Full Soul Awakening

Bai Liye looked at Yun Ruo’s blood-covered hands. “What’s that in your hand?”

Yun Ruo opened her fingers, revealing a pure white Barrier Jade in her palm.

She felt a little guilty, glancing at Bai Liye. His face was expressionless. He reached out, took the Barrier Jade, and tossed it to Lin Wang.

Lin Wang caught the Barrier Jade, noticing Yun Ruo’s obviously nervous expression, and couldn’t help but want to laugh. However, as the Barrier Jade landed in his hand, he realized something was wrong.

“Huh?” Lin Wang rubbed the jade piece in surprise, feeling an abundance of spiritual energy.

But he had clearly seen before that this jade should have been exhausted of its spiritual energy and ruined.

The young boy was helping Yun Ruo wipe her face, but he hadn’t fully recovered. He wiped and cried, and Yun Ruo comforted him.

She secretly observed Lin Wang and Bai Liye’s reactions, seeing them look at the Barrier Jade and then at her, exchanging glances with each other.

Based on her understanding of the merchant species, these two were definitely silently plotting how to extort her using this.

She had no way to argue, since she had been caught red-handed.

Yun Ruo was in danger.

However, Bai Liye’s question wasn’t about the stolen Barrier Jade. “What did you use to kill the Spirit-Devouring Beast?”

The Xuan Yang Sect youth gasped as he looked at Yun Ruo. “It was really you who killed it?!”

The stubbled man also gasped along with him, his eyes wide like copper bells. He couldn’t say a word for a long time.

“I…” Yun Ruo thought carefully, making a grasping motion with her hands, stabbing upward. “Just… like this?”

Her mind had been blank at the time. She only remembered it now that she was asked. She seemed to have been holding a sharp blade in her hand at the time, thinking that she had summoned some divine weapon from the Barrier Jade in her haste. But when she came back to her senses, she clearly had nothing in her hand.

What was going on?

The Xuan Yang Sect youth squatted down to examine the Spirit-Devouring Beast’s corpse, then raised his eyes to look over, his expression complicated.

It seemed to be a wound from a sharp weapon, but such a clean, fatal blow could only have been caused by spiritual energy.

The black-hearted merchant had seen it early on, but said nothing.

To be able to use spiritual energy to materialize objects, you would need to be at least at the fifth stage of spiritual meridian opening.

He probably also thought it was too outrageous, so he didn’t say it.

No, even if she could really condense spiritual energy, how could it be so easy to kill a Spirit-Devouring Beast with one blow, given its speed? Was the top-ranked beast on the demon beast speed chart not fast enough, or was this little beggar gifted with a talent that was one in ten thousand, a cultivation prodigy?

How could such a prodigy have been buried for so long?

Absolutely impossible!

“You’ve never cultivated before?” Lin Wang asked Yun Ruo.

Yun Ruo nodded.

Actually, she had tried to cultivate in the earliest days. She would sneak to the Xuan Yang Sect’s outer sect every day to listen to basic lessons, trying to use her efforts to break through the door of cultivation. Maybe one day, by chance, she would awaken her spiritual meridians.

Unfortunately, the reality was cruel. She was just an ordinary person through and through, with no affinity for cultivation whatsoever.

After her rebirth, she no longer expected to cultivate. It was good enough to be able to live well.

“Did you bring the spiritual meridian testing device?” Bai Liye asked.

The Xuan Yang Sect youth looked around, realizing that he was being asked. He was very dissatisfied with his attitude. “What if I brought it? Why should I…”

Before he could finish speaking, the woman in green robes next to him took out a small box from her storage pouch and handed it to Bai Liye. “I just happened to have it with me.”

The youth: “…”

Senior Sister, you’re making me lose face.

Bai Liye accepted it, asking Yun Ruo, “Do you want to test your spiritual meridians?”

He let Yun Ruo choose for herself.

In this world where everyone yearned to step onto the path of cultivation, spiritual meridian awakening was the key, the beginning of ascending to another level.

However, only a few people could awaken their spiritual meridians. Some people with signs of spiritual meridian awakening would test again and again, unwilling to give up, only to find that they could never go beyond the door. Many became crazy and despondent because of this.

Spiritual meridian testing was like a checkpoint, delivering the cruelest judgment.

Yun Ruo hesitated for a moment.

She had actually tested her spiritual meridians before, and more than once.

Her Senior Brothers had tried many different methods to test for her, and every result invariably showed that she was completely unable to cultivate. But they still didn’t give up. Every time Yun Ruo had just given up hope for cultivation, her Senior Brothers would find new methods to test her.

She had experienced that terrible feeling of having her expectations raised countless times, only to be dashed.

Bai Liye didn’t take any further action, squatting casually beside her, waiting for her to make her own decision.

