"Climb quicker, Chang Yu! I'd rather not lose a night of sleep because I chose to be diligent and look for you when you didn't return this afternoon!"
Meilin's words cut like a double-edged sword—perhaps too sharp. Chang Yu couldn't shake off the peculiar gut feeling that they contained something more than just scorn. In his past life, he had heard that some women expressed affection through surface-level contempt.
That said, wondering if her words had a second meaning didn't mean he would ascend the seemingly endless staircase any less arduous, making matters worse, at his current elevation, he just barely made out the appearance of the rising moon from between the vast groves. The moon was at its peak when they at last arrived at the grandiose Blossom Mountain Palace. The sprawling complex featured numerous halls, serving as both living quarters and places of learning for the palace's disciples. In addition, there was a magnificent main hall where the esteemed Palace leader resided.
"Well, well, well, it appears that you've found the gall to return!"
As Chang Yu and Meilin passed through the front gate, their attention was immediately drawn to a commanding voice. Chang Yu recognised that the words were directed at him. Turning towards the source, he encountered a young man, likely in his late teens or early twenties, with a physique similar to his and Meilin's. Unlike Chang Yu, the young man had a more muscular build and his strikingly blocky and square facial features gave him a rugged appearance as if he were sculpted from the mountain they stood upon. His piercing, bulging eyes locked onto Chang Yu, conveying an intense gaze.
"And you are?"
As Chang Yu spoke, he could see anger well up in the man's body
"You dare forget me! I am Kang Shan, you fool! Now you'd better remember it, or else!"
Kang Shan stormed off, his teeth clenched, just from this encounter, Chang Yu figured that Kang Shan was intentionally on bad terms with him, likely a bully or something similar. He quickly used his Soul Inspection method on Kang Shan.
Kang Shan's soul resembled a solid lump, unlike the wispy light of Meilin's soul, but, unlike Chang Yu's it didn't possess a human-like shape, with Chang Yu's expertise he placed it in the range of 5-10 man soul, most likely 10 man soul.
Interesting, Chang Yu I understand, since my soul had been significantly diminished, but, why does he have a greater soul?
He couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that his precious Soul Cultivation techniques might have been stolen and handed down through the ages. Shortly after, he and Meilin parted ways and headed to their respective dorm rooms. Now, faced with the most challenging task of the day, he had to scour for clues to unravel the mystery of who Chang Yu truly was or had been.
After a surprisingly lengthy search, Chang Yu combed through every potential hiding spot he could think of for a diary or collection of memories. His efforts seemed to be in vain as every place turned up empty. However, his perseverance paid off when he carefully examined the bookshelf and discovered, concealed among the other books, what appeared to be a diary cleverly camouflaged to blend in.
"Excellent, now let's see what Chang Yu felt good about writing down…"
It was another hour as he read and reared the diary, combing for details that were immediately relevant, what he found was the following:
1. Blossom Mountain Palace was located in a place called the "Huagu Sacred Land".
2. Chang Yu was a childhood friend of Meilin, having been brought into Blossom Mountain Palace at her request.
3. Chang Yu was struggling in his cultivation, despite being there for 5 years, he had only broken through to the middle stage of the Body Awakening realm.
4. Chang Yu had a crush on Meilin that he never acted on due to feelings of inferiority.
Kang Shan was Chang Yu's bully within the sect, not punished due to his higher cultivation and greater talent.
Fortunately, the unsuspecting members of Blossom Mountain Palace were oblivious to the fact that Chang Yu, the unassuming disciple, had once been a feared individual. However, Chang Yu was acutely aware that he needed to devise a plan to remove Kang Shan from the sect without drawing the attention of the higher-ranking members. At that moment, a thought entered his head.
What if I don't even need to kill Kang Shan?
For months before his untimely demise, Chang Yu had been consumed by an idea: the notion of soul replacement. He was convinced that by severing a part of his soul's foundation, he could imprint his soul onto another being, effectively substituting their essence with his own. Unfortunately, his focus on survival and his need to draw strength from the lives of others prevented him from delving into this concept. Now, free from imminent danger, he pondered whether he could finally delve into this unexplored possibility.
Chang Yu tossed the diary aside, it didn't have much use, though, it did have a location marked on a map, likely the place Chang Yu was trying to go before Pale Soul Monarch reincarnated into his body. According to the words of Xiao Meilin, Chang Yu had vanished from the sect and she had been dispatched to look for him, it was likely he was heading towards the marked location for some reason.
An inheritance ground, perhaps?
He speculated that Chang Yu might have inherited resources from higher-realm cultivators. It was known that these cultivators often left behind valuable resources for their chosen successor or disciple in either the lower realm or the heavenly realm. Thus, the idea of Chang Yu trying to acquire such an inheritance did not come as a shock to him.
While my Soul methods never got away from me, at least, as far as I know. This inheritance could provide me with a good deal of inspiration for new methods… but I'll need to improve my cultivation and my inner world.
At present, his main obstacle was his remarkably low level of cultivation. Cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage, the stage following Body Awakening, typically have a fully formed inner world. Although those at the Body Awakening stage also possess an inner world, it is of significantly lower quality. Upon examining his inner world, he found nothing but a black void with two notable features. First, he could see his soul hovering high above him, enveloped in a pale blue light. Second, and perhaps more significantly, there was a large red rift situated far below him, likely a consequence of his reincarnation.
As Chang Yu settled onto his bed, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. With a deep breath, he turned his attention inward, focusing on the very core of his being. A profound ache emanated from his chest as his soul began to fade, its ethereal form growing increasingly unstable while a small fragment of his soul started to orbit around it. Chang Yu lamented the reduction of his soul foundation, having split off a 10 Man Soul from his now 90 Man Soul.
Well… that was easy
This subordinate greets the main body
Huh? Who said that?
Me, the fragment of your soul that you split off
Well, at least you acknowledge me as your superior! You shall be named Kang Shan, for that is who I will ensure you control!
Chang Yu would sleep until morning… or, at least, he would try. Chang Yu was awakened early by a rough knocking on his door, he let out a yawn as he got out of bed shuffled over to the door and gingerly opened it. On the other side, thankfully, was Xiao Meilin and she was accompanied by two elder members of the sect. They were both much older than the two of them, in appearance, they were likely around 60 to 70 if Chang Yu had to guess.
"Consider yourself lucky, Disciple Chang Yu, Lady Meilin decided to have you as part of her entourage."
Chang Yu saw the very obvious advantage, put his hands together, fist-in-palm, and bowed toward the elder member and, more importantly, Xiao Meilin.
"Disciple Chang Yu is honoured to be granted such an opportunity."
The other elder stroked his long beared, chuckling as he saw Chang Yu bow.
"Good, good, good, if not talent, then this boy certainly has manners."