The topic continued being about cultivation for a little while and Tatyana gave advice to all of them. She liked Angel's battle style a lot and praised her highly making the little girl blush to her ears... Again.
Tatyana was deft in every profession to a high degree, however, Tatyana's side-job specialization was actually formations. She spoke in length with Angel and gave her tons of advice. Angel was listening with starry eyes. Tatyana's insights were not only profound but also easy to understand, 'Yasenia's mom is super beautiful and knows a ton!'
Tatyana, like her daughter, liked Angel a lot. She found her actions very amusing, like a small animal looking up to her.
After speaking with Angel, she turned towards Cecile, she commented on tricks about archery, how to create stronger arrows, and the usage of wind to her advantage. She recommended creating an ultimate skill to use as a last resort. Similar to Yasenia's [Day and Night] skill. Cecile nodded.
With Evelyn, she spoke about how her strength was lacking. She told her that even if she was fast, her thrust needed strength to pierce their defense or it would be useless. Evelyn thought about it seriously.
To Oliver, she told him basically the opposite. She also remarked how he could only attack once against the battle with the dark beasts that they described, making it clearer to him. Oliver asked for advice to speed up his attacks.
Finally, she repeated the same as before to Gustav, but this time, with more insights. She also spoke about assassins that she has encountered in the past, how they used the shadows, and similar things.
Tatyana stopped speaking and looked at the sky, "Well, since I've confirmed Yasenia's safety I should leave..." Yasenia was about to protest when Tatyana continued, "...But I refuse!"
Tatyana said, "Since I'm here and I missed my little treasure, I will accompany all of you until the end of the excursion! I also want to have some private time with my little treasure~"
Tatyana looked at them and put a cold face, "However, do not count on me for anything. Not only will I not help you, but I will also not save any of you even if you die. I will walk by your side and hide my cultivation completely so that beasts don't focus on me. The only moment I will interfere is when a high-level cultivator appears, not a high-level beast!"
All of them nodded seriously, they knew she was not lying. Even if Tatyana has a good impression of them, she won't even blink if any of them die. The only person she will save is Yasenia, but they also know she won't save her until she will either be about to die, or she is in danger of being permanently crippled.
The next day, all of them woke up and continued their way. Thanks to Yasenia's treasure sense, they found various precious herbs and metals. Moreover, the loot that Gustav and Oliver went to pick from Yasenia's fight made a big sum on their score. They were lucky and also found an egg of a water-attributed cloud beast.
This beast was like a shark with two frontal legs ended in dragon claws. Strange, but its combat power was actually high. The parents were upper-level, rank two beasts. They fought back for a while against their group, which was admirable having to fight against a monster like Yasenia.
With this egg, Oliver managed to get his beast companion, and in their lair, they found some resources, but nothing even close to the previous pill. You have to remember that even if there were abundant treasures in the cloud layers, there are also a lot of cultivators that loot these areas. Them, finding that pill was actually very rare.
There was one thing that was bothering Angel, Evelyn, and Cecile. Yasenia was becoming more and more beautiful. Her body was changing little by little but surely during the day. If before she was a divine beauty for mortals, now, she was becoming divine even for cultivators!
Her skin was now flawless without any blemishes, her seductive features got perfected and all the mortal defects seem to be disappearing. Her toned big butt and thighs were also softening. Even if the form and size didn't change much, now you could sink your hands in them as if they were jelly.
Her natural sashaying movement, coupled with her new butt was something that was making Evelyn doubt if loving breasts was better than loving butts! However, the voice of the heavens resounded in her mind giving her enlightenment, 'Why not both?'
Yasenia's voice before was mellow and a little deep. When she whispered or deepened her voice, it was very seductive and made people's bones go soft. Now it gained a very slight raspy tone that seems to tickle the heart, combined with her natural voice, she made them tingly just when she spoke to them.
In short, if Yasenia before was seductive, now, she is seduction incarnate. Even Oliver was having trouble not looking from time to time to her little sis! Gustav couldn't hold it and asked Tatyana. "Lady Tatyana, why is your daughter becoming more and more absurdly beautiful. If I wouldn't have known that she liked girls I would have tried to court her!"
Tatyana asked Cecile to give her the description of the pill. After reading it she laughed out loud, "To think that you ate such a treasure! What you ate is called a beauty pill, a very rare pill. Its formula was lost in the sky continent and the surrounding ones."
Tatyana sniffed the bottle of the pill and said, "The pill seems quite fresh, so it must have been transported here after one ring of another continent broke. Even I have only three beauty pills in my spatial ring. Well, lucky for me, I will have more fun using the toys~"
Angel swallowed her saliva knowing what Tatyana was talking about. 'H-her insides w-will be e-even more comfortable?' Her face blushed.
Cecile and Evelyn looked at the crimson Angel curiously, 'Does she know something we don't?'
Tatyana slept by Yasenia's side these days. However, she didn't do anything more than some kisses and caresses. Yasenia had to be in top condition, and opposite to Angel and Evelyn, she couldn't give Yin energy to her to absorb during intercourse. She could only absorb, and this will make Yasenia a little lethargic.
