Chapter 0036

“That girl surrender to her heart demon.” A trace of sadness was in Verack De Nunick’s voice when he made the statement.

The two other newcomers nod their heads in agreement. Xing Zhi Hui and Aria Se Jivock have differing opinions since they knew Tempest longer.

The road to immortality is not easy. The resources one needed to become an immortal is astronomical already. Then there are the obstacles in the path. Body cultivators have their heart demons, soul cultivators their soul banes, mind cultivator their psychosis and heart cultivators their scorns.

Among the cultivators watching the battle below, Verack De Nunick had the most experience with heart demons, soul bane and psychosis considering the circumstances of his soul mate.

Each time a soul enters the reincarnation cycle, their memories are erased before they are reborn. There are a few souls who retain the memories of their previous lives.

Not all things are wiped clean when a soul reincarnates. Memories, experiences, trauma and a whole lot of other circumstances affect the soul so profoundly that it get carried to the next life. The saying the experience is etched to the soul describe this phenomenon.

People experience these linger feelings as a sense of déjà vu.

Not all leftover experiences affect a cultivator in a positive way. Some can manifest in a heart demon. Since Verack De Nunick suffer trauma every time his soul mate dies, the obstacles tormenting him in this lifetime must be large hurdle to overcome.

He became quite the expert in regards to heart demons.

“The girl is stronger than you think.” Aria Se Jivock is confident in Tempest’s abilities to resist her heart demon. The karma line between Tempest and the Defyer is too strong to allow a heart demon to be formed.

“We can not place the well being of our loved ones in your blind faith.” Base Avon-Ying tense as he watches his life companion fight against the Alpha Iron Clawed Wolf. There were times when he wanted to swoop in and protect Emery, but was he stopped by Aria Se Jivock.

“This is their obstacles they have to overcome. Emery can not be the woman she is meant to be if she fails now.” The ever sensible Xing Zhi Hui explained Aria Se Jivock’s behavior.

The merchant subsided. He knew his life companion had to figure things out on her own.

During their travels together, Base Avon - Ying learned her personality. Emery is a strong, determined woman who works hard for her achievements, rarely letting anything interfere with her goals. She can be persuaded but can’t be forced. Persuading Emery… take a lesson extreme patience, patience Base Avon - Ying does not have.

“Providence and fate have guided me here. I have no intention of standing by while my soulmate is besieged by a pack of low-level magical beasts.”

“The lines of karma brought us here. We can not stand by and not help.” Aria Se Jivock sneered in her heart but kept a calm facade when she heard the kind words of Cercicity De Auvent.

Aria Se Jivock is not a fool like the idiot Verack De Nunick. Anyone with a brain knows messing up in one lifetime can be blamed to fate, maybe even a second life time. It’s outright manipulation and scheming if it happens a third time.

Who would do such a thing? Why the person closest to you that is in love with you of course.

A woman, well in this lifetime it’s a woman, who knows what sex they were in their previous lives, so man or a woman in love does stupid things.

The oblivious victims are also stupid.

Aria Se Jivock has no interest in stupid people.

“If it is providence and fate sent you here to interfere, then you should have arrived before we started the test. Passive people leaving their lives up to fate should sit and watch.” Xing Zhi Hui might not be the best with words but she can do a decent dress down.

“My soulmate -”

“-should die before she meets you.” Verack de Nunick protested only to be cut down by Xing Zhi Hui. “It will end the curse fate you created.”

“Not really.” Aria Se Jivock said cheerfully. “Unless moron here can eliminate the cause of the curse, every lifetime and thereafter he and soulmate will be doomed to be star crossed lovers. Who knows, a Soul Schism might happen again.” Aria Se Jivock laughed happily, as if she glads to witness a once in an eternity event, whilst the three intruders flinched in horror.

“What is a Soul Schism?” The question came from Xing Zhi Hui.

“Soulmates are the union of two souls. The bond between the two souls is so strong that even the cycle of reincarnation can not destroy it. It is considered one of the strongest bonds in the universe, unbreakable even, until well, until it breaks. It happened only one time in the history of the universe, the event etched into all souls. When the bond between two souls break, the ensuing realignment of all soul bonds is called a Soul Schism.” Base Avon-Ying had to explain to the clueless Xing Zhi Hui.

A Soul Schism is one of the infamous topics among those who cultivate the soul. Some clans introduce the topic early to their children as a lesson of their own fallibility, that if the agreed upon nigh (because it has been broken) unbreakable bond can be broken, then even untouchable experts can be killed, while other clans are tight lipped about the topic due to either shame or fear. Even now, the effects of the Soul Schism can be felt.

“So? The bond between a husband and wife, brothers and sisters, parent and child, teacher and disciples not to mention numerous other bonds cultivators create break all the time.”

“Just like a cultivator from the Heavenly Mountains! Nothing but savage barbains unconcerned about the cause and effect of their actions.” Verack De Nunick need to vent his fears. Xing Zhi Hui is a good target.

Xing Zhi Hui ignored Verack De Nunick, instead looking at Base Avon - Ying for further clarification.

“Soulmates are meant to be a pair. Once the bond breaks, the two souls involved search out other souls to bond with but in order for them to form a bond, the soul must break the existing bond, creating a chain reaction where almost all the soulmate bond are reassigned.”

“And?”

The other cultivators here shut their mouth. How can they explain a sensitive topic such as the Soul Schism to a dunce like Xing Zhi Hui?

Everything can not be placed on Xing Zhi Hui ignorance. The Heavenly Mountains is a patrilineal society which allows polygamy. While the other society in the Cardinal Realm accepts the practice of multiple spouses, the other three realms have the concept of one for one love such as soulmates for those from the Ethereal Depths, true love for the Magus Alliance and life companion for those from the Mysterious Wasteland. However, the Heavenly Mountains has no such concept, hence explaining the concept love between two people/soul is the same as explaining evolution to a religious fanatic, a fruitless endeavor doom to fail.

Actually the Heavenly Mountain does have a concept of similar to soulmates, which they call dao companions. Before the Soul Schism, dao companion is like the soulmate concept, two people sharing an unbreakable bond throughout time. The Soul Schism shook the foundation of that belief, like a religious fanatic who found undeniable proof their belief is based on lies.

Once their world crumbles, the religious fanatics either play ostrich or lash out.

Multiple dao companions is one of the backlashes of the Soul Schism. If it can be broken, then why bother?

If it is broken, why not twist it more to further their own selfish needs and desires?

“Uh…”

“And?”

“And… ugh…”

“It’s nothing Zhi Hui.” Aria Se Jivock decided to bail out Base Avon-Ying.

Xing Zhi Hui gave a particular look to her companions, like she was staring at an alien from another world. “And what does all of this have to do with a woman cultivating the heart as her immortal potential?”

Everyone, “....”