"Yes, I believe it," Zeras said, smiling at his younger sister. His gaze shifted upwards towards the sun setting behind the distant mountain, which illuminated the valley they were in with a brilliant golden glow. Their arena was built at the edge of a cliff, giving them a magnificent view of the verdant valley below.
The golden light shimmered in the mist of the crashing waterfalls and reflected off the tranquil rivers that meandered through the valley, making it appear as if the land was truly an immortal paradise for the gods. Zeras took a deep breath and then shifted his gaze back to Lilian, and ruffled her hair once more.
"I still don't get why I'm not allowed to use my Dao's in our fights," she said with another pout on her face. "Won't I learn to fight best if I go all out? Fighting while holding back so much doesn't make sense to me. How is that supposed to help me get stronger?" she asked curiously.
"It's not that simple," Zeras said while shaking his head. "The Dao's you control are incredible, but if you rely on them too much, you will be mediocre. A true cultivator must hone all the aspects of cultivation, including basic sword forms. Forming a solid foundation is the key to becoming a powerful cultivator, and things like these help with building that foundation. Understand?"
"I guess…" Lilians voice drifted out as she stared at the golden valley as well.
"Alright, that's enough training for today. Go clean up and prepare for dinner, and then off to bed after that," he instructed.
"Awwww…" Lilian moaned, disappointed that her sparring session was already over, as it was her favorite part of her day. Combat made her feel alive more than anything else, and she loved to train with her brother, the most talented genius of the empire.
"No awwws," Zeras scolded lightly. "We'll resume your training tomorrow at midday."
"Midday? Why so late?" Lilian asked curiously. They usually started training in the morning, took a break at midday, and then resumed sparring until evening. That was of course when she was not being tutored by scholars on the fine arts or instructed by master cultivators in the way of cultivation and battle arts.
And then there was the healing arts, which her father had her focus on the most. Lilian did not find studying healing and honing her control of the Dao of Life fun, but she did so regardless.
This week was a sparring week, which she enjoyed the most.
"I have to meet with father in his throne room tomorrow morning to discuss certain matters," Zeras explained. "When that meeting is done, I'll come find you, and we'll resume your training. Alright?"
"Okayyyyy…" Lilian said with another pout, to which Zeras ruffled her hair again. Lilian giggled gleefully and dashed away, but not before waving goodbye to Zeras. Zeras watched her leave with a smile, which faded away as she disappeared around the corner.
A sigh escaped his lips as his gaze shifted to the picturesque valley once more, his eyes unfocused and mind deep in thought.
…
Lilian's legs kicked out rhythmically over the boulders edge that she sat on, while a steaming plate of food sat on her laps. Her eyes roamed about the beautiful valley below, while she occasionally brought her fork to her face to take a bite of food.
Her fork suddenly stopped as she saw what she had on it, and her face scrunched up in disgust.
"Bleck! Not this again," as she pulled her face away from the vegetable on her fork. Her eyes quickly shifted to either side of her to take in her surrounding, and once she made sure the coast was clear, she flicked her fork forward, sending the food tumbling over the cliff edge into the valley below.
…
"Did you finish all your food? The Astral Emperor will be very displeased with both you and I if he finds out you didn't finish your meal again," a scolding voice sounded out, coming from a woman dressed in a maid outfit that stood before Lilian. She had her hands on her hips, and stared with a skeptical gaze.
Lilian had just returned to her mansion, which was exclusively for her own use. She had left to eat her meal on a nearby boulder which looked over the valley, which was her favorite spot to eat dinner.
Her mansion was larger than most palaces of smaller empires and sects, a small indication of the prosperity of the Astral Empire. There were dozens of maids within that exclusively tended to Lilian's mansion, and ensured she received proper care and nurturing within.
"I did. I promise!" Lilian replied, her large blue eyes round with sincerity as if she would never lie.
The maid inspected Lilians face for a moment and then nodded. Proper nutrition was important for Lilian, as she had yet to reach the Heaven Tribulation realm and shed her mortal body. Until then, the Astral Emperor had instructed them to make sure she ate healthily and consistently.
Satisfied with the answer, the maid patted Lilian on the back and ushered her down the hallway.
"Alright, then go wash up and then it's off to bed for you," the maid instructed.
"Fineee," Lilians voice trailed off as she walked down the large and finely decorated hall towards the washroom and entered it. She left it a short while later, wearing fresh robes, her face and body cleaned of the sweat and grime of training.
She entered her nearby room, and fell onto the bed. The exhaustion of the full day of training finally hit her. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling as she fell deep into thought, and a short while later, a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Hehehe, neither Zeras nor father know of the improvements I made in the Dao's of Space and Time recently," she mumbled to herself, the mischievous smile on her face getting larger. "I'll sneak into the throne room tomorrow before they arrive and hide using my Daos, and when they least expect it, I'll land a surprise attack on the both of them! I can't wait to see the looks of surprise on their faces. Its' going to be amazing!" she said with great excitement, and then laughed herself to sleep shortly after, completely exhausted from the long day of training.
