•••

In the following days, a piece of news that shook the universe to the very core was revealed.

The War Immortal was injured!

A heaven shaking battle occurred in the central region of the Universe, between a veiled woman and the War Immortal.

After severely injuring the War Immortal, the woman, who emitted bloodlust that covered the entire realm, left immediately.

Such news caused every faction, regardless of their size, to jump with fright, at the same time some old ancestors began to think of a certain secluded all female religion.

•••

“Mother, you managed to injure the War Immortal?” Jasmine asked bewilderment in her eyes.

“Only because he let me,” said grandmother Anemone, her face scrunched in discontentment.

”He knew he was in the wrong, Enyo is his first descendant, and when she became unconscious, he became panicky and did anything to protect her. It’s hilarious how the reputable War Immortal, his mental fortitude supposedly impervious to all conditions, crumbled at the scene of Enyo getting hurt.”

“Even if that is the case, it seems there is much more to Enyo’s body than we first thought. The power she released while unconscious was realms above her current power,” Jasmine replied a severe look on her face.

“But, imagine how brilliant it would be if I had grandchildren with her bloodline too?” Jasmine’s aura suddenly became cunning, a manipulative smile on her face.

“We, really, are both daughter and mother.” Grandmother Anemone laughed maniacally.

Eventually, the two conniving women left the room they were in, moving towards the blood-ponds at the centre of the Religion’s cultivation area.

The two entered a glamourous cavern with elegant statues, the statues were alive with exquisite runes forged by the most excellent craftsmen. The sculptures all lead towards a luminescent cerulean lake, they absorbed the essence of heaven and earth and infused it into the liquid.

The lake brightened and dimmed according to the hearts, of the two people, beating in unison at the centre of the lake.

Two figures floated around at the centre of the hall, one subconsciously leaning onto the aesthetically broad chest of the other. Their long entangled beautiful hair, obsidian and orange, forced the two to wrap around each other.

They wore light semi-transparent gowns which were enough to cover the places they needed to cover.

“They’ve been in the same position for the past two weeks, Enyo just won’t let go of him,” Grandmother Anemone said with a smirk.

“It seems like I don’t even need to do anything, with her personality I don’t think he’ll be able to get away.” Jasmine laughed.

“They are all healed, it’s time we wake them up,” Jasmine said moving forward to the sleeping duo.

With a wave of her hand, a benevolent white Qi lifted the duo out of the cerulean water, during their flight across the lake the couple began to awaken.

Embarrassment spread across Enyo’s face as she stared at the impressive body beneath her, but a defiant looked flashed across it as she held on to him even tighter.

She remembered the words her mother, the Blood God, said to her, “There will only be one moment in your life when you meet a man that makes your heart flutter from the very first meeting if you don’t act fast… you may never be able to act at all.”

At the time Enyo couldn’t understand the meaning of those words, even now she still didn’t understand the things between man and a woman, but she knew that when she looked at Astrallis, she wanted to possess him.

Astrallis gradually opened his magenta coloured eyes and gazed at the now red-faced Enyo.

“Carry on laying there, your chest is comfortable.” A deep husky voice woke up the day-dreaming girl.

Enyo jumped up in fright, although she didn’t know what he meant she was sure it wasn’t anything good.

‘I can’t let him see me like this, I need to compose myself; such as my mother and the Religion-Master,’ Enyo commanded herself.

Before they could say another word, two similar looking women appeared in front of them.

“You silly children, almost killing yourselves during that fight.” Jasmine’s stern voice frightened the children.

“Mother!”

Without caring about being reprimanded Astrallis jumped into his mother’s embrace, wholly surprising her.

Astrallis, now only a few inches shorter than his mother, held on to her tightly. She looked down at her son's face and noticed his eyes were red.

“I’ve missed you mother, it has been more than two years since I’ve last seen you,” Astrallis whispered.

Only then did Jasmine remember that her son, who looked fourteen, was still not even eight years of age.

The stern talking she was going to give him evaporated on the spot, she allowed her son to hold her for a few more minutes.

After that Astrallis spoke to his mother for the rest of the day, telling her of his experiences over the past two years.

Even though she already learnt all of this from her mother, Jasmine still sat there enjoying her son talk so spiritedly.

“Mother, I think we having something to discuss the body-art,” Astrallis finally said the thing his mom was most dreading.

At the same time, Astrallis said this, his grandmother appeared by his mother’s side.

“Looks like it’s about time. Enyo is currently comprehending the insights she gained during your sparring match. It’s about time we explain your body-art, as well as think of some solutions,” said Anemone as she sat down beside them.

