Li Yunxian felt the multicolored threads of light entering her body, her judgment fluctuating between certainty and doubt.
She was someone with a fair amount of experience in this regard. She had possessed merit golden light more than once before. It wasn’t surprising that merit golden light would appear this time as well.
Restoring spiritual power to the entirety of Shenzhou was, in a sense, a way of revitalizing the land.
From this moment on, the cultivators of Shenzhou, whether they followed the path of righteousness or the Demonic Path, would once again have the opportunity to continue their ascent and enter the transcendence stage to achieve ascension.
This was indeed an act of great karmic merit.
However, it was the first time she had actually seen the true form of merit golden light, and it appeared so hesitant — as if it couldn’t make a choice even after a long while.
In the past, Li Yunxian’s experience had always been the merit golden light suddenly entering her body. Most likely, those before her had never seen merit golden light like this either.
What they saw was the golden, shimmering appearance it took after entering the body. Otherwise, the phenomenon would probably have been named “merit rainbow” rather than “merit golden light.”
The current situation was truly novel.
Fortunately, the merit golden light only wavered for a moment. After those few seconds of hesitation, it made its decision.
80% of the merit entered Li Yunxian’s body, while only 20% went to Su Wenjing.
It was Su Wenjing’s first time possessing merit golden light. He felt the sensation with some curiosity and let out a confused sound.
“What is going on with this thing? Why do I only have this little?”
Given that the merit golden light had appeared the moment they restored the final spirit power source, its origin was undoubtedly tied to this achievement. But… hadn’t he been the one who contributed the most this time?
Yet, he only received 20%. That didn’t seem right.
Li Yunxian pondered for a moment, sensing that Su Wenjing’s confusion might have been the reason the merit golden light had hesitated earlier. But in the end, such a distribution wasn’t surprising.
“It’s your own fault for dismantling those things only to reinstall them yourself,” Li Yunxian teased.
“If the Heavenly Dao took into account whether someone was exploiting a bug to farm merit golden light, you probably wouldn’t have even gotten that 20%.”
“That… seems to be the case…” Su Wenjing was left speechless.
However, he hadn’t been seeking the merit golden light to begin with. Thinking back to the portion he had received, Su Wenjing frowned and asked Li Yunxian, “Will taking only 80% be enough to repair the rest of your divine soul?”
Li Yunxian arched an eyebrow, answering with confidence and joy, “Of course it’s enough!”
After saying that, she continued to grumble, “I received a lot of merit golden light back when I was on Qingxing, and what I got this time isn’t a small amount either. Comparing the two…”
‘I feel like that previous world I traveled to definitely embezzled my merit golden light!’
In terms of actual karmic merit, that should have been her largest share. However, since she was now a world away, there was no point in badmouthing the Heavenly Dao of another world.
After making that comment, Li Yunxian looked at Su Wenjing and began to wonder about something else. “You returned all those spirit power sources, so why hasn’t your cultivation level changed?”
Previously, back in the divine ruins secret realm, Su Wenjing had told his elders, like You Su Yu, that he needed to restore the spirit power sources to move forward and ascend with her.
Li Yunxian had assumed that once Su Wenjing finished repairing those things, his cultivation level would soar in an instant.
But… Su Wenjing was still in the fenshen stage.
Su Wenjing was at a loss for words.
“I spent so long suppressing and storing most of the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of this entire planet just to ensure they remained intact for a future chance at restoration. How could I have done that without paying any price?”
Li Yunxian recalled a flash of perception she’d had when she first saw Su Wenjing’s true form basking in the sun — those two missing tails on his original body.
“So you stored those things in your tails,” Li Yunxian realized.
Space-related divine abilities combined with a body at the transcendence stage, plus being separated from the main body — no wonder everyone had eventually believed Su Wenjing when he claimed he had destroyed so many spirit power sources. If none of them had been left behind, it made sense.
“So the tails aren’t coming back — ” Li Yunxian couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.
Those were his tails!
Su Wenjing, on the other hand, didn’t mind. Having had his tails severed for so long, he was very clear about his body’s condition and how to handle it.
“Before, because they were still there, my cultivation was restricted. Now, I just need to reconsolidate my power. It’s not a big problem,” Su Wenjing said.
