Oliver's fingers worked at the buttons of Yuki's blouse, parting the fabric to reveal the smooth skin beneath. Her white bra was plain but snug against her, accentuating her form. His gaze lingered, his breath warm against her collarbone.
Yuki met his eyes, hers filled with a mix of uncertainty and anticipation. She could feel the weight of the moment, the unspoken gravity of it pressing down on her. Yet, she didn't stop him. When his hands slipped inside her open shirt, fingers searching for the clasp of her bra, she only arched her back slightly—silently granting him better access.
Her arms looped around his neck as he unclipped the strap, the tension in the fabric slackening. Oliver leaned in, claiming her lips again as his hands moved out from beneath her shirt—one trailing up to cup the soft flesh beneath her loosened bra. His fingers kneaded gently at first, then firmer, drawing a soft gasp from Yuki.
And then—something shifted.
A pulse. A heat deep within his core.
At first, Oliver barely noticed it, lost in the sensation of her body against his. But then the warmth in his dantian stirred fully, awakening in a way it never had before. It wasn't just energy—it was him. An extension of his very being. A fundamental part of his identity. It was what made him.
This... this is my Yang energy.
A scene unfolded in his mind.
A broad, tanned man stood before him, imparting knowledge—his voice gruff yet steady as he spoke of Yang energy and its applications. Oliver had seen this memory before, back when he first performed the dream ritual and consumed the recollections of the body he had possessed. But now, it was different. Vivid.
Almost as if he were reliving it.
And then—
A sharp exhale left him as warmth bled from his body. Instinct took over. His Qi responded without thought.
A current of Yang energy surged forth, activating a technique buried deep in his inherited knowledge: the Yin-Devouring Yang Beast Technique—a dual cultivation method Fang Lee had studied but could never master. Not without the affinity for Yang energy.
Yuki's body tensed against him.
"Nh~"
A surprised moan slipped from her lips as her skin flushed, a wave of warmth flooding through her. She didn't understand what was happening—only that her body felt strangely more sensitive. Every touch of Oliver's hands sent sharp, electric shivers through her.
Her voice snapped him back to the present.
He caught her lips in another kiss—deep and consuming—his tongue tracing the inside of her mouth as his Yang energy pulsed outward. Something unseen shifted between them—delicate wisps of Yin energy flowing from Yuki, drawn out and absorbed into him as his Qi wrapped around her.
Oliver's mind raced.
Is this false enlightenment?
No… it's real. It's working—exactly as it was described to Fang Lee. So, does that mean—
His thoughts darkened, spiraling deeper.
If I can manifest this in reality... what else can I use? The Ten Sacred Swords? Every Qi Refinement technique Fang Lee knew?
And why stop there?...
His grip on her tightened slightly as his thoughts wandered into uncharted depths.
Yuki moaned into his mouth—soft, full of longing—as his fingers gently kneaded the soft swell of her breast. His other hand moved with deliberate intent, trailing lower, the warmth of his palm gliding down her side, tracing the curve of her hip before moving further—to her thigh. The air between them thickened, charged with a growing intensity.
Oliver shifted, his movements purposeful, guiding her leg up over his as he pulled her closer. They sank deeper into the couch.
The room felt smaller. The air heavier. Thick with unspoken tension that pulsed between them. There was a raw energy—both physical and something else. Something deeper. Something neither of them could quite grasp, yet it swirled around them like a magnetic force.
And still, neither of them pulled away.