Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 173 [Lu Sisi's Cultivation Path] (7700)

Chapter 168 [Lu Sisi's Cultivation Path] (7700)

Lu Sisi walked out of the classroom carrying her schoolbag, accompanied by a girl from her dormitory. The two were talking quietly. A tall boy squeezed through the crowd, trying to join their conversation, but Lu Sisi quickly lowered her head and shut her mouth.

The boy seemed to try to start a conversation with Lu Sisi several times, but Lu Sisi only responded with a word or two, or nodded or shook her head, and then stopped showing any emotion.

As for the boy's invitations to go out and have fun, which he made intentionally or unintentionally, Lu Sisi remained silent, letting the girl next to her deal with it.

As Lu Sisi walked out of the teaching building and stepped down the stairs, she saw Chen Yan's figure in the distance. The cold expression on the girl's face vanished instantly, and a joyful smile spread across her face.

She quickly greeted her roommate and then jogged over.

Chen Yan, dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, looked just like a student, and greeted them with a smile.

Lu Sisi quickly took Chen Yan's arm and smiled affectionately at him.

"How did you come?"

"I just got back from out of town and came to see you." Chen Yan smiled, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from Lu Sisi's forehead: "What do you want to eat tonight?"

Lu Sisi thought about it seriously: "Soybeans stewed with pig's trotters".

Chen Yan was taken aback: "Huh?"

"I'll have braised pig's trotters with soybeans!" Lu Sisi said firmly, while looking at Chen Yan.

"Okay!" Chen Yan smiled.

Watching Lu Sisi and Chen Yan leave side by side, the roommate sighed, turned to the tall boy and smiled, "I told you it was hopeless, Sisi has a boyfriend."

The boy looked somewhat dejected: "I..."

"Stop with all this 'me' and 'me'. Take it easy on yourself. You're always making yourself miserable. Aren't you tired?" my roommate said, pouting.

"I'll try again." The boy was still a little unwilling: "I really like Lu Sisi."

"Whether you're sincere or not is none of my business," my roommate said dismissively. "The thing is, even if you are sincere, so what? Just because you're sincere doesn't mean someone has to be with you. Is your sincerity really that valuable?"

After saying that, her roommate rolled her eyes and turned away.

I was too lazy to care anyway, and if it weren't for the fact that we're classmates, I probably would have said something even harsher.

·
Chen Yan was soaking soybeans, and next to him were several pieces of pig's trotters that had been delivered by XX Fresh Food.

The braised pig's trotters with soybeans that Lu Sisi specifically wanted to eat wasn't from a restaurant or a takeout; it was something Chen Yan cooked himself when the two of them were at home one time.

Actually, the taste was just average, nothing amazing, just passable—he's not some self-taught master chef, just someone who honed his skills in cooking a few home-style dishes while living independently.

But Lu Sisi praised it highly after eating it once, and the emotional value it gave her was immensely satisfying.

At this moment, Chen Yan was in the kitchen soaking edamame and preparing the plump pig's trotters, while Lu Sisi was sitting at the dining table in the restaurant, with a book in front of her, diligently studying.

"The exam is in two weeks." Lu Sisi sighed, "If my memory were better, I wouldn't be under so much pressure."

Chen Yan smiled, ignoring his girlfriend's aversion to studying, and focused on preparing his dishes.

Half an hour later, the soybeans and pig's trotters were stewing in the pot. Chen Yan turned down the heat and cooked a pot of rice. He glanced back at Lu Sisi, who was still struggling with her book, her little face looking miserable.

Chen Yan smiled, walked over to the girl from behind, gently hugged her, and kissed Lu Sisi on the back of the neck.

"There are still two days left over the weekend, no rush."

"I'm not in a rush," Lu Sisi said coquettishly, turning her head to glare at Chen Yan. "I don't even want to go to this university anymore. I want to drop out and follow you. You don't agree, do you?"

Chen Yan smiled and said, "If you're going to drop out of school just to date me, your family will definitely try to kill me with knives."

Lu Sisi sighed: "My parents won't care about me..."

Chen Yan thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "If others don't care about you, I will."

