"Do not listen with the ears; listen with the mind. Do not listen with the mind; listen with the qi. The ears go no further than hearing, and the mind goes no further than recognition. Qi, however, is empty and receptive to all things. This emptiness is what is called Fasting of the Mind. Therefore, cast aside the desires of the intellect, purify the spirit, wash away all defilement and burden, and sever the stream of wandering thoughts. When the mind becomes truly empty, the ultimate Dao will naturally gather within your embrace."
Lu Yang sat cross-legged, comprehending in silence.
Every three days, he would take out the Dragon-Banishment Ruler and tap himself, ensuring the Light of Wisdom was uninterrupted and his inspiration unceasing, deducing the profoundness of the [Heart-Cleansing Chapter].
"What is the Fasting of the Mind?"
"The Fasting of the Mind lies in observance, in perseverance, and even more so in emptiness. Able to withstand the passage of ages, the turning of the sun and moon, the birth and destruction of World Realms; it is a realm undisturbed by external things."
"A cultivator who has built the Fasting of the Mind might have their physical body destroyed, but their spirit cannot be destroyed. Even if they die and their soul scatters in the mortal world, their will's projection in the Dark Aspect of the Light Sea can be maintained for a very long time. If they encounter a great fortune, they might even gain an alternative form of rebirth in the Dark Aspect."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang couldn't help but shake his head.
Because this realm was actually extremely difficult.
At least it wasn't as easy as Tianhun made it sound. The claim that every ancient method Great Perfected Lord had the Fasting of the Mind was purely a one-sided statement, holding no reference value.
Furthermore, the Dao heart could regress.
The most typical examples were those Great Perfected Lords of the Spiritual Power Dao. Sealed as stone statues, wasting their years, and merely surviving until now, their Dao hearts were severely damaged.
Then how is the Fasting of the Mind created?
The explanation in the [Heart-Cleansing Chapter] was—
"Concentrate a single will, make all thoughts follow it, unite ten thousand minds into one. Witness boundless light, establish and attest the Dao heart, forge the ground of the Fasting of the Mind, build the foundation of the Primordial Spirit, and only then will you have the capabilities of a Dao Lord."
In short, it required pouring one's strongest obsession and desires entirely into the one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred mental thoughts of the embryonic Fasting of the Mind, until all thoughts were dyed with the corresponding color. This would trigger a qualitative change, build the Fasting of the Mind, and bestow a name upon the Dao heart.
"Obsession, desire, dream."
As long as one is human, surviving until now inevitably means these thoughts exist. Whether good or evil, the Dao heart doesn't discriminate; it only looks at the strength of the thought.
However, it was easier said than done.
In reality, this step was enough to make countless cultivators shrink back. After all, how could making one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred thoughts move according to one's will be an easy task?
A person has too many distracting thoughts.
If there are one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred thoughts, then there are one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred distracting thoughts. Moreover, they change in an instant, like untamed wild horses.
"The so-called obsession and desire... subduing a hundred thoughts, or even a thousand or ten thousand, is already the limit. How can one subdue over a hundred thousand thoughts? Even if cultivated successfully, if one's obsession wavers in the future, it will all fall short at the final hurdle, causing the Dao heart to regress and making it difficult to elevate again."
This was different from cultivation.
In cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao, many things—like a Foundation Establishment Perfected One's divine abilities—are attained once and forever. Similarly, a Golden Core Perfected Lord's dao comprehension will not disappear.
However, the Dao heart was different.
A perfect Dao heart was one thing, but cultivating the Fasting of the Mind was a long process that had to be maintained at all times, without a single second of slack.
Then here came the problem:
"What is my obsession? What desires do I have? What is the dream at the bottom of my heart? Is it strong enough to unify all thoughts and build the Fasting of the Mind?"
Lu Yang closed his eyes and pondered silently.
For this step, there was no cultivation method.
