Chapter 4
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Chapter Four Paired Cultivation
The first realm of cultivation, Profound Understanding, was to feel the profound mysteries, and open the secret points of the body . One would leave behind the ranks of mortals and step into the ranks of cultivators .
The second step of cultivation, Energy Refinement was to be able to look into one’s body, open all meridians, produce energies in the organs and circulate them through the body .
When one reached realm two, they could use their physical energies to fight against enemies . Internally, they could cleanse the bones and body, and receive benefits that ordinary people could not imagine .
Any cultivator that pass through the realm two would have nothing more important than cultivation unless they had a great hatred or a matter of life and death .
How could normal pleasures compare to the joy at feeling one’s body strengthen and change or when one solved a problem of cultivation?
When they could draw the primal energies of the universe into their bodies and produce vital energy, they reached the realm three of cultivation, Vital Energy Realm .
There were no two cultivators in the world with exactly the same talent and qualities . Even twins born at the exact same time would have countless minute differences from the moment of birth . Even if one had the help of a wise teacher on their cultivation path, the eyes of a teacher could not see endlessly into a student’s body . So the path of cultivation required people to comprehend on their own, like a swimmer in the dark night passing the river by touching rocks . Each moment was dangerous, and each realm harder than the previous .
Those with vital energy were at least realm three or above . Ding Ning naturally knew what realm her cultivation had reached . He also knew what kind of danger and urgency was contained in her cold and calm words . But everything he did was calm, and methodical .
After quickly washing and putting on clean clothes, he cut up a bowl of tofu, sprinkled on diced scallions, and poured on sesame oil .
After eating two bowls of leftover rice which hadn’t completely warmed up with this bowl of tofu, he walked into the bedroom at the back of the building .
In truth, to his present body, he did not lack this meal . However, he knew very well that this tiny misstep of not using the sesame oil after buying it might cause the officials of the Astrology Bureau find some hidden truths .
His fellow knew this as well . According to the habits of the Astrology Bureau, after twice confirming that there were no problems, the Astrology Bureau would destroy the case file they had regarding him . For a very long time, the gaze of the Astrology Bureau would not land on him .
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This was also one of the reasons he deliberately appeared in front of Mo Qinggong and the others .
There were two beds in the simple bedroom with a grey curtain separating them . Living with his aunt like this was extremely common for families who did not have extra rooms .
Yet after closing the door to the bedroom, Ding Ning did not walk to his own bed, and made his way with familiarity to Zhangsun Qianxue’s bed . He quickly took off his outer robe, and neatened the blankets .
Just like many previous nights, when he silently laid down against the wall, Zhangsun Qianxue moved through the darkness and laid next to him .
“Start . ”
Other than coldness, there was no emotion in Zhangsun Qianxue’s eyes . In the process of laying down next to Ding Ning, she did not even look at him .
And the moment she said the word, her body gave off a tangible presence of icy cold .
In the darkness, Ding Ning stared at her .
Looking at her frosty appearance, complicated emotions appeared in his eyes . A grimace lingered at the corner of his lips . But in the next moment, all emotions disappeared from his eyes . His gaze became clear, and his expression became extremely solemn and grave .
A unique presence seemed to flicker out of his body . Even the minute particles of dust in the air were blown away . Water seemed to clean the air within several meters of him and Zhangsun Qianxue .
This presence was similar to the presence of the five academians with umbrellas in the alley, and the cultivators who got there later, but slightly weaker .
Even weak, it proved he was a cultivator .
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Zhangsun Qianxue seemed to quickly sink into sleep, her breathing becoming long and slow .
However, her body became colder and colder . White frost spread on the blankets .
Tiny particles of blue ice even appeared in her exhaled air .
Each tiny particle of blue ice would make a strange poof when they landed on the blanket . They would turn into a sky-blue energy, colder than even snow .
The rising blue energy would meet the moist air and immediately form white snowflakes .
So it appeared countless blue and white flowers of ice were growing on the blankets surrounding her .
At the same time she started breathing out these blue ice particles, her eyelashes fluttered and she frowned . She seemed to be cultivating involuntarily and she felt pain .
Ding Ning worriedly closed his eyes .
A layer of frost appeared on his body, yet his complexion became even redder . His body grew hotter . The blood vessels usually hidden under his skin suddenly bulging out . One could almost see his blood quickly flowing through his blood vessels .
A rhythmic sound of a furnace formed in the silent bedroom .
No presence leaked from his body, but his body seemed to become a contain with a unique attraction .
Minute cracking sounds came from this bed . The ice flowers on the blankets started to shatter . The blue energies visible to the naked eye slowly permeated his body .
The white frost danced around Zhangsun Qianxue and Ding Ning’s bodies to form a snow storm in this narrow room .
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Ding Ning’s chest grew brighter and brighter . Jis organs seemed to give off red light and heat . Yet to the surrounding storm, this was a weak candleflame that could be extinguished at any time .
Cultivation was a wondrous process .
In Ding Ning’s perception, he was standing in a vast space .
This space seemed to be dim and closed, but was also extremely wide with five-colored energies falling down .
This was the energy sea of a cultivator .
A light blue ocean was underneath his feet . There seemed to be a crystal space under the pure clean ocean water like a palace made out of jade .
This was the jade palace that cultivators spoke of .
Above his head, amidst the five colored energies, there was an especially bright space . This was the celestial aperture .
Energy sea, jade palace, celestial firmament . If one could feel these three apertures and connect them, the energies of the five organs would constantly circulate and form physical energy .
Yet at this moment, no physical energy formed in his energy sea . The threads of five colored energy that flowed to the center would become burning flame after merging .
The flame, which was extremely clean and transparent, burned with terrifying heat as it roasted the celestial firmament . It appeared as though it would burn through the entire energy sea .
Countless blue ice particles fell through the center of the energy sea . Each particle would extinguish a wisp of flame . Then a transparent and heavy thread of physical energy would fall downwards into the jade palace at the bottom of the energy sea .
Time slowly passed .
The five colored energies in the energy sea grew fainter . The flame was about to be extinguished . However, the faint blue ice particles did not stop falling .
To Ding Ning, this time was really a surprise .
In the span of a breath, he woke up at a speed unimaginable to normal cultivators and opened his eyes .
Shards of ice fell off his eyelashes .
He did not look at his body . In the darkness, he saw the snow still falling in the surroundings . A hard layer of ice had formed over Zhangsun Qianxue”s body .
Her body almost did not hold any heat as though her blood had frozen . But a flow of energy still moved through her body, still blowing out blue ice particles .
Ding Ning’s eyes filled with shock . He realized what was happening . Without any hesitation, he covered Zhangsun Qianxue’s body like a blanket .
The moment their bodies touched, the cold energy caused his face to pale . In the next moment, his consciousness fell into his own energy sea .
He hugged Zhangsun Qianxue, who had become a piece of ice, and subconsciously held her tighter and tighter .
His skin started to turn hot and red .
With a crack, the hard ice shell around Zhangsun Qianxue broke .
Countless ice pieces fell on the blanket . A certain power between the two crushed the pieces into fine powder that floated away .