Chapter 54: Synchronized Cultivation and Hidden Secrets

In a moment of silent understanding, Ye Xingchen and Su Liyue concluded their baths simultaneously, each slipping into comfortable pajamas.

Orchestrating two bodies to perform identical actions proved remarkably efficient, a convenience particularly appreciated given how much simpler pajamas were to don compared to their intricate school uniforms.

Settling before their respective dressing tables, they activated their magical hair dryers, which hummed to life, emitting small, warm breezes to begin drying their hair.

Ye Xingchen’s short hair was swiftly managed with just a few strokes, yet Su Liyue’s cascading silver-white locks, reminiscent of a waterfall, clearly demanded considerably more time.

‘Perhaps I should research a spell for rapid hair drying?’ The thought had barely surfaced before Su Liyue found herself chuckling softly.

She wondered how she was increasingly beginning to resemble Dean Yu Qinglan, who harbored such an enduring fondness for inventing practical life spells.

Once Su Liyue’s long hair was thoroughly dry, both she and Ye Xingchen simultaneously settled onto the bed, crossing their legs in preparation.

With fingertips lightly resting on her knees, Su Liyue entered the standard meditative state of a mage, keenly sensing the vibrant elemental spirits dancing around her.

Concurrently, Ye Xingchen channeled his spiritual energy, unfurling the intricate patterns of Qimen Dunjia (TL Note: An ancient Chinese divination method involving metaphysical strategic alignments.) within his mental realm to draw in the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.

Gradually, the breathing of their two bodies synchronized, establishing a unique and interconnected energy circulation.

For three years, they had diligently maintained this nightly cultivation ritual.

Yet, Ye Xingchen couldn’t shake the feeling that the efficacy had considerably diminished.

Compared to the rapid progress they had made cultivating together before their enrollment, their current individual meditative states yielded a noticeably slower rate of improvement.

Could it be due to a spiritual influence when their souls were in close proximity, or perhaps…

‘Dual cultivation?’ The thought flashed through his mind so suddenly that both bodies simultaneously registered a subtle flutter of their eyelashes.

A swift blush painted Su Liyue’s cheeks, and, in tandem, a flush of heat crept up Ye Xingchen’s earlobes.

‘Dual cultivating with myself… wouldn’t that be rather peculiar?’ Even though, in a physical sense, Su Liyue remained his fiancée, the current separate cultivation method undeniably hindered their progress.

He mused whether a solution could be found in the future, especially since his priority was to swiftly enhance Su Liyue’s ability to protect herself.

With eyes closed in deep concentration, Su Liyue was enveloped by the joyous elemental spirits of earth, water, wind, and fire.

Meanwhile, Ye Xingchen inhaled and exhaled the circulating five-elemental spiritual energies—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—that permeated the cosmos.

Though they cultivated simultaneously, they appeared to exist within entirely distinct energy fields.

Since first arriving in this world and embarking on his cultivation journey, Ye Xingchen had unearthed a crucial truth: what was commonly referred to as ‘magic power’ was, in essence, merely another manifestation of energy.

Spiritual energy, he understood, stemmed from the very origin of the cosmos, representing a far purer form of energy.

Magic power, conversely, derived from this particular world, or more precisely, from the planet’s own inherent energy field.

As mages continually refined their mental strength through meditation, they became capable of more efficiently drawing upon magic power to temper their very beings.

This method of cultivation, at its core, bore a striking resemblance to how cultivators absorbed and circulated the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.

Within this esteemed magic academy, the vast majority of students successfully attained the rank of official mage by graduation.

Those who fell short of this benchmark were presented with two choices: either repeat a grade to further their studies, or voluntarily withdraw from the institution.

For if one could not even fulfill the fundamental requirements for graduation, the prospect of advancing further along the demanding path of a mage was entirely out of reach.

It was precisely this profound understanding—that ‘magic power is simply energy’—that allowed them to navigate the entrance qualification tests with such ease.

During his assessment, Ye Xingchen merely needed to mimic magical fluctuations with his own spiritual energy.

Su Liyue, on the other hand, effortlessly passed by leveraging the unique energy properties she had absorbed through her cultivation, coupled with her innate affinity for all elemental types.

Immersed in a profound meditative state, resonating deeply with elemental energies, Su Liyue’s thoughts attained an unparalleled clarity and penetration.

This advanced state of meditation not only continuously refined her mental prowess but also caused all ambient noise to recede like an ebbing tide.

It was as though the entire world had plunged into an absolute hush, leaving only the vibrant sparks of her thoughts to blossom in the profound tranquility.

It was then that fragments of a previous conversation, held within the dean’s office, abruptly surfaced in her mind.

What most captivated her attention was the perplexing question: why did the *Tao Te Ching* exist in this world?

Could this realm be a future iteration of Earth, with the book merely a relic salvaged from a bygone civilization?

Yet, this theory remained unconfirmed, as she had not yet laid eyes upon the original text itself.

Alternatively, could this be a parallel world existing on a different timeline, with the book having found its way here through some unknown conduit?

If this latter conjecture held true, then this world must undoubtedly possess some form of spatial teleportation array.

Provided the timelines of the two worlds were sufficiently close, she might just discover a means to return to her original realm.

As her thoughts continued to flow, Dean Yu Qinglan’s discourse on Battle Qi (TL Note: A form of internal energy similar to ‘ki’ or ‘chi’ used by martial artists for combat and enhancement.) grew increasingly vivid in her mind.

Within this world’s cultivation system, mages harnessed mental power to command elemental energies, while swordsmen cleaved through the void with Battle Qi.

This distinctive energy, known as ‘Battle Qi,’ appeared to be the external manifestation of ‘Qi,’ one of the three vital treasures of the human body: essence, qi, and spirit.

The spiritual energy cultivated by true practitioners, however, represented a flawless, tripartite fusion of essence, qi, and spirit.

This naturally granted them a significant advantage over mages who solely honed mental power or swordsmen who specialized in Battle Qi, a disparity as vast and profound as the boundless cosmic sea compared to the solitary glimmer of a distant star.

As their cultivation drew to a close, both Ye Xingchen and Su Liyue simultaneously emerged from their profound meditative states.

Whether it was due to the subtle nourishment from the male body’s spiritual energy, Su Liyue felt remarkably refreshed, her vision sharpened with newfound clarity.

Beside her, Mu Wanqing had already concluded her own meditation, now cradling Qizai as she listened to a bedtime story.

Qizai, embodying the serene image of the Yaochi Saintess, was vividly recounting the tale of *Dragon Ball* with the warmth of a beloved elder sister, drawing a knowing smile from Su Liyue.

Since Qizai’s arrival, not only had her evenings gained a delightful storytelling companion, but the entire atmosphere was now a hundredfold more pleasant than the slovenly roommate Ye Xingchen had to contend with.

She couldn’t help but fantasize about how wonderful it would be if Ye Xingchen could also reside in the girls’ dormitory.

After all, they had shared a bed since childhood, only to be reluctantly separated upon their academy enrollment.

Yet, to actually implement such a plan would undoubtedly send the innocent Mu Wanqing into a state of profound shock…

“Qizai~” Mu Wanqing suddenly chirped, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Do you know any more romantic love stories?”

“Romantic?” Qizai mused, her slender fingers idly stroking her long hair.

Suddenly, her eyes gleamed with an idea. “Ah! I recall the mas… Master’s study contains a male-to-female romance novel titled I Am My Own Wife…”

“A male-to-female romance novel?!” Mu Wanqing exclaimed, jolting so violently she nearly sprang from the bed.

Su Liyue instantly stiffened, her mind racing. ‘Oh no, oh no, how did this dark secret get unearthed?! That was the very first ‘self-marriage’ novel she’d read back on Earth, and it had left such a profound impression that he had inadvertently carried it over to the Spirit Realm.

When on earth had Qizai stumbled upon it?!’