As he spoke, he suddenly bent down and lifted Lu Sisi from the chair in his arms.

The girl gasped, but quickly wrapped her arms around Chen Yan's neck and chuckled, "It's not even dark yet! You want to..."

Chen Yan casually pointed into the kitchen: "The soybean and pig's trotter stew is on the stove, why is it still more than half an hour away?"

"...No!" Lu Sisi blushed. "You always take so long..."

Looking at his girlfriend's blushing face, Chen Yan couldn't help but feel a little flutter in his heart. Without saying a word, he picked up Lu Sisi and walked towards the living room.

"Huh?!" Lu Sisi exclaimed in surprise, "Not in the living room! You, you carry me back to my room..."

"See, you're the one who's thinking dirty thoughts, aren't you? Thinking about these things in broad daylight!" Chen Yan deliberately put on a stern face before laughing: "I don't want to mess with you, I just want to hug you."

As he spoke, he picked up Lu Sisi and sat down on the large sofa. The two snuggled together, and Chen Yan's fingers landed on Lu Sisi's head, gently massaging her scalp.

Lu Sisi felt as comfortable as a cat being petted by its owner, tilting her head back and squinting her eyes.

The young couple were being affectionate for a while, and the atmosphere seemed to be getting more and more romantic, but just at that moment, Lu Sisi's phone "dinged".

Lu Sisi ignored it at first, but less than a minute later, it dinged again.

Chen Yan smiled and said, "You should check the message first."

As he spoke, he released Lu Sisi, moved a little further away, picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV.

Lu Sisi picked up her phone, glanced at the WeChat message notification, and frowned.

The two unread messages that just arrived on WeChat were both from the same person.

Both messages were long, and the content was clearly carefully edited, lengthy and eloquent, like a short essay.

The first one is a heartfelt confession, the formula of which is nothing more than describing the feelings of getting to know each other and revealing one's heart. It emphasizes expressing one's emotional journey and describing one's feelings as pure and sincere.

Similar statements include a detailed description of the first time the sender met Lu Sisi in the school library, describing Lu Sisi's attire and appearance at the time, as well as the sender's emotional state at the time. The sender also described how, coincidentally and by fate, they sat behind Lu Sisi during an open class, describing her outfit and hair that day—a goddess-like description—along with the sender's own heart-pounding nervousness and sincere emotions.

The second short essay was even more elaborate. This guy even said that he had asked around about Lu Sisi and learned that she used to be very aloof and withdrawn, with few friends and rarely interacted with her classmates.

So he unilaterally portrayed Lu Sisi as a unique and aloof girl who was misunderstood by others, and then proceeded to forcefully express that he could fully understand and get Lu Sisi's personality, and even forcibly took her side, as if to show that he could understand Lu Sisi's eccentricity and aloofness that was not understood by others...

It roughly means: The world may not understand you, but I do! The world may not appreciate you, but I do!

At the end, it subtly conveyed the message: I am the most suitable person for you, because only I understand you...

After reading these two lines, Lu Sisi suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hmm?" Chen Yan was searching for variety shows when he heard his girlfriend laughing, so he turned his head and glanced at her.

"It's nothing, I just ran into a funny person." Lu Sisi shook her head.

"What's so funny?"

Lu Sisi looked up and thought for a moment: "A stranger, yet he insists that he understands me... He's the one in the whole world who understands me the most."

"male?"

"Ah."

"Then I understand." Chen Yan pursed his lips: "If your looks were reduced by half, he definitely wouldn't think he understands you."

Lu Sisi laughed, then threw aside her phone and pounced on Chen Yan, baring her teeth and claws: "Did you help me back then just because I'm pretty?"

"Don't forget, the first time I met you, I punched you," Chen Yan said with a smile, grabbing his girlfriend's hand.

Lu Sisi's eyes were full of sweetness as she leaned against Chen Yan and whispered, "Anyway, only you understand me, and I only like it when you understand me."

"Don't worry, with your looks, other men will come up to you and say they understand you."

Lu Sisi raised an eyebrow, and this usually gentle girl actually pouted: "What does he know!"

