Chapter 16.1

To Lean On Me (1)

Ji Qingzhou’s hand, which was about to open the courtyard door, stopped in mid-air as her face reddened at the system’s phrase ‘Dual Cultivation’.

In the modern world, she had read a lot of similar immortal cultivation novels. She would have been bored if she passed on reading books, so she naturally knew the meaning of Dual Cultivation.

But what about Shen Rongyu and her?

Ji Qingzhou patted her cheeks. Her fingertips were slightly cool, and the lower temperature calmed herself down.

She was not such a person, and Shen Rongyu certainly wasn’t either. How can they carry out a Dual Cultivation?

Shen Rongyu stood outside the door. Under the moonlight, he was standing upright. He had long heard Ji Qingzhou’s footsteps and sensed her approaching aura, but in front of the door, she paused and remained motionless.

He had very keen hearing, so he also heard Ji Qingzhou’s heartbeat, which started to beat a little faster since she stopped.

Her emotions have fluctuated, Shen Rongyu thought.

Ji Qingzhou still opened the door. She swallowed for a moment, and only called out, “Xiao Yu-shixiong.”

Shen Rongyu did not show the slightest emotion on his face. He just entered, walked to the small pavilion, and called Ji Qingzhou over, “Zhouzhou.”

Ji Qingzhou turned around and closed the courtyard door. She clutched a book in her hand and trotted toward him.

Beneath the pavilion, the moonlight was cool, the shadow of the moon was reflected in the water, causing the fish in the stream to peck and kiss the moon’s reflection. This caused ripples to form on the water surface.

There were no more ripples in Ji Qingzhou’s heart. She had long since calmed down and pushed the book she got today to Shen Rongyu.

She explained her situation in a whisper, “Elder Mu said to breathe deeply, let Qi seeps into the dantian1, and close one’s eyes to capture the wandering spirit qi around. When the body relaxes to the extreme, the immortal bones will open like pores, absorbing the surrounding spirit qi into them. And then, once one exhales, the turbid air filtered by the immortal bones will be released.”

“The speed of cultivation is closely related to the speed of spirit qi absorption in the immortal bones, so talent is a very important innate condition.” Shen Rongyu closed the book and said slowly.

He extended his hand towards Ji Qingzhou: “Give me your hand.”

Ji Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, but put her hand on his. Her hand was smaller than ordinary people, and when Shen Rongyu’s large palm closed, it easily gathered her hand in his palm.

Her nails were neatly manicured, and her palm was quite cool.

Since Shen Rongyu had to teach Ji Qingzhou to absorb spirit qi, he did not circulate the air current to separate them. As a result, he felt the temperature of her palm.

He was quite taken aback. He looked down at Ji Qingzhou, who had lowered her head. Her long eyelashes trembled uneasily. She was not fresh and lively, and more like a dried up immortal flower, no longer possible to grow.

His fingers flexed and his knuckles protruded, as he gathered her hands together.

For a spell, a powerful wave of Qi seemingly passed from Shen Rongyu, but the Qi only hovered over the surface of Ji Qingzhou’s body, unable to penetrate deeper, her body resisting the foreign change.

“Zhouzhou,” Shen Rongyu called out to her. His thin lips slightly curled up, and a smile stained his tone. “Relax.”

Ji Qingzhou was actually very nervous. Her shoulders rocked and she trembled slightly. Now that Shen Rongyu told her so, she could only try to make her tense nerves relax.

In fact, she had long forgotten Shen Rongyu’s identity as a villain. No matter who held her hand, be it Shen Rongyu or someone else, she would be nervous.

Shen Rongyu was surprisingly patient. He knew that Ji Qingzhou lacked immortal bones, and it was impossible for her to rely on her own cultivation. However, if she absorbed spirit qi, infused them into her meridians, it would also allow the spirit qi to cleanse her and refine her body, achieving the effect of cultivation.

This was a very novel experience for Shen Rongyu. It was all too easy to destroy something, but saving a dying thing was a surprisingly plicated procedure.

Time ticked by unknowingly, but Ji Qingzhou relaxed and Shen Rongyu’s Qi finally flowed through her meridians. It was a magical experience. It was as if she was a dummy, that was strung together in both limbs and body by the spirit qi released from Shen Rongyu.

Even if she was dull, she could feel the spirit qi passing through and forging her meridians and body. Could this be the beauty of cultivation? It was like repeatedly hammering your body with blazing fire until the moment you reached a qualitative change.

Ji Qingzhou closed her eyes. She let herself let go of her nervousness for the time being and immersed herself in the wonderful feeling of cultivation.

However, when their breaths merged after she closed her eyes, Shen Rongyu suddenly sensed something.

Something — the power that he had been searching for, the one lost due in the olden days, had returned as a fragment after he connected with Ji Qingzhou’s breath.

Footnote: