Heaven, Earth, Me

Estrella looked at the Stone Stele in the distance with a thoughtful gaze. Her blue and golden eyes looked pensive as the amplified aura of the [Grand Cosmos Stele] permeated her body. 

Dawn and the other children similarly looked at the present their mother gave them, some with incomprehension and others with curiosity. Of course, while intelligent, they didn't know much about it as children. 

Kaleina was different, of course, she couldn't help but look at the Stone Stele as if it was the most precious item in the entire cosmos. Who could say that they could experience how an absolute genius thought and felt about martial arts across the cosmos? 

The thing in front of Kaleina was her mother's accumulation during 60+ Years of pure and almost uninterrupted fighting. Kaleina knew that her mother had literally forged her battle style by herself through raw combat. Fighting, fighting, and more fighting was what produced the absolutely terrifying and talented creature that currently stood by her side. 

The dragoness commented. "Now, Estrella is today's birthday girl, so she will decide. Do you want to test this today? Or does my darling want to do another thing?"

Estrella looked between the Stone Stele in the distance and her Mommy's smile, and she didn't know what to choose. Estrella wanted Tatyana and Yasenia to pamper her today and be with her like they usually did on every child's birthday. However, the Stone Stele's aura felt so… welcoming for her.

Estrella looked at Yasenia and spoke. "I want… Um…" Estrella frowned, looking at Yasenia with somewhat of a pleading expression. The dragoness acted as if she didn't see it. In life, making choices is one of the most important things. So, teaching the children that they couldn't have everything they wanted was a good way to prepare them for it. 

Yasenia asked. "Yes, which one do you want?"

Estrella looked for a bit more time, but ultimately, her curiosity won, and she pointed over. "I want to try that, Mommy."

Yasenia approached and caressed her head. "Great, love." Yasenia looked at the rest of the children and explained. "Today, you will all try it together, okay?"

The dragoness looked at the rest, maids included and said. "All of the people here will try it. Me included."

Kali asked, confused. "Hm? Yourself?"

The dragoness nodded. "I was in the middle of an enlightenment when creating this, so while a lot of the information is in my head and I can probably demonstrate all steps, there are many insights that I can perfect while comprehending it." She looked at the children and smiled. "Of course, I'll join all of you a bit later. I'll teach the young ones how to do it while Tatyana guides all of you."

Kaleina looked between Tatyana and Yasenia, not knowing to which group she belonged. The dragoness laughed. "Kaleina and Flame, both of you are with me and the children."

Kaleina nodded, and Flame walked over, still marveling at everything that composed this giant place. "Aunty Yasenia, this place is incredible."

The dragoness looked around and nodded. "It took a lot of effort and resources. To be honest, if an average First Rate Sect knew how much we spent to create this, they might have a heart attack and spit blood until they die, hahaha."

Flame chuckled. "I mean, that stele alone is enough to buy a few First Rate Sects probably, no?"

Yasenia chuckled and said while guiding Kaleina, Flame, and the children toward the outer ring. "Tatyana told me that high-rated powers, and I mean those in the Sky Continent, would rather have that Stone Stele over the entirety of Distancia."

Flame's eyes widened. "No way."

The dragoness laughed. "Right? I also didn't believe it, but after hearing the explanation, I can somewhat understand why." Yasenia asked. "Tell me, Flame, what do you think is more important, one super powerhouse or one million talented disciples?"

Flame hummed and got thoughtful. The Phoenix girl had experienced Yasenia's war from quite close quarters, so she knew a lot of details. From the beginning to the end, the reason Yasenia could do everything she did, other than Yasenia's own intelligence, was the backing that the maids provided. 

So, Flame answered. "The super powerhouse."

Yasenia used her tail to caress her head. "Correct. That Stone Stele, if it resonates deeply with someone, will allow them to push beyond their talent and grow at a terrifying speed. In short, this stele, if used in a sect, can become a powerhouse producing treasure."

Flame and Kaleina realized the advantage and agreed. Kaleina giggled. "Well, I'd rather have ten moms by my side instead of ten thousand Tang Xians, hahahah." 

Flame rolled her eyes. "That Tang Xian woman was just delusional. She really thought that she could beat Aunty Yasenia. Didn't you hear what Lady An Meiling said? She thought that she was prettier than Aunty Yasenia!" Flame laughed. "That woman had problems."

Yasenia chuckled and said. "Okay, we are here. Step inside." 

The dragoness entered into the "mortal-level" layer of the enormous formation and the others followed her. 

Once inside, all the children felt a rush of energy around them, making their bodies feel light but very strange.

Their legs wobbled, and even Dianna, who was quadrupedal, fell down. Kaleina and Flame wanted to catch them, but Yasenia restricted their movement with her aura. "Don't help."

Kaleina looked at Yasenia and saw the dragoness looking at the children with an extremely attentive gaze. 

The dragoness spoke. "Babies, how are you feeling? Uncomfortable?"

Estrella, who was on all fours and breathing heavily while trying to stand up, looked up with a confused expression. "I-I can't stand up, Mommy."

Skye, frustrated because she couldn't even be on all fours, shouted. "Mommy! I can't move my limbs!"

