My Celestial Ascension

"It’s fine. Don’t tease them like that, Valeria. Or should I share some ’secrets’ about you with everyone?" Vanessa stepped forward with a mischievous smile.

As soon as Valeria heard this, her expression froze and turned pale.

"Mom, don’t you dare bring those topics up out of nowhere. It’s embarrassing!" Valeria exclaimed, her face turning bright red.

"Oh? Embarrassing secrets, huh? I’d love to hear them," Angela chuckled softly, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Sure. I’d be more than happy to share them with you, Angela."

"MOM!! Cut it out already!" Valeria roared, her face flushed with embarrassment. Her body trembled from both irritation and panic.

"Tsk... It seems I can’t share them with you just yet, Angela." Vanessa sighed dramatically, knowing that any more teasing might genuinely upset Valeria.

Yuan smiled and gently pulled Valeria into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Don’t get worked up, Valeria. She’s only teasing you," Yuan whispered softly, immediately helping her calm down.

Valeria then suddenly turned around and, without saying a word, gave him a quick kiss, drawing envious looks from the others.

Yuan smiled and accepted the gesture before gently returning her affection, causing several of the women to look at them with playful annoyance.

Meanwhile, Anna Grace was on the verge of another breakthrough as a tremendous amount of energy began radiating from her body.

The air around her started to swirl as she continued absorbing Spiritual Energy from her surroundings.

Whoosh!

A gentle gust of wind swept through the room despite the windows being closed, and she slowly opened her eyes afterward.

"I’ve broken through to the Fifth Level of Spirit Lord... This feels incredible..."

She could feel the powerful energy circulating through her body and the renewed vitality coursing through her veins. The exhaustion she had felt earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a sense of strength and vigor.

’I should have spent a little more time cultivating before stopping... Still, I’m more than satisfied with the results.’ She chuckled inwardly before rising to her feet.

’In a few days, we’ll return to the Human Continent, and when that happens... things are going to become far more dangerous. We’ll be facing those so-called gods.’

’Because of that, we need to use these remaining days to increase our strength as much as possible. Especially those whose cultivation is still relatively low.’

The gods residing within the High Heaven possessed power that surpassed the limits of ordinary mortals. Even the strongest knights paled in comparison.

Furthermore, their mastery of magic had long exceeded the realm of mortals, allowing them to live for extraordinarily long periods of time.

After all, no mortal body could naturally endure for so many years. Humans, especially, possessed one of the shortest lifespans among the races of this world.

’I’ll have to tell Darling that everyone should focus more on cultivation so they can grow stronger as quickly as possible.’ She thought with a mischievous smile.

—

In the morning, the palace felt noticeably quieter. The guests had already departed after enjoying the banquet, while the servants remained busy cleaning up and tending to their duties.

Yuan made his way toward the garden where he had promised to meet Lilith. Upon arriving, he found her sitting on the same bench they had shared the previous night.

"Good morning, handsome. I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. I’ve been waiting here for almost half an hour."

The moment he approached, Lilith’s alluring voice reached his ears. There was a faint hint of disappointment in her tone, as though she had hoped he would arrive much earlier.

"I was tired last night since I drank a bit too much at the banquet. That’s why I woke up a little late," Yuan lied.

However, Lilith stood up with a frown and stared at him for a few seconds before a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"You really shouldn’t lie to me with such a straight face, handsome. Especially not first thing in the morning," she said as she gently placed a hand on his cheek.

A faint blush appeared on Lilith’s face the moment she touched him, as if she had suddenly realized what she had done.

"Please forgive me for touching you so suddenly," she quickly apologized. "I was just a little upset that you arrived so late."

Her cheeks reddened even further as she spoke.

’What is going on with this woman? Why is she suddenly acting so flustered? It was only a simple touch...’ Yuan thought, feeling slightly puzzled as he let out a soft sigh.

