Celestial Taoist

A soft light swept across his fingertips, gently covering Li Mofan's palm. The instant their fingertips touched, a slightly cool sensation rushed into Li Mofan's body through his palm, instantly intertwining with the spiritual energy around him. It was smoother than the previous two times he had cultivated, without the slightest bit of awkwardness.

Li Mofan focused his mind and circulated the Spiritual Connection Technique. The spiritual energy within his body flowed slowly along the path of the technique, tightly intertwining with Su Qingyao's spiritual power. A shimmering white light surrounded them, gradually spreading into a soft halo. He could clearly feel her spiritual power flowing slowly through his meridians, and his own spiritual power was also thriving within hers. However, just like last time, at the beginning of their cultivation, Li Mofan's Dao Foundation Perception couldn't detect even a trace of her emotions; there wasn't even a hint of emptiness.

In a short while, Li Mofan felt that their spiritual energy was completely synchronized, flowing in perfect harmony. It was as if the other could understand a single movement, a level of harmony several times higher than during their previous two cultivation sessions. His heart warmed, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he looked up at Su Qingyao, his eyes filled with urgency, his voice slightly hesitant: "Captain, our spiritual energy harmony is already sufficient, far surpassing before. Can we... can we proceed to the next step?"

Su Qingyao raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her eyes deep and a hint of amusement hidden in them. The spiritual energy in her palm flowed steadily without any pause. "Next step? What next step?" she asked, feigning ignorance. Her fingertips gently caressed her skin, the soft touch making Li Mofan stiffen. His anticipation grew even stronger.

"It's... it's about trying to sense each other's Dao foundations," Li Mofan's voice grew gentler, his gaze fixed on her face, afraid of missing any expression. "The next step of the Spiritual Connection Technique is to use spiritual energy as a guide to sense each other's Dao foundations, and to use each other's Dao paths as a mirror to improve each other." Of course, Li Mofan didn't know what Dao paths were, but at this moment he only wanted to proceed with the next step of cultivation, and didn't care what he was saying at all.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao's lips curled into a faint smile. The spiritual energy in her palm suddenly tightened slightly, then abruptly released, causing a surge of spiritual energy within Li Mofan's body, making him feel both itchy and anxious. "What's the rush?" Her voice softened further, tinged with a hint of languor. "Having sufficient spiritual harmony doesn't mean your mental state is sufficient. The most important thing in exchanging spiritual techniques is to avoid being impatient and restless. How can you succeed with such haste?"

Li Mofan felt a surge of anxiety and quickly composed himself, but he still couldn't help but explain, "Captain, I'm not agitated. I just... I just feel that we're ready." His fingertips tightened unconsciously as he grasped her hand. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin fabric, causing Su Qingyao's eyes to shift, but she didn't pull her hand away. Through this gesture, Li Mofan finally sensed a slight fluctuation in her emotions, but as always, he felt nothing.

"Ready? Then let me ask you, what is your path of cultivation?" Su Qingyao chuckled, her tone slightly teasing. The spiritual energy in her palm suddenly changed its trajectory, slowly moving upwards along his meridians, brushing past his elbow and bringing a tingling sensation. "If your path of cultivation can be of use to me, then we can consider the next step."

Li Mofan's heart sank. He hadn't expected her to ask such a pointed question. However, his gaze inadvertently swept over the Amorous Sword beside him, and he suddenly had an inspiration. He quickly replied, "This subordinate... this subordinate's path is the Path of Amorousness!" He forcibly suppressed the trembling in his heart and focused his mind to circulate his cultivation technique again.

As soon as he finished speaking, although the touch of Su Qingyao's fingertips and the fusion of their auras continued, and her expression did not change, there was a huge change in his Dao Foundation perception. Compared to the last reaction, the ripples in the void were getting stronger and stronger. Based on previous experience, Li Mofan guessed that this should be Su Qingyao's surprise. The intense ripples at this moment and the arm-thick omnipotent energy coming from her body were enough to prove that she must be very shocked.

