Before Yu Ying died, the apocalypse had raged for thirteen years. Extreme weather had wiped out most of the pre-apocalypse food supplies, leaving survivors to subsist on nutrient solutions with strange, unappetizing flavors.
Even among the highest-ranking superpowered individuals, the best she could manage was military-grade canned meat—often beginning to spoil—and it wasn't available every day.
Yu Ying had no interest in immortality whatsoever, but the thought of the city at the foot of the sect's mountain! A city overflowing with the delicious food and wine she had longed for over a decade, made her want to leap down immediately.
She'd climb straight into a restaurant and start feasting!
But before she could move, Yu Ling grabbed her and pressed her back down onto the straw mat behind the screen.
Yu Ying: "..."
The original owner's cousin was petite and delicate, yet her strength surpassed that of a typical strength-based ability user.
Whatever you want to do, you have to heal your injuries first. The Soul-Stabilizing Pill is precious don't waste it," Yu Ling said, sitting cross-legged on the straw mat beside her, urging the completely bewildered Yu Ying.
"Uncle Yang said that once the Soul-Stabilizing Pill enters your body, you must quickly circulate your cultivation technique to absorb it. Only then can your shattered soul be stabilized and your spiritual consciousness repaired."
If you have the chance to find rare and precious materials in the future, you might be able to restore your spiritual roots and lifespan to some extent.
Yu Ling felt like cursing again. This forbidden technique requiring one to sacrifice lifespan and soul while burning spiritual roots and aptitude was clearly dangerous even for a fool. What had her cousin been thinking?!
Having survived countless dangers, Yu Ying possessed exceptionally keen senses. This gentle, lovely cousin must have a fiery and energetic personality like a fire-breathing dragon.
Yu Ying politely ushered her out: "Cousin must be quite busy, right? You go ahead and do your work. I can handle healing myself."
Yu Ying didn't want to be scolded; she just wanted to get the person out of her hair and off the mountain as quickly as possible.
The original owner had been willing to sacrifice herself, preferring to have her soul scattered rather than break through. She had gotten what she wanted and left no last wishes. Everything was exactly as Yu Ying wished.
She didn't care whether her soul or lifespan had problems. She was already dead so she might as well live as long as she could. Not wasting a single day? That was a bonus.
Yu Ling immediately saw through Yu Ying's perfunctory attitude, and her temper flared.
"I've only been busy for half a month, and you've already shattered your spiritual consciousness! If i go, are you planning to kill yourself with your own healing techniques?!"
Yu Ying wanted to argue, but… it wasn't that serious. She hadn't even had a proper meal yet, and dying now, with her eyes wide open in disbelief, was simply unacceptable.
"The new spiritual herbs have just been planted, and I've already asked the senior sister in the Spirit Herb Garden to help take care of them. I'm not going anywhere these days!" Yu Ling interrupted with a cold laugh.
"If you keep nagging, I'll beat you up. Hurry and heal your wounds!"
Yu Ying remained silent.
Truthfully, if it weren't so strenuous and her head didn't hurt, she'd be happy to get some treatment. The problem was that the original owner's vague memories didn't include instructions on how to circulate the cultivation technique!
But when Yu Ying looked up and saw Yu Ling trying and failing hands resisting touching her hands, she quickly realized that pragmatism was the wiser choice. She closed her eyes and struck a pose, pretending to meditate and cultivate, just like she vaguely remembered.
Pretending was far better than getting beaten up.
To her surprise, just as she thought about circulating her internal energy, a mysterious, faint stream of energy rose three inches below her navel. It flowed naturally along the acupoints in her body, skillfully and effortlessly, without any control on her part.
Yu Ying: "..." Muscle memory? Acupoint memory, maybe?
The spiritual energy circulating within her was enveloped by the properties of the Soul-Stabilizing Pill, moving swiftly through her body.
A tingling warmth rose from her dantian, drifted up behind her neck, and surged into her mind or rather, her spiritual sea.
Yu Ying's expression remained subtle.
Even with her eyes closed, she could vaguely see a hazy, green-tinged spiritual energy flowing through her body.
The location of spiritual consciousness was subtle essentially the brain domain in those with superpowers.
Yu Ying could vaguely see the empty, swirling mist within. Every rotation caused a faint, lingering pain. This… Yu Ying suspected her spiritual consciousness might never fully recover. It wasn't broken, it was simply missing something crucial.
As expected, three days later, her spiritual consciousness showed no signs of recovery. Using even a small amount of spiritual energy caused her head to split with pain.