A nine-tailed fox’s tails were each unique. Although Su Wenjing had separated them, as long as they still existed in the world, his missing tails could not reappear.
This was perhaps a restriction placed on Su Wenjing by the Heavenly Dao of Shenzhou. A restriction to keep him from ascending.
Su Wenjing carried more than half of Shenzhou’s assets. If he were to ascend and take all those spirit power sources with him, it would be a devastating blow to Shenzhou.
Thinking of this, Li Yunxian understood even more why Su Wenjing’s act of repairing the spirit power sources granted merit golden light. This also explained why she had received such a large share of that light.
Li Yunxian reached out and poked Su Wenjing, asking with interest, “Was what you told your aunt and the others about wanting to restore Shenzhou’s spiritual power because of the upcoming integration with the interstellar world true or false?”
Su Wenjing couldn’t understand why she was suddenly asking this, but he answered honestly, “It’s true, of course. Why would I lie to my aunt?”
‘Could I have guessed wrong?’
Li Yunxian felt that the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t make a misjudgment, so she thought of another possibility.
“Then… if I weren’t here… would you have still made this choice?” Li Yunxian asked.
Su Wenjing froze. He hadn’t considered that question.
But since Li Yunxian had asked, he gave it some thought. He slowly averted his gaze from hers, replying with a hint of embarrassment, “Then maybe…”
“I wouldn’t have. It wasn’t exactly necessary, anyway.” He had no secret oath regarding ascension.
If Li Yunxian weren’t there, Su Wenjing would have preferred to stay in this world. This peaceful world that they had all built with their own hands.
Although Qingqiu had become the divine ruins, it was still a place of sentimental value to Su Wenjing.
Compared to the completely unknown world after ascension, he preferred Shenzhou. He was willing to stay here forever, guarding this place.
“As for the cultivation of others in Shenzhou… after establishing exchange with the interstellar side, teleportation isn’t difficult. They could just go to other planets to cultivate. There was no real need to go through all this trouble.”
He was just Professor Su, a man who never liked meddling in affairs and only occasionally took on missions.
Listening to Su Wenjing’s honest confession, Li Yunxian felt a desire to laugh, mixed with a touch of helplessness.
The thought that You Su Yu and the others had once sighed about — ‘My absolutely hopeless romantic of a nephew’ — popped into her head.
But as she looked at Su Wenjing, she felt that this hopeless romantic was suddenly quite adorable.
‘I suppose I can be a bit of a romantic fool myself,’ Li Yunxian thought. She grabbed Su Wenjing’s hand and said grandly, “Since that’s the case, just leave the materials for repairing your tails to me!”
In her interstellar accounts, her wealth was beyond counting. As long as it could be bought with money, it was no problem for her.
At this moment, Li Yunxian suddenly felt the joy of being a wealthy benefactor supporting a handsome companion.
Hearing Li Yunxian’s words, Su Wenjing didn’t know how to respond.
Li Yunxian noticed a strange expression on his face. “What? Is it very difficult?”
“Not really,” Su Wenjing replied. He let out a dry cough and said softly, “…I just need to use the Blood Pool of Tongtian.”
Precisely because the Blood Pool of Tongtian was so useful to him, Su Wenjing had chosen to serve as a high-ranking member of the academy.
Li Yunxian was stunned. Her attempt at being a hopeless romantic was a total failure!
She abruptly recalled the night she and Su Wenjing had officially met for the first time.
He had been naturally confused as to why Li Yunxian hadn’t used the Blood Pool of Tongtian to forge a new body. Thinking back now… what Su Wenjing had meant was…
Did he expect her to use the Blood Pool to condense a body with the strength of the transcendence stage directly?
The corners of Li Yunxian’s mouth twitched as the realization dawned on her.
Failing in her role as a rich lady supporting a fox companion, Li Yunxian returned to Xuantong Academy with Su Wenjing, feeling a slight sense of regret.
Su Wenjing needed to use the Blood Pool to repair his body, and Li Yunxian needed to go to the workshop to repair her divine soul.
Their destinations were nearly identical.
