"Calm yourself," Julian instructed, his voice soothing. "Take a deep breath."
Mei'er nodded, doing as she was told, her chest rising and falling as she inhaled deeply.
"Now," he continued, "circulate your Qi and feel mine." He leaked a controlled thread of his mana that pulsed in the air like a starlight.
Mei'er's Qi reacted instantly, merging with his before filling her meridians in a warm current. She gasped softly, feeling the warmth, the raw power of his energy weaving through her, amplifying her own strength.
Julian guided her hands further, inching dangerously closer to his "sword,"
"Focus," he murmured. "Let our Qi flow as one. Feel the harmony, the unity of nature."
Mei'er's meridians pulsed with their combined energy, her dantian humming as if on the verge of another breakthrough. Her eyes fluttered, half-open, as she leaned into the sensation.
"Brother Monk… it's so strong," she said, her words laced with awe. "Your Qi… it's like a river, endless and deep."
