Anna's words were as the system displayed.
Suddenly,
She added, "But, today was a minor gain. After hearing your understanding, I realized that I still have some shortcomings in the basics of cultivating. Once I address these issues, I'll be able to uncover the meaning of that mark and try to decipher it."
"Then I'll cheer you on."
Anna could give ten times the return in her lectures. If she focused on cultivation, with her super talent at the twelfth stage of spiritual perception, Ashu couldn't even imagine how much she would return!
"Don't just cheer for me, you should also work hard. You've already stepped onto the path of a cultivator. I can teach you everything I've learned at the Witch's Guild, and we'll improve together. Though we don't seek immortality, we can still maintain our youth and strengthen our bodies."
"Won't the Witch's Guild hold it against you?"
"They won't. The Witch's Guild itself requires many external members. Though I've been exiled, I still have connections within the Witch's Guild, and I also carry many tokens. If anyone asks, I'll say we're external members."
"But doesn't the priest know you're the Saintess?"
"It's not what you think. I'm not from their Cultivator Guild. They just call every witch a Saintess, whether or not she's an official witch."
Ashu nodded. So that's how it is.
This meant that the Witch's Guild was far superior to an ordinary Cultivator Guild in terms of hierarchy.
Even an exile could be treated as a Saintess, which showed just how powerful the organization was.
When they arrived home, Anna hurriedly locked the door and drew the curtains.
"Anna, didn't you say you were going to tutor me? What's going on…"
"Right, the way to recover from exhaustion is sleep." Anna pushed Ashu into the bedroom. "Besides, I said I'd tutor you in the evening. Let's sleep now, and we'll have the tutoring later tonight."
Ashu couldn't argue. He really did feel lightheaded, and if he worried about not being able to sleep at night, he could always cast a few spells later to help him sleep.
Thinking this, he closed his eyes in his groggy state.
The next second,
A warm, soft little mouth pressed against his lips. He opened his eyes suddenly and saw Anna's deep, captivating blue eyes staring at him from up close.
"Anna?"
"I... I don't know... I don't know how to be a wife. Ashu, you... teach me..."
Having been in the Witch's Guild for over a decade, isolated in a closed-off space, Anna had little social interaction and no knowledge outside of the Guild. If it weren't for her natural spiritual perception at the twelfth stage, along with her remarkable intelligence and comprehension, she likely would have died along the way.
Indeed, it was precisely because she had no distractions that she had kept the childhood promise in her heart all these years.
Ashu looked at Anna's stunning face. Since they had reached this point, he wouldn't refuse.
His large hand gently slid from Anna's back down to her slender waist, then over to her firm, shapely bottom.
"Anna, relax."
As a transmigrator, Ashu had many skills at his disposal.
Afterward,
The two of them slept soundly until the stars filled the sky.
At this moment,
The occasional barking of a yellow dog could be heard in the village, while the sounds of insects formed a natural symphony.
In the night sky, a bright moon shone down upon the earth. The moon here was exceptionally bright, casting silver light over the land.
Ashu shook his head. The headache caused by excessive use of magic had completely disappeared, and he felt restored to health.
And, he had officially lost his virginity.
He couldn't help but marvel at how his virginity in this life had been "graduated" with such a perfect and beautiful woman. She was his Childhood Sweetheart, his childhood friend, and now a stunning beauty who had descended from the heavens. She didn't know anything and simply let him lead the way.
This life was worth it!
"Ashu, you're awake?"
"Mm, I'll go heat some water. Let's both take a bath together."
With that, he threw on some clothes and headed into the kitchen.
In the countryside, there were no thermoses, or perhaps this world simply lacked the awareness for such things. Most farmers bathed in the river during the summer and didn't bathe at all in the winter.
In an era without plumbing, all water had to be carried in by hand.
Some irrigation for dry fields also had to be done by carrying water.
Ashu's family usually stored a considerable amount of water, as he had a vegetable garden right outside his house. Many of the vegetables needed frequent watering, or else the plants would be small and the fruits even smaller, with wilting and dying being a normal occurrence.
Not long after,
He scooped boiling water into a large wooden tub, then carried a few more buckets of cool water to mix in, checking the temperature with his fingers. When it felt just right, he went to the bedroom and picked Anna up.
