Chapter 14: Vital Rooh

Nearly ten minutes had passed since Wei Wushang had last stopped cultivating. As he inspected his dantian, he noted that the cobalt blue spiritual essence in his spirit sea had risen from 15% to 17%.

"Too slow. If I had top-grade aptitude, my spirit sea would have 31% cobalt blue spiritual essence by now." Wei Wushang sighed softly. A superior aptitude meant faster essence recovery, a boon not only in cultivation but also in battle.

'No matter, it's more than enough to trigger the slumbering Rooh fragments.' Wei Wushang prepared himself, he was going to awaken his vital Rooh.

Humans are the wisest of all living beings; while Rooh are the essence of the world, carrying the myriad laws of heaven and earth itself.

In the Fallen Rooh world, an ever-expanding number of Rooh exists. Immortal cultivators possess the ability to infuse their innate spiritual essence into the Rooh, harnessing its power to create miraculous effects.

Rooh come in various shapes and sizes, each with a special ability. Some help users breathe out torrents of fire, while others possess the ability to heal injuries. And a rare few can even improve a cultivator's aptitude, the possibilities are just endless.

However, the challenge lies in the fact that awakening a Rooh is exceptionally difficult; only a rare few succeed in their awakening. And to further complicate matters, an Immortal cultivator has just one chance in their lifetime to awaken their Vital Rooh. If they fail, that's the end—there will be no second chances.

'In my past life, I had to wait for eighteen months before Father finally allowed me to awaken my vital Rooh. But in this life, I am already prepared to take the risk.' Reminiscing about the past, Wei Wushang was reminded of his youth –a time that was both painful and beautiful.

Though Wei Wushang might have found cultivating easier in his past life, does that mean his life was devoid of suffering?

What a joke, who in this world hasn't tasted pain? It's just that some endure more than others, and every great person must bear their share of suffering.

Undoubtedly, Wei Wushang has traversed the depths of his suffering, walking a path that has shaped him through trials and tribulations. And now, his heart had already grown tired from the concerns of the world.

"The clouds of the past, why won't you disappear?" Wei Wushang's lips curled into a bitter smile.

But the smile was quickly cast away.

Wei Wushang's eyes gently closed, allowing his consciousness to drift once more. However, this time, it wasn't his aperture that appeared before him. Instead, he found himself in a boundless, inky void stretching endlessly. Within this sea of profound darkness, a majestic silver door floated soundlessly, radiating an unparalleled brilliance.

Beyond this door resided Wei Wushang's human soul.

The first stage of Rooh awakening was accomplished.

Cultivation clans and sects typically impose a waiting period on newly awakened cultivators before granting them permission to awaken their vital Rooh.

This was due to four important reasons:

Firstly, finding the soul domain takes time and effort. It's akin to uncovering a hidden path. Therefore, the waiting period serves as a necessary interlude during which the cultivator can meticulously study their own internal landscape.

Secondly, upon the initial opening of the Heavenly passage, a nascent Soul Vein emerges from the soul domain and roams erratically. It becomes the duty of the cultivator to guide the Soul Vein towards the dantian, thus establishing a crucial pathway between the soul and the dantian.

Thirdly, the most challenging step in the Rooh awakening process involves the cultivator dispatching a small portion of their spiritual essence into the nascent Soul Vein they've painstakingly established.

Upon the successful arrival of this spiritual essence within the soul domain, an ethereal plume of smoke materializes from the Rooh fragments present in the soul domain, surging forth to engulf the soul. At the exact instant this smoky mass touches the defenseless soul, the cultivator's soul is instantaneously transported into a realm of vivid dreams that defies the bounds of ordinary perception.

In this illusory realm, individuals must confront a dream trial. This trial could take various forms, such as facing off against a ferocious demonic beast or surviving on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Alternatively, it might involve confronting manifestations of their darkest memories, requiring them to endure these nightmarish memories repeatedly until the dream realm eventually disintegrates on its own.

While navigating these illusions, emotional restraint is crucial to prevent the individual from sinking deeper into the fabricated world. The awakening of the Vital Rooh depends solely on completing a designated task within this realm of illusion.