"Huh? You've learned to roast people now." Chen Yan laughed and gently pinched Lu Sisi's nose with his finger: "Yeah, you've matured."

"I just don't really like talking to strangers, but in his words it's like I have a personality problem. The things he said to me sounded nice, but the subtext was actually: You have a problem, but I don't mind you, I even appreciate your flaws... so we should be together..."

Chen Yan burst into laughter: "The boy who walked out beside you when I picked you up from your school today?"

"Yeah, it's a guy in the same department, a sophomore. He's been trying to get close to me lately. We met when I borrowed some teaching notes from someone, and that's how we added each other on WeChat."

After Lu Sisi finished speaking, she quickly added, "I have already made it clear that I have a boyfriend, and I have also clearly rejected him."

Chen Yan thought for a moment: "Do you know what the biggest challenge is for guys this age when they're pursuing girls?"

"..." Lu Sisi thought for a moment: "Worried that I'm not handsome enough?"

"No."

Worried that your family isn't well-off enough? Or that you don't have enough money?

"No."

"The girl is too pretty, so there are too many competitors?"

"Not at all."

Lu Sisi was dumbfounded: "What is that?"

Chen Yan sighed: "The biggest problem for boys this age when pursuing girls is that they know the other person has no interest in them, but they can't help but feel like they're being a jerk and pestering them."

Lu Sisi stared at Chen Yan with wide eyes, as if she didn't quite understand.

"Well, to put it bluntly, it's like having a Casanova inside you, and you always want to play the Casanova, thinking that if you give your heart and express your true feelings, the other person will definitely be moved... In reality, you're only moving yourself."

Chen Yan answered with a smile.

Lu Sisi squinted: "How do you know this?"

“I have a classmate named Hu Shangke. That guy is a total simp, and a real simp.”

Lu Sisi smiled, but the girl lowered her head and thought about it seriously for a moment, and said, "Actually, sincerity can move people, but there is a prerequisite: I like you too."

I like you, and only your sincerity will move me. If I don't like you, your sincerity will earn me respect and gratitude the first time I accept it. The second time, I'll refuse gracefully. The third time, I might not show it on my face, but I'll think to myself, "This person is crazy."

"That's because you're a good girl," Chen Yan said with a smile. "If you were a bad girl, you'd be hoping for more guys like that. You'd accept them all if they were willing to give their all, and keep them in your fishpond like fish."

Lu Sisi picked up her phone, intending to delete the WeChat account.

"Ding~"

Another new message notification appeared on WeChat.

Lu Sisi frowned and glanced at it.

The third long message is from the same person.

Chen Yan smiled without saying anything—he fully trusted Lu Sisi's character and conduct, and also fully trusted that his girlfriend could handle this kind of thing. He would only intervene if there was trouble.

Lu Sisi thought for a moment, too lazy to even look at the messages, and directly made a voice call, and put it on speakerphone.

The other end answered very quickly.

"Lu Sisi, that..."

Lu Sisi coldly interrupted the other person, "Do you think you're particularly affectionate?" "Uh... ah?"

"Knowing I have a boyfriend, you still send me those nonsensical messages. Do you think you're particularly devoted and a romantic hero? Or do you think I'm the kind of girl who's unfaithful and prone to infidelity?"

“That’s not what I meant. I… I felt that your aloof nature, and your boyfriend’s business-minded, worldly-wise nature, might not truly understand you, but I am the one who…” The boy, who had probably already prepared his thoughts, quickly expressed them.

"Hmm, my closest boyfriend doesn't understand me, but you, a stranger who's only known me for a few days, seem to understand me perfectly?" Lu Sisi sneered.

Then, this usually gentle girl spoke without any mercy: "Now I'm telling you clearly, my relationship with my boyfriend is very good, very good!"

As for your seemingly genuine attitude, I don't care if it's real or an act. If it's real, please stop; if it's fake, please don't act like that with me again. Your words and actions have offended me and disrupted my life! Please have some self-respect and stay away from me in the future.

After saying that, Lu Sisi hung up immediately and then quickly blocked the other person.

