Tattered and Malnourished

"The acquisition of Soul Rings is not only related to physical strength and Soul Power cultivation; Spirit Power is also very important. Whether for your own safety or to push the age limit of your Soul Rings, it is not suitable for you to condense your second Soul Ring at this time," Third Elder said helplessly.

Nan Li quietly listened to Third Elder without arguing. After a moment, she took a deep breath, as though she had made some decision. "One year."

"What?"

"I'll postpone condensing my second Soul Ring for one year. During that time, I'll cultivate my Spirit Power while trying to repair my soul on my own. If I still can't find an effective method after a year, I'll condense my second Soul Ring." Nan Li's tone brooked no argument.

"But..."

Seeing that Third Elder still wanted to say something, Nan Li raised a hand to stop him. "Don't forget that after Soul Beasts take Humanoid Form, we undergo a Bloodline Awakening. Perhaps by then, all these problems will be solved."

In truth, the likelihood Nan Li spoke of was less than one in ten. Bloodline Awakening could increase one's strength, but it would not necessarily benefit the soul.

Knowing that Nan Li's words were mostly meant to reassure him, Third Elder had no other choice.

Back then, Nan Yin had been the World-Chaos Demon King of Sun Island. As Nan Yin's daughter, Nan Li was no less unruly. Moreover, Nan Li's status within the clan was far higher than his.

Though she was still small now, she was ultimately his elder.

After Chong Yang passed away, Nan Yin left behind only the words that she was seeking the path to Becoming a God, then vanished without a trace. Now that Nan Li and Dong Yun had also embarked upon the path of Becoming a God, the fate of Sun Island rested upon their shoulders.

After returning to the dormitory, Nan Li began studying how to heal the damage to her soul while continuing her cultivation.

"Nan Li, can you really repair your soul by yourself?" Jiang E Li asked worriedly.

"There's no other way. I can only try."

***

One day, as the Rising Sun climbed into the sky, Nan Li tried to use Spirit Power to repair her soul in the morning light. Her Spirit Power gathered together, attempting to press the wound in her soul shut.

Then, an unexpected change occurred.

Nan Li forcibly released her Companion Domain, enveloping herself within it. Great flames blazed inside the domain, blocking the view from outside. Yet even the enhancement granted by her Companion Domain could scarcely ease the agony in her soul.

Enduring the pain, Nan Li's body gradually curled into itself.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Jiang E Li watched the soul of the Soul Beast Nan Li curl into a pained ball and anxiously paced in circles. An intact soul could naturally strengthen its Spirit Power through cultivation, but once it was damaged, it became difficult to mend.

It was like a balloon filled with water. As long as the balloon itself remained unbroken, adding or removing some water inside could still be remedied. But if the balloon's surface was damaged, restoring it to its original state would be difficult!

Nan Li's soul curled into a pained ball while Jiang E Li circled around her in the Sea of Consciousness, wanting to step forward but not daring to.

Outside, Nan Li's body lay flat on the rooftop. If not for her innate Companion Domain concealing her, she would likely have already been discovered by the academy's teachers.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the two little blobs remained frozen in place. Jiang E Li watched Nan Li tremble all over, the hands of her Soul Body quivering slightly with fear and anxiety.

What should I do? What should I do? Should I go find Third Elder?

But Third Elder had said just a few days ago that if they could find a Soul Beast with a Spirit Attribute, perhaps devouring and refining it between Soul Beasts could help Nan Li repair her soul. Unfortunately, after searching for a long time, neither he nor the clan members had found a suitable Soul Beast.

Jiang E Li did know of a Spirit Attribute Soul Beast called the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, but its Ice Attribute clashed with Nan Li's attribute. Besides, its cultivation was nearly a Million Years. How could it obediently allow Nan Li to devour it?

Besides, in her previous life, she had only read the first part of the Original Work. She knew very little about the later parts and had no idea where to find the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!

"How about... how about I give you a little of my soul power? You'd better not die." Jiang E Li rubbed her hands together, then hesitantly and slowly pressed them against the wound in Nan Li's soul.

"What's going on?!" The instant her Soul Body's hand touched it, Jiang E Li was startled. She felt a pulling force from the wound in Nan Li's soul, tearing at her and trying to swallow her whole.

Jiang E Li shuddered and wanted to pull her hand back, but when she saw Nan Li enduring such pain, she could not bring herself to do it. Jiang E Li felt her soul power continuously diminishing, but at the same time, the wound in Nan Li's soul slowly began to shrink.

"It seems to be working." Her soul power had grown considerably over the years. Losing some was no big deal.

It was not as though she had never considered taking this body for herself completely. When Nan Li took Humanoid Form, Jiang E Li had tried to drive Nan Li out.

Yet the result was that as Nan Li's connection to the body weakened, the body itself nearly began to dissipate, while Jiang E Li's soul was also left in grave danger. Terrified, she quickly pulled Nan Li back.

Later, Jiang E Li tried more than once to leave on her own, but she discovered that neither her nor Nan Li's soul could leave this shell. The two could only remain together in a state of coexistence.

Nan Li did not seem surprised by this. She merely warned Jiang E Li that if Nan Li's soul were gone, Jiang E Li, who had come from another world, would also perish.

Nan Li had refined quite a few Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures over the years, but they had basically all strengthened Jiang E Li's soul. Even when Nan Li's soul grew somewhat stronger, that strength would gradually leak out through the wound.

Yet using Jiang E Li's soul power to help Nan Li was something neither of them had ever considered.

Jiang E Li thought, I'm doomed either way. Fine, I'll treat a dead horse like it's alive.

As the sun reached its zenith, Nan Li gradually recovered. The light and heat brought by the sun soothed her trembling soul. As her soul gradually stabilized, she instinctively checked her surroundings.

"What are you doing?!"

After realizing what had happened, Nan Li pushed the other soul away. Visibly, Jiang E Li's soul had been greatly depleted. She had changed from a little chubby girl into, uh, a little skinny girl.

Nan Li looked at the wound in her own soul. It had improved somewhat, but—"Your soul power has been depleted so much, while my injury has healed by less than one-tenth. Didn't you know when to stop?"

Jiang E Li looked at the other side, all tattered and torn, then looked down at herself, malnourished. She sighed. "How miserable."

Nan Li felt a little awkward and warned her, "Sunlight and flames can awaken the bloodline power within my clan. Our clan can also absorb the energy of the sun and flames. I-I know what I'm doing. I won't die..."

From then on, Nan Li gave up on the possibility of healing her soul herself. It was not that she did not want to; rather, even if she drained Jiang E Li's soul dry, she still would not recover.

So, she simply devoted all her energy to Soul Power cultivation and physical training.

Life at the academy returned to its daily cycle of classes and cultivation. But what Nan Li had not expected was that "Xue Qinghe" really wrote her a letter.