Kaleina was panting and lying on the ground as if she were a wet noodle. She had been training for a few hours already, and all her muscles were trembling as if they had been loaded with lead. 'So tired…'
Kali crouched by her side and gently caressed her stomach while releasing a gentle healing wave of energy. "How are you feeling, Kaleina?"
The gentle energy seeped into her, making her muscles relax enough without healing them. If healing is done excessively, it can undo muscle and strength growth. Therefore, one needs to be careful when using it.
Kaleina squinted, and she gently purred. "Nice~."
As she panted, Flame, who was equally tired, poked her side as well, making Kaleina's waist twitch as a tingly sensation spread. The little dragoness giggled and whined. "Flame! What are you doing? It tickles."
Flame laughed, finding her adorable. "Little Kaleina, look."
Flame pointed to the side, and Kaleina followed her finger.
On the other side of the where Flame was pointing, she saw her gentle and loving mother walking her way. The smile on her mother's beautiful face was welcoming and soothing, making the little dragoness's entire being feel comfortable, safe, and happy. Kaleina's golden eyes shone with joy as she dragged her tired body toward her after flipping herself around.
"Mommy!"
Yasenia saw her baby's movements and laughed softly. When she approached, the dragoness lifted the little one with a gentle motion, gathering in her arms while guiding Kaleina's serpentine body to coil around herself by using her long dragon tail.
Kaleina was instantly latched onto Yasenia, and she began licking her neck and purring in happiness. "Hehe, Mommy~."
The dragoness caressed her body with one arm while extending the other toward Flame's head and patting her slowly.
"How was your training?"
Kaleina answered while bragging. "Very easy! I almost didn't feel it!"
Flame gave Kaleina a scornful side-eye. 'You couldn't even move when we finished.'
Yasenia naturally knew, so she lifted an eyebrow and nodded. "I see. Then, we'll have to increase the intensity for the following days."
Kaleina froze, her eyes widening, while Flame covered her mouth to avoid laughing aloud. Kaleina stuttered while looking at Yasenia with a guilty face. "A-Actually, it was a bit difficult."
The dragoness pecked her snout. "Good. Being honest is best, baby."
Kaleina laughed. "Okay~."
Then, our seductive woman looked down at Flame. "What about you, love?"
Flame smiled. "It was really tiring, but I like it. I can feel myself growing stronger!"
Yasenia leaned down to kiss her forehead, involuntarily placing her deep valley right before Flame's eyes. Flame couldn't help but blush a bit. 'Aunty Yasenia is so big…'
She looked down at her own budding chest with curiosity. 'Will they grow that big?'
Yasenia saw her actions and laughed, but she avoided making any comment about it while approaching Kali to kiss her. "How was your day, Honey?"
Kali smiled. "Relaxing. I got to do some alchemy, and now I'm training these two…" Kali paused and sniffed Yasenia's neck twice. Her ears shot up while she looked at the dragoness with a blush. "I see that you were also… busy."
The dragoness lifted one of her beautiful straight eyebrows into a tempting curve, her lips following suit. "Well, we can also have fun if you want~."
Kali coughed. "Later…" Then, she exclaimed. "Ah! I forgot to tell you because you were so busy, but I've started researching to create the pill to erase my scars."
Yasenia's eyes widened, and then she hugged Kali with a broad smile. "Really?"
Kali nodded while touching her scarred face. "While I have stopped caring about it as much…" Kali looked at the gorgeous face of her lover and said, a bit ashamed. "I feel like I need to do something about it."
Yasenia placed her hand over Kali's and smiled encouragingly. "Honey, remember that we are doing this not because I don't like your appearance. It is because I want to see you completely healthy." Yasenia used the tip of her finger to trace the scars and commented. "Scars are not that big of a problem for us, cultivators. However, normal skin is much sturdier. Scars are nothing but a quick repair the body made, so the skin splitting at those places is much easier."
Kali nodded. "I understand that. I never thought it was much of a problem because I usually fight from the backlines while commanding my summons instead of walking forward." Kali sighed. "But our fight with the undead showed that situations where I need to step forward are going to become quite common. My scars will probably never be a determining factor, but still, they are clearly a liability."
Yasenia heard her reasoning and smiled. "How are the heart demons doing, love?"
Kali scratched her cheek and replied awkwardly. "Still there." Seeing the dragoness's pretty brows come together, Kali extended her fingers and caressed the light wrinkle, making Yasenia relax them. "Don't worry, Yasenia. It would be strange if they completely disappeared after such little time."
Yasenia nodded and explained. "I know, Honey. I just feel a bit distressed knowing you still have them. Nothing more, Honey."
Kali nodded and smiled, her tails wagging happily. "I'm happy, Yasenia. Thank you for extending your hand into the dark swamp I was in and pulling me out."
The dragoness kissed her lips once and smiled. "No problem, honey. I will do it as often as needed if it means healing you completely." Kali laughed and nodded.
Flora and Valeria smiled from the side, looking at the two lovers softly. Flora understood Kali deeply as her personal maid, so she knew firsthand how strong Kali's heart was. While Kali still had heart demons, they were not much worse than what an average cultivator had.
Flora looked at Flame and Kaleina and saw that both were looking back and forth between Kali and Yasenia. They didn't know what the situation was, but they knew it was important, so they kept silent.
