Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

I can hardly keep up with her.

One would think with a scan that can access any mundane subject and give answers about it, could make one equal to a genius.

That would be incorrect.

My very first question is a perfect example of this.

“How much do you know about atoms?”

A look of confusion. I explain.

“It’s a minute piece of something we call matter. It makes up everything we know of.”

She thinks for only a second before speaking.

“Ah, I know what you are talking about. The cluster clouds that are everywhere. I could see them when… ahem. At the higher levels.”

It feels like she was about to describe something beyond the norm there.

Just as I was about to explain more, she does something utterly unexpected. With a raise of her hand, I see an almost clear film appear before us.

And then another. Then another.

Film after film is layered in front of us here, before it becomes a meter thick and tall block of… barrier.

But that’s when she flips my understanding of how the barrier could be used.

It sharpens. Not as a weapon, but as an image.

She’s using the barriers as a way to filter and focus light. All while holding atoms in place.

With only a few waves of the finger, the image continues to get clearer. A grin begins to grow on her face, as I see her rapidly move past the high quality images of atoms, down to protons, neutrons, and electrons.

And then further and further.

The absurdity of this can’t be overstated.

In my original world, in order for us to see things clearly, we had to use electron microscopes. Utilizing electrons as a way to probe and see the impressions of subatomic particles/structures.

She’s just viewing it like it was a high-definition camera that’s getting smaller.

The control that it would take to do something like this is absurd. Leading me to realize that I should mention something.

“Uh, make sure not to split the atom, okay?”

She perks an eyebrow at me.

“There’s nothing wrong with splitting a single one. Only an idiot would split multiple of them unprepared.”

… did she already know about atomic bombs or did she figure it out after I told her?

After a quick check, it’s clear it’s the former. The reason of which, is even more frightening.

At high enough levels, sword cultivators literally can cut atoms in half as a technique. But in their case, it’s a purposeful technique that sets off a chain reaction leading to a fission explosion.

And at high enough levels, it wouldn’t be a self-sacrificing technique.

I find that to be even more terrifying.

But she doesn’t stop there, as I can sense that she is creating molecule thick barriers and get the barest hint that she is trying to combine molecules. Her barrier shudders a bit.

“Hmm… I’ll have to wait on that one.”

Her voice casually comes out.

I can’t help but have a frown on my face.

Though, she may have only done that for one…

I promptly decide for my sanity to move on.

It is in this way that, subject after subject is explained briefly by me, while she figures everything else out at a pacing that my scan can’t keep up with.

It’s as if when I ask my scan for questions and clarification, that I get a peephole into a subject. With limited comprehension of the forces and things that go into it.

However, for her, she is able to instantly widen that hole and walk into it. Exploring and rapidly comprehending all that is around her.

Even if I can constantly change the peephole, she can reach where ever I am almost instantly. A terrifying thing to experience.

This is the difference between a true genius and I.

She actually understands the concepts and can bridge them to other subjects.

I can see she is beaming with happiness. To be able to learn so many new things and come up with different applications, for her, seems to distract from the existential dread I was seeing from her earlier.

Despite myself being overwhelmed, I find myself smiling at her as we continue.

This situation can’t last forever, though. As I’ve been away from my group for too long.

Xing Xun seems to realize this as well and gives a massive sigh.

Right before she grabs onto my arm, like a lover.

“Ugh… I guess you’ll be leaving soon, huh? Let me grab the cultivation method for yo…”

Huh. It feels like she has multiple personalities that emerge. Which shouldn’t be the case, as I healed her.

… though, when is the last time I optimized her?

Also, I’m pretty sure I mentioned nothing about needing their cultivation method as my secondary cultivation method. How the heck did she…

Never mind. She is a genius, after all.

“Hey Xing Xun, hold on for a moment. Before all of that, let me optimize you before we part ways. I want to make sure you and your family are in your best possible conditions.”

She gives a smile and a nod, placing her hands back in mine. Showing that she already knows that I don’t need to do anything special to heal her.

I realize that most of the work was already done the first time I healed her, as I run my healing aura and cultivation method through her. Adding to that, she's been persistently improving herself, so her body is already in an optimized state.

The only thing that could propel her further would be to absorb her family’s Heavenly Spirit Roots. The same ones she had her mother and father take that raised their spirit roots to genius levels.

“Mind if I heal the spirit roots plant to speed up its growth?”

For the first time, I see surprise in her eyes.

“… you can do that?”

I feel a little pride at finally having surprised her after this back and forth in the scientific realm. With a wave, she has the glass jar of the small tree in hand. The roots within stunted, but slowly regrowing.

After inserting my healing aura and cultivation method, the roots are no longer stunted and regrow all the way until it reaches the bottom of the jar.

But that’s all that happens.

“As you likely already know, the roots will need time to absorb q…mmphmh”

I'm soon interrupted by a passionate kiss on the lips. The way her tongue flickers over mine, sets off pleasure areas I never knew existed.

So much so that my breath is literally being stolen away. My mind soon follows, as her life experience doesn’t seem to only apply to scientific pursuits.

She continues for a few more seconds before, just as quickly as it came, she pulls away. Hugging the jar to her chest. Rocking it back and forth in her arms.

“Oh James, you wonderful, beautiful man! You keep surprising me at every turn. You’ve saved me decades of work in seconds!”

My mind is still muddled as she says this. But I hear her next words clearly.

“Hmm… Maybe I should keep him to myself, after all.”

When my head jerks over to her in fear, she gives me a bright smile.

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding with you. I know you already have your girls.”

…

…

She says that. But I can see a hint of madness in her eyes. And I’ve already healed her, so I know she isn’t insane.

With a wink, it disappears, and she says some reassuring words.

“You and I are one of a kind. You don’t have to worry. I’m here for you, anyway you wish it. Just as I know you are for me. There’s plenty of space for others in our lives.”

She flicks a finger and pulls out two jade slips, both of which flies over to my hand. One clearly states ‘Tortoise Swallows Dragon’ and the other says, ‘My Future Wife, Xun`’.

“Here, you’ll want this for your Boundless Healing method. And the other is for us to contact each other.

“Okay, now get out of here. We both have plenty to do, right? Take care!”

She presses a button on the crystal and I find myself in a room, in front of a long table where everyone else has been happily chatting.

Xing Hu looks over from his spot and waves me over, giving a big grin.

“Looks like you’ve experienced a lot with our little firecracker, huh? Especially if she sent you over with that teleport button.”

Everyone’s eyes turn to the jade slips in my hand. Specifically, the wife one.

Ah. This will be tough to explain.