Energy Transfer

Ouyang Qingcheng lightly traced his right hand through the air, revealing a silver door. Upon it was a painting: in a pale blue sky, several cheerful black swallow chicks soared. Beneath a towering green tree lay a lush meadow and a winding stream with stones of varying sizes scattered in its waters. Though childishly drawn, the artwork was vivid and endearing.

"Ha, did our child paint this?" Cheng couldn't help but smile.

"She is my child!" Ouyang Qingcheng corrected sharply.

Cheng pouted in response.

Ouyang Qingcheng pressed his hand against the largest stone in the painting, and the door slid open to the right.

The secret room was spacious, its four corners illuminated by light magic crystals. The walls were painted a soothing pale blue. Directly opposite the door hung a framed calligraphy piece that read: "The path to knowledge lies in diligence, the vast sea of learning requires hard work." The strokes were neat and somewhat elegant, though lacking in force—evidently the work of Yuanjiu. Cheng silently admired the wisdom of the phrases and gave a mental nod of approval.

To the right of the room, two sets of desks and chairs were placed facing each other. These were where Fengyun Xiaoyao used to teach Yuanjiu. The desks were neatly arranged with writing tools, paper, inkstones, books, and various small bottles. Behind the desks, against the wall, was a tidy single bed. Beyond these items, the room was minimal, with little else in it.

The entire space was meticulously clean. The walls bore numerous marks and scratches, remnants of Yuanjiu's past magic and swordsmanship training sessions.

For a moment, Ouyang Qingcheng felt a pang of nostalgia. This room preserved every trace of his treasure's growth. In his idle moments, he would sometimes come here, reliving the vivid memories of Fengyun Xiaoyao's lectures and Yuanjiu's animated expressions during lessons.

"What do you think of this place?" Ouyang Qingcheng asked, glancing at Cheng, who was curiously examining the papers on the desk, his smile growing as he read the slightly clumsy handwriting.

Cheng nodded. "Not bad. The reason for choosing a sealed room is to minimize energy loss during the transfer. This place will do. Let's begin. Sitting face-to-face should suffice."

Ouyang Qingcheng crossed his legs and sat facing Cheng as instructed.

"We can only transfer for at most one hour at a time; otherwise, your body won't be able to handle it. During this time, neither of us can speak. First, we need to establish a transfer channel. Water magic is the purest and thus the most suitable. We'll both create a water sphere, merging them together. From this sphere, the energy from within me will be transmitted into you. During the transfer, the magic elements already in your body may go into disarray due to the introduction of a new power. Don't try to forcibly suppress them; let them adjust naturally."

Ouyang Qingcheng nodded. "Let's start."

The two extended their hands, palms upward on their knees, and each conjured a water sphere. The spheres grew larger and gradually merged into one, then stabilized. Waves of energy began to ripple from Cheng's hands touching the sphere, flowing toward Ouyang Qingcheng.

Ouyang Qingcheng felt a gentle power spreading from his palms throughout his body, like being immersed in warm spring water. His blood seemed purer as if cleansed. At the same time, multicolored auras burst from within him—red, yellow, green, blue—darting chaotically like mischievous children freed from restraint. The wind they generated whipped through the room, making both Ouyang Qingcheng and Cheng's hair fly wildly.

Ouyang Qingcheng steadied his mind, gradually harmonizing the flow and speed of the elements. The colorful auras calmed down, forming a giant barrier around the two, encapsulating them in its center.

Ouyang Qingcheng couldn't help but smile faintly. The process was going surprisingly smoothly.

Then, both of them noticed the ripples in the water sphere were accelerating slightly.

They exchanged a glance, immediately realizing this was due to Ouyang Qingcheng's remarkable adaptability.

Not only was he receiving the energy, but his body was naturally absorbing it. In other words, Ouyang Qingcheng's compatibility with this power was far greater than they had anticipated.

At this rate, the complete transfer might not even take two years.

Both of them quieted their minds. Cheng relaxed completely, allowing the energy to flow freely, while Ouyang Qingcheng focused on the remarkable sensation of the energy entering his body, simultaneously receiving and integrating it as his own.

An hour later, the transfer speed noticeably slowed until, finally, it stopped altogether.

This was because Ouyang Qingcheng had reached his limit for the day.

The two slowly withdrew their hands.

"That's enough for today. I'll come back in a few days," Cheng said.

Hearing Cheng's slightly weak voice, Ouyang Qingcheng asked gently, "How are you feeling?"

Apart from a slight pallor, Cheng seemed fine.

"Nothing to worry about. This energy has been in my body for so long. Extracting it suddenly just caused some discomfort. A good sleep will fix it."

Ouyang Qingcheng without any gentleness, grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"You can rest here, but you must leave before dawn."

Cheng widened his eyes in mock dissatisfaction. "How heartless! I am still you, after all! How could you treat me this way? Yuanjiu should be coming back tomorrow, right? At least let me see her." He stretched his limbs and loosened his waist.

"Mind your words!" Ouyang Qingcheng warned sternly, his hands behind his back as he fixed Cheng with a sharp gaze.

Cheng shrugged, his expression turning playful and alluring. "Did I say anything wrong? Can you honestly claim Yuanjiu isn't my daughter?"

Ouyang Qingcheng replied coldly, "I don't mind repeating myself—she is 'my' daughter, born to me and Lady Zhen."

Cheng nodded solemnly, pretending to agree. "Yes, she is my daughter with Lady Zhen."

"Do you really think I can't deal with you?" Ouyang Qingcheng's tone darkened.

Cheng hunched his shoulders with a laugh. "I was just joking!" He trailed behind Ouyang Qingcheng as they exited the chamber.