C12 Soul Awakening

Guided by Ling Jing, Ning Que immediately refrained from further speculation. Ling Jing's wealth of experience and knowledge was beyond that of ordinary individuals, and Ning Que realized how foolish his interruptions had been. He resolved to follow Ling Jing's advice on cultivation matters, confident that it would lead him down the right path. All other concerns were secondary.

Having ingested a Spirit Gathering Pill to stabilize his mind, Ning Que focused on sensing the wakan around him. With his eyes closed, he could distinctly perceive numerous faint light spots, vibrant and constantly shifting in the air. He reached out to touch them, but they scattered like startled fish, darting away as he drew near.

Growing impatient after several attempts, Ning Que heard Ling Jing's voice: "Stay calm, don't rush. Try to blend with them." Enlightened by this advice, Ning Que composed himself and imagined that he was one of the myriad light spots, drifting with their unpredictable movements.

Gradually, the light spots began to accept him, as if acknowledging his presence. A few pale blue spots even drifted towards him, their familiar water-like aura filling Ning Que with joy.

At last, one light spot collided with Ning Que's body. This signaled a shift, and the other light spots quickly followed, flocking into him. The Spirit Gathering Pill accelerated the absorption of wakan dramatically.

Ling Jing had previously imparted the principles of Soul Awakening cultivation to Ning Que telepathically. The initial step involved drawing the wakan of heaven and earth into one's body and then using it to forge a Spirit Domain within the Dantian.

The process sounded straightforward but was far from simple. Ning Que channeled the relentless flow of wakan toward his Dantian. Despite the energy's tendency to dissipate along the way, he remained patient, persistently guiding it, accumulating power little by little.

Ling Jing stood by, his Divine Sense keenly attuned to the myriad changes occurring within Ning Que's body. Observing his current state, Ling Jing's face broke into a smile of admiration. On the journey of cultivation, talent is undeniably important, but even more crucial is one's character. The resilience Ning Que was demonstrating was truly commendable.

Time passed, and the once feeble wakan in Ning Que's dantian had transformed into a radiant, pure blue orb, too saturated to absorb any more energy.

The moment had come.

Ning Que inhaled deeply, ready to undertake the task of compressing and purifying the wakan.

His entire focus was on the blue orb, applying pressure from all sides. The mental strain was immense, and Ning Que, clenching his teeth, persevered despite the overwhelming force that threatened to make him pass out.

Eventually, under the relentless focus of Ning Que's will, the orb shrank, growing increasingly brilliant. Just when he was on the brink of exhaustion, the orb vibrated intensely and burst, unleashing a potent force that expanded within his dantian, creating a pale blue space. Simultaneously, the potency of the Spirit Gathering Pills hidden within his body was drawn out, their medicinal power cleansing his meridians and expelling impurities. Overwhelmed by a sense of profound relief and ease, Ning Que felt an urge to shout with joy.

He had triumphed.

A wry smile crept onto Ning Que's lips. It had been an arduous challenge; even the first step of cultivation had tested him, and he knew the path ahead would only grow steeper.

"Haha, how does it feel? Your pace of cultivation is decent, but you're still a tad slower than I was in my prime," Ling Jing's voice chimed in timely.

Ning Que opened his eyes to meet the elder's warm, yet somewhat self-conscious grin.

"Is that so?" Ning Que replied with a chuckle, his gaze playfully scrutinizing the old man's face until Ling Jing couldn't help but look away, slightly abashed.

"Uh, actually, it's not much different. I only spent a day to complete the Soul Awakening cultivation myself."

Ling Jing's cheeks reddened under Ning Que's gaze, and he responded with a touch of irritation.

"That's quite impressive. Ling Jing, you must have been an extraordinary talent back in your day."

Ning Que recognized that the old man might appear indifferent, but he was actually quite proud at heart. He promptly offered a compliment, which naturally brought a pleased smile to Ling Jing's face.

Having opened up his Spirit Domain, Ning Que noticed significant changes in his body. He could now clearly perceive everything within himself, from his internal organs to the pale blue space in his dantian, which thrilled him. Nonetheless, at Ling Jing's urging, he continued to meditate to both stabilize his Spirit Domain and further absorb the wakan from heaven and earth. With the Spirit Domain in place, the wakan that was absorbed had been refined and was much purer. Once the wakan filled the entire Spirit Domain, it would spread throughout his limbs and body, tempering it in a most profound way.

"Alright, go freshen up. You've completed your Soul Awakening cultivation today, and it's taken a toll on your mind. You need to rest properly."

