I add points to Indian martial arts.

On nights like this, Li Wei wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

While Livy was contemplating the beauty of Chandragupali, in the main house on the other side of the courtyard corridor, Suleisa was sitting quietly by the window of her room. A small ceramic lamp sat on the windowsill, its light barely illuminating the book in her hands—the romance novel "Dilra," which she had once quite loved. The pages were made of rough palm leaf paper, and the edges were already somewhat worn.

Surisa had shed the carefully chosen pale yellow sari and mauve blouse she wore during the day. Now she was only wearing a soft, plain cotton "Angali" loungewear. The wide sleeves were loosely rolled up at the wrists, and the soft fabric draped naturally with her sitting posture, outlining the thin lines of a tired young girl.

The meticulously styled hair of the day was completely undone, the thick, long hair tied loosely at the back of the head with only a simple cloth ribbon, a few unruly strands falling on the cheeks and neck, gleaming softly in the dim light of the ceramic lamp.

At this time of day, she would usually immerse herself in the book, her heart pounding at the elegant and beautiful words and the tender vows, especially the line "You are the amala flower that makes me stop," which she would repeatedly stroke.

But tonight, for some reason, the sentence that once captivated her seemed strangely bland, even distant and empty, like a dried flower that had been left out for too long and lost its fragrance.

Thinking this, the scene outside uncontrollably resurfaced in her mind: Li Wei's profile, soaked with sweat, and his exceptionally sincere and bright eyes in the dim light, along with that heavy, unadorned sentence—

"I want to make you the center of the world."

It doesn't compare her to a flower, nor to a star or a sacred lake; it's a direct declaration targeting "her".

"It's just a bit novel." Suddenly, Suleisa closed "Dil" with some irritation. The palm leaf paper made a slight "rustling" sound. She turned to look out the window and could only see a corner of her own yard and a few pale stars in the deep blue sky in the distance.

It was just a slightly novel form of praise.

Suleisa thought so; she didn't think it was a big deal.

The night outside the window was as dark as ink. Her shadow was cast silently on the wall, and her face, with her brows slightly furrowed and lips tightly pursed, was vaguely reflected in the windowpane.

……

The morning light had not yet fully permeated the sky, only painting a very faint layer of pale white on the eastern horizon. The stars were quietly receding, and Suleisa had already quietly gotten up.

She didn't sleep well last night and felt inexplicably irritable, so she got up early this morning to do a full morning prayer.

She first changed out of the simple loungewear she wore the night before, then put on a clean, light apricot-colored cotton sari. The fabric was undyed and natural, radiating the soft sheen of natural fibers. She wrapped one end of the long sari around her waist and gently draped the other end over her left shoulder. The hanging part formed elegant folds at the crook of her arm, and finally tucked it neatly into her waist. She wore no extra jewelry, but inexplicably exuded a stunningly beautiful aura.

Afterwards, Suleisa moistened her forehead with her fingertips and reverently placed a bright red "Tirak" on it. The cinnabar dot made her skin look even more radiant. Her long hair was carefully combed and braided into a smooth and full thick braid at the back of her head, with the end tied with an apricot-colored cotton thread of the same color.

Barefoot, she stepped across the cool stone floor and arrived at the small shrine in the room dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and happiness, which was naturally worshipped by people like her in the Vaishya family.

In the copper dish in front of the shrine, a fresh jasmine wreath, a few leaves of dulci and a small handful of rice were already placed.

Suleisa lit a ceramic oil lamp beside the shrine. The flame leaped up with a "poof," and the warm light instantly illuminated her lowered face. The light and shadow flowed across her beautifully contoured cheeks, and her long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. The bright red Tirak looked like a miniature, pulsating sun in the firelight.

She slowly knelt on the prepared prayer mat, her back straight, her posture natural and devout. She clasped her hands together and raised them to her forehead, her eyelids completely lowered, and began to softly recite the morning prayers of the Rigveda. Her voice was very low, but exceptionally clear, each Sanskrit syllable as smooth as dew rolling over a lotus leaf.

A morning breeze slipped in through the open window, ruffling the ends of her sari and a few stray hairs that weren't completely tied up on her cheeks, and causing the lamps before the shrine and the fragrance of the offered flowers to sway together.

"The novelty will soon fade." After finishing her morning prayers, Suleza calmly uttered these words, then blew out the ceramic lamp beside the shrine. The wisps of smoke rose straight up and then dissipated into the morning light without a trace.

She turned away from the shrine, the edge of her sari brushing against the clean stone slab without leaving a single wrinkle.

At this moment, Suleza's expression had returned to complete calm, as if the turmoil of last night had been banished from her heart. Just then, the sun had fully risen above the horizon, its golden light bathing the shrine and also illuminating her off-white sari and serene face.

……

Today, Li Wei also got up early. After a simple breakfast, he couldn't wait to go to the neighboring yard to start practicing the Naga Eight Steps.

After his wonderful imagination of the big city last night, he was even more eager to improve his strength. Today, if he practiced the Naga Eight Steps four more times, he could level up. He was looking forward to seeing what the effect of leveling up would be.

【Naga Eight Steps lv1 (6/10)】

After glancing at the panel, Li Wei took a deep breath. He first bent his legs slightly, then lowered his center of gravity, straightened his upper body, and then stepped forward with his left foot and lifted his right foot into the air, making a gesture of throwing a spear while riding a horse.

This is the Thunder Spear move.

Holding this position, Li Wei instantly felt a pulling pain in his muscles again, but he persevered. Soon, the energy and blood in his body resonated with the position he was in, and there was a faint rumbling sound of thunder.

After an incense stick had burned, Li Wei changed his posture and practiced again. This time he did a palm strike. He stepped forward to the side and slapped his left hand forward with a twisted, snake-like motion. He kept repeating this, slapping his left hand one after another. From a distance, Li Wei's left hand looked like a lightning snake moving forward rapidly.

"I can only say that martial arts techniques are amazing. I don't know where the principle comes from." Li Wei thought as he practiced. As he slapped his left palm forward, he vaguely felt a crackling sound of lightning in his palm. It was tingling. He even vaguely saw his left palm transform into a long lightning snake. It was quite magical.

One incense stick, two incense sticks, an hour later, Li Wei did a few more leg poses, and soon he finished practicing the first step of the Naga.

[Exercise completed, experience points +1]

【Naga Eight Steps lv1 (7/10)】

"Not bad, I'll be able to level up in three more hours." Li Wei was covered in sweat. He rested briefly, gritted his teeth, and began his second round of practice.

Often, people become addicted to video games because the feedback is very immediate. For example, in designing an FPS shooting game, clicking the mouse and killing someone provides feedback, while the feedback for something as tedious as studying might take decades.

Li Wei now practices martial arts like he's playing an online game. As long as he persists, he'll get quick feedback. So even though he's very tired, he even feels a bit of enjoyment.

Three hours later, in the afternoon, Li Wei, who hadn't even eaten lunch, had practiced the first step of the Naga three times and gained three experience points, thus leveling up.

[Exercise completed, experience points +1]

[Exercise completed, experience points +1]

……

Congratulations on your upgrade!

【Naga Eight Steps (lv1→lv2)】

[Reward: 0.1 HP]

[Elephant strength: 0.5→0.6]