Xie Zhaolin sank into deep thought.
She reflected on her experiences from two lifetimes.
In her previous life, as the Chief disciple of the Hehuan Sect, she'd witnessed countless births and deaths, seen all sorts of miraculous creations.
In this life, being reborn itself was a miracle.
She had just gone through the Control the Mind trial, gaining a deeper understanding of resonance and guidance.
What is life?
It's not just flesh and blood, not just soul and consciousness.
Life is a state of being, a union of spirit and matter, a harmony between inner drive and outward form.
What is creation?
It's not just forging or assembling.
Creation is giving meaning, bringing something from nothing into order, turning thought into reality.
And what is the Flame of Spirit?
Is it the spark of self-awareness?
Is it the desire to interact with the outside world?
Or… is it a confirmation of existence itself, a longing to be?
Thoughts collided and intertwined in her mind.
She thought of the five beast souls sleeping in her sea of consciousness. They had once been simple spirits, gaining deeper spiritual awareness only through contracts and shared experiences. She recalled the Control the Mind trial. Energy itself is neither good nor evil; the key lies in guidance and resonance.
Guidance… yes, guidance!
"This 'Infusing Spirit' trial isn't fundamentally testing the ability to create life! It's testing the essence of puppetry… it's about control and mastery!
So 'Infusing Spirit'… could it mean… finding the perfect vessel or form for an already existing, spiritually seeded embryonic body, and activating it?
Like… crafting the ideal shell for a sleeping soul and awakening it?
Not… conjuring a brand-new soul out of nothing!"
The thought hit her like sunlight breaking through clouds.
She looked again at the chaotic embryonic seed and the pile of mundane materials, and everything felt different. The embryonic seed wasn't a blank to be created from scratch; it was already a dormant spiritual seed!
The mundane materials weren't worthless trash; they were the most basic, fundamental ingredients to construct a body for the spirit!
The key to the trial was: how to use the simplest materials to build a vessel that could best carry and fully express the qualities of this spiritual seed?
It wasn't about creating spirit, but guiding and awakening it!
It wasn't about forcing, but letting it flow naturally, adapting to the materials!
Understanding this, all her previous anxiety and despair vanished. She finally realized why she had failed before—the direction was wrong! She'd been adding, trying to give and shape, ignoring the seed's own inherent nature!
What she needed was subtraction, not addition. Listening, not forcing.
She closed her eyes, emptied her mind, and discarded all distractions and obsessions. She stopped thinking about finishing the task or fearing eternal entrapment. Her divine sense carefully reached toward the chaotic embryonic seed.
This time, there was no ambition, no attempt to control or change it—just pure perception, trying to understand its essence and inclinations. She sensed an ancient, pure spiritual fluctuation within the seed, full of infinite possibilities.
It was like a mirror of clarity, like an uncarved jade.
It instinctively desired expression and existence but lacked a concrete form or path.
Then her divine sense swept over the mundane materials. She didn't focus on their composition or function, only on their essential qualities— Simple, yet pointing directly to the core of the Dao.
Time passed slowly.
Xie Zhaolin fully immersed herself in this state of perception.
After what felt like an eternity, enlightenment struck!
She "heard" it!
She "heard" the inner voice of the embryonic seed!
Its desired form wasn't any known creature, but a more abstract shape, closer to the essence of nature—a nest or cocoon, born of heaven and earth!
Xie Zhaolin slowly opened her eyes, clarity flooding them.
She stood and walked toward the pile of mundane materials.
Then she began to build.
She cupped the earth in her hands, feeling its moisture and receptivity.
She selected stones, sensing their steadiness and firmness.
She bent branches, feeling their vitality and resilience.
She picked up iron sheets, feeling their protection and boundary.
She guided water vapor, sensing its flow and nourishment.
She breathed in the air, feeling its freedom and pervasion.
She didn't use any spirit energy or spells, only her hands, guided by intuition and insights from the seed, combining these elements naturally, seemingly casually, yet in accordance with some profound universal principle.
She stacked an irregular base of earth and stones, embedding interlaced branches for support.
She outlined with curved iron sheets, letting water vapor linger and air circulate freely.
Finally, a nest appeared in the chaos, seemingly simple, yet radiating an indescribable harmony, serenity, and vitality. It bore no trace of human craftsmanship, as if it had grown naturally from heaven and earth.
Then, Xie Zhaolin slowly guided the chaotic embryonic seed, attuned to her thoughts, into the center of this nest. The seed trembled slightly, as if sensing the call of a "home," and instinctively merged with it. She held her breath, fully focused.
One breath, two breaths, three…
Time passed.
Yet the expected resonance and awakening didn't occur. The nest still radiated its harmonious, serene aura, and the seed remained peacefully within, seemingly balanced, but lacking that crucial spark.
The Flame of Spirit had not ignited.
The nest was perfect, the seed pure, but an invisible barrier seemed to separate them, preventing true catalysis.
Xie Zhaolin felt a twinge of disappointment.
"Still… not enough?" she whispered.
But she wasn't overly distressed. After her previous trials, her mindset had calmed. She understood that guiding spiritual awakening was the most subtle and unpredictable step. She had done all she could, providing the optimal environment. What remained might… require a little luck. As she prepared to calm herself and attempt deeper communion with the seed to find the missing link—
Something changed, silently.
Deep in her sea of consciousness, she felt a subtle movement.
A cool, pure force, brimming with endless vitality and the sense of reincarnation, flowed quietly.
It wasn't directed by her, yet seemed to respond to a special need, moving on its own!
It traced her divine sense, gently emerging from her sea of consciousness, slowly entering the nest!
In an instant, the nest seemed infused with the most fundamental life force!
The mundane materials hadn't changed, yet the natural Dao resonance of the combined field was instantly activated and elevated!
It was as if a static painting had come to life!
Hum—!
The nest erupted with indescribable, dazzling radiance!
No longer chaotic in color, it now pulsed with the vibrant, all-encompassing energy of primordial creation!
The chaotic embryonic seed at its center, nourished and catalyzed by this higher-level vitality and cycle of life and death, finally underwent a qualitative leap!
It was no longer passively adapting; it actively resonated and fused with the nest at the deepest level!
It was… the power of a rebirth flower!