Though her body was still sore and weak from the intense stimulation, Sakura Miyajima nodded and adopted her usual meditation posture for practice. To progress far in the path of martial arts, one must not only train physical fitness but also cultivate the Essence, Spirit, and Vitality.
The essence in her lower abdomen radiated continuous warmth. At first, Sakura Miyajima found it difficult to settle down; it was her first time meditating naked. Furthermore, her usual bamboo sword was not nearby, and the fullness in her stomach made her very uneasy. However, as the essence began to take effect and warm life energy flowed within her body, Sakura Miyajima gradually entered a state of focus. She distinctly felt her body being slowly strengthened, and even her previously sore lower region seemed to recover considerably.
Caleb had only released two rounds of essence, and Sakura Miyajima wouldn't actively absorb it. What she felt was actually the improvement derived from the Dual Cultivation process. The residual essence mostly helped her restore her body and energy. The passive effect was much smaller, but better than nothing.
After about thirty minutes, Sakura Miyajima concluded her meditation, just as she did on normal days. She opened her eyes, her bright gaze turning toward Caleb with surprise. After experiencing it firsthand, the last sliver of doubt in her heart completely vanished. In just this short time, she felt her physical fitness had dramatically improved.
The inherent physiological differences between males and females determine disparities in strength and speed. Sakura Miyajima didn't want to become a she-hulk, so after years of consistent training, her physical fitness was actually only comparable to that of an average adult male. But now, she felt she could easily overpower a strong, healthy adult male through sheer strength, without relying on technique. Such a dramatic improvement was something she had only experienced during puberty, in middle school. As her appetite surged, all aspects of her body changed daily. Not only did her height soar, but her chest and buttocks also became this full and rounded during those years.
Meeting Sakura Miyajima's bright, shimmering eyes, Caleb smiled and asked, "Sakura-senpai, how does it feel? How much improvement?"
"I haven't actually tested it, but my strength has increased by at least fifty percent." Sakura Miyajima told Caleb everything she felt.
Caleb stroked his chin. "Because you don't possess supernatural power like Magic Power in your body, the effect of the Dual Cultivation is somewhat reduced. But being able to strengthen your body still accelerates your Kendo training."
"Mhm." Sakura Miyajima nodded. She had already learned from Muneie Miyajima that Chi would naturally manifest within the body upon reaching the Master-level. To achieve the Master level, in addition to insight into Kendo, physical fitness was an indispensable component. Chi is born from within the body, the product of the spirit and flesh uniting. If physical fitness is too poor, the Essence, Spirit, and Vitality are insufficient, or the insight into Kendo is lacking—if any of these three factors are missing, Chi cannot be born. That's why the path of martial arts is difficult, but if successful, the practitioner essentially has no weaknesses, only a lack of proficiency in certain combat styles.
In fact, Caleb himself wanted to pursue the path of martial arts. His natural talent was already focused on close combat, and his mental power and physical fitness were exceptional. However, the genesis of Chi also required insight into a specific martial art—fist, foot, blade, sword, spear, staff, etc. Any would suffice, but the insight must be present. When it came to the mysterious and profound concept of insight into the Dao, Caleb was clueless. He relied entirely on the Dual Cultivation ability, and his close combat skills were purely practical combat and instinct. With no clue about grasping the Dao, there was no way for him to progress in martial arts, so he could only continue down the path of a sorcerer and physical reinforcement.
However, Caleb never abandoned the idea of becoming a martial artist; he merely set it aside in his heart. As a Chinese person, who hasn't dreamed of becoming a martial arts master? He didn't have the chance in his previous life, so there was no way he wouldn't try in this one. This time, gaining the Sword Heart talent from Sakura Miyajima, even if only at the Beginner level, reignited the idea in Caleb's mind.
"Sakura-senpai, from now on, I'll help you with your cultivation, and you teach me Kendo, how about that?" Caleb suddenly said to Sakura Miyajima. "Of course, not the ceremonial kind used in competitions, but how to meditate, how to build a relationship with a weapon, and how to gain insight into the Dao of the Sword."
