Since Nik now lived within Shen Xiu's estate— The Sacred Family's New Quarters— the location of training was shifted to the much greener backyard with a pleasant scent of wet soil lingering in the surroundings. Nik looked at his apprentice with a warm smile. Even if he now had a physical relationship with the three of them, that didn't stop him from treating them as genuine students when the situation asked for it.

Korra, Lanruo, Xiu, Ning'er, Ryu'er, Ziyun, and Asami.

The seven of them stood straight.

"Honestly," Nik began with a wry chuckle, "It is shameful to admit that each one of you has a drive that I lack. Though days, it felt like I have learned from all of you more than I could teach. Of course, I don't mean that with you, Asami. You are a newbie."

"Hey," Asami snorted softly while crossing her arms under her bosom.

"For that, I am grateful," Nik grinned and then released a terrific pressure that suppressed the seven of them physically, "But, my earlier words were merely a prelude to the next phase of your training. Body Strengthening."

The seven of them had to mobilize a tremendous amount of physical exertion only to stand with bend backs. Their gazes tilted up and matched Nik's smile. They couldn't even reach up to his gaze, and the fact deeply affected the petite Ryu'er.

"Hoooooooo!"

A deep growl escaped her lips, the locks of hair over her head flew wildly as her neon blue irises circling around the deep red pupils finally matched Nik's gaze as veins popped all over her body. With a feral grin, she felt her heart drumming against her modest bosom, Ryu'er cackled for the first time with genuine excitement flashing on her expression, "This... is a piece of blueberry cake!"

She stood straight as the six of them looked towards the only thin figure standing straight. Her body was giving off an unseen pressure, and for the first time after they all apprenticed under Nik, the elder ones looked at Ryu'er anything besides a cute girl that needs protection.

"Well said, kid!"

Korra grinned as her muscles flexed hard. Her biceps grew slightly prominent, and instead of matching Nik's gaze, she tilted her head towards Asami and spoke with a smug grin, "Oi, Oi, Asami. Don't go bowing dawn at mah feet, girl."

"Heh!"

Asami chuckled with her forehead filled with sweat. She, too, grew comfortable to pressure, at least, comfortable enough to raise her head, "Don't go tooting on your muscles, Korra. How barbaric."

The others soon stood straight enough to move, and oddly enough, Lanruo did not complain. 

"Want me to stop here or...

Can you move a single round around the field?"

"Hell, no!"

The six of them shouted before Ryu'er felt her courage deflating. Surely, it would look bad on her part to continue—

"No need to hold back, Ryu'er," Nik chimed as the six girls felt the pressure around them disappearing and the collapsed on their knees. Only Ryu'er remained standing straight. The weight was almost comforting. She finally felt slightly free w=even with such an enormous pressure boring down on her.

"If you get ahead of others, that is your merit."

Nik matched her gaze. The look of excitement still remained evident on her as Nik continued with a grin that made him resemble a wolf.

"Or the fact that I live with a pressure double than what all of you felt is enough to make you stop holding back?"

Nik inquired, making the girls widen their eyes. This was the truth. His physique had long gotten used to the twice the natural gravity of this plane. This face also made his physical attacks far more effective than usual.

"T... twice?"

Ryu'er inquired with an astonished gaze. A simple nod from Nik made Ryu'er turn on her heels and start jogging around the field.

"Come on. You shouldn't lie to a little girl," Asami chuckled as Nik looked towards her, "I didn't lie, Asami."

Nik clapped his hands and continued, "Anyway, since you cannot control that much of pressure, I'll reduce it by half."

While Xiu and Lanruo already knew that this wasn't a spirit technique, Nik didn't explain his Gravity Manipulation to others and subjected them with a 50% increase in gravity. He had gotten so proficient in the manipulation of gravity that aside from their bodies, the strands of gravitational force did not affect ay thing else. Not even the bed of grass underneath.

And so, they joined Ryu'er to train their physiques.

Meanwhile, Nik turned his head and subjected Shen Yue with a 30% increase in pressure and manipulated his mind to train on the other side of the estate without a hint of remorse. Due to Nie Li's apparent hate for Shen Yue, Nik had already decided to prepare Shen Yue as a back-up plan if his first plan didn't work.

