New Quint Town.
A midsummer afternoon.
The cicadas chirped.
The cobblestone streets were scorching hot from the scorching sun.
Two beautiful girls walked hand in hand.
Tall Kelly held up a parasol.
The parasol tilted to the left, shading the petite girl's head.
To protect the younger sister beside her from a tan from the blazing sun.
At the end of the street was the path up the mountain.
The path, built along the gentle slope, was shaded by the shadows of the trees on either side.
A gentle breeze swayed the branches.
The shade of the trees along the path swayed slightly.
The interplay of light and shadow wove a variegated natural carpet.
Kelly stepped onto the tree-lined path and folded her parasol.
At the top of the hillside, sparse trees surrounded a lawn.
A fence separated the woods from the meadow, enclosing the courtyard.
Kelly pushed open the gate and walked along the bluestone path.
Ella followed her, looking around curiously.
This was her first visit to the forest villa since its completion.
The pomegranate trees transplanted around the courtyard wall were in full bloom.
The purple, bell-shaped flowers resembled tulips.
Beneath the trees were benches for strolling and resting, and a clear pond where fish swam.
A thrush perched on the handle of a windlass at the well, chirping.
A leopard lay by the well, lazily gazing at the thrush with a look of displeasure on its face.
If her master hadn't forbidden bird hunting, she wouldn't have allowed this noisy little creature to hop around in front of her.
Kelly walked toward the well.
The leopard trotted over and rubbed itself flatteringly against her mistress's legs.
"Huahua, so good!"
Kelly patted the female leopard's head and sent her off to play elsewhere.
She rolled up her sleeves and cranked the windlass.
With a creaking sound, the rope lifted the wooden bucket.
"Sister Kelly, I'll help you draw water!"
Ella rolled up her sleeves and volunteered.
"No need. Wait a minute, I'll show you a trick."
Kelly smiled mysteriously.
Leaned over to the well mouth and picked up the wooden bucket.
"Ding, ding, ding! Transform into a giant watermelon!"
Kelly made a serious gesture towards the bucket.
Ella peeked in and saw a large watermelon with green skin and black spots soaking in half a bucket of clear well water.
"Wow!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes filled with delight.
"Eat the watermelon! A giant, ice-cold watermelon!"
Kelly used her hands as knives, crackling and splitting the watermelon.
The two girls sat on a stone bench by the well, munching on the watermelon.
"So sweet! So delicious!"
Ella's green eyes narrowed.
"Sister Kelly, did you put the watermelon in the well to keep it there?"
"Hmmmmmm~" Kelly shook her head as she nibbled at the watermelon. "My brother put it here."
"Uh, we ate the watermelon secretly. Will my senior brother be mad?"
Ella was a little worried.
"Who stole the watermelon? I didn't see it!" Kelly said innocently. "Maybe it was ? Or maybe it was !"
"Sister Kelly... you really are his sister!" Ella was at a loss for words.
After eating the large, iced watermelon, the summer heat melted away, leaving them refreshed.
The two mischievous girls burped as they headed for the door.
In the center of the courtyard stood a large, three-story house with a veranda.
The first floor housed the entrance, kitchen, dining room, living room, and storage room.
The second floor housed the master bedroom, ten guest rooms, a living room, and a nursery.
The third floor housed the office, library, and art gallery.
The decor was elegant, with exquisite carpets and furniture.
"Sister Kelly, are you and Senior Brother Allen the only ones living here?"
"Yes! It's quiet here, convenient for us to practice."
"Mom and Dad are busy with work and too lazy to travel back and forth, so we live in town. It's more convenient."
Kelly led Ella up the stairs.
"There are two bedrooms upstairs, specially prepared for you and Sora-sensei."
Ella spotted it without her having to tell her.
Mom's room had a fairy emblem painted on the door.
The adjacent room had a cat-eared bee maiden emblem painted on the door.
Both mother and daughter's "secret seals" were created by Alan.
They're quite adorable!
Ella chuckled.
"You and Sora-sensei will live here too, so it'll be convenient for you to practice together."
Kelly opened the door and introduced the rooms to Ella. "The bedroom has a kitchenette and a bathroom. Tell me if you need anything else, and I'll definitely get it to you."
"Thank you, Sister Kelly!" Ella turned her head to look at the master bedroom and asked tentatively, "Senior Brother Allen... does he sleep alone?"
"Well, he's still a bachelor, after all!"
Kelly smiled.
"I've always taken care of Allen's room. Sometimes I take a nap on his bed; it's big and soft, and very comfortable."
"Senior Brother isn't home?" Ella heard no movement from the master bedroom.
"He's in the basement practice room. That guy is a training maniac!" Kelly sighed.
"In a week, Senior Brother will be attending Silver Moon Monastery to take this year's entrance exam. Of course, he'll have to study hard!"
Ella said softly.
"Even when he's not taking exams, isn't he still practicing diligently?"
Kelly shrugged and spread her hands.
"No wonder he's progressing so quickly! He's said to be on the verge of breaking through his bottleneck and advancing to the third level!"