After putting down her phone, Lu Sisi finally breathed a sigh of relief. When she turned her head, she saw Chen Yan looking at her with a surprised expression.

Lu Sisi felt a little uneasy: "What's wrong? Was I... too aggressive just now?"

Chen Yan shook his head and laughed, "I'm just curious, you're usually so gentle, why did you suddenly become so aggressive just now?"

Lu Sisi pursed her lips, stared at Chen Yan with a hint of grievance in her eyes, moved closer to him, and whispered, "Chen Yan, in my heart, the most important person in this world is you! The most important thing in this world is our relationship!"
I won't be anxious or agitated about other things.

But when it comes to you, to our relationship, I'll definitely lose my temper!

Chen Yan sighed and took Lu Sisi's hand in return—he could fully feel the girl's deep affection for him.

After a while, Lu Sisi asked somewhat guiltily, "Was I... really that aggressive just now?"

"It's alright," Chen Yan said with a smile. "Actually, it can be considered as doing good deeds."

"what?"

"If there is one less sycophant in this world, then there is one more person who can escape from suffering."

Chen Yan never hides his disdain for sycophants.

For example, regarding the X-Cat incident that caused a great deal of public opinion last year, Chen Yan expressed his feelings about the tragic experience of the parties involved, but showed no sympathy whatsoever.

How a person lives is a choice they make.

·
The stewed pig's trotters with soybeans are ready. The trotters are stewed until tender and soft; one bite fills your mouth with a burst of collagen. The aroma of soybeans permeates the dish as well.

With this dish, Lu Sisi had a great appetite and actually ate a bowl of rice, which was unprecedented for her.

After the meal, the girl forcibly pushed Chen Yan out of the kitchen, made him a cup of fruit tea, and then went to wash the dishes while humming a song.

"You cook, I'll clean up~" Lu Sisi said sweetly to Chen Yan as she washed the dishes.

As Chen Yan sipped his fruit tea, watching his girlfriend diligently washing the dishes by the sink, a gentle warmth welled up in his heart—this feeling of home with someone there was what he enjoyed most.

The fruit tea had a rich flavor, and the fruit inside was washed and cut by Lu Sisi herself after she returned in the afternoon.

After Chen Yan finished his cup of tea, Lu Sisi had already tidied up the kitchen and came out wiping her hands.

Chen Yan glanced at the time; it was not yet eight o'clock in the evening. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "Come with me for a moment."

"Hmm?" Lu Sisi was a little curious, but Chen Yan's expression was serious. He simply pulled Lu Sisi away from the kitchen and walked towards the basement.

Upon arriving at the training room in the basement, Chen Yan pulled over two prayer cushions and had Lu Sisi sit down facing him.

"You told me before that Gu Qingyi taught you cultivation before she left, but you didn't succeed." Chen Yan looked at Lu Sisi seriously: "Now I want to ask you a serious question: Do you really want to cultivate?"

"Yes." Lu Sisi nodded seriously: "I want to."

Chen Yan looked at Lu Sisi: "Why?"

"I want to spend more time with you," Lu Sisi whispered.

Chen Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Lu Sisi with some surprise.

"Sister Gu told me some things about you cultivators. With your cultivation level, you can live a very long time, and you will also maintain a youthful appearance for a long time, so I..."

Lu Sisi paused here, and slowly said in a low voice, "But... I am just a mortal."

Chen Yan was taken aback.

Then Lu Sisi whispered, "I'm eighteen now, and you're twenty-two. We're a good match in terms of age and appearance."

But wait thirty years… no, wait twenty years. I'll be thirty-eight, with wrinkles on my face, almost a middle-aged woman. But you'll still look like a twenty-year-old.

What about thirty years from now? What about forty years from now?
When I'm old and gray, and you're still the same as you are now, how can I stay with you then?

Lu Sisi sighed softly.

Chen Yan was shocked by these words!
Although he had vaguely known and guessed some of these things before, Chen Yan still felt a bit shaken when he heard the girl say them herself.

