Legend of a Past Life

[Ding! Random item draw complete! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the "Conch Spirit Returning Ring"!]

[Conch Spirit Returning Ring: Refined by an ancient powerful being using the core of stars and deep-sea spiritual conches. It can instantly absorb free-floating energy from the void to replenish the host's depleted spiritual energy (the amount of spiritual energy depends on the host's realm). Cooldown: 12 shichen (24 hours).]

[Item is soul-bound to the host. Activate with Spiritual Sense!]

The moment the system notification ended, a uniquely shaped ring appeared out of thin air on Ling Yun's left index finger.

The ring was a warm, white color, as if containing starlight. Instead of a gemstone, the surface was a miniature, spiral-shaped pattern of a strange seashell, with an extremely faint energy fluctuation flowing within.

"Instantly replenish spiritual energy? Cooldown of 24 hours?"

Ling Yun's eyes lit up, "Isn't this just a 'big blue potion' from a game? And it's an instant-cast, no-channeling (relatively long CD) god-tier mana potion!"

Even though he knew he had no spiritual energy within him, his intense curiosity still drove him to try the ring's miraculous effect—what if?

"Let's try it!" Ling Yun's thoughts stirred, and his Spiritual Sense, like silk threads, wrapped around the warm Conch Spirit Returning Ring.

Buzz--!

The instant his Spiritual Sense touched the ring, something extraordinary happened!

There was no earth-shattering commotion, but an indescribable, vast power, as if from the primordial universe, erupted from the ring!

This power didn't forcefully inject itself, but in an extremely profound way, it instantly connected with every cell and meridian in Ling Yun's body!

It was as if his dried-up "dantian" wasn't a container, but a coordinate point leading to an unknown void!

The Conch Spirit Returning Ring's light suddenly flared, and the spiral patterns on its surface seemed to come alive, spinning rapidly!

In an instant, a pure, primordial energy, free-floating in the heavens and earth (or the more distant void), was madly absorbed, converted, and refined!

A cool, majestic, yet pure "gas," carrying the vastness of stars and the depth of the ocean, appeared out of nowhere within his body!

Like an underground river that had been silent for eons suddenly having its dam broken, a surging "torrent of spiritual energy" roared, instantly filling his limbs, joints, and meridians!

This power came with such ferocity, yet it was so gentle and controllable, as if it had always been a part of Ling Yun's body!

"Hiss--!"

Ling Yun gasped, his pores opened, and every cell cheered!

The feeling of this power... was so familiar yet so strange! It was more substantial than air, more fluid than water, containing unimaginable vitality and destructive power!

"This... this is spiritual energy?! Real spiritual energy?!"

Ling Yun felt the ceaseless power surging within him, utterly shocked.

"But according to my calculations, spiritual energy shouldn't be generated until the late Qi Cultivation Realm, right?"

[Since cultivators embark on the path of immortality, they must first draw qi into their bodies, circulate their cultivation techniques, refine and store the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within themselves, to cast spells, temper their physiques, and improve their realm. Spiritual energy is the foundation of the immortal path.]

"Then what about me?!"

Ling Yun asked urgently, "I've reached the Mid Qi Cultivation Realm, but there's not a trace of spiritual energy in my body! What is this ring giving me now?"

[...]

The system was unusually silent for a moment before its cold electronic voice spoke again.

[Host's physical condition is abnormal. Cannot autonomously draw qi into the body, can only forcibly elevate realm through external means (pills)... This phenomenon violates the basic laws of the Cultivation World, and the logic cannot be parsed. There are no matching cases in the system database.]

Seeing the system's answer, Ling Yun had a certain guess.

The reason he couldn't cultivate spiritual energy might be because there was no spiritual energy in this world at all, so his body couldn't store any.

The main reason he reached the Mid Qi Cultivation Realm was thanks to the Qi Refining Pills given by the system; he could break through just by eating them without any cultivation.

That's why he could break through realms without needing spiritual energy.

But the system was an idiot; it thought that Ling Yun, having reached the Mid Qi Cultivation Realm in a cultivation world, was unable to absorb and store spiritual energy in his body, which was why the system couldn't answer Ling Yun's question.

After guessing, Ling Yun began to test the usage of spiritual energy.

Test One: Spirit Shield Defense!

With a thought, his mental power guided the spiritual energy flowing within him to instantly condense in front of him!

A translucent energy shield, flowing with faint starlight and sea wave patterns, appeared out of thin air!

The shield looked thin, but it exuded an aura of toughness and stability.

Ling Yun took a deep breath, mobilized the terrifying physical strength brought by the perfected God-Demon Body Refining Art, and smashed his fist into the shield!

"Bang!" A muffled sound! The shield vibrated violently, starlight and patterns swirling wildly, but... it firmly blocked his punch, which carried eighty percent of his strength! It didn't break at all!

"Such strong defense!" Ling Yun estimated, "Small firearms' bullets should be easily blocked! Ordinary knives would be like tickles!"

Test Two: Spirit Energy Infusion (Ranged)!

His gaze swept over the podium, and he picked up a piece of ordinary white chalk.

His mental power concentrated, controlling a stream of pure "pseudo spiritual energy" to evenly cover the chalk's surface like flowing water, wrapping it tightly. The chalk instantly became crystal clear, like a piece of art.

He flicked his finger!

Whoosh--!

