Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 155!
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
Hours went by, with no trace of stirring from the three women, displaying the heavy toll the previous 'exercises' had taken on them.
However, Demian was not exactly pressed for time, especially since the benefits of the one-week-long lovemaking session with three bonded women were more or less equivalent to more than a month with just one.
Thus, he opted to simply enjoy the moment, soothing his mind with the peaceful sounds coming from outside, whether it was the gentle breeze blowing inside after he opened the door to the garden with a thought, or the calls of small animals darting in the grass and bushes, aiming to find some food or a mate.
Coupled with the warmth emitted by the three sleeping beauties, a surge of drowsiness appeared in Demian's mind before his consciousness left him again.
A few hours later, a slight movement woke him up, his eyelids fluttering open, after which his gaze moved swiftly toward the disturbance's origin.
It was Brynhild who, maybe due to her higher cultivation, was the first one to stir awake after so much time had passed.
Throwing a glance outside, Demian found that the sun was already setting, its orange-red color merging with the horizon, dyeing the lush vegetation with a warm red glow.
'They sure can sleep.'
He thought playfully, as his gaze returned to Bryn's fidgeting figure, wondering how the usually shy but actually fierce woman would react once she realized where she was and, more importantly, what she had done for an entire week with the three of them.
While a playful grin hung on his lips, the raven-haired man observed how a lazy moan escaped the golden-skinned beauty's lips before her eyelids slowly opened.
For a few moments, the only expression she had on her face was confusion, as her brain was clearly struggling to reboot.
However, when her blue eyes met his teasing gaze, memories instantly surged in her mind, reminding her of what had happened previously.
Immediately, she lowered her head to hide her blushing face with his arm before mumbling.
"It's so awkward..."
Hearing her words, a low chuckle escaped his lips, after which he replied.
"It's only awkward if you make it so. To be honest, as long as you enjoyed it, that's what matters. Speaking of which, did you?"
Lifting her head with an expression mixed with both resentment and satisfaction, she retorted.
"Do you have to make me say it out loud, you stupid man?! Of course, I enjoyed it. Would I have done it for a whole week otherwise?!"
Another chuckle left his lips before he moved his head slightly to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead and then said, his tone filled with care.
"Alright, Love. I was just teasing you. I won't do it again."
Though she snorted 'angrily' while retorting 'you better not', the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings, especially as she started rubbing her cheek against his arm before whispering.
"Thank you for... For accepting me... I know I'm not exactly... Well, very feminine like Mom and Sis... So..."
Her voice grew lower and lower, until even Demian's superhuman senses could not catch the rest.
Shaking his head slightly, the young man said reassuringly.
"Love, please stop putting yourself down. The three of you are each different from one another, but you're all as attractive to me. Also, I think I should be the one saying thank you for accepting that nonsense of having multiple lovers, especially when those lovers are your own mother and sister. So, cheer up and be more confident, alright?"
Lifting her gaze to meet his, he noticed the barely contained relief and happiness in her eyes when she heard his words.
Nodding slightly, she then whispered.
"I'll try."
The two then fell silent while basking in each other's presence, the comfortable atmosphere and the fact that the other two were still sleeping giving them the illusion of being alone with each other.
A short while later, Bryn, who had set her head back on his arm and closed her eyes, asked quietly.
"Now that we're finally bonded, what's our next step?"
Cocking his brow, Demian did not comment on the abrupt change of subject but instead responded.
"We'll check that so-called Extinguishing Hall. Learn what we can, earn what we can, and do our best to grow stronger as quickly as we can."
Inwardly, he added.
'And our wedding. I'll probably need to ask for Teacher's help, though. I mean, I know next to nothing about how to organize that kind of event...'
Listening to his words, the youngest redhead let out a 'hum' of approval before adding.
"Sounds... Huh?"
A surprised sound escaped her lips, prompting him to question curiously.
"What's wrong?"
Stunned by what she discovered, it was only a few moments later that she replied, her voice filled with astonishment.
"My cultivation base... I've already reached the Mid Fourth Level... This..."
Chuckling at her adorable reaction, he declared playfully.