Aurelia was sitting on her butt, looking around with confusion, and Dawn was perplexed, looking at her arms and legs as if they had stopped being hers.

Then, Katarina fell over, the little bipedal dragon looking cute as she tried to use her wings to stand up.

Finally, Dianna was flopped on her belly, looking up at Yasenia with her pretty golden-amber eyes, waiting for her Mommy's words.

Yasenia spoke. "The Stone Stele in the middle has my aura, babies. It has your Mommy's presence in it and is reduced depending on which cultivation level you are in. So, for you who are mortals, it is limited. Of course…" Yasenia looked at Katarina and Dianna and smiled. "Stand up, Dianna, Katarina."

Dianna and Katarina blinked and focused on their limbs. Then, as energy enveloped their bodies through their beast core, the two of them stood up. Unlike the rest, who had been born in the mortal realm, Katarina and Dianna were born with a cultivation base. They couldn't use it properly, but it was enough to overcome the mortal realms' pressure. 

Yasenia spoke. "This Stele has many different things to improve your martial arts understanding and even practice." The dragoness smiled. "First of all, you need to focus, Babies. Don't resist the energy that is coming towards you; let it permeate your limbs. Kaleina, Flame, you two as well." 

The two of them nodded and followed Yasenia's words. The dragoness smiled lovingly when she saw that all the children had stopped struggling and were doing what she said. "Great job. You are doing fantastic."

The mortal realm section's energy was faint enough to understand it fairly quickly, so after thirty minutes, Kaleina and Flame completely understood everything. However, this didn't allow them to unlock the art, not at all. 

Yasenia looked away from the small ones and said. "Now, Kaleina, Flame. You two have managed to allow the Stone Stele to form something like a connection with you. Meaning, your presence and progress will be marked in the stele, so the next time you visit, unless your aura or cultivation level has gone through a very large change, your progress will be stored."

Kaleina and Flame were puzzled. "Progress?"

Yasenia smiled widely. "This place can be used in three different manners. The first one is the one you did. It helps you refine your energy comprehension by allowing it to permeate inside you."

Lifting two fingers, the dragoness commented. "The second method is sitting cross-legged and looking at the Stone Stele, trying to comprehend the [Grand Cosmos Art], and slowly unlock my martial art legacy. This will also help with your current understanding of martial arts and can even help you refine your own martial art."

The dragoness looked at Kaleina and Flame and chuckled. "The third one is fighting copies of myself at any age. For example, scream… [Five] toward the Stone Stele."

Kaleina blinked and shouted. "Five!"

The ceiling of the place lit up, and a lightning bolt descended in front of Yasenia. That bolt transformed and took Yasenia's shape, but it was different. It was 5-year-old Yasenia who appeared. 

Kaleina blinked several times and stuttered. "S-So adorable! KYA! I want to hug you!" The dragoness giggled when she saw Kaleina running toward her phantom image.

Once she was close, the 5-year-old Yasenia moved incredibly swiftly and jumped and kicked. Kaleina's pupils shrunk, and thanks to being two realms above cultivation-wise, she could react and dodge backward quickly. "Huh?"

The dragoness commented. "The phantom has my own talent, strength, techniques, and proficiency when I was at the age you shouted. In this case, that's me when I was five years of age."

Flame was stunned. "Wow." She thought for a bit and shouted "[Twenty One]!"

Yasenia raised her eyebrows, and the 21-year-old Yasenia appeared. Flame was at the peak of the Second Realm. However, 21-year-old Yasenia was already at the Mental Nourishing Realm. Of course, there was no way for Flame to know about this.

Flame took a stance, and the illusory Yasenia took out a copy of the old Draconic Heart. It was an enormous rocky sword with a sharp edge. 

Kaleina looked with interest.

Yasenia's illusion stomped the ground, shooting forward.

Kaleina and Flame both lost sight of the Phantom Yasenia, and an instant later, Flame saw the dragoness's giant sword falling on top of her and bisecting her. She couldn't even react before her body was split in half.

Or, well, Flame was not split in half in reality, just in the simulation.

Yasenia looked at the shocked Phoenix Girl and chuckled. "The illusions can do damage, but they can't do lethal strikes. If the strike is considered lethal, the illusion will disappear, and you will lose. Another method to make the illusion disappear is…" The dragoness looked at her 5-year-old self and told Kaleina. "Kill her."

Kaleina almost spat blood and vehemently refused. "IMPOSSIBLE! MOMMY, YOU WERE SO CUTE! HOW CAN I LAY MY HANDS ON THAT ADORABLE LITTLE THING!?"

The dragoness blinked several times, not expecting such a reaction. From the distance, Evelyn shouted. "TELL HER, KALEINA! I SUMMONED THE 3-YEAR-OLD HER, AND NOW I CAN'T GET RID OF HER! WHY IS MY WIFE SO ADORABLE, AHHH!"

Yasenia coughed. 'Well, I didn't expect this.'

She pointed at herself and used her aura to crush the illusion at the same time that Tatyana did the same to the little Yasenia who appeared there.

A collective wail of lament that startled the children echoed in the place from everyone who summoned a little Yasenia.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!"