Chapter 144: Cultivating (Part 2) - TW: Slight M

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Cultivating (Part 2) - TW: Slight M

Sui Sui, on the other hand, was also not faring any better. At first, he had managed to keep himself composed when their lips merely touched. He could still focus on circulating his spiritual power and even convince himself that there was nothing particularly embarrassing about what they were doing. After all, this was just a cultivation technique! As long as he concentrated on absorbing Yizhou’s Yang energy, there was no reason to let his thoughts wander.

Unfortunately, that reasoning became much harder to maintain the moment Yizhou deepened the kiss.

Sui Sui’s mind went blank for a brief moment. The unfamiliar sensation caught him off guard, and before he could properly react, he found himself unconsciously leaning closer to Yizhou, as though the warmth surrounding him had made him reluctant to move away.

His fingers tightened around Yizhou’s shoulders, and he hurriedly reminded himself to stay focused. What was wrong with him? They were only exchanging spiritual energy! Why did he feel as though he had completely lost control of his own body?

Then when their tongues met, Sui Sui finally understood why Yizhou had suggested this method.

A much stronger current of spiritual energy surged between them, far more concentrated than what he had felt when their lips first touched. The moment he sensed it, his dantian stirred, eagerly drawing in the incoming Yang energy and allowing it to circulate through his meridians. The flow was astonishingly smooth, and the response from his body was almost immediate. Compared with their previous attempts, this method was considerably more effective!

Sui Sui was so surprised by the improvement that he almost forgot to be embarrassed. Almost.

Because, although he could clearly feel the benefits of the energy exchange, he was beginning to realize that his body was reacting to something beyond just cultivation.

Every movement of Yizhou’s lips seemed to draw his attention back to the kiss, making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. The brief friction between their lips sent unfamiliar sensations through him, while the occasional brush of Yizhou’s hand against his cheek only made him more conscious of how close they were. A peculiar warmth stirred deep within him, spreading gradually until even his thoughts seemed to grow sluggish.

What in the world was happening to him?

Sui Sui had never imagined that simply kissing someone could leave him feeling this way. He had expected awkwardness, perhaps a little embarrassment, but certainly not this strange sensation that made him want to move closer even as he struggled to keep his mind clear.

No, no, no! He absolutely could not let himself get distracted. He was here to cultivate, not to indulge in whatever strange thoughts his brain was trying to conjure up!

Clinging to that thought, Sui Sui desperately redirected his attention to the spiritual energy flowing through his meridians. He carefully guided it toward his dantian, trying to follow each circulation and keep his breathing steady. For a little while, the familiar rhythm gave him something to focus on. However, the warmth in his body continued to build, gradually creeping up his neck and spreading across his cheeks until his face felt as though it were burning.

A thin sheen of sweat gathered on his forehead. His breathing grew less steady, and the more he tried to relax, the more rigidly he held himself in Yizhou’s arms. He couldn’t tell whether it was a reaction to absorbing so much Yang energy, the effect of their surroundings, or simply because he had never experienced a cultivation method quite like this before.

Whatever the reason, Sui Sui was starting to have a serious problem.

How was he supposed to concentrate on cultivating when even keeping his thoughts in order had become this difficult?

Sui Sui could only pray that this would be over soon.

However, one minute passed, then three, then five, and eventually, a full ten minutes had gone by.

And yet, Yizhou showed no sign of stopping anytime soon!

At first, Sui Sui had been able to convince himself that it was worth it. After all, the method really was effective. The spiritual energy flowing between them was much stronger than before, and his dantian had been absorbing it at a satisfying rate. But even the best cultivation method had its limits, didn’t it? Surely, there was no need to keep going for this long!

By now, Sui Sui was growing increasingly overwhelmed. His breathing had become uneven, and he was so exhausted that he could barely keep himself composed. The unfamiliar sensations, the constant exchange of spiritual energy, and the prolonged kiss were all becoming too much for him. His eyes had grown moist, and he was beginning to feel as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

But that wasn’t even the biggest problem.

His dantian was practically overflowing!

The spiritual energy he had absorbed had accumulated to the point where he could barely take in any more. Although it was circulating through his meridians, the sheer amount of it left him feeling unbearably full, as though he had eaten far too much in one sitting. If this continued, he was seriously worried he would end up with spiritual energy indigestion!

Sui Sui wanted to cry.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a cultivation technique? Why did it feel as though he was being forced to eat an entire feast when he was already too full to take another bite?

He had already gained so much from this session. Couldn’t they just stop here?!

So amid the haze of the prolonged kiss, Yizhou suddenly heard a muffled sob.

