Back on the top of another mountain, Qiu Ling pulled himself out of his thoughts and opened his eyes again. "Well, anyway, you’re welcome. I’ll always try to help you."

Jing Yi smiled but Qiu Ling interrupted him before he could say anything.

"I guess we should continue then."

"Alright. What do we do?"

"Well, you’ve managed to feel the spiritual energy in me and in your surroundings. The next step is to take it in yourself and then learn how to use it."

Jing Yi nodded. Just a day before, he would have felt that it was impossible but right now, he felt that there was a chance he might succeed. Especially with Qiu Ling there to guide him.

"Come here." Qiu Ling grabbed his hands once more.

This time, he really didn’t know how exactly he could help Jing Yi. Who knew how similar his magic really was to the human cultivation? In fact, dragons didn’t need to take in energy if they were in a good state. The magic was already a part of them, after all. Only if they sustained grievous injuries would they fall back on what was around them to nurse themselves back to health.

He had to try teaching him nonetheless. Jing Yi’s dream depended on this. Anyway, there were no negative side effects if he took in spiritual energy. In fact, it was a refreshing feeling. So even if he had to do that to show Jing Yi an example of how it was done, it wasn’t a problem.

Qiu Ling took another breath to calm down and then guided the spiritual energy of the wind as close to Jing Yi’s body as he could. He hoped that something might happen, that Jing Yi might understand on his own like he had managed to do it back then.

Jing Yi tried to take the spiritual energy in. He had already sensed it. How difficult could it be to take this last step? Just a bit more … He felt for the energy and sensed it just as before. He tried to somehow move it and pull it closer. Nothing happened though.

Jing Yi suppressed a sigh. He couldn’t get discouraged this fast. He had needed five years to sense the energy but now he already had a good grasp on it. He could do this.

He focused on the energy itself again. Wasn’t there any clue? Any indication of what to do with it whatsoever to take it in? He furrowed his brow and gripped Qiu Ling’s hands tighter.

Unfortunately, that didn’t help either. However much he concentrated and however much he tried to find some kind of link between the energy and his own body, he couldn’t find a way to take it in.

In the end, Jing Yi opened his eyes and smiled wryly at Qiu Ling. "It’s not working."

Qiu Ling opened his eyes. "Don’t worry. If it doesn’t work this way, then we’ll try another one. Don’t give up yet."

Jing Yi nodded but he couldn’t help but worry. Five years … Even if he had managed to sense the energy now, he really couldn’t call himself talented. He looked at his hands in Qiu Ling’s and couldn’t help but feel his heart ache. "I’m just afraid that maybe this is as far as I’ll be able to go. Maybe someone with six spirit veins like me isn’t made to cultivate, after all. That … You know that was what they told me back then when I came to the Yun Zou Sect. I was just too young to understand. But now … Now, I do." He looked up again and sighed. "Maybe I should have stayed in the capital from the beginning instead of attempting to become a cultivator. Then my mother wouldn’t have been alone either. Maybe that would have been better for everyone."

At this moment, he really felt like his dream had shattered. Feeling hope before despair was much worse than never having any hope at all. But then again, he might not be able to realize how unsuited he was to this if he did not have this experience. After all, he would always assume it was just that he hadn’t found the right way yet. But now, it seemed more like he had already reached his limit.

Qiu Ling gazed at him, not quite sure what to say for a moment. Just a moment ago, his beloved had been so happy and optimistic but now, he was already on the verge of giving up. It was strange to watch.

He wondered for a while. In the end, wasn’t this just because Jing Yi wasn’t confident in his own abilities? He was afraid to fail so he’d rather give up when it didn’t work in the beginning. Maybe to him, it seemed easier to do that now than to try for another five years only to fail by then. Because right now, he was afraid that by then, there would be other regrets.

Qiu Ling smiled back at him without any sign of defeat. He bent forward and lightly kissed Jing Yi’s cheek. "My love, after five years of achieving nothing you finally took the first step. Is this really the moment where you should think of giving up? Trust me a bit. It might not have worked just now but we’re not at our rope’s end, are we? I still have an idea that might work. Let’s just try that."

Seeing Qiu Ling’s confident gaze, Jing Yi’s worry lessened somewhat. He wasn’t quite convinced but he would have felt bad for making Qiu Ling put in all that effort and then just giving up so he finally nodded. "You’re right. I shouldn’t give up this easily. No hero would do that. Isn’t that right?" His smile lightened. Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to try. He could still give up later, after he had really tried and not achieved anything. Doing it before then … that also wasn’t the right way.