Dyon couldn't help but watch with a smile on his face as mother and son embraced. There was a faint jealousy in his heart, if he had to be honest with himself. But the sweetness easily overwhelmed it. He had long since accepted that he would never see his parents again, it was something he had come to terms with.
Since Zaire was born, this was actually the very first time he had felt his mother's touch. Back then, Zaire's father had used what remained of his soul to extend Esmeralda's life just long enough to give birth.
When Dyon's master sensed Dyon enter Focus Academy, it was then she finally stopped slowing Zaire's growth and allowed him to be born, believing she had finally found her successor.
So, the first thing Zaire ever saw as a child were the dead corpses of his mother and father. It was a good thing that he was far too naïve and green back then to understand just what kind of trauma that should have caused to him.
Being able to finally embrace her son, Esmeralda couldn't help but cry tears of joy as Zaire tried to awkwardly comfort her. Unfortunately for Dyon's master, her son was already well over eight feet tall and was well into his adulthood. She had no choice but to float into the air just to embrace his head.
It wasn't just Dyon and the mother-son pair who were happy, but the Celestial Beast Clans as a whole were excited beyond belief. It had to be remembered that Esmeralda was the very first White Mother born in countless millions of years.
For context, the Master Key arrays Dyon snatched back from the Cathedral were created by the 24th White Mother, yet, according to the twins, they were created over three million years ago. From this alone one could see just how long it had been since a White Mother was born.
Dyon still didn't fully understand the significance of the White Mother title. But he could see by the lively atmosphere that he had underestimated it.
"Ah, look at you." Esmeralda finally released Zaire and charged Dyon, enveloping his head in her arms before he could react. "I left you just for a few years yet you've already become so powerful. You definitely haven't disgraced your master."
"So soft." Dyon muttered absentmindedly.
"You cheeky boy, daring to take advantage of me!" Esmeralda feigned anger, but the bright smile on her face gave her true feelings away.
In truth, Dyon wasn't to blame for this. It wasn't as though he forced her to shove his head into her breasts. Still, it was quite a comfortable feeling indeed.
Dyon had already known before, but seeing his master's body reformed like this reaffirmed just how beautiful she was.
"Tell me, quickly, how's you progress?" Esmeralda suddenly became stern as though she was a strict teacher checking to see whether or not Dyon had completed his homework. But in response, Dyon only grinned.
"I've already mastered enough Heaven Grade techniques to the One with Self Realm, I'm pretty good, right?"
Esmeralda blinked before feigning anger once more.
She grabbed a hold of Dyon's ear, pulling and twisting.
"You actually dare lie to me? If you were going to lie, don't you think you should have come up with a better one? I told you to master 100 fist techniques, 100 leg techniques, 100 techniques of each of the nine core weapons, 100 movement techniques, and 100 energy manipulation techniques to the One with Self Realm for each of the Common, Earth and Heaven Grades.
"Even if I had been sleeping for 1000 years you should still be working on the Earth Grade techniques. You must think you're really powerful now, eh? You think this master won't be able to punish you, is that it?"
"Ah… Tstststs." Dyon winced. Surprisingly, he didn't have to fake it.
If he didn't fuse his vital and conventional qi, he was only marginally stronger than lower dao experts, but still weaker than many middle dao experts. His master, who was a lower dao expert genius herself, was more than capable of hurting him in this state.
Those who were around listening to Esmeralda's demands of Dyon couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. Was this really a master-disciple relationship, or was it a torture master looking after her servant? They really couldn't tell!
Just mastering 1 technique to perfection was already hard enough. Many dao experts couldn't even do so with Heaven Grade techniques. But mastering them to the One with Self Realm was really another feat all together!
Even a Common Grade technique mastered to the One with Self Realm was powerful beyond belief, let alone a higher grade technique!
"Ah, I'm really not lying."
Unfortunately, this response only led to a stronger ear twist, not to mention a glare that seemed to be daring him to say more.
Dyon wanted to cry, but had no tears to find. Zaire was laughing hysterically. In his whole life, he had never seen Dyon be on the losing end of anything until this moment right here.
"And what are you laughing about exactly?" Esmeralda turned her ire toward her son. "You're already so big yet you haven't stepped into the dao realm yet! Look at my adorable Little Alauna. Only 16 years old yet she's already more powerful than you!"
Alauna smiled sweetly at these words, pretending to be innocent as she allowed Esmeralda to embrace her.
"This…" Zaire choked on his own laughter. How was he supposed to contend with that little monster?
...
[Heavenly Nine Clouds].
Dyon took a single step through the air, his aura suddenly doubling as a baleful red aura whipped around him.
His steps remained staunch and focused as he took a second, his momentum doubling once more.
Every step felt as though he had entered a new realm, a higher heavenly cloud, a greater state of consciousness.
Esmeralda's eyes brightened as she watched her disciple in the skies. She really hadn't believed Dyon before, but in response, Dyon decided to show her rather than tell her. She didn't even care that there were many watching on in shock, in her eyes, there was only Dyon in the skies.
