‡※‡Time Skips‡※‡

...

Eleven years quickly passed, Cyrus was already thirteen years old and Clair was sixteen

Over the years that have passed, these two have now matured completely and because of their cultivation method, both looked handsome and beautiful like a sun and a moon. Both have grown taller along with their facial and body features have also matured as it has taken their appropriate shapes and sizes.

All those years, the two had always been sparring on the grasslands as they trained their combat capabilities and hone their skills even further. That grassland is where the two had first fought and almost had a terrible accident. However, those things are forgotten now as both Cyrus and Clair are very happy and still closed to each other, such trivial things as fear for one another is not enough to make them slow, it even made them move forward!

The grasslands have almost turned into a dirt plain, the ground was already visible, and the only remaining patches of green grass could be seen as the surrounding of the tree where the two siblings usually rest.

The grasslands back then were grand and have dominated the entire area yet why does the field turn this way?

Because on these past years, the two would fight without restraint to their strength, sparks of real swords were flying everyone around them every time they clash, explosions and shockwaves have become a norm on that place, those noises could be even heard back in the village.

Their strikes were fierce and fast, it was almost impossible to see the shadows or the trajectory of their swords on where it will hit. Only a few swings could cut a tree and even boulder would break in half.

These two siblings have grown very powerful. Cyrus was already [Rook Rank-Late Stage], the latter, Clair, was [Warrior Rank-late stage], and any moment now, she could reach knight rank!

Her improvements were vastly significant that she could easily overpower Cyrus if he was not careful enough to defend against her attack. She had grown this fast because she devoted her time to almost everything in training.

It had reached the point that she would no longer play with her friends in the village and even sometimes skips eating breakfast and lunch.

Although Shane and James had turned to be worried about her, Clair had always assured that she was fine and had not forgotten to groom herself.

Cyrus was surprised by the fact that her cultivation had surpassed him in a whole realm of rank even though both of them are at the same rank when they started cultivating but because of her dedication, she easily went to another whole realm and now had created a gap of strength between the two.

Not only that, even though she became training maniac that would spend her time on training, but her beauty had also reached to be unbearable for a man to endure because her beauty could topple any countries upside down!

Her growth was fast, and her height has reached the neck of her mother, even her womanly features had already developed into its shape.

If Cyrus were to describe her beauty, he would say "Beauty at finest, that could make a man drool a river of saliva."

If her beauty is terrifying, so her strength!

Her punches alone could make triple of her size boulder to exploded into dust with a single thrust of her fist, her fighting skills had been sharpened and even freaky to the point that in one slash of her sword, she could cut one hundred trees at the same time!

Even Shane and James estimated that they even assured that Paladin rank at the late stage could hardly defence every attack from her. Her sword talent has almost reached the one with the sword but not completely.

In addition, in her previous years, Cyrus even taught her a sword domain, which the fundamental part is focus and footwork. Although this ultimately made her even more terrifying, Cyrus never regretted on teaching it to her.

Her strength was already off the charts of being a knight rank that she could even fight anyone on the next rank.

Back then, at some point in time, it was dinner where everyone is present. She had told Shane and James that on her 17th birthday, she will go to the academy and became a student there to improve her strength even further. This made Shane worried because she might focus on training in her lifetime and not have experienced other wonderful things that could be done in her life.

Nevertheless, in the end, the couple had approved her request because at the academy she will be safe there because they had only a few years left before they could start their work again.

They could not protect their children while they are away, and their children were not bound to be protected always as the world outside is dangerous.

Of course, they will start their work after Cyrus is ready to follow her sister at the academy, and Cyrus was excited for that time to come.

Because he would experience again going to school and this time in his second life, he would do happy things that he had not done in his previous life. Like making friends! Moreover, create a bond of love!

Because...

Back to earth, he was entirely focused on martial arts because of his strict parents and afraid of disappointing them and because of that, he had never had a chance to have friends, best friend, and even a lover.

He was totally an exact opposite of his sister, as he hoped that her sister would not experience those things that had happened in his past-self, due to her being a training maniac.

