Expanding The Mind
Scene 1 – Refining the Meditation Method
Li Feng sat cross-legged beneath the old willow tree, eyes half-closed, listening to the rustling leaves. The gentle breeze carried the scent of damp earth, grounding his senses as he sank into a meditative state.
Old Lin's meditation method had given him a foundation, but he knew it wasn't enough.
The technique focused on calming the mind and regulating breathing—useful for maintaining focus, but lacking the depth he needed. If he wanted to refine his spiritual power, he had to go further.
Meditation wasn't just about stillness; it was about control.
Breathing in, he visualized the air flowing into his lungs. Breathing out, he imagined his thoughts dispersing like ripples in a pond.
He concentrated on the faint awareness of his spiritual sea, a vast, unformed space within his mind. The deeper he delved, the more unstable it felt. Thoughts scattered too easily, breaking his focus.
I think, therefore I do.
The phrase echoed in his mind.
If the mind shaped reality, then belief shaped power.
What if spiritual power wasn't just refined through external forces, but through sheer will?
He focused again, this time attempting to gather his scattered spiritual energy into a single point. It resisted, slipping through his grasp like water.
Li Feng frowned. He needed a medium, something to anchor his focus.
Purple Demon Eye used purple qi at dawn to stimulate the eyes, strengthening perception.
Then… what about different types of qi?
If purple qi represented clarity and insight, then what of the golden light of midday? The silver glow of moonlight?
Perhaps different times of day carried different types of energy. If so, then refining spiritual power wasn't just about meditation but about adapting to the natural flow of the world.
He would have to test it.
But first, he had to refine his control.
Scene 2 – The Nature of Martial Soul Attributes
That night, as Li Feng lay on his straw bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, his thoughts drifted toward another aspect of cultivation—martial soul attributes.
Martial souls weren't just tools for battle. They shaped a person's temperament, instincts, and even their weaknesses.
Some attributes were easy to understand. Fire martial souls often led to passionate tempers. Water martial souls promoted calmness and adaptability. Earth martial souls gave steadiness and resilience.
But then, there were extreme cases.
Evil Fire. A mutation of fire-attributed martial souls, it wasn't just destructive in combat—it influenced the wielder's desires, making them prone to excess, particularly in lust and aggression.
Then there were ultimate attributes. Theoretically the strongest, they carried a major flaw: after rank 30, cultivation slowed significantly.
The reason wasn't well understood, but Li Feng had a theory.
The more extreme the attribute, the harder it was to integrate with normal soul power. A martial soul with extreme affinity required equally extreme effort to refine, causing bottlenecks between ranks 30 and 70.
But what if the same principle applied to all martial souls, just on a lesser scale?
Perhaps every martial soul subtly influenced its wielder's spiritual state.
If a martial soul's attribute was too overwhelming, it could throw a cultivator's mental balance off, leading to unpredictable behaviors.
That would explain why some soul masters, despite immense talent, still suffered from personality flaws.
Could spiritual cultivation counteract that?
If refining the spiritual sea strengthened the mind's control, then maybe—just maybe—one could override the natural influence of their martial soul.
Li Feng's heart pounded at the thought.
If true, then spiritual cultivation wasn't just useful—it was revolutionary.
It could prevent berserk soul evolutions, counteract negative martial soul effects, and maybe even smooth out the cultivation of ultimate attributes.
It could help people overcome their own limitations.
He clenched his fist.
He had to prove it.
Scene 3 – Testing Mental Endurance
The next morning, before sunrise, Li Feng resumed his training.
He started with breathing control, steady and deep, before transitioning into meditation. His goal today was simple: endurance.
If spiritual power could be refined like muscles, then sustained effort was key.
At first, focusing was easy. He maintained clarity for several minutes, sensing the faint ripples of his spiritual sea.
Then, strain set in. His thoughts wavered, distractions creeping in. The discomfort of sitting still, the distant noises of the village waking up, the cool morning air against his skin—each one pulled at his concentration.
But he refused to falter.
He pushed past the discomfort, centering his awareness.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. His forehead grew damp with sweat, his breath shallow. The strain wasn't physical, but mental.
Then, just as he was about to reach his limit—something changed.
His spiritual sea, once turbulent, began to settle. The ripples smoothed, forming a faint sense of clarity he hadn't felt before.
Li Feng's eyes snapped open.
That… was progress.
He exhaled, a slow smile forming.
It was working.
Scene 4 – A New Perspective
Later that day, as he helped his father in the fields, Li Feng's mind continued to turn.
Was spiritual cultivation truly that different from martial soul cultivation?
Martial souls determined one's affinity with soul power, but spiritual power was universal. Every soul master had it, but few actively trained it.
If martial souls were bound by innate talent, then perhaps spiritual cultivation was a way to break those limits.
A strong mind could resist illusions, withstand soul attacks, and even influence reality itself.
Then, what if one could train the mind to enhance physical ability?
The idea fascinated him.
Could spiritual power reinforce the body? Improve reaction speed? Increase perception?
If he could prove this, it would change everything.
Li Feng tightened his grip on the hoe, his determination solidifying.
He would find the answers himself.
No gods. No fate.
Only what he created with his own hands.