Chapter 329

Chapter 329: Related to the Energy of Heaven and Earth

Lou Yun gazed at the diamond-shaped crystal, hanging in his boundless mental sea like a sun, emitting a lightly warm glow. He felt a long-lost peacefulness wash over him.

This was his own soul!

Though seeing his soul so formally for the first time, Lou Yun felt not unfamiliarity, but rather an intimacy and familiarity. It was like seeing an old friend long unseen.

After quietly observing it for a while, Lou Yun withdrew from his inner vision and began to call out to Chang Xiang within his body.

"Brother Chang!"

It was strange; Chang Xiang didn’t respond for a while.

Lou Yun called out several more times consecutively, but still received no answer from Chang Xiang. "Where is Brother Chang? Could he be cultivating?"

Lou Yun wasn’t worried about Chang Xiang encountering any trouble. He knew Chang Xiang would only appear fearlessly to save him if he, Lou Yun, faced true danger. Otherwise, nothing else would compel Chang Xiang to risk himself.

After waiting another moment, Lou Yun attempted once more to call him. This time, a reply came quickly!

"Here!"

"Brother Chang, were you cultivating? I called you for a while and you didn’t hear me!"

"You talk too much. What do you need?"

"Hehe, you’re acting very strange today. So unusually quiet? This isn’t like you at all!"

Lou Yun bantered playfully with Chang Xiang, but he was also speaking the truth. He found it rather odd. Considering Chang Xiang’s usual temperament, it was utterly unlike him to remain so calm when his soul had finally manifested!

However, Chang Xiang’s reply made him freeze: "Is there anything that should be making me restless? True, you fell into the True Dream Realm, but you managed to emerge using your own strength. You haven’t fought anyone or done anything else noteworthy. Why should I be making a fuss?"

"You… you mean… Brother Chang, have you not seen my soul?" Lou Yun stammered out the question.

"Your soul?"

Sharp surprise was evident in Chang Xiang’s voice; it didn’t seem feigned. After the surprise came silence, though it lasted merely an instant: "Are you saying you were able to sense your soul?"

Now Lou Yun was truly stunned. Chang Xiang resided within his body constantly; any change within Lou Yun’s form couldn’t escape his notice. Yet now, his soul hung right in his mental sea, plain as day, and Chang Xiang could ask such a question?

Could it be… Chang Xiang truly couldn’t see his soul?

"Brother Chang, I’m not joking with you. You really haven’t seen my soul manifest in my mental sea?"

Chang Xiang’s voice vanished. Lou Yun didn’t need to guess; the man was surely going to check for the soul right now.

Patiently waiting a few moments, Chang Xiang’s voice finally returned: "Kid, are you certain your soul is currently in your mental sea?"

"Of course, I’m certain! You still haven’t seen it?"

Chang Xiang drew a deep breath. "In the past, I knew of the soul’s existence but had never seen it myself; it was only hearsay. Now that you’re so certain, I understand. A person’s soul is like spiritual sense—it cannot be seen or touched. While you say your soul hangs in your mental sea, to me, all I see there is your set of techniques. Therefore, I believe only the soul’s master can perceive it. In other words, only you can see your own soul!"

"Furthermore, your soul isn’t truly located in your mental sea. It’s simply that you believe it resides there, so in your perception, it manifests in that space. In reality, the soul actually exists everywhere!"

Chang Xiang’s explanation was somewhat convoluted and difficult to grasp. Lou Yun had to think it over seriously for a good while before finally speaking. "Brother Chang, I understand what you mean. But even though you can’t see it, I can definitely tell you, I can see my soul!"

"What did you do to make that possible? Was it something you experienced within the True Dream Realm?"

Chang Xiang’s reaction and reasoning were swift, cutting right to the heart of the matter. Though the specific details, even ten Chang Xiangs couldn’t have guessed.

So, Lou Yun proceeded to recount every detail of his experience within the True Dream Realm, omitting nothing. He narrated meticulously, and Chang Xiang listened with profound attention. Throughout the telling, Chang Xiang frowned in confusion multiple times, but he refrained from interrupting. Only after Lou Yun had finished, did he ask detailed questions concerning the few points that puzzled him.

After everything was clarified, Chang Xiang fell silent for a bit and said, "Young man, have you noticed that your master kept saying his time was limited, but when prompting you to find your soul, he did not mind wasting time? Instead, he waited patiently beside you. This is rather odd!"

