The clearing turned silent as soon as my voice faded away. The elder looked at me with surprise written all over his face, while I could feel Mia’s stare drilling deeply into my back.

“Did I just step on a landmine?’ I thought, unable to understand where the sudden tense atmosphere came from.

Was there some kind of taboo that prevented the slaves from actively cultivating? But wouldn’t that mean that the entire theory behind the slavery system of the sect was bogus? If they weren’t actively encouraged to train and grow, why give them an hour of personal time in the first place?

‘Just to placate them,’ I thought, perfectly aware of the answer.

I raised my hand to my chest, feeling a stifling pain explode in my heart. I was more than aware of the reasons behind such a scheme. Giving slaves hope so that they wouldn’t rebel.

Wasn’t that exactly the way in which my people were treated back on earth? Give them a sliver of freedom while working them to the bone and filling every bit of their time with vicious propaganda?

“Are you sure?” the elder asked. Raising my eyes on his face, I could see a weird expression of uneasiness mixing with shock. “I mean, once she advances to the Qi gathering stage, she will be freed from her slave status!”

Yeah, I was right.

The reasoning behind this situation was pretty simple. Since the sect accepted mortals as disciples, how could any of its slaves be on a stage higher than those who the Skyladder sect deemed worthy of grooming?

‘Yes, I am,’ I replied, looking directly into the elder’s eyes. But those words didn’t leave my mouth yet.

As soon as those words appeared in my soul, I felt a wave of happiness descend upon my soul. I never wanted to have a slave. The only reason why I accepted Mia was to protect and help her out.

If I could turn her into a proper disciple, then that young master would no longer have any means of turning her back into a slave!

If that wasn’t a reason to rejoice, then I didn’t really know what could be!

Yet, for how happy I was, I couldn’t help an itch to my back caused by the fervent stare of the girl. Turning my head around, I snuck a peek at Mia, only to realize… that she actually appeared to be saddened?

‘Wait a second,’ a sudden thought stopped my lips from opening up. ‘I received that huge boost to my growth… why exactly?

Even though this was the very last message I saw in the system, it stuck to my memory for some reason. Just to make sure, I called forth my status.

Bonus Window

***

Pristine Body: By purifying his body beyond the standard and almost to the possible pinnacle, the host ensured a smoother path for him to grow! [+0.49 modifier to growth]

***

And there it was, just like I recalled it. Stuck on the rightmost window, the information that stopped me from happy-go-lucky announcing my wish to free Mia from slavery.

‘If she advances now, before she reaching the pinnacle of purification, wouldn’t she lag behind me in the long run?’ I thought as the realization struck me.

“Respectable Elder, you claimed that you would come to visit in two days, is that right?” I asked, just to make sure I wasn’t hearing things before.

While I had no habit of doubting my senses, I wasn’t in my best mental state when the recent events occurred.

“That’s right?” the elder asked, turning his response into a question. He clearly didn’t understand where this unexpected question of mine came from.

“Would you be as kind as to help this girl then?” I asked. My training started just a single day before I met Mia. And given how one would get more and more used to practice the more they practiced, I was certain I could help Mia reach the pinnacle of the purification stage within just those two short days!

“I see that you already made your decision,” the elder muttered in response, only to shake his head next. “If that’s the case, then so be it!” he announced, raising his head straight as he looked directly into my eyes.

Yet, it was futile for him to look for any signs of hesitaiton.

With that said, the elder turned around and walked away. Only as his back disappeared behind the high hedge did I realize that I didn’t even get to know his name.

“That went surprisingly great,” I muttered to myself. For some reason, I was stuck in the spot where I stood, still processing the events that had just transpired.

‘I didn’t even get to check my system yet,’ I thought, fighting the urge to summon it again right away.

There was one thing that I had yet to take care of. One thing that bothered me to no end.

Thump.

I turned my head towards the source of the dull sound, only to see Mia with her fist touching the training pillar. She then retracted her hand…

But instead of hitting the pillar again, she turned around to face me. Her hands reached towards the cord that held her slave robes together.

With a single pull, she undid the knot and shook her shoulders, allowing the robe to silently slide down her arms.

For a short moment, I could only stand in place, adoring her perfectly shaped body. The hourglass figure that made me wish to hold it, the supple bosom that made me wish to rest my head on it. The secret garden between her legs that made me wish to fill it up.

I stood in place, stunned both by the beautiful sight and by the situation itself. Mia, on the other hand, didn’t waste her time.

After giving me a second to adore her body, she moved forward without hesitation, only to plaster herself on my chest and lock her arms around my waist.

“What are you doing?” I managed to utter, keeping my hands as far away from her delicate skin as I could.

Just by having her hug me like that, I could feel my body reacting to her softness. The delicate aroma of her sweat entered my nose, making it even hard to resist the opportunity.

“Proving that I’m good enough to be your slave,” she muttered in response, burying her head in my chest as she reached with her hands for my crotch.