Chapter 9: Spirit and Soul
Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Spirit and Soul
[Name: Zhu Ge]
[Lifespan: 33 Years]
[Trait: Kunpeng]
[Inventory: Kunpeng]
Another ten years of lifespan!
Zhu Ge felt a pang in his heart.
But in the next instant, it was replaced by a sense of calm.
’The Kunpeng trait is an aggregate of many ordinary traits. Besides "Calm," there must be others.’
This matched Zhu Ge’s previous conclusion about the essence of the Kunpeng.
The so-called unique traits were aggregates formed from the combination of countless other traits!
Just like the dragons of legend, which were said to be amalgamations of deer antlers, eagle talons, and so on.
Many traits had aggregated together to become this so-called "Kunpeng"!
He didn’t know how many traits the Kunpeng possessed, or what they were, but for now, the only one he had discovered was "Calm."
However, he was certain it wasn’t the only one.
Even now, using the Kunpeng only allowed him to reassess all the strange points from the day.
To break the stalemate, he still needed a key piece of the puzzle.
’The key... Kunpeng...’
Zhu Ge lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his mind racing.
The first thing that came to mind was the origin of the Kunpeng trait.
That first simulation, where he went from a fish egg to a Swordfish, and then transcended at the very last moment.
Calm judgment was certainly an important trait, but the moment Zhu Ge equipped it, he knew there had to be another trait more suitable for the current situation.
’Right, transcendence...’
Zhu Ge suddenly recalled his summary after the simulation.
If this world had souls, could the physical body be considered a fence for the soul?
When the Swordfish was in its egg, the egg was its fence, but it also protected the Swordfish.
After breaking out of its shell, the ocean became the Swordfish’s fence, but it was also the very place it depended on for survival.
The soul was the same!
In his past life, he had heard that the physical body was the soul’s shackles, but also a harbor that protected it from harm.
If that was the case, could the "Kunpeng" trait, born from a Swordfish evolving into a Sky-Dominating Swordfish, have a similar ability, like astral projection?
’Transcendence!’
Zhu Ge’s eyes snapped open.
He had thought of the word "transcendence."
To let the soul transcend!
As this thought crossed his mind, the Kunpeng trait suddenly activated, and a profound, mysterious feeling washed over him.
’It’s possible!’
This world was already mystical; astral projection was indeed possible!
A film seemed to appear before Zhu Ge, as if a gentle poke was all it would take to soar into the sky.
Following that feeling, he pierced through the film.
The next moment, an irrepressible feeling of euphoria washed over him.
Breaking free of the fence!
It was just like hatching from the fish egg, like flying from the ocean into the sky.
A brand-new perspective unfolded before him.
Originally, after equipping the Kunpeng trait, seeing the world had already become much clearer, like someone with severe myopia putting on glasses.
But now, it was as if he was looking through a thermal imager and an X-ray scope combined.
He could see so much more!
’What am I? A red egg?’
The first thing Zhu Ge "saw" was himself.
It was a very mystical feeling, like watching a game character from a god’s-eye view.
He was now viewing his own body, still lying on the bed, from a unique perspective, along with the soul floating above it.
His soul was a red egg, roughly the size of a bucket.
’Perhaps after some kind of breakthrough, the egg will turn into a fish, then evolve into a bird... or rather, it’ll first become the Kun, then the Peng.’
Zhu Ge guessed.
His egg-shaped soul was red, while his body appeared blue.
’This must mean the ethereal soul can leave the body, but the corporeal soul cannot. That’s why my soul is red, while my body appears blue.’
With the Kunpeng trait equipped, Zhu Ge’s thoughts were exceptionally quick and smooth.
Next, he looked over at his parents, who were also getting ready for bed not far away.
’Just as I thought! Only red!’
The versions of his parents Zhu Ge saw only had the red color of the ethereal soul; their corporeal souls had clearly been stolen.
The Gods specialized in devouring the corporeal soul!
’Let me see if I can fly...’
Zhu Ge gave it a try, and his soul floated gently upward.
It passed through the beams, through the roof, and into the sky.
The entirety of Jianshan Village spread out before his eyes.
The experience was completely unprecedented.
But more than ten seconds had passed since he equipped the Kunpeng, and Zhu Ge couldn’t afford to waste time on the experience.
At this moment, his mind was as solid as a rock.
’Wait, this situation...’
But in the next instant, even the "Calm" granted by the Kunpeng almost wasn’t enough to keep his composure.
In his vision, the surroundings were densely packed with fiery-red, humanoid souls.
This meant their ethereal souls were all present.
But what made Zhu Ge’s blood run cold was that looking across the entire village, only his body still had any trace of blue.
None of the other humanoid souls had the color of the corporeal soul!
Did this mean everyone’s corporeal soul had been stolen?!
’It’s also possible that I’m already dead, and they’re still alive.’
Zhu Ge tried to comfort himself.
Of course, the probability of that was extremely small.
In any case, when comparing the two possibilities, either everyone else was dead, or he was dead and everyone else was alive.
But based on the state of his parents and the others, it was most likely that everyone’s corporeal soul had been stolen.
The crucial point was, when he observed his parents and the people farming in the fields today, their condition was completely different from that of laborers like Ma Laizi and Yu the Scholar.
His parents and the others moved mechanically, their eyes were dull, and they spoke in a monotone.
But Ma Laizi and the others had clearly seemed like living people.
But that was his observation during the day.
Now, looking at their soul-states, Zhu Ge was stunned.
’Hua Xiaomei, Ma Laizi, and Yu the Scholar, who talked to me today... what in the world are they...?’
Zhu Ge wanted to sigh, but the urge was instantly suppressed by extreme calmness.
His brain was like a precision machine, completely intolerant of unnecessary emotions like regret, grief, or fear that could affect his judgment.
’Return!’
With a single thought, Zhu Ge’s soul immediately returned to his body.
He opened his eyes, felt his own body heat and healthy flesh, and immediately confirmed his judgment.
Everyone in the entire village, except for him, had had their corporeal souls stolen!
However...
’Two Gods?’
Even in his state of extreme calm, Zhu Ge couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
This current situation, with two different sets of memories and two different states among the villagers, clearly indicated that there was more than one "thing" in Jianshan Village!
The tangled mess of the daytime began to clear up after he equipped the Kunpeng trait.
There were two unknown entities in Jianshan Village!
It was just as Zhu Ge had initially thought: before a God had fully matured, its methods were extremely limited. It couldn’t directly manipulate or kill people.
Although they could steal corporeal souls, they were afraid of sunlight and moonlight.
After all, if it were a powerful God, there would have been no need for Yu the Scholar’s warning.
The entire village would have likely been devoured in a single gulp as it passed by; there would be no chance for Zhu Ge to be maneuvering here.
But the current existence of two different memory sets and states made Zhu Ge suspect that more than just one God had its eyes on this place.
’Also, there was that warning chirp from the insects again today...’
The chirping of the insects outside the window was sharp and piercing, but it stopped around midnight and vanished without a trace.
’Since the Teacher left, the village has been cast into turmoil...’
Zhu Ge couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.
When the Teacher was here, everything was normal.
The Teacher has been gone for three days, and all sorts of monsters have started crawling out of the woodwork.
This made Zhu Ge realize once again that no matter which world you were in, survival was inextricably linked to power.
Might makes right!