Immortal Supreme: Sovereign of the Grand Dao-Chapter 293: Reveal

The silence that followed Cora’s sudden appearance was heavy and thick.

It pressed down on the room like a physical weight. Lady Ayara stood frozen in place. Her entire body had gone rigid the moment Cora materialized.

Her breath came in short, shallow gasps that she tried to control but couldn’t quite manage.

She stared at Cora with an intensity that bordered on desperation. Her eyes, visible even through the thin veil she wore, were wide with shock.

Her hands trembled at her sides. Small, involuntary shakes that she couldn’t suppress no matter how hard she tried.

Something about this woman felt familiar. Deeply, fundamentally familiar in a way that didn’t make sense.

Lady Ayara’s instincts screamed at her that she knew this person, but that was impossible. She had never seen this woman before in her life.

Yet the energy signature, the presence, the very aura that surrounded her... it all felt like home. Like something she’d been searching for without even realizing it.

Cora stood beside Arthur’s chair with perfect composure. Her posture was elegant and refined. Her long pink hair flowed down her back in soft waves.

Her pink eyes, so unusual and striking, remained fixed on Lady Ayara with an expression that was difficult to read.

There was recognition there. But also hesitation. And beneath both of those things, a wellspring of emotion that Cora was clearly working hard to contain.

Arthur remained seated. He watched both women carefully but said nothing. His expression was calm and neutral.

He understood instinctively that this moment belonged to them, not to him. Whatever was about to happen, whatever truth was about to be revealed, he needed to let it unfold naturally.

The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds.

Lady Ayara’s mouth opened as if she wanted to speak, but no words came out. She closed it again. Swallowed hard. Tried once more. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"You..." she managed to whisper. Her voice shook badly. "That presence... those features..."

She couldn’t finish the sentence. The words died in her throat as understanding began to dawn on her.

A terrible, wonderful, impossible understanding.

Cora took a slow breath. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm and measured, but there was an undercurrent of deep emotion running beneath it. Emotion she rarely allowed anyone to see or hear.

"I know of the Mistress of Avalon," Cora said quietly. Each word was carefully chosen and deliberately placed. "I know of her because..." She paused for just a moment before continuing. "Because she is my sister."

The words hung in the air like a physical thing.

Lady Ayara’s entire world tilted on its axis. She was truly shocked.

’The master’s sister?! It can’t be right? But she...’ her thoughts were in disarray.

"Your... sister?" Lady Ayara repeated. The words came out as barely more than a breath. "You’re the sister of our sect founder? You’re..."

She couldn’t finish. Her mind was racing too fast. Thoughts and memories and questions all collided together in a chaotic mess that she couldn’t sort through.

Cora nodded slowly. "Yes. The Mistress of Avalon is my older sister. Which means I am equally connected to the Evil God Extermination Sect’s legacy, even if I was never formally part of it."

Lady Ayara’s gaze sharpened suddenly. Despite her shock, despite the overwhelming emotions flooding through her, she was still a cultivator. Still someone who had survived countless dangers through observation and analysis.

She studied Cora’s face more carefully now. Really looked at her for the first time since she’d appeared. And what she saw made her breath catch all over again.

The features were identical. Not similar. Not reminiscent of. Identical.

The shape of Cora’s face was exactly the same as their sect founder’s. The curve of her cheekbones, the set of her jaw, the way her eyes were positioned, the line of her nose, the fullness of her lips. Every single detail matched perfectly.

The only difference was the coloring. Cora’s hair was pink where their master’s had been black. Cora’s eyes were pink where their master’s had been red. But aside from that...

It was like looking at a twin. A mirror image with different colors applied.

Lady Ayara’s hands flew to her mouth. A choked sound escaped her throat. Something between a sob and a gasp.

"It’s true," she whispered. "You look exactly like her. Exactly. Just with different..."

"Different coloring," Cora finished softly. "Yes. We are twins, actually. Born at the same time, though she was technically a few minutes older."

That was the final confirmation Lady Ayara needed. The last piece of evidence that made everything undeniable.

Her knees gave out completely. She dropped to the floor in one smooth, deliberate motion. It wasn’t a collapse. It was a formal gesture. A deliberate act of reverence and respect.

She pressed her forehead to the ground. Her hands came together in the traditional sect greeting. The one that was reserved only for the sect master and their direct bloodline.

A greeting that hadn’t been used properly in hundreds of years because there had been no one worthy of receiving it.

"Young Mistress," Lady Ayara said. Her voice was thick with emotion. It cracked and broke on the words. "Young Mistress, forgive this humble disciple. I never imagined... I never dared to hope..."

Tears streamed down her face beneath her veil. They fell freely now. Hot and overwhelming. Tears of joy and grief and relief all mixed together into something too complex to name.

"Finding you here is a blessing beyond measure," Lady Ayara continued. Her words tumbled out in a rush now. "But it also fills my heart with grief. Grief for our sect’s current state. Grief for your sister’s disappearance. Grief for everything that has been lost."

Cora moved forward quickly. She knelt down beside Lady Ayara and gently but firmly took hold of her shoulders.

"Please stand," Cora said softly. "There’s no need for this."