Yu Ling used her spiritual energy to examine Yu Ying's spiritual consciousness. The effects of the Soul-Stabilizing Pill had completely faded, yet Yu Ying's spiritual consciousness remained shattered.
"I heard the uncle from the Cultivation Hall say that the soul and consciousness complement each other.
As long as the soul is stable, the Soul-Stabilizing Pill should be enough to stimulate the soul and repair the consciousness." Yu Ling looked puzzled. She took Yu Ying's soul lamp out of her Qiankun bag to inspect it more closely.
Inside the gilded bronze lamp, about the thickness of a thumb and decorated with tiny animal figures, a soft, steady, bean-sized pale blue flame flickered. It indicated that Yu Ying's soul had stabilized.
Yu Ying's eyes flickered as she looked at the soul lamp. She could feel that once she began practicing, the sensation of her head about to split completely had vanished.
"It's good that the soul is stable. As for the spiritual consciousness… it's normal that the Soul-Stabilizing Pill has no effect since we're dealing with forbidden techniques."
Without making a sound, she rose and moved toward the door. "I'll ask at the library. If the librarian doesn't know, I'll head to Yaoguang City and find someone who does…"
"Why go to the library! That old man only cares about spirit stones—he doesn't care if you live or die!" Yu Ling suddenly clapped her hands, stopping Yu Ying just a step from the door.
Today happens to be the first day of classes at the Cultivation Method Hall. I'll take you there to ask the senior disciples. They're all inner disciples, they must know how to cultivate and conceal spiritual consciousness."
Yu Ying was stunned.
Perhaps because she had lost her mind, it was only now, after all the chaos, that Yu Ling's words reminded her of something important.
Damn it—she had been thinking about Yaoguang City and completely forgot she was penniless!
The original owner had spent all her spirit stones on forbidden magic jade slip and essential medicinal herbs…
Yu Ying looked up at the medicinal herbs hanging above the bamboo bed, her eyes darker than the herbs themselves.
There was a kind of despair that came from not being dead yet, having spent all your money, and still owing spirit stones for the Soul-Stabilizing Pill.
The breath Yu Ying had just mustered vanished the moment she remembered she was broke.
Just like the zombie she had dragged to the lab in her previous life, she was now dragged out of the bamboo house by Yu Ling, looking utterly dejected.
The outer gate of Yaoguang Sect lay to the north, with the Spirit Herb Garden to the west, the inner gate to the east, and Yaoguang City stretching to the south.
As a major sect with nearly ten thousand outer disciples, Yaoguang Sect spanned several towering mountains to the north. The mountaintops and high peaks were reserved for important halls—the Cultivation Method Hall, Merit Hall, and Law Enforcement Hall.
The disciples' living quarters, however, were far less impressive, mostly clustered near the mountain's base.
Dragged along by Yu Ling, Yu Ying ran all the way, looking up at the looming peaks. She laughed to herself—half in disbelief, half in despair. After running for thirty minutes, she still couldn't spot the cultivation Hall. At that moment, she felt even more like dying.
By the time they arrived at the Cultivation Hall, Yu Ying could no longer summon any spiritual energy. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, she collapsed to the ground like a dead dog.
Yu Ling, with her fourth-level Qi Refining cultivation, fared much better. Half-carrying and half-supporting Yu Ying, she helped her settle at the back of the hall, planning to wait until the teaching session ended before seeking guidance from today's master.
The inner disciples had begun preaching early in the morning. Now, past noon, the hall was packed with outer disciples and servants who had come to attend the lectures.
Although Yu Ling tried to move quietly, the sharp ears and eyes of the cultivators quickly caught the noise. Heads turned in unison.
Not everyone recognized them, but some did.
When they saw Yu Ying flushed face, leaning against Yu Ling's shoulder, eyes closed and panting heavily, many exchanged glances, their expressions brimming with mockery and schadenfreude.
Yu Ling noticed immediately. Her face darkened, especially when she spotted the disciple who had harmed her cousin. She glared at him with a chilling intensity.
Yu Ying, however, remained completely unmoved.
In the apocalyptic world, morality and law had collapsed, and she had seen far too much human evil to bother with trivial matters.
She tried to calm her breathing, adjusted herself to a comfortable sleeping position next to Yu Ling, half-closed her eyes, and prepared for a nap.
She couldn't out-strength Yu Ling, and she had no money to go down the mountain. Until the sect distributed the monthly stipends, she didn't intend to do anything except sleep or lie around like a corpse.
The young cultivator in crimson robes, seated at the head of the table, glanced indifferently at the commotion below, pretending not to notice. His voice carried a subtle manipulation of spiritual energy as he began to speak:
"When heaven and earth were first created, all things were in a state of chaos, without knowledge or awareness... The signs of the heavens are as follows..."
