Chapter 148
Yui Bay. Island Air Temple. Yo.
Rocking gently in the rocking chair, I indulged in an uncharacteristic melancholy. Not even the sight of Dria's derrière, covered in some plant-based, ultra-thin material, could lift my spirits. She and Celine were right in front of me, tending to our garden. They worked manually, claiming it helped them relax and understand their strengths in a new way. Only Gaia was missing; she was helping her fellow nature spirits relocate to safer areas.
An hour ago, I'd tried digging in the soil myself, but my thoughts kept returning to one unpleasant topic. Occasionally, my daughters' loud, cheerful voices pulled me from my gloomy thoughts. They'd been playing in the backyard for a good three hours, where I'd recently built them an exciting playground. I could be proud of myself—even Shika had taken an interest in it.
"Ugh," I sighed, another weary exhale. I couldn't shake it. My mind kept replaying the image of Koh's grotesque body. Last night, I'd even had a nightmare about him. No doubt, he was the reason for my sour mood today.
For three and a half years, I'd been struggling to break through to the next level. I'd tried everything possible. I felt my understanding was sufficient, but now I needed to turn it into mastery. All this time, the looming threat of Koh's recovery hung over me like a sword of Damocles. I wasn't worried about myself, but my large family weighed heavily on my mind. Who knew what a deranged spirit might do? What if he decided to harm my loved ones...
Aine could stay with the girls permanently. From one of our conversations, I'd learned her ancestors had nearly killed Koh, which was why he still feared golden dragons.
Of course, I could hide everyone under Van Shi Tong's wings, but could that be called a real life? Koh was like an annoying, dangerous mosquito buzzing in my ear. I wanted to solve the problem once and for all.
Before another frustrated sigh could escape my lips, I froze, mouth agape.
Ten meters away, something inexplicable began. Visible streams of green natural energy lifted Dria off the ground. An astronomical amount of energy swirled around her, gradually being absorbed into her body. A strong wind picked up, and gray clouds appeared out of nowhere on such a sunny day. I watched intently as Dria's energy body transformed.
With each passing second, her energy structure grew more complex, dense, and profound. It dawned on me—my wife was ascending to an ancient level. My tense body began to relax. I was genuinely overjoyed that Dria was growing stronger, as if a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
The light show lasted about five minutes. By then, the clouds had thickened, and I felt a malevolent gaze directed at Dria. Still unsure what was happening, I rushed to her side.