After Ning Que finished meditating, Ling Jing, who had been waiting, could hardly contain his impatience. He pointed at Ning Que, his nose wrinkled in distaste, and then vanished into the Abyssal Ring with a flash of blue light.

Ning Que, still riding his wave of excitement, finally took notice of his condition upon hearing Ling Jing's words. He was shocked to find his skin coated with a layer of dark, oily residue – an unpleasant byproduct of the impurities expelled by the Spirit Gathering Pill.

Recalling the well in the courtyard outside his room, Ning Que got up immediately and dashed to it, drawing over ten buckets of water to cleanse himself. The cool well water was refreshingly soothing. Once clean, he returned to his room, dried off, and collapsed into bed, quickly succumbing to a deep, restorative sleep.

In the days that followed, tensions between the Ning family and the Hai family in Oceanwatch escalated, yet there were no excessively outrageous actions, allowing a semblance of peace to be superficially maintained.

Ning Chaoping was preoccupied with orchestrating the family's relocation and had little time to spare for Ning Que. He visited just once, presenting Ning Que with an Abyssal Ring. Upon inspection, Ning Que found it contained nothing more than soulstones and various cultivation manuals. These held little interest for him; with Ling Jing by his side, the traditional family cultivation methods seemed lackluster.

Ning Xian'er made it a point to visit Ning Que daily. She was astounded to learn that he had mastered the Soul Awakening Realm overnight.

Ning Que was eager to press on with his cultivation, but Ling Jing advised him to rest and recuperate his spirit. Remembering the adage about the folly of ignoring the wisdom of elders, Ning Que reluctantly agreed to take a break.

"The Hai family has become even more brazen lately, haven't they? They're causing trouble all over Oceanwatch, and even our Ning family's marketplace hasn't been spared," Ning Que remarked to Ning Xian'er as they sat in the courtyard, a routine that had become their norm. Though Ning Que hadn't ventured out, he had picked up on the rumors from the servants.

"Exactly. Ever since you injured Hai Tsunami, the Hai family head inexplicably ordered his people not to attack the Ning family. Given the current situation, it's likely someone in the Hai family is acting out of spite," Ning Xian'er replied, her brows knitting together. After demonstrating her prowess as a four-star Soul Warrior, Ning Chaoping, swamped with other responsibilities, entrusted her with managing the marketplace. Her strength commanded respect, and despite her youth, there were few dissenting voices within the clan.

"Is that so?" Ning Que chuckled. "I hardly see the Hai family head as a man of great generosity. After his son was dealt with, he's actually restraining his own men. It suggests they're plotting something much bigger."

"The family head and Elder Wu Cong have deliberated over this. The Hai family's behavior is indeed peculiar; they wouldn't align with the Shadowsea Cult without good reason. It's likely that mutual interests have brought them together."

Ning Xian'er remarked, "Regardless, the Hai family's dealings with the Shadowsea Cult are a reality. If they were to target the Ning family, it would be a trivial matter for them, and the Shadowsea Cult might even agree to it. Therefore, relocating our family remains an urgent necessity."

"Well then, let's move. A wise person knows when to press forward and when to pull back. Since we're at loose ends, how about I join you for a stroll through the market?"

Ning Que stretched languidly, a grin spreading across his face. "If someone from the Hai family has the audacity to defy their patriarch's wishes, it's only fair that we give them a little lesson."

Ning Xian'er shook her head. "Things are too unpredictable right now. Brother Ning Que, you'd be safer staying at the mansion. If anything were to happen, I couldn't look after you, and I'd never be able to justify it to the Patriarch."

At her words, Ning Que chuckled. "Little sister, why would I need you to look after me? Do you really think I can't handle a few minor members of the Hai family on my own?"

"Considering your level in the Soul Awakening Realm... You're not thinking of taking the Soulfire Elixir, are you? I would never allow it."

Ning Xian'er hesitated to be too forthright, but Ning Que caught on, realizing she was concerned that his Soul Awakening Realm cultivation was insufficient.

"Do you honestly believe I'd be foolish enough to resort to the Soulfire Elixir? Silly girl, I was merely speaking off the cuff. But as for why I managed to fend off Tsunami Sky, I can't reveal that to you just yet. The time will come, though."

Ning Que smiled, affectionately ruffling Ning Xian'er's hair.

"So, you deceived the Patriarch that day?"

Ning Xian'er could tell Ning Que wasn't lying, yet she remained skeptical.

"Given certain circumstances, I couldn't divulge the true reason, so I had to concoct an excuse," Ning Que admitted with a shrug. "You know me—I'm not fond of deception. I pride myself on being forthright."

​