To put it bluntly, at this moment, Chen Yan had only one very direct feeling: This girl really loves me!
Chen Yan took a deep breath, suppressed the emotion in his heart, and said in a low voice, "So, I plan to try again and teach you cultivation."

"Huh?" Lu Sisi was taken aback and looked up at Chen Yan. "I...can I do it? Sister Gu taught me before, but I couldn't master it. I thought to myself that I probably don't have the talent for cultivation, so..."

Chen Yan smiled and said, "Gu Qingyi's cultivation path may not be suitable for you. It's not necessarily because you lack talent that you can't cultivate. So I want to teach you another path of cultivation to try."

After saying that, Chen Yan looked at Lu Sisi's excited and joyful expression and said slowly, "Don't get excited yet. Calm down first, and I'll teach you a set of techniques."

·
This set of techniques is naturally the same as the one used by Chu Keqing's Yun Sect.

Although Yunzong's cultivation methods are somewhat lacking, they are generally considered to be of a moderate and gentle nature, following the path of primordial spirit cultivation, cultivating vital energy, and practicing talisman techniques.

Although there are no means of attack or conquest, Chen Yan didn't intend for Lu Sisi to do anything violent or bloody anyway.

The little girl's thoughts and desires are actually quite clear: she wants to live forever and stay young.

His cultivation technique came from the old lady—unless the old lady gave her permission, Chen Yan could not pass on the technique to anyone, not even his girlfriend!
Therefore, Chu Keqing's Yunzong martial arts technique becomes a very good choice.

The Yun Sect's techniques cannot actually nourish the body with vital energy. Simply practicing the Yun Sect's techniques will not nourish or strengthen the physical body with vital energy, so it cannot lead to longevity or preserve youth.

I didn't even notice that Chu Keqing, the head of the Yun Sect, had cultivated the Yun Sect's techniques for so many years, yet her physical body was still weak.

Moreover, it won't keep you young and live a long life; you'll still get old eventually.

But Chen Yan's idea was clear: being able to cultivate vital energy was enough!

With vital energy, there are other ways to strengthen the physical body and achieve longevity and youthful appearance.

Chen Yan had already tested this on Chu Keqing.

Bone-Forging Pill!
The Bone Forging Pill doesn't just strengthen bones; it provides a systematic enhancement to the cultivator's entire body, with effects almost identical to those of Qi Nourishment.

The only problem with the Bone Forging Pill is that it requires vital energy to digest. Verne, who cannot circulate vital energy, cannot consume it; consuming it will not only be useless but also harmful.

For cultivators, it is a great tonic to strengthen their bodies; for mortals, it is a deadly poison.

Chen Yan received a detailed report from Chu Keqing on the efficacy of the Bone Forging Pill and how to digest the vital energy; every step was very clear.

So now, the time has come to fulfill Lu Sisi's wish.

·
Chen Yan had already memorized the entire Yun Sect cultivation technique, some parts of which he had corrected for Chu Keqing. The Yun Sect technique had now made up for its previous flaws, achieving near perfection on the original basis.

As for the other defects, they are simply inherent deficiencies that cannot be changed.

However, precisely because of the Cloud Sect's shortcomings in this aspect, this cultivation method seemed very simple and easy to Chen Yan. With his current cultivation level and strength, he could see through it at a glance. All the details were clear to him without any hesitation. He could handle any cultivation-related details with ease.

It took Chen Yan half an hour to teach Lu Sisi to read through the Yun Sect's cultivation method two or three times, and he also explained the meaning of some of the sentences in the method in detail.

Lu Sisi was no novice in cultivation. When she followed Gu Qingyi in cultivation before, she had already learned some basic principles of circulating vital energy.

Although the cultivation method was different this time, Lu Sisi quickly understood its meaning—and even felt a strange feeling in her heart.

It seemed that... the cultivation technique Chen Yan taught him was much simpler than the "Supreme Strategy for Mending the Heavens" that Gu Qingyi had taught him back then.

Because it's simple, it's actually easier to understand.

This thing is like playing chess.

For a beginner, directly seeking instruction from a national-level Go master like Ke Jie might not be as effective as first finding a regular Go teacher at an amateur Go class.

