Demon Taming: Start by synthesizing a Lantern Ghost with Divine and Demonic Talents

Chapter 142: Condensing the Spirit Embryo
Return to Feihong Snow Pavilion.

Shen Que began to introduce the sword cultivation system to everyone.

"The path of the sword, besides being closely related to personal cultivation, has sword control as its core. This technique is also divided into nine realms from low to high!"

As Shen Que's voice slowly began to speak, a magnificent and colorful world of swordsmanship was gradually unveiled for everyone.

The first realm of swordsmanship is soaring through the air on a sword. Anyone who has learned the basic sword-controlling technique can do this; the effect is similar to using telekinesis to fly, and the principle is quite simple. However, sword-controlling is relatively slow and lacks power, relying more on the power of telekinesis derived from one's own soul.

This is the classification of realms for newly enlightened beginners in the Divine Realm. Anyone present who cannot even achieve this level is not worthy of entering the Imperial Academy.

The second realm: flying a thousand miles on a sword.

Those cultivators who reach this level master sword control techniques, and when equipped with a magical flying sword, they can fly on their swords. Using this sword in combat greatly enhances the power of their sword control.

This stage is also the level that the vast majority of cultivators can currently reach.

The third realm, Sword Heart Spiritual Connection, also known as Sword Heart Clarity. With Sword Heart Spiritual Connection, one can communicate with sentient magical swords, making the sword more aligned with one's own will and further aiding in the refinement of one's natal sword. At this realm, one can be considered a master of the sword, proving one's Dao through the sword, embodying clarity of mind, and walking with a magnanimous spirit. Unmoved by external influences, unswayed by material possessions.

To reach this level, one often needs utmost sincerity—sincerity in the sword, sincerity in the heart—in order to comprehend it.

Once one achieves a state of perfect clarity of mind, one's heart will not be swayed by external things.

This is no longer just sword control, but a preliminary understanding of the Dao.

Shen Que said, "The clarity of the sword heart is more accurately described as a transcendent spiritual state than as a state of sword control! Once you immerse yourself in it, your mind becomes like a clear mirror, empty and colorless. This state is in harmony with the energy of heaven and earth, and is truly the ultimate spiritual truth of being without self or things."

"When facing an enemy, one can anticipate their moves and even predict their next move without needing to observe their actions. With just one or two moves, one can subdue the enemy with remarkable skill."

"Of the thirteen of you, only three have mastered the Sword Heart Spirit Realm, and all of them are at the initial stage of Sword Heart."

Li Chunfeng couldn't help but look at the man and woman on his left, who were the two who had performed the best besides him on Peach Blossom Island.

Compared to his mastery of the Sword Heart Spiritual Connection Realm through the 'Sword Heart Spiritual Connection and Sword Control Technique' attached to the Divine Sword Art, these two are the true geniuses of the sword path.

After initially mastering the sword's essence, one still needs a long period of cultivation and practical experience to improve one's mental state.

Those who reach the state of "Sword Mind Clarity" can integrate their mind and intention into sword techniques and sword skills, so as to achieve the effect of sword energy and sword intent complementing each other.

The one wielding the sword is no longer the hand.

It's the heart!

Those who reach this level can use their swords to perform techniques such as "sword energy thunderous sound, sword energy turning into rainbow, sword energy refining into aura, and sword energy taking form".

It can even greatly help in comprehending sword intent.

When Shen Que explained this realm, he was extremely detailed and even personally performed a spell to let everyone personally experience the mysteries of the Sword Heart Spirit Connection Realm.

"For example, my sword intent, the Plum Blossom Sword Intent!"

As he spoke, everyone saw Shen Que point a finger, and instantly it was as if they were in a sea of ​​flowers. Plum blossoms were falling everywhere, and even the snow seemed to transform into plum petals, each petal formed from sharp sword intent. It looked extremely beautiful, but in reality, it concealed a deep killing intent.

Li Chunfeng opened his mouth, recalling Yu Shishi's sword intent, the Great Rain Sword Intent.

When the sword intent lingers, every drop of rain transforms into a weapon of attack.

Wen Xiangzhu's sword intent actually transformed into a black ancient dragon.

But he didn't even know what his own sword intent was, which was a huge waste of the miraculous effects of the "Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons Nourishing Mind Sword Technique".

Perhaps it was Li Chunfeng's unusual expression.

"Li Chunfeng, what questions do you have?" Shen Que suddenly pointed at him.

Li Chunfeng paused for a moment and asked a question, "Master Shen, I have fought against Wen Xiangzhu, who possesses the Innate Sword Dao Saint Body. His sword intent left a deep impression on me. It was a black ancient sword qi dragon. When I fought against him, I felt that the dragon's four claws could form an array. I want to ask why the sword intent manifested in such a physical form?"
Shen Que said, "That's just the effect of a special sword technique. That sword technique is called the Ancient Nether Dragon Sword Technique, and the sword intent that one comprehends is the Ancient Nether Dragon Sword Intent. Wen Xiangzhu's physique is special, and his sword heart can make the sword intent manifest to a certain extent, increasing its power."