“Let’s start from the beginning, my self-made body-art, which is also the supreme art of the Blood Felicity Religion, Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art requires certain types of character traits to cultivate it.”

“One needs to be innately vicious as well as have a love for blood and chaos. Most of us have possessive tendencies, too, if we don’t get our way things can go wrong.” Grandmother Anemone chuckled a little from embarrassment.

“And, well, honey…” Jasmine’s face turned an odd colour, “You simply do not have any of those character traits. You strive to be the best you can be, but at the same time, you limit yourself because of your personality. Honestly, before your personality started changing as a result of practising the body-art, you were fit to become a supreme altruistic buddha. Every few aeons a child is born with the ideal conditions of becoming the perfect Buddha, you were the one born with it in the contemporary era.”

“Our Felicity bloodline is known for its viciousness, bloodlust and unfettered nature. In all honesty Astrallis, you are the first male to ever be born with a pure Felicity bloodline, there has only ever been females born with such a bloodline. We have a subsidiary monarchy named the Felicity Empire, that is where all the members of the Felicity Bloodline, which do not match the requirements to cultivate the body-art, congregate. Be they male or female.”

“Even with the Felicity Bloodline, it is hard for one to be innately vicious and hold a love for bloodlust. So, at birth, one is first tested for the purity of their bloodline as well as for these innate qualities. If they do not possess them, they will go live and cultivate in the Felicity Empire, and if they do have the requirements, the children are sent to the Holy Land of the Religion.”

Jasmine allowed a few moments for this to sink in as she observed her child's stunned face.

“Astrallis, you actually have thousands of relatives. Hundreds of aunts and uncles, and even more cousins.” Jasmine informed Astrallis while trying to keep a straight face.

“But… how?”

“Because I have a harem, of men.” Grandmother Anemone declared with pride.

Listening to his grandmother’s words, Astrallis was even more confused than finding out that his family owned a subsidiary empire. He turned to look at his mother an odd look in his eyes.

“You must be wondering how I’ve managed to have so many children, yes?” Grandmother Anemone laughed.

“It’s quite simple, I do the deed with one of my husbands, and then we plant the egg and the sperm inside an array that allows for auxiliary birth, then the child is born from there.”

And finally, Astrallis was so confused he felt his vision blur, “I don’t understand, what is the deed? And what does an egg have to do with this?”

Both mother and daughter collapsed, woefully realising they had forgotten to teach Astrallis about life.

“Mother, imagine if you only had one husband like me. We wouldn’t be in a situation explaining your deeds to my innocent son, and your only grandson with pure Felicity bloodline.”

Grandmother Anemone just turned her head in the opposite direction, humming her favourite song.

“Okay… What does this all have to do with me?” Astrallis finally gave up asking questions about the deed after being ignored.

Both females turned to look at him as if they finally heard him speak.

“Well, honey, you were born with a pure Felicity bloodline, but because you were also born with the innate characteristics of a buddha the characteristics of the felicity bloodline were ‘imprisoned’ per se.”

“The Astral God didn’t just simply chose your father and me to birth you. He most likely realised that the combination of our union would create a perfect buddha child, but he also knew about my bloodline. So, to allow you to cultivate our Religion’s supreme art - which only females can cultivate - he placed excess Yin in you, which you already know,” Jasmine stated.

She continued, “The Astral God wanted to create a being unlike any other, and the perfect conditions presented themselves to him. If he never added the extra Yin for you to allow you to cultivate the body-art, your Felicity bloodline characteristics would be forever sealed. But now that you are practising the body-art the sealed characteristics will slowly present themselves.”

“Even though all of this has happened, I don’t really see the problem. I’ll just have to get used to my new emotions and characteristics?” Asked the confused Astrallis.

The woman in front of him carried on speaking, subconsciously ignoring the utterly confused child.

“And lastly this brings us to the part which is the most interesting, and most likely the intended result of the Astral God. The Felicity Bloodline is part human and part devil.”

“Devil? How?” Astrallis asked not understanding.

“When I was in my youth, I and my sworn-sisters stumbled upon a pool of blood. A pool of heretical devil blood, we have no idea where the blood came from, all we know is that the entity which the blood came from was a supreme being. Even stronger than the current me,”

Grandmother Anemone’s said with solemnity.

“We fused with the blood of the devil, metamorphosing the blood into our own. Becoming more than just human. Everyone within the Blood Felicity Religion is either a descendant of mine or of my sworn-sisters.”