In the True Dream Realm, Lou Yun was the involved party and blinded to the truth; additionally, finding his soul made him so ecstatic that he entirely failed to notice this problem. Now that Chang Xiang brought it up, he suddenly remembered it indeed happened that way. Moreover, because he took a long time to find his soul, his master had already started fading by the time he succeeded.

"I think," said Chang Xiang, "the soul must be sensed and sought by oneself. Outsiders can only offer suggestions, like your master did—advising and giving hints. But truly finding the soul relies entirely on you grasping that state."

Lou Yun nodded at Chang Xiang’s explanation; this seemed a reasonable interpretation.

Mentioning "state," Chang Xiang grew curious again: "Young man, you still have not explained clearly: under what state could you actually find your soul?"

Lou Yun pondered and answered, "I truly do not know how to answer your question, as it was just a feeling—a sudden sense of clarity, like parting clouds to see the sun. But such a feeling only appeared when my soul and I genuinely merged as one."

This talk was somewhat vague and misty; without personal experience, it could not be understood by mere hearing. Chang Xiang naturally knew this, so despite lingering doubts, he stopped probing further. Instead, he shifted the topic: "Sensing your soul and making it manifest is a tremendous boon for you. As for the process, do not delve into it anymore. From now on, you must start cultivating your soul!"

"Yes, Brother Chang," said Lou Yun. "I want to ask you, I know absolutely nothing about the soul. How exactly can I cultivate it?"

"I have already told you," replied Chang Xiang. "I have never even seen another person’s soul. How could I possibly know the exact ways to cultivate it?"

Lou Yun had pinned all his hopes on Chang Xiang. Hearing this, he instantly deflated like an airless ball: "No specific methods? Then how should I cultivate?"

"Although no specific methods exist," Chang Xiang said, "I can offer some suggestions."

"What suggestions?" Lou Yun quickly perked up his ears.

"Actually, I think you should have noticed," said Chang Xiang. "The greatest benefit of possessing a soul is being able to perceive worldly energies more easily!"

Lou Yun instantly recalled his earlier ability in the dining hall and his room to hear sounds more distinctly and even form mental images. He hastily nodded: "I did notice!"

"Learning the soul certainly ties to worldly energies," Chang Xiang explained. "The stronger your soul becomes, the sharper your perception of worldly energies, the smoother your touch upon them, and the greater your chance of commanding them. Once you can freely control worldly energies, your strength, heh, will grow beyond measure!"

"It relates to worldly energies!"

Lou Yun silently gave a small nod. Regarding soul cultivation, a faint light seemed to ignite within his heart.

"Alright!" Chang Xiang’s voice carried slight weariness. "Concerning your soul matters, you must explore them yourself. But you may also try flipping through the techniques your master left you; perhaps you’ll find soul cultivation methods there."

"Not now, though—I have something to tell you!"

Chang Xiang understood Lou Yun too well; watching him roll his eyes meant he was about to act, so Chang Xiang urgently stopped him.

"Why not? I am quite free now—perfect time to look!"

"You have nothing to do, but I do!" Chang Xiang grumbled. "Didn’t you just complain that you called me for ages with no reply? Let me tell you, I was not cultivating. I went to eavesdrop!"

"Eavesdrop?" Lou Yun wore a look of sudden realization. "Brother Chang, you went to overhear the Huangfu Family’s talk?"

"Yes!"

"Then what did they say?"

Chang Xiang shrugged lightly: "Not much. They were utterly puzzled that you woke up independently from the True Dream Realm. Then they decided to try once more. If that fails, they will resort to force. Also, they recognized that Gui You Quan is a tough match. So Huangfu Ao—the Huangfu from that other world—will handle Gui You Quan, while the others deal with you!"

Lou Yun’s eyebrows involuntarily furrowed. This was the worst outcome he had foreseen: although Gui You Quan was near invincible, Huangfu Ao was no pushover. Even if slightly weaker, if Huangfu Ao tangled with Gui You Quan, Lou Yun’s own position would become critically dangerous. Even having found his soul, he could not possibly confront hundreds of Huangfu clan members now!

"They will probably come for you again tomorrow," said Chang Xiang. "So you had better hurry and confer with Gui You Quan. Come up with a plan—or else, you truly are in deep peril!"

After speaking, Chang Xiang’s voice ceased entirely. Chang Xiang’s reaction also puzzled Lou Yun.

It appeared Chang Xiang did not intend to help him anymore. Was he truly just planning to watch idly as Lou Yun plunged into peril without lifting a finger?