Because what this step required was to find the "I," and every "I" is different. Everyone has their own uniqueness.
They must figure out one question:
[Who am I]
So for this step, I can only rely on myself.
Calming his mind, the memories of the past surfaced bit by bit. Since cultivating until now, the memories of over a dozen lifetimes flashed across Lu Yang's heart scene by scene.
From the initial transmigration—that naive, bewildered mortal who was inexplicably "transcended" to death by others—to the later impulsive and reckless talent whose great wisdom appeared like foolishness, then to the Perfected One who learned to scheme and manage every step, and finally to his current self. In truth, from beginning to end, it had only been a few hundred years.
Yet it was already a lot.
At least for him, a transmigrator, a few hundred years was unimaginably long, carving indelible marks on his mind.
"I..."
Unknowingly, Lu Yang's mental thoughts had already begun to condense. With his deep thoughts, they gradually manifested into a small four-bedroom, one-living-room house.
Over so many lifetimes, he had done many things.
He had committed evil, performed good deeds, been treated as a resource, and treated others as resources. However, these were all experiences. What kind of person was the real him?
Am I a good person?
...Don't make me laugh.
It was fine to just say it normally, just wrapping it up nicely. But right now, he couldn't deceive his Dao heart. He was truly not a good person.
Then am I an evil person?
Not really, right?
He asked himself, compared to the people in this wretched place, he still had some bottom lines, more or less. Although they weren't high, and they were flexible, they absolutely existed.
Only after a long while did Lu Yang let out a deep breath.
Having a kind heart, committing evil acts—that's right. Although he was already a Great Perfected Lord, in the end, in the fatal environment of this wretched place, he was just an...
Ordinary person.
Lu Yang opened his eyes and looked at the small four-bedroom, one-living-room house constructed from his mental thoughts. This was his Fasting of the Mind; his heart was only this big.
It couldn't hold too many people.
I am not a great man determined to overthrow oppression, nor am I a saint who cares about the common people. I oppose oppression simply because I am not the oppressor.
I respect those saints who sacrifice themselves for others, but I am unwilling to become such a person. At most, I will just lend a hand within my capabilities, say some lip service that costs no money and doesn't risk my life, and wave flags and shout for them. But I am absolutely unwilling to bet everything I have to follow them.
A vulgar, despicable, double-standard soul.
The house constructed from his mental thoughts trembled slightly, as if it would disintegrate in the next second. One distracting thought of self-criticism after another assaulted Lu Yang's mind.
However, in the next second.
"Is that the same?"
Lu Yang held his head high, gritting his teeth at all the thoughts that despised him as he said:
"I have double standards, I am vulgar, I am despicable, but I just fucking want to live a good life! This thought, no matter what, is absolutely not wrong."
If it's not my fault, then it can only be the world's fault.
It's because of this man-eating world that I simply cannot live a good life. No matter what stage I reach, there are always people above me squeezing me dry.
Therefore—
"I just want to walk to the highest point, step by step!"
If this godforsaken place won't let me live a good life, then I'll find a way to forge it into the shape I want, forging it with my own two hands!
"Boom!"
In an instant, Lu Yang only felt himself fly up from where he stood, breaking free from material constraints. He saw an endless, disorderly, and chaotic ocean of consciousness.
The Dark Aspect of the Light Sea.
Every intelligent living being would cast their own shadow in the Dark Aspect of the Light Sea.
However, only cultivators whose Dao heart had undergone a qualitative change and built the Fasting of the Mind had the qualifications to decide exactly what their shadow in the Dark Aspect of the Light Sea looked like.
Enlightenment surged into his heart.
"This heart is bright, what more is there to say."
[Light-Chasing Dao Heart]
Given time, if this Fasting of the Mind could take another step forward, ascending from the [Light-Chasing Dao Heart] to transform into a [Primordial Spirit], it would be the [Bright Primordial Spirit]!
(End of Chapter)