85

In the Kunlun Sect, Su Luowei, dressed in the pure white robes of an inner disciple, sat in meditation inside a quiet chamber. Outside the chamber, several disciples had already gathered, their faces still youthful and inexperienced, all of them newcomers who had only recently joined the sect.

One of the bolder disciples noticed Senior Sister Muchen standing alone and cautiously approached her, whispering, "Is it true that Junior Sister Suli is about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Muchen glanced at her and gave a brief nod.

"Reaching Foundation Establishment in less than three months after coming to the mountain—that's too fast!" the disciple exclaimed, attracting the attention of others nearby and sparking a wave of hushed conversations.

"Sigh... If only I had been the one sent to the Cold Palace," one disciple said, his eyes filled with envy.

This comment immediately drew laughter from his companions. "What are you thinking? With how clumsy you are, the master of the Cold Palace would have hated you instantly. Have you ever even served anyone in your life?"

Someone else added sarcastically, "Suli was born a maid, skilled in reading people's moods. How can we compare with her?"

"Yeah, who knows what methods she used to win Meng Shuying's favor. She even personally awakened her spiritual root and gifted her a stream of spiritual energy."

As soon as these words were spoken, someone nearby tugged at the speaker's sleeve, silently gesturing toward Yuchi Yun as a reminder that Suli's friend was still there, urging him to hold his tongue.

Three months earlier, on the morning of the third day after Hongdou returned from Dongji Island, she informed Su Luowei that they would soon be returning to the Qingxu Sect. Before Su Luowei could even consider asking them to stay, Meng Shuying had already emerged from the inner hall and struck her with a surge of spiritual energy, also awakening her spiritual root in the process.

Normally, this wasn't something Meng Shuying would have done. But for some reason, when she saw the little girl's reluctance to part with Hongdou, she felt a bit uncomfortable and, without thinking, sent a stream of spiritual energy into her body.

Fortunately, Hongdou was considerate enough to take her to Master Le Ping before leaving, ensuring that Su Luowei would be well taken care of. She mentioned how well Su Luowei had served their peak master and suggested that she continue to serve when the peak master returned the following year.

After those two killing gods left, Le Ping couldn't wait to bring Su Luowei to a quiet chamber for secluded cultivation. The spiritual energy Meng Shuying had given her was so powerful that if it wasn't refined in time, it could harm her rather than be a blessing.

Even with Master Le Ping's assistance, Su Luowei, who had just awakened her spiritual root, struggled to manage the overwhelming spiritual energy in her body. It took considerable effort to fully refine it.

But there was no denying Meng Shuying's prowess as a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage. The spiritual energy she provided was exceptionally pure and potent, far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. Once Su Luowei completely refined it, she felt as if a veil had been lifted from her world. Whenever she circulated her energy, she felt her blood and qi flowing more smoothly, as if all the impurities in her organs had been cleansed, leaving her meridians clear and unblocked.

Maintaining this state, she had only cultivated for half a month before she found herself on the verge of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

To put it into perspective, even the prodigy Wen Miaomiao took over a year to reach the Foundation Establishment stage! But from the moment Su Luowei awakened her spiritual root to today, it had only been three months, and she was already about to establish her foundation. Such news would surely cause a stir if it got out.

Returning her energy and calming her mind, Su Luowei opened her eyes, a barely noticeable frown on her face. She reached up to touch her neck.

The temperature around her neck was unusually high. If nothing unexpected happened, she was about to establish her foundation.

She stood up from the meditation cushion and respectfully bowed to Master Le Ping, who sat across from her. "Master, I think I'm about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

Master Le Ping used spiritual energy to carefully examine her body and nodded. "That's right, you're close to a breakthrough."

Although Su Luowei had never personally experienced the Foundation Establishment process, she had once acted as Meng Shuying's protector during her own Foundation Establishment, so she wasn't worried at all. She even politely declined her master's offer to stand guard and instead found an empty cave in the back mountain to quietly await her breakthrough.

Foundation Establishment is a lengthy process that involves using one's internal spiritual energy to completely refine the body, shedding the mortal flesh and blood to create one's own spiritual sea.

All cultivators know that the process of Foundation Establishment is often accompanied by intense pain.

However, for some reason, Su Luowei didn't feel much pain during her Foundation Establishment. It was as if a mysterious force within her body began to circulate whenever the pain of refining her bones and blood became overwhelming, soothing her suffering.

Several days passed in this manner, and on the seventh night, Su Luowei finally reached Foundation Establishment. She opened her eyes in the darkness, her gaze shimmering brighter than the snow-covered ground outside under the moonlight.

At that moment, she suddenly heard a voice.

It was like the tolling of a bell, ancient and resonant, calling out from across a great distance, urging a traveler far from home to return, even pointing out the way back.

Su Luowei felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She tried to shake it off by patting her forehead, but it was of no use.

The bell's tolling grew louder and more frequent. She felt a peculiar force tugging at her soul as if trying to pull it out of her body.

