Chapter 29: The Soul’s Revelation

A short while later, at the entrance to a stone chamber on the first floor of the Sword Comprehension Pagoda.

“Junior Sister, we’ve arrived. This is cultivation chamber number 235. The first floor chambers are plentiful, so there’s no need to worry about them being contended for. You can cultivate here in peace. When you’re nearly finished with your training, you can use the communication function on your sect disciple token to call me, and I’ll come to pick you up immediately,” Luo Yang reminded her.

Su Yun nodded with a smile.

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Luo Yang showed Su Yun how to open the door. Once the stone chamber was open, he turned and departed from the Sword Comprehension Pagoda.

As for Su Yun, she entered the chamber, closing the heavy stone door behind her. She immediately sensed the rich spiritual energy within.

‘Indeed, the spiritual energy here is at least thirty percent denser than outside,’ Su Yun mused inwardly. ‘If I reach a higher cultivation level and venture to the upper floors, my cultivation speed will only increase further.’

She gazed at the meditation platform ahead, then walked over and settled into a cross-legged position. Closing her eyes, her hands began to shift through various poses and gestures.

Finally, with her hands resting on her knees, she entered a state of deep meditation—the essential preparation for cultivating her techniques.

At that moment, the surrounding spiritual energy surged towards Su Yun’s body as if finding a release point. Simultaneously, Su Yun’s consciousness once again entered her inner world, her Sea of Consciousness.

It remained the same as her last visit: a landscape of molten lava and volcanoes. While Su Muxue had guided Su Yun here last time, this time, she had entered voluntarily.

‘This place feels a bit different from the Sea of Consciousness described in books,’ Su Yun pondered. ‘Shouldn’t a Qi Refining cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness be a void? And can one actually see their own soul?’

She began to walk through the molten terrain. Su Yun currently stood amidst flowing lava, a feat that would have instantly melted her in the outside world.

‘My soul? Wait, I remember there was a Fire Phoenix in my Sea of Consciousness last time, right? If I possess Phoenix bloodline, then perhaps that Fire Phoenix *is* my soul?’ After walking for a distance, Su Yun spotted the volcano ahead, the very one from which the Fire Phoenix had emerged previously.

With a thought from Su Yun, another clear cry of a phoenix resonated. The fiery bird, completely enveloped in flames and shimmering with golden patterns, once again soared out of the volcano.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, Su Yun’s Phoenix bloodline was reactivated. Her appearance shifted back to her Phoenix Maiden form, a manifestation of her true self with her bloodline awakened.

In this state, she was a strikingly alluring young woman clad in crimson, as beautiful as a vibrant balsam flower.

The Phoenix clan distinguishes between genders: male as ‘Feng’ and female as ‘Huang.’ Thus, Su Yun possessed the Fire Huang bloodline.

The Fire Huang, driven by Su Yun’s will, swiftly arrived before her, hovering and observing her from above with beating wings.

This Fire Huang was exceptionally beautiful. Indeed, the Phoenix deserved its reputation as an auspicious divine bird; its aura and appearance could only be described with words like ‘majestic’ and ‘exquisite.’

‘This creature, it truly is my soul,’ Su Yun murmured to herself. ‘The scriptures state that humans possess three states: body, soul, and consciousness. The body governs the external, the soul the internal, and consciousness controls both. Yet, ordinary mortals without cultivation cannot perceive the existence of their soul, which is one of the fundamental differences between them and cultivators.’

However, Su Yun harbored another question: she wasn’t a monster. Even with Phoenix bloodline, her soul form should logically be human.

As Su Yun pondered this, the Fire Huang let out another soaring cry. Its body erupted in a cascade of golden-red streams of light. Once the radiant glow dispersed, a resplendent, red-haired beauty, clad in crimson and possessing unparalleled grace, slowly descended from the light, landing before Su Yun.

This magnificent beauty, appearing to be in her early twenties, exuded an air of dignified grandeur. She wore a fiery red gown that perfectly accentuated her stunning figure, curvaceous and alluring, yet maintaining an aloof elegance.

Her appearance was similar to Su Yun’s, but she was noticeably more mature, almost as if she were Su Yun in her fully developed form.

‘This? Is this me? Why do I look so different from my current self? Could this be me when I’m older?’ Su Yun wondered, pinching her nose as she gazed at the adult version of herself. If this truly were her future self, she found it hard to believe she would grow to be so captivating.

This version of Su Yun was undeniably more striking than her current self, possessing an allure that commanded attention. Yet, the adult Su Yun’s gaze was one of aloofness, a haughty disdain for all beneath her, like a sovereign empress.

She was also noticeably taller than Su Yun.

Su Yun circled her Soul Origin, even mustering the courage to reach out and touch herself. The Soul Origin, for its part, continuously watched Su Yun but neither spoke nor made any other movements.

‘How embarrassing! Will I really turn out like this when I grow up? She’s beautiful, yes, but isn’t she a little too seductive?’ Su Yun felt a pang of discomfort looking at her adult self.

At least from a male perspective, she found her adult self incredibly sexy, especially that figure. It seemed to defy human proportions, more akin to something found in a comic book.

Indeed, both her face and figure were utterly flawless, the pinnacle of perfection with not a single fault to be found.

The adult Su Yun and the current Su Yun also dressed differently, a clear distinction between a maiden and a mature woman.

After observing her fully, Su Yun returned to face her Soul Origin. She attempted to communicate with her soul, as cultivation knowledge suggested that the Soul Origin could interact with consciousness.

“Can you speak?” Su Yun’s consciousness inquired.

As the words left her, the Soul Origin seemed to be imbued with life. Its previously somewhat vacant expression suddenly became animated.

“Heh, of course I can. I am you, after all,” the Soul Origin replied.

The voice was incredibly melodious and bright, very pleasant to hear. While it didn’t differ much from Su Yun’s current voice, it carried an inexplicable allure.

It was somewhat similar to the way Su Yun’s ‘perverted’ mother spoke, perhaps a characteristic of the female Huang.

“You really can speak! How fascinating. Are you my older self?” Su Yun asked, a smile gracing her lips.

“Yes, that’s right. The Soul Origin is unlike the physical body; I am your ultimate form,” the Soul Origin explained, moving about before Su Yun as it answered her consciousness’s questions.

Upon receiving this answer, Su Yun couldn’t help but exclaim,

“It’s really true! How embarrassing! It’s one thing for me, a former man, to become a woman, but to grow into such a sexy beauty? I’m not sure how I’ll face my future self.” Su Yun’s face flushed red.

The Soul Origin’s consciousness represented Su Yun’s inherent inner consciousness. What did this mean?

Humans possess multiple facets, often only revealing their self-controlled consciousness. That is to say, normal people are governed by rational consciousness controlling their physical body, while the soul embodies a person’s inner self.

“Don’t men adore beauties like this?” the Soul Origin teased. “I am you, and I know your deepest thoughts far better than you do yourself. So stop deceiving yourself. What ‘shame’? You only feel awkward because this stunning beauty *is* you, because you can look and touch but not, well, *consume* her, right?”

This immediately made Su Yun’s old face flush. To have her true thoughts exposed by her own soul certainly made her feel guilty.

“This, can you blame me? You know, in my previous life, I was a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old adult male, a married man! Is it not normal to have such thoughts?” Su Yun replied awkwardly.

“Indeed,” the Soul Origin chuckled mischievously. “That’s why I say you should face your true self. If you like something, you like it.”

“Cough, cough.” Su Yun immediately cleared her throat, suddenly hesitant to look at herself.

After adjusting her mindset, Su Yun finally composed herself.

“Let’s not talk about those things for now. Tell me, shouldn’t we be different from ordinary people? Since we have Phoenix bloodline, don’t we possess any special abilities?” Su Yun inquired.

The Soul Origin rolled its eyes upon hearing Su Yun’s question.

“Why don’t you just ask if you have any cheats or special powers? Isn’t that what you truly want to say? Don’t be so reserved; no one in this world understands you better than I do, not even our wives. Take Shuang’er, for instance: can you honestly say you genuinely resist her in your heart? Isn’t it merely due to worldly ethics?” The Soul Origin once again brought up something Su Yun was unwilling to confront.

“Stop! Let’s not discuss those things. Tell me something interesting instead. What abilities do we possess?” Su Yun quickly interrupted the Soul Origin.

The Soul Origin chuckled, no longer teasing Su Yun.

“Alright, since we possess Phoenix bloodline, we definitely have special abilities. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a huge loss for us to have turned into a woman?” The Soul Origin’s tone grew serious.