Chapter 935: The nature of lust

They spent some time just cuddling in the bed.

Wei Lan tried to keep a calm appearance, but it was apparent she was bewildered by her own behavior.

‘What was I thinking… ?!?!’, she thought, her cheeks turning red, ‘It was like something came over me…’

She was usually far more reserved and modest even in bed. Their lovemaking was also more slow-paced and not as intense.

“If you’re worried that something changed just because you were a little more proactive today, you don’t have anything to worry about. It’s normal to sometimes behave differently in bed too. And it won’t make returning to the way you usually behave the next time any more awkward or strange”, Wu Long chuckled, reading her thoughts.

She slightly changed her pose, rolling over, placing both hands flat on his abdomen, and her chin on top, looking at him, “Even… that drastically different? I didn’t even know I could act that… that… uhm…”

“That assertive?”, he smiled, and then continued in a sincere voice, “Yes, even that ‘drastic’ difference is normal. Sometimes, a feeling can take you over, make you do things and say things you never would normally. It doesn’t make you any different at other times. Rather, it’s even more understandable since you normally suppress your lust, which means it can get pent up”

“Hmm~…”, she hummed with a bit of uncertainty, “But… isn’t that closer to Lust Cultivation?”

“No, not at all. One cannot accidentally practice Lust Cultivation, the fundamental principle is simply too different from Dual Cultivation. To begin with, Lust Cultivation can be a deceptive name for what it actually is, which is why I initially tried to change that name, though I quickly understood that influencing collective consciousness of the cultivation world is a far harder task than simply exterminating all users of that vile practice, so I went the second route”, Wu Long shook his head.

He then proceeded to explain, “There’s nothing wrong with lust. It is a natural part of the Human Dao. Do you think I don’t have lust or don’t act on it?”

And then hastily added, “Wait! Don’t answer that… that was a rhetorical question”

Wei Lan chuckled, causing a smile to appear on Wu Long’s face as well, as she shifted back to lay to his side, his hand wrapping around her again.

He continued, looking up at the ceiling, “No, lust is part of our life, and part of a healthy relationship, as well as an inseparable part of Dual Cultivation”

He raised his right hand, and a bit of his Yang Qi in its visualized energy form flowed into the air, making formless shapes.

He silently urged her to mirror his actions, and as she raised her left hand, a strand of his Yang Qi flow stretched toward it, and after connecting, a bit of her Yin Qi flowed out as well, as if drawn out by his Yang Qi, the two beginning to swirl around each other.

She did not have as fine control over her Yin Qi, but all she had to do was relax and not restrict it, the rest happening with his help.

There gradually appeared more points of connection between the two Qi flows swirling in the air, creating a wondrous, miracle-like feeling of connection. At the same time, the interaction of the two caused the two energies to contract and expand, invigorating both.

He spoke further as Wei Lan watched the dance of Yin and Yang Qi, feeling the profound connection the interaction brought to her, “What puts Dual Cultivation apart is connection, emotions and attachment. Lust and feelings are in a delicate balance, sometimes one is more prevalent over the other, depending on the occasion, and yes even in the most loving relationships, but they never cancel each one out completely”

The Yang Qi started behaving a bit more aggressively, creating a subtle mental association with ‘hunger’, and as it interacted with her Yin Qi, it started mirroring that behavior.

She felt a tiny tinge of carnal pleasure.

And then the pattern of behavior changed, as the flow of Yang Qi became more mellow, gently brushing against her Yin Qi, enveloping and caressing it, intensifying that feeling of being connected with him, creating a different kind of pleasure, neither stronger or weaker than the one before, just different.

“Of course, the ideal is a perfect balance between them, and when both are strong”, as he said it, the flow of Yang Qi became complex, with both stronger, aggressive and tender, smooth patterns of behavior intertwined in a display that mesmerized Wei Lan just visually alone.

And as it interacted with her Yin Qi, it again mirrored its behavior, a light, very subtle moan breaking out of her chest, which surprised her since the amounts of Harmonic Qi each of them used was miniscule, and the previous feelings of pleasure were incredibly subtle, almost unnoticeable, requiring her to concentrate to actually distinguish.

“But of course, that is not how it happens every single time, and that is normal, there is a near-infinite, or perhaps truly infinite number of ways in which they could be paired in individual lovemaking, but as long as there is overall balance across many times, that is a healthy union”, Wu Long noted.

