Inside Altria's room, she could be seen sitting on her bed in a lotus position. Heaven and Earth energy coiled around her body in slow, steady currents.
It was the dawn of a new day.
The wind rustled the leaves outside and tugged gently at the curtains. Birds chirped happily in the distance. The atmosphere was gentle and peaceful, like a lazy spring day where time itself refused to hurry.
Booom~
A strong wave of energy burst out from Altria's body. It swept across the room and slammed into the walls, yet nothing was damaged. The formations embedded within the room flared briefly, protecting the furniture and structure with ease.
"Hehe~~ Finally! True Immortal Stage, Level 8!!"
Altria opened her eyes, excitement still humming in her veins.
Altria stabilised her cultivation for a while. And by the she was done it was already morning.
She rose from the bed, stretched her body languidly, then reached up and slipped her robe off. The fabric slid down her figure, revealing her bare skin and full assets beneath.
She hummed softly to herself as she walked toward the bathroom and quietly sat down inside the pool.
The Harmony Water instantly tried to penitrate her skin and bring harmony between herself and the outside energy but Alteria rejected it.
Altria made herself comfortable. Her expression still smug. The she channeled her Soul Force on her left hand.
On the ring finger of her left hand was a ring given to them by the Big Sisters of the harem.
Those Big Sisters had been wives of the deity for a very long time.
Two years ago, they had summoned them one by one and handed over these rings. The rings were crafted by one of the Big Sisters who was a master of formations.
At the time, the only explanation they received was vague.
They were told that announcements would come later, as things were still in a "logistics period."
Altria and most of the former vessels, now wives, didn't really understand what that meant.
Still, the ring itself was fascinating.
It allowed communication through messaging and projection. It functioned like a talisman projection, yet allowed real-time conversation. Altria and the other wives had been completely stunned by how fun and convenient it was.
Over time, they became familiar with the mechanics of the ring, and it naturally became part of their daily lives.
Five years had passed since all the vessels were promoted to wife status.
The estate had become far more lively.
All the wives were now active, standing on the verge of rapid growth.
Everyone was growing stronger at an insane pace, using the resources that naturally grew within the estate. Things that sprouted like grass here were priceless treasures outside.
Before, they could only watch those resources from afar, feeling as though they were being mocked by what they could not touch.
But now, everything had changed. The entire estate was buzzing with energy. Everyone was hyperactive.
After Altria channeled her soul force into the ring, a holographic projection appeared in front of her. A translucent screen unfolded smoothly, a glowing keyboard forming beneath it.
She scrolled through the friend list, then tapped into the group she shared with her friends.
Her fingers moved quickly.
[Neglected Six]
[PainterMommy: Hey guys!!! Guess what!? I just broke through to True Immortal Stage, Level 8!!]
She hit send.
Over the years, Altria had made many friends, and now they could communicate without ever needing to visit each other.
Through this ring, they could talk in real time, project their images, and even send all kinds of playful emojis.
The ring's functions had been updated four times over the years. It never needed to be taken away or physically modified. The updates simply happened.
Altria was truly in awe.
The level of mastery required to create something like this was terrifying. The formation master who made the ring was one of her Big Sisters. Just being counted among their ranks filled her with quiet pride.
And when she got to know that she was one of the Seven Boundless Formation Master of the First Heavenly Domain, she was even more in awe.
Altria really underestimated her Big Sisters...
The group chat exploded instantly. Exclamation marks flooded the screen. Astonished emojis popped up one after another.
[Neglected Six]
[BalanceBreaker: What!? Altria you definitely cheated!!]
[WhatDidIdo?: Yes!! We broke through last year!!]
[ImImmortal: Impossible! You definitely cheated. You used Harmony Water didn't you!?]
[RoxyRoxy: ...I'm disappointed in you...]
Altria smiled seeing the accusations and emotional blackmailing, then quickly typed back to defend herself from the teasing and disbelief.
[PainterMommy: @everyone Heh~ Think whatever you want~ it won't change the truth. You all are going to lose~]
Sending that, Altria closed the projection. She leaned back even more. Her head resting on the edge of the pool. Her smile never leaving her face.
The reason Altria and her friends were not cultivating as if their lives depended on it was simple.
They didn't need to. They had time. Lots and lots of time. That was it. That was the whole reason.
'...'
Back when all six of them broke through to the True Immortal Realm at the same time, they made a decision together. They would turn it into a competition.
They wanted to see whose cultivation talent was better. They would see who could break through to the Exalted Immortal Stage first, without using any external resources.
And the winner will be the Leader of this group chat.
All six of them agreed. For the past five years, they cultivated day and night, all remaining at True Immortal Stage, Level 7, holding the line evenly.
And today, Altria had broken through.
She had taken the lead.
Altria was certain of one thing. She could go even faster. And she would be the first to step into the Exalted Immortal Stage.
Altria after a while dove into the pool and walked out. Water dropping from her body. She walked out and dried her self with Wind Energy and got dressed.
Altria got to her balcony and sat down on the chair. Taking out tea, she started to sip on it and thought of what to do. She was bored with all the cultivation. She looked at her backyard from second floor.
'Shoul I do gardening...?'
She thought but quickly discarded the idea.
'I almost decimated the garden last time I tried...'
Sigh ~
"Guess I will do what I'm best at..."
Altria sighed and decided to paint. After she was done drinking tea, she took out her canvas and paints and stared to paint the horizon of her island with slow and delicate strokes of the paint brush.
Her face had a peaceful expression...