Fourthly, the repercussions of failing to awaken the vital Rooh were exceedingly dire. As previously mentioned, individuals who falter in their Rooh awakening are denied a second attempt. But why was there such an absurd rule?

In truth, the matter was rather uncomplicated. Because those that failed to awaken their Vital Rooh would usually die by having their soul shattered.

But then, wasn't Wei Wushang risking his life here? Or was he completely confident in passing the trial?

Well, in reality, he was only 70% confident that he could pass the trial.

Despite having successfully cleared a dream trial in his past life with much lower confidence than he currently possessed, Wei Wushang didn't dare underestimate the inherent unpredictability of the dream realm.

And when it comes to risks, well...

Fortune favors the bold; this was a mantra Wei Wushang held dear to his heart. Without taking risks, what great thing can a person achieve? Even though Wei Wushang was a cautious person, he was no coward.

Even now, the demonic flames of freedom continued to burn intensely within his soul!

"Open," Wei Wushang focused his thoughts on the silver entrance, commanding it. The Silver Door shook violently as if containing a coiled tempest. Then, with a thunderous crash, it burst open, releasing a slumbering Soul Vein that shot out like a mighty flood dragon.

The Soul Vein emitted a vibrant shade of blue, with its immensely elongated body etched with majestic silver patterns that seemed to flicker intermittently. The Soul Vein moved with unprecedented madness, devoid of a fixed course, resembling a child full of curiosity and wonder, boldly venturing into the vast expanse of the world before it.

"Haa," Wei Wushang promptly took charge of the rampant Soul Vein, forcefully guiding it toward the Dantian.

With his deep understanding of the internal landscape, he meticulously avoided the cluster of Spirit Veins by executing a series of fluid and seamless twists and turns that mirrored the effortless glide of a fish on turbulent waters.

Despite the seemingly straightforward role of a guide, the task was far from simple, demanding masterful maneuvering around the swarm of Spirit Veins dispersed throughout his body.

A tiny misstep during the fusion period –such as a collision or scraping against another entity within the body, could result in irreversible damage to the Soul Vein, permanently extinguishing the opportunity to awaken his Rooh. Furthermore, should the Soul Vein suffer damage or remain disconnected from the Dantian, the transfer of spiritual essence into the soul domain becomes an unattainable feat.

Wei Wushang let out a sigh of relief; after nearly an hour of struggle, he had finally managed to link the Soul Vein to the Dantian.

Rather than rushing into the awakening, Wushang took a short break. The next step held great danger, so he aimed to proceed in the best possible condition.

Despite Wei Wushang's apparent absence of fear towards death, it didn't imply a lack of appreciation for his life.

He exemplified bravery, not foolishness.

When the time was right, Wei Wushang once again closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to sink into the Dantian.

"Go." Wei Wushang mobilized a portion of his spiritual essence, shaping it into a slender stream and thrusting it into the aperture walls. However, this time, the cobalt blue essence didn't nourish the crystal walls. Instead, guided by Wei Wushang's will, the dantian rapidly transferred the cobalt blue essence into the Soul Vein.

Even though the distance from the Dantian to the soul domain was undeniably vast, the moment the cobalt blue spiritual essence had entered the Soul Vein, it seemed to traverse the entire length in a heartbeat, arriving almost immediately in the soul domain.

'Any moment now,' Wei Wushang's eyes shone, his entire body was tense as he eagerly awaited the change to occur. Life or death, success or failure, everything would be determined in the moments to come.

Seconds ticked away like ages, the silence amplifying the drumming of his heart.

Yet, Wei Wushang waited patiently...

He was still waiting.

But, as time dragged on, there was still no hint of the anticipated change.

"What's wrong?" Wei Wushang's brow furrowed deeply, doubt etched across his face. The dream realm should have manifested by now.

"Could the amount of spiritual essence not be sufficient?" he pondered, but he found the idea highly improbable. To be on the safer side, he once again channeled a substantial amount of spiritual essence.

