Oliver blinked down at her, fingers still threaded gently through her hair. The weight of her gaze—wide, gleaming—held him in place. Her cheeks were flushed, breath hot and shallow against his collar.
He leaned in again, slower this time. No smoke between them now. Just breathe. Warmth. And the quiet tension that had tangled around them like ivy.
Their lips met—soft at first, then deeper. Her hands slid up to his chest, fingers curling into his shirt as she tilted her head and pressed closer. His other hand found her back, drawing her in. The kiss grew messier, wetter—like they'd done this before in another life.
She made a sound in the back of her throat—half sigh, half moan. It vibrated against him.
"You're not going to interrupt me again, are you?" she murmured between kisses, teasing.
"Depends," he said, lips brushing hers. "Was it going to be important?"
"Very." She nipped his lower lip. "I was going to say I like your face."
He smiled, then kissed her again—slower this time—as the forest seemed to hold its breath around them.
A rustle broke the moment.
Oliver froze mid-kiss, lips still brushing hers. Luna's ears twitched—he hadn't noticed how keen they were until now. Her head turned slowly, gaze narrowing toward the underbrush behind him.
He turned with her. Luna saw only a blur, but Oliver—gripping the hilt of his sword and the talisman looped around it—extended his senses. His connection to the seclusion formation pulsed faintly through the blood-forged link, acting like a second set of eyes. But it came at a cost—sharp migraines welmed behind his eyes—because it showed him too much, yet never quite enough.
The bushes rustled again.
Oliver shifted slightly, scanning the thick green.
Then it stepped out.
A bear—massive, its fur a mottled gold and brown. Its eyes were sunken but alert. Aware. It wasn't just wandering. It was watching.
Luna didn't move, but her expression darkened.
Oliver exhaled lightly, voice almost amused. "Looks like we've got a visitor—"
"Don't make sudden movements," she whispered. Her voice was low, but her heartbeat thundered in her chest. Qi flowed through her legs, muscles coiling. Ready to run.
Her instinct flared—anything larger than her, especially bears, lit a fire under her nerves. Her human upper half shimmered, shifting into deer form. The blunt dropped from her lips as she rose—hooves silent on the moss.
Oliver chuckled under his breath, retrieved the joint, and muttered, "That advice doesn't help much when it's already staring at us." He took a drag. "And come on—you're stronger than it. Don't you know?"
The bear prowled closer, emboldened by their calm. Its heavy body crushed fallen leaves and cracked branches. Its eyes glowed faintly—Earth Qi shimmered within them.
"Stronger?" Luna echoed, uncertain.
Oliver didn't answer immediately. He gently placed the half-burnt blunt back between her lips.
"Just by a little," he said—though his lips never moved. His voice was a vibration in the air. Thought given sound.
"But you have something it doesn't."
His eyes gleamed—not with mockery, but purpose.
"You know what makes you different?"
Suddenly, a pressure slammed down on her—intense, invisible, suffocating. Her legs nearly buckled.
"This," his voice echoed in her bones, "is intent."
Luna blinked, her heart thudding in her chest.
"If you remember," he continued, "you didn't see any wounds after I stabbed you. But you felt it—clearly."
He let the silence stretch—weighted and deliberate.
"That was intent. I wanted to kill you. And that will take shape. Invisible blades, born from one of my techniques. Normally, that shouldn't be possible. Techniques require real understanding and Qi manipulation, and if you cultivate with a single elemental affinity, then you can only use that element's techniques. Maybe a few general Qi ones too, if you're lucky or smart…"
He leaned in, voice sharper now.
"First rule every cultivator learns: don't mess with your techniques. Don't alter them. Don't mix affinities. The risk outweighs the reward. You don't know what dangers hide in tampering with martial arts."
He smiled faintly, like a warning wrapped in amusement.
"Here's the best analogy I know: you're lost in the woods for days. Cold. Hungry. You find a dying pile of coal—just enough to warm you through the night. But it's not enough. So, you feed it dried leaves. Branches. Soon, a flame is born—"
His eyes gleamed.
"So tell me, Luna… What happens after you fall asleep?"
Her mouth parted. For a moment, she said nothing, processing the meaning.
What would I do? Is the fire still next to me? Is it warm? Too warm?
She swallowed. Then softly:
"I dreamed."
His expression didn't change.
"I saw myself walking in the woods again… But this time, I wasn't cold. I wasn't afraid."
Oliver laughed—low, amused. "Aren't you optimistic?" He plucked the blunt from her mouth again, grinning. "That kind of thinking? That's what the analogy's for. You can master a technique over years and feel satisfied… or tamper with it, and either rise in bliss—or die as the consequence blooms into a wildfire."
He turned slightly, his energy rising.
"That's why blending techniques are only possible for those favored by the heavens. And you and I—we're blessed. The heavens have given us the power to manifest will. To make dreams real, no matter the risk."
He raised his hand.
Two golden Qi swords floated beside him.
"These swords carry my gold-earth affinity." Their edges shimmered with radiant light. "This one's converted—jade-forged with foundation Qi." He lifted the jade sword from his side.
"And these…"
He flared his intent.
The space between them shimmered and warped.
"…were based on the blueprints of my gold swords. But filled with pure intent, yang energy, and my Qi Refinement Realm Qi."
"It's a miracle I managed it again," he said, as they solidified further in golden light. "Even more so after I added yang to gold… and coated it all in jade."
The wind picked up. Shadows shifted.
The blades ignited—jade flames crawling along their surface. The swords trembled, unstable. Thunder cracked above. Clouds churned. His veins bulged as they consumed his Qi—so fast he had to inhale from both joints just to maintain control.
But he wasn't finished.
The jade turned crimson. The flames shifted—orange, red, and blood-hued. Strange lines carved themselves along the flat edges—modular pieces, forming something unorthodox.
Oliver exhaled, slow and focused. The blades hovered around him like beasts barely tamed. They crackled with unstable force, groaning with strain.
Then he looked at her.
"I want to see if you can do this too."
His words weren't a challenge. They were an invitation. A test.
The wind caught in her fur. The distorted air around him shimmered like heat. His smile wasn't cruel—but it wasn't gentle, either.
"Let's go bear hunting."
He grinned. "You wanted to test your strength, right? Then come on, Luna. Let's feed your flame properly."
With a snap of his fingers, the floating swords flew and stabbed themselves into designated sheath slots. The three crimson blades crossed behind his back. The two golden swords clipped horizontally at his waist. He kept the talisman blade in hand.
He was tense. Eager. Moving like someone who'd tasted death—and wanted to dance with it again.
He looked at her again—longer this time.
"If you can wound it with nothing but thought…" he said, ruffling her hair, "I'll give you a gift. And we'll continue… where we left off."
He turned. The forest path warped under his steps, bent beneath his intent.
The world wasn't ready for them.
But that was the point.
"Try not to die before the fun part," he added, grabbing her antlers and mounting her in one smooth motion. "Let's get moving before your prey escapes~" He pointed with his sword at the fleeing blur in the distance.
"Just don't stray off the path to the ferns you promised to show me."