She tried calling out to Xiao Ba, but there was no response.

Not knowing who was summoning her, Su Luowei initially panicked, but she quickly calmed down.

There was no malice in the call—only deep sorrow and longing.

Whoever was summoning her, she would find out by meeting them.

She stopped trying to stabilize her mind, closed her eyes, and let her soul slowly drift out of her body, following the sound of the bell.

Before floating out, she couldn't help but glance back, seeing her new body sitting cross-legged on the mat, eyes closed and expression solemn, with blue specks of light rising around her. She suddenly remembered the moment she had first arrived.

At that time, she had entered Su Luowei's body just like this.

It was just after the Cold Dew, not yet the First Frost. While Jiangnan was enjoying a season of fiery red maple leaves and crisp autumn air, snow had already begun to fall on Kunlun Mountain. Tonight, too, a light snow was falling. As Su Luowei emerged, she saw Yuchi Yun sitting cross-legged outside the cave, a spiritual sword resting on her lap as if she were standing guard for her.

Su Luowei floated past her, wanting to tell her to go back and rest, but she couldn't make a sound.

Yuchi Yun couldn't see her soul and continued to stare intently at the cave entrance, not even glancing at her as she floated by.

Su Luowei rose higher and higher until she reached the peak of Kunlun Mountain, with the protective array now close at hand. Seeing the blue runes flickering in front of her, she thought she would be stopped by the array.

To her surprise, her soul passed through the array effortlessly, floating higher. From the sky, the Kunlun Mountains below appeared vast and white, their snowy peaks stretching endlessly. The river in the valley below looked like a silver dragon hidden within the snow, its surface shimmering under the moonlight.

Tiny snowflakes fell from the sky, drifting through her body before settling on the ground below.

Su Luowei looked up, seeing the clouds above growing closer and closer until they enveloped her.

She found herself in the midst of the clouds, unable to tell direction. The soft cotton-like clouds brushed against her face as they passed, and it even felt as if her dark hair had become damp.

When her mind cleared again, she realized she was standing on a mountain, its peaks lush and green, with the spring breeze singing through the air.

Every blade of grass and tree on this mountain was intimately familiar to her.

It was Yanmo Peak, the place where she had spent many years and which she missed the most.

Counting the days, it had been less than a year since she left Yanmo Peak. After closing her eyes in Meng Shuying's arms, she had opened them again in Yutian City. A hundred years had passed swiftly, leaving little mark on her heart. The familiar sights before her made it feel as if this was still her peaceful home.

She followed the path in her memory and, as expected, found several peach trees. The trees were in full bloom, their pink and white blossoms waving in the wind as if welcoming their master home.

Su Luowei walked around the peach trees, marveling at how time seemed to have left no mark on them. Her courtyard, too, was exactly as she had left it, with every brick and tile in place.

A warm feeling surged in her heart.

For a hundred and eighty years, someone had remembered her, maintaining her small courtyard with magic so that it remained exactly as she remembered, waiting for her return.

This realization made Su Luowei want to cry.

She continued forward, heading toward the white walls and black tiles. She originally intended to return to her old room but found herself turning toward another direction.

She stopped outside Meng Shuying's room and, through the window lattice, saw her inside.

She was sitting on a large bell, her long legs casually crossed, with a mysterious formation carved into the center of the room beneath her.

It seemed she had just completed some kind of ritual, as she was now quietly looking down at a new scar on her wrist.

She stared at the scar for a long time until Hongdou came over with a bandage and slowly wrapped her wounded arm.

It seemed neither of them could sense Su Luowei's presence.

After bandaging the wound, Hongdou started to tie a neat bow but was stopped by Meng Shuying, who then calmly pulled down her sleeve.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. After a while, Hongdou finally asked in a low voice, "What were the results of this soul inquiry?"

Meng Shuying shook her head. "I still haven't found my senior sister's soul."

She seemed calm, but there was an undeniable note of disappointment in her voice.

Hongdou bit her lip, hesitating before asking tentatively, "We've tried so many times and still haven't found her soul. Master... have you ever considered that the Tianfu Bell might be deceiving you?"

Meng Shuying replied, "The Tianfu Bell might lie to me, but Mingyou wouldn't. I believe my senior sister will come back. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for her here."

Though she spoke confidently, her eyes lowered as she looked at the formation beneath her.

Will senior sister really come back?

She wasn't sure.

But she had waited so long, surely out of pity, her senior sister would come back to see her at least once.

Hongdou didn't share her optimism.

To Hongdou, Tianfu Bell and Mingyou were the same person—a woman with a broken mind who believed she had another soul inside her.

A hundred years ago, that woman had come to them, proposing a deal. Meng Shuying hadn't taken her seriously until she mentioned she had a way to bring her senior sister back to life.

That was the only time Meng Shuying had ever thrown someone out of the house, only to speak privately with Tianfu Bell for a long time afterward. When Tianfu Bell finally left, Meng Shuying locked herself in her room for three days.

