The sisters returned to their room, and after carefully examining the clothes and shoes that Lu Yao had brought back, Liao Ya exclaimed in surprise:
"They must be very expensive! The material and craftsmanship are all top-notch; I've never seen shoes like these before!"
Liao Qe was trying on a pair of low-heeled leather shoes, without lifting her head, said, "That's why I hurriedly asked you to look. These are gifts from Lu Yao for both of us, we should split them evenly~"
Liao Ya said, annoyed, "Look how anxious you are, as if I would steal yours!"
She seemed to flip through the items casually, when suddenly her eyes lit up, picking out a white sports sweatshirt.
Without detailed sizes from Lu Yao, most of the clothes he brought were sportswear based on height, which didn't matter if they were a size bigger or smaller.
Liao Ya's eyes shimmered, seemingly very fond of the piece.
Liao Qe, beautifying her own share, glanced at her sister's choice without much concern, "You really should have some light-colored clothes; I've forgotten how many years it's been since I last saw you wear them."
The sisters joyfully divided the gifts, and Liao Ya looked exceptionally happy.
Both being young girls, the sister liked whatever the younger one liked. But as the elder sister, she had to be more composed and seldom showed it.
Liao Qe also put on a sports sweatshirt, saying, "This sweatshirt is both pretty and comfortable. Why don't you try yours on, sister?"
Liao Ya glanced at the sky and shook her head, "Not now, the evening class students will be here soon, no point in getting all dusty."
~~~~~~~~
By the time the evening class was over, it was late at night, and the time to close the gym had come.
"Thank you for the instruction, Master, your disciple takes leave!"
A group of disciples bowed respectfully to Master Liao before dispersing.
Liao Ya locked the front door, stretched lazily, took off her dusty practice clothes, and happily changed into her bright new clothes.
She went to the Cultivation Quiet Room, where the decoction machine was beeping; the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup was ready.
Lu Yao, who was in the process of pouring the soup into a bowl, nodded in greeting as he saw Liao Ya arrive, and then almost dropped the bowl of medicine to the ground!
His eyes nearly bulged out because Liao Ya was wearing a sports sweatshirt from Blue Star.
The sweatshirt was definitely good-looking; with the two sisters' looks, even a burlap sack would be fashionable on them.
But the key issue was—that the sweatshirt was white! And white clothing has one characteristic—it makes you look bigger!
Liao Ya appeared exceptionally majestic and resolute, to the point of making breathing seem difficult just by looking at her.
The same object, in white, looks larger than in black, a physical phenomenon known as "light permeating effect."
Lu Yao secretly marveled, "I never paid much attention when Liao Ya always wore black clothes, but this white makes her look so exaggerated... She should be called Master 'Big' Liao!"
Liao Qe had just learned to write her own name from Lu Yao and was buried in practicing her characters, so she hadn't noticed her sister's attire.
She took the bowl of medicine that Lu Yao passed to her, took a sip, and then saw her sister's surging figure.
"Ah pfft ah... cough cough..." Liao Qe choked on the spot, coughing non-stop, "You... who let you wear that!"
Liao Ya looked down and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? It's my favorite color."
She didn't see an issue from her own perspective, but it was different for an onlooker.
Liao Qe covered her face and cried out, "Quick, go change!"
Liao Ya raised her eyebrows, her face set in displeasure, "What's wrong with it, aren't you wearing the same sweatshirt?"
Both sisters were wearing white sports sweatshirts, but Liao Qe looked slim and lively, while Master Liao came across a bit "racy."
Liao Qe couldn't help but lean close to her sister's ear and mutter something, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Flushed, Liao Ya suddenly lowered her head and ran off, her speed was so fast that she left only a blur on the retina.
She came back after a while, now wearing a loose-fitting tracksuit, which was less exaggerated.
~~~~~~~~
At this moment, the room was silent, and the air seemed to solidify.
Seeing the atmosphere become more and more awkward and stiff, Lu Yao quickly distributed the medicine to them and said, "Senior sister, teach me the following techniques."
Master Liao's face glimmered faintly, she sipped the drink slowly and said:
"The first three stages of Spirit Refinement—Focused Spirit, Entering Meditation, and Forgetfulness in Sit. Although you have entered meditation, you still need some preparation time to enter the state, which is not enough. You must achieve 'constant meditation,' to be in a state of meditation at all times before you can move on to the next step.
I am also striving for this realm and cannot and dare not give you too much guidance. There's only one line from the Liao Family's Secret Chant I hope you remember—'Be not chaotic in heart, nor entangled in emotions; fear not the future, nor dwell on the past!'
Lu Yao murmured to himself, repeating the last phrase several times, closing his eyes in thought.
Liao Ya looked at him expectantly, hoping that this naturally gifted practitioner in the way of Spirit Refinement would make remarkable achievements.
Spirit Refining should avoid excessive talk, and she dared not disturb him further. The world is complex, and everyone's understanding is different. Too much explanation can lead to 'barriers of knowledge and perception.'
At this point, Liao Ya suddenly noticed her younger sister sitting blankly with her uncomprehending eyes, probably lost in thought again.
Annoyed, she landed a knock on her sister's head on the spot: "What are you thinking about! Have you not been listening to me? Lu Yao started later than you but has already entered meditation, while you struggle even with Focused Spirit. Aren't you ashamed!"
"Ouch!" Liao Qe cried out in pain, holding her head and coming back to her senses, "Why hit me! Spirit Refinement is so difficult and not even that useful, I should just focus on improving my Martial Dao Realm!"
Liao Ya pinched her sister's cheek, pulling her oval face into a pancake shape:
"Spirit Refinement is not useful!? When in combat, if your opponent enters meditation and their senses are greatly heightened, every move you make is under their control. How will you win!?"
Liao Qe felt the pain deeply and quickly grabbed her sister's arm, struggling fiercely.
Amidst the sisters' warm interaction, Lu Yao opened his eyes and said:
"The key to constant meditation lies in the word 'stillness.' The heart must be like still water, undisturbed by ripples, regardless of the situation so that the spirit cannot be perturbed. In the end, it's about having a strong inner self!"
Liao Ya said with relief, "It's good that you've gained insight! Do not rush Spirit Refinement; take it one step at a time. Stay in the Cultivation Quiet Room these days, the environment here will aid in your cultivation."
The environment was not that important, Lu Yao actually liked the youthful fragrance of this place and was very willing to stay. "Thank you, senior sister~"
~~~~~~~
In the sisters' room.
Liao Ya was washing her feet with a basin of water, while Liao Qe mischievously stared at a particular spot on her sister.
Liao Ya couldn't hide her embarrassment and said with annoyance, "What are you looking at?"
Liao Qe chuckled mischievously, "Looking at Master 'Big' Liao~"
"Nonsense, look at your own!" Liao Ya finished drying her clean, white-jade-like feet with a towel and was about to undress for bed when she suddenly realized her sister was still watching her.
She covered her chest and scolded, "Enough already, go to sleep!"
Liao Qe spoke with a teasing tone, "Sister, give me that indecent piece of clothing~ you can't wear it anyway~"
"Hmph, I can wear it when I practice on my own!"
Liao Ya didn't bother to undress any longer, huffily laying down on her side in bed, entering Focused Spirit to fall asleep, leaving only an attractive silhouette for her sister.
Liao Qe was greatly amused and felt a good deal of the frustration from the earlier smack had dissipated. She lay down in bed in the same position and quickly fell asleep.