Finally, Yun Ruo nodded.

She’d try one last time. After the test, she would continue to be an ordinary person with peace of mind, without harboring any hope and always thinking about “what if”.

Bai Liye opened the box, revealing a conical-shaped glazed pagoda. The pagoda was transparent, divided into three layers, each with different gilded patterns.

Yun Ruo had seen it before.

It was the most accurate glazed pagoda for testing spiritual meridians. It would light up as many layers as the number of spiritual meridians that were opened. When she had tested it before, her Senior Brothers had tried so many times that the glazed pagoda had almost been stained red with the blood on her fingertips, but it still didn’t light up.

Remembering this, her fingertips felt a phantom pain, and she unconsciously rubbed her fingers.

Bai Liye glanced at her, then reached into Lin Wang’s storage pouch, handing over a colorful chopstick-shaped thing, making a motion of putting it in his mouth.

A new method of testing spiritual meridians?

Yun Ruo accepted it, putting it in her mouth without understanding.

Hmm, it was a little sweet.

Bai Liye was ready, reaching out to Yun Ruo.

Yun Ruo quickly took out the colorful chopstick from her mouth, carefully checking if there was any saliva on it. She solemnly placed it in Bai Liye’s hand.

Bai Liye: “?”

Lin Wang “pfft” laughed.

Bai Liye paused, looking up at her speechlessly. “…Your hand.”

Lin Wang was already laughing so hard that he couldn’t stand straight, clutching his stomach and struggling to say, “That’s candy, it’s for you to eat hahahahaha.”

Yun Ruo had made a blunder, and her face began to burn. She took back the candy chopstick, extending her hand.

Her fingertip felt cool. A small cut was made, and before Yun Ruo could feel the pain, Bai Liye quickly used the glazed pagoda to catch the blood bead that appeared on her fingertip, releasing her hand.

The bright red blood bead flowed into the tower body, disappearing into the gilded patterns as if it were being swallowed.

The glazed pagoda’s transparent color began to deepen, and the entire tower body gradually dimmed, slowly becoming lusterless.

Yun Ruo lowered her eyes. This result wasn’t very surprising.

She patted the dust off her body and stood up. The stubbled man came forward to help her, and the young boy looked longingly at the candy in her hand. She broke off the piece she had eaten and put it in her mouth, giving the rest to him.

The boy happily accepted it, pointing at the glazed pagoda in Bai Liye’s hand and exclaiming in surprise, “Wow, Master, it’s lit up, it’s so pretty.”

Yun Ruo turned her head.

The color of the glazed pagoda’s body had become almost black, but silver light was spreading along the gilded patterns at the bottom.

Soon, the patterns on the first layer of the pagoda were lit up.

The first awakened spiritual meridian.

The Body Meridian.

Yun Ruo was stunned.

The silver light didn’t stop, quickly spreading to the second layer, unfolding beautiful patterns.

The second awakened spiritual meridian.

The Consciousness Meridian.

The silver light showed no sign of stopping, spreading to the third layer, and the patterns quickly covered the entire tower body, quietly emitting a soft light.

The third awakened spiritual meridian.

The Divine Sense Meridian.

Lin Wang whistled. “Full spiritual meridian awakening.”

The Xuan Yang Sect youth was shocked.

Yun Ruo stared blankly at the glowing glazed pagoda.

Was there something wrong somewhere?

So many tests before had proven that she was just an ordinary person… Could it be because her current body was the original one?

She had awakened her spiritual meridians. Could she cultivate now?

Bai Liye pressed his hand on the tower, the gilded patterns faded, the analyzed blood disappeared, and the pagoda’s body reverted to its original color before he put it back in the box, handing it to the green-robed woman. He held a hand in front of the dazed Yun Ruo.

Yun Ruo barely regained her senses. “Huh?”

Bai Liye nodded towards the barrier jade in Lin Wang’s hand. “Time to pay up.”

Yun Ruo: “…”

She’d forgotten about that.

She was still immersed in the huge doubt of whether or not her spiritual meridians had really awakened, and patted the stubbled man on the shoulder in a daze. “Uncle, pay up.”

The stubbled man was puzzled but very cheerful, reaching out to touch his pocket, asking Lin Wang generously, “How much? What did she buy?”

Lin Wang revealed a black-hearted merchant’s sincere smile. “She bought a Barrier Jade, one high-grade spirit stone, thank you for your patronage.”

The stubbled man: “…” How much!?

The big man looked at Lin Wang with difficulty.

Yun Ruo had saved his life. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to pay, but that he couldn’t scrape together the price of one high-grade spirit stone even if he searched his whole body.

“That’s not right.” Bai Liye spoke, winking at Lin Wang, “Recalculate.”

Lin Wang understood, “Got it.”

That was more like it.

