64 Time comes

Yue Li, Liyue, and Li Yao sat in the kitchen, discussing their training. They were waiting for Han Li to return so they could eat breakfast and then go for more training. When he came back home. That was what he saw first.

Han Li sat beside them in the kitchen and smiled at the delicious smell of fried fish while putting a new flagon of alcohol to the side. Yue Li and Liyue didn't stop chatting. "So, the knife is actually far better in my hands even if I don't light my Spark, you know? I can cut and slice so precisely now, I think I might be able to defeat the chef from the inner circle soon enough with my improving cooking."

"Then, you can start a restaurant of your own and everyone would love it. We can earn many more Sacred Coins too," Liyue said with a nod while giving Han Li a side glance with reddening ears.

"That's right!" Yue Li grinned. "I want to see that chef's face when he has no hope of defeating me!"

Han Li looked at them curiously. They really were growing closer. He was sitting near Yue Li, and beside them was Li Yao seated on a comfortable chair — she couldn't move much, but eating with everybody was possible as long as someone helped.

"But, Mother-in-law, it is better if we eat in your room from now. You shouldn't move much in your condition or you might trigger the chaotic soul energy inside and…"

Li Yao nodded slightly while throwing a side eye at him. He saw it and could only smile wryly. She had seen Liyue's earlier condition after all.

Liyue and Yue Li finally stopped their conversation and looked at Han Li. "Did you get any new magical resources, Xiao Li?" Yue Li asked as Liyue started to serve the food.

"Nothing new," Han Li sighed. "The three clans really are strict. Not to mention, they don't even have the same person looking after the place every day."

Soon, hot porridge garnished with herbs like cilantro or chopped scallions and savory and crunchy fried fish were served infront of each of them. But Liyue and Li Yao only had one plate infront of them.

"Let's eat." Han Li took a leaf-made spoon from the side and started eating.

The rest followed and the table turned somewhat silent. Liyue fed her mother. This was the norm, Han Li also fed her at times but not in the dining area at least.

"Look at them Xiao Li," Yue Li suddenly said, pointing a hand half full of porridge at him. Yue Li never used things like spoons, she liked to eat by hand.

Han Li didn't hesitate and ate it. Yue Li smiled and looked at him with anticipation. Han Li fed her a piece of fish.

Then, they silently enjoyed the dish.

After taking Liyao back into her room, Han Li brought Liyue and Yue Li out for training. Just like usual, they once again went out of the zone and city to the forest surrounding the city.

As the morning light embraced the trees, the birds sang, and the coldness of the surroundings lessened; they began their training. Han Li didn't especially tell them what to do and they did it by themselves.

What Yue Li had to do was mainly body training but she always failed to do even one pushup. Liyue giggled at it and kept practicing the spear.

Thrusts, pierce, swipe, hook, parry, stab. All kinds of movements had been taught to her by her 'husband' and she tried to emulate his movements as much as she could. When it was wrong, he helped her.

Of course, that came with touching her but somehow, such teachings held on in her and she got better and better. As for Yue Li, when she was sure she couldn't do that one push-up, she would covertly move back to training her knife.

"Stop, Mom." Just as Yue Li was about to start training like usual and cut stalks spread around her in precise targetted areas, Han Li called out.

She looked at him innocently.

Han Li came beside her and said, "Hold your knife straight."

Yue Li did that and Han Li moved behind her. He slightly adjusted her posture and made her stand straight. "This stance is the basic horse stance. You will have better mobility in this stand."

Footing and stance were the foundation of mastering a weapon after all.

"Okay." Yue Li got comfortable in the position and remembered it.

"Hold the knife with a firm but relaxed grip, keeping your wrist flexible for swift movements."

Yue Li slightly loosened her wrists but kept it flexible.

"From now on, you will learn basic knife strikes such as slashes and thrusts, and defensive techniques such as parries and blocks. I will be your sparring partner. When all of that reaches an instinctive and clean level, you will have reached the High-level proficiency."

