Chapter 402 - 391: The Path of the Mental Realm

Chapter 402: Chapter 391: The Path of the Mental Realm

"Being an SSS-level genius is no big deal."

"Back in my day, I almost became an SSS-level genius myself."

Upon hearing this, Dean Liu also smiled.

"Exactly. It’s just an SSS-level genius!"

...

That morning, in the Cangjing Building of the Azure Sky Sixth Institute.

The Martial Arts Room on the top floor served as Mu Hong’s office and classroom.

"Junior Brother, that was impressive! I heard you set another record in the Disaster Beast Hunting Competition."

"And you got ganged up on?"

"What was that all about? Give me the details."

After entering, Lin Qi made small talk with his Eldest Brother Liang Tai, Second Sister Wang Zixuan, and Third Brother Li Qing.

Just then, Mu Hong, who was dressed in black, announced,

"I have an announcement to make!"

"The Elite Training Camp in the Otherworld has been formed. I’ll be heading to the Otherworld myself tomorrow."

"Today will also be my last lecture. After this, I’ll only be able to offer guidance via video."

"If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."

Wang Zixuan spoke up.

"Master, I’ve successfully broken through to the Fourth-stage Spear Technique and comprehended the Mental Realm. I was hoping for your guidance."

When she finished, she turned to look at Lin Qi, as did Mu Hong, Li Qing, and even Liang Tai.

"What about you, Junior Brother?"

Lin Qi smiled as well.

"As it happens, my Spear Technique has also reached the fourth stage."

Li Qing shook his head. "I knew it!"

Wang Zixuan shook her head; she had expected this all along. ’This junior brother of ours broke through to the Fifth Realm so early. It was only a matter of time before his Spear Technique reached the fourth stage.’

Mu Hong, still in black, nodded.

"Perfect. Today, I will explain the cultivation of Fourth-stage Spear Technique and the path that lies ahead of you."

He took a white long spear from a case beside him.

The tip of the spear quivered, and an intangible power emanated from his body.

Lin Qi felt it the most keenly. It was Mental Realm Power.

Mu Hong slowly began his explanation.

"Everything possesses a Mental Realm. It is void and ethereal, without substance, yet it truly exists."

"When our Martial Arts Skills reach a point where we can control the force of every muscle and have honed our techniques to perfection, any further improvement requires integrating the Mental Realm. This is a power that fuses one’s Spirit with nature and the Cosmos." ℴ

"Once this power is integrated into one’s Spear Technique, it is like arming someone with a sharp weapon—their combat effectiveness increases dramatically."

"Integrating the Mental Realm into one’s techniques drastically enhances a Martial Artist’s combat prowess."

"For instance, it can boost the destructive power of your techniques, their speed, and even your defensive ability."

"This enhancement is all-encompassing."

"Furthermore, when you channel the Mental Realm, your Spirit Perception is also enhanced, allowing you to better evade attacks."

As Mu Hong finished speaking, a crimson aura began to ripple from his body, seeping into the white long spear.

In that instant, the four of them—Liang Tai and the others watching—instantly felt a phantom blood-red spear pierce their bodies.

They felt themselves instantly begin to suffocate.

Lin Qi’s heart leaped. ’That feeling... it was too real!’

’If he hit me with something like that in the middle of a fight, I’d slow down for a split second, and I’d be dead.’

Mu Hong nodded and continued,

"What I just released was one of the Mental Realms I’ve comprehended: the Blood Shadow Realm."

"Another function of the Mental Realm is its ability to affect a person’s consciousness."

"And it’s not just people. It affects Calamity Beasts the same way."

"In the heat of battle, a one-second delay is enough time to land a hundred spear thrusts. That’s all it takes to decide a fight."

The four of them nodded in unison. ’The Mental Realm is incredible,’ they thought. ’We have to learn it!’

Mu Hong withdrew his spear, reined in his Mental Realm, and operated his smartwatch, projecting a large green screen into the air.

"For Spear Technique, Tier One is Foundation, Tier Two is Proficiency, Tier Three is Perfection, and Tier Four is Mental Realm!"

"Cultivating the Mental Realm is about completely merging your spiritual will with your Spear Technique, elevating your control over your Power to an entirely new level."

"With a Mental Realm, your Power can erupt with even greater might."

"The Fourth-stage Spear Technique itself is roughly divided into four stages: Early, Mid, Late, and Perfection."