"Welcome to Team Cheaters, Love. Our motto is: 'Only the fools follow the rules, to be a winner you've got to be a cheater'."
The joke brought the woman's mind back to reality, prompting her to let out a giggle as she retorted.
"You're really dumb..."
Pausing for a second, she then added, her tone matching his previous one.
"But thank you for welcoming me to the team. I won't let you down and strive to cheat as much as possible like a good member of Team Cheaters."
The two broke into chuckles, the vibration of their laughter making the other two's bodies quake slightly, though once Demian and Bryn calmed down, Sera and Liya were still sleeping like logs, the noise and movements clearly not strong enough to pierce through the fog of their exhausted minds.
Well, the fact that they could sense Demian's presence along with Bryn's through their bonds, giving them a feeling of safety, may have also played a role in their undisturbed slumber.
In any case, since the other two were sleeping, Demian and Brynhild spent their time chatting softly, enjoying one of the rare moments when they could spend their time with only each other, without 'interference' from others.
Seeing how enjoyable it was, Demian inwardly decided to dedicate some time in the future for each of his women, striving to give them his entire attention, even if only for a limited time.
After all, having multiple lovers/wives meant that his time and energy needed to be well-managed, or it would end with one or several getting short-changed.
At least, whether it was playing favorites or only spending time with them for Dual Cultivation was a no-go.
'Cultivation is truly like a double-sided coin. On the one hand, as your lifespan grows, you get more time to spend with your loved ones. But on the other hand, you also need to spend more of your time cultivating, making days, weeks, months, or even years pass by without noticing, using the time you gained on anything but your loved ones. I guess that I'm an exception on that front since I've got my Perks making both my cultivation itself extremely quick and easy, and giving me the option of dual cultivating as often as I want for even better results...'
As random thoughts occasionally appeared in his mind, time passed quickly, with the last ray of sunlight disappearing over the horizon, giving way to nighttime, the sky now filled with countless stars shining brightly, though their light was completely overshadowed by the silver Moon hanging in the sky, akin to a heavenly monarch overlooking its subjects.
A few more hours went by after that until the two chatty lovers suddenly felt some movements coming from the two sleeping beauties.
The latter, each let out a lazy moan almost simultaneously while lazily stretching their bodies, which brought an amused smile to Demian and Brynhild, who were both observing them.
An instant later, the two breathtaking beauties slowly opened their eyes, the contrast of mysterious grey and divine gold creating a captivating image.
Cocking his brow, Demian asked his usual question.
"Slept well?"
The two let out a simultaneous 'hum' of approval, with Liya adding in a languid tone.
"Best. Sleep. Ever!"
Sera nodded slightly, her tone also drowsy.
"Agreed. My body feels so light, it's like I've become a cloud. A smelly and sticky one, though."
Shaking his head slightly, Demian chuckled before remarking.
"Let me take care of that last part, Love."
As soon as those words left his lips, their bodies, along with the mattress below them, were suddenly covered with a very thin sheet of water, the latter existing for a brief moment before disappearing, bringing with it all traces of their previous debauchery while leaving all of them squeaky clean.
Scrunching her nose cutely, Sera commented with a satisfied smile.
"Much better. Thanks, Babe."
With an amused grin, the raven-haired man replied.
"You're exaggerating a bit, Love. With so few impurities in our bodies, it's not as if our respective 'fluid' smells bad."
Shaking her head, she added with a mock serious expression.
"It's a matter of principle."
Turning her head toward her daughter, Liya questioned.
"Sweetie, weren't you the one claiming that the more of Demian's 'white cum' you were covered with, the better?"
Despite having been called out, the elven woman felt no shame and explained as if it should have been obvious.
"There is a time and a place for everything, Mom. When I do it, I enjoy being covered by his smell, but when we don't, like right now, I'd rather be clean. It's as simple as that."
The proud look on her face brought a feeling of not knowing if she should laugh or cry to the oldest redhead, who replied in a resigned tone.
"If you say so, sweetie..."
As for Demian and Bryn, both felt amused at the youngest woman's nonsense, though neither commented on it.