Having made her posture correct, Han Li kissed her on the nape and whispered. "Do it well, since it will be your foothold to mastering Knife. Once you do, your mind will also be as sharp."

Yue Li gave him a slight headbutt, and with a chuckle, he left her side. "For now, practice hitting stalks at exactly the place I marked and not slowly at that. Try to make precision your focus."

Pouting, Yue Li got into it.

Han Li smiled. He might do some questionable things while training but even those also helped them grow in some kind of way. Like sexually touching Liyue which made her closer to him and not so nervous around him. For both of them to reach a 'High' level of proficiency in their weapon, it would at least take 3 to 4 more months and he wanted to reach Evolution soon since he didn't plan to use their strength.

He looked on as Liyue shifted around with the spear. Even though her movements were too rigid to even be called okay, she was doing fine for now.

Her hold around the Shaft was how it should be, so it was just a matter of time now.

"Liyue," he softly called. She did one fierce swipe and stopped. Han Li blinked. So she was focusing on swipes.

"You know the inner circle, right? What do you think of becoming a member inside?" "Inner circle member?" Liyue looked at him weirdly. "Big brother Han, the trial to become a member is harsh and I heard among five hundred and more members of the clan, only less than a hundred are a part of it."

Han Li sat on a small boulder nearby and shook his hands. "Don't worry about it since I will make you win, just tell me if you are interested or not."

Liyue turned silent and Han Li didn't force her. He knew this was somewhat of an important moment for the girl since her father wished dearly to become one.

"…I want to become one," she said, her face down.

Han Li looked at her with a thoughtful gaze. Even though she had grown bold enough to call him Big Brother, the girl was far from a confident lady. In good words, she was an extremely humble girl who didn't really like outside attention — or cope with it well.

In a bad sense? She was a girl who couldn't get anything done by herself. Someone who was extremely conscious of herself and others. Someone who didn't think of herself as worthy of much.

Han Li took a deep breath. This was why Evolution was such an important step in normal people's cultivation. Once they Evolve, they will become confident in themselves and that is a foundation by which people grow.

"So, let's do it tomorrow. You will go take the 'Inner circle test' early in the morning and I will come with you."

Liyue nodded, her heart beating heavily as she clenched the spear hard. She even felt as if the world was spinning slightly.

"Rest for an hour and meditate. Try to think of yourself as a confident person."

Liyue nodded and went near Yue Li to sit back and meditate. If she succeeds in becoming an Inner Circle member, he could get his resources tomorrow and after getting used to his body for a week or two after that, he should be able to Evolve. And only then can his path truly start.

Han Li smiled and started doing his exercises. His endurance had risen by a tremendous amount by mortal senses after eating the Earth Dao resource. And he was extremely flexible too.

He could now take 600 to 1000 pushups in a single set and still not feel too tired. His body was also starting to have subtle changes as the power of the resources settled in.

He now had clear cuts under his robes and they were becoming prominent every day. Once all four aspects, Flexibility, Endurance, Agility, and Strength reach their potential, his body should finally have some exceptional changes.

A Spark wasn't merely useful for cultivation, it was also useful in subtle aspects like keeping body conditions in check and allowing for explosive growths. It fundamentally changed a human.

It made his body still not entirely digest the powers to protect himself and he knew he was not at his full potential yet. Maybe, it was time to show the world it's youngest Evolved. An evolved who succeeded mere months after his Third Awakening in Evolution.

Han Li chuckled in his mind. Only because of his hard work and mastery over weapons was something like that even remotely possible. As far as he knew, the youngest Evolved ever in Sacred Lust was 21. But that guy was a true genius whereas he was a 500-year-old monster in the body of an 18-year-old. Nevertheless, only the outcome mattered — not the process.

"Big Brother" is not said in a literal sense but a way to call him with some more closeness.

And the story is finally kicking up guys! Leave a power stone or Golden ticket to push me!

FamishedGod