"Dick, it’s not easy for you to balance both magic and martial arts. Since you always call me ‘sister,’ I can’t let you down. Here, I have two bottles of fourth-level magical beast blood essence. Consider it a gift."
"Such large bottles?" Dick looked in astonishment at the containers. Blood essence wasn’t ordinary blood, but the purest extract.
"Sea beasts are larger in size, so their magical cores and blood essence tend to be more abundant than those of land beasts."
"Thank you, Sister, for your generosity. I’ll follow your lead from now on."
"You little rascal, always so slick with words," she chuckled.
Blood essence was precious, though not as valuable as a magical core. If it had been the latter, Dick wouldn’t have dared to accept it so easily. This was the right balance—accepting her favor without overstepping. Besides, Dick was genuinely planning to stick by Barbara’s side in the future.
Of course, for now, Dick’s strength was still lacking, so even if Barbara went out to hunt magical beasts, he wasn't yet qualified to participate. Emotional investments, after all, weren’t meant to be cashed in immediately. The earlier the investment, the more natural it felt.
Slowly, as their bond deepened and Dick’s abilities became more evident, Barbara would likely be more willing to bring him along on future missions.
Upon returning to the family, Dick received his reward of 500 mission points, which he used to exchange for a substantial number of elemental stones. He also managed to acquire several fire and water dual-elemental magical cores at a trade market. With these resources, he went back into seclusion. After all, with the resources in hand, what else could one do but train?
Dick’s desire for power and immortality drove him to train tirelessly, pushing himself to the limits.
During his breaks from seclusion, he would occasionally participate in sparring matches to keep his body active. He also kept in touch with Guo Huai and Barbara, often gathering for drinks and cumin-spiced grilled meat. Gradually, Dick adapted to and settled into his training routine within the Yaoguang family.
For some reason, Guo Huai and Barbara never really clicked, but that didn’t matter. Two smaller circles were just as good.
After a few relatively stable years of training, Dick found his progress steady and on track—not too fast, but not slow either. Balancing both magic and martial arts was indeed a huge time and resource sink. Yet, Dick had no intention of giving up on either. Both had their benefits, so why abandon one?
Whether it was cultivating as a third-level mage or as a fourth-level warrior, both required immense resources. Though Dick wasn’t wealthy, he was fortunate enough to grow closer to Barbara, who supported him many times. Their missions together weren’t overly dangerous, but the points rewarded were plentiful.
In addition, his jade pendant space provided a steady stream of resources, allowing him to barely keep up with his training needs.
The energy provided by the pendant, drawn from magical cores, blood essence, and the flesh of magical beasts, was incredibly pure. Dick noticed that his dantian was almost free of impurities, which was crucial for building a solid foundation for his future cultivation.
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Dick didn’t feel like his progress was particularly fast, but within the Yaoguang family, advancing to a fifth-level warrior in just seven years was quite a feat, especially since he hadn’t even turned thirty yet. It seemed like there were no significant bottlenecks—perhaps he was just lucky? After all, other bloodline warriors often struggled with breaking through.
The only explanation might be his dual cultivation of magic? Yet that didn’t entirely make sense either—back in the magic academy, his warrior cultivation had also been stuck for quite some time.
Regardless, he was now a fifth-level warrior. No longer the lowest-ranked among the mid-level warriors in Yaoguang Mountain.
The unfortunate part was that his magic cultivation had reached a bottleneck.
"What? Annie, you’ve already become a fourth-level mage?" No wonder the sisters came to visit him in Seaside Town, riding a flying magical beast this time.
"I’m just talented and smart," Annie boasted, clearly enjoying the chance to show off in front of Dick.
"Come on, tell me. What stroke of luck did you have to break through the fourth-level mage bottleneck so quickly?" Dick asked, curious since he’d been stuck at the peak of the third level for several months. He recalled that Anna had advanced to a third-level mage first, but now, her younger sister Annie had surpassed her, reaching the impressive rank of a fourth-level mage.
It was worth noting that there were only about twenty mid-level mages in the entire Yan Kingdom. Annie wasn’t even forty yet, and now she was a fourth-level mage, gaining an extra hundred years of life.
"I told you, it’s because I’m smart. Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Hey, something’s off with your expression, Annie." Dick, having spent a lot of time with the sisters and being quite familiar with them, noticed a slight blush on her face.
"Have you been smitten? Got yourself a boyfriend?" Though Dick’s relationship with the sisters was somewhat ambiguous, he couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Seaside Fortress was far from the capital’s magic academy, and this was only their second visit in all these years. He couldn’t help but wonder which man had won over the sweet, pure Annie.
Annie was over thirty now, and it was about time for her to start feeling those emotions.
"What nonsense! There’s no one but you who’d dare tease me like this."
Even though it had been seven or eight years since they’d last seen each other, the rapport between Dick and the sisters hadn’t faded. As they bantered, Dick’s hands wandered playfully, and the trio quickly slipped back into their familiar, ambiguous dynamic.
"Wait a minute, Anna, what’s with that look?"
"Nothing!" Anna, ever the reserved one, remained silent, only blushing under Dick’s teasing touch.
"Annie, stop messing around. You know your sister likes him," Annie teased.
"And what about you? Don’t you like me?" Dick retorted with a mischievous grin, fully aware that her actions spoke louder than words.
"Why don’t you help her out, Dick?" Annie’s voice grew softer as her face reddened further, clearly embarrassed.
"Annie, stop talking nonsense!" Anna protested, looking more flustered than ever.
"Oh, come on! You’re practically confessing. You called out his name while we were... well, you know." Annie’s words were the final blow.
Well then, how could he refuse such affection? A beauty’s kindness was the hardest to reject. Dick pulled Anna into his arms.
"I... I..." Anna was utterly at a loss, her mind blank as Dick’s fiery gaze overwhelmed her. In his arms, she couldn’t think clearly, only aware of his powerful, muscular body and the intoxicating masculinity that seemed to engulf her.
The scent of lilies filled the air around Anna, her fair face flushed, and her tall, graceful figure trembled slightly...
And then, in that heated moment, Dick experienced a breakthrough. Something within his sea of consciousness stirred, effortlessly shattering the bottleneck that had kept him from advancing to a fourth-level mage.
The difference between a fourth-level and a third-level mage was vast. Dick felt his mind and body undergo a profound transformation, as though a shackle had been released. Pure magical energy from the elements flowed into him, while the dual forces of water and fire coursed through his veins, brimming with life.
No wonder a fourth-level mage gained an additional hundred years of life—it truly felt like a rebirth.
When he finally opened his eyes, Dick asked, "Anna, did you break through as well?"
Anna, equally elated, replied, "Yes, I’ve advanced in water magic. My foundation seems more stable than yours."
The two of them soon realized the awkward situation they were in, their bodies intertwined. Still, Dick’s thick skin came to his rescue.
"Anna, we can’t stop halfway. Let’s continue."