“But… What does that mean?” Ri settled back down after her realization. As much as she wanted to believe that her parents had to be in this very universe, something wasn’t adding up. Plus, they didn’t know enough to conclude something like that. At most they could know for sure that Ri’s parents didn’t leave by normal means.

A sad smile surfaced on Dyon’s features. He didn’t like seeing Ri in such a sad state, but these were things they had to talk about together. He was a hypocrite when it came to his loved ones. A lot of the time he wanted to carry all of the load and keep things buried inside, by he hated the idea of his friends, or his women especially, having to do so. His decision just months earlier to trust Ri and Madeleine to fight on their own was something that still tore him apart to this very moment.

He knew Ri was safe now, because she lay by his side. In fact, he knew Madeleine was safe too because on his way back, he used Little Lyla’s help to find a spatial tear to her. However, he still hated having to find Ri in such an injured state and although Madeleine wasn’t hurt when he found her, when he got a good look at the legacy world she was in, he had some pretty troubling guesses as to what her winning could mean…

Dyon sighed, “What we do know is a few things…

For one, if your parents are no longer in this universe, they didn’t leave by the gates. No one within the last ten years has conquered a gate, so therefore the cultivation of your parents would be too high to enter one.

So, with that understanding, we’ve eliminated one possibility, but there are others. If we assume that your parents aren’t here, then that means that there’s some other, novel way, to travel between universes.”

“Is there really such a thing? It doesn’t seem likely…”

Dyon nodded. Ri was right. If people could travel between universes just like that, then what would the gates be there for? And, when you think about the fact that the gates were created by the old man – a person who had transcended and wielded unprecedented power – one would be hard-pressed to justify the existence of such an item. And it became even more unlikely when you considered how weak this universe is… But… There was something nagging at Dyon’s mind.

“You’re right, but there’s something we’re neglecting…”

“You mean how it is my mother got here, right?” This was something Ri had begun pondering as soon as Dyon mentioned the problem with her parents leaving this universe. Because, if there was a problem with them leaving, then there was obviously the vice verse problem…

“Exactly. But, that question leaves more questions than even how your parents disappeared…

We don’t know how old your mother was when she came here, so we have no approximation of cultivation. That means she could very well have used normal means to enter.”

“The problem with that would be that there are no Kitsune here… Not that we know of anyway. So, if the Kitsune had come here, why aren’t they here now?”

“True. There’s also something interesting about those questions. Remember when I told you that my master has seals on her memory? And that those seals most likely lock away pieces of information about the destruction of the Celestial Deer Sect?”

“Mhm,” Ri nodded.

“Well, one of the things that we’re included in her memory was the oddity of the color of your aurora. This was something I found odd for a long time, in fact it was the main reason it took me so long to figure out you had conflicting constitutions…”

“You mean?”

“Mm. After we met Bas and Liska, I confirmed my theory.

The characteristic gold color an aurora gets denotes an innate wielder. A white color denotes humanoid species such as the elves and humans. But, beasts have aurora matching their species and species type… Bas’ aurora was a blazing red. Liska’s was a pale silver. And yours is a striking blue.”

“So, you think the Kitsune used to be tied to the Celestial Deer Sect?”

“It’s still too early to conclude that because my master alluded to the Celestial Deer Sect being in conflict with the qilin and dragons because of her husband and Little Black…

But, if it was true, it would make sense for a number of reasons. For one, the elves had an alliance with the sect, which means that if the Kitsune were involved, that would likely be how your parents met.

Secondly, if the Kitsune were in an alliance with the Celestial Deer Sect, it would also explain their disappearance from this universe. If a big war happened, and their side lost, it would be unlikely for them to have survived… Their state could very well be similar to the Celestial Deer Sect. However… There’s a problem with that assumption.”

“Mm. If they’re destroyed, why did my mother leave? Unless we’re assuming incorrectly.”

Dyon laughed, “That’s a possibility. Because of the martial world, whenever a woman disappears and she’s from a strong clan, I automatically think they must have stolen her to marry her off for political gain.”

Ri sighed, “But that’s just the sad truth… It happens too often… If you hadn’t helped the Elves so much, and I suddenly revealed my talent, even the Grand Elders might have used that as an opportunity to try and sell me off for their benefit…”

Leaning down, Dyon kissed Ri’s forehead, “Well that would be the end of them, now wouldn’t it?”

A small smile appeared on Ri’s delicate lips as she snuggled closer to Dyon, very content with his response.

“But, the truth is that my mother did leave before my father did… If it’s not for the assumed reason, then what reason could there be?” Although Ri didn’t want to think it, she got a nagging feeling in her heart that made her uncomfortable. ‘Did my parents leave because they didn’t want to be with me anymore?’

“I know what you’re thinking… Well, at least I think I do. But, you’ve told me too many great memories you have of your mother for me to believe that she left you just because. I’m looking forward to meeting the beautiful Japanese woman that birthed my little feu glace.” Dyon smiled, pushing himself up from the bed and kneeling beside Ri.

