Three years later, Na'er had the makings of a great emperor

Bai Yushan replied awkwardly, "Oh, come on, don't ask so many questions about grown-up business... I'm back now, aren't I? I won't go anywhere tomorrow. Happy?"

His voice sounded fierce, but his tone was soft, like a cat with its fur bristling being held in someone's arms, wanting to struggle but reluctant to leave.

Na'er clung to Bai Yushan, making little whining noises, her hands clutching his clothes and her face buried in his chest like a kitten that had found its nest. Her body was light and soft, like a puff of cotton candy, carrying a milky scent and warmth.

She gave a humph, more or less grudgingly satisfied with Bai Yushan's answer.

Bai Yushan looked down at Na'er in his arms. Her short silver hair was a mess, like a nest of dandelions swept by the wind. He wanted to reach out and ruffle it, but felt that would be too intimate and drew his hand back. Then he felt as though something would be missing if he didn't, so he reached out again and gently patted the back of her head.

It wasn't hard; in fact, it was very light, like stroking a little animal's head.

Na'er lifted her head and looked at Bai Yushan with amethyst eyes. Her eyes were red around the rims, her nose was red too, and tear tracks that had yet to dry still marked her little face. Her lips were downturned, like a kitten that had been wronged.

At the sight of her face, Bai Yushan's heart gave a jolt.

He couldn't describe the feeling. It wasn't heartache or guilt, but something he couldn't put into words, as though something had tapped his chest, gently, but very tangibly.

He hoisted Na'er a little higher so she could cling to him more securely.

Bi Ji stood to one side, covering her mouth as she chuckled.

Her eyes were full of tenderness as she watched Bai Yushan and Na'er holding each other.

Bi Ji clapped her hands, the crisp sound echoing through the living room.

"All right, the food's warmed up. Let's eat!"

Bai Yushan carried Na'er into the dining room and set her on a chair. Na'er refused to let go, her hands still clutching his clothes like a kitten lifted out of its nest, hanging on tightly.

"Let go," Bai Yushan said.

Na'er shook her head and gripped even tighter.

"It's time to eat. How are you going to eat if you won't let go?"

Na'er thought for a moment and released him, only to immediately catch his sleeve and clutch it tightly, just as she always did.

Bai Yushan rolled his eyes and couldn't be bothered to do anything about her.

Three years passed in a flash, and the country estate outside Aolai City had long since changed its appearance.

The back garden had been converted into an enormous training ground. Cracks had been smashed into the bluestone paving, and the surrounding trees leaned every which way, some trunks still bearing charred black marks. The lawn was long gone, replaced by pitted yellow earth that looked as though it had been plowed by artillery shells.

Sunlight spilled over the training ground, where two figures moved swiftly.

Na'er held a spear, her short silver hair gleaming faintly in the sunlight, her amethyst eyes fixed on the boy before her. She had grown considerably taller than three years ago, but remained petite and delicate. Fine beads of sweat dotted her fair, tender skin, and exertion had brought a slight flush to her little face.

The Silver Dragon Spear danced in her hands with the fierce vigor of a tiger, its tip whistling through the air as it thrust toward Bai Yushan with astonishing speed. Faint fluctuations of Soul Power filled the air, and every thrust carried considerable strength.

Bai Yushan stood opposite her, his hands bound behind his back with a strip of cloth. At 1.7 meters tall, his figure was straight and slender, like an unsheathed sword. His black hair stirred gently in the wind, his features sharp and handsome, his gaze languid yet focused, and the faintest hint of a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

Three years had passed, and he was no longer that six-year-old brat. At nine, Bai Yushan had shed the roundness of childhood. The contours of his face had become clean and defined, his brow finely shaped, his eyes long and narrow, his skin cool, fair, and clear. An untamed wildness radiated from him.

The changes brought by Electric Current Push were all-encompassing. His physical development far surpassed that of his peers, and he had reached 1.7 meters at just nine years old, standing among children his age like a crane among chickens.

Na'er's spear shot toward him, fast and fierce.

Bai Yushan slipped sideways, and the spear tip brushed his clothes as it passed. His body drifted like a falling leaf amid the spear's shifting shadows, seemingly on the verge of toppling, yet always escaping by a hair.

"Too slow, too slow! Too weak, too weak!"

Bai Yushan sternly berated her as he dodged. His voice wasn't loud, but every word lashed Na'er like a whip.

"Your energy is leaking out unchecked, your force is scattered all over the place, and you're squandering strength by the handful! If you don't know how to concentrate your force at a single point, even the highest numbers are nothing but an empty facade!"

Na'er changed her spear's momentum, switching to a horizontal sweep. The shaft swept toward Bai Yushan's waist with a howling rush of wind, the fierce gust making his clothes flap.

Bai Yushan took a step back, and the spear tip swept past his waist, missing by a finger's breadth.

"Your movements drag, your essence, Qi, and spirit are a complete mess. As you are now, you're no different from the mediocre masses!"

Na'er gritted her teeth, her spear moving faster and faster. The Silver Dragon Spear seemed to come alive in her hands, its tip tracing streaks of silver through the air. Thrusts, rising strikes, sweeps, pinpoint strikes-every move flowed seamlessly into the next. Soul Power surged through her body, and silver light coursed along the spear, giving off a faint glow.

Bai Yushan's eyes lit up.

His body wove through the spear's shadows, as slippery as a loach. Na'er's spear was fast; he was faster. Na'er's spear was fierce; he was fiercer. Every dodge was just right, every movement precise down to a hair's breadth.

"You're just flinging brute strength around at random, without the slightest method! Even with your foundation, you're nothing but a strong shell with a hollow core!"

One cutting remark after another left Bai Yushan's mouth, stabbing like knives. Any other younger child would have long since burst into tears under such a scolding, but Na'er showed no reaction whatsoever.

Her amethyst eyes held only Bai Yushan, only the paths of his movements, only the angles of his evasions. All her attention was focused on the Silver Dragon Spear in her hands, so completely that it was as though only she and her spear remained in the world.

The spear tip traced silver arcs through the air, each strike faster, fiercer, and more accurate than the last.

The corners of Bai Yushan's mouth lifted.

As his perfect creation over these past three years, Na'er had already been trained by him to possess the makings of a great emperor!

Three years ago, Na'er had still been a little girl who couldn't even speak smoothly. All she knew was to stick to him all day, her little hand clutching his sleeve and refusing to let go. Vast energy lay within her body, but she had no idea how to use it, like a child who owned a mountain of gold but didn't know how to spend it.

Bai Yushan had spent three years drawing out the energy within her bit by bit, teaching her how to control her strength, apply techniques, and remain calm in battle.

He had taught her everything he understood about the Complete Realm. Although she was still far from reaching its threshold, the speed of her progress had already far exceeded his expectations.