Half an hour later, the Divine Psyche Incarnation was almost fully solidified, having grown stronger and more robust. Wind Dragon looked at it with a slight nod. He withdrew his fingers from the Divine Psyche Incarnation, clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing within the divine chamber. "Thank you, Senior. I can sense your aura. Are you Lord Wind Dragon?" "You're done already? Then stand up. I've just reinforced your divine chamber. It won't be as fragile as before." Nantian Yijian's Divine Psyche Incarnation opened its eyes, exhaled deeply, and rose to stand beside Wind Dragon. "Thank you, Lord Wind Dragon." Now fully in control of his Divine Psyche Incarnation, Nantian Yijian said softly, "Lord Wind Dragon, am I really that weak? Such simple questions nearly shattered my mind." "You simply lacked guidance before. Your Divine Psyche Incarnation was weak, but from now on, I will personally instruct you." Wind Dragon extended both hands, pushing open the door to the divine chamber and stepping onto the solitary island within Nantian Yijian's mind. The storm continued to rage outside, yet not a single drop could penetrate the chamber. The Divine Psyche Incarnation followed Wind Dragon outdoors, gazing at the sky filled with lightning and pouring rain, and let out a soft sigh. Wind Dragon patted its shoulder and asked, "Now, I'll ask again. Has your mindset changed? If given another chance, would you still resist injustice?" "I would!" The Divine Psyche Incarnation blurted without hesitation, but then immediately faltered. "But... Can I really? I'm not strong enough to resist." "No... You already possess the power to resist. Your cultivation method has changed. You no longer need talent or perception. Just hold onto your belief, and you are fully capable of resisting." Standing at the edge of the divine chamber, Wind Dragon brought his right hand forward, fingers together, and pointed. A phantom of a young Daoist appeared on the island. As Wind Dragon withdrew his hands, the phantom began to move. "I left some memories within this phantom. It will automatically mimic the Lord of Rituals' techniques based on my understanding. You may only have insight into the Lord of Rituals' techniques, but this will also be your chance to rise." "Master one technique, and a thousand others will be yours to command. Once you grasp a single sword technique, any other sword technique requires only a glance to understand. This is the true path for you. "Otherwise, if you attempt to cultivate through countless techniques at once, you will never be able to sustain it with just your talent and perception." The Divine Psyche Incarnation looked at Wind Dragon and murmured, "I see now... Lord Wind Dragon, why didn't you tell me earlier? I could have avoided so much suffering." Read full story at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 "Heh. If I had told you earlier, you wouldn't have fully revealed your weaknesses, grasped the essence of the Great Dao simplified, or what it truly means to master a single technique and apply it in countless ways." "Hahaha... that does make sense. Other techniques don't matter. Mastering one to understand all... that will be my will. I will lead others to resist, to change the fates of the common people. This is my path to a breakthrough." Wind Dragon laughed heartily at the Divine Psyche Incarnation. "Hahaha, alright, alright. Talent and comprehension aside, you're doing very well." "Hahaha... Honestly, I've always wanted to be the protagonist. How could I do it without a specialty?" The Divine Psyche Incarnation looked at the storm within its mind and snorted coldly. "If I am to rise, it will start from this island within my mind." With a sharp cry, Nantian Yijian's Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin vanished from the outside world and appeared in the Divine Psyche Incarnation's hands. The Divine Psyche Incarnation sat cross-legged at the center of the island, fingers lightly tracing the strings. The music surged violently through Nantian Yijian's mind, sharp, crackling notes striking the boundaries of his consciousness and clashing with the storm raging within. The Divine Psyche Incarnation shouted, "This is my will. This is my path toward a breakthrough!" Thirty-six flying swords shot from the instrument case, merging midair to form a colossal, heaven-cleaving blade. "Nantian Yijian, break... ah!" He plucked the strings frantically, and the giant sword shot into the sky, standing firm amidst the swirling demonic clouds. "Break!" Following his roar, the clouds shattered in response. A beam of light pierced the rift, shining down upon the island, upon him. Nantian Yijian gazed at the golden light streaming from the sky, murmuring, "Is that... from the Heart Observation Mantra? Is that... my will?" He plucked the strings again in a frenzy, and the light grew even brighter. The white-clad phantom beside him moved in perfect rhythm with the music. He shouted into the sky, "This is my mind. This is my will. No demonic or evil force may interfere!" Suddenly, a burst of golden light exploded, illuminating his entire mind. The thirty-six flying swords combined once more, expanding to span nearly half of his mental landscape. Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu.[1] With a sharp clap, his fingers danced across the guqin, striking the final note. "Clear everything, Nantian Yijian." The words "Nantian Yijian" reverberated throughout his mind, addressed both to the colossal sword in the sky and to himself. Wind Dragon watched, a pleased smile tugging at his lips. Nantian Yijian's mental landscape was only a hundred zhang across, a fraction of Wind Dragon's own, but his determination and presence far surpassed his master's. The Divine Psyche Incarnation suddenly leapt up. With a powerful kick, it sent the guqin case spinning into the air. It twirled twice before he slammed down on it vertically, plunging it straight into the depths beneath the isolated island. It came to rest at its center, linking the entire mental landscape. He stomped his foot and surged toward the colossal sword hovering in the sky. Grasping it with both hands, he cut through the dark clouds of his mind. The giant blade scraped relentlessly against the walls of his mind, while the guqin case continuously stimulated the boundaries to expand outward, accelerating the flow of divine sense liquid. Golden light mingled with the storm and wind, infusing the repeatedly torn barriers, both tearing through and broadening the edges of his mind and the island itself. "How is this possible? The Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin has completely accepted its master?" Staring at the guqin now fused into Nantian Yijian's island, Wind Dragon's eyes widened. "The Lord of Rituals' ultimate treasure has recognized him as master! This is impossible... Could it be the Lord of Rituals himself orchestrating this?" His mind raced, deductions forming almost instantly, arriving at an unbelievable conclusion. "If that's true, the Nantian brat being able to obtain this treasure and wield the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin effortlessly... It suddenly makes perfect sense." Looking up at Nantian Yijian in the sky, half in laughter and half in disbelief, Wind Dragon muttered, "What kind of monsters are these young ones nowadays, carrying such heavy destinies?" He cast a glance at the phantom before him. Moments ago, he had felt something amiss. It was as if the phantom he had formed as an imitation of the Lord of Rituals had been staring directly at him. A shiver ran down his spine. The lingering dread left by the Lord of Rituals still loomed over him, and even a mere unsettling feeling was enough to halt his thoughts. "Could this be a hint from the Lord of Rituals himself? I must be careful with my words." In the sky, the Divine Soul Manifestation had cleared everything. Nantian Yijian's mind, now nearly a thousand zhang wide, was free of dark clouds. The Divine Psyche Incarnation fixed its gaze on the isolated island below and coldly hurled the giant sword down. As it neared the island, the enormous blade shattered, and the thirty-six flying swords emerged like a sword-dragon made of spirit qi. The first sword led, followed by the rest in succession, accelerating and decelerating, each taking its turn, becoming the lead blade The sword-dragon spiraled around the island before returning to its center. With a soft roar, it lifted its head and shot toward the golden orb in the sky. Circling it once, the dragon plunged in headfirst, dissolving within the orb and reforming into the thirty-six swords, which drifted freely inside. "I don't know why I'm doing this, but I must follow my heart. Perhaps this is my will guiding me." The Divine Psyche Incarnation tapped the orb lightly. A tremendous roar echoed as the thirty-six swords, trailing golden streams like meteors, shot outward around the island. Pressing his right hand against the orb, he shouted, "Purge everything!" The swords plummeted faster, embedding themselves deep into the outermost edges of the island. Glowing with golden light, they connected with the guqin case beneath, revolving endlessly around the island. From above, the Divine Psyche Incarnation observed the pattern they formed, frowning. From underground, the thirty-six swords linked to the guqin case, forming concentric rings of light that ascended along the thirty-six beams. Each ring paused at intervals, then a second ring would emerge, climbing higher until the final, slender ring merged into the golden orb, completing the series of rising light rings. "Looking from any angle, it looks like a birdcage," he murmured, landing on the island and scanning the pattern. "No... It really is a birdcage. And we are the little birds trapped inside." 1. These are the five notes of the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale. ☜