Sakura Miyajima tilted her exquisite small face. "That's certainly fine, but didn't you say you weren't interested in Kendo before?"
"Before was before; now is now." Caleb chuckled, giving a perfunctory answer. "I just noticed how cool Sakura-senpai looks in her Kendo uniform, so I wanted to try it." He couldn't exactly say that he didn't want to waste the newly acquired Sword Heart talent.
Sakura Miyajima shyly glared at Caleb. "If you like the Kendo uniform... I can bring a new one next time..." Caleb was momentarily stunned. He then glanced at the large-breasted Kendo beauty, whose eyes were full of lust and who was nervously fiddling with her fingers, and seemed to understand something.
"Sakura-senpai..." He grinned mischievously, caressing her smooth, pale, long legs. "You want to try it yourself, don't you~~"
Sakura Miyajima's body stiffened. The shame of having her thoughts exposed made her hot all over, and she wished she could dig a hole and bury herself. She didn't know what was wrong with her, constantly thinking about that matter.
"No... No..." Sakura Miyajima insisted stubbornly. "It's for better Kendo cultivation next time..."
"Is that cultivation you're talking about proper or not?"
"It's... Mmm, ugh..." Sakura Miyajima's attempted justification was blocked by Caleb's mouth. After a wet kiss, Caleb played with the full, soft Big Bunny in his hand. "Sakura-senpai, is your body up for it?"
Sakura Miyajima rubbed her slightly damp thighs together. Her empty Flower Valley longed for the fiery hot Little Caleb. Her eyes were filled with pink hearts, and she gasped. "Mhm..."
"In that case, let's not wait for next time. Let's continue our cultivation right now." As his voice fell, Caleb reached out, seized her slender ankle, and spread her round, straight beautiful legs. Amidst the girl's joyful moans, the two began a new round of cultivation.
Getsuyoubi (Monday). Caleb sat in his classroom, listening to the history teacher's hypnotic lecture, and opened his personal panel.
[Name: Caleb] [Talents: Intermediate Devil Bloodline, Body Control (Beginner), Sword Heart (Beginner), Eye of Insight, Mental Resistance, Mirror Reflection (Incomplete), Lightning Flash (Incomplete)] [Skills: Magic Power Extraction (Beginner), Close Combat (Beginner)]
Looking at the talents and skills on the panel, he began to strategize his next steps for increasing his power. He didn't know the upper limit of the Victim Template or the maximum possible strength of the Bull's Head or Cuckolder. Based on the worst-case scenario that the strength of the Cuckolder and Bull's Head had no limit, Caleb never dared to slack off. He feared that if his power didn't keep up, he would be forcibly returned to the predetermined fate of the victim.
Hajime Tanaka was already dealt with. Over the weekend, in addition to helping Sakura Miyajima cultivate, he informed the Miyajima couple and Akeno Himejima of the news. Although Sakura Miyajima was no longer in danger, Muneie Miyajima remained extremely enthusiastic toward Caleb, occasionally trying to set him up with Sakura Miyajima. As for Tsubaki Miyajima, she could tell at a glance that Sakura Miyajima was deflowered. As for who was responsible... Sakura Miyajima had stayed at Caleb's house for only one night, so who else could it be? However, Tsubaki Miyajima still flirted with Caleb in secret. As long as neither of them admitted it, she could pretend she didn't know, thus avoiding the concept of fighting her own daughter for a man.
Regarding Akeno Himejima, Rias was still busy with whatever she was doing and hadn't returned. After hearing that the situation was resolved, she didn't take back the paper with the special magic array. She only informed him that starting next week, whether Rias returned or not, she would begin assigning him missions.
Closing the panel, Caleb had a rough idea. First, regarding Aiho Academy: the most troublesome Bull's Head had been eliminated, and so many adorable heroines were untapped resources. Then, the Kendo aspect: he would spend a little time each day at the Miyajima Dojo, learning from Sakura Miyajima, striving to gain enlightenment early. Hmm... if only he wouldn't be cornered by Mayuna and Tsubaki Miyajima for staying too long, Caleb wouldn't mind practicing Kendo a little longer.