Dyon shook his head as his eyes scanned Ri’s body. He felt like he had never just paused to appreciate it because whenever Ri was in the nude, she was usually pouncing on him – something he couldn’t complain about, if he was being honest.

Moonlight trickled in on Ri’s soft, jade-like skin as she blushed under Dyon’s gaze. It wasn’t as though he had never seen her in the state, but this was the first time he was staring so intently. It made her heart skip a few beats.

Dyon large hands started running over Ri’s perfect curves absentmindedly, as though he was trying to ingrain her figure into his memory.

Ri was petite, only being about 168cm tall. But, her proportions made Dyon’s breathing stagger.

Her breasts weren’t large but were supple and soft – still being ample enough to fill even Dyon’s large hands.

Her hips were wide and giving, curving to the size of her plump ass to perfection. In fact, Ri’s body hadn’t changed even one bit since the first time Dyon met her… Even then, when her looks were supposedly average, she had not only made Dyon fall for her, the sway of her hips, the form of her shape, the tone of her body, had all mesmerized Dyon to no end.

“Pervert.”

Ri’s voice was like the flap of the wings of a butterfly almost losing itself in the wind. But, that only served to transfix Dyon even more.

What was maybe the most enrapturing about Ri though, were her eyes.

Dyon felt as though he couldn’t stop smiling when he looked into them. He had completely forgotten that they had been speaking about an important topic just before this.

Seeing Dyon’s gaze and the flex of his toned muscles underneath the soft moon light, Ri felt a faint wetness begin to coat her treasured place. She suddenly felt though the heat she thought had subsided was building up again.

Dyon seemed to notice that the reddening of Ri’s skin was no longer due to embarrassment, which made him chuckle to himself lightly as his gaze shifted to her delicate pink folds. Raising his thumb to it, he gently stroked the small patch of hair causing Ri to shift her hips in annoyance as though to say, ‘touch it directly you idiot.’

But, Dyon smirked to himself as he didn’t comply. “Let me give you a massage,” He reached for Ri’s hips, turning her over as he began to gently press into her toned back. His celestial will and aurora trickled in, pouring through Ri’s body and causing her to sigh in comfort.

As Ri’s breathing became deep and relaxed, Dyon worked his way through her body. Double and Triple checking her injuries were healed to perfection as he enjoyed the softness of her skin.

“What do you mean by Japanese?” Ri said softly, suddenly remembering they had been having a conversation before this.

Dyon had called her mother Japanese, but Ri had no idea what that could mean.

A sudden realization came over Dyon. He had never thought about it deeply before, but many of the things he had seen in the human world – whether that be cultures, religions and the like – often had representations in the martial world.

When Ri had fixed the conflict in her constitutions, it wasn’t just that she had become a beauty worthy of rivaling Madeleine, it was also that she had gained faint Japanese characteristics – or more accurately, what Dyon deemed characteristically Japanese features – reminiscent of someone who shared half of their genes with a parent of that origin.

“The Japanese are a race of people from the mortal realm. One of their legends includes myths about the kitsune. What’s interesting is that the way they look is quite similar to how I assume your mother would. And, someone half Japanese from the mortal realm would look a lot like you, too. Although I doubt they’d be as beautiful,” Dyon said teasingly.

Ri giggled lightly. Dyon never seemed serious enough when it came to these things. “So, that must mean that the wills of the martial world heavily influence the mortal world, no?”

Dyon nodded. “That’s the best explanation. To share a culture, religion and even some of the same facial features, my best guess would be that although the mortal realm can’t cultivate, it can still be effected by the laws of the martial realm.”

This made sense to Dyon. After all, Ri had once told him that part of the reason campaigns were fought was to spread your will. By doing so, your will thus became more powerful. So, if the Kitsune had been here, or were powerful enough elsewhere to have their wills trickle into other universes, then it made sense for a portion of the mortal realm to be affected.

Dyon chuckled to himself, “At this point, I wonder if us mortals ever truly came up with anything on our own. I wonder what were our ideas, and what was just influence from something high above our station.”

“Well, you’ll always have your technology. And technically, since you keep finding truth behind the religions and legends so many believe, doesn’t that mean you’re all technically right?”

A thoughtful expression appeared on Dyon’s features, “All technically right, huh? Well, that’s one way to think about it,” Dyon smiled, “Actually, that’s quite a nice way to put it…”

“That said,” Ri giggled to herself, “If you find a martial clan who are more expert at the use of computers than you are, I think it would be about time to give up.”

Dyon’s hands continued to glide along Ri’s back as he laughed. That would indeed be heart breaking. If that was the case, would mortals have ever really done anything on their own? If even their best accomplishments were just thanks to trickle of will from powerful beings, that would be kind of sad.

