysteriously changing color, from their previous light brown hue to a striking golden-red, giving her eyes a soul-stirring effect.
Then, it was her fair skin turning even more perfect, with the scant few scars, black pores, wrinkles, etc, still left after her previous breakthrough to the Chi Gathering Rank disappearing completely, leaving only an impossible smoothness.
Interestingly, with no imperfections visible, coupled with the lack of visible blood veins through her soft skin, she appeared as if carved from white marble, completely untouched by time, and thus it became impossible for anyone to guess her age.
It was not the end of her physical transformation, however, as many other small physical features received some noticeable enhancements.
First, it was her facial features.
Although each of the changes was tiny, aside from her ears, which turned more elongated than normal human ears but nowhere near elven ones, the combined result was striking, elevating her beauty to a level beyond Mortal understanding.
The second aspect was with her overall body shape, which followed the same trend, correcting any 'imperfections', if they could be called that, whether it was improving the shape of her breasts, perfecting the peach-shape of her buttocks, harmonizing her bone structure and overall muscular frame, etc.
As mentioned before, each improvement was barely noticeable when taken individually, merely a few tweaks here and there, but when viewed together, the result was mind-blowing.
From an attractive and young-looking middle-aged redhead, she had now turned into an exotic beauty who radiated pure sensuality and desire, the softness of her body giving rise to desire, though her flawless looks would immediately make others feel too unworthy to act on those thoughts.
And it was not just the physical aspect of her body.
Indeed, even her Aura began to have a mind-influencing effect, though to the same degree as Vampires whose bloodline gravitated around brainwashing those around them into submission through twisted desires.
No, when it came to Adeliya's Carmine bloodline, it was more similar to a mix of light seduction and favorable impression.
In other words, unless the enmity between her and the other person was deep, it would be extremely difficult for others to muster any negative feelings towards her.
Honestly, even those life-and-death enemies may end up being influenced to a certain extent, though the effect would be much less, at most distracting them to a certain extent.
That being said, it would certainly be a major help during fights, while even her everyday life may somewhat benefit from it.
The only downside was that, although she would gain more favorability, Demian, as her official lover/fiancé, would most certainly draw other men's—and even some women's—jealousy.
And that was without her actively trying to seduce anyone else but him...
As the saying goes, you win some, and you lose some...
Witnessing such a transformation through his Soul Sense and the Bond they now shared, Demian felt amazed, thinking.
'She was already beautiful before, but now I almost feel unworthy of her... Good thing I've become shameless enough to seduce my own Aunt, or I'd have missed out big time!'
Of course, the older woman's exotic beauty was not the only thing that attracted his attention, as an immense amount of Energy was brewing inside her, bringing with it some life-altering improvements to her talent and cultivation.
Indeed, as time passed, intermittent shattering sounds, as if some sort of shackles were successively broken down, could be heard from the depths of her body.
Undeniably, it was exactly what was happening as Acupoint after Acupoint were progressively unlocked, propelling her from her previous 5 unlocked Main Acupoint System all the way to the full Nine Main Acupoint System unsealed.
And it was not the average Nine Acupoint System, but one at the very Peak, 'boiling' with eagerness to transcend further, only limited by her Chi Gathering cultivation.
Fortunately, her cultivation itself also skyrocketed to the Peak of Chi Gathering Rank with an ease akin to drinking water.
Clearly, she was now merely a thought away from triggering her Nine Lightning Tribulation, a situation identical to her youngest daughter.
Unfortunately, crossing one's Tribulation was mandatory for breaking through to the Foundation Building, or Liya was sure that she might have gone beyond the Peak Chi Gathering Rank today.
Letting out an amused sigh inwardly, she admonished herself.
'I'm truly becoming more and more greedy. I've already got what I wanted, and it's just a matter of time before I catch up to Demian and Bryn's cultivation level.'
Striving for improvement was good, but one had to take it one step at a time, being grateful for each gain instead of being constantly unsatisfied.
Adeliya was well aware of this truth, and since she was now certain that Demian would never leave her, nor would she lag behind the other three, she swiftly squashed any discontent from her mind, leaving only growing happiness and satisfaction.
'I finally did it!'
She exclaimed inwardly, the corner of her lips rising in a subconscious grin.
It was at that time, when the internal changes inside her ended, swiftly dissipating the massive whirlpool of energy that was previously triggered by her multiple breakthroughs, that she recalled her current position.
Feeling amused at her forgetfulness—How could she not recall that she had been kissing Demian for a few hours in such a suggestive position?—, her tongue gave a playful flick on the young man's lips before her eyelids fluttered open, her now golden-red irises filled with a hint of mischievousness and some deeper, harder to describe emotions.
Demian, who had opened his eyes as soon as he sensed her tongue antics, matched his gaze with hers while slowly breaking the kiss and asking her with a loving smile gracing his lips.
"How do you feel, my Love?"