"The essence of cultivation lies in tempering the mind and spirit. Humans possess seven emotions, six desires, and eight sufferings, yet the path of immortality demands discarding the superfluous and preserving the essential—using reason to overcome desire, purifying the spirit, and transcending the cycle of reincarnation..."
The young cultivator's voice, infused with spiritual power, jolted through the hall, and the crowd below fell into instant, awed silence.
Yu Ling's anger was abruptly halted by the voice echoing in her mind, and her consciousness involuntarily immersed itself in the Daoist arts.
Although she had reached the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining, her overall spiritual root aptitude was mediocre—but her comprehension was excellent.
If she could grasp some of the Daoist principles being taught, she might break through another level before the competition.
The other disciples listened with growing fascination. Yu Ying, however, after easing her burning breaths, began to drift off to sleep.
The voice, gentle and warm like a soft breeze, entered Yu Ying's mind. Although the Taoist teachings were obscure and difficult, the explanations were remarkably clear, far better than any of her high school teachers' lectures.
Yet she still refused to listen to a single word.
The essence of cultivating immortality, the voice continued, was to abandon all distracting thoughts and worldly attachments, to restrain oneself from becoming a mere mortal who "eats the wind and drinks the air." How if asked, could one not become an immortal?
Unfortunately, she had nothing left but a tiny spark of worldly desire.
A pleasant voice drifted through her empty mind, leaving no trace, only coaxing her to slowly close her eyes.
"Wake up!"
After an unknown amount of time, an exceptionally loud male voice made Yu Ying frown and open her eyes.
Several cultivators in green robes, their expressions sharp and unfriendly, stood before her.
The first to speak was a tall, muscular cultivator with a long face, sneering immediately.
"I thought Junior Sister Yu had an epiphany… but it turns out she was just asleep!"
The others chuckled and folded their arms, clearly enjoying the show.
Yu Ying's expression did not change. She suppressed the urge to hit someone and swept her gaze over them. They all looked vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't remember a single name.
She raised a hand and casually wiped the corner of her lips. Good, no drool.
Her skill at pretending to sleep had been honed over three years of high school. It was still perfectly convincing.
So, these people were here to cause trouble.
In the past, Yu Ying would have already struck back with her supernatural ability. She had always preferred action over words.
Now… she had lost both her powers and her spirit stones, and she was too lazy even to argue.
It's nother day when she feels like dying.
"Senior Brother Chang, Junior Sister Yu is probably still recovering from her injuries," a thinner, handsome cultivator stepped forward to smooth things over, positioning himself beside the tall, muscular one.
He gave Yu Ying a gentle smile. "With Junior Sister Yu's diligence and talent, if she can obtain rare and precious materials, she may recover quickly—and break through to the third level of Qi Refining in no time."
The others laughed even louder.
Everyone knew that Yu Ying's aptitude was a pseudo-spiritual root of five elements though she herself had no clue.
Slowly, she raised her eyelids and suddenly recognized the handsome young man. He was from the same courtyard as the original owner of this body, the one who had tricked her into visiting the library to seek out the neighbor's forbidden magic.
"Chen Ji?" she murmured, raising an eyebrow, a hint of intrigue flickering in her eyes.
"I bought the illicit medicinal herbs from you, but they didn't work. Could it be that there was something wrong with the ones you sold me?"
The original owner, wary that her cousin might find out, had deliberately avoided the Spirit Herb Garden and asked Chen Ji to procure the herbs.
Yu Ying vaguely remembered that, in her past life, medicine ads always promised refunds if the medicine didn't work.
Chen Ji's smile stiffened slightly. "It's Chen Ji!"
"The herbs I sell are all top-quality, specially sourced from Yaoguang City. There's no way there could be a problem!"
Yu Ying curled her lips. Looking at the hypocritical gleam in the young man's eyes, she could tell he was talking nonsense—even with her butt. Cunning, though.
"So, you're trying to get Junior Brother Chen to return the spirit stones?" Senior Brother Chang's sarcasm deepened.
"I think some people don't even know their own spiritual root aptitude, yet they're so arrogant," he added.
Yu Ying slowly stroked her chin. "The manual says that those with a firm will succeed. I'm still alive, so my willpower isn't the problem. If the technique isn't at fault, then it can only be the herbs."
She paused, tilting her head. "Should I go ask the Enforcement Hall?" The Enforcement Hall should handle matters like a consumer association within the sect, right?
The original owner had saved spirit stones for nine years—more than twenty mid-grade stones in total. She was only a few stones short of buying a top-grade Breakthrough Pill.
