My Celestial Ascension Chapter 4 Learning Divine Rank Skill

Yuan, Lily, and their mother, Anna, were gathered in a spacious room, huddling together on a large bed. They had been embracing for over half an hour, losing track of time in the emotional wake of Anna’s recovery that day. Although they knew it was only a temporary remedy, the three of them remained deeply joyful.

"Let's stop for now; lunchtime is approaching... While I'm gone, help Mom practice her walking!" Lily announced as she hurriedly got up. "We are going to share a meal in the dining room for the first time in ages, so I'll instruct the maid to prepare a special feast for the occasion." With those words, she left the room, leaving Yuan and his mother to themselves.

Once his sister departed, Yuan began assisting his mother as she tried to regain her mobility. Initially, she struggled to maintain her balance like a newborn, but after several attempts, she managed to stand upright without Yuan's physical support.

"Since you can stand steadily now, Mom, why don't you try taking a few steps on your own?" Yuan suggested. Seeing her regain control over her legs motivated him; he was eager to begin his own Cultivation after witnessing the miraculous effects of the pill.

"Alright! I shall try," Anna replied. She cautiously moved her leg, taking her first step in a very long time. However, as she immediately tried to take a second stride, she lost her balance and began to topple over.

"Mom! Watch out!" Just before she hit the floor, Yuan caught her by the waist to steady her. "You shouldn't rush this; take your time and get fully accustomed to moving again first."

"..."

"..."

The additional words he intended to speak died on his tongue. As he held her, his face was pressed close to his mother's. They both froze for a moment, their lips inches apart, feeling the warmth of each other's breath.

'This is just my son, stay calm. Why is my heart racing so fast? Still, I have to admit, he has grown very handsome!' Anna thought to herself. She noticed his brown eyes now held a faint golden shimmer. With every passing second, her pulse quickened.

Yuan, for his part, remained locked in her gaze. The two stood motionless, oblivious to their surroundings as they stared into each other's eyes.

Tap! Tap!

"Mom! Someone is coming!" Yuan whispered as the sound of approaching footsteps outside snapped his mother back to reality.

"Huh? Ah, yes..." she stammered, her face turning a deep shade of crimson as she quickly stepped away from him.

"You should be more careful from now on, Mom!" Yuan added, his own face flushing. In his previous life, he had never been intimate with a woman and had died a virgin.

"Umm," Anna managed a small nod, averting her gaze.

The atmosphere turned awkward as neither could look the other in the eye.

Click!

The door swung open, and a beautiful woman in her late twenties with an elegant figure entered, dressed in a maid’s uniform. Yuan recognized her immediately from his inherited memories as Emma. She had served the family for over two decades, starting even before Yuan and Lily were born. Her loyalty to Anna was absolute, as Anna had rescued her from the slums when she was only nine years old and raised her like family.

Emma stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Anna standing unaided and looking healthy. Tears instantly welled up in the maid's eyes.

"Mistress? You have truly recovered! I thought the Young Miss was playing a prank on me. But it is real! Mistress, I am so happy for you." She had offered daily prayers to the gods for Anna’s health, yet it had seemed hopeless as no healer could find a cure. Seeing Anna standing on her own feet caused her to break down in tears of joy.

"I appreciate your kindness, Emma. However, this recovery is merely temporary, so don't celebrate too much yet. Anyway, is lunch ready? It has been so long since I've had a proper meal." Anna was looking forward to eating; she was thoroughly tired of the bland taste of oatmeal, which had been her only sustenance during her illness.

"Oh, I nearly forgot my purpose for coming... Young Master, Mistress, the food is served. Please come down quickly before it loses its heat," Emma replied, a strange smile touching her lips.

Anna nodded, "Go ahead; we will join you in a moment." Emma gave a respectful bow and exited the room.

During the exchange, Yuan noticed something peculiar about Emma. Her tongue was unusually long and forked like a serpent's. Furthermore, her eyes were a reptilian yellow and her ears were slightly pointed. It confirmed her heritage as part of the snake tribe of the beastman race; there was no other explanation for such features.

"Let's head down for lunch while it's hot so we don't keep them waiting," Yuan said, taking his mother's hand to help her walk.

Anna’s face flushed again and her heart hammered against her ribs at his touch, but she did not pull away.

