Chapter 65 - How Can You Be So Bad?
"Control the force and the flow rate... down to the smallest unit volume you can perceive."
"What's a unit volume?"
"Grasp it intuitively yourself... Yes, just like that, hold it, don't let the spiritual energy flow collapse... Alright, it seems this step is still a bit too early for you. That's all for today."
Here, on the mountain road to Yedu.
Inside a casually built hunter's cabin, Su Huanhuan, drenched in sweat, panted as she collapsed to the side.
Nearly half a month had passed since they set out from Xianfeng City.
The distance between Yedu and Xianfeng City itself was not very far; if one were to ride a spirit treasure or travel by riding qi, it wouldn't take much time either.
But for one thing, to travel by riding qi in these governed regions, one had to give notice, file a report, and obtain qualification.
For another, Su Huanhuan really couldn't be considered someone who could see the light of day in this territory... So, they could only slowly travel by land route now.
However, this perhaps wasn't a bad thing.
Walking slowly, the journey along the way naturally also became more leisurely.
Luo He himself quite enjoyed advancing gracefully through the mountain forests, watching birds and observing trees, and from time to time could even interact a bit with small animals.
As for Su Huanhuan... it seemed she didn't dislike it either.
During this period, Luo He proposed teaching Su Huanhuan to use spiritual energy more scientifically and more efficiently, and Su Huanhuan also readily agreed.
And so... the scene from just now occurred.
Luo He sat cross-legged, floating in mid-air, looking at Su Huanhuan who was tired as a dog.
His previous understanding of Su Huanhuan's average comprehension was only superficial; now he had truly felt it...
Su Huanhuan's talent on this path of cultivation was indeed average.
It felt like a level that would be surpassed by Liu Shuishui within ten years; that she could reach this day was entirely due to her own impressive methods and having gained enough benefits.
Basically a Cultivator Arnold, a cultivation level achieved entirely by consuming materials.
And Su Huanhuan, wiping away her sweat and looking at Luo He who had a pensive look on his face, was at this moment also filled with shock.
Although she, Su Huanhuan, was not a genius, she had seen more geniuses than mediocrities.
Previously, her understanding of just how badass this stupid fox Luo He was had only been superficial; now she had truly felt it...
This damn fox was simply a monster!
Generally speaking, after a cultivator establishes their foundation and opens their dantian, spiritual energy completes a circulation channel within the body, continuously flowing and breathing.
When engaging in battle, cultivators can accelerate the flow and breathing speed of spiritual energy to achieve the goal of rapid supply.
This is also why those with vast dantians and wide, unobstructed meridians are more powerful.
Because they can store more spiritual energy and can erupt with more spiritual energy to use at the same time.
Accelerating the flow of spiritual energy when using techniques is more or less an instinctive act for a cultivator.
In this process, the overflow of excess spiritual energy is an almost unavoidable result.
Why is it said that when those great powers make a move, a single strike can blow up all living things within a hundred-li radius?
That is because the spiritual energy in their bodies has long been perfected; even that bit of overflow spiritual energy is something others cannot withstand.
Then what was the situation with this stupid fox?
He didn't accelerate; he decelerated.
Yes, decelerate.
He would curb the flow of spiritual energy in his body in advance before using a move, even stopping it completely, allowing the spiritual energy within the meridians to momentarily stay in one place and accumulate.
When he waited for the right moment, he would then use this accumulated spiritual energy.
By doing this, how much spiritual energy was used in every attack imbued with spiritual energy, every single wisp and thread of it, was decided by him alone.
This was also why his sword moves were always so quiet and subtle, yet their power was undiminished or even greater.
Su Huanhuan guessed that this way of using spiritual energy might have, in the beginning, just been a helpless measure because his dantian had been damaged by yin qi, resulting in insufficient flowing spiritual energy in his body.
But looking at it now, this method of circulating qi was clearly all advantages and no disadvantages.
After all, no one would be unwilling to always be able to use good steel for the cutting edge of the blade.
But, setting aside the fact that the application of this qi circulation method requires a super-strong control of the rhythm of battle...
Just the step of deliberately obstructing the flow of spiritual energy within one's body was already a rather counter-intuitive and anti-human act.
This was in no way inferior to making someone control the reverse flow of their own blood.
Anyway, Su Huanhuan couldn't manage it; this kind of controlling spiritual energy as if manipulating strands of hair was already too advanced for her.
Practicing for less than one shichen had nearly tired her into a person of sweat.
Looking at Luo He's pensive expression, Su Huanhuan pursed her lips, somewhat displeased.
"Are you thinking I'm stupid?"
"No, because I also have no one else to compare you with."
After all, he hadn't taught this to Liu Miao.
"...That is to say, you do think I'm stupid, right?"
"I already said I didn't."
Luo He sighed.
Presumably, all women were like this; any words that reached their ears would become what they themselves imagined them to be.
But Su Huanhuan clearly knew her own level very well and was also resigned to her fate.
She lazily rolled over, shook her body, and evaporated the sticky sweat.
"Even if you look down on me, there's nothing to be done; this young lady is just at this level."
"However... this Demonic Sarira can actually be used like this. Are you much more suited to practicing demonic arts than I am?"
As she spoke, a small flame, black intermingled with white, sputtered from Su Huanhuan's fingertip.
It was precisely the demonic flame Luo He had previously ignited on the Autumn Maiden Sword Soul.
This was also a usage technique Luo He had recently taught her.
"I learn everything pretty fast."
Luo He casually replied to Su Huanhuan, then continued to speak:
"Changing the way you circulate qi is not something that can be achieved overnight. I myself also fumbled around for quite a while back then before finding the way. There's no need to rush for success; just take it slow."
"Anyway, you're already inside my body. It doesn't matter if I don't learn this, right?"
"I can't possibly accompany you for a lifetime; you still have to rely on yourself."
"...Is that so?"
The look in Su Huanhuan's eyes flickered slightly.
She stood up, started a fire outside, and then lay down.
Golden Core cultivators could already nearly go without food or sleep, but these few days of practice had also greatly taxed Su Huanhuan's spirit; she needed to get some sleep.
And Luo He also turned into a small point of light and stopped beside her; his spiritual soul entered her body, silently circulating spiritual energy.
A tacit understanding had begun to form between them.
Lying on the hard and somewhat lumpy wooden boards, the firelight couldn't reach the corners of this small cabin; the night that seeped in was still chilly.
Su Huanhuan felt the warm sensation of spiritual energy circulating from her lower abdomen, which reminded her that right now there was a person... ah, a ghost, striving for her.
This feeling, for Su Huanhuan, was truly a very unfamiliar one.
Even after so many days had passed, she was still somewhat not used to it.
In the place where she lived, in her past life, coldness and loneliness had long since become the norm.
Luo He... in her eyes, was also the same.
But as people who had similarly walked through a long, endless night, Luo He was able to provide her with some warmth here.
This... was this the greatest difference between them?
"Can't sleep?"
Luo He vaguely sensed that Su Huanhuan's thoughts were currently fluttering.
Facing the voice coming from the bottom of her own heart, Su Huanhuan smiled silently.
"Mm."
"If you can't sleep, then get up and let me have a couple of sips."
"If you want to sip, then sip."
"Forget it, I've had my fill from you."
Setting other things aside, at least Su Huanhuan's anger towards him was more than enough to sate him; since becoming a ghost, he had yet to feel hungry.
"Hehe, why do you care so much about me..."
"......"
"Luo He."
"Mm?"
"I've never been like this before."
"What do you mean?"
"Had someone accompany me like this.”