Translator: CinderTL
[Life Level: 40 (999,997/1,000,000)]
Within the dark horned prison, Li Chunjun had replenished the experience points needed to reach perfection at Level 40 in just three days.
As he continued to cultivate, fully perfecting his Level 40 experience, a profound realization washed over him—a sense that "when the time comes, heaven and earth will lend their strength."
The transition from Level 31 to 40 corresponded to the Void Refining Realm.
The core of the Void Refining Realm lay in Qi, Great Dao Laws, and the Mind Realm.
The insights Li Chunjun gained upon perfecting this major realm were entirely focused on these three aspects.
At that moment, he felt as if he had transformed into a Quasi-Tenth-Tier being, embodying perfect Qi, perfect Great Dao Laws, and Heart's Perfection. Moreover...
He was experiencing the condensed essence of a lifetime's experiences within an incredibly brief span—as if a Quasi-Tenth-Tier being were compressing their entire existence into a fleeting moment!
No!
It wasn't compression!
It was comprehensiveness!
He was simultaneously experiencing the perfect insights into Qi, Great Dao Laws, and Heart's Perfection from countless Quasi-Tenth-Tier beings.
Alternatively, he had touched upon the most perfect manifestation of the Void Refining Realm across the entire Cosmos, immersing himself within it, merging with it, and greedily absorbing its insights and lessons.
"So, what I'm experiencing isn't really sudden enlightenment. It's more like a comprehensive synthesis and culmination of the most perfect state of a major cultivation realm."
Li Chunjun pondered deeply.
It seemed that every time he believed he had achieved perfect enlightenment, he had never truly grasped anything beyond the limitations of that realm.
Even if he had, it was only by the slightest margin.
Or perhaps those aspects were entirely within the realm's grasp, but the realm's cultivators simply hadn't yet advanced their cultivation systems to that stage.
"The Human Race's cultivation system far surpasses that of the Foreign Races. A mere Top-Tier Dharma Manifestation can easily crush any Eighth-Tier Foreign Race entity except for Special Life forms. Supreme Dharma Aspects can even defy the odds and contend with Ninth-Tier Foreign Race entities as effortlessly as eating or drinking. Yet even with such a formidable system, the Human Race's cultivation remains far from true perfection."
The duration of his "perfect enlightenment" states was never particularly long.
Yet even within this seemingly "brief" span of time, his strength had surged dramatically.
If he could truly achieve the cosmic-level realm of "perfection"...
It was unimaginable how powerful he would become.
Primordial Spirit refining Void Refining?!
Supreme Sage severing Dao Unification?!
These were no longer mere fantasies.
Li Chunjun's thoughts raced, his heart filled with longing.
Fortunately, his current state wasn't true sudden enlightenment. He could stop or continue at will, unlike others who might be forced out of their enlightened state by fluctuations in their Heart-Mind.
After savoring this profound state for a while, he quickly focused his Heart-Mind on the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method.
In his personal opinion, the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method took precedence over the Sovereign Dao Canon.
Failing to master the Sovereign Dao Canon would merely mean abandoning the path of the Sovereign.
But if he struggled to advance the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method, his Mind Realm's progress would become agonizingly slow.
And without reaching the required Mind Realm, his imminent transformation into a Law-Life form would be severely hindered.
Therefore, elevating his Mind Realm was paramount.
Li Chunjun's mind immediately immersed itself in the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method.
Previously, when he was at the Nascent Soul stage, comprehending the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method had been extremely difficult. Each breakthrough to a higher realm often took one or two months.
This was because he had yet to cultivate Spirit Will, and his Mind Power had not yet transformed into mental power.
To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools!
Now, with mental power fully immersed in the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method, his comprehension progressed significantly faster.
Moreover, his Life Level had increased. Beyond the growth in Essence, Qi, and Spirit, this fundamental enhancement also improved his innate talent and comprehension.
Under these circumstances, he naturally felt confident in cultivating the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method seventh layer.
However, this very confidence led him to a rude awakening.
Two and a half months!
It took him a full two and a half months to progress from the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method sixth layer to the seventh layer—longer than the time it had taken him to master the method's initial stages.
Only after two and a half months of arduous effort did he finally cross this threshold, elevating his Mind Realm to the seventh layer.
"Heavenly Heart Eternal Method seventh layer."
Li Chunjun's eyes widened in astonishment.
Difficult!
Truly, impossibly difficult!
Yet, after mastering it, the effects of this eternal method far surpassed his expectations.
His previously "reinforced" mind had been completely reforged by the "heartfire."
This reforging process was entirely guided by his will!
During this process, the ethereal power of the mind seemed to materialize, becoming tangible and controllable.
No longer was it merely a matter of knowing what happened without understanding why.
"Reshaping the Mind!"
The Heavenly Heart Eternal Method achieved absolute mastery over one's Mind Realm through this process of reshaping the mind.
As for the Mind Power that couldn't be controlled...
It was simply discarded.
Power that cannot be absolutely controlled is better abandoned!
This absolute control ensures the Mind Realm never regresses.
"Now I understand why, despite the Profound Yellow Supreme lineage having practitioners of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method, none have ever reached the seventh layer of this mind-refining technique."
Li Chunjun exhaled slowly. "This layer can only be mastered by those with an exceptionally high Mind Realm, who can build upon their foundation like constructing a tower from its peak. To reach the seventh layer, one must discard a significant portion of their Mind Power—essentially crippling part of their cultivation. Without sufficient foundational strength, who could possibly break through?"
That Profound Yellow Supreme...
He really was a bit of a trickster.
As a Supreme Sovereign, he had already achieved Heart's Perfection and didn't consider this a significant matter—just discarding some cultivation.
But for Cultivators seeking to break through realms, the breakthrough itself was an immensely difficult task, requiring them to sacrifice a portion of their Mind Power during the process.
"This isn't meant for ordinary beings," Li Chunjun muttered, shaking his head.
Fortunately, he was no ordinary being.
He had finally weathered this trial.
Having cultivated to this stage, his Mind Power was now sufficiently strong to completely transcend the limitations of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, theoretically achieving eternal existence.
However, without Essence, Qi, and Spirit, relying solely on the Mind Power of the seventh Mind Realm made it exceedingly difficult to exert significant influence on the material world. Even if one maintained a purely mental existence indefinitely, it would ultimately be meaningless.
At this point, a vessel was needed to project Mind Power into the material world.
This vessel was the Great Dao Laws.
Or, to put it another way, a dharma manifestation crafted by oneself.
By combining these two, Cultivators could abandon their painstakingly refined physical bodies and exist entirely as dharma manifestations. No longer relying on the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of their physical forms to power their existence, they would instead draw directly from the Great Dao Laws, using Mind Power to sustain their dharma manifestations.
This is the essence of a law-based life form.
Of course, after abandoning the physical body, the entire burden of maintaining the dharma manifestation's operation falls upon the Mind Realm's ability to draw upon the power of the Great Dao Laws. Consequently, the stronger the dharma manifestation, the greater the demand on the Mind Realm.
A seventh-tier Mind Realm can at most sustain the operation of ordinary or high-grade dharma manifestations.
To ensure the proper functioning of Top-Tier Dharma Manifestations or Supreme Dharma Aspects, an eighth-tier Mind Realm is essential.
Only with a Mind Realm of this caliber can one absorb sufficient power from the Great Dao Laws to unleash the full potential of the dharma manifestation.
Venerables who cultivate Top-Tier Dharma Manifestations or Supreme Dharma Aspects but lack the necessary Mind Realm cultivation risk transforming into law-based life forms prematurely. Ultimately, their Mind Power will fail to draw enough power from the Great Dao Laws, causing them to starve to death.
"The defining characteristic of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method's seventh layer is absolute control. Rather than strengthening the Mind Realm, it actually weakens it. This deficiency remains concealed due to the apparent stability granted by absolute control... However, given the immense power of my Void Storm Dharma Aspect, relying solely on my current Mind Realm cultivation makes transforming into a law-based life form exceedingly difficult..."
Li Chunjun's thoughts never paused as he swiftly resumed comprehending the eighth layer of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method.
Having overcome the barrier of the seventh layer, his cultivation of the eighth layer proceeded unexpectedly smoothly.
In just twenty days, he achieved a breakthrough to the eighth level of the Mind Realm.
However, considering his future goal of cultivating the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation—which seemed to surpass even the Supreme Dharma Aspect in power—he dared not relax his efforts.
Another month passed, and he used the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method to elevate his Mind Realm to the ninth level!
Even at the ninth level, he didn't stop. Within another month, he pushed his Mind Realm to the peak of the ninth level!
Yet, despite his relentless comprehension, he remained unable to reach true tenth-level perfection and achieve Mind Immortality.
Through this state of near-sudden enlightenment, he analyzed the situation and realized the problem lay within himself.
Deep within his mind...
There was a flaw.
This flaw couldn't be remedied by any external force or sudden enlightenment.
Only he himself could mend it.
He even...
He had finally identified the flaw.
This flaw caused Li Chunjun to pause for an entire day, during which he didn't cultivate at all.
But...
His formidable willpower compelled him to shift his focus to the Sovereign Dao Canon after just one day of stagnation.
He had studied the Sovereign Dao Canon countless times before, each time leaving him more bewildered than before.
Yet now, with all the mysteries of the Void Refining Realm laid bare before him, allowing him to meticulously examine and compare each detail, this cultivation technique—deemed difficult even by the Supreme Sovereign—finally revealed its true essence.
"Sovereign! Sovereign!"
After poring over the Sovereign Dao Canon for a long time, Li Chunjun finally grasped its core principle:
To establish oneself as the foundation, harmonize with all things, dominate the Great Dao, and ultimately merge the Forty-Nine Great Daos into one. Using this unified force as a lever, one could then wield the laws of the Cosmos.
If one truly reached that stage...
Cultivators might be able to ascend beyond the three realms of dao unification, supreme sovereign, and supreme powerhouse to a fourth realm—the cosmic realm!
Or perhaps, the Cosmic Sovereign Realm!
The future seemed bright, filled with the hopes and blessings of countless dao unification and supreme sovereign cultivators who had paved this path.
But...
The path of cultivation was fraught with countless trials and tribulations.
Although achieving dao unification would no longer be hindered by other Great Dao Laws after cultivating a Sovereign Dharma Manifestation into a Lawful Lifeform, and mastering multiple Daos would be easier compared to other dao unification and supreme sovereign cultivators, perfecting each Great Dao Law to the Dao Unification Realm...
Undoubtedly required an immense amount of time.
At least hundreds of thousands of years!
Therefore, after lingering on the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation long enough to grasp its essence, he turned his attention to his Void Dao Body, Destruction Dao Body, and...
The Void Dao Physique, which was just a hair's breadth away from completion!
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c476. [+3.9k]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.