“At the same time, there is an element of communication, an exchange”, he continued explaining as the behavior of their Qi kept changing in a myriad of combinations, “Which is why you can see your Yin Qi’s behavior reciprocating my Yang Qi almost on its own”

Wu Long started circulating Chaos Refining Body Tempering Art, and gently took over the control of the part of her Yin Qi that was swirling in the air, eventually cutting off the connection to her entirely, “However, if the communication between us was lacking, your Yin Qi could’ve behaved completely different from mine, creating an imbalance, and resulting in unsatisfactory experience for both”

She no longer felt what he was demonstrating, but could visually see that Yang Qi started behaving in one way, but the Yin Qi behaved differently, the points of connection between them creating spark-like signs of resistance and rejection.

She smiled, understanding that a part of the reason he cut off her Yin Qi and took control of it, was so that she did not feel this – likely uncomfortable – sensation.

Meanwhile, he continued to manipulate both Qi flows in never-ending series of patterns of behavior, and concluded, “In essence, Dual Cultivation is like a conversation, just not entirely with words although part of it is words too”

And then, with a sigh, spoke in a more somber voice, as Wei Lan noticed with surprise that he cut off his own connection with his Yang Qi in the air as well, isolating both her Yin Qi and his Yang Qi, “Lust Cultivation, however, is a completely different thing in its essence”

The Yang Qi flow changed again, and the next moment, it looked like it was attacking and devouring parts of Yin Qi, “There is no emotional connection, no consideration or communication. There is only, not even the same kind of lust, but its corrupt, perverted form, and one-sided plundering”

He switched the Yin Qi to do the same, adding, “It is self-serving, and egotistical… even when two Lust Cultivators try to do what they call ‘dual cultivation’, it is a struggle, a battle to see who can prevail and plunder more from the other, and there is always a losing side which is hurt in the process”

The two Qi began exchanging plundering attacks, and Wei Lan saw with widened eyes, that unlike before when he demonstrated Dual Cultivation, which nurtured and amplified both Qi, to the point that there was more of each even if Wu Long and Wei Lan didn’t supply any additional Qi into the mix, the Yin and Yang Qi now stayed at a fixed total amount between them, one just plundered another to expand, back and forth.

‘No… they’re… shrinking…?’, she suddenly realized, that very slowly, the overall amount of Qi became less.

“It seems you’ve noticed…”, Wu Long returned the two Qi into a stable swirling vortex, “Yes, there is a certain amount of Harmonic Qi that is lost, or burnt in the process of plundering it with Lust Cultivation, and since there is no synergy for both sides, it means that unless they introduce outside sources of Harmonic Qi, two Lust Cultivators would just gradually consume each other”

“I see”, Wei Lan nodded. She already understood the answer to her worries a bit earlier, when he talked about varying balances of lust and connection.

But she also knew, that he wanted her to clearly understand Lust Cultivation, so that she knew exactly what it was, and why she did not have to worry about behaving like a Lust Cultivator even if she showed a slightly lewder behavior in bed at one time or another.

As she looked at the vortex of Qi swirling, she noticed that both of them were a bit different, “Are they…”

“I used techniques of Lust Cultivation with this Harmonic Qi after all, just outside of my body in full isolation” Wu Long nodded, “Harmonic Qi that results from this process is corrupted, and if the majority of one’s Harmonic Qi is this way, it can begin influencing the cultivator’s psyche. In that regard, Lust Cultivation is very similar to the Corrupt Path”

He collected them both into a ball of mixing Qi in his hand, and then closed his palm, a small flash of light causing her to squint, as tiny arcs of Annihilation Lightning appeared around his closed fist.

She leaned closer to him, closing her eyes, “Thank you for reassuring me”

“You’re still worried though?”, he asked, seeing through her.

“Not about Lust Cultivation at least”, she smiled, opening her eyes again, thinking that nothing got past him, “I’m just surprised at myself is all”

Wu Long subtly tightened the embrace of his hand wrapped around her, bringing her closer to him and kissed the top of her head, “I love you, Lan’er, all of you. And yes, even if you sometimes show a lustful side in bed, I still love you”

Wei Lan turned to look at him with widened eyes, and leaned in to kiss him, whispering “I love you” in short breaks between kisses, over and over again, not able to hold back a smile, basking in the feeling of happiness.

I had no intention to make this chapter all about this, but it somehow turned out this way as I was writing ^^”

I know this kind of chap might be not everyone’s cup of tea, but at the same time I couldn’t bring myself to discard it.

I will advance plot in the next chap, I promise.

Thank you for reading and your incredible support!!!