Satisfied with his gain, Xu Qi returned to his quarters. He knew not to push his current qi. He might've broken through to the 2nd stage but it was still only a few drops compared to his senior sister Xiao Yue.
Since the night was still young, Xu Qi decided to delve more into the changes in his cultivation path. And the best method to do that was to immerse himself in the presence of more primal elements.
In short, he decided to take a stroll, inhale some fresh air and touch grass.
Xu Qi stepped out of his quarters into the cool night air, feeling the newfound power of Celestial Eloquence pulsating through his veins. He continued whispering to the gentle breeze, seducing them to follow his whim.
Whenever he succeeded, a strong gust of wind would be attracted and get blown in his direction.
It was a cool night breeze, so he didn't mind. On top of that, he could feel his qi bubbling up as more of them started to fill his now-expanded dantian.
Naturally, he was aware that he couldn't whisper to the primal elements anytime. It was draining. Even though succeeding to absorb more could help him progress, he was still using qi to activate the ability. He'd eventually run out of qi. If that happened, he'd be weakened and get into a state of Qi Exhaustion. But if he pushed himself further, he might suffer from Qi Deviation.
As Xu Qi strolled through the quiet halls of the outer court, he felt a curious gaze upon him. He turned to find another disciple, a young woman named Ling Lian, her eyes glinting with curiosity as she looked at the gentle swirls of wind and fireflies that seemed to follow him. She was a disciple who entered the sect at the same time as him.
Xu Qi felt the presence of his fellow disciple, knitted his eyebrows momentarily before his lips curved up into a mischievous smirk.
Fascination? That seemed to be what was filling her eyes. He glanced around him and noticed his immediate surroundings. And then, he figured out why.
'Being an Elemental Whisperer seems to give me an air of mysteriousness,' Xu Qi mused as he felt the young woman's gaze. He decided to use this to his advantage. He leaned against the wall, his posture casual yet confident as he waited for her to approach him.
Intrigued, Ling Lian approached.
"Xu Qi, what's going on here?" she whispered, her eyes darting from the swirling winds to the flickering fireflies that danced around him.
"I'm just... communing with the elements, Ling Lian." Xu Qi said smoothly as he lifted his hand and a firefly landed on his fingertip. The wind around him grew a little stronger, but he kept his voice low, not wanting to let his fellow disciple figure him out completely.
Although the young woman acted pretty demure, she's a 5th stage Elemental Awakener. Even though it's not a whole realm, she was still considerably stronger than him. His impression of him wasn't bad but considering their gap in cultivation, she wasn't particularly guarded around him.
"Just communing?" Ling Lian asked, her voice filled with skepticism. "I've never seen the elements act so... obediently around anyone."
"Really? Weird, is it because I've recently broken through?" Xu Qi replied with a knowing smile, watching as the firefly fluttered away. He silently whispered an incantation, dispersing a wisp of his qi, causing the firefly that was already seduced by his ability to fly back and circle around Ling Lian.
The young woman's gaze followed the creature, her eyes widening with fascination. "How mystical... Did you do this?" she murmured.
She flicked her robes and her qi flourished from her fingertips, attempting to mimic his actions, However, the firefly darted away from her reach.
She furrowed her brows and stared at Xu QI, the glow in her eyes hinting at a spark of doubt.
Xu Qi chuckled, knowing full well why she failed. She was unable to whisper to the elements. She could only resonate with them. By extending her qi to the firefly, she scared the poor insect.
"Don't laugh." Ling Lian pouted adorably, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. "I've never seen anything like that before. Have you reached enlightenment?"
"It seems so," Xu Qi began, his voice a gentle rumble that seemed to soothe the very air around them. "The art of communication with the elements is quite nuanced, Ling Lian. It's not about brute force, but rather the art of persuasion and understanding. It's like... whispering sweet nothings to a lover, but with the power to make them do your bidding."
Once again, he sent a whisper to the firefly, siphoning a bit of his qi.
He commanded it to do his bidding. Soon, it danced in front of them, the light from its abdomen casting a warm glow on their faces.
Ling Lian watched in awe as it hovered closer to her. However, her face remained filled with skepticism.
"... What are you on about? Isn't this just a firefly? You can just use anything to control it." Ling Lian was unconvinced.
Xu Qi looked at her with a knowing smile, the firefly continuing its dance between them. "You're right, it's just a simple firefly. But it's not about the creature itself, but the principle behind it.
He took a step closer, his eyes gleaming in an enchanting way.
"I've started to understand the essence of the element and speak to it in a way that resonates with its nature. It's like whispering to someone's soul and having it respond in kind." Upon saying that, Xu Qi flourished his hand, and the firefly circled around Ling Lian in a mesmerizing pattern, leaving a trail of sparkling light before flying off into the distance.
Ling Lian watched in fascination for a moment longer before finally meeting Xu Qi's gaze. In her mind, she was suspecting if her fellow disciple had finally lost it.
"You're a weird one, Xu Qi." She said as she gently pushed his chest.