Finally, after hours of training, Nik allowed the girls to have rest. Of course, he let them off slightly early since they had t walk for a few minutes before reaching their dorms. Xiu wasn't a benevolent saint, and aside from Asami, who already lived here and Lanruo, who ad already satisfied Xiu's heart, she had made herself more than clear that she wouldn't allow others to use her premise as a bathhouse.

"I know that it's essential for your mission. So, I used last night to finally reach Rank 30," Xiu explained as she leaned her back against Nik. Her hair was tied up as it was a drag to dry and untangle her hair every day once they get wet.

With his arm sprawled around the edge of the large bathtub, Nik enjoyed the sensation of Xiu's body rubbing against his and inquired with a pleasant expression, "Really? That's great."

Nik now had two apprentices standing at the limits of the Spirit Grandmaster{Two Rings} and ready to break into the Ranks of the Spirit Elder. The second one being Asami.

Nik's arms coiled around Xiu's body and hugged her softly, allowing Xiu to exhale in relief.

"Anyway," Xiu continued, "It was a surprise that Ryu'er could bear that level of pressure."

"Well, didn't you see her mother the other day?"

Xiu inquired with a frown, "What about her?"

"Well," Nik looked a little thoughtful, "I don't know how to explain it, but those two aren't normal human beings."

"Is that why you accepted Ryu'er?"

"Oh, no," Nik shook his head, "She asked me politely, and I accepted her."

"Well, don't let other masters hear your tactics. How much would they burn in envy that girls flock around you top come under your apprenticeship."

Nik leaned down and pecked a warm one over the nape of Xiu's neck, "Don't say it like that, sweetheart. It isn't tactics, just the misfortune of a squirt inducing masters like me."

"Impeccable in descriptions, as always," Xiu mocked with a chuckle while closing her eyes in a comfortable expression as Nik continued to massage her shoulders.

"Hey! I am here, too!"

Lanruo yelled as she hurriedly poured a bucket of water after scrubbing herself and jumped into the bathtub!

Splash!

Shen Xiu's hair did get wet once again.

***

"Instead of Inscription patterns, we will talk about Spirit Masters and complementary teams."

Nik spoke. Although he felt more than energized, a part of him did enjoy seeing Xiu alongside him. Alas, with her responsibility to stabilize the Sacred Family's status, Shen Xiu had decided to take an indefinite leave from the Institue. Of course, not to go down a similar path once again, Shen Xiu agreed to turn the Sacred Family into something else.

Sacred Business.

A business brand that dealt in anything and everything aside from the commodities deemed unlawful by the City Lord and death threats from Nik's side to the already defeated families, apart from his father-in-law, made all of them take an active part in promoting Shen Xiu's endeavor. Instead of a death threat, Nik sent a priority letter to Huyan Xiong stating— In various circumstances, even I would enjoy spanks. Let's keep my mouth shut. Cooperation is, of course, obligatory.

To the public, the Huyan Family did feel quite festive and supported Shen Xiu's idea by presenting the Sacred Business, a long-term labor contract.

This all happened while Nik cheerfully made three kids stand— Ning'er, Ziyun, and Ryu'er.

"In the upcoming exams, you all would need to form a team of three. That is why each class contains 45 students to create 15 groups of three. For instance, Ziyun has a support type of martial spirit, Ning'er, a pseudo-aerial martial spirit, and Ryu'er, a close-combat type of martial spirit. The three can easily form a fighting tactic and obtain great results."

"But, sir, don't we need to obtain spirit rings to bring the full potential of our spirit?"

Nik nodded and gestured the trio to take their seats. This time, Nie Li's gaze lingered on Ziyun for a moment, and with Nik keeping an eye out for Nie Li, he easily caught this stare.

"Of course, but your performance in this test may even allow you to apply for a hunt of spirit ring before you graduate the Apprentice Classes."

"So... this test is just a martial tournament in pair of three?"

The student pursued as Nik nodded, "You could say that, and most of them instantly deflated."

With the three of Nik's personal apprentice within their class, the group felt quite distressed. Alas, none knew that the three were far more competitive against each other. On such a stage, they would rather choose to battle against each other instead of bulldozing the others.

For the next period, every student finally took their training seriously.