'Control yourself; there is nothing wrong here. He is simply helping me walk!' she told herself, trying to find her composure as they slowly exited the room.

As they moved toward the dining area, Anna took in every detail of the house. With each step, she grew more confident in her stride, though she remained slow, with Yuan watching her every move closely.

"Everything is exactly as I remember it!" she said with a smile, looking toward the living room. She could still see the phantom images of Yuan and Lily playing there as children.

Notably absent was any portrait of the children's father. Anna had disliked him; she had been forced to marry Jacob, who was the third son of Count Blank by a concubine and thus held no Noble status. After the marriage, Jacob had left the Blank household to serve as a high-ranking magic knight in the kingdom’s army. He had perished defending a city from a beast tide only two months after Yuan's birth. The original Yuan had never met him and stopped asking questions after hearing Anna's brief explanations.

"Mom! You can tour the house later; for now, let’s just focus on eating."

"Alright, sweetie, let's go!" Anna agreed, feeling her hunger grow. They proceeded directly to the dining room.

Upon their arrival, they found Lily and Emma already waiting.

"Little brother, you two certainly took your time!" Lily remarked, a hint of envy flashing across her face as she looked at Yuan.

"Sigh! Do not blame him; the fault is mine for moving so slowly due to my condition," Anna defended.

"I'm not blaming you at all, Mom! Sister Emma, please bring the food and join us," Lily said, turning to Emma.

As they took their seats, Emma served the meal before pulling up an extra chair to join them at the table.

Yuan finished his meal before everyone else. He was restless, his mind entirely focused on starting his Cultivation journey without further delay.

"I'm finished! I'll be in my room if I'm needed... Mom, make sure to rest today. You've just recovered and your body is still quite frail." After leaving them with those words, he headed straight to his bedroom.

"Young lady, I feel the Young Master has changed; he carries an air of maturity now... In my opinion, it is a positive change for everyone. Don't you agree?" Emma noted, cutting a piece of meat while glancing at Lily.

"I suppose so. He is at the age where such maturity is expected," Lily replied.

"Indeed! Children grow up so fast. Sadly, I couldn't be there for his childhood properly, but I intend to support him in every way possible now," Anna sighed. Her illness had robbed her of those years, and she vowed to remain close to him from now on.

"I will also do my best to support him!" Lily added, puffing out her chest slightly. "I am his big sister, after all."

"You still act like a child yourself, my daughter, hahaha!" Anna teased.

—

Back in his room, Yuan sat on his bed and tried to relax. Despite his excitement to cultivate for the first time, he knew he shouldn't rush. He wanted to truly feel the process of peaceful Cultivation.

"Hey, Nora... how long will the pill's effects last?" He was concerned about the duration of the high-grade healing pill he gave his mother. If the effects wore off before he could provide her with a Cultivation technique, her health might plummet again.

[Typically, the pill's effect lasts an hour, but since your mother is a mortal, it will persist for a full day. Do not overthink it; simply start your Cultivation. Once you do, you can buy a Divine-grade technique for her from the system shop,] Nora explained.

"Fine, I'll do as you say. Nora, bring out the Cultivation method." As Yuan spoke, a golden book materialized in his hand.

Yuan gripped the manual with both hands. "So this is what a skill book feels like in reality; it's a strange sensation." The cover was decorated with mysterious symbols and radiated a powerful aura. Yuan felt as though he were holding something truly divine.

[Stop daydreaming, host! Cross your legs, open the manual, and begin learning the technique immediately!] Nora snapped, noticing his lack of focus.

"Right, okay!" Startled by her voice in his head, he carefully opened the book. The pages were filled with bizarre, symbolic script that made no sense to him at first glance.

Even though he couldn't understand the words, he persisted in reading. Unknowingly, he closed his eyes. A wave of relaxation washed over him, feeling like a cold shower on a scorching day. It was as if the book was exerting a hypnotic influence over him.

Slowly, the gibberish began to transform into knowledge. Information he had never possessed began to flow into his mind. This process continued for nearly an hour until a sharp, synthesized female voice woke him.

[Ding! You have successfully mastered Heaven’s Secret Arts!]

"Heaven’s Secret Arts... that sounds incredibly powerful!" Yuan said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

**********

(I am aware the name of this technique is similar to one in another work, but I am using these specific names and characters for this novel because I enjoy the way they sound.)