On the spot, some students couldn't help but search for this sword technique in the National Library and discovered that it was a supernatural-level sword technique.

They immediately lost heart.

Learning a supernatural-level sword technique is difficult. Not only is the exchange price expensive, but it's also very difficult to learn without mastering the prerequisite sword techniques.

Li Chunfeng asked, "May I ask Master Shen, do all supernatural-level sword techniques have corresponding sword intent?"

Shen Que snorted, "The 'Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons Nourishing Mind Sword Technique' that you cultivate focuses on nourishing and consecrating the sword, as well as sword formations and techniques. So far, no one has been able to comprehend a specific sword intent from it."

Li Chunfeng asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

"The Heavenly Gods and Demons are the most chaotic of all the gods and demons in the world, yet their sword intent is pure. How can one achieve pure sword intent by practicing with such a force?"

"However, I have heard that this sword technique, even without comprehending the sword intent, has the effect of nurturing a sword soul, and its power is equally remarkable."

Li Chunfeng suddenly realized.

The ability to nurture a sword soul is indeed a characteristic of a first-level sword technique.

Through Master Shen's explanation, the others also learned that Li Chunfeng also cultivated a supernatural-level sword technique, which explained why he could go toe-to-toe with someone as abnormal as Wen Xiangzhu in swordsmanship.

Shen Que continued to introduce the art of swordsmanship.

The fourth realm of swordsmanship is entering and exiting the azure sky.

As the saying goes, "Seeking the Dao and achieving immortality, one can enter and exit the Azure Netherworld." Entering and exiting the Azure Netherworld is the ambition of almost every cultivator who embarks on the path of cultivation. It seems that as long as one sets out on the path of cultivation, one can enter and exit the Azure Netherworld.

But in reality, this is not the case; only a few people can enter and exit the Azure Heaven. This is because the Nine Heavens are filled with fierce gales, violent thunder, and chaotic sun, moon, and starlight. To enter and exit the Azure Heaven, one must withstand these chaotic energies, which requires sufficient cultivation and swordsmanship.

Without sufficient cultivation and swordsmanship, one cannot even escape the weight of the earth, let alone withstand this chaotic energy.

The fifth realm: sword light splits.

The sword light is split into several beams, multiplying its destructive power. Once unleashed, the sky is filled with sword light. This is already a relatively high level of swordsmanship. Generally speaking, it is not something that non-sword cultivators can achieve. However, among sword cultivators, reaching this level means that they have begun to embark on the path of a sword master.

It can be said to be a threshold between ordinary sword cultivators and sword cultivator masters; the vast majority of sword cultivators will never reach this threshold in their entire lives.

The sixth realm: refining swords into silk.

The ability to condense sword light into threads, thus multiplying its destructive power, is a level that only sword cultivators skilled in the art of swordsmanship can achieve.

The seventh realm is the unity of man and sword.

This was precisely the technique of Wen Xiangzhu's innate sword dao saintly body. It was an extremely high level of returning to simplicity and mastering the sword. Li Chunfeng had personally experienced the power of the sword dao realm of man and sword becoming one, transforming into a sword light that could break through anything and destroy everything. As long as his cultivation was sufficient, it seemed that nothing in this world could stop him.

It's like a person who starts from the beginning, travels through countless mountains and rivers, and returns to the place where they started. It seems like nothing has changed, but in fact, everything inside is completely different.

Where it begins and where it ends, that is returning to simplicity and authenticity.

Shen Que has only mastered the swordsmanship realm of man and sword as one. He can demonstrate the effect of man and sword as one for everyone, but he certainly cannot understand the reason behind it.

Therefore, the subsequent descriptions of the realms are all glossed over.

The eighth realm is the embodiment of the primordial spirit, where all swords return to their origin. It is said that wherever the primordial spirit goes, everything can become a sword. This is the ultimate swordsmanship in the human realm; a casual flick of the finger can mobilize vast amounts of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, unleashing tremendous destructive power.

The ninth realm is the legendary one where a single sword strike can shatter all laws.

Starting from the fifth realm of swordsmanship, the subsequent realms can actually be effective against the Lantern Ghost's clone sea of ​​lanterns tactic, and Li Chunfeng is very concerned about this.

After the lesson ended, Shen Que said to Li Chunfeng, "You are about to condense your divine embryo. I can apply for a trial to use the Illusionary Heaven Mirror to predict your chances of success in condensing your embryo."

"The Illusionary Mirror? Thank you, Master Shen."

"Ah."