After all, they knew that arguing with someone shameless would only end in defeat for those who did feel shame.
Instead, the golden-skinned woman remarked.
"The two of you should check on your cultivation. I'm sure you'll be surprised."
Following her suggestions, Sera and Liya quickly used their respective Soul Sense on themselves.
At first, both felt puzzled since their cultivation had not moved even a notch, a situation that did not really bother Liya.
After all, she had gone from a moderately talented Elementary Human race with Peak Sixth Level Chi Gathering Rank to a Carmine Race with Peak Heaven-Grade talent and a boost of three levels, bringing her directly to the Peak of Chi Gathering Rank, just a week prior.
Thus, 'losing' a week of dual cultivation was truly insignificant to her.
However, it was not long before the mother and daughter duo realized that, although their cultivation had not increased even a bit, their cells did change as they were now filled with some 'foreign' energy, its amount multiple times what they currently possessed.
"Weird... It's as if there's some strange space inside my cells..."
Sera mumbled, followed by a nod from Liya, who added while gazing curiously at the raven-haired man.
"It's so stable... Is it because of your Perk, Darling?"
With a thoughtful expression, Demian replied.
"Probably. I mean, I never heard of anything like that ever being possible. But then, I don't know more about this world than any of you, so it's possible that it's one of those so-called one-in-a-million-years situations that none of us know about."
Shaking her head, Bryn remarked.
"I doubt it. Still, it's good for you two since that means you won't fall behind me once you go through your Tribulation."
Hearing her words, Liya replied while moving her gaze from her oldest daughter's face back to Demian's own.
"Speaking of which, when and where do you think we should go through our Tribulation. I mean, it'd be bad if something like what happened to you happened to us. It'd paint an even bigger target on our backs, so..."
Her question brought a contemplative silence to the room for a few moments before Demian let out a sigh and responded.
"It's better to do it in Bright Star City and as soon as possible. Well, both of you need to adjust to your new strength first, but yeah. The sooner it's done, the better."
Before the oldest redhead could say more than 'but', he cut her off by explaining his thought process.
"I know what you want to say, but I think it's the best way to go. First, it'd be much safer for us given our current cultivation. Not that I think we're weak, but if any Late Core Formation Demon Beast ambushed us while you two were going through your Tribulation, we'd be toast. When going through our Core Formation Tribulation, we might need to do it outside, but for this one, it's best if we do it here. Also, you haven't condensed any Golden Immortal Traces yet, meaning your Tribulation should be the same as Bryn's. It'll be stronger than the usual Peak Nine Lightning Tribulation, but that only means you're among the best Heaven-Grade talent. You'd be a threat to those Demon Beasts, sure, but not enough to make them go insane trying to kill all of us."
Pausing for a second, he then added.
"As for why I suggest you go through it as quickly as possible, it's mainly because the higher your respective cultivation, the more efficient dual cultivation would be, making the speed of our growth increase even more."
Hearing his reasoning, the three were convinced, prompting Sera to remark.
"I agree with Dem. Mom, you and I are too weak to leave the island for now. It's best if we can wait until we reach the Late or even the Peak of the Foundation Building Rank before we do it. By then, with our foundation, we might be able to fight against late-stage Core Formation cultivators, making it much safer for us."
Adeliya was anything but indecisive, so, hearing the two people's opinions, she declared.
"Let's do it that way, then. I'll need a few days, at most two weeks, before I can master my bloodline memories to the point that I feel confident enough for my Tribulation. Then, we can think about what to do next."
Indeed, Seraphine would most likely take less time to prepare, given that her bloodline had already been awakened for a while now, while her own had only appeared right before their crazy one-week-long 'sex camp'.
However, she was clear that the difference would not be huge as she now had access to the enhanced version of Demian's Perks, which would surely expedite the process.
With the decision made, the four spent the rest of the night chatting together, while only occasionally having some more intense 'fun'.
However, they kept it short and sweet as the previous dual cultivation session had truly pushed them to their breaking point, and they all needed some time to completely recover from it.
