The Mind
Translator: CinderTL
"Void Refining cultivators also refine Heart Demons to elevate their Mind Realm?"
Li Chunjun's heart skipped a beat. He carefully examined his own mental state.
After destroying that complete Heart Demon...
He had indeed felt his Mind Realm in a state of "boiling."
He had initially attributed this to the intense mental battle he had just fought with the Heart Demon, a state akin to the rapid blood circulation after strenuous physical exercise.
But hearing Su Fang's words...
He subtly activated the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method and immediately sensed a slight advancement in its progress.
"Human records mention Void Refining Great Powers intentionally using complete Heart Demons to elevate their Mind Realm and assist Nine Tribulation True Monarch disciples in activating their Mind Power. Some Great Sects even capture Heart Demons, transforming them into sacred grounds for mental cultivation. Since Heart Demons are a branch of the Heavenly Demon Clan, these places are often called Heavenly Demon Illusionary Realms or Heavenly Demon Heart-Questioning Realms."
Su Fang explained.
Li Chunjun felt his horizons expanding.
It was clear that the Human Race truly deserved its reputation as the strongest force in the Cosmos.
They even treated Heart Demons as a resource for cultivation.
"Every Demonic Spirit of the Heart Demon Clan is a master of the mind, employing bizarre and unpredictable methods," Su Fang continued. "Many Void Refining Great Powers and Great Sects have attempted to cultivate Heart Demons or create Heavenly Demon Illusionary Realms, but almost all have failed. Not only did they lose themselves in the process, but they also unleashed terrifying Heart Demon disasters, causing immense harm."
"After repeated incidents, over 600,000 years ago, the Immortal Alliance issued a strict ban on such practices. However, because the effect of using Heart Demons to refine the mind was so remarkable, some factions still secretly continued their experiments."
Li Chunjun, observing the peculiar expressions of the True Monarchs, realized their intentions. "You... are considering refining a Heart Demon to activate Mind Power?"
"It's a dangerous endeavor, but with thorough preparation and the protection of a powerful Mind Power expert, the risks can be mitigated to some extent." Yu Jin's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The others nodded solemnly. "No gain without risk! How can we cultivate Mind Power without facing any dangers? Especially considering Sword Prodigy Li's words about thousands of Demonic Spirits lurking in this star system, if we don't master Mind Power, we might one day be corrupted and turned into puppets."
Li Chunjun fell silent, lost in thought.
"A Heart Demon appearing alone would be a catastrophic danger for us, enough to turn us into puppets in a state of constant terror. But thanks to your presence, Sword Prodigy Li, who has comprehended Mind Power, this danger has become an unprecedented opportunity!"
Su Fang said, bowing to Li Chunjun. "Sword Prodigy, do you know the price of a complete Heart Demon on the black market?"
He didn't keep them in suspense, quickly holding up one finger. "One million! Even the weakest complete Heart Demon can fetch over a million Spirit Crystals on the black market. And..."
The Hall of Justice True Monarch emphasized, "They're priceless!"
"So, what are you suggesting?"
Li Chunjun looked at the group.
Su Fang and Huang Tian, the two Great True Monarchs, exchanged glances and stepped forward simultaneously, bowing deeply. "We are willing to serve Sword Prodigy Li as our master, if only you will grant us an opportunity to comprehend Mind Power."
Yu Jin and Zuo Cheng, who stood nearby, watched with envy in their eyes.
But they remained silent.
As General Xuan Mi's right-hand men and the captain of his Guard Corps, they had long been loyal to the Void Refining Great Power. While the Heart Demon opportunity was incredibly tempting, it couldn't easily shake their devotion to him.
"To pledge allegiance to me..."
Li Chunjun's expression was somewhat peculiar.
These True Monarchs...
From their initial approach, representing the factions behind them to court him, to their growing conviction in him, to their placing their hopes in him during the Starquake, viewing him as their core pillar, and now finally wanting to pledge complete allegiance to him and become his followers... the progress was...
too rapid.
The first-ranked on the Star Glory List could receive investment from a Primordial Spirit.
The first-ranked on the Star Brilliance List could gain the allegiance of a Primordial Spirit-grade faction.
Even recruiting Primordial Spirit-grade followers wouldn't be difficult.
But followers also depended on their quality.
Ordinary Primordial Spirits from minor clans were fundamentally different from Ninth Tribulation Primordial Spirits like Su Fang and Huang Tian, who were core members of the Multiverse Hegemony War Committee.
Even Void Refining Great Powers would treat these True Monarchs, who stood at the pinnacle of Primordial Spirit cultivation, with respect.
Li Chunjun continued, "Treating Heart Demons as mere opportunities right now is too frivolous. Only Heart Demons that can be controlled truly qualify as top-tier cultivation resources."
He glanced at the group in the hall. "As True Monarch Su Fang just said, the out-of-control Heart Demon has triggered Heart Demon Disasters more than once. Even Void Refining Great Powers have been corrupted and perished in such calamities. Therefore, our immediate priority is to weather this tribulation as quickly as possible."
Su Fang and Huang Tian exchanged glances. Though they felt some regret, they understood that this was not the time to dwell on such matters.
But at that moment, Li Chunjun's tone shifted. He continued, "The Azure Star Minor Realm is, after all, my homeland. I cannot bear to see it become a hunting ground for Heart Demons. To prevent this, I need your help to patrol Azure Star and ensure its safety. However, the area surrounding Azure Star is now saturated with Heart Demons, and these creatures are nearly impossible for Cultivators who haven't cultivated Mind Power to resist..."
