"Azrael get here" shouted Lady Demiurge as she playfully chased after Azrael, Months have passed since Azrael was reborn and he had learned how to walk.
'Can't you let me breathe, even for a minute' Azrael thought to himself, his tiny body shifting restlessly.
'All I do is sleep, eat, play with Uriel, and listen to your stories.
I wish I hadn't been reborn with my past life memories—maybe I would've enjoyed these moments even more.'
His musings were abruptly interrupted as he suddenly felt a force lifting him off the ground. Despite his small body's instinctive attempts to resist, it was utterly futile against the overwhelming strength of his mother.
Despite having limited experience with the outside world, Azrael understood a few critical truths. He had been reborn in the vast mortal plane known as Shattered Heaven.
Shattered Heaven was a realm of staggering size, divided into six known immense territories: the Central Continent, the Southern Region, the Western Empire, the Northern Lands, the Holy Sanctuary, and the Eastern Expanse.
Each of these territories was so vast that traversing them could take thousands of light-years without the aid of powerful treasures.
Among the six territories, the Central Continent stood at the heart of Shattered Heaven, governed by six powerful clans.
The Demiurge Clan, one of the most prominent clans that held importance over the continent. Azrael was born into the main household of this illustrious clan. Though his mother never spoke of his father, he found no reason to dwell on the matter.
'The Cultivation realms are Body tempering, Qi refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core formation, Nascent soul and mother didn't mention the others
Each realm has nine stages, Uriel and I are currently in the first stage of body tempering ' thought Azrael as he looked at his right hand and observed a tattoo
The tattoo covered the back of Azrael's tiny, pale hand, stretching delicately onto his wrist and fingers.
At its center was a small but intricately detailed lily, its petals fading from deep black at the base to soft shades of pink, purple, and white.
Surrounding the flower were subtle swirls of black and purple, with faint hints of magenta, while fine streaks traced around the design, adding depth and flow.
Simple black rune-like symbols marked his tiny fingers, their minimal design contrasting with the intricate lily.
On his wrist sat a small geometric sigil—a six-pointed star enclosed in a circle—that completed the design.
Against his soft, pale skin, the tattoo appeared striking yet surreal, an unexpected touch of artistry on such a small hand.
(Image here)
'My mother noticed it but she didn't say anything I wonder why maybe this phenomenon is common but I do know that it's related to my Authority but it feels inactive...do other people have authorities as well' thought Azrael with silence amusing his mother
"I guess it's time for your cleansing, our bonding time has to be cut short"sighed Lady Demiurge as she picked up Uriel who also tried to resist like her brother
"Uwaaa "
"Yes Uriel you will play with your brother when we're done"
The trio soon left the Central Manor and stepped into a long passageway. The walls on either side gave way to tall columns, allowing glimpses of the open fields beyond.
"Mfff waaa" mumbled Azrael and Uriel as they began to breathe, the air was fresh and free of impurities and Spiritual Qi intensified this cool atmosphere
'I can feel some energy enter and leave my body, is it perhaps Qi... I can't just begin to cultivate that would be suicide since I don't know how Qi works
And what ratio of Qi is suitable for my body.. being a philologist has its perks sometimes ' concluded Azrael as he enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
As he basked in the beauty of the moment, his gaze shifted to his mother, Lady Demiurge, her smile soft and filled with an affection that warmed his heart.
But a sudden pang of guilt stabbed at him, He couldn't help but feel as though he had taken something from her, something irreplaceable.
By being reborn, he had unknowingly claimed the place of someone important—a space that should have been filled by someone else, someone who might have been loved just as deeply.
Her love, her care, and all the comfort she had given him... it should have been for that person, not him. He had become an intruder in this life, a shadow that had stepped into a role meant for another.
The weight of the thought pressed on him, and for a fleeting moment, he felt as though he had stolen something precious from her.
But, almost instinctively, he pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the warm embrace of his mother.
