Chapter 37: On Cultivating the Mind
Time slipped by like a white horse passing through a crack, clouds shifting into myriad forms. Six months vanished in the blink of an eye.
On the Outer Sect disciples’ peak, Song Yan sat within his cave dwelling, his brows knit with worry.
“Too slow…”
He gazed at the scattered pill bottles and broken, ashen spirit arrays littering the floor, sighing softly.
In these six months, Song Yan had painstakingly cultivated back up to the fourth level of Qi Refinement. The resources this consumed were astonishing. Even with his reckless disregard for cost, pouring all his cultivation resources into the effort, his progress was slower than he had imagined.
He had nearly exhausted his supply of Yellow Sprout Pills; for the sake of efficiency, he’d even taken a hundred out of his hundred and sixty or so spirit stones to trade at the market for two small Spirit Gathering Arrays. These were not the subpar pieces he used to scavenge from the Fire Labor Camp’s refuse heaps, but genuine, intact arrays that could be used several times—each purchase had pained him deeply.
Yet even so, his Sword Dao Seed cultivated at a tortoise’s pace, even slower than his former progress with three spiritual roots. If not for avoiding the missteps of his earlier path, it might have taken him two full years just to reach mid-stage Qi Refinement this time.
He had yet to reach the truly arduous final four layers of the Qi Refinement realm, and already his mind was in turmoil. There was little he could do.
“I must obtain a Supreme Spirit object soon to strengthen my Sword Dao Seed…”
Song Yan prided himself on steadfastness. Concepts like sword intent or a cultivator’s heart seemed vague and insubstantial to him; he’d never given them much thought.
He sighed quietly.
There was still a year to go before his agreement with Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo—a dauntingly long wait. What if the cultivator’s cave they were to explore didn’t contain a Supreme Spirit object, or if he failed to obtain it? Wouldn’t his hopes remain forever out of reach?
He’d tried making discreet inquiries about Supreme Spirit objects, but all he found were baseless rumors or prices so extravagant he couldn’t possibly afford them.
A deep, conflicted exhaustion gnawed at him. Having seen firsthand the harshness of the cultivation world, he yearned desperately to grow stronger, but a sense of helplessness spread within him. It did not drive him to despair, but it was enough to throw his heart into chaos.
If this went on, he feared he would fall prey to inner demons…
Song Yan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
“Well, since there’s no better path before me, I’ll proceed step by step, cultivating as best I can, and meanwhile temper my spiritual sense.”
After breaking through to mid-stage Qi Refinement, the Sword Dao Seed within his Sword Mansion seemed a little fuller than before.
What surprised Song Yan was that the two-colored stone pearl he’d previously failed to refine with spiritual energy could, in fact, be refined with sword qi. After much effort, he managed to do so, and upon entering the world within the stone pearl once more, he saw—suspended at the center of that black-and-white realm—a plump seed, indistinguishable from the one within his own Sword Mansion.
He surmised that this seed likely reflected the state of his own Dao Seed.
“But I can already observe my Dao Seed through introspection. Isn’t the world within the Two Forms Pearl redundant, then?”
He couldn’t figure it out—and so, as was his way, he simply didn’t dwell on it. He believed that with limited strength and knowledge, pondering endlessly was pointless.
His grandfather had often told him: “Thinking only brings confusion; action yields answers.”
There was something else as well, though he wasn’t sure whether to consider it good news. After refining the Two Forms Pearl, a set of inky runes took shape once more within the realm and imprinted themselves into his mind.
It was the complete cultivation method for the Five-Star Pulse-Grasping Technique.
As for why this might not be good news for his current self…
The general outline explained that this supposedly “complete” technique was actually adapted from a more profound secret text devoted to training spiritual sense. The original was deep and abstruse, far beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.
Moreover, the basic requirement for practicing the original was the Golden Core realm.
Reading this made Song Yan laugh bitterly.
Golden Core realm…
The Five-Star Pulse-Grasping Technique had been simplified by past cultivators. Though less effective than the original, it was at least straightforward and the bar for entry had been lowered to the Foundation Establishment realm.
Even so, at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, Song Yan still couldn’t practice it. He could only continue with his old, abbreviated mantra.
Still, it wasn’t without its benefits.
Song Yan stood and left his cave.
The complete Five-Star Pulse-Grasping Technique mentioned that certain “heart-cultivation arts” could supplement the mantra and help temper one’s spiritual sense.
“I haven’t completed this month’s heart-cultivation art yet. My progress is slow and my mind restless; if I continue to grind away like this, my mood will surely suffer… This is a good time to take a walk in the Valley of Seeking the Way and clear my head.”
He made his way from the Outer Sect disciples’ peak toward the Valley of Seeking the Way, passing through the Initiation Platform.
There, he happened upon an Outer Sect steward leading a new disciple toward the valley. Their conversation drifted to Song Yan’s ears.
“Senior Brother Zhao, what exactly is this ‘heart-cultivation art’?” the newcomer asked with curiosity.
“…That’s a long story,” Senior Brother Zhao replied after a moment’s thought. Then he countered, “Junior Brother, what do you think cultivation is?”
“Ah? Well… Maybe it’s about raising your spiritual power, seeking the Dao and immortality, I suppose.”
“Haha, immortality…”
Senior Brother Zhao suddenly laughed.
“Indeed, immortality—that is the greatest goal of cultivation. But how does one achieve it? By endlessly raising your spiritual power? By cultivating your soul? Or by tempering your physical body?”
“…?”
“All of these are necessary, but not enough. To attain immortality, one must also cultivate the heart.”
“Cultivate the heart?”
“That’s right,” Senior Brother Zhao nodded. “Throughout the long history of the cultivation world, there have been countless prodigies with outstanding talent and extraordinary fortunes—like stars in the sky. Yet those who truly attain immortality are as rare as phoenix feathers.”
“Many possess immense spiritual power, robust bodies, and refined souls, yet linger at the threshold of a breakthrough for decades, centuries, even millennia…”
“There are too many like this. Some become set in their ways, trapped by their own cocoons, unable to advance further and ultimately die of old age. Others fall prey to inner demons, their natures changing, and in the end, most meet a tragic fate.”
“Only a tiny few can break through their limits, advance to new realms, and seek immortality. The difference lies in temperament—or rather, in one’s state of mind.”
“I see,” the new disciple said, suddenly enlightened.
“There are countless methods for cultivating spiritual power and many for tempering the body. Ways to refine the mind and soul are rare, but with effort or fortune, they can be found. But have you ever heard of a technique that cultivates the state of mind?”
“…”
The new disciple shook his head.
“Exactly. The heart-cultivation arts are simply a means to temper one’s state of mind. They’re not really techniques or secret methods—just refined pursuits, you might say.”
“Uh… But honestly, for low-level disciples like us, these heart-cultivation arts aren’t of much practical use,” Senior Brother Zhao suddenly said in a lowered voice. “Before forming a Golden Core, we don’t really face any obstacles of the heart in our cultivation. Still, it’s a rule set by the sect master, so we follow it.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”