Chen Yan meticulously explained the Yun Sect's cultivation method, including how to transport and absorb Yuan Qi, and how it circulates within the body. He even expended his own Yuan Qi to help Lu Sisi absorb Yuan Qi into her body! Chen Yan further expended his own Yuan Qi, controlling a wisp of Yuan Qi and circulating it throughout Lu Sisi's body according to the Yun Sect's cultivation method, completing a full cycle!
This forced intervention of external forces to circulate Qi throughout the body first allowed Lu Sisi to experience the circulation of vital energy within her body.

Although this existence is illusory and rootless, as long as Chen Yan removes the vital energy he uses to guide it, the vital energy circulating in Lu Sisi's body will dissipate.

But this experience allows Lu Sisi to "feel" the vitality in advance.

It must be said that Chen Yan is actually much better at "teaching" than Gu Qingyi.

Gu Qingyi has a cold personality and has only focused on self-cultivation since childhood, specializing in the art of killing. She is not good at dealing with people and therefore not good at teaching.

After helping Lu Sisi move things for two consecutive weeks, it was already past midnight.

But with vital energy circulating in her body, Lu Sisi didn't feel sleepy at all; on the contrary, she felt energetic.

Chen Yan expended a lot of his energy, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said in a low voice, "Remember the feeling of this energy circulating in your body, and remember the direction of its circulation. From now on, practice this method every day. When you can feel the presence of energy on your own without me having to guide it, that means you've entered the first stage."

Lu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes filled with excitement.

No matter how hard she practiced before, she couldn't feel any Qi or sense the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Later, she became more and more discouraged, and her confidence was completely destroyed.

Today, Chen Yan practically guided her step by step to guide her Qi into her body and regulate the circulation of her vital energy. Over several hours, she fully experienced the real existence of "vital energy."

This greatly boosted Lu Sisi's confidence!

Just as Lu Sisi was feeling very encouraged, Chen Yan slowly took out a porcelain bottle, unscrewed the stopper, and poured a bright red pill into his palm.

"Next, I'll help you improve your physical condition," Chen Yan said with a smile, looking at Lu Sisi.

"Hmm?" Lu Sisi looked at the pill in Chen Yan's palm: "What is this?"

"Bone-Forging Pill," Chen Yan replied.

He thought for a moment and said, "You are eighteen years old this year, but actually your body is a bit weaker than that of your peers."

The main problem is that you were plagued by misfortune before you turned eighteen. Over the years, you have suffered from various illnesses and disasters, often getting injured or sick and spending long periods of time in bed.

A person's childhood is a critical period for physical development and growth. During this critical period, due to various illnesses and disasters, your physical foundation is actually much weaker than that of ordinary people. By the time you turn eighteen, although you are an adult, your physical condition is actually worse than that of your peers!
Cultivating one's vital energy is one aspect, but cultivation is a gradual process.

"It can improve your physical condition, but you don't have to wait. I have some elixirs that I can use to help you."

In fact, Chen Yan had something else he didn't say explicitly.

Whether Lu Sisi will succeed in cultivating the Yun Sect's techniques is still uncertain—her previous failures in cultivation, while not necessarily indicating a lack of talent, did not present a very optimistic outlook overall.

With the Bone Forging Pill and after testing it on Chu Keqing, Chen Yan was more than 70% confident that even if he failed in cultivation, the Bone Forging Pill could still help Lu Sisi strengthen her body, prolong her life, and maintain her youthful appearance!
Lu Sisi's wish, in essence, is not cultivation, but rather to prolong her life and preserve her youth.

As for the Bone Forging Pill, it's because ordinary people can't take it, since ordinary people don't have vital energy—but Lu Sisi doesn't have vital energy, while I do!

At worst, I can stay by her side and protect her, using my own energy to help her neutralize the effects of the medicine, absorbing it into her body bit by bit.

It's just a matter of grinding away at something, spending more time and expending more of your energy.

Chen Yan would certainly not hesitate to help his beloved woman live longer and stay young.

·
(End of this chapter)