The faint, faltering sound caught him completely off guard. He lowered his gaze, only to discover that the person in his arms was actually crying. For a moment, he froze in disbelief. This little junior brother had never cried even when he deliberately teased and bullied him before, so why was he suddenly shedding tears now?

Yizhou immediately stopped what he was doing. He cupped Sui Sui’s face with both hands, his usual teasing expression giving way to a rare hint of panic. Without even realizing it, his voice softened as he hurriedly tried to comfort him. "Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? All right, senior brother will stop. I won’t bully you anymore, so don’t cry, okay?"

The moment Yizhou finally pulled away, Sui Sui took a deep, desperate breath, savoring the cool air filling his lungs. Good grief! He could finally breathe again!

His eyes were wide and round, glistening with tears that clung to his lashes before slowly trickling down his cheeks. His face was flushed, and his damp eyes looked as clear as glass washed clean by rain. With his lashes trembling and tears slipping down one after another, he looked utterly pitiful, as though Yizhou had genuinely bullied him to tears, which in a sense he really did.

Hearing Yizhou’s attempt at consolation, Sui Sui didn’t know whether to be angry or cry. He curled his hands into little fists and began pounding against the other’s chest.

"So you do know you’re bullying me!"

Yizhou let him continue without resisting. After all, Sui Sui’s little fists were hardly strong enough to hurt him. If anything, the blows barely tickled. Seeing that the younger man’s tears were finally beginning to subside, he waited a moment before asking,"All right, junior brother, tell me what happened. Did senior brother make you uncomfortable?"

From Yizhou’s perspective, he genuinely couldn’t understand Sui Sui’s reaction. Throughout their dual cultivation, he hadn’t sensed any reluctance from the younger man. On the contrary, their spiritual energy had flowed smoothly between them, and their bodies seemed to have fallen into a natural rhythm.

Yizhou himself had found the experience rather pleasant, so he had naturally assumed Sui Sui felt the same way. If everything had been going so well, then why had his junior brother suddenly burst into tears?

Hearing Yizhou’s straightforward question, Sui Sui’s face flushed so intensely that it nearly rivaled the glow of the sunset.

How was he supposed to answer that?!

Should he tell Yizhou that the kiss had felt so good that he had gradually lost himself in it, until he could barely catch his breath? Or that the spiritual energy had accumulated in his dantian until he felt as though he couldn’t absorb another trace, leaving him so overwhelmed that tears had spilled out before he could stop them?

Good grief! Just thinking about it was embarrassing enough. How could he possibly bring himself to explain all of that to Yizhou’s face?

Yizhou wasn’t the sort of person who had the patience to wait an hour or two for someone to gather their thoughts. Seeing that Sui Sui still wasn’t answering, he simply slipped both arms around the younger man’s waist and pulled him closer, urging him with a teasing smile on his face once again, "Hmm? Come on, tell senior brother. What’s wrong?"

Sui Sui squirmed in his embrace, his face growing hotter by the second. However, seeing that Yizhou had no intention of letting him go until he gave an answer, he realized he would have to say it sooner or later. After working up his courage, he finally stammered, "I-I-I... Isn’t it because you kept doing this and that?! It’s your fault! You took so long that I couldn’t breathe anymore!"

The last few words came out so softly they were barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, but Yizhou still managed to catch the phrase took so long. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking Sui Sui up and down before asking, "Hmm? How did I take so long? Didn’t they say this sort of thing could take several hours to finish?"

"Impossible! How can anyone last that long? They must all be lying!" Sui Sui protested indignantly.

There was no way he would believe that anyone could really keep going for hours! Just ten minutes had been enough to leave him feeling as though he were melting. What would happen if it went on for several hours? Would he even survive?!

Hearing this, Yizhou couldn’t help bursting into laughter. He had thought something serious had happened, only to discover that his junior brother was upset over such a small matter.

"All right, all right. It’s senior brother’s fault, okay? I’ll keep it in mind next time." Yizhou spoke in a tone that was half sincere and half teasing.

Still, he knew he did bear some responsibility. He hadn’t considered that this was Sui Sui’s first time trying this method of dual cultivation, nor had he accounted for the vast difference between their cultivation levels. While he had only gained a slight increase in cultivation, Sui Sui had been flooded with spiritual energy. It was no wonder the younger man had become so overwhelmed.

At the mention of next time, Sui Sui immediately began grumbling to himself.

Next time? What next time?!

This had only been a one-time arrangement to make do with the situation, okay? He had absolutely no intention of doing it again. Never again!