The stubbled man breathed a sigh of relief. How could a Barrier Jade be so expensive? Even the Xuan Yang Sect’s Barrier Jade didn’t cost that much.

Yun Ruo came back to her senses, hearing Bai Liye speak fairly, and felt very moved.

Merchants also had a conscience.

“The Barrier Jade was taken without asking, double the price, two high-grade spirit stones.”

“A homemade Colorful Exquisite Jade Candy, secret recipe, one middle-grade spirit stone.”

“Spiritual meridian test, friendly mutual assistance, a little cheaper, one hundred low-grade spirit stones.”

Lin Wang spoke clearly and smoothly. After calculating, he thoughtfully asked, “Do you need me to convert the total price to low-grade spirit stones for you?”

Yun Ruo: “…” She retracted her previous statement.

Black-hearted merchants have no conscience!

“Black-hearted merchant!” The Xuan Yang Sect youth finally found a chance to vent his anger. “The glazed pagoda is ours, why are you charging a fee?”

“Tsk.” Lin Wang clapped his hands. “We were the ones operating the spiritual meridian test, right? You just lent it to us, you didn’t contribute anything.”

The youth was once again angered like a frog.

“I apologize, it was wrong of me to take your Barrier Jade.” Yun Ruo used what she had just learned, “Now the Barrier Jade has been returned to you, you were just lending it to me, right.”

“Hoh, you’re very smart,” Lin Wang gave her a thumbs up.

The young boy, with the candy in his mouth, saw Yun Ruo being praised and was very happy for her, also giving a thumbs up, “Smart!”
He was slapped on the head by his master and pushed behind him.

“I’ll pay the money. You can just find me. Although I can’t take out so much at once, I can give you a portion every month.” The stubbled man pointed to the tall watchtower in the outer city. “I live in the outer city guard post. I definitely won’t run away, and I won’t go back on my word.”

“So righteous,” Lin Wang gave him a thumbs up this time. “But you’ll also have to pay for the series of expenses we incur on the road when we come to collect the money each time. How long will it take to clear the debt at this rate?”

The stubbled man had dealt with many sect disciples, but this was the first time he had met someone so obsessed with money.
“What do you want?” he asked roughly.

“Easy to say.” Bai Liye took over, raising his eyebrows as he said unhurriedly, “The Spirit-Devouring Beast belongs to us, and all the debts will be canceled.”

Was there such a good thing?

Yun Ruo was just about to agree when the stubbled man and the Xuan Yang Sect youth spoke at the same time.

“No!”

“Impossible!”

The Xuan Yang Sect youth sneered. “Are you trying to fool an idiot? The Spirit-Devouring Beast is a treasure from head to toe. Its demon core can be used to make spiritual medicine, its outer skin can be used to make magical artifacts, and its bones and blood are rare and valuable items. Any one of them is worth more than the price you’re quoting.”

“The immortal is absolutely right!” The stubbled man nodded repeatedly. “Only a fool would agree to such a losing deal.”
Fool Yun Ruo: “…”

“Our Xuan Yang Sect wants this Spirit-Devouring Beast, one hundred high-grade spirit stones.” The youth gave Lin Wang and Bai Liye a provocative look before turning to Yun Ruo, “Where do you live? The spirit stones can be delivered in three days.”

The stubbled man was dumbfounded.

One hundred high-grade spirit stones! He had never seen someone so rich and overbearing in his life.

However, Yun Ruo refused. “No, I don’t have much luck. I’ll have bad luck if I suddenly receive a windfall.”

What’s more, it was a windfall from the Xuan Yang Sect. She couldn’t bear to accept it.

The Xuan Yang Sect youth: “?”

Yun Ruo turned to Bai Liye. “It’s settled, all the debts are canceled, and the Spirit-Devouring Beast is yours.”

Bai Liye had thought there was no hope, never expecting that the dirty-faced girl wouldn’t be tempted by one hundred high-grade spirit stones. He couldn’t help but look at her again, letting her reach out and pat his palm. “It’s a deal.”

Lin Wang straightened his back, returning a provocative smile to the Xuan Yang Sect disciple, and went with Bai Liye to clean up the Spirit-Devouring Beast’s corpse.

The Spirit-Devouring Beast was killed by Yun Ruo, so it was Yun Ruo’s to decide. The stubbled man didn’t have any objections to her decision, but he felt a little sorry for her, for giving up the money.

“It’s useless for me to keep it. I don’t know how to refine magical artifacts or make spiritual medicine.” Yun Ruo said, “I was able to save you thanks to their Barrier Jade, Uncle, so in a way, they are our saviors.”

Yun Ruo didn’t forget that the black-robed man had come with a sword and knocked the Spirit-Devouring Beast away during the dangerous moment.

He didn’t have a Barrier Jade on his body, but he still rushed into the miasma to save her.