Shen Que stood up, and everyone quickly stood up to pay their respects.

"This lesson is now over. Get to know each other. Exchanging ideas and sparring will help improve your swordsmanship."

After saying that, he got up and left.

"Respectfully seeing off Teacher Shen!"

The remaining thirteen students completed the follow-up discussion after class. They exchanged friend requests and were now considered fellow students.

A week later, Li Chunfeng, together with Shen Que, flew over the enormous Dragon Gate and Phoenix Palace and arrived at the Kunlun Nine Heavens Holy Capital.

He came to use the Illusionary Mirror.

After returning last time, Li Chunfeng had already checked the function of this magic weapon on the campus network.

This special magical artifact can simulate the state of a cultivator's practice, greatly aiding in deduce cultivation techniques and predict the accuracy of cultivation. Because each deduction consumes a considerable amount of resources, and many people queue up to reserve it, it can only be used when it's their turn.

Li Chunfeng was the first among this year's freshmen to use this extraordinary treasure. The Illusionary Mirror was over ten meters tall and was placed in the center of a huge spirit-gathering array, with only one narrow path leading to the mirror.

When they arrived, they happened to run into another instructor who had just finished using the facility with his students.

"Hey Shen, aren't you supposed to be mentoring new students this year? Why are you here at the Illusionary Mirror?"

The newcomer looked like a young man, and the fact that he dared to speak to Shen Que like that meant he was at least a True Lord.

When a Dharma-manifestation True Lord is placed in a local area, he is equivalent to a powerful regional governor. This is why Kunlun Academy, with its deep pockets, commonly uses True Lords as mentors for its new students.

Shen Que said calmly, "Can't freshmen use the Illusionary Mirror? My student is about to condense his embryo, and the array spirit has granted him special permission to use the Illusionary Mirror ahead of time. Xu Suanpan, are you done using it? If you are, hurry up and leave, don't waste my time."

"Huh! You've already formed a nascent soul right after entering school? Which student is that?" The True Lord, known as Xu Suanpan, couldn't help but curiously examine Li Chunfeng.

Li Chunfeng bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Not bad. Your spirit is clear and pure, your soul power is abundant, and your divine soul pressure is sufficient. There is also a technique to protect your divine soul within your divine aperture. You truly have the appearance of condensing the core. What is your name?"

"Student Li Chunfeng greets senior."

"So you're Li Chunfeng? You actually enrolled in Old Shen's class, tsk tsk. When you're choosing a Dao Academy in the future, would you be interested in studying at my Array Dao Academy?"

Li Chunfeng first glanced at Shen Que, and seeing that Shen Que did not express anything, he said, "My current task is still to form a fetus, but I also yearn for the Dao of Arrays. Perhaps I will study the Dao of Arrays in the future."

"Okay. Let's add each other as friends. You can contact Mr. Xu directly if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Teacher Xu."

Xu Suanpan left with the curious students behind him, satisfied.

The main hall was closed, leaving only the two of them inside the entire Illusionary Mirror Hall.

Shen Que said, "Go up and meditate in front of this mirror for a while. The spirit of the Illusionary Heaven Mirror will take you into an illusion to deduce your future path of cultivation. But you must distinguish between reality and illusion, and not let the future blind you."

"Yes."

Li Chunfeng followed the instructions and walked onto the spirit-gathering array, arriving at the designated prayer mat.

Looking at the huge mirror, its surface was so shiny, yet it did not reflect any image.

He thought to himself, "I naturally used the 'Black Lotus Sutra of the Turbid World' to condense the Black Lotus Divine Embryo. This Illusionary Heaven Mirror is a famous and excellent auxiliary tool for deduce cultivation techniques in Kunlun Academy. I just don't know how it compares to the [Derivation of Techniques] function of the incomplete jade disc. The [Derivation of Techniques] is currently still deducing spatial spells. This opportunity is rare. If there is still a chance after I finish deducing the probability of condensing the embryo, I can give it a try."

Sit on the futon.

Take out the Divine Embryo Pill and place it in front of you.

The Divine Embryo Realm is the first major hurdle for cultivators. For ordinary people, as long as they can condense a Divine Embryo before the age of sixty, the success rate is relatively high.

The vast majority of cultivators in the Celestial Court are below the Divine Embryo Realm. Forming a Divine Embryo is dangerous, and during the process, no one can help you.

If the process of embryo formation fails, the divine aperture will be destroyed, the soul will spontaneously combust, and the spirit will collapse.

It's extremely dangerous; either the path is cut off or you lose your life.

Therefore, if a student enters the Imperial Academy, Dao Palace, or Dao Academy, the authorities will provide an opportunity to condense a divine embryo. This opportunity includes providing a third-tier spiritual site and one of the "Three Treasures for Embryo Condensation" that can help increase the success rate of embryo condensation: 'Protective Aperture Pill', 'Ascending Spiritual Fire', or 'Embryonic Formation Liquid'.

