Eloquent Ascent

After leaving Elder Liu's chamber, Xu Qi made his way back to Ling Lian's training hall. His mind raced with the implications of their encounter but at the same time, there was a pleasant smile on his face as he slapped the pouch containing the resources he received.

Scrolls, elemental stones, and a life-saving talisman. What more can he ask for?

He was now set to increase his strength before the Test of Competence.

On top of that, the feeling of Elder Liu's bosom remained vivid in his head. He didn't mind being called a pervert since anyone would feel the same way if they got the same treatment.

He knew his charm was working on her but his Celestial Eloquence could probably only fascinate her.

Just like with Xiao Yue when he failed to whisper to her qi just like how he did it with Ling Lian, a cultivator with a much higher realm than him wasn't susceptible to it. There should be a smaller gap.

As the heavy wooden door creaked open, the training hall revealed the familiar sight of Ling Lian in all her gracefulness. Her sweat glistened on her forehead as she practiced her palm techniques. She paused when she saw him, her eye flickering to the pouch tied on his waist, seemingly bursting from its content.

"Looks like you've made a haul." Ling Lian smiled, pointing at it before throwing something to him, "But that's not a spatial bag. I have a spare here. Use this. I'm surprised no one robbed you on your way here."

Her words brought a chuckle to Xu Qi's lips as he carefully caught the magical bag that he had only read before. It was quite normal for him to not have a spatial bag of his own. I mean, why would a trash need one?

On the other hand, Ling Lian who proved to be a talent in cultivation was nurtured every step of the way, giving her the resources she needed.

It's really not something to be envious of as it is a normal occurrence.

"Thank you, Ling Lian. I think I've gotten a lot more than I should receive so I'll give you this." He said as he fumbled within the pouch, taking two pieces of the high-grade elemental stones and throwing them to Ling Lian. His voice filled with genuine appreciation before he transferred the resources inside the spatial bag, leaving behind the scrolls on the floor as he stepped into the spacious training area.

"Oi. Xu Qi?! What the hell is this? These aren't intermediate-grade stones… How did you?!" Ling Lian caught the stones and only noticed the quality right after doing so. Her voice quivered at her surprise at the absurd sight of a high-grade elemental stone casually thrown to her by Xu Qi.

"Oh. I got a few from Elder Liu. Will that cover the cost of this bag?"

"You fool! This is… more than the price of a spatial bag that size! But how did you get this?" Disbelief was apparent in her voice, she knew he was going to get resources but not to this extent. Who casually gives an outer court disciple high-grade elemental stones? It's ridiculous. "You didn't steal this from the Resource Hall, right?"

"Oh come on, with a face like mine. Do I need to steal? I think Elder Liu appreciates my charm." Xu Qi playfully answered but he shared the same sentiment as her.

He just swallowed it up as the Elder showed him a favor just like how most women started favoring him.

Speechless, Ling Lian could only gulp down as she stared at the stones and then threw one piece back to him, "This… This is enough. Use that for your cultivation. I'm not so pressed for resources. You need that more than me."

Xu Qi caught it and smiled in appreciation. No wonder he found her so attractive. Despite everything her personality was also not that difficult to understand. Although that felt like it ended up a transaction between them, the honesty from both of them was what made it so special.

They didn't need to try and one-up each other. Their companionship was what made their bond stronger.

After a while, Xu Qi started his training by making use of the elemental stone, pushing his condition to 100%. Ling Lian joined him as they both enjoyed the exquisite feeling of using high-grade elemental stones. It was like they were living in luxury.

But given the small capacity of their dantian the elemental stone's glow of the dense essence within it only dimmed lightly. They could use one stone multiple times before emptying it.

"Alright. I'll be practicing on the side. Ring me up if you need help," Seeing that he wanted to practice the scrolls he received, Ling Lian gave Xu Qi an understanding nod before returning to her own training after they put away the stones.

"Mhm. If I also get too focused, slap me awake so we can eat together," Xu Qi said with a cheeky grin.

Ling Lian rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. She's already used to his slick quips that was sometimes annoying but oftentimes healing. She had come to appreciate the way the atmosphere around him was light, easy, and sometimes intimate and affectionate.

Xu Qi started reading the scrolls, memorizing them first.

He knew that mastering them would require time, but even a basic understanding could significantly bolster his performance in the Test of Competence.

The Wind Whisper Art was a simple yet elegant martial art, designed to harness the power of the primal element of wind. Upon reading it, Xu Qi knew that Ling Lian also practiced the same martial art. The elegance and grace in her movements came from it.

But knowing that the young woman also had to tend to her own practice, he didn't actively approach her to help him with. Instead, he decided to follow the introduction first and try his hand at it. If he found it difficult, that's when he'd ask her for tips.

With that, Xu Qi began to practice the basic movements, his body swaying gently like the leaves of a tree in a summer's breeze. As he moved, the air around him stirred, creating small eddies and whirlwinds that danced at his fingertips. Every flick of his arm and the swooshing of his leg created some sort of a mesmerizing dance.

As he continued to complete the set of basic movements, he noticed the martial art was a stark contrast to how he was just seducing the primal elements with his Celestial Eloquence.

He's resonating with them or rather, he's going with their flow. But with his understanding of his unique cultivation path, he couldn't help but think that it was possible to make them complement each other. He might be able to bring the martial arts to a new height with his words.