Around two weeks later, at the Tribulation Plateau.
While lightning bolts after lightning bolts were falling on a figure with flowing red hair, who was standing a few kilometers away from the Leaping Yang Fish's position, the rest of the Mikhailovs, along with Sergei, Ling, and Mikhail Anrepo,v were discussing the Tribulation happening in front of them, or more specifically, the woman going through her Tribulation.
With a hint of surprise in his gaze, Mikhail commented.
"Awakening a Blood Race variant bloodline, and one as rare as a Life-attributed one... Truly, the young lass is beyond lucky..."
Turning toward the other two Mikhailov women standing by Demian's side, each with a vastly different appearance, he added.
"Your family is truly different from the rest, lad."
Meeting the older man's gaze, Demian flashed him a neutral smile and replied with a single word.
"Maybe."
Calling the family special was truly an understatement, whether it was the three different bloodlines awakened in people as closely related as a mother and two sisters, his own Immortal-Grade talent, or even their ridiculously fast cultivation speed, all of it was beyond what should be possible with their visible talent.
In Demian's case, his cultivation had broken through the High Fifth Level the day prior, while Bryn's own was now at the Peak of the Fourth Level, needing only a day or two before naturally reaching the Fifth Level.
As for Seraphine and Adeliya, their cultivation had not moved a centimeter forward for obvious reasons, but the accumulation of energy inside each of their cells had grown tremendously, to the point that neither Demian nor Bryn could tell how many Levels they would jump over once they went through their own Tribulation.
Some of that, like the energy accumulation, could be hidden from others, but the rest could not.
Thus, Demian did not even bother trying to find an explanation, which would be insulting the other's intelligence, but instead opted to say as little as possible.
Still, he was not overly worried as the girls' growth benefited the Federation, and from their previous interactions, the four Mikhailovs found that the higher-ups' characters seemed to be more than decent.
At least, they would not be targeted for their secrets.
That being said, relying on others' mercy was not a viable long-term plan, making it essential for the group of four to grow as quickly as they could so that a situation like the previous Demon Beasts' attack, where they were powerless to do anything, would not repeat itself.
Seeing the young man's poker face, Mikhail's lips twitched with repressed amusement, prompting him to exclaim inwardly appreciatively.
'Good lad! He knows I know, but still doesn't explain.'
Out loud, he nodded while letting out a light chuckle.
"Maybe, indeed."
Seeing the older man not insisting, the slight tension in Demian's heart settled down, though he showed nothing outwardly.
Instead, his gaze was quickly drawn to Liya's figure in the distance, her graceful movements reminiscent of a dancing butterfly.
Each spell of hers carried Blood Energy, easily dispelling or, at the very least, weakening the descending lightning bolts, turning those lethal attacks into tickling caresses.
Compared to her oldest daughter's Tribulation a few weeks prior, the way she dealt with her own was almost insultingly easy, her energy reserves seemingly bottomless, while even the harshest injury healed in a flash, leaving her fair skin completely unblemished.
If one did not know the truth, they would surely think that Adeliya's talent was way above Brynhild's.
However, the other three Mikhailovs knew that her current 'leisure' was thanks to the massive enhancement of Demian's Perks, while her innate talent merely played a minor role.
In truth, if Brynhild were to face her tribulation again, she would certainly be as relaxed as her mother.
Still, none of the three would point that out to the others, opting to let the others praise the redhead instead.
After all, whether it was for keeping their secrets or because they were simply happy that the woman they knew and loved, who had been constantly battling with a deep feeling of inferiority, was finally receiving the acknowledgement she deserved, the three would rather keep quiet.
Time fleeted by, and it was finally time for the last Lightning Bolt to fall on the redhead's still undamaged body.
Interestingly, it was not that the redhead had managed to block all the last few bolts, but that the bone-deep injuries she received had healed at a mind-boggling speed, creating a strange scene of Liya's entire body switching from a gory mess, with every piece of flesh mangled into a frightful state, before she was back to her flawless, alluring self in less than a blink.