Most of her savings had been handed to the librarian, with the rest given to Chen Ji.
With just over ten days until the monthly allowance, and everyone practically lining up, every little bit counted.
The onlookers glanced back and forth between Chen Ji and Yu Ying, curious to see how the confrontation would unfold.
Although the sect allowed spirit stones to be used to copy cultivation techniques from the library, if the Enforcement Hall investigated further, it would soon be discovered that someone had almost lost their life by guiding a disciple to copy forbidden techniques.
Yu Ying wouldn't fare well in that situation—and neither would Chen Ji or the library manager.
The competition was about to begin, and no one really cared if they had one less opponent.
"Who are you trying to scare?"
Senior Brother Chang, who had always been on good terms with Chen Ji, strode forward. His tall, burly figure loomed over Yu Ying, who was still seated on the ground. His gaze turned fierce, as though he were about to strike at any moment.
Senior Brother Chang, don't be in such a hurry." Chen Ji grabbed him, slowly took out a Qiankun bag, weighed it in his hand, and looked at Yu Ying with a playful expression.
"Junior sister, you must have misunderstood. I only mentioned the technique in passing, and I even warned you not to try it lightly.
Didn't the senior uncle in charge of the library advised you against copying the incantation so recklessly?
Even if I am taken to the Hall of Law Enforcement, my conscience will be clear."
Chen Ji hadn't rallied a few fellow disciples to kick someone when they were down out of sheer boredom. He wanted everyone to see that Yu Ying's misstep was entirely of her own making—an impulsive act—so that neither he nor his great-grandfather would be dragged into the scandal of the forbidden law.
He forced a smile and squatted down, holding the Qiankun bag out to Yu Ying.
"My junior sister asked me to help you get medicinal herbs, but I didn't know what you'd need them for. And now you're going back on your word, asking for your spirit stones back? Tsk~"
"As long as you admit you were just showing off, we're all from the same sect. Why would your senior brother make things difficult for you?"
Senior Brother Chang clapped his hands and laughed: "That's right, that's right. You've been cultivating for nine years and still haven't been able to break through to the low-level Qi Refining stage. You're just daydreaming about taking a shortcut. As long as you admit that you're a waste, it's fine for chen Ji to return the spirit stones to you!"
The two male cultivators beside them joined in the jeering.
Yu Ying usually worked herself to the bone, but it was clearly in vain. Yet she acted as if "heaven rewards diligence," making those who had broken through in cultivation seem like they hadn't lifted a finger.
The steward uncle openly and subtly used Yu Ying as an example to motivate them, which only fueled their resentment. They had long disliked her.
Of course, they wouldn't dare cause real trouble for Yu Ying because the sect's rules forbade it.
Everyone knew that Yu Ying detested being branded incompetent and guarded her reputation fiercely, so they took every chance to mock her mercilessly.
Yu Ling, who had just returned from consulting her senior uncle, overheard Chen Ji's words and her face instantly turned angry.
Bullshit! You're the one who's useless!" She angrily knocked the Qiankun bag out of Chen Ji's hand, turned to brother chang and asked "Want to fight? If you're so capable, go to the ring and let's have a fight to the death!"
Chen Ji's smile deepened. Once the spirit stones were in his hands, no one could take them away, but he still had to put on a show. It's not that he doesn't want to return the spirit stones, it's that they don't want it back.
Right now, this would not only humiliate Yu Ying and completely block her from going to the Law Enforcement Hall to file a complaint, but also spark a confrontation with Senior Brother Chang. It would be even better if both ended up seriously injured.
Chen Ji, however, wasn't angry at all. He smiled and bent down to pick up the Qiankun bag.
As a sword cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining, Senior Brother Chang wasn't in the least intimidated by Yu Ling's provocation. He was ready to accept her challenge, a cold smile playing on his lips.
At that moment, Yu Ying, who had been hidden behind Yu Ling, suddenly shed her usual listless, sluggish demeanor. She swiftly snatched the Qiankun bag before Chen Ji could react.
Her action startled Senior Brother Chang into silence.
"I am incompetent! I am useless! I took shortcuts to show off!" Yu Ying's voice rang out, strong and clear, shocking everyone present into dumbfounded silence.
Under Yu Ling's incredulous "Are you crazy?" gaze, Yu Ying couldn't help but look at Chen Ji with burning anticipation.
"Is there anything else you want to hear? As long as the spirit stones are in place, we can talk about whatever you want."
You should've said earlier that shamelessness can make money!"
"Why go through all that trouble? Heaven is right here, she's shameless!"
Everyone: "..."