Our robes fluttered in the air, catching the golden hues of the setting sun, as the cool evening breeze swept over us. High above the outer court of the sect, our presence hung in the skies like celestial beings descended from the heavens. It was impossible not to draw attention.
Below us, the sect grounds were abuzz with hushed whispers of awe, admiration, and the unmistakable notes of gratitude. We could hear the disciples thanking my mother and me for the breakthroughs that rippled through the cultivation elders.
Their sudden epiphany in the Dao of Space and Time was a direct result of our presence.
After all, our very auras were a force unto themselves. I, Yue Phaelo, was no ordinary cultivator. Having reached the Heavenly Edge Stage of the Heavenly Spirit Realm, I had become a walking conduit of Daos. My cultivation base, while potent, did more than radiate power—it subtly influenced the cultivation paths of those weaker than me.
Whenever I passed through an area, those in the lower realms felt as if the mysteries of the universe were teasing at the edges of their consciousness. Weaker cultivators often found their comprehension of Daos, particularly the Space and Time Dao, enhanced.
It wasn't dramatic—an elder wouldn't suddenly become a peerless expert—but the layers of understanding that normally eluded them would come into focus, if only for a fleeting moment.
This was the influence of my presence.
But my mother—she was different.
A Divine Realm cultivator of the Immortal Ascension Stage, my mother's presence was nothing short of awe-inspiring. To even be near her was to feel the weight of the cosmos pressing upon your shoulders.
Weaker cultivators, those who still struggled to ascend the realms, would find the veil over the hidden Daos lifted. Her aura, vast and uncontainable, opened the doors to enlightenment.
Cultivators who toiled for years with little to no progress would suddenly find the path ahead clearer, as if her presence alone forced the mysteries of the universe to reveal themselves.
I too, despite my cultivation and mastery of my forbidden techniques, could feel the hidden Daos being exposed to me—though not to the same extent as those beneath me. Still, the weight of her power was undeniable.
"I did, Mother! I take it you had a good adventure?" I said as I left ChiChu's back, gliding through the air until I hovered just before her.
Her expression shifted. A subtle change, but one that didn't escape my notice.
'Oh? Don't tell me...' I mused inwardly.
The truth was, my presence affected her as well.
As her son, I shared a connection with her beyond that of ordinary blood ties. I could sense the forbidden attraction within her, buried beneath layers of grace and dignity. Her Divine aura barely hid the subtle flush that crept onto her face, evidence of the influence of my "Forbidden Dao."
This was a Dao I had cultivated in secret, its origins rooted on not just the dark desires I had discovered within myself, but the very essence of my being.
It was a dangerous path, one that granted me forbidden powers, including the ability of attractions—power that even affected someone as mighty as my mother.
"That I did," she responded, her voice laced with a calmness that barely concealed her inner turmoil.
She was a Divine Realm cultivator, after all. Her bashfulness was washed away by the sheer force of her aura, but I was not so easily fooled.
She may have controlled her expressions, but I knew what she felt.
"If I may..." she began, not bothering to wait for my response. Her eyes glowed with a probing light as they swept over my body, searching, not only through my cultivation base but deeper, seeking hidden secrets, she always did this with me.
'She's…' I could sense her disbelief. She couldn't fathom that my beauty alone could draw her in like this. She didn't know that the forbidden Dao only amplified what was already there.
The attraction, the pull—it had always existed, hidden deep beneath the surface, and my cultivation only brought it to the forefront.
My eyes flickered for a moment, but I concealed it. She didn't notice the subtle shift, distracted as she was by her confusion. The Forbidden Dao granted me a variety of abilities, one of which was the power to hide this very Dao from prying eyes.
My mother, powerful as she was, could not see through the veils I had crafted.
"Mmm~" she hummed softly, her eyes finally pulling away from my form.
"Mother..." I said softly, my tone a mix of disappointment and weariness. "You don't trust me at all, do you?" I asked, my voice carrying the weight of unspoken emotions. "You don't let me live on my own terms. Every time you return from one of your endless adventures, you probe me, search me, as if making sure for me not to fail your expectations."
My words didn't carry any malice, but they were a clear declaration of how disappointed I was in her as a son. I could see the pain in her eyes, her resolve wavering as she tried to maintain her aloofness. She failed.
'So, she cares, huh?' I thought, a chuckle forming in my mind. 'I'll break that aloofness. I'll break that ice, Mother.'
"Yes, she cares, Master!" ChiChu's voice rang in my mind. My companion knew of my darker desires and had always shared my thoughts.
'I know,' I responded silently.
ChiChu, sensing what was to come, shrank into a palm-sized golden figure and jumped onto my shoulder. With a wave of my sleeve, my expression still carrying the weight of disappointment, I flew away, breaking through space and time at unimaginable speed.
"Phaelo'er." My mother's voice called after me, but it was too late. Her voice faded as I disappeared into the distance the space humming in contact with my heavenly presence.
I couldn't help but chuckle. I had done it.
Flying into the core court of the sect, I found myself approaching my residence. The core court was a sight to behold. Floating peaks, connected by energy bridges, hung in the sky, each one more majestic than the last.
The largest of these floating islands was where I resided, sharing the peak with the core court elders of the sect. This peak, suspended above an endless sea of clouds, was a paradise unto itself. Waterfalls cascaded down from the cliffs, their shimmering streams feeding into crystalline lakes that dotted the landscape.
The air here was thick with spiritual energy, the perfect place for cultivation.
My residence, nestled within the lush greenery of one of the smaller peaks on this so big peak, was a grand pavilion of redwood beams and silver trimmings. It was secluded, far enough from the elder's hall to offer me privacy, yet close enough to remind everyone of my standing within the sect.
As I descended, the weight of my earlier encounter with my mother lifted. I had done it. She was beginning to crack, and soon enough, she would be mine. My Forbidden Dao would see to that.
I chuckled once more as I landed on the tranquil shores of the lake near my pavilion, the ripples in the water echoing the turbulence of my thoughts.