Three days later, she told Hongdou she had decided to carve out half of her divine bone to trade with Mingyou for a way to resurrect her senior sister.

Hongdou had tried to dissuade her, but Meng Shuying was unmoved. She eventually carved out half of her divine bone and handed it to Tianfu Bell, who, in return, revealed the method to resurrect her senior sister.

To bring her back, two things were required.

First, they needed to use the soul inquiry technique to find her senior sister's soul.

Second, they had to guide her soul back into her original body.

Of the two, the "soul inquiry" was the most crucial.

Humans have three souls and seven spirits, all of which are essential. Normally, after death, the souls and spirits would enter the cycle of reincarnation. If they didn't, they would become wandering ghosts.

The soul inquiry could seek out the souls of both the living and the dead. As long as Su Luowei's soul hadn't completely dissipated, there was hope of finding her.

Once they found her soul, they could guide it back into her original body, restoring her to life as if nothing had happened.

Such an extraordinary technique came with a significant backlash.

Hongdou's gaze fell on Meng Shuying's arm, hidden beneath her wide sleeve.

All these years, every time Meng Shuying used the soul inquiry technique, she had to use her blood and spiritual energy to counter the backlash. As a result, she was left weak for a long time after each attempt.

Yet despite this, she had never given up.

Hongdou had once asked her why she didn't just capture a few mortals from the mountain or abduct some cultivators from other sects.

Meng Shuying had simply replied that such actions would displease her senior sister.

Blood had seeped through the bandage, blooming like red plum blossoms on her sleeve. Hongdou lowered her gaze, sighing inwardly as she stared at the bloodstains.

Perhaps... her master's senior sister's soul had already dissipated from the world.

She thought this but didn't dare say it aloud. She still remembered a time during a soul inquiry when she had tentatively asked her master what she would do if her senior sister's soul didn't want to return.

"What else could I do?" her master had replied, casting her a glance before quickly looking away, focusing entirely on the formation.

"Of course, I'll keep asking until my senior sister returns. Or until all my blood has drained."

Su Luowei stood outside, taking in everything that was happening inside the room.

She didn't fully understand what the soul inquiry technique was, but she could tell it took a heavy toll on Meng Shuying.

Her heart ached, and she found it hard to breathe.

Even as a soul, Su Luowei placed a hand over her nonexistent chest, unable to comprehend why she felt such intense heartache despite being in spirit form.

Were those scars on Meng Shuying's wrist from the soul inquiry technique?

Fearing she would lose control of her emotions if she stayed any longer, Su Luowei looked up at the sky for a moment before turning and walking away.

She didn't return to her old room but went to her study instead. Even the study was exactly as it had been before.

The bookshelf was spotless, with all the books neatly arranged in their proper places. The scroll she had been reading before still lay open on the desk, and the ink in the inkwell hadn't dried.

She approached the desk and noticed a peach blossom petal pressed between the pages. The petal had been there so long it had dried up, curling into a tiny, pitiful shape.

She couldn't resist sitting at the desk, wanting to pick up the petal.

But now, she was just a soul, unable to touch any physical objects. Still, she couldn't help but gently stroke the scroll with her fingers, just as she had often done in the past.

The door hinges didn't make a sound as the door to the study suddenly opened. The wind from outside rustled the scroll, jolting Su Luowei back to reality. She turned her head to look.

A tall figure stood in the doorway, shrouded in darkness, but a fire was burning in those deep, dark eyes.

Could she... see her?

Su Luowei was just about to stand up when a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, followed by a sense of weightlessness.

The next moment, she opened her eyes to see a familiar face.

The person leaned in close, studying her carefully. When they saw she was awake, they smiled, their eyes crinkling with joy. "You're finally awake! Do you remember me? I'm Yunu!"

Su Luowei stared blankly, unable to understand how she had suddenly returned.

She still remembered that before she was awakened, it seemed like Meng Shuying had noticed her in the study.

"Hey, are you alright?" Yunu waved a hand in front of her face. When she didn't respond, Yunu snapped her fingers near her ear. "Wake up! Don't space out! Spacing out is dangerous—you might not come back, Su Luowei."

Su Luowei hadn't been paying attention to what she was saying.

That is, until she heard her name.

Su Luowei.

"You've got the wrong person," Su Luowei instinctively denied, not knowing whether the Azure Dragon before her was friend or foe.

"My name is Suli, not Su Luowei."

Yunu blinked, then suddenly slapped her own leg.

"Oh no! Am I too late? You've forgotten everything!"

"Curse that Meng Shuying!"

* * * *

Clues revealed~

Meng Shuying believed her senior sister could be resurrected because she had a method to do so.

She didn't recognize the Kunlun junior disciple as her senior sister because, despite many soul inquiries, her senior sister's soul never responded. Also, at the time, she was under the influence of the love poison, making her mind unclear (the Cold Palace was filled with the scent of plum blossoms).

In the next chapter or two, they'll meet again and return to the original body.

And then... the story will unfold from there.