"Senior Brother is a super genius, and he works so hard. His rapid progress is only natural." Ella felt a little inferior. "I'm far behind…"
"Aren't you also close to a breakthrough?" Kelly asked Ella.
"That's true, but it's too difficult for me to do it alone!" Ella sighed.
"We both encountered similar bottlenecks in our cultivation," Kelly said with a wry smile.
"I'm stuck at the Knights' Tournament in Lanser City, and you were captured by the Abe Bee Tribe and made a prisoner of war. We're both unlucky!"
"Since I can't handle it on my own, I can only rely on collective meditation and capture Allen for help."
"But… Senior Brother said that cultivation depends primarily on the individual. Unless absolutely necessary, don't ask him for help. Otherwise, it will do more harm than good."
Ella hesitated.
"Silly girl! Isn't now the time to do anything?"
Kelly smiled and patted the little girl's head.
"Alan said that because he's worried you'll become dependent on him, but you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater!"
"Okay, tidy up your room first. I'll go downstairs to find Alan and see if I can break through the bottleneck today."
"Okay, Sister Kelly, send me a message when you're done."
Ella said meekly.
After hearing Kelly's words, she no longer worried.
Her cultivation progress had been stuck for a long time.
If she didn't break through, she would be left behind by Senior Brother...
Sister Kelly didn't mind asking Alan for help with meditation and dual cultivation to break through the bottleneck, so why should I be so pretentious?
Senior Brother Alan is like a human cheat.
Use it with caution in normal times, but it might be okay to use it at a critical moment!
...
The villa's basement was Allen's private practice room.
A spacious hall was filled with various training props.
There was also a secret room dedicated to meditation.
The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered with a thick layer of soft blankets, providing excellent soundproofing.
The wall lamps emitted a soft, cold, magical light that wouldn't interfere with meditation.
The rustic bronze incense burner was brought in by Ms. Sora.
The incense burning in the burner aided meditation.
Kelly removed her shoes and socks at the door and walked barefoot into the meditation room.
Her bare feet made no sound on the soft carpet.
However, Allen, fiddling with the incense burner, turned back cautiously and smiled at his sister.
Kelly walked over to her brother, sat down on the floor, and wrapped her arm around his, acting like a spoiled child.
The conversation then turned serious.
"Alan, I brought Ella here."
"Ella's still a virgin. When do you plan to marry her?"
"That question...it's hard for me to answer." Alan kissed her sister on the cheek. "I'm not in a rush about this sort of thing, so why are you so worried?"
"I'm your sister. If I don't worry, who will?"
Kelly glared at her brother.
"You want to create a family of sorcerers? Studying and practicing alone is pointless!"
"Of course you have to put more effort into carrying on the family line!"
"Propagate your fine bloodline, and have many descendants. Only then can it be called a family!"
"Sister, I'm still young..."
"If you don't work hard when you're young, it'll be too late when you're old!"
Kelly whispered in her brother's ear.
"The prosperity of a family is paramount to the success or failure of a sorcerer clan!"
"You're the only male heir in the Panthers family. If you don't work hard to have children, who else can we rely on?"
"While you're still young, marrying a few wives is more valuable than foolishly practicing martial arts alone!"
"But then again, marrying a virtuous wife is the best choice."
"So, as your elder sister, I have to keep a close eye on you!"
"Ella, that little girl, looks good to me."
"She's cute, well-behaved, and most importantly, not too jealous."
Kelly counted on her fingers.
"At least, she won't kick me out after she gets married."
"Sister! What are you thinking?" Allen couldn't help laughing. "You're the mistress of this family. Who dares to kick you out?"
"Alas, once you get married, I won't be the mistress anymore!" Kelly sighed softly.
"Whether I marry or not, you'll always be the mistress."
Alan held her sister's hand, her expression gentle yet resolute.
A throbbing flickered in Kelly's eyes. She bit her red lip, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
"Alan, I heard that in order to maintain the purity of their bloodline, warlock families commonly practice... well..."
"Incest?" Allen spoke on her sister's behalf.
"Will that result in deformed children?!" Kelly asked worriedly.
"This problem isn't difficult for warlocks to solve. Otherwise, there wouldn't even be any warlock families," Allen replied cryptically. Kelly seemed relieved.
She clutched her brother's arm, lost in thought, her thoughts swirling.
Alan coughed lightly and said nonchalantly, "Sis, you're also a member of the Panthers family, having awakened the warlock bloodline. You also have a responsibility to ensure the family's continued success and prosperity."
"Well, if you want, I'll do my part."
Kelly spoke softly, a blush rising to her face.
"Sis, what I mean is, our family could actually accept a son-in-law..."
Alan stopped talking.
It was clear her sister was upset.
"What are you thinking, kid?" Kelly poked her brother's forehead with a sharp finger. "You'd better give up on this idea!"
Alan shrugged and smiled bitterly, tactfully changing the subject.
"Kelly, let's not dwell on this nonsense. Your cultivation is on the verge of a breakthrough, and you just need the final push."
Alan took out his spray bottle and sprayed the mind spores.
"I'll set up a meditation session right now to help you open the door to a higher realm."