Celestial Taoist

Chapter 13 The Exchange of Spiritual Connections

After settling in, Li Mofan quickly tidied up and hurried to the small cultivation room at the back of the barracks.

The cultivation room was far more tranquil than the barracks, filled with a dense spiritual energy that almost condensed into mist. Su Qingyao had arrived first, having removed her metal armor and changed into a plain, form-fitting dress that accentuated her slender figure. Her long hair was still tied up high, but she had lost some of the fierce and sharp aura she possessed on the battlefield. A wisp of spiritual energy flowed slowly in her palm.

Hearing footsteps, Su Qingyao slowly raised her eyes, her gaze falling on Li Mofan. Her previous indifference softened, replaced by a gentler look: "You've come quickly. Looks like you haven't been entirely negligent." She gestured for Li Mofan to come closer. "Do you know why I called you here alone?"

Li Mofan quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully but with barely concealed curiosity, "This subordinate does not know, please enlighten me, Captain." His gaze unconsciously fell on Su Qingyao's fingertips, where the wisp of spiritual energy was pure white and translucent, reflecting her snow-white fingertips.

Based on past experience, Li Mofan concluded that he could gain spiritual power by contacting Taoist talents. He didn't know why this woman was also a Taoist, but his special ability couldn't absorb any energy from her, or even make a sound.

Looking at his slightly hesitant appearance, Su Qingyao slowly said, "You have maxed-out spirituality. Ordinary cultivation methods are too slow and would only waste your talent. What I'm going to teach you today is a wonderful cultivation method—the Spiritual Rhinoceros Exchange Technique. It requires two people to cooperate, using their own spiritual power as a guide to exchange spiritual energy and complement each other. It can quickly stabilize your foundation and improve the purity of spiritual energy, making it most suitable for someone with your extraordinary talent."

"Spiritual energy exchange?" Li Mofan's heart skipped a beat. It sounded like some kind of incantation. His face flushed. "This subordinate is dull-witted and doesn't know how to cooperate."

Su Qingyao didn't say much. She slowly walked to the opposite side of him, standing no more than half a foot apart. Her spiritual energy slowly spread out, enveloping both of them. "Relax your mind, abandon distracting thoughts, and gather your spiritual power in your palms. There's no need to deliberately control it; just let it flow naturally." Her voice was soft, carrying a slight tremor of spiritual energy, which entered Li Mofan's ears.

Li Mofan did as instructed, slowly closing his eyes, concentrating his mind, finding the spiritual energy within his body, and slowly gathering it in his right palm. A warm spiritual energy flowed in his palm. Once the spiritual energy in his palm had stabilized, Su Qingyao also slowly raised her right hand and gently touched his palm.

The moment their fingertips touched, a gentle spiritual energy flowed into Li Mofan's body through his palms, intertwining with his own warm spiritual energy. There was no repulsion; on the contrary, it seemed to be a perfect match, slowly circulating through his meridians. More importantly, as he output his spiritual energy, he could faintly sense the trajectory of Su Qingyao's spiritual energy flow.

"Don't get distracted." Su Qingyao's voice rang in his ear, making Li Mofan's face turn red instantly. Her spiritual power slowly guided the intertwined spiritual energy between the two of them, flowing along his meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians were nourished by the spiritual energy and became wider and wider, and the originally somewhat sluggish spiritual energy became smoother and smoother.

Li Mofan quickly composed himself and focused on the flow of spiritual energy, but he could still clearly feel the spiritual power circulating within Su Qingyao's body.

The cool touch from his palm, along with the faint fragrance emanating from Su Qingyao, lingered around his nose with each breath, making his heart beat faster involuntarily.

He couldn't help but slightly open his eyes, catching a glimpse of Su Qingyao's soft, smooth jawline and crystal-clear earlobes. He quickly closed his eyes again, forcibly calming his mind, but he still couldn't help but sense the fluctuations in her aura and the warmth of the spiritual energy flowing between their palms. Su Qingyao seemed to notice his dazed state, her spiritual energy pausing slightly. Her tone remained gentle but carried a hint of reminder: "Concentrate, your spiritual energy must not be disordered."

Li Mofan quickly focused all his attention, letting Su Qingyao's spiritual power guide him, allowing the two streams of spiritual energy to flow smoothly between them. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt that the spiritual power in his body had reached its peak. His meridians were being nourished by the spiritual energy, becoming wider and wider, and even his blood and qi were becoming more vigorous. Meanwhile, the spiritual energy in Su Qingyao's palm gradually became calmer, no longer as strong as it had been at the beginning, clearly indicating that they had reached the end of their cultivation.

Su Qingyao slowly withdrew her palm first, and the shimmering white spiritual energy instantly receded. She slowly opened her eyes: "Alright, that's enough for today's cultivation."

Li Mofan quickly withdrew his palm, his tone slightly flustered: "Thank you for your guidance, Captain Su. I feel that my spiritual energy has increased considerably."

Su Qingyao nodded slightly, her gaze falling on his reddened ear tips, and said calmly, "The most important thing about the Spirit Exchange Technique is balance. My spiritual power is stronger than yours, so you can obtain a trace of my cultivation. Go back and refine and consolidate it properly."

"Yes, I've got it." Li Mofan replied quickly.

Li Mofan bowed and took his leave, his fingertips still warm from Su Qingyao's palm, and quickly walked out of the cultivation room.

Returning quickly to the barracks, Li Mofan was brimming with spiritual energy. He closed the door behind him and, without hesitation, sat cross-legged on the futon in the center of the room. He closed his eyes and guided the two intertwined streams of spiritual energy within his body, slowly flowing along his meridians, gradually merging and refining them. The spiritual energy he received from Su Qingyao was pure and mellow, and it was already in harmony with his own spiritual energy, making the refining process exceptionally smooth, as if the two streams of spiritual energy originated from the same source.

Before long, he felt the spiritual energy within his body accumulate to a critical point. Li Mofan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately concentrated all his energy, accelerating the process of refining the spiritual energy.

A familiar mechanical notification suddenly rang in my mind.

[Personal data shows abnormal fluctuations; currently being re-checked...]

[Detection complete, data updated as follows]

A pale blue interface unfolded before his eyes.

Rating: 1

Talent: Taoist

Spirituality: Max level (-1)

Identity: New Recruit (Heavenly Path Legion)

Qi and blood: 95

Spiritual power: 62

Attack: 43

Defense: 51

Agility: 40

"Level 1? So I didn't have a level before..." Li Mofan muttered as he looked down, and when he saw the line "Spirituality: Max Level (-1)", he was stunned. "Max level spirituality... can it be negative one?" His tone was somewhat incredulous.

His Qi and Blood increased by nine points compared to before, and his Spiritual Power more than doubled. His Attack, Defense, and Agility also saw significant increases. These were all genuine breakthroughs. However, at max level, his Spiritual Power increased by -1.

"How could this be..." He frowned deeply, the image of Su Qingyao saying that the Spirit Exchange Technique required balance, and that he could obtain a trace of her cultivation, flashing through his mind. "Requires balance... requires balance."

"Balance!" Li Mofan suddenly realized that Su Qingyao had balanced away the spiritual energy he had lost.

He got angrier the more he thought about it.

No, we can't let this go unpunished; we have to get something back from her.

He secretly pondered that Su Qingyao's cultivation was profound, and she must have many treasures or cultivation techniques that could help her. Even if she could just give him a few pointers, it would be better than him suffering a loss for nothing.