However, by this time, there were few people left in Xuantong Academy whom Li Yunxian recognized.
Repairing the spirit power sources in various locations had taken Li Yunxian and Su Wenjing many years. The student body of the entire academy had already cycled through two waves.
Even most of the assistant instructors Li Yunxian knew had felt they weren’t suited for teaching and chose to leave the academy, just as Professor Hua Shunyu had. Only a few people remained diligently committed to their roles as assistants.
Duan Qiu was among that latter group. However, she was not currently in the academy either. Having been stuck at the Jindan Great Perfection for a long time, she needed external stimulation to promote her progress.
Staying in the academy was no longer suitable for her. Duan Qiu had taken on another interstellar exchange activity and was reportedly providing disaster relief on some distant planet.
Li Tiansuo was also absent from the workshop.
Now that Li Yunxian and Su Wenjing had just finished repairing the final spirit power source, Li Tianying, as the top figure in Artifact Crafting in Shenzhou, naturally had to guard these final cities just in case.
When Li Yunxian entered the workshop, she was met with many unfamiliar faces. They looked at her with curiosity and confusion.
Only the array for clearing the mind and calming the spirit that Li Yunxian had left behind in the workshop sensed her arrival, emitting concentric rings of light in welcome.
This wasn’t a special privilege for Li Yunxian as the array’s creator, but rather a proof given to anyone whose identity was authenticated.
Seeing this, the people in the workshop immediately identified Li Yunxian as one of their own.
A greeting soon came her way: “Newcomer, if you’re free, come lend a hand. These are parts for the reconstruction of the new city, and they’re urgent!”
Li Yunxian walked over actively and responded, “Okay! I’m coming!”
Forging and mending her divine soul had never prevented her from doing other things. Previously, she had been repairing her divine soul while studying under Li Tianying.
And so…
Under the heat and smelting of the Heaven-Grade Artifact workshop, Li Yunxian’s divine soul mended piece by piece. When the final fragment was slotted into place, Li Yunxian clearly felt her golden core tremble.
The Nascent Soul figure inside the golden core became crystal clear and ethereal, instantly taking on a smaller version of Li Yunxian’s appearance. As if possessing its own consciousness, this tiny Li Yunxian opened its eyes.
Sword Qi billowed from her body.
The golden core shell, which Li Yunxian had reinforced time and again until it was a thick, solid fortress, was torn apart inch by inch by the Sword Qi.
Breaking the core to form the soul — the nascent soul stage.
The workshop member working with Li Yunxian stared at her in total shock.
Because Li Yunxian’s demonstrated abilities were excellent, the members partnered with her were not only knowledgeable but had high cultivation levels. This person was also at the Jindan Great Perfection.
Sensing the change in Li Yunxian’s aura, he realized instantly that she had broken through.
He looked at the instruments in his hands, then at Li Yunxian’s current movements as she held the parts, falling into a stunned silence. What on earth did this person just do to reach the nascent soul stage so suddenly?
Was this even possible?!
He uttered the same question that everyone who met Li Yunxian eventually asked. He instinctively wanted to mimic what she had just done to see if he could grasp the inspiration to reach the nascent soul stage himself.
But then, seeing the noisy environment around them, he eventually moved to protect Li Yunxian during her advancement.
He would try again once her breakthrough was finished. In any case, he could feel that Li Yunxian’s aura had already surpassed the range he could sense. He just had to wait for her aura to stabilize, which should be quick.
At least, that was what he thought.
But in reality —
Li Yunxian’s aura did not stabilize. Instead, it continued to climb higher and higher.
What had been restraining her was always her shattered divine soul and her body. Now, her divine soul was repaired, and her body had been continuously strengthened and forged.
The nascent soul stage was not the limit of her current advancement. The nascent soul, which had started as a tiny version of her, grew rapidly, expanding until it reached the same size as her physical form.
At this level, it was no longer a Nascent Soul. It was a true Divine Soul.
This was the fenshen stage.
And yet, Li Yunxian’s cultivation level still did not stop. Her Divine Soul merged bit by bit into her body, becoming one with her flesh and blood. After completing this, Li Yunxian slowly opened her eyes.
Mid-tier Integration stage.
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