The so-called soul torment refers to the suffering experienced after death, when the soul departs the body, loses its support, and is engulfed in pain.
These pains can drive a person mad, causing them to lose their memory and sanity, ultimately resulting in a new soul being reborn as a blank slate, unaware of its past existence.
The loss of all memories of one's former life—according to wizardly records, after death, a soul must enter the Underworld. Yet, the journey to reincarnation is fraught with trials.
Along this path, the soul endures various torments from the "natural environments" of the Underworld, gradually erasing memories of its past life. Its sanity, too, becomes as blank as a fresh sheet of paper.
Soul torment is the most excruciating of pains, even the slightest torment can leave a person helpless in agony. This particular building has the ability to rescue souls, making it vital for the entire Divine Realm, an essential element for its progress.
The method of reincarnation here bears some resemblance to a story from China: one relies on the "natural environment" to erase the memories of a reincarnated soul, while the other uses a bowl of soup.
If the Divine Realm's structure is completed, it will possess the capacity to help souls escape this predicament.
There is another function of this structure, one that Zhao Lun does not consider significant—creation. Using the power of the Divine Realm, guided by the consciousness of its ruler, one can create objects.
Before the completion of this building, Zhao Lun had already been able to harness some of the Divine Realm's powers to manifest this ability.
Now, with the building, this ability is once again present, though the operation is more convenient and energy-efficient. Zhao Lun doesn't value it greatly because he can still create things without relying on this structure.
These two abilities are clear, defined, and immutable. The reason this building exists is solely because of him and the abilities born from his consciousness.
The soul-saving power is most influenced by House.
When House disappeared, he appeared to be perfectly fine, yet in truth, Zhao Lun had wished to save him. Unfortunately, that rescue never came, becoming a lingering regret—a regret that gave rise to this newfound ability.
Creation was a bold experiment by Zhao Lun, which eventually succeeded.
Both powers emerged because of Zhao Lun's needs.
The changes in the Divine Realm also stemmed from his inner thoughts and memories, evolving through the "rational" magic of the realm, progressing in a certain direction.
"Aaron! Aaron!"
A clear voice called out to him from below the clouds.
It was Aya! At that moment, she was flying anxiously beneath the clouds, hoping to reach the golden ones. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ascend.
The Sky City's anti-flight ability, unless granted permission by Zhao Lun, prevented any creature from reaching it.
Aya was unaware of this power. She continued to strain against the air, her face flushed with exertion, not willing to give up. But ultimately, she failed.
As she prepared to abandon her effort, she spotted a familiar figure below and called out without thinking.
"Aya, why aren't you tending to your flowers? What are you doing here?" Zhao Lun said, waving his hand. The little flower fairy beneath the golden clouds flew to his side, hovering before him.
Aya pouted, fluttering her golden wings in frustration. "You naughty Aaron, you made my wings dirty! You'll pay for them!"
With that, she flew close to him, her wings creating a faint fragrance of blossoms, and playfully "punched and kicked" him. However, her blows were too gentle to cause any harm. Zhao Lun found her antics rather amusing.
Transylvania Town.
Maria, Angela, and Monica strolled through the quaint town without any companions.
The townspeople were drawn to their beauty, and the trio had long since grown accustomed to the attention.
They basked in the warm sunlight, reflecting on the words Mulan had spoken: that walking more in this town would be beneficial for them. Though they didn't fully understand, they still wandered aimlessly.
After a short walk, they began to feel the benefits—a warm energy seemed to nourish them from the air. The more they felt it, the better they felt. Eventually, they followed the sensation and found themselves beyond the town's borders.
They exchanged knowing glances, feeling the warmth emanating from the mountains, and continued onward in silent agreement.
At the castle, Anna, Nicole, Penelope, and Mulan also experienced subtle changes.
Anna retrieved a rusted sword from her family's vault. As she polished it with a cloth, a faint light began to emanate from her body. With each motion, the light grew stronger until she was completely enveloped in its glow.
The sword in her hand, too, began to shine, the rust disappearing as it merged with the light surrounding her.
"Sing!" The sword seemed to hum.
Nicole sat in the sunlight, practicing the meditation technique she had learned from Mulan. As time passed, she felt herself becoming one with the light, her body exuding a soft radiance. She emitted light, drew it in, and after a series of fluctuations, the light finally settled on her.
Penelope, too, began to glow, though she didn't notice. Instead, she was startled by the sudden appearance of an uninvited guest— a unicorn.
This unicorn had appeared without the need for a spell or wand. It materialized purely from her silent thought.
Like a tangible, real creature, the unicorn seemed capable of carrying her.
It was a benign transformation of a summoned guardian.
In the kitchen, only Mulan was present. Before her lay a massive slab of meat—a freshly slaughtered bull.
With a graceful sweep of her slender hand, a cleaver appeared. A dazzling flash of light followed, and the skin of the beast peeled away effortlessly, as if it were merely a sheet of paper. She set the skin aside, and with another slash, the internal organs spilled out.
Mulan frowned, dissatisfied, and with a subtle wave, a living bull appeared.
This bull had large, fierce horns and an aggressive temperament. No one could control it, yet with Mulan's swift motion, the flesh and skin separated as though the bull felt no pain at all. Its body parted, the blood and organs each segregated with remarkable precision.
Mulan clasped her hands together and muttered a passage from a death prayer. As she spoke, her aura became solemn and holy, radiating immense, indescribable power.
Throughout the entire process, she maintained her usual elegance, befitting the title of grace.
The helpers, however, were awestruck by this grace. They found it to be so decisive and cold, like the hand of death itself. The person before them seemed almost beyond comprehension, nearing the divine.
They, too, were cautious, fearful of experiencing the same treatment.