Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 71! The next few chapters will delve deeper into the Cultivation System I created. I did my best to make it as simple as possible while also making it deeper and more logical than the general xianxia novels. Anyway, you'll see what I mean after a while.
That aside, I've almost finished writing chapter 87, which is the last chapter before the prologue of book 1. Well... It took me so much longer than I expected for two reasons. The first is pretty obvious: since it's the 'last' chapter, it's longer than normal chapters (3000+ words) because I need to wrap up the story correctly.
The second may sound strange, but it's true. A small part of me don't want to finish Book 1. Why? I think it's some old fears I thought I got rid of. "What will happen after I finish Book 1? What if 'this'? What if 'that'?" You know the usual overthinking fears that a lot of people experience. I'm not dismissing their impact, though, since I experienced their effects. But well... Anyway, I just wanted to share a bit of what's been going through my mind lately.
In any case, I'll leave you with this chapter. Enjoy and see you next week!
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Molvograd, Molkovia, Earth.
Demian's P.O.V.
Their lovemaking lasted well into the morning, to the point that Demian almost thought that he would have to skip breakfast entirely. 'Thankfully', Seraphine's mind and body reached their limits around 7 A.M., falling from her riding position to his chest, while twitches kept wracking her body for a few minutes longer, although they were swiftly growing weaker. Letting out a relieved sigh, Demian thought. 'I almost thought I wouldn't be able to make it... I may have some advantage over her since they're my Perks, but I still feel like my mind's gonna break every time we do it...'
As his hazy consciousness started recovering from the experience, he noticed something interesting. It stemmed from the fact that, despite his inhuman regeneration rate when it came to physical and mental stamina, he still felt drained. It was as if there was something else inside him being used to trigger the Perks' effects. Maybe because the distance between both of their cultivation base was too big in the past, he failed to notice it. 'That's something to keep in mind. Unless I'm sure that there's no threat around, I should avoid having sex... Well, I'm not sure if that would stop Seraphine though...' He pondered while his perception caught on the fact that the mysterious 'thing' that was depleted started to slowly fill his body back up.
Satisfied with his findings, he switched his attention to the surroundings. With a quick sweep of his Divine Sense, he noticed that, despite the intensity of their lovemaking, the bed held up pretty well, with no sign of any damage anywhere. 'Good quality furniture is always appreciated. I really need to get a bed like that for our future place, if I don't want to have to buy a new one every day.' He decided inwardly as the memory of his bed back in the penthouse surfaced in his mind. The latter had indeed suffered some 'wounds' from the numerous and violent battles it accommodated.
After investigating the room, his perception moved beyond, until it covered the suite's main room. It was important to note that, with the current range of his Divine Sense, he would have been able to reach much farther than that. However, the other bedrooms were protected by the formation, blocking him from snooping around. Not that he would have done so if he COULD. After all, he did have moral limits he would not cross. Even if his current and potential romantic situation could be perceived as leaning into perversion. His motto was: 'If she's not adult and consenting, then it's a big no.'
'Although when I think about those two, I can't deny that I'm tempted...' Deciding to avoid finishing that train of thought, his gaze then fell on the sweaty but grinning woman lying unconscious on his chest. The sight brought a feeling of warmth and amusement to Demian who muttered playfully. "Well, with that soundproofing formation, we might've found a way for you to be as loud as you want. I'm sure Liya and Bryn will appreciate it very much." Chuckling at his own joke, he nonetheless felt relieved. Indeed, he knew that Sera was usually very vocal during the act, but this time... Shaking his head, he decided. 'Forget it. If she likes it, why should I blame her for it?'
As if she could sense his thoughts in her sleep, the purple-haired beauty's grin grew slightly. While he was basking in her presence, Demian then moved on to tally the gains they got from their lovemaking session. 'I'm not far from Mid Fourth Level. At most, two sessions should be enough. It's probably got to do with the greater Spiritual Energy concentration around here. That and Sera's cultivation base. Speaking of which...' He contemplated before turning his gaze toward the woman drooling contentedly on his chest. 'Gosh! How can she be so cute!' Shaking his head lightly, he added inwardly. 'Focus, Demian! Focus!'
It took him a few seconds to calm his mind and lower body, the latter not understanding the concept of resting. A short while later, he was finally calm enough to start observing her cultivation through their bond. Unfortunately, that was the only way for him, as his Divine Sense was incapable of sensing her. The result from his first sweep left him instantly speechless, prompting him to check a few more times as what he perceived was simply an illusion. However, it was anything but. 'Peak of the Mid Second Level. She's just a hair breath away from the High Second Level. That's... Damned impressive! I knew my perk was broken but not to that degree...!' He thought while wearing an amazed expression on his face.
