Chapter 105: Dual Cultivation

Two red suns hung motionless high in the sky.

They were almost scorching the entire world below.

Only at the water source, due to the low-lying terrain and surrounded by high sand walls, was the blazing sun mostly blocked out.

The unconscious female cultivator’s lips were dry and cracked, her willow-like eyebrows unconsciously furrowed, with deep wrinkles between her brows.

Pei Yuanshao’s outstretched hand paused in mid-air, his gaze falling on the rising and falling white cotton. His pupils contracted sharply.

Awkwardly avoiding her bare skin, he picked her up again.

The terrain here was low and flat, surrounded by green grass.

Pei Yuanshao carried Liu Changning and gently placed her on the grass near the riverbank.

After hesitating for a moment, he removed the cloth covering his own body.

His face slightly flushed, the large beads of sweat on his forehead had already disappeared, replaced by a fine sheen of perspiration.

Pei Yuanshao had lived for three hundred years. From the moment he was born, his life was different from others.

His emotions were indifferent. His father often held his hand, lovingly telling him stories about immortal couples from storybooks.

When he was young, he didn’t understand. As he grew older, it bred a deep disgust in his heart.

What was so good about women? Their cultivation was not higher than his, nor were their talents more outstanding.

In the spirit realm, it was common for talented female cultivators to have three or four husbands and numerous dual cultivation partners.

If the feelings between men and women were truly as earth-shattering as in the storybooks, there wouldn’t be so many cases of one woman with multiple husbands in this world.

He didn’t need love between men and women. From the moment he was born, his only task was to cultivate and find a way to avoid perishing during the heavenly tribulation of ascension. This was what he had dedicated his entire life to.

And women, in his eyes, were nothing more than a skin. Over the years, he had seen countless female cultivators of all types.

Trying to recall, there wasn’t a single face he could remember clearly.

Pei Yuanshao looked down and saw a lifeless face. Thin lips, almond eyes, straight nose. In mortal storybooks, it was said that women with thin lips were born fickle, to be admired from afar but not to be defiled.

Fortunately, fickle women weren’t necessarily bad. Even after dual cultivation, they could forget easily.

There was no need to worry about endless entanglements.

Remembering her panicked expression when he first absorbed her true essence, Pei Yuanshao suddenly chuckled.

Too foolish, a female cultivator ignorant of love affairs was rare in this world.

He only hoped that when she woke up, she would be smarter, not like those young men in the mortal realm who would cry endlessly for their chastity, otherwise…

Pei Yuanshao half-closed his eyes, imagining her waking up with wide eyes and an angry, embarrassed expression.

The hesitation in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a complexity he himself hadn’t noticed in his crimson phoenix eyes.

He closed his eyes briefly, and his body, which had been hovering in mid-air for so long, no longer hesitated and pressed against hers.

“You’re lucky,” he said softly.

With that, he kissed her lips, expertly parting her tightly closed lips.

…

Liu Changning wasn’t actually unconscious, just resting with her eyes closed. Earlier, exploring the white jade ring had consumed a lot of her spiritual energy, depleting her true essence. Her physical strength couldn’t last long, so when she saw the oasis, she had originally planned to close her eyes and rest.

Little did she know, the surprise came too suddenly.

Her lips were parted by the man in front of her, and she was even somewhat incredulous and dazed.

She remained motionless, afraid she had misunderstood.

And then…

There was no then.

Elder Pei’s soft tongue charged in recklessly, seeming very skilled, completely overturning Liu Changning’s understanding of him.

But the excitement brought by this boldness didn’t last more than a few breaths.

Elder Pei, with his abundant theoretical knowledge, after a round of chaotic fumbling, stopped moving altogether.

His tongue remained in her mouth for a full incense stick’s time… with no further action.

After a long while, Pei Yuanshao turned his eyes in confusion: “Huh? How come after kissing for an incense stick’s time, the state of fusion mentioned in the secret technique hasn’t appeared?”

Supporting himself with his hands, the dark red-skinned male cultivator withdrew his softness, eyeing the woman beneath him suspiciously.

He muttered to himself: “Could it be that this woman really has some unspeakable problem in that area? Father mentioned that if a woman is not capable in that aspect, the dual cultivation method might not be able to proceed.”

At these words, Liu Changning almost fainted.

Her chest heaved violently, and it seemed her pretense of being asleep was about to be discovered.

She suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze falling imperceptibly on the bare skin of the person before her.

Her eyes were deep, a dark light flashing by.

As the person opposite looked over, her crow-feather-like eyelashes trembled open, her almond eyes full of confusion. She raised her eyes and looked directly at the man before her.

Their eyes met, and her cold face showed panic.

“What are you doing?” The clear end of her voice trembled.

Pei Yuanshao, supporting himself with his hands, took in all her expressions, and for some reason felt an awkward guilt.

His earlobes reddened halfway, and his body even seemed to be getting slightly hot.

He guiltily averted his gaze, straightened his neck, and said in a low voice: “Dual cultivation, to break the contract between us.”

Finally, as if afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he pretended to be arrogant and looked Liu Changning up and down, sneering: “What? Don’t tell me you want to back out? You clearly agreed to it earlier. I’ve thought it over, your spiritual power is exhausted, you won’t live for more than a few hours. And I can’t die…”

Liu Changning pondered silently, staring at Pei Yuanshao. Elder Pei’s lie was obvious.

She curled her lips, her tea-colored eyes inscrutable.

Suddenly feeling a chill, Pei Yuanshao couldn’t help but shiver.

For some reason, his heart felt a secret sense of humiliation, as if being peeped at. He looked around, but there was nothing unusual!

He pressed his lips tightly, not bothering to explain further.

Bending down again, he frowned impatiently and said: “Be good and listen, dual cultivate with me. If you serve me well and keep me in a good mood, I might even erect a tombstone for you after you die tomorrow.”

Elder Pei’s lips moved, his courage great, his words insincere.

Yet his earlobes, mixed with his long hair, had already turned red and hot.

Liu Changning’s lips curled into a very faint smile, which was quickly concealed. She cooperated by struggling for a moment.