The strange mirage-like event happened again and again until the destructive energy in the bolt rampaging inside her was completely drained by the Physiology Perk, used as fuel to not only heal but also temper her Mana, Physique, and Soul Power further.
Then, with her clothes shredded into smithereens and the only thing left to hide her modesty being the damaged armor she wore, she was suddenly surrounded by a cloud of creation Energy, the latter pouring inside her, not only opening the gate to the Foundation Building Rank for her but also bolstering her cultivation and Foundation further.
On the spectators' sides, a few relieved sighs were heard as Demian and the two sisters felt the worry in their hearts vanish with the redhead's resounding success.
Aside from them, both Sergei and Ling felt much more relaxed, especially when they witnessed the ease with which the younger woman went through her Tribulation, as if she were merely taking a relaxed stroll instead of the life-and-death ordeal it was in reality.
The impact was even greater on the Asian woman, who felt as if some invisible shackles inside her weakened until they were on the verge of collapse.
She did not have to ponder for a long time to realize that her bottleneck grew weaker, and she was only missing a small trigger to finally break through to the Refining Seed Level.
Now, that small trigger could appear the next instant, or never appear at all, as Heart cultivation had always been a nebulous branch of Immortal cultivation.
Still, it was great progress, and with her talent, she was confident she would quickly find that flash of insight, allowing her to finally break that flimsy paper window separating her from the next Level.
With her eyes, previously filled with concern, but now flashing with bright light, she exclaimed inwardly.
'Taking those four in was truly the best decision Sergei made. They're truly our lucky stars!'
On the side, as someone who knew his wife well, Sergei immediately noticed the change in her gaze, bringing a hint of curiosity to his heart.
While the rest were praising Adeliya for her successful breakthrough, though the person in question was still digesting the creation energy and had no mind to spare for listening to those praises, Sergei sent a Voice Transmission to Feng Ling.
["Wife, did something good happen to you?"]
Indeed, even though most would think she was happy for her friend's success—and she certainly was—her husband was clear that there should be something else on her mind, evidenced by the glint of excitement in her eyes.
As he was contemplating, something suddenly came to him.
'Could it be that she...?'
Before he could finish that thought, the slender woman responded in the same manner, her smile betraying her inner feelings.
["I've just had a small Heart breakthrough."]
Although she did not give any details, Sergei knew her situation perfectly, making it easy to guess everything, especially as he recalled one of their previous conversations about Liya and her Tribulation.
As the saying goes, the best way to resolve a heart knot is for the one responsible to do it themselves.
In Ling's case, although Liya was merely a part of Ling's heart demon, by passing through her Tribulation so easily, the positive impact on her heart knot was great, not to the point of removing it completely, or there would have been some kind of external sign, but certainly weakening it significantly, which would increase the chance of reaching the next level by a great amount.
And since reaching the Refining Seed was mandatory to break through to the Void Seed Rank...
Gazing into her eyes, he noticed the excited gleam they contained, prompting him to gently say.
["Congratulations, my Love. You're one step closer to the Void Seed Rank."]
Looking into her husband's eyes, her smile grew a tad bigger and warmer as she replied.
["That way, you won't leave me behind, my dear husband."]
Shaking his head slightly, he flashed an amused grin as he retorted.
["I wouldn't even dream of it."]
While the two were in their own worlds, Demian turned toward Seraphine and instructed.
"Once Liya is done, you're next, Love. Just be careful, and I'm sure everything will be fine."
Bryn also added, her face filled with a look of concern.
"Sis, remember to use the Talismans and Pills in your Void Storage Ring. It's better to waste them than to need them and not use them, alright?"
After she gave a few more pieces of advice, Sera, a wry smile gracing her lips, replied.
"Come on, you two. I'm not a three-year-old kid. You've both gone over everything so many times already..."
Letting out a sigh, she then continued.
"Look at Mom! She's dealt with her own Tribulation so easily. Do you guys think I can't do the same?"
Before Demian could say anything, Brynhild shook her head and explained.
"I know you can, but it's not about if you can or can't. It's about being better safe than sorry."
Chuckling at her answer, Demian added, a playful grin hanging on his lips.