Unlike his past self, he was much more experienced, especially when it came to the difference between each cultivation Rank and Level. At least, up to his own Level. When it came to the High Chi Gathering Level, or even Foundation Building and higher Ranks, besides being aware of their existence, he knew next to nothing. He was not too impatient, though. Cultivation was clearly a marathon and not a sprint. One step at a time.
Back to Seraphine's situation, Demian simply opted to be happy for her. 'Well, she's my woman, so why should I be unhappy about her strength growing quickly?' The realization unknowingly appeased some darker emotions inside his heart, something he was not even aware of. Instead, he wondered. 'I can't wait for her to catch up with me. I wonder if there'll be differences when using my Perks...' Whatever the answer to that question was, he would need to wait for some time to find out. In the meantime, he decided to start cultivating while waiting for Adeliya and Brynhild to wake up. Before that, however, a hot shower was direly needed. Not that he minded having his woman's smell all over his body, but it may not be to the other two's taste.
Chuckling discreetly at the image of the two older women's exasperated faces, he started to carefully peel Sera's body from his torso before gently laying her down on her back. He then stood up quietly from the bed, covered her body with the blanket, and went toward the massive bathroom close by. Less than 10 minutes later, the now clean and fully clothed young man was sitting cross-leg in their personal cultivation room. With his eyes closed and only a sliver of his Divine Sense out to check the main room, he focused the rest of his attention on absorbing the relatively abundant Spiritual Energy permeating the room. As he took stock of the, albeit slow, but constant, growth his strength was experiencing, delight filled his heart. 'I could probably do this for days...'
Despite his words, he only cultivated for around an hour before stopping, the reason being something he spotted through his Divine Sense. Indeed, his Aunt's bedroom door opened, but by itself this time, but by the woman herself, evidenced by her leaving the room afterward. Not wanting to let her wait alone for too long, he swiftly exited his cultivation state and stood up instantly while muttering wistfully. "I guess that's it for today." A few seconds later, he also left his own bedroom while not forgetting to close the door behind him to avoid Sera being awakened by their chatting. As soon as he turned back toward Adeliya, his eyes spotted Bryn who just exited her own bedroom. While wearing a joyful grin on his face, he exclaimed. "Morning, you two! Slept well?"
The two seemed amused at his greeting, with Adeliya joking around. "Yes! I finally got some decent sleep after days of having to wear earplugs to bed!" Her jab made him a bit embarrassed, even if he was not the worst offender in the story. Faking a cough, he tried to change the subject with another trivial topic. "Anyway, should we get someone to bring us some breakfast?" The two broke into light giggles at his reaction. However, none of them doubled down on the banter. Instead, Bryn responded after calming down. "I'm sure Mom could use some food and I wouldn't mind eating something as well."
Nodding his head, he went toward the entrance leading to the corridor, grabbed the device that was set on a small table by the door, and fiddled with its touchscreen until he found what he was looking for. He then set it down by the paper filled with a set of instructions covering the whole suite, from how to turn off the soundproof formation to the way to call for breakfast. Having a perfect memory, it only took him a moment to memorize everything the previous night.
Turning back toward the redheads, he was about to speak when Bryn asked. "By the way, is Sis still sleeping?" The question made him speechless for a few seconds as he was not sure how to respond. Before he was able to say anything, however, Adeliya exclaimed playfully. "I'm guessing you two went at it too hard last night?" "Well..." He started before being interrupted by the golden-skinned woman sporting a slight frown on her face. "You guys really should moderate yourself."
Gazing inside her striking blue eyes, oh so similar to his own, he spotted the same emotions he noticed in the past, which brought a recent memory to his mind: 'In any case, it's just a matter of time before she ends up in your bed, Babe.' The certainty exuding from Sera's voice as she uttered those words the previous day generated a mix of emotions inside his heart now that he was confronted with the woman in question. 'Am I supposed to tell her about...? No! That'd be too awkward! Anyway, it's just a matter of time, right? God! I'm such a coward! Forget it, I'll deal with it later. We've got more important things to deal with first.'
As soon as he made his decision, he felt much better. Now much calmer, he explained simply. "Actually, our cultivation base grows quicker when we... You know!" With a mischievous smile on her face, Adeliya specified. "Sex. You mean when you two have sex." Why was the way she said it so... "Right! When we have sex. Sera even reached the Mid Second Level and is about to reach the High Second Level. That aside, what about you g..."
