Chapter 172 - Finding Her Own Path
Bai Rouyun was aware that, for unknown reasons, her soul had previously been split into pieces, and only because of the merge with the soul within this body had she managed to repair it.
Since her soul had become whole, her mind had also cleared. She had also managed to get the Tiandi Martial State, which was gained by looking at the world with clear eyes.
Although she was now experiencing the trial of a Heart Demon, she did not panic. She understood that this could be a blessing in disguise if she succeeded.
The Heart Demon appeared when one questioned their path of cultivation, their future, or their purpose. But due to Bai Rouyun's clearsightedness, she understood that while this Heart Demon had appeared for some reason, it was also not necessary to give up one to have the other.
She did not have to give up her past just to see a bright future; neither did she have to abandon her future to live in the past.
Past, present, and future, all of them belonged to her. She was the one who had experienced all this, and it would indeed create a Heart Demon if she just let those who had caused her such harm to go free.
But although she wished for revenge, she had no interest in living solely for this purpose. She wanted to look forward to the future. To look forward to her life with Li Moyun, and see the day where they stood side by side, dominating the world, and creating a family.
The past and the future were woven together. Both were equally important for her, as these experiences had created the person she was at present. If she denied either, she would be denying herself, and this was something she would never be able to overcome.
When facing a Heart Demon, it was important to take the time to truly feel one's innermost emotions. What was one's most burning wish? What was it that one wanted most from life?
Bai Rouyun had never experienced a Heart Demon before, but she understood that this was a crossroad in her cultivation path. She dared not take it lightly, but even more so, she was not willing to sacrifice any of the experiences that made her who she was.
A strange feeling began welling up within her body. It was a comfortable heat, which wrapped around her soul. She could feel that her soul, which had been feeling much better after the merge with this body, was being nurtured.
It was the same comfort as one felt when a tired and worn-out body was lowered into a comfortable and hot bath. The soothing and gentle feeling made her soul slowly unwind.
Bai Rouyun knew that she had found her answer, and that her soul was finally showing signs of healing.
While she had felt that her soul was much better due to the merge, it was still far from healed. It was whole, but anything which had been broken would take time to fully recover, and now that she had found peace with her direction and purpose in life, she felt as if her soul had been mended completely.
This comfort was so intoxicating that Bai Rouyun almost lost her senses, but she quickly pulled her mind back and took a deep breath. She had overcome the Heart Demon; she had found her way.
Li Moyun felt that the absorption rate was slowing down. He could see that her body had grown to the Innate Realm, Orange Tier, Third Layer.
This advance was in some way good for Bai Rouyun, as her strength had grown, but due to the rapid increase, her body was not capable of handling the sudden burst in power.
Frowning, Li Moyun knew that Bai Rouyun would have to spend a long time adjusting her body's ability to be able to truly accept this new rank. She would have to soak in treasured medicinal liquid to strengthen her body, and she would also have to enter places such as the gravity room to temper it.
Right now, her Qi was at a high level, but Li Moyun was not sure if he should laugh or cry. Since her body could not withstand the strength of her Qi, she was actually as good as a cripple until her body became strong enough.
If she were to use the Qi that was stored within her dantian, then she would end up injuring herself. While she might not cause irreversible damage, as long as she only used a slight amount, she would still be damaged and have to recuperate.
This was truly the situation of using eight hundred men to kill a thousand. Not worth it at all.
Slowly, Bai Rouyun's eyelids trembled more intensely than before, and they slowly opened. Her eyes were somewhat dazed as she saw the worried expression of Li Moyun. She raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek, only to feel that he was, in fact, real.
Her dazed eyes focused. Looking around, she found that she was in their bedroom. She knew that she had experienced a trial of a Heart Demon, and her mind was unusually clear.
She soon felt the changes that had occurred in her body as well, and she could not help but frown. She, too, understood that the Qi, which had gathered in her dantian, was at a level where she could not control it.
While it was extremely pure and mighty, her body had been dragging her back for so long. It had been mistreated by her old family for so long, starved and beaten daily, and it would take a lot of effort to make it strong enough to contend with other cultivators.