Lin Qi’s eyes brightened, and he listened intently. Information on the cultivation path for the Mental Realm was scarce online, and what little existed was a confusing mix of fact and fiction.

It was nothing compared to hearing it explained personally by an Eighth Realm Martial Artist.

The others also listened intently. For Liang Tai, listening to it again would also bring new insights.

Mu Hong made the long spear hum and began his explanation.

"Just after reaching the fourth stage, you are at the beginning of the Mental Realm. You can initially integrate your emotions and will into your Spear Technique."

"You can occasionally manifest the power of your Mental Realm in battle, but it isn’t stable or sustainable, and the drain on your Spirit is immense."

Lin Qi nodded to himself. ’So it can only be used at critical moments,’ he thought.

’For example, when I use a Killing Technique, I can merge my will into the spear thrust to drastically increase its speed and destructive power.’

’But it only lasts for one technique. After that, I can’t channel the Mental Realm anymore. My head hurts, and the drain on my Spiritual Power is enormous.’

Mu Hong continued his explanation.

"Next is the Mid-stage of the fourth stage. After constant Cultivation and comprehension, you can stably integrate the Mental Realm into your Spear Technique."

"Moreover, the manifested Mental Realm becomes more condensed, and both its range and power increase significantly."

"In combat, every single one of your moves will carry the power of your Mental Realm."

"The Late Stage and Perfection stages represent the highest level of the Mental Realm."

"At this point, you can completely master the power of the Mental Realm, even elevating it to a level approaching that of a Divine Power."

"The range and power of the Mental Realm reach their peak."

"This is why this level is described as the Mental Realm suffusing the entire body."

As Mu Hong spoke, the intangible power of his Blood Shadow Realm enveloped the entire Martial Arts Room.

As the power enveloped them, the four disciples felt as if they were about to die, their faces instantly turning pale.

That was a Mental Realm Power even more terrifying than before.

The Mental Realm only appeared for a second before it began to dissipate.

Mu Hong continued,

"That is the enormous gap between the Early Stage and Perfection."

"And above the Mental Realm is the Domain. That is another level entirely. I only comprehended a Domain after breaking through to the Eighth Realm."

"It is a Realm that only Eighth Realm Martial Artists can reach."

He finished and looked at the four of them.

"For all of you, the Mental Realm will be your focus for a very long time."

Liang Tai nodded and sighed. "I’m working toward the Mid-stage of the fourth stage right now, but it’s incredibly difficult."

"Every tiny bit of progress is a huge struggle."

"I’m about to break through to the Sixth Realm, but I probably won’t reach the Mid-stage of the fourth stage until I’m at the Mid-stage of the Sixth Realm."

"Then, I’ll probably reach the Late Stage during the Seventh Realm, and then get stuck there."

"I might go my whole life without ever comprehending a Domain."

Wang Zixuan asked in surprise, "So the Fourth-stage Spear Technique spans across three whole cultivation Realms—the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh?"

Mu Hong nodded. "Mental Realm Power is tied to every aspect of a Martial Artist: their Comprehension, their Spirit, and their will."

"The difficulty skyrockets."

"It’s not like Qi and Blood Cultivation, which you can always advance as long as you have the resources."

"You can only advance through constant practice."

"Of course, having sufficiently strong Spiritual Power is a great help in comprehending a Mental Realm."

Li Qing slowly said, "Spiritual Power is becoming more and more important."

"For Refining Inner Organs in the Fifth Realm, you need Spiritual Power to guide your Qi Blood and nourish your Inner Organs."

"And now, cultivating the Mental Realm for the fourth stage of the Spear Technique also requires integrating Spiritual Power."

"So, improving one’s Spiritual Power is absolutely crucial."

Then he shook his head. "But improving Spiritual Power is too difficult."

"The resources you can buy are also extremely expensive. A single bottle of Spirit Potion costs ten million."

"And that’s not to mention the even more expensive resources."

Wang Zixuan and the others nodded. All of them were A-level geniuses from well-off families.

Their families could support them through the Fourth Realm, but once they advanced to the Fifth Realm, that financial help became less and less significant.

Spending tens of millions a month was a terrifying prospect.

Only Lin Qi lowered his head in thought. ’I’m actually very rich right now.’

’But my Spiritual Power growth has definitely slowed down recently.’

’I need to buy more Potion Resources to boost my Spiritual Power.’

After listening to their exchange, Mu Hong spoke again.

"Next, I will be discussing how to choose a new Spear Technique Secret Manual!"

...