Night.

Leo was sitting cross-legged in a huge rock, just outside of the evil forest. Standing beside him is Yue Feng holding a stick.

Yue Feng looked at Leo with satisfaction. Then he stared at the horizon and started teaching Leo.

"Listen carefully my little disciple. To see your soul is to see yourself. Your inner self. And to see yourself, what you need to do is to understand what you really are. Understand yourself." (Yue Feng)

Leo looked at Yue Feng and said,

"Understand myself? But I already understand myself." (Leo)

Yue Feng looked at Leo again and just smiled.

"Hoho. So you already know yourself fully huh. So tell me my little disciple. What do you fear most now?" (Yue Feng)

"What do I fear? Losing my family again?" (Leo)

"Then what do you want the most now?" (Yue Feng)

"Live a happy life?" (Leo)

"Then why do you want more strength even though you are already strong? What do you fight for?(Yue Feng)

"It's for my family?" (Leo)

"Hoho. Then, what do you fear the most in your past life? And what do you want the most in your past life? What did you fight for in your previous life and continue living?" (Yue Feng)

[What I fear and what I want the most in my past life? In my previous life, I already lost my family. I don't even have friends or lovers. So I didn't fear anyone. I couldn't want anyone because I can't force myself on them, right? Then why did I continue living back then? Why did I fight?]

Hearing Yue Feng's questions. Leo fell into a deep thought, trying to find the answers.

"In my previous life.... I have nothing to fear, but still can't get what I want. For what am I fighting for? Or why did I keep on living? Wait. It's because I'm afraid of dying?" (Leo)

"Everyone is afraid of dying. Because dying means loss of meaning. Life is meaningful, and it has different meanings depending on the person. While death, it only has one meaning. That is meaningless." (Yue Feng)

Leo listened very carefully. He doesn't know why, but the more he listens to Yue Feng. The more he could feel that something was missing inside of him, that made him incomplete without knowing it.

"Does it still matter what I've been fighting for in my previous life and my current life?" (Leo)

"Yes. Of course." (Yue Feng)

"How does it matter?" (Leo)

"Because it is 'you'." (Yue Feng)

Leo fell in silence again. Trying to comprehend what Yue Feng said.

"You thought you already understood yourself, but you still haven't. Close your eyes and understand yourself. Remember, if you want to see your soul, you need to see yourself. Understand yourself, and understanding yourself means finding your own meaning. By doing this, you'll be able to see your soul. Because your soul is you, and the soul is you." (Yue Feng)

Leo followed Yue Feng's instructions and closed his eyes. He tries to comprehend and understand himself.

Fwip.

Suddenly, Yue Feng lightly whipped the stick he was holding to Leo's shoulder.

"Don't rush. Calm yourself first. After calming yourself, empty your mind. After emptying your mind. You could focus on understanding yourself." (Yue Feng)

[I don't understand. How can I empty my mind? Am I just going to think of nothing?]

Fwip.

"Uhm. Old man. Why did you hit me again?" (Leo)

"Because you still haven't empty your mind." (Yue Feng)

"Because I am thinking how to empty my mind!" (Leo)

Fwiiiip!

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Yue Feng hit Leo again.

"Ow! Why did you hit me again?!" (Leo)

"Hoho. I just like it. Hoho. Okay. Actually I have a trick to empty your mind. All you have to do is to notice everything around you. Then eliminate them in your thoughts one by one, until you are inside of your body. Try it. It's effective." (Yue Feng)

"Ok. Don't fucking hit me again? Okay!" (Leo)

"Alright alright. I won't hit you unless you are distracted." (Yue Feng)

"Damn it!" (Leo)

"Hoho. Okay. Get to work now." (Yue Feng)

Leo closed his eyes, then spread his mana around him. He focused on his surroundings like Yue Feng said to him but..

Fwwiip!

Yue Feng hit him again.

"What the fuck old man!" (Leo)

"Don't use your mana to feel your surroundings. Remember, your goal is to separate your spiritual energy to the world qi. Use only your ears to listen to the sounds, and your skin to feel around you." (Yue Feng)

Leo realized his mistake but still complained to Yue Feng.

"Alright alright! But can you stop hitting me?!" (Leo)

"Hoho." (Yue Feng)

Leo started again. He closed his eyes, but this time he didn't spread his mana to the surroundings.

He listened to his surroundings as he tried to clear his thoughts.

He could hear the grass and flowers swaying as the wind blew, the crickets chirps, and even the roars and cries of the magical beasts inside of the forest.

Whoosh.

As he listened to these things, the wind blew again. A gentle wind carried the scent of the grasses and flowers nearby, to his nose and it made him even more relaxed.

[Ohh.. you're right. What a nice aroma.]

When his focus shifted to his sense of smell, he was surprised as he could smell the rich earth too. Smelling this rich flavor of earth made him even more comfortable. So comfortable as if his muscles were becoming jelly, and the ground wanting to pull his body to lie down.

[Now that you said it. Earlier, I couldn't notice the scent of the earth~ ohh... I really want to lie down right now.]

Noticing this he tried to open his eyes. But to his surprise, his body was too relaxed at this moment, and his eyelids were so heavy he refused to open.

[But I don't wann- eh? Did my eyes really try to open?]

