(12) The connection between the soul and the body.

Mangrel walked on the sidewalks brazenly. He didn't bother robbing clothes, as it would be clear as day that it was stolen from somewhere. 

Not even three hours passed since the sun rose from the horizon. The ground grew heated within this time, which would cause searing pain to anyone who walked barefoot... 

'I don't feel anything...?' This Realization startled Mangrel, he had been walking barefoot the whole time. However, no heat was felt from his feet. He could feel his feet just fine, hence the reason behind this phenomenon was something else from paralysis.

Holding the street lamp, Mangrel viewed the condition of his feet. 

The sight of his feet was hideous, layers of skin were peeled from here and there, and the swollen part of the skin was hardened, appearing reddish-black. Between the cracked dead skin, blood stains were clearly visible. 

Mangrel inspected the dead skin below his feet cautiously, by touching it lightly. His heart eased after finding all the blisters to have long dried out. And no sign of yellow pus could be seen, so fortunately no blister infection was born. 

Even if there was any blister infection, Mangrel would have noticed it immediately. It causes immense pain as if a heated metal was placed onto your feet. 

The dead skin was the reason Mangrel felt no pain. The number of blisters was unnaturally high too, which made Mangrel interested and suspicious.

Just then, a fraction of memory poured into Mangrel's head. Images began to relive themselves, sprouting into life before his eyes. Though it was a traumatizing scene, Mangrel finished processing it quickly and began analyzing it. 

The late arrival of the memory bothered Mangrel slightly, but he could think of the reason behind it. The past host must have not wanted to remember such an event, therefore this memory was most likely buried deep in the mind. 

In the past, the prior host of the body made the mistake of dropping a tile near a peg, which supported the pole of a tent. The cultivator who supervised the area was buried in the tent. 

Feeling furious, The supervisor punished Mangrel, ordering him to stand on the tile floor, right below the sun, till sunset. At that time, it was the red month, when the heat of the sun was higher than the other season.

Going through the memory, Mangrel couldn't help but feel surprised. The supervisor was actually able to keep his anger under control and give out 'light' punishment, which made it possible for Mangrel to still work on the construction site. 

People like this were rare, being able to control their anger, this was not a small feat. The supervisor was aware of his priority and was not moved by his own emotions. 

'Or he might have not been angered from the beginning. There is a chance that he punished the past host just to warn the other workers and beggars.' Mangrel read behind the scene. This possibility had a very high chance of being true. 

It was commendable how such an organization could exist in a city. It could move around like this, in the open too. The situation behind its existence was surely complicated. 

No matter how looked at, this beggar guild organization was a band of demonic cultivators, acting to be in the righteous path, by hiding their dirty dealing in the dark. 

Sooner or later, Mangrel would have to deal with this group, so it was better to know more about them. 

Putting aside this inconsequential matter, Mangrel walked directly toward the alleyway with light steps. 

'I should wrap my legs in clothes, though it would tear quickly anyway, it is better than nothing.'

Reaching the destination, Mangrel made a round at the deeper part of the alley. Bringing a piece of cloth from a dead body, feeling helpless internally. 

The reason why he didn't dare take any clothes from the dead bodies was because of bacteria. Mangrel had no intention of catching some disease because of being careless. However, he could only take a little risk now. 

Though the ending of the alleyway was cleaned periodically, to not give birth to any epidemic, the chances of a disease sticking around were still present. 

'Though I picked this cloth up from a freshly dead person, who knows...There is no way I can cast any elemental spells too.' Mangrel thought of any other option, only to find nothing. All the options had some danger attached to them. 

In the end, he just washed the cloth in the clean river water and then wring it dry. Time flew by very quickly with such tedious activities. 

Rip

Tearing the cloth into two pieces, Mangrel rolled it around both of his feet and tied it up tightly. 

'There is a low chance of any infection forming in my feet now. Healing them up is the best option, but it is not possible for the current me.' 

As Mangrel sat a few meters from the entrance of the alleyway, with his fatigued back resting on the wall, a serene silence covered the area. With not many sound polluters present here, the sound from the street did not reach this area. 

'With all the near future problems dealt with, it's time to start my cultivation journey too.' Mangrel's eyes got filled with seriousness. 

Normally a person could start his cultivation journey once he turns 18, but there is a reason behind it. After the meridian has formed within them, their perception can sense the origin essence. 

This perception was very important, only with that can a person feel and control the origin essence. 

And currently, Mangrel was not in possession of it. 

Hence, he needed an origin stone to forcefully awaken his perception of it. It was a method that everyone with resources does, as it was just a normal procedure. Awakening this perception can allow cultivators to start their journey as body practitioners, and can help them once the meridian was born within them. 

What Mangrel wished to start cultivating was — his spirit. Which revolves around the soul aspect.

Opposites from body practitioners were spiritualists, who used spiritual energy to conjure spells. Both paths had their pros and cons, along with myriads of profundities. 

'Well, my potential in the spiritualist path is the same as my body's. It was a well-known fact in the higher realm — the soul is always born matching the body, from potential to everything.' 

Hence the saying was born — The Spirit is the clear reflection of one's original nature. Therefore, most or everyone has a pure soul, it can only be changed while ascending to become a six-star spiritualist. 

Once the spirit was born, it was very hard to change it, not even the body could affect it anymore after that. 

The world was cruel, a person's potential was decided from the day of their birth. It was no different from Earth, people lucky to be born into rich families lived in luxury, while others struggled to get by, in their day-to-day life.

'Nevertheless, can this stop me? If this is my fate, then I refuse to accept it! I will fight against it with everything I have until I die or I break the wall called birth limitation.' Mangrel felt no dejection in getting such a body, it was just what it was, it had already come to pass. 

All that mattered was that Mangrel had no motive to give up.

Inhale 

Exhale

Mangrel took deep breaths, calming his whole body and mind. His whole concentration entered his spirit. 

What appeared before him was a translucent figure of himself. It was the first time for Mangrel to correctly look at himself too, he had not gotten any opportunities to do it before. 

'The incanted item — Reincarnate stands up to its creator, Divine collector. My soul has been perfectly shaped to match this body, the soul of the past host was destroyed too.' The stability of the spirit, and the soul showed no sign of declining or problem. 

Mangrel's soul had the same average face as his body and his soul was pure yellow, not at all tainted by any other foreign substance. 

Regrettably, this incanted item was a one-time use item, that was plainly mentioned in its description, in the inheritance ground. 

Mangrel was disappointed getting such an item, even though it was a rank nine incanted item at first. But in the end, he turned out to be the luckiest, at least a viable option was presented to him. 

Unlike the other inheritor, who would be hunted down till the end of the world. 

After finding no flaw or error in his rebirth, Mangrel shifted his attention to the greyish transparent barrier around his spirit. This barrier protected the soul of every living being. It also played the biggest part in cultivating the spirit.

Mangrel began his first session of spirit cultivation, in this new body.