The Soul Trial of Vitality was more complex than Crow initially thought. It wasn’t the dangerous type of trial, but an introspective one. The entire floor was like a massive ballroom with a black and white tiled floor. Pillars appeared at regular intervals, and a dream would trigger when he passed them. Some were like the one he had just experienced, and others were harder to fathom. Still, they all had an aspect of vitality he had to ponder and understand.

Vitality wasn’t just about life force. It had three significant facets related to the Soul Trinity of Mind, Body, and Spirit. The Vitality of the Body was about energy, senses, and life span—things that could be improved with cultivation and resources. The Vitality of the Mind was related to a person’s mental energy, which was necessary for consciousness and for the cultivator to overcome limits. It was the intelligence behind the drive to move forward and the determination between living and non-living. The Vitality of the Spirit was the will to live, which, arguably, could be the most crucial aspect of a person’s vitality. Without a will to live, he’d be an automaton with no intention to live but indifferent about dying. Living because the Vitality of the Mind kept up the routine, and the Vitality of the Body would keep moving forward until its life span gave out.

The Vitality of the Soul was the determination between living and non-living.

Strangely, he felt that vitality was only a minor part and not mandatory concerning his Ecology of Existence. Existence is the state of existing, which intimated that a rock, which didn’t have vitality, existed. Ecology of Existence is the cycle of existing and not existing, which correlated heavily with life and death, but wasn’t limited to it.

And hidden in all of those things was one common thread… time. Time was the heart of any ecology or cycle, including existence and life. There was no doubt Vitality was essential to Crow’s existence. As he aged, his drive and momentum would also slow if that vitality faltered or diminished.

After pondering all that, he approached the Stairs of Ascension. A young girl was relaxing in a hammock nearby, and as he approached, she disappeared and reappeared right in front of him. Her pigtails swayed as she tilted her head to observe him.

“Who are you?” Crow asked politely. No matter how he thought about it, he knew this little girl had to be a terrifying existence.

“Guess you could say I’m a guardian. But I got three things to say,” she said while holding up three fingers. The pointer finger of her other hand tapped her lips. “Or was it four… no matter! First, hehe, this is the easiest Soul Trial you will experience because there is no threat of death. Do not let this trial lull you into thinking you’ll be safe on the next one.”

A finger went down while Crow nodded, indicating he understood.

“Second, your understanding is enough to pass, but I’m still going to test you,” she grinned while another finger went down. “Third, oops, I made a fist. Sorry, since that happened, I have to punch you because you can’t make a fist without punching someone.”

Boom!

Crow was knocked on his ass. “What the fuck, you crazy child!?”

The little girl giggled. “I was wrong. There were only two things I had to tell you. But now the quiz,” the girl chuckled while her hand went up.

“No fucking fingers or numbered lists!” Crow jumped up, ready to run for the stairs. The little girl lost it and began laughing hysterically as if Crow was the funniest person she’d ever met.

“Fine, no more fists, party pooper. Hmph!” The girl snorted but became serious again. “Every living thing has the will to live, but humans are unique because they are the only species that commits suicide without purpose. Animals and beasts exhibit suicidal behavior but aren’t actually suicidal. Do you know why that is?”

Crow stared at the little girl for a long time as he contemplated that thought.

“I suppose it is our intelligence which is both a blessing and a curse. We have the will to live, but we overthink our lives, purpose, and meaning. We harm our vitality out of ignorance and the inability to embrace our existence. Life doesn’t need a reason, just a path—a way forward. Beasts and animals don’t think much about their path because they know the basics of survival. Eat, sleep, and reproduce. They rarely think too far ahead and live in the now.”

“Is it overthinking? Or is their vitality weak to begin with?”

“Vitality is more complex than I thought, but your question is a trick. The Vitality of the Mind, Body, and Spirit are all related to the Vitality of the Soul. Whether it’s Mind or Body, the results are the same. Even a weak Vitality of Spirit is no better than being dead. While it won’t lead to suicide, they are still dead inside. They live life by routine alone.”

“Your grasp of Vitality is still immature but stronger than most at this level. The advice I’ll give you is the same as what I give everyone. Stay true to your path. The path isn’t straight and can fork, so it isn’t fixed. Inevitably you’ll come to a fork, and you’ll need to reflect on it carefully because, with every option, there is loss and gain. Young cultivators like you always drive hard to reach the end and burn themselves out along the way. The journey is long, and your Vitality is insufficient to support it without constantly being recharged. The path to strength isn’t a sprint. Do you understand?”

“You are talking about balance? I can’t stop living my life even while I’m in pursuit of strength. Enjoy the little moments while I can. Love those who are worthy. Cherish every person who gives me the strength to keep going.”

“You like to ramble when you are puzzling through something,” the little girl laughed at him. “I’ve heard humans say life begets life—if that is true, what do you think is happening?”

“They are using vitality to create new life?”

“Still thinking too small. Is it just new life? You touched a little on it, but the Vitality of the Soul has three aspects related to Mind, Body, and Spirit. Ever heard a person calling another an emotional vampire? It is very close to what is happening. That person gains energy or life force by sapping the victim’s Vitality of Spirit. Most of this type of vitality can be recovered after a good night’s rest. But if it’s extreme enough, people may make irrational choices—such as suicide.”

“I see…” Crow muttered, lost in thought. Lately, he felt tired, but not physically. If it was related to vitality, he could say his prolonged absence from his family is damaging his Vitality of Spirit and maybe Mind. He never realized how much energy they gave him and how much it impacted his drive to keep pushing.

As he was lost in thought, the little girl smiled. She didn’t need to read his thoughts to know he grasped the core of the Soul Trial of Vitality. It was an enlightening experience, and Crow basked in his heightened mental state as he processed everything he witnessed and learned. After an undetermined amount of time, he slowly came out of his thoughts.

“Well, you passed. Good job. I only have two more things to tell you,” the girl held up two fingers.

“The fuck you do!” Crow shouted as he ran for the stairs. Her loud laughter chased him down, and oddly, the moment he stepped on the first stair, he felt energetic as his vitality soared. The little girl gave him something priceless… a fond memory.

Turning back, he placed a fist on his chest and bowed to her.

“Thank you!”

The girl smirked, and one finger went down. Crow chuckled and turned to continue his climb.