"Plop~ Splash~"
The two figures slipped into the large wooden tub. This tub was custom-made by Ashu for himself, and it was just the right size for him alone. With Anna added, it felt a bit cramped.
The warm water soaked into their bodies, causing their blood vessels to relax. Ashu caressed Anna's smooth skin, and once again, some thoughts crossed his mind.
...
"Ashu, from the moment you embarked on the path of a cultivator, then became a cultivator apprentice, the next step is to choose your specialization. Whether it's Mage or Knight, Warrior or Archer, Assassin or Monk, you should pick according to what you're best at."
In the early hours, Anna and Ashu lay on the roof, feeling the warm summer breeze.
"I prefer the feeling of controlling things from a distance," Ashu replied.
"That would make you a Mage."
"What about you?"
"Anything above the tenth stage of spiritual perception doesn't fall into this category," Anna answered. "Witches require mastery of everything."
Upon hearing this,
Ashu took a deep breath, but he didn't say anything.
In their village, having a spiritual perception of even the first stage was considered impressive, and someone with spiritual perception beyond the tenth stage could transcend the rules of the mortal world. Anna was at the twelfth stage of spiritual perception!
The vast gap between them was like an insurmountable chasm, but it didn't crush Ashu.
Because,
He had the system. As long as Anna worked hard, he would get ten times the reward.
Whether it was Mage or Knight, Warrior or Archer, Assassin or Monk—he wanted it all!
He liked controlling objects from a distance, but if he could have everything, he would like that even more.
"Anna, why don't you study that mark first? The sky's about to brighten, and we can continue the tutoring tomorrow," Ashu suggested.
Tutoring wasn't as fast as copying homework, and this was ten times faster!
"No need, I'm not in a rush."
"I'm not in a rush either. Besides, I can study it myself first. If I manage to figure it out, it will be even more helpful to me, right? If I can't figure it out, then I'll come to you for an explanation."
Hearing this, Anna thought it made a lot of sense.
This was what they called comprehension training.
"Alright, but if you don't understand something, don't try to force it. The path of a cultivator is dangerous, and if you're not careful, you could fall into corruption."
"I understand."
After many reminders, Anna closed her eyes and began to study the mark.
It was a mark she had inadvertently acquired during her last trial. Because the way the mark had appeared was fragmented, she couldn't find any equivalent records to reference.
But if she used the more basic Tenfold Analysis Method, she might be able to find the answer from the foundational principles of cultivating.
Once the origin of the mark was determined, then with the vast knowledge base of the Witch's Guild, deciphering it would be a matter of time.
While Anna analyzed, she subconsciously began drawing the magical essence from the air. Although this essence was ultimately absorbed by the mark, for Ashu, who had the system, it was a different story.
[Anna·Kagreia: Magical Essence Control Proficiency +1]
[Critical Hit Return! Host's Magical Essence Control Proficiency +15!]
In an instant,
Ashu's senses seemed to be enhanced. He could now draw magical essence from the unfamiliar yet familiar air with precision.
He and the magical essence had originally been separate, with no interaction between them.
But after gaining +15 in magical essence control proficiency, the magical essence seemed to respond to him in a more docile and obedient way.
"+15?"
Ashu suddenly noticed that this time, the return multiplier was 15 times, not the usual 10 times.
Could it be that deepening their connection could increase the critical hit return multiplier?
It seemed like tonight would require him to teach Anna a few new techniques.
For now, it was best to keep his focus and not interrupt Anna.
He sat on the roof, looking at the vegetable garden in front of the house. There, a crimson tomato was ripening, ready to be picked.
Improving his control over magical essence meant reducing consumption and increasing efficiency. With this balance, the actual application would see a qualitative improvement.
Ashu focused on the ripe tomato, and using the basic cultivating knowledge from yesterday, he manipulated it from a distance, pulling it into his hand.
He examined the tomato in his hand, perfectly intact, and calculated the distance—it was at least 50 meters away. After completing the manipulation, his mind still felt sharp and full of energy. He didn't feel tired, let alone dizzy.
This was the effect of having +15 in magical essence control proficiency!
And soon, a new notification followed.
[Anna·Kagreia: Magical Essence Control Proficiency +1]
[Critical Hit Return! Host's Magical Essence Control Proficiency +15!]
Anna continued with her analysis, needing to keep the magical essence flowing, while Ashu's proficiency was steadily skyrocketing!