Cyrus improvements might be slower than his sister, but he had not lazed around or fooled around either.

His focus was to retain his martial arts from his previous life and reinforce his body to temper once again and in the near future, he could retain his physical requirements for him to use his martial arts that he could do in his previous life without limitation!

He set his aim that he would reach paladin rank before entering the academy. Now, he was having trouble on breakthrough because he is now bottlenecked at the late stage of Rook rank.

This made him realize what his mother had told that cultivation is hard.

...

Inside of his dantian, the dark and gloomy place now had a great change. It has now a blue sky as it represents that he has a calm heart and a good personality and a white floor beneath him.

When cultivating, he always enters inside his dantian and would meditate in a half-lotus position to cultivate. His cultivation style was unique because not only his outside body was absorbing and circulating his anima, his spirit also inside the dantian could absorb and circulate his anima like how his real body do when cultivating, he called this dual-cultivation method.

If he has Clair's devotion to training and he was using this method, he could easily surpass Clair's achievement by now!

His strength or punch alone could deliver 6 tons of strength and his skin has developed soft but extremely tough or hard!

His appearance was handsome that the writer could only envy on his imagination and Cyrus is still developing and continued to mature as he was only 13 years old.

Even the girls back in the village when they saw him taking a walk in the village, they would quickly fall in love with him at their first sight, and their stares would always follow him wherever he went here and there.

Sadly, he did not pay attention to them as he felt it was not necessary, even in this life, he had carried his snob self.

Still, even he was surprised by his looks when he would look in the mirror and occasionally, he would wink to himself with a click coming from his mouth.

His father trimmed his long hair and now he looked even more handsome, his father also gave him a three piercing on his right ears because his father said they would make him cool, although he really did not care about it. If his father wanted to, why not try it?

Even Shane was enjoying making him look good, to the point that Cyrus could not help it to allow her.

And because Clair had focused herself on training, she had changed a lot along with her personality as if she turned colder but still she would still talk to her family normally but her playfulness had now ceased.

Even Shane and James could only respect her choice and sigh.

Therefore, they would only play around Cyrus and he even admitted it that he enjoys it sometimes.

Shane and James at this year, both are already at their 50s, but their appearance never changed, they do not have any wrinkles and even a single strand of white hair!

Their friends in the village who have the same age like them are already old than them who still looked young and fresh, this made their friends jealous but they could not do anything about it, because after all, all of them are humans.

In the village, only the Baumgartner family are demi-humans who could cultivate, and the rest of the village is full of humans and their lifespan can only reach almost around age 70s.

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▣One Year has passed▣

As another year has passed, without even noticing at this day the Baumgartner family household is celebrating on Clair's 17th birthday. The entire family was full of happiness and at the same time felt sad deep inside.

Because after this celebration, Clair would finally move away from this so-called home of hers towards the academy to enrol and become a student there. However, everyone had chosen to set that feeling aside because this day is a special day.

...

"Congratulations Big Sis! Finally, you're 16 years old and even have broken through to Knight Rank!" Cyrus enthusiastically congratulated his sister who is next right beside him.

Hearing that, Clair smirked, and she puts her left arms on Cyrus' shoulder then using her right hand, she flicked Cyrus' nose then laughed, "Thanks! And you too congratulations on having a breakthrough and finally a Warrior rank at the middle stage!" Clair softly congratulated him and smiled.

Hearing this made Cyrus laughed while scrubbing his nose.

Clair was silently looking at him and soon, her eyes began to get wet and beads of tears are slowly building up on the side of her eyes. Nevertheless, before Cyrus could notice it, she quickly wiped it off.

That was close... Clair thought to herself as she continued wiping her tears away.

Deep inside, she was really sad, because after this day it'll be the last day, she would see her family and she doesn't even know how long before she could go back.

She was happy to hear that when her parents have told her that Cyrus will be following her soon after he reached at the age of sixteen.

On this day since morning, she had been on James' side helping him on the blacksmith and while on noon to evening, she was with Shane helping her on her cooking, laundry, and sometimes would ask for tips.