"Your sister is just worried for you, Love, just like we all are. That's why she and I have been a tad naggy with you and Liya today."
Rolling her eyes, Bryn retorted, 'I'm not naggy, you're naggy', while Sera let out a few clear giggles before replying.
"I'd have strangled both of you if you had been doing it for fun, so believe me, I know."
The raven-haired young man and the purple-haired beauty shared a knowing smile while Bryn let out a sigh, commenting.
"Just be safe, Sis, alright?"
Hearing the deep concern in her sister's voice, the shorter woman suddenly embraced the tall woman, the top of her head not even reaching the other's chin despite her almost two-meter-tall height.
"Don't worry, big sis, I'll be fine. You only have to wait here with our husband and watch me crush that puny lightning Tribulation."
On the side, when he heard that statement, Mikhail's lips twitched, a wry smile appearing on his face as he thought.
'I really want to tell her to stay humble, but if she truly can match the ease of that young redhead, her words would merely be facts... These four are truly a group of monsters...'
While Ling and Sergei smiled at the three lovers, their smiles filled with warmth and a hint of pride for having such outstanding students and friends, Bryn tightened her embrace around her younger sister's smaller body while replying in a low voice.
"As long as you pass your Tribulation safely, I don't care about any crushing."
Giggling at her reply, Sera said.
"You sound more and more like Mom."
With a slight upturn of her lips, the taller woman remarked.
"That's because you're too much of a handful for Mom to deal with alone. So, I have to help her deal with you."
With a mischievous grin, Sera commented.
"That's called being adorable, sis. Plus, wouldn't you get bored without me?"
Seeing the two bantering with each other so harmoniously, Demian's expression was filled with warmth, with a thought appearing in his mind.
'Is it me, or they're getting along even better than before? Then again, sharing the same bed with the same man would tend to bring two women closer, especially if they're blood-related sisters. That or it'd destroy their relationship. Thank God it was the first option for them...'
Time passed quickly as the group kept chatting away, sometimes bantering, sometimes mentioning serious topics.
A few hours later, the cloud around Adeliya's figure finally disappeared, unveiling the woman previously hidden inside.
As soon as it did, the group standing a few kilometers away felt a surge of Aura coming from her, which brought a strange expression to Mikhail's face, who mumbled in disbelief.
"Low Fourth Level... This..."
For a few moments, the powerful man whose Heart Cultivation was now at the Refining Seed level felt as if his mind was about to snap from the shock.
Fortunately, his Will was strong enough, and as soon as he felt the three Mikhailovs previously standing close by fly toward the redhead, he completely recovered, with one thought appearing in his mind.
'So, it's not only that lad who is monstrous, but all four of them...'
Honestly, monsters may not even be enough to describe them.
Could those ultimate geniuses from the Main Continent reach that level?
Doubtful...
After a brief instant, he let out a sigh, feeling as if a weight had disappeared from his heart.
'With them, the Federation is bound to soar higher, and those Demon Beasts are bound to be exterminated. Still, I feel a bit... Envious...'
On Adeliya's side.
The redhead, feeling her cultivation settling down, had her eyelids flutter open, the captivating gold of her irises reflecting the setting sun hanging on the horizon.
Seeing the three most important people in her life standing a few meters away, with each having a warm smile on their faces, a light mist covered her eyes, and a delighted grin graced her lips.
"I did it!"
She could barely contain her exhilaration, immediately throwing herself into her man's arms, though she was swiftly joined by her two adorable daughters.
At that moment, she truly felt content.
It was not because of her surge in strength—though that did help somewhat—but instead because she felt as if all her worries had disappeared.
From feeling useless, out of place, and a mere burden, she was now feeling as if she was truly a part of their strange group of four.
Not only did she find where she belonged, or more specifically, who she belonged with, but she also finally had the means to protect it, or them, in her case.
She was happy, content, and fulfilled.
It was as if she...
Found her path?
As soon as that thought appeared in her mind, something seemed to click inside her, triggering a massive reaction from the Elemental Energy floating around.
Feeling the change, Demian had a strange feeling.
'Is she...?'