However, no observable change occurred.

"Why did this happen?" Wei Wushang racked his brain for a while before suddenly feeling the urge to inspect his Soul Domain. Wei Wushang hurriedly directed his consciousness toward his soul domain, it was the place where his soul resided.

Upon entering his Soul Domain, Wei Wushang was treated to a captivating spectacle.

Before him stretched a boundless dark void ornamented with an eternal congregation of scriptures, their luminance flickering like ethereal fireflies in the velvety embrace of the night sky.

The surface of the soul domain resembled a tranquil, undisturbed sea of darkness, its serene depths illuminated by the soft glow of a minuscule azure sun, poised like a precious gem at the very heart of the soul realm.

Unfortunately, Wei Wushang wasn't in the mood for sightseeing. He fixed his gaze upon the central azure orb and began analyzing it. After all, this luminescent sphere was his very soul.

After a few moments of examination, nothing out of the ordinary caught his eye. With a heavy heart, Wei Wushang proceeded to scan his surroundings, diligently searching for any additional clues.

'Where are the Rooh fragments?' Wei Wushang wondered. The Rooh fragments were the key ingredient in the awakening process, finding them might just provide Wei Wushang with some much-needed answers.

He scanned the expanse around him, but the space within the soul domain was astonishingly vast. Exploring every nook and cranny would undoubtedly demand a significant amount of time and effort.

But Wei Wushang didn't complain; he simply did what was needed of him. However, in the end, the results were still disappointing.

"Damn it, there's absolutely nothing here!" Wei Wushang gritted his teeth, this entire scenario was unprecedented.

Wei Wushang's expression was as dim as water, his eyes slightly drooping.

He sat on his bed in silence, listening to his own breathing. Gradually, he felt the small hope he had carried in his heart dissipating, fading into nothingness.

"Sigh, what a disappointment.." Wei Wushang laughed bitterly, his focus returning to his aperture.

A small portion of spiritual essence remained, he decided he might as well use it for cultivation.

As Wei Wushang controlled the cobalt blue spirit water to nourish the aperture walls, his thoughts were concentrated on a different matter.

'The only plausible reason for this unfortunate outcome is likely because I had already awakened my vital Rooh in my previous life. The Rooh fragments in my soul domain have already been used up in my previous life, sparing none for this lifetime. Given that Rooh fragments exist solely in the Soul Domain and lack any connection to the body, the possibility of new fragments forming is nonexistent.'

'If this indeed holds true, it also signifies that I am Wang Zheng, not Wei Wushang. Because, if I were Wei Wushang, I would undoubtedly possess Rooh fragments in my soul domain. Somehow, I must have miraculously occupied this vessel after death. And that, in itself, is an entirely separate issue.'

Wei Wushang's mind whirled with myriad thoughts. Now, he had a rational explanation for his inability to awaken a Vital Rooh. Since each cultivator could awaken only one vital Rooh, it became clear that he couldn't be Wei Wushang.

But that wasn't the primary concern right now; the main issue was that he had just lost a significant advantage. Despite Wei Wushang's willingness to stake his life, the door of opportunity had already shut itself.

'Well, such is life. It doesn't always unfold as per one's desires. But on the bright side, at least I've gained a deeper understanding of my true identity.' Wei Wushang smiled faintly, his heart was calm as always.

It was at this moment, the cobalt blue spiritual essence in his spirit sea had run dry.

'It's going to take seven and a half hours for the spiritual essence in the aperture to replenish completely.' Wei Wushang calculated internally, casting a final glance at the vacant aperture.

"Huh?" Something caught his attention.

Resting on the aperture's surface was a tiny figure.

It appeared weak and fragile —a butterfly with tattered wings. Its body was pitch black with specks of silver light occasionally flickering as if struggling to maintain its form. The butterfly was small, barely the size of a grape, and its wings were broad and translucent, yet torn as if it had lived through a storm.

Wei Wushang's mind shook, his body trembling slightly. His heart leaped and began pumping faster with each passing second.

"This is a Rooh!!!"