His voice trailed off when he noticed Bryn's current cultivation Level: High Second Level. And she was not at the Low High Second Level but at the High High Second Level. In other words, with plain old cultivation, the giant redhead gained almost a full Level in a night. Without needing to use his Perks... 'Having nine spiritual channels is such a cheat!' He thought while starting to realize the insane boost that having a superior number of channels granted you. To be honest, if it was not for his Physiology Perk, and even if he had his current four channels, he would probably be barely at the First Level. Or maybe even less.
The woman's facial expression turned to smugness as his voice faded from the shock he felt. "High Second Level! Not bad right? I guess I've got some talent in cultivation." Her humble bragging made both Adeliya's and his lips twitch from frustration. Before he could retort anything, the middle-aged redhead exclaimed with her fist planted on her hips and her eyes narrowing in her daughter's direction. "You shouldn't act childishly like Demian, sweetie. It won't do you good, you know?"
Tongue-tied at the stray bullet that just hit him, he thought. 'Come on! I'm not that bad!' Before noticing Bryn's fake contrite expression as she replied. "You're right, Mom. I've been influenced by the brat's behavior. It won't happen again." Looking at the two, they were definitely working together against him, which prompted him to exclaim. "You two I swear...!" His words were suddenly cut off by some knocking sounds coming from the door, making the two women burst into laughter, forcing Demian to exclaim. "Since the two of you are too busy ganging up on me, I guess I'll get the food." He then mumbled sulkily. "Women, I swear!"
After getting the table ready, breakfast went relatively quickly with Adeliya and Bryn still teasing Demian from time to time before being instantly retaliated against by the young man in a similar manner. After all, he was not someone who enjoyed getting 'hit' without 'hitting' back. The meal thus finished amidst collective smiles and laughter, something that he dearly enjoyed every second of.
After cleaning the table and putting everything left in the cart, Demian exclaimed. "I'll leave Sera a message to meet up with us once she wakes up." The two redheads nodded before Bryn went to get the previous device her cousin used to order some food. A few seconds after she was done, a notification sound came from it, prompting her to check it before she commented out loud. "That was fast. It's Lirov. She said she'll be here in a minute."
The other two nodded but stayed silent, waiting for the cold-faced woman they met the day prior. Fortunately, exactly a minute later, the sound of knocking resounded again from the entrance door. "Right on time." Demian commented with a grin while standing up to open the door, which unveiled a tall and slender woman with shoulder-length black hair wearing a tight-fitting grey suit partially hidden under a similarly fitted light brown vest. The attire was completed by a pair of grey boots and a beautifully designed bangle hanging firmly on her right wrist.
Coupled with her light brown eyes and detached expression, she exuded an air of both danger and attraction, although Demian was more focused on the former than the latter. "Mister Mikhailov." She nodded, emotionless. With his grin vanishing, he responded in kind. "Miss Lirov." The woman then instructed. "If all of you would please follow me." 'You're such a delight, woman.' He thought, amused. Nonetheless, none of his inner thoughts were visible on his face as he turned toward his cousin and aunt and asked. "You girls ready?"
The answer was positive as expected and, after he explained to Anna that Seraphine would not join them for now, the group started walking back the way they had come from the previous day. A short while later, they arrived back at the front building where Anna Lirov guided them toward one room guarded by two Peak Mid-Level Chi Gathering Cultivators. Unlike their apparent nonchalance, Demian could sense the woman's and man's Divine Senses constantly sweeping around the place. Even before they sighted them, the two locked onto them with their Divine Sense, as if they were some enemies coming to raid the place. In any case, the threatening feeling coming from the two made him realize that he should not provoke them. At least, not unless he really had to. 'I could probably take the two of them on with my body strength... Maybe... Although I'm not sure how I'd fare against their spells...' He analyzed silently.
While feeling more and more eager to learn those fabled spells, his mind kept alert to any potential attack coming from the two dangerous cultivators. Thankfully, his cautiousness was unwarranted. After only a few unintelligible words from Anna were enough for those two's Divine Senses to leave the group instantly and resume their previous surveillance.
Turning her gaze back toward the group of three, Anna curtly instructed. "Follow me." As the words left her mouth, Demian felt another scan, this time coming from the door's direction. 'Probably another formation.' He thought as the door opened by itself, unveiling the massive room previously hidden behind it. Following the brunette inside that room, Demian could not help but feel impressed by the amount of energy emitting from the numerous cabinets methodically set all around.
"Welcome to the Estate's resource vault!" Lirov exclaimed with her usual lack of enthusiasm, while the three Mikhailovs observed the place with curiosity.