"We are already here"
The trio arrived near a building that looked abandoned and archaic, Azrael felt a pungent sweet medicinal smell invade his nose
With a flick of her finger Lady Demiurge opened the door and the eyes of the twins began to sparkle, the building was filled with ancient texts, elixirs, pills, Talismans .e.t.c
This building was the central pavilion of the clan where many young aspiring Cultivators would get their resources, such as blood nourishment pills, cultivation manuals, and rare herbs, as long as they had contributed enough merit to the clan, proving their worth.
"The pavilion is closed for the year. Whoever..." said a man with black noir hair and blood-red crimson eyes, his tone laced with disappointment as he looked at Lady Demiurge. "Oh, it's you, Haniel."
His gaze shifted to the two figures beside her. "Are those two my niece and nephew? Although they are your descendants, they do seem to share my divine charm."
He smirked and added, "Being handsome is a sin. At least I won't carry this burden alone."
"Azazel... Are you courting death?"
Haniel's voice was calm, almost soft, but it carried a weight that sent a chill through the pavilion.
The temperature dropped sharply, the warmth of the room fleeing as though afraid of what was to come.
The light dimmed, flickering as if it might extinguish entirely, casting long, wavering shadows across the walls.
Azazel's smirk faltered, his blood-red eyes widening slightly before a force unlike anything he had felt in a while pressed down on him.
His knees buckled, his body unwillingly bowing as though the air itself demanded submission.
Sweat beaded on his brow despite the icy chill, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe under the crushing spiritual pressure.
Azrael and Uriel, the twins, sat motionless in Haniel's arms, Their tiny faces were pale, their eyes wide and full of unspoken terror.
The weight of her power seeped into every corner of the room, leaving them trembling in fear, their little bodies instinctively pulling closer to their mother.
"AHHH YESSS, GIVE ME MORE, HANIEL, NO PAIN, NO GAIN!" Azazel howled, his voice drenched in euphoric ecstasy, his body shuddering with each word.
The sound of his twisted pleasure echoed through the room, a dark, maddening contrast to the tension hanging in the air.
The sight of him—writhing in such masochistic joy—made Azrael shiver even more.
"Tsk you freak, this unpleasant display of yours is traumatizing my children" said Haniel as she dispelled her Aura and began to comfort the twins
"I am here for their cleansing"
"Of course, a slap on my face would have been a bonus, but this euphoric experience is more than enough payment," Azazel purred, his voice dripping with twisted pleasure. His grin stretched wider, his eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction.
With a snap of his fingers, the world around them seemed to shudder. The air thickened with Qi , and in an instant, they were no longer in the pavilion.
They found themselves standing on a rugged mountain, dense spiritual Qi filling the atmosphere, almost tangible in its heaviness. Spiritual beasts of different shapes and sizes roamed the range, their glowing eyes watching from the shadows.
In front of them, there was nothing but a simple cauldron, filled with various herbs and elixirs that seemed to hum with potent, arcane scent.
Haniel slowly approached the caldron and tried to put the twins inside the cauldron but both of them resisted which amused her even more.
"The world we live in is harsh and unforgiving, I can't always protect you from the world but I can teach you how to face it
The cauldron is filled with a mix of Blood Nourishment Elixirs, Meridian Opening Elixirs, Dantian Strengthening Elixirs, and Heavenly Cleansing Elixirs.
Alongside these are various curses and poisons, each carefully crafted to strengthen the body, enhance resistances, and protect against abnormal statuses.
The elixirs are designed to fortify the cultivator's physical and spiritual foundations, while the curses and poisons, though dangerous, are meant to enhance one's resilience, providing the strength to endure and resist even the most unnatural of afflictions."
Hearing the contents of the cauldron both the twins didn't resist and simply entered the cauldron
'It feels warm and nourishing. I can feel the impurities leaving my body. Does this also apply to Uriel? I can feel my flesh growing stronger in an odd way... I feel like...'Before Azrael could finish his thoughts, he fell into a deep slumber, with Uriel following suit, joining him in peaceful rest.
...