A barely perceptible white light flashed! Its speed was so fast that the naked eye could hardly catch it!

A tree about ten meters outside the window, with a trunk as thick as a bowl, suddenly trembled at its base! Wood chips flew everywhere!

Ling Yun walked over and saw a fist-sized, deep pit blasted open at the root of the tree!

The chalk had long since turned to dust under the immense kinetic energy and the impact of spiritual energy, mixing with the wood chips!

"This power... it's comparable to the armor-piercing rounds of an assault rifle!" Ling Yun clicked his tongue.

Immediately, a bold (and rather illicit) idea popped into his head: "What if I used ice, infused it with spiritual power, and shot it out? When it hits the target, the ice melts and disappears... Tsk, tsk, the perfect murder weapon!"

He quickly shook his head, suppressing the dangerous thought: "Calm down, calm down! I'm a law-abiding youth in a harmonious society!"

Test Three: Spiritual Energy Infusion (Close Combat/Enhancement)!

He guided his spiritual energy throughout his entire body. Instantly, an indescribable sense of power and lightness filled him!

His muscles felt like they were injected with high-pressure gas, his bones emitted a faint hum, and his five senses became exceptionally sharp!

He tried a gentle leap from a standstill, and his body floated up like a feather, easily reaching the nearly three-meter-high ceiling!

"Strength, speed, reaction time, defense... all increased by at least double!"

Ling Yun felt the surging power within him, immensely pleased. "This is just the basic application of spiritual energy! If I learned real spells..."

After the tests, the immense spiritual energy within him was mostly depleted. Ling Yun glanced at the time with satisfaction. It was 5:30 PM, almost time for school to end.

He returned to the classroom, which was already filled with students who had finished training, tired but excited.

"Brother Yun! Went out to have fun this afternoon? I'm so jealous!" Zhou Da came over as soon as he saw him, his face full of gossip.

"Have fun, my ass," Ling Yun rolled his eyes and complained, half-truthfully, "Old Liu roped me into being a 'porter' all afternoon. Pure grunt work!"

Zhou Da's envious expression instantly turned into a sympathetic "My condolences," as he patted Ling Yun's shoulder.

"Brother Yun," Zhou Da lowered his voice, a fawning smile on his face, "Uh... could I trouble you with something else? Can you charge this for me?"

He sneakily pulled a heavy power bank out of his backpack.

Seeing the familiar request and the heavy power bank, Ling Yun smiled knowingly and readily agreed, "Sure, put it in my bag." This scene instantly brought back memories of his legendary high school days, where he was known as the "Godfather of Campus Underground Economy"...

During high school, the conflict between boarding students and their phones and power banks was a constant theme.

Only going home once every three weeks? The power in a small power bank was like a drop in the bucket compared to the desires of restless teenage nights!

Thus, Ling Yun, a day student, with his unique "commuting" advantage, keenly smelled a business opportunity.

At first, he just charged for a few close friends, charging a dollar or two for his "trouble" (after all, electricity cost money).

Soon, word spread, and the "Ling Yun Charging Station" business boomed!

At its peak, his backpack could hold over twenty power banks. At home, he'd plug them all into the wall sockets, a spectacular sight.

His monthly "electricity subsidy" easily brought in several hundred yuan.

But this was just small potatoes. What truly made him rich was the "used phone" business!

Parents strictly guarded against phones, fearing they would affect studies?

But how could the social needs and entertainment desires of adolescence be completely suppressed?

Many boarding students saved their pocket money penny by penny, just to own their own "secret weapon."

Ling Yun saw a huge market gap!

He used his weekends to go home and scour all the second-hand phone shops in Ning City, honing his "fiery eyes."

Under the guise of "buying for classmates," he acquired used smartphones in decent condition and working order at low prices. Back at school, he'd sell them for an extra 50-100 yuan (under the guise of "errand fees, trouble fees, and secrecy fees").

No receipts? Not needed! Cash on delivery, honest dealing!

With his sharp mind, reliable reputation (at least back then), and gradually accumulated channels (he even reached a long-term agreement with a shop later, getting an extra 50 yuan discount per phone), Ling Yun's "used phone empire" rapidly rose!

By the middle of his first year, nearly half the boarding students had a "secret weapon" with the invisible "Ling Yun Production" label. At its peak, his profit per phone could exceed a hundred yuan, and by the end of a semester, he had saved nearly ten thousand yuan – a "fortune"!

To high school students at the time, this amount was astronomical.

However, prosperity eventually led to decline. More and more students became addicted to mobile games and stayed up late watching dramas, turning their daytime classes into mass "coma sessions." The school authorities were furious, and a "thunderous crackdown" on phones swept through the entire school!

Surprise inspections, rummaging through bags, metal detectors... countless "comrades" tragically "fell," their phones ruthlessly confiscated.

Fortunately, the caught students were very "loyal" (or perhaps, they knew that revealing the source would lead to isolation from the entire grade).

They all unanimously stated: "Bought it myself at a phone shop outside during the holidays!"

Ling Yun, this pillar of the "underground economy," miraculously stood firm amidst the storm.

But this incident also scared him, and he decisively hung up his boots – money was good, but the risk of expulsion was even greater! He didn't want his high school career to end like that.

Those days of "holding the purse strings and strategizing" became the only splash of legendary color in his otherwise ordinary life.

Every time he recalled them, there was a thrill and a sigh of relief after the adventure.