All Leo can do is focus all his attention on his body and try to stop it, if his body begins to fall down.

[Eh? Eh?! What's happening??]

Leo checked every part of his body. First his cross-legged legs. He can't feel his legs anymore, but he can still feel the warm ground beneath him. The same for his waist up to his shoulders. He couldn't feel it, but could still feel the breeze of the air.

[What the fuck?! Is this guy controlling me?! Wait! I didn't even want to check my body and just wanted to relax. But when these guy said it... Hey! Stop it! Don't contro-]

When he focused on his head, he found himself in a dark place.

[Huh? Where am I?]

He looked around but all he could around him was darkness.

[Eh? My body is cracked again... This is my soul? Why is it cracked? Anyways, I didn't know that voice could control me. Wait, am I not in control? Does that mean, all I have done till now, I was being controlled?]

At this time, Yue Feng's voice resounded through the darkness.

"Little disciple, it seems you succeeded in seeing your soul, that means, you already understand yourself." (Yue Feng)

[Nope! Not really! Fuck! I can't even understand what's happening to me!]

"Sigh~ old man, why is my soul full of cracks?" (Leo)

"What?! Your soul is damaged?? Why?!" (Yue Feng)

"That's why I'm asking you!" (Leo)

"Oh... Wait, do you feel pain coming from the cracks?" (Yue Feng)

"Nope, this isn't my first time seeing my soul. The first time I see my soul, the cracks in my body are worse than this. Any ideas?" (Yue Feng)

"Hmm... Maybe, that's the side effects of being reincarnated. But if what you said was true, then it should be in the process of healing. Anyway, Let's proceed to the next step. Cultivating your soul. Cultivating your soul could accelerate the healing process of your soul. And in your case, even though your soul is already strong, you don't know how to use its spiritual energy. I'll teach you the chants." (Yue Feng)

Leo memorized the chant in no time, and put it into practice immediately.

At first, he doubted that just chanting a few sentences could strengthen his soul. But to his surprise, he could feel that within his soul. There's something circulating throughout his whole soul.

[What the fuck? How the fuck this works? Could I create my own chant? Hmmm.... I'll ask the old man later. I should focus first right now.]

He couldn't understand how a few sentences could affect his soul, but even though he wanted to learn how this works. He first focused on his cultivation. Leo immersed himself in the chant and his soul, and forgot about everything.

He entered the state of enlightenment.

Yue Feng noticed this and a satisfied look appeared on his face. He silently leaves Leo's side to avoid disturbing him, and find a place where he could see Leo and protect him immediately in case of emergency.

---

"Hm?" (Yue Feng)

A few hours after Leo entered the state of enlightenment.

Yue Feng suddenly stood up and rushed beside his disciple to protect him.

Even though Yue Feng already lost his cultivation. It doesn't mean he will lose all his life experience. His intuition tells him something is wrong right now, and his disciple is in danger. He can't tell what it is, or where it will come from. So he ready himself to take action anytime.

Suddenly, up in the dark sky, just right above them. A huge magic circle appeared out of thin air, and illuminated all its surroundings. It didn't last long and the light died down immediately, and the magic circle vanished. But in place of that, a bloodied person appeared, gasping for air.

His clothes were tattered, and his body was full of wounds. But the most noticeable wound in his body was the hole in his stomach.

"I... I wo...nt die here, I can..not die ye..t."

The man looked at his surroundings and found two people beneath him. Suddenly, as if his body loses something that supports him to fly. He plunged down straight to the ground.

When Yue Feng saw this, he picked up Leo and moved several meters away where the man would fall. After that, he placed down Leo, who is still in an enlightenment state, then stepped forward to protect his disciple.

Bang!

The bloodied man hit the ground and didn't move for some time.

"He's dead?" (Yue Feng)

Yue Feng wanted to check if the man was dead or not, but when he was about to step forward. He could see the man struggling to stand up.

After the man stood up, he looked at Yue Feng, then walked towards him.

"Friend, I am sorry for being impolite, but don't come here, or else, I'll kill you." (Yue Feng)

Yue Feng warned the man but got ignored. The man slowly walked towards them, his eyes fixated on Leo.

"Friend, stop where you are or I'll kill you. This is the last warning." (Yue Feng)

Hearing this, the man stopped, and finally looked at Yue Feng. He smiled, then, he suddenly rushed towards them.

Yue Feng immediately reacted and rushed towards the man, to intercept him.

When they were about to collide, Yue Feng throw a punch to the man's chest. But before his fist lands to the man's chest. The man suddenly shouted.

"Activate skill... Soul possession!"

Yue Feng's fist landed on the man's chest, and it's body flew several meters. But before it was thrown because of the punch, a light orb appeared on its chest then rushed at extreme speed towards Leo.

"Possession!!! Shit! Leo!!!" (Yue Feng)

Yue Feng panicked and tried to stop the light orb, but failed.

The light orb entered Leo's body, and vanished. When Yue Feng arrived, he immediately examined Leo.

"Oh no... Leo! Leo! Wake up Leo! Leo!! (Yue Feng)

He tried to call several times, but Leo couldn't hear him.

"Leo... I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you.... There's nothing I can do. I can only hope you could defeat that soul..." (Yue Feng)

Yue Feng gived up and sat beside Leo again, and observed him.