"Hey," Nik greeted Xiu in a whisper.

This time, Xiu had taken a different approach to her hairstyle. The prominent locks that grazed past her breasts and framed her oval face were braided into two plaits that were pulled back to combine with a single, thick braided tail that reached past her hips. Instead of her usual training clothes that were designed to hide her charm, Shen Xiu wore an alluring crimson-pink tunic with a small cut-out right above her breasts. Instead of slightly baggy pants, her training leggings stuck to her curves, accentuating her wide hips and pinchable ass. Even her boots looked more stylish and reached her calves.

To Nik's greeting and his unveiled admiration of her body, Xiu remained impassive. She would not have dressed after taking such a long time if she did not wish to be admired. Still, she waited until Nik finished and concluded the results of his measuring gaze.

"You look rather lively," Nik commented and closed the door before moving his head up and down to scrutinize her curves once again, this time with an impudent smile on his face that always seemed to make Xiu clench her toes, "And beautiful."

He smiled. Xiu's expression finally softened into a brooding one as she tilted her face down and gazed at Nik with her eyes slightly widened, "I am always beautiful."

Nik's eyebrows curved up in amusement as he leaned down to level his gaze with the active fox and whispered, "You know, if you keep on acting like that, I might just gobble you up."

Xiu turned her head. The impact of Nik's breathing over her face was too significant to bear for an unprepared mind. 

"Everyone's waiting for you. Oh," Xiu turned her head and matched Nik's gaze with an annoyed frown, "Huyan Lanruo did not come today, too."

"Oh, okay."

Nik nodded and then retreated to an appropriate distance from Xiu before gesturing towards the flight of stairs, "Let's go."

Nik took Xiu's lead. Usually, he wouldn't glance at a woman's butt from behind but make an effort to bring that ass to his bed. But this time, Xiu sauntered with a seductive gait that swung her hips in a pendulum motions. Since her leggings were tight and soft, even the trembles of butt cheeks were recognizable. The tremors happened to be even more prominent to Nik's eyesight with his physical talent— [Perfect Eyesight].

"Mornin' Teach!"

Korra waved her hands towards Nik. Her body was already sweaty, and her breathing formed clouds of vapor in front of her face, unlike the other three girls. 

"Good Morning, Teacher."

Ning'er bowed politely, and Ye Ziyun immediately took her lead to perform the same etiquette. Ryu'er gazed at the two from the slight opening of her dark hair and then looked towards Nik wordlessly. Her mother did not teach her to bow to anything, not even her. She will be the one to ride Nik, not the other way around. 

"Morning," Nik smiled brightly, and a flush reached Ryu'er's cheeks. Well... she could allow Nik to take the initiative a few times. It's not like her mother would know it or anything.

As Ryu'er quickly lost herself in her debauched imaginations that featured her soaking body being ravaged by Nik and then her ravaging Nik's body in multiple positions, a snap rang in front of her face, waking her up from her erotic stupor.

"Is there anything wrong?"

It was Ye Ziyun. The purple-haired girl, as strange as it was, did her best to interact with everyone in Nik's classes. Be it Ryu'er, Ning'er, or Korra. The fact that Ye Ziyun was wealthier than most of the grown nobility of the city made her actions further attracting of attention.

"I am fine,"  Ryu'er huffed. Ryu'er did not know if Nik's charm was the cause of Ye Ziyun's apprenticeship, but one thing she had learned from her mother was that if there is a guy worthy of their noble lineage's attraction then surely, the mate must have attracted a few unwanted scourges. Nik was one such mate whose talent and charm had placed Ryu'er's heart in a spell that pulled her breaths for him.

Feeling Ryu'er's unwillingness to engage in a conversation, Ye Ziyun pursed her lips and did not push her boundaries. The purple-headed girl than looked towards Ning'er and found her engrossed in training. One of the leading causes of Ye Ziyun's decision to apprentice with Nik was to mend her friendship with Ning'er. If she could also form a bond of such potential with Ryu'er, then Ye Ziyun would ask for nothing more. Nik's techniques were an excuse for Ye Ziyun to approach Ning'er.

"Liven up, guys!"

Korra grinned and crossed her arms beneath her modest bosom. She scanned the remaining four with a fiendish delight that seemed to be chilling their spine while Nik stood at the sidelines with a stance slightly different from the techniques he taught to the group.

"Teach said that I'm gonna train your butts!" Korra's words made Ye Ziyun despair for a moment. As much as the purple-headed teen respected her tanned senior, her brashness made her more roguish than Nik could ever be despite all the rumors afloat.

"So, we will spar! Nothing like a good 'ol slugfest to make your techniques more refined. Teach Shen with me while Ning'er will take on the two of you! Any problems?"

Korra grinned while tying her hair into a bun and then gesturing Xiu with an inviting smile. Her actions painted the rhetoricity of her inquiry. Ye Ziyun's gaze then fell on Ryu'er, who was more than eager to accompany Korra's method while Ning'er turned her body to face the two of them with a somber stance and an expression that left no room for retreat.

As the sparring began, Nik isolated his senses to focus on the task at hand. He fully intended to take the offer of the Spirit Masters Association, but for that, he needed appropriate technique. Keeping the foundational stance of his basic technique. This time, Nik decided to create a set of martial postures with various effects. He did not classify his method based on gender but the intent. If a warrior wished to engage in the offense, he would have to utilize a technique specialized for the task.

This wasn't the most efficient of classifications as warriors barely had the time to register the next move, and to transition between the steps tailored for offense and defense alongside evasion would require practice that could amount to years of hard work, yet, Nik cared not. He was motivated to milk the benefits from the prestigious institution, and by selling a single set of specialized techniques each time was way more profitable than selling a collaborative method for a slightly higher price.

Nik intended to create a technique best suited for the offense. Of course, he downplayed his methods and did not create a routine that could probably rival his own. 

As Nik indulged in his creation of martial arts moves, the girls sparred. Korra's and Xiu's battles were frequent and short, with the spars ending in Korra's favor each time. Meanwhile, Ning'er surprisingly handled Ye Ziyun and more than rowdy Ryu'er. Of course, the battle wasn't one-sided, and while Ning'er sweated in concentration, her insights into techniques progressed by no small amount.

The spars lasted for less than an hour, and when everyone struggled to stand, Korra finally got the sparring session she desired as she matched her moves against Nik. Needless to say, Nik went easy on her and kept on correcting her movements. He did not inhibit Korra from adding her own personalization to the technique. It wasn't about creating a style but tailoring and refining the technique to the best of her individuality. 

The use of martial spirit, unlike before, was not allowed, and for a full hour straight, the two kept on sparring against each other. In the meantime, the rest of the girls regained their vigor as Xiu took charge of training.

After the training, the girls took their leave. Some more reluctant than the others. Nik also decided to wake Lanruo up so that she could regain her bearings. She had more than a single set of clothes in her spatial ring, and she quickly freshened up while explicitly forbidding Nik to surprise her in her bath. Although, she soon found out that she did not even need to bath.