For the next three days, the group moved as if Tatyana wasn't there, and Tatyana didn't interfere. There were times when they got badly hurt, but Tatyana didn't interfere even once. The worst injury happened on the third day.
That day, they were walking around when Yasenia stopped them, "Careful, I saw the clouds move to our rig-"
Yasenia felt something wrong and moved her torso to the left slightly. The others saw horrified how a giant swordfish emerged from the cloud and pierced all the way through her right chest. Tatyana at the side flinched, but she didn't move.
Yasenia grabbed the tip that was piercing her chest to stop its advance and used her own swordtail."*Cough* [SUNRISE]!"
Her swordtail flashed and cut the tip of the swordfish nose. Evelyn and Oliver were already passing her sides going against the attacker with rage filling their eyes. Yasenia kneeled and took out one magic-grade blood coagulating pill with trembling hands.
After she ingested it and took effect, she pushed the tip of the swordfish back to avoid widening the wound. Thanks to the pill, not much blood splashed. She took one heaven-grade healing pill and took it, with this, she will recover completely by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, the other five were fighting against the low-level, third-ranked, lightning swordfish. Evelyn took the front lines and used her [Lightning devouring body] To her advantage.
Evelyn's spear thrusts were slower than before, but blood splashed with each thrust.
Cecile's arrows changed course midair with the help of wind gales.
Angel's speed in setting up the formations was faster.
Oliver focused on hitting the hard spots to deal more bludgeoning damage and break its bones.
Gustav used the shadows to move around slashing from time to time corrupting its body.
Under this barrage of attacks, the swordfish was having a hard time, especially when his lightning attacks were frontally tanked by Evelyn.
Like Tatyana advised, Evelyn broke through the half-step yesterday night. Now that she was on the same level as Angel and Cecile, her speed, strength, and agility have increased a lot. That fight was intense, even more so without Yasenia, but they pulled it through and killed it implementing Tatyana's advice.
After that fight, they moved to a safer place. Tatyana just gave Yasenia a lap pillow and caressed her head softy. The almost closed-hole on her chest was hurting her eyes, but she spoke gently. "Remember, little treasure, even if you dragon-instincts are powerful, don't just rely on them. Use your human traits too. You aren't only a dragon or a human, you are both! In terms of combat, you are doing well in using both, but you rely too much on your dragon traits outside combat. "
Yasenia nodded, "I understand *cough* mom. That swordfish truly *cough* got me good, hahaha ouch, ouch, ouch..."
Tatyana tapped her forehead softly. "Silly, the only reason that you are alive is that you moved your torso to the left before it pierced your heart. That swordfish used those distractions three times! Yasenia, you only caught on the third one which was the most obvious."
The others were also listening and lowered their head ashamed, to think that they didn't catch on to it when it was around them for such a long time. They looked worriedly at Yasenia, the scare they had before haven't subsided yet.
When they saw her chest being pierced, they almost lost it! Thankfully they reigned their emotions and managed to beat it after implementing Tatyana's advice. The night was already approaching so they stood up and left to their tents to sleep. Tatyana and Yasenia were left alone.
When Yasenia felt better, she said from her mother's lap, looking at the night sky, "Stronger doesn't only mean growing in strength, I have to be more cunning, smarter, more resourceful, quicker in taking decisions, cool-headed... If I manage to learn this... Will I be able to beat enemies that overwhelm me in terms of power?"
Tatyana lowered her head and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She spoke slowly and gently "That's right, little treasure. Remember love, you just started your cultivation journey, you have been a cultivator for a little more than a year. You can be said to be less experienced than literally all the cultivators out there. Thankfully, your learning speed is abnormal, so one year of yours equals a lot of years from others."
Tatyana passed her hand through Yasenia's long black hair and continued speaking, "Little treasure, slow down a little, look around. Even if you want to catch up to me… You have thousands if not more years before you manage to do it. Don't be hasty, or one day… I will lose you."
Tatyana looked into her golden-red eyes and said, "Little treasure, I really don't want to lose you."
Tatyana looked at the night sky and said a little melancholic, "I am old, little treasure, so old that I've seen these empires, sects, and kingdoms rise from scratch and be destroyed in the rivers of time. This can be bad if I say it, but… I'm really tired of… living."
Tatyana thought to herself while looking at the sky, 'Although I'm tired, beside you… I feel anew. It is as if the world gained colors again. The day you were born and smiled beautifully at me. It was as if the world's colors started to reflect again in my eyes.'
Tatyana smiled beautifully, 'Starting from your golden-red eyes, your beautiful black and gold scales, the white and pink of your skin… That is why, little treasure, the day you die, is the day I die. I won't even care about revenge. Only you, my love.'
Yasenia didn't know why, but she felt like crying looking at that smile. She said with a brittle voice, "Mom, I love you. *Sob* With all my heart, no matter what, at least, these feelings won't change."
Tatyana looked down and smiled gently, "En, I know. Sleep love, tonight I will keep you safe."
'Tonight, tomorrow, and in the future. I will always look after you, little treasure.'
Yasenia closed her eyes and she slept. Under the starry night sky, mother and daughter stayed outside, being caressed by the soft breeze. Under the gentle moonlight, it was as if they were the only ones in the world.