"It’s fine. I don’t mind at all," Yuan replied calmly before taking a seat on the bench.

Lilith gradually calmed herself and sat down beside him, leaving only a small distance between them.

"So, why did you want to meet me? Is there any particular reason?" he asked.

"Not really. I simply wanted to talk with you and spend some time together. That’s all," Lilith replied, looking slightly embarrassed as her cheeks began to turn red once more.

"Hmm... I can only think of one reason why you would want to meet me," Yuan said with a smile.

Upon hearing that, Lilith’s expression froze, and a hint of nervousness appeared on her face.

’D-Did he figure it out? What if he dislikes me or starts avoiding me? This is bad...’

’Why did I let myself get carried away?! I should have been more careful...!’ she screamed inwardly, her thoughts beginning to spiral.

After taking a few moments to calm herself, she looked at Yuan with a nervous expression.

"A-And what do you think? D-Do you dislike me?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Yuan shook his head.

"No. I don’t dislike you. It’s just that our first meeting was a little unfortunate."

"You’re a very beautiful woman, and there are countless men who would love to earn your attention. Honestly, I feel rather fortunate that someone like you is willing to spend time talking with me," Yuan said with a smile while maintaining eye contact.

The moment she heard those words, Lilith’s entire face turned red, and her heart began to race.

’Oh my... He actually complimented me...’

Her excitement threatened to show on her face, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Thank you for the compliment, Yuan. You certainly know how to make a woman smile," she replied with a sweet smile.

"No wonder so many women have fallen for you. It seems you’re quite skilled at saying the right things."

"I’ve had to learn a few things if I want to keep the people I care about happy," Yuan replied with a chuckle.

Lilith smiled softly before leaning a little closer, her eyes meeting his.

"So, should I take that as an attempt to win my favor as well?" she asked teasingly while lightly resting her hand on his.

"If so, I must admit that you’re doing a surprisingly good job."

A smile appeared on Yuan’s face as he replied, "If you don’t mind, that is... But give me some time before I give you my answer."

’So, he didn’t reject the idea. That’s a relief...’ Lilith sighed inwardly.

"I don’t mind. However, don’t keep me waiting for too long. I’ll have to return to my kingdom soon after the ceremony concludes," she said with a smile before continuing, "The resting place for the brave soldiers has already been selected. By tomorrow, everything should be ready."

"Ah, I almost forgot about the soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. I suppose it slipped my mind because everything has been so peaceful since the war ended," Yuan said after suddenly remembering the matter.

He rose from the bench and said, "Well, I have something important to take care of, so I’ll be heading off now."

"I also happen to have a meeting with the Emperor and the other leaders, so I’ll be taking my leave as well." With those words, Lilith stood up and departed from the garden.

Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the palace and began looking for Nerith and Isolde.

After asking a few maids about their whereabouts, he quickly learned where they were and headed there immediately.

It only took him a few moments to find them, and it turned out they were discussing matters related to honoring the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.

They were currently speaking with the person responsible for constructing the memorial site dedicated to the fallen soldiers.

Since they were engaged in an important discussion, Yuan chose not to interrupt and patiently waited outside the room.

Once the others had left and only Nerith and Isolde remained inside, Yuan finally entered.

"I sensed your presence the moment you arrived. Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Isolde asked, looking at him with a gentle smile.

"Nothing serious. I was simply curious about the ceremony for the fallen soldiers," Yuan replied as he sat down on the sofa between them.

"Oh, I see. So it’s about that..." Isolde let out a soft sigh.

After taking a deep breath, she explained, "Well, the leaders of each nation have decided to build a place where people can honor the soldiers and remember their sacrifices. It will also serve as a symbol of peace for future generations."

"I think it’s a wonderful idea to build a place that is accessible to every nation. It could help bring people closer together despite the racial differences between us," Nerith said with a smile.

Yuan nodded in agreement before adding, "In my opinion, it’s a brilliant idea."