As Li Shen sat at the edge of the bed, lost in thought, the quiet of the room was broken by the creak of the door. Lin Mei entered, carrying a tray with a modest breakfast. The sight of her was strikingly different from the image he had of her just the day before.
Yesterday, Lin Mei had been clad in tattered clothing, battle-worn from fighting off zombies and shielding her daughter amidst the chaos. Her attire had been a ragged blend of patched fabrics and worn-out boots, practical but far from comforting. The torn garments had borne the marks of countless struggles, reflecting the harshness of their daily survival.
Now, however, Lin Mei appeared transformed. She was dressed in modern Earth clothes that seemed almost incongruous with the desolate surroundings.
She wore a fitted, dark blue jacket with a high collar, paired with a pair of black, form-fitting jeans that accentuated her silhouette. Her outfit was completed with sturdy, yet stylish combat boots, well-suited for navigating the rough terrain of the post-apocalyptic landscape.
The contrast was jarring. The sleek, functional clothing she now wore was a far cry from the makeshift armor of yesterday. It seemed to embody a sense of normalcy and practicality that stood out amidst the crumbling remnants of their world.
Her hair, usually tangled from the previous night's ordeal, was now neatly tied back, giving her an air of composed resilience. The sunlight that streamed through the cracked window caught the subtle sheen of her jacket, casting a soft glow that made her appear almost ethereal.
Despite the desolation outside, Lin Mei's appearance brought a hint of beauty and order to the scene. Her presence, now adorned in modern attire, carried a sense of grace and strength that seemed to momentarily lift the gloom of the room.
Li Shen was momentarily taken aback by the stark transformation. He had expected to see her in the same rugged state he remembered, but this new appearance underscored not only her adaptability but also the small pockets of normalcy that still persisted in their world. It was a reminder of the resilience and beauty that could emerge even from the harshest conditions.
But that was not all that surprised Li Shen. What surprised Li Shen to the core, was that Lin Mei now had the essence of a cultivator. His eyes widened, not just at the sight of the breakfast, or her being well dressed amidst this chaos, but at the profound change he now observed in her.
Lin Mei, who had been but an ordinary survivor with no cultivation or supernatural abilities the previous night, now exuded an aura that hinted at a remarkable transformation. Her posture, her calm demeanor, and the faint shimmer of power surrounding her were indicative of an energy far beyond what he had seen before.
As Lin Mei placed the tray down on the bedside table, Li Shen couldn't help but notice the subtle but distinct shift in her energy.
It was as if she had tapped into a wellspring of power, her presence now resonating with the force of someone at the First Layer of the Advanced Realm—a level far above the Beginner Realm with five layers.
This was a formidable stage, a level of cultivation that spoke of incredible growth and potential, even in the Murim world, a level where one sheds the traces of being a mortal and enters into the true world of cultivation.
His mind raced as he grappled with the implications. The essence he had shared with Lin Mei during their intense and deeply intimate connection the previous night had triggered a profound transformation within her.
Before that moment, Lin Mei had been an ordinary human, who was on the brink of starvation. Yet, when his essence intertwined in her body—the cosmic qi in his essence seems to have flowed into her—mutating her body to now take in the same from the surroundings.
What was meant to be an act of closeness and trust had sparked something far more significant: his essence had catalyzed a deep, irreversible shift in her very nature. Li Shen hadn't anticipated that such an exchange would lead to such a dramatic enhancement of her abilities.
Her body, once limited by its human constraints, had absorbed his essence in ways he couldn't have foreseen. It hadn't simply strengthened her; it had awakened something dormant inside her, something entirely new.
The qi, a power once foreign to her, had fused with her life force, transforming her from a mortal into someone capable of cultivating energy like him. Now, he could sense the shift in her essence, the unmistakable presence of a cultivator where there had once been only a human.
Lin Mei, noticing his intense gaze, offered a shy smile.
"I didn't know if you'd be awake yet, but I thought you might be hungry," she said, her voice warm but carrying an undertone of newfound confidence.
Li Shen's gaze softened as he met her eyes, grappling with the unexpected turn of events.
"I... didn't realize the effect would be so profound," he admitted, his voice tinged with awe.
"You've become incredibly powerful."
Lin Mei's smile grew, though a hint of uncertainty lingered.
"It's strange. I can feel the energy coursing through me, and it's unlike anything I've ever experienced. I don't fully understand it, but I feel stronger, more capable."
Li Shen took a deep breath, trying to process the situation. The cosmic Qi had not only imbued her with enhanced power but had also potentially altered her destiny in this tumultuous world.
Her new abilities could shift the balance of their survival, offering new opportunities for both of them. As Lin Mei set the tray down and began to prepare the food, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The contrast between the desolate, sunlit room and the sudden surge of power within Lin Mei created a sense of dissonance, yet also a glimmer of hope.
Li Shen realized that in the midst of the apocalypse, even the smallest changes could have profound impacts, and this unexpected development was both a boon and a challenge. He watched her with a mixture of curiosity and contemplation.
"About last night... ", Lin Mei began, her voice trembling slightly, "I just wanted to—"
Li Shen raised a hand to interrupt gently, his own face turning red. "We don't have to—"
"No, we should," Lin Mei insisted, her eyes meeting his with a look of determination and vulnerability.
"It's important. What happened between us..."
Li Shen swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I... I did release in you last night. It's not something I'm proud of or... or something I can ignore.", blush evident on his red cheeks.