“But, you never finished your thought, Dyon…” Ri’s back tensed a bit under Dyon’s fingers, causing him to slow his pace. “If not for the reasons I thought, why would my mother leave, then?”

Taking a deep breath, Dyon answered, “If I’m going to be honest, I don’t know. I can only guess…

If the Kitsune were here before the destruction of the Celestial Deer Sect, then it likely means your mother didn’t leave for typical reasons.

If Elder Daiyu’s reaction is to be trusted, the Daiyu clan doesn’t have any dao formation experts remaining. This means that there shouldn’t be anyone among the Celestial Deer Sect’s enemies that we know of, that could rival the combination of your mother and father… Which means the reason they left likely doesn’t have to do with threats from this universe either…

But, there’s just too much guess work involved. I have no way of knowing if the Elder Daiyu was lying or not, and I have no way of knowing if the Daiyu are even the only clan we have to worry about. If I remember correctly, my master said the Daiyu clan was just one of their enemies, and if you take into account how powerful a Kitsune-Celestial Deer Sect alliance would be, then the idea of just one clan taking them down sounds absolutely ridiculous.”

Dyon sighed in frustration, “We just don’t know enough…”

Although Dyon didn’t say it, there was something else weighing on his mind.

The words that Elder Daiyu left just didn’t sit well with him. Even with the knowledge he gained from his grand teacher, the way Elder Daiyu said it was as though knowledge of what happened would make Dyon shift his allegiances from where they were… As though it would make him sympathize with the Daiyu?

If Dyon knew that Elder Daiyu had lost centuries of his life, life he had previously gained by having tempered his body with enigmatic energy of the dao formation stage, he would have felt even more strongly about this unsettling feeling. Why would Elder Daiyu risk saying something with such a heavy penalty unless it was just that important to him?… So important he couldn’t control his emotions even in the face of aging that much?…

The world was painted in greys… Was it really a certainty that Dyon just happened to become the successor of a clan that also happened to be in the right?… Would he feel the same way had he become the disciple of a Daiyu clan member instead?…

Sure, he hated the Daiyu not just because of the Celestial Deer Sect, but also because of what they had almost helped happen to Madeleine. If it wasn’t for the Daiyu, Kami Akihiko would have never had the technique necessary to take Madeleine’s talent and Dyon would have never had to fall out with the Kami God Clan, almost die, or risk his life at all.

However, how could Dyon know whether or not the Celestial Deer Sect had ever done something horrible in their long history? Was he meant to believe that in its many millennia of existence, no one of the Celestial Deer Sect had ever done something comparably horrible? … He would be naïve in thinking so…

That said, Dyon did have a cheat he could use to figure this all out… He just wasn’t willing to use it… Little Lyla was much too young to have to be involved in such things.

Although Dyon didn’t know about the treaty, even if he did it wouldn’t matter. Little Lyla wasn’t born at the time and is therefore not bound by it. The reason the old man couldn’t tell Dyon, even though he had the power to surpass the treaty because he was of comparable strength to its creator, was because there was still a connection between him and the treaty. Meaning, even if the treaty wouldn’t affect him, it would affect Dyon by proxy of the old man’s connection to it.

However, Little Lyla wouldn’t have this problem… She wasn’t tethered to the connection and although the treaty could bind the words spoken, it couldn’t bind thoughts. If it did, wouldn’t Madeleine’s master or Elder Daiyu die every time they thought of the treaty?

This ultimately meant that all Little Lyla had to do was be present during a questioning… But, was it worth it?… To Dyon, the answer was no.

Dyon sighed, “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like?”

Dyon grinned, “Your body.”

Ri giggled, “Can’t you not be a perv, for once?”

“Well excuse me Ms. ‘Dyon, I feel hot’.”

“Hmph, making fun of your wife’s libido is a good way to shut it off.”

“Shut it off?” Dyon wrapped his leg over Ri to sit on her soft thighs.

Suddenly feeling a thick and heated rod slap onto her cheeks as rough and strong hands continued to massage her back, Ri’s heat started steadily climbing again.

Ri pouted, “So I let you win a few rounds, now you’re getting cocky?”

Dyon grinned, sliding his hands down to Ri’s ass to press its soft flesh into and around his cock. “Sure, if you can call an entire day ‘a few rounds’.”

“Hmph, how’d you go from helping me heal and clear my meridians to bullying me.”

“Well, okay. I’ll give you two choices. I could go back to helping you heal and get comfortable with your new faith seed awakening. Or, I could show you how I won those ‘few rounds’ again.”

Ri didn’t respond, instead sliding her ass up until Dyon tip rested just at the edge of her entrance.

Dyon couldn’t help but gulp at the sight, but the sensation of Ri’s delicate juices coating him ever so slightly made him want to thrust forward all at once.

“I choose both.” Ri turned her head back, smiling to herself at Dyon’s entranced gaze before lowering herself onto him.