If you're afraid of dying, you'll definitely choose the 'Protecting Acupoint Pill'.

Even if we fail, we won't destroy our foundation, and we'll have another chance in the future.

Since Li Chunfeng already possessed the Divine Embryo Pill, which could increase the probability of embryo formation by 30%, he naturally did not need the "Three Treasures for Embryo Formation".

He then silently recited the calming mantra and began his visualization practice.

Before long, he felt a sudden jolt in his mind, as if he had entered a place rich in spiritual energy. His cultivation of the "Black Lotus Sutra of the Turbid World" went incredibly smoothly, and the method of condensing the embryo in the Black Lotus Sutra of the Turbid World kept circulating in his mind.

He felt that his three souls and seven spirits were perfectly integrated, and the pressure of his divine soul was constantly increasing, as if he was about to condense a divine embryo.

The first step in embryonic formation is the unification of the three souls and seven spirits, resulting in a perfect divine soul.

He has finished.

The second step requires transforming soul power into divine embryonic soul liquid to help the three souls and seven spirits be reborn and reunited.

The third step is to increase the pressure of the divine soul, so as to prevent the cultivator from being burst by the surging power of the divine soul after successfully condensing the divine embryo.

The first step is a prerequisite for embryo solidification, but the second and third steps are not sequential, but rather complementary conditions, and none of them can be omitted.

Li Chunfeng seemed to see himself successfully enveloping a sixth-grade black lotus, containing its undying soul. Boundless soul power poured into the black lotus, transforming into a torrent of life essence.

Then the sixth-grade black lotus began to close, condensing into a lotus bud.

"Whoo~"

"Whoo~"

"Whoo~"

The three flames—Heavenly Soul, Earthly Soul, and Life Soul—were ignited in succession, their light blazing brightly.

His spiritual pressure began to rise steadily, making him feel as if he were floating on air. Fortunately, the Heart Lamp always illuminated his divine aperture, guarding his mind.

As the soul fire ignited, his own soul power seemed to sublimate, surging exponentially. This was extremely dangerous; even if others successfully condensed their embryonic form and their soul power surged, the increase was still limited. Li Chunfeng's soul power, however, reached a staggering two hundred thousand strands.

Even so, I have to thank the fact that when I was visualizing the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade black lotuses in the Black Abyss some time ago, my divine soul pressure was enhanced, and the amount of soul power continued to decrease.

At the time, he even questioned why the power of his spiritual energy hadn't increased.

Only now do I realize how much I benefited from that trip to the Black Abyss and Black Lotus Sea.

Even so, the number of two hundred thousand increased exponentially again, which amounted to more than four hundred thousand soul power.

Even though Li Chunfeng possessed the minor inner realm divine aperture of the Nine Mountains Heavenly Pool, he felt it expanding violently. The Heavenly Pool was already overflowing, and the Nine Mountains were shaking violently. The divine aperture could be destroyed at any moment by the surging soul power.

Just as he was considering whether or not to take the Divine Embryo Pill at this moment, the Heart Lamp and the Bodhi Soul Tree unleashed their power together, suppressing the expanding soul power.

The intense commotion gradually subsided.

After a while, Li Chunfeng sensed that a brand new Yin spirit seemed to be being conceived within the sixth-grade black lotus bud.

"The embryo has successfully formed?"

Li Chunfeng felt better than ever before, his mind connected to the incomplete jade disc.

Discovered [Black Lotus Sutra of the Turbid World - Level Two: 10 (10000/10000)]

The situation is now perfect.

A thought suddenly occurred to me: the embryo may be formed today.

Shen Que, who had been guarding the spirit-gathering array, suddenly froze.

He suddenly stood up and looked at Li Chunfeng in surprise.

Just now, he suddenly felt a violent fluctuation in Li Chunfeng's soul, and then the pressure of his soul began to rise continuously.

"What's this brat up to? Can't he tell the difference between the future and reality?"

Just as he was about to stop him.

"Huff~" "Huff~" "Huff~"

Three soul flames suddenly rose from Li Chunfeng's head and shoulders.

Shen Que's expression changed drastically, and he could no longer remain calm. "Condensed embryo?!"

A fierce wind swept through the entire Illusionary Heaven Palace, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to gather continuously.

Above the main hall, layers of clouds swirled and gradually formed a huge ring.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth spread outwards like a tidal wave, reaching hundreds of feet, two hundred feet, three hundred feet... and it continued to spread outwards.

Many powerful beings around stopped working and all looked towards the direction of the Illusionary Mirror Hall.

"Who is trying to condense their spiritual embryo in the Illusionary Heaven Palace?"

(End of this chapter)