Chapter 13 – Qi Transfer Scene

Xiao Xuan stood still, his heart racing as the atmosphere around him thickened with an unnatural energy. He felt the current of Qi flow through the air like an electric charge, a palpable pulse that made his very skin hum with its intensity. Feng Qin, standing before him, exuded an aura that was as ancient as the mountains themselves—an energy so powerful, so pure, that it seemed to overwhelm everything around them.

She raised her hand slowly, and Xiao Xuan watched as her fingers glowed with a soft, golden light. The energy radiating from her was nothing like anything he had encountered before. It wasn't the raw, unrefined energy of the world, nor was it the familiar flow of his own Qi. This was something deeper. Something more.

"Do you understand what this is?" Feng Qin's voice broke through his thoughts, soft yet commanding. Her gaze met his, and for the first time, he saw something unguarded in her eyes. It wasn't just the Phoenix power that coursed through her. There was something more—a depth of experience, of knowledge, of pain. She wasn't simply offering him energy. She was offering a piece of herself.

Xiao Xuan's chest tightened at the realization. Was she willing to trust him this much?

He had known for some time that there was something special about their connection, something fated and inevitable. But this was different. She was going to share her Qi with him—not just in the way that cultivators shared energy, but in a way that bound their souls together. A connection like no other.

Before he could process the full weight of her words, Feng Qin stepped forward, her hand now resting lightly on his chest. The instant her fingers made contact, a surge of energy shot through him. It wasn't just Qi, though. It was warmth. It was life. It was the very essence of her being, and it flooded his body like an intoxicating wave. His chest expanded as if he had breathed in something profound, something ancient, something eternal.

"Relax," she murmured, her voice like silk against his ear. "Let it flow. Let it happen."

At first, Xiao Xuan resisted, his mind recoiling at the sheer force of it. His immortality had always kept him apart from others. His Qi was infinite, yes, but it was his alone. To share it, to give it to another, felt like a dangerous step. But Feng Qin's energy was different. She wasn't draining him. She was amplifying him, expanding his very being. It wasn't an exchange of power, but a sharing of life forces.

As he let his defenses down, he felt the Qi begin to move through him—not as a foreign force, but as a part of him. Her energy wrapped around his, and something deep within him resonated with it. It was like the final piece of a puzzle had clicked into place.

Xiao Xuan closed his eyes, feeling the surge of power, but there was something else there too. Something softer. His immortality, which had always felt like a curse—an endless, lonely existence—began to feel like a blessing. Her Qi infused his very soul, and in that moment, it was as if he was no longer alone. The burden of immortality, the weight of living endless lives, didn't feel so heavy anymore. For the first time in a long time, he felt seen.

Feng Qin's voice broke through the haze of energy swirling around them. "This is the bond," she whispered. "The joining of two paths, two destinies."

Xiao Xuan opened his eyes, his heart pounding as he met her gaze. There was a strength in her eyes, a quiet certainty. She wasn't just giving him her Qi; she was offering him a part of herself that could never be returned. This wasn't just about power—it was about trust. It was about something far deeper than mere cultivation. It was a union of spirits, of purpose.

"What does this mean for us?" Xiao Xuan asked, his voice shaky, his mind still struggling to comprehend the depth of what was happening. He had known his immortality made him different from others, but this bond with Feng Qin… this was something beyond what he had ever imagined.

Feng Qin smiled gently, but there was something bittersweet in it. "It means that we are bound together now. Not just as two cultivators, but as two souls connected by fate. Our power will grow together, and our strength will be shared. We are no longer two separate beings—we are one."

Xiao Xuan couldn't speak for a moment, his mind reeling as he processed her words. One. They were no longer two separate people. Their fates were intertwined, their futures tied together by this bond of Qi, of life energy. And in that moment, the weight of immortality that had always haunted him seemed to fade, as if it no longer mattered. He wasn't alone. He didn't have to face the endless void of time by himself. With Feng Qin, there was purpose. There was a reason for all of it.

He took a deep breath, feeling the power surge through him, but this time, it wasn't overwhelming. It was comforting. He had been afraid of the power that immortality brought, afraid of how it might change him, of how it had already changed him. But here, with Feng Qin, he understood. Immortality wasn't a curse—it was a gift. And it was a gift that he could share.

Feng Qin slowly withdrew her hand from his chest, but Xiao Xuan still felt the warmth of her energy within him, like an ember that had taken root in his soul. She stepped back, her eyes scanning his face, searching for something. Her brow furrowed slightly as she studied him, and then she spoke, her voice soft yet firm.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, her tone a little more serious now. "But understand this, Xiao Xuan: what we've shared today is not just an exchange of power. It's a commitment. A bond that cannot be broken. And with it, you must understand that your path will never be the same. We are no longer just individuals, walking our own paths. We are two fates, two lives, connected by this energy. You are not just immortal anymore. You are part of something much bigger."

Xiao Xuan took in her words, feeling their weight settle on his chest. "And what if I don't want to be part of something bigger?" he asked, the question slipping from his lips before he could think about it. "What if I want to remain on my own path? What if I don't want to be bound to anyone?"

Feng Qin's expression softened, and she placed a hand gently on his arm. "Then you are free to make that choice, Xiao Xuan. But know this: the path you walk alone is a lonely one. And no matter how far you run from it, the bond we share will always remain."

Her words echoed in his mind, and as he stood there, feeling the remnants of their shared Qi still flowing through him, he realized that she was right. Immortality had always been a solitary existence. But with Feng Qin, it didn't have to be. Together, they could create something that no one could destroy.

He looked into her eyes and, for the first time in years, felt a deep sense of peace settle within him. "Then let's walk this path together," he said quietly. "Let's see where it takes us."

Feng Qin smiled, and the energy between them shifted, becoming something more—a shared purpose, a shared destiny. They weren't just two immortals crossing paths. They were two souls bound together, destined to face whatever came next—together