Within the cultivation world, there existed a saying that had been passed down for countless generations.
The human body possessed Three Divine Treasures.
Spirit.
Qi.
Essence.
Corresponding to these treasures were the Three Dantians.
The Upper Dantian.
The Middle Dantian.
The Lower Dantian.
The Upper Dantian was also known as the Niwan Palace or Purple Palace.
The Middle Dantian was known as the Qi Sea.
The Lower Dantian was simply called the Dantian.
Countless cultivation systems throughout history had been developed around these three locations.
At this moment, Lin Sheng sat quietly within his immortal abode while countless records floated before him.
The Chip continuously organized and compared information gathered over the years.
The more information he obtained—
The more similarities he noticed between martial arts and immortal cultivation.
And the more similarities he found—
The more questions appeared.
According to ancient records, the Lower Dantian stored Essence.
The Middle Dantian stored Qi.
The Upper Dantian stored Spirit.
Immortal cultivators naturally followed this path.
They refined Spiritual Qi.
They condensed Magic Power.
They nourished their Spirit.
Eventually they condensed Divine Sense.
Everything followed a relatively clear progression.
Martial artists, however, were different.
At least on the surface.
Yet after entering Xuan Gang and personally observing the changes within his body, Lin Sheng realized things weren't so simple.
Within martial arts—
Internal energy was actually much closer to Essence than Qi.
That was why it initially resided within the Lower Dantian.
Only after passing through the meridians and undergoing refinement did it rise into the Qi Sea Acupoint within the Middle Dantian.
There—
It transformed.
First into Qi.
Then True Qi.
Then True Essence.
Finally becoming Gang Qi after entering the Xuan Gang Realm.
This process already established a stable relationship between Essence and Qi.
So the question became obvious.
What about Spirit?
Lin Sheng slowly tapped the table.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The Chip projected countless calculations.
Rows of information appeared before him.
Soon—
A familiar answer surfaced.
Martial Conception.
Momentum.
Intent.
The further one progressed upon this path, the more obvious certain patterns became.
Momentum utilized True Qi as a medium.
Using it as a type of frequency.
A bridge.
A method of resonating with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
This resonance amplified attacks beyond their normal limits.
Intent was different.
Far more mysterious.
Far more profound.
The deeper Lin Sheng's understanding became, the more he realized Intent wasn't simply an extension of True Qi.
Instead—
It seemed closer to an extension of Spirit.
Or more specifically—
An extension of Shen.
The term Shen carried many meanings throughout cultivation history.
Mind.
Spirit.
Consciousness.
Will.
Soul.
Each interpretation possessed some truth.
If Divine Sense was formed through the combination of a cultivator's Mind and Soul...
Then perhaps Intent was formed through the combination of a martial artist's Mind and Will.
The thought surfaced.
Immediately countless calculations began.
The Chip rapidly analyzed every known record.
Momentum.
Intent.
The stages of Intent.
Comprehending It.
Realizing It.
Willing It.
Lin Sheng's eyes became brighter.
Especially the final stage.
Willing It.
Why was the final stage called that?
Not understanding it.
Not mastering it.
Not becoming one with it.
Willing It.
The answer seemed increasingly obvious.
Will itself was becoming part of the cultivation system.
After several moments, the Chip produced its conclusion.
[Theory Probability: 71.4%.]
[Intent May Possess Direct Relationship With Spiritual Development.]
[Willpower Appears To Function As Primary Medium.]
Lin Sheng nodded slightly.
The theory wasn't complete.
Far from it.
Yet enough supporting evidence existed to make it worthy of further investigation.
One example stood above all others.
Heart Demons.
A phenomenon feared throughout the cultivation world.
Records stated that Heart Demons commonly appeared during breakthroughs into Golden Core and Nascent Soul.
Many geniuses had perished beneath them.
Others had become mad.
Some fell into demonic cultivation.
Others simply died beneath the Lightning Tribulation that followed.
According to conventional understanding—
Heart Demons were manifestations of one's regrets.
Failures.
Obsessions.
Fear.
Desires.
All the things hidden within the depths of one's mind.
Cultivators spent years preparing for such encounters.
Various treasures existed specifically for resisting Heart Demons.
Mental cultivation techniques.
Spiritual artifacts.
Protective formations.
And perhaps most importantly—
A stable Dao Heart.
Lin Sheng leaned back.
His fingers lightly tapped the table.
"What exactly is a Dao Heart?"
The question had existed for countless years.
Yet answers varied wildly.
Some claimed it was conviction.
Others claimed it was enlightenment.
Others described it as absolute faith in one's chosen path.
Lin Sheng's theory was simpler.
Perhaps a Dao Heart was simply the tempering of one's Will.
After all—
Cultivation itself was an act of defiance.
Mortals were not meant to live forever.
Yet cultivators sought immortality.
Mortals were not meant to command heaven and earth.
Yet cultivators attempted exactly that.
Every step forward was a struggle against limitations.
Against fate.
Against heaven.
Against oneself.
Like swimming against an endless current.
The weak were swept away.
The strong advanced.
The stubborn continued advancing even after being injured.
What allowed them to continue?
Will.
The stronger one's Will—
The stronger one's Dao Heart.
At least according to his current theory.
And if that theory proved correct—
Then martial artists possessed a natural advantage.
Because martial arts cultivated Will almost constantly.
Every battle.
Every breakthrough.
Every hardship.
Every confrontation.
All of it tempered one's determination.
Of course—
Advantages rarely existed without disadvantages.
Immortal cultivators developed Divine Sense far earlier.
Their spiritual abilities were superior.
Their methods were more versatile.
Meanwhile martial artists focused heavily upon body, combat and Will.
Different paths.
Different strengths.
Different weaknesses.
The Chip saved the latest theory within its database.
Lin Sheng closed the record.
For now—
That was enough.
The truth would reveal itself eventually.
---
Time passed quietly.
One month had already passed since the incident involving Lin Shou and Lin Jinyun.
During that month, the entire Training Center seemed unusually peaceful.
Both parties had effectively disappeared.
Lin Jinyun remained under restrictions imposed through Lin Yan's influence.
Meanwhile Lin Shou had entered seclusion.
The conflict had temporarily subsided.
At least on the surface.
Much had happened during that month.
The most important event was undoubtedly the departure of Lin Yan's group.
Several Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Bai Ling.
Members from various alliance halls.
Along with a significant number of experts.
All