He paused. "Therefore, to better defend Azure Star and combat the Heart Demons, I will assist you in refining them and awakening your Mind Power once conditions permit!"
These words sent shock and delight through the eyes of not only Su Fang and Huang Tian, but also Zuo Cheng and Yu Jin.
"Sword Prodigy Li... you..." Zuo Cheng began to speak, but Li Chunjun waved him off. "With a formidable enemy before us, we must stand united!"
Seeing Li Chunjun's selfless act, the four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs exchanged glances, their faces involuntarily revealing admiration.
"Sword Prodigy Li carries the heavy responsibility of leading us out of this Great World and back to Human Territory. Yet you're also willing to help us refine our Heart Demons and awaken our Mind Power. This kindness, we will forever engrave in our hearts. From now on, any task Sword Prodigy Li assigns us, as long as it doesn't conflict with General Xuan Mi's orders, we will pour all our strength into fulfilling it."
Yu Jin and Zuo Cheng spoke simultaneously.
Li Chunjun nodded, not pressing the matter further.
He simply said, "Next, I will examine each True Monarch individually to root out any Heart Demons lurking in the shadows. But is there a better method for detection?"
"For us, there isn't," Su Fang replied gravely. "Even a fully formed Heart Demon requires a process to corrupt a person's mind. This process is extremely subtle and silent, but if someone's personality undergoes a drastic shift, it's almost certainly due to the influence of a Heart Demon."
"So we're left with this clumsy method?"
Li Chunjun frowned slightly. "Can't we find all the Heart Demons at once?"
"Even those with a Mind Realm above the fourth level, capable of Heart Manifestation and deploying their Dharma Forms—Great Powers—can only sense the Heavenly Demon Heart Demons within their immediate surroundings. Anything further is beyond their reach."
Su Fang forced a bitter smile.
"Mind Realm fourth level..."
Li Chunjun immediately gave up on the idea.
The third level of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method, without the aid of sudden enlightenment, would take at least several centuries to cultivate.
The fourth level...
Even a thousand years of arduous cultivation wouldn't be surprising.
"Then let's do it one by one! We'll start with the Primordial Spirits, then move on to the Nascent Souls and Core Formation cultivators."
Li Chunjun said.
At this moment, they had to be grateful that the Blue Star Minor Realm had so few cultivators.
All the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Spirit cultivators combined numbered less than ten thousand.
It wouldn't take long to examine them all.
"We'll make the arrangements immediately," True Monarch Huang Tian said at once. "At the same time, we should establish a special department to secretly monitor anyone whose temperament has undergone significant changes, placing them under close observation."
"You're in charge," Li Chunjun said, then added, "Have Zhao Yu Pan, Dong Xuan, Yuan Hai, Liu Feng, Qin Zhou, Jiang Yuxue, and others assist you. Form a hundred-person team to operate covertly. Every three days, I'll personally check each of you to ensure you haven't been corrupted by the Heart Demon."
"Yes, Sword Prodigy Li," True Monarch Huang Tian replied solemnly.
"If you have trustworthy disciples, you can send them over as well," Li Chunjun said to Su Fang, Zuo Cheng, and Yu Jin.
The three were deeply moved.
Meeting Li Chunjun every three days not only guaranteed their safety but also offered the potential to become direct subordinates of the Sword Prodigy in the future.
Li Chunjun's willingness to include them in this hundred-person team... what a profound level of trust!
"Thank you, Sword Prodigy Li," they said, bowing deeply.
"Go now. Based on the importance of their locations, summon the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs one by one. Before we alert the enemy, ensure the safety of as many people as possible," Li Chunjun instructed.
"Yes," they replied, immediately becoming busy.
After all, Li Chunjun's group had only recently arrived in this star system.
Furthermore, a complete Heart Demon takes considerable time to awaken from dormancy. With the situation uncertain and limited understanding of these "Human Race" individuals, the Heart Demon Clan's infiltration of the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs had been relatively minimal.
Even so, when Li Chunjun examined the sixth chief technical officer originally assigned to the Golden Crow Battleship, he immediately sensed something amiss.
As his Mind Power-infused Divine Sense detected the Heart Demon, the creature was simultaneously stimulated by his Mind Power.
However, before the Heart Demon could fully control the True Monarch, Li Chunjun's Mind Power surged forward.
At that moment, the Primordial Spirit True Monarch also realized something was wrong, his face paling.
"What is this?"
"It's a Heavenly Demon! Coordinate with Sword Prodigy Li!" Yu Jin shouted immediately.
Following the commander's order, the chief technical officer activated his Divine Sense, joining Li Chunjun's Mind Power in a pincer attack.
Yet, because the battle took place within the Primordial Spirit True Monarch's mind, even with Li Chunjun's prior knowledge of the Heart Demon Clan's characteristics and weaknesses from Su Fang and others, it still took him over twenty breaths to eradicate the Heart Demon.
This process left Li Chunjun feeling a spiritual exhaustion.
But before he could catch his breath, the chief technology officer, now fully lucid, turned pale and said, "Three days ago, the technical staff submitted a repair plan for the Golden Crow Battleship. It's radical and daring, but if mishandled, it could completely cripple the ship's Void Travel capabilities..."
Yu Jin's face fell. "You mean...?"
"I... I approved it."
Boom!
The moment the words left his mouth, a deafening roar erupted from the Golden Crow Battleship's engine room.
A violent explosion sent flames and debris soaring into the sky.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c336. [+4.1k Words]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.
💥Flat 30% Discount on All Tiers Available Till 26th July, Use Code 3KCHAPTERS to Avail.