Yasenia released Kali and asked. "Well, what were you going to do after? You just finished training, right?"
Kaleina and Flame answered at the same time. "Yes~!"
Flame commented. "Now, we are going to learn Alchemy with Aunty Kali!"
Yasenia saw the eager look in Flame's eyes and asked. "Do you like alchemy, Flame?"
Flame's orangish-red eyes glittered. "Yes! I really like Alchemy and Blacksmithing!"
Yasenia was curious, so she asked why. Flame answered enthusiastically. "Because you need to control flames! Moreover, the way Aunty Kali and Aunty Andrea do so is soooo pretty! I really like how they change the temperatures with a wave of their hand, make the flames focus on one part of the cauldron, and then swirl and move them as if they were alive! I also want to do that!"
Yasenia laughed and understood. "I see. Well, I hope you become an excellent alchemist or blacksmith, Flame."
Flame blinked and asked. "Why not both?"
Yasenia explained. "Well, if you want to become really good at something, you can't divide your attention. You need to focus on that one thing and perfect it. Professions are really deep and complicated to understand at higher realms, so learning everything will only make you mediocre in them."
Kaleina tilted her head. "Aren't you learning everything, Mommy?"
Yasenia nodded. "I am because I have Kali, Andrea, and the rest to cover me in those aspects. The reason I learned them was to help them from time to time and not be helpless. Also, being mediocre in those is enough for me for now. Still, your Mommy is focusing on one profession!"
Flame blinked. "Which one?"
Yasenia smirked. "Cooking!"
Both of them suddenly realized and exclaimed.
"Ah! No wonder your food is so delicious, Aunty Yasenia!"
"Right? Right? Mommy's food is the best I've ever eaten! The food outside doesn't even compare!"
Yasenia laughed and moved along with them toward Kali's alchemy room. Yasenia asked. "How is your realm consolidation going? Ready to tackle the fifth tribulation?"
Kali shook her head. "I'm still perfecting some corners. I'll probably start around a month later. I need to check a few things and create a pill to stimulate my bloodline so that you don't need to give me Blood Essence again to manifest my fourth tail."
Yasenia found that interesting and asked. "A pill for that? How will you do it?"
Kali commented. "Remember the scales and horns you shed when transforming from dragon to human the first time?"
Yasenia nodded. "Because of the [Beast Physique Pill], I had a forced growth phase where I shed quite a bit. It happened right after we arrived here."
Kali nodded. "That's right." Kali explained. "Because those scales were shed during your forced growth, they have some characteristics that can stimulate growth and potential. They are also yours, helping my body, which is accustomed to your energy, assimilate that energy much easier."
Kali's tails swished as she thought. "My idea is that with them powdered and added to a mixture I'm planning that also uses the [Bloodline Tree]'s fruits that I've grown to peak-level Heaven Ranked in your ring, I will be able to create something interesting that helps me."
Yasenia nodded, finding it fascinating. "That might actually work. But…" Yasenia asked with a doubtful look. "Isn't my blood essence plainly better?"
Kali shook her head. "It's not, actually. It is true that I will probably be able to unlock the fourth tail without problems with it. However, looking toward the future, when I'm in the seventh, eighth, or ninth tail, your blood essence won't cut it. I want to create a pill I can evolve as I get stronger."
Yasenia smirked. "But you still need my scales."
Kali sighed. "Yes. I do. Sadly, I can't seem to get rid of this one thing from the pill's recipe."
The dragoness asked. "You've tried?"
Kali nodded. "Flora, Valeria, and I have been experimenting. All the tries we've made without your scales were failures. I think it is because of your constitution." Kali explained deeply. "[Celestial Yin and Yang Body] is an absurdly powerful physique that can help you regulate the wild Celestial Energy. Without your constitution, not to mention using it, even storing Celestial Energy in your Dantian would be too dangerous."
Yasenia agreed. "While it isn't flashy, the foundation of my everything is based on my constitution's ability to balance everything. I tried it with one pill that strengthened the arm meridians, and instead, when it dissolved, my constitution took that energy and spread it all around my body evenly."
Yasenia summoned two daggers and played with her left and right hand, flipping them around between her fingers with extreme agility. "I also don't really have a preference when using my right or left hand, while cultivation feels more effortless and quicker because I don't need to focus as much on spreading the energy."
Valeria was confused and asked. "Huh? Can it do that? Then, why haven't I seen you do it lately?"
Yasenia smiled and looked ahead. "Well… People take for granted that their constitution and bloodline will follow them forever. However, who knows what might happen? So, while it slows me down a bit, I sometimes focus on spreading my energy while sealing my constitution. I want to become efficient without it so that when I use it, I'm even better."
Valeria looked at the dragoness with a speechless expression. 'Not taking her constitution for granted?' She couldn't help but look at her seriously. 'How many small details does she think about daily? Not even most high-level cultivators think of some of the things she does.'
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Author Note: Hello, dear~. I have a Patreon page! Patreon.com/mortrexo. I'm uploading the art of the novel, which has 45+ completed images, 110+ sketches, and 15+ chapters compared to the daily. Moreover, it is for both [Heaven, Earth, Me] and [Ascension of the Sylvan cosmos]! Also, there is ZERO AI art. All the art I've uploaded has been hand-drawn.
Much love and hugs,
Mortrexo.