James was happy when she followed him for half a day and spends their time together. The two at the blacksmith would always laugh and James would always like to give tips for his daughter about the sword-like before when she was just a child.

When Clair finally wanted to go to her mother, James even as a man, he could not endure stopping his tears from flowing down on his cheeks and could only laugh softly for a while before wiping his tears off.

While Shane as she worked with the laundry, she looked at her daughter scrubbing Cyrus' clothes and although she was really bad at it, she was trying her best to help her mother so that they could spend time together.

Realizing why she was doing that, Shane sobbed and eventually cried.

"My daughteeeeer~"

Clair was startled when she heard her mother crying and calling her. She quickly stopped and went towards her side.

"Mother, why are you cr-" Before she could finish speaking, Shane spreads her arms on Clair and softly hugged her with her soapy hands. Even though Shane was not saying anything and crying on her daughter's chest.

It was visible why she was crying.

This made Clair who has stopped to be playful and became cold, she is still soft towards her family, and she even could not stop to get teary and softly hugged her mother back.

"Mother~" Clair softly said while burying her head on Shane's shoulder as she slowly released her emotions and soon, she too cried along with her mother.

...

"Dear, can you still remember our song?" Shane asked softly as she looked at her daughter with her eyes full of tears.

Clair nodded, "Yes." she said meekly.

"Let's sing it okay? Make it as your mother's request." Shane said, without denying, Clair nodded.

Soon, beautiful voices full of harmony and peace resounded in the backyard of the house. Their song was full of emotions and even the winds were blowing softly as if it was enjoying the song, making the trees dance as they sway back and forth.

As soon as this voice began to slow down and quiet, everything had returned to normal.

Shane looked at her daughter and Clair looked at her mother, the two suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

...

Remembering the things that she had done earlier, Clair could not help to turn Cyrus on her right side to the right, and slowly spreads her arms on Cyrus and hugged him on his back.

...

"I'd never had time to spend with you..." She said hoarsely but silently that Cyrus could only hear.

Hearing it made Cyrus sigh and smile as he looked up at the ceiling.

"No, in my heart you will always have a place sis, and the time I spent with you on our sparring has already made me satisfied. It was good enough that you have spent your day with our father and mother, and I'm happy about that." Cyrus said softly as he carefully held Clair's hands on his neck.

"I see..." Clair replied silently then tightly hugged him even more.

She would enrol in the academy just to be strong so that she could protect her loved ones and her duty as the older sister of Cyrus.

In Academy, enrolling there has a limitation. Both age and strength. The age requires being at the age of sixteen to eighteen, and the strength should be at warrior rank and above.

At warrior rank, which is the minimum requirements, could hardly enter the academy.

At knight rank, which is second to warrior rank, could barely enter the academy.

However, at paladin rank and above, they would surely qualify to enter.

Of course, the qualification difficulty would differ when strength comes in. Although Clair does not go to school, she still has a sufficient amount or even extra amount of knowledge to pass the entry exam. Shane prepared everything as she taught everything at Clair back then.

Enrolling in the academy would not be a problem for Clair, as she would surely be qualified to enter.

In the academy, they would make the enrollees test on trials to determine their class; Clair's strength alone could make her on top class, so there is nothing to be worried about.

The enrolling month was April to July because the academy will be temporary landing on the ground to replenish some goods like metals, gems, crystal, etc., they also could trade, and let the citizens inside and out.

(A.N: Remember academy is a large chunk of landmass floating above the clouds.)

The family went to eat dinner that had been prepared by Shane and it was a feast!

"Woowie!" Cyrus exclaimed when he saw the amount of food as he held Clair's hand and went to the dining room where not many people are present.

When the two entered the room, Clair's former friends, neighbours and some officials of the village congratulated Clair.

...

After night has passed, in the early morning, Clair was already dressed up and she was ready to leave.

At the door outside the house, Clair, Shane, and James are there.

"Mother, Father..." Her teary eyes looked to her parents for a while then she gave them a warm hug.

Shane looked at her beautiful daughter then gave her a look before she kissed her cheeks softly as a piece of good luck.