Li Mofan quickly stared into Su Qingyao's beautiful eyes, his gaze filled with anticipation: "Captain, my path to enlightenment will be useful to you, right? Can we proceed to the next step?"

Su Qingyao slowly withdrew the spiritual energy from her palm, but did not release his hand. Her fingertips continued to gently caress him, her eyes deep and unfathomable: "Was it useful?" She leaned slightly forward, her hair falling softly, carrying a faint fragrance. "But why do I feel that your heart isn't even on the cultivation technique?"

Li Mofan's cheeks flushed, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked away, but she forcefully drew his gaze back. Her strength wasn't great, but her eyes were fixed on his, her tone carrying a hint of assertiveness: "What's the rush? Cultivation of martial arts is all about gradual progress. Even the slightest deviation is unacceptable. Practice for another half an hour. If you can't achieve true mental clarity, then we'll stop here for today."

Helpless, Li Mofan could only forcefully suppress the urgency and excitement in his heart, close his eyes again, and circulate his cultivation technique. But Su Qingyao's fingertips never left his palm, her breath lingering around his nose. Every flow of spiritual energy seemed to be quietly aligning with his heart, yet always just one step away.

He could clearly feel her spiritual energy flowing through his body, gentle yet controlling, sometimes deliberately slowing down, sometimes suddenly speeding up, catching him off guard. Several times, he felt he had met the requirements, but Su Qingyao always managed to find that his spiritual energy was not stable enough, and that his state of mind was still restless, and she always refused to agree to take the next step.

Half an hour later, Li Mofan opened his eyes, his eyes filled with helplessness and urgency, his tone pleading: "Captain, I'm really ready, please... let's move on to the next step."

Seeing the urgency in his eyes, Su Qingyao's smile widened. She slowly released his hand, her spiritual energy receding, and her tone regained some of its composure, yet still carried an undeniable authority: "It seems you're still too hasty. Let's stop here for today and try again tomorrow."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. In the side hall of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect's council hall, a guard dressed in gray was standing close to Ling Canghai, his face full of impatience and resentment. His tone was low but couldn't hide his dissatisfaction: "Sect Master, those two are really strange. They've been holed up in their room in the west courtyard for the past two days. Apart from having servants deliver their three meals a day, they haven't even stepped out of the door. Nobody knows what they're up to in there!"

He paused, a hint of disdain on his face, and lowered his voice further: "What's even more outrageous is that Su Qingyao looks so young, like a fairy, but think about it, to have such extraordinary abilities, she must be an old hag who has lived for hundreds of years! Yet she's still clinging to that kid surnamed Li, spending every day in the same room with him. Even I find it an eyesore!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Canghai frowned slightly, raised his hand to stop the guard's nagging, a look of seriousness flashed in his eyes, and his tone was cold: "You only need to keep an eye on these two. If they show even the slightest intention of leaving the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, report to me immediately!"

The guard was taken aback and quickly bowed, saying, "This subordinate is foolish and does not understand the sect leader's profound meaning."

Ling Canghai's lips curled into a sinister smile, his voice low and solemn: "Inside the Sword Tomb, Senior Mo had already used the formation of the Sword Tomb to assess the strength of these two. Although Su Qingyao is strong, she is not a Grandmaster, and Li Mofan's strength is only that of an ordinary Grandmaster. They are not worth fearing."

He turned to his guards, his tone domineering: "Once the two of them finish reciting the Sword Ball Technique, we will immediately capture them! At that time, not only will the Sword Ball Technique belong to my Ten Thousand Swords Sect, but I will also personally interrogate them to find out if they have any other peerless martial arts, as well as Su Qingyao's technique of concealing objects in the void! Go and inform all the sect's masters and above to be on standby today. Once you receive the order, come to the side peak of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain immediately."

Upon hearing this, the guard's eyes flashed with wild joy, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Sect Master, you have shown great foresight! I will immediately inform the elders to be on standby, awaiting only your order to capture those two!"