With a wave of her hand black Qi began to permeate her body, an ambience of an imperial devil surrounded her.

“And, the bloodline which that heretic devil held was no common bloodline. Although very little is in fact known of devils, there were some memories left in the blood. The contents of those memories are irrelevant to the current you, Astrallis, all you need to know is that you have a bloodline of imperium, an Imperial Devil Bloodline.”

“My Sanguinary Felicity Tree Body-Art is also derived from the Imperial Devil Bloodline; at the time, I used my innate talent in the Way of Blood, and fused it with my new Way of Devil. There are a few more details, but they are also useless to the current you.”

Astrallis sat there trying to absorb this new information.

‘I have the innate characteristics of a Buddha and now, a Devil? According to grandmother, a devil is possessive, regal and innately vicious. I have all of these characteristics, but none at the same time. If I’m not able to merge these characteristics together, what will I be? Will I have multiple personalities?’ At this point, Astrallis’s face became pale, as he thought of possibilities.

The mother and daughter pair just looked on, aware of the impasse that Astrallis currently faced. While they watched on they also felt a sense of helplessness, he was going through mental strains someone of his age shouldn’t. One can also rejuvenate from physical pain, but emotional distress can be everlasting.

‘I currently do not have access to Devil Qi, but once I reach a higher level in the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, I will gain access to it. Before then, I need to conjure a way to cultivate all of them.’

‘My Shakyamuni Manifestations has already ascended to a higher-tier of cultivation techniques, allowing the amalgamation of Buddha Qi and Astral Qi to form Dharma Qi. When I finally unseal the ability to use Devil Qi, I must try and find similarities between the three Qi’s and from there try and amalgamate them all into my Shakyamuni Manifestations.’

‘They do all hold at least one similarity; that is the unfettered and unchained nature of the Qi’s.’

Soon a determined look appeared on Astrallis’ handsome visage.

“I think I’ve found a way, but only the future will tell. But in regards to my characteristics, they could be forever changing.” Carefree laughter, with a hint of insanity, rang throughout the cavern.

‘And it’s already changing his personality.’

•••

“My Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art consists of nine levels, each level increases your vitality and brings changes to your physical body. Once you reach a high enough comprehension of the art, you can transform your body to have similarities to the devils; of course, you should only use this during battles as it isn’t permanent,” Grandmother Anemone said, walking around with a stick in her hand lecturing Astrallis.

“The technique has been imprinted on your soul, so there is no need to learn them. Although, you will only know the name of the level that is one above your current level. There is no way to pass on the technique, one can not even scavenge your soul to gain it. I am aware at all times of every person that uses the technique, and I can remove it from their souls if the situation arises.”

“Your current level of the body-art, which is the first level, is called Root Formation. It is the level where the roots of your Sanguinary Felicity Tree are activated and amalgamate with your body, forming a being of a higher tier. Each level of the body-art gives one the bodily strength equivalent of seven realms, for example; the first level gives one the strength of a World-Wandering Realm cultivator, while the second level would give one the strength of a full-completion Minting Realm cultivator. Each level vastly increases your vitality and physical strength, and because one practices the body-art at a young age, it brings great changes to the body.” Grandmother Anemone followed on, she then turned to look at Astrallis.

“And for you, it brought great changes. I just want to eat you up,” Grandmother Anemone said jokingly.

“Stop it, Grandma! Although I must be honest, my current appearance is a vast improvement over my past feminine look,” Astrallis said happily.

“Vast improvement is an understatement. I wouldn’t be surprised if you grow up to the best-looking man in the Universe, but this would be fitting, as our Religion is known for our exceptional looks and superior bewitching capabilities.” Jasmine said walking into the cavern, her body moving seductively, her emerald hair waving behind her.

“Darling daughter, I see you are reverting to your old self. Having disclosed your nature for so long while in the Astral Realm, I was wondering when you were going to go back into your primal nature,” said the pleased Grandmother Anemone.

“Mo… Mother, what are you wearing?” Astrallis asked his mother in awe.

“Oh, this? This is what I usually wore before I went to the Astral Realm.” Jasmine replied with a cheeky smile on her face, pointing at the short-dress she was wearing.

Astrallis started bewilderedly towards his mother.

Jasmine wore a black short-dress that only covered half her thighs, a large V was cut down over her chest allowing for a generous amount of cleavage to shine through, while nothing was covering her back. It all managed to stay on her body without falling off, leaving Astrallis absolutely stunned at the scene.

Astrallis felt his vision blur, “All my life has been a lie.”

•••