Chapter 39: Dual Cultivation
Lan Xiaohuis physique continues to impress me. After only seven days, her internal injuries have healed to a point where she is fit to engage in combat once more. This is a result of not only her physique, but also the constant stream of processed medicinal herbs that I produce for her.
It teaches me some things about my own physique which is an advanced version of hers. Her body, at the moment, seems as thought it was designed to be broken and then remade better than before a warriors body.
Naturally, mine is even more so, but I am also a sword. That is my purpose.
The other left, I inform her.
Her finger hovers a few centimeters away from my black jade fuller, and theres a focused and potent sword Qi energy hovering over the tip of her painted nail.
I thought I should start here. It would be easier, no?
Of course, I failed to take into account that Lan Xiaohui has a habit of reading from right to left. It makes sense that she wants to start on the top right side of my array.
Please follow my instructions. User error could result in unhandled exceptions. I tell her this like one of those limited Artificial Intelligences that are neither capable of thought or learning. I couldve even mentally vocalized a beep boop just to play the part.
However, I know that her erroneous suggestions are not because this bag of thinking meat knows Arrays better than I do, but because she is in a good mood. She has been in a good mood ever since the fight with the snake. She speaks to me now in a more colloquial manner.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
For the lack of a better description, I would say she trusts me more than before. I am not entirely certain why. If she believes that she is now alive because of the mnemonic device I taught her, then I would think she is being ridiculous. Her achievement is largely due to her own strengths. My part in the result was minimal.
She drags her finger to the other side, and narrows her eyes. Here?
Yes.
Are you sure?
Yes.
I know she didnt understand a word I said. Pity. I had high hopes.
She chuckles for no reason and continues carving symbols into my black fuller. The sword Qi hovering over her finger is capable of cutting my internal body, and is presently modifying my internal storage device to prepare it for [Nooparallelism] and some other general improvements that it shouldve come with to begin with.
The quality of life and user interface of some of my arrays are complete nonsense.
She is naked currently, with my vessel sprawled over her lap, inside the pond where she had decided to cultivate. She called this Dual Cultivation, and suggested it as a way to pass the time while she heals.
Though she is incredibly fidgety about the whole process, I cannot deny that it was a good idea.
[ Cultivation speed: 189 Qi/day. Efficiency: 112% ]
Needless to say, this is a lot faster than what I would be capable of my own. Because she is predominantly feminine and possessing of Yin energy, and I was masculine this is not my decision, the world simply decided this for me because I am a sword and of Yang energy, it creates an effect that amplifies the Qi.
Like two engines working together to refine the Qi of Heaven and Earth, instead of one. The increases are exponential.
This state of dual cultivation allows access to our internal bodies, which is the primary reason why she is able to modify my array in this manner. In essence, I gave her root permissions to my source.
Likewise, I am not just enjoying the benefits of this arrangement, but I am also optimizing her system. The Yang part of the Qi that I refine and send through her meridians is guided by my consciousness and is also rerouting her Qi flow, and adjusting her meridians much to her discomfort, judging by her gasps and shivers.
Her speed?
[ Target cultivation speed: 589 Qi/day. Efficiency: 791% ]
It slowly rose over the past few days to reach this number and I am not even certain yet why our numbers are so off but at this rate, she would break into the Peak stage of Qi Refining in no time.
I am also fairly certain that if someone were able to cultivate this fast and were found out by others, that they would be killed out of jealousy. I suppose Lan Xiaohui has her own brand of [Avarice]. Maybe we are both cursed swords in some manner. Maybe our meeting was destined.
Either way, there is work to be done. If this seems impressive now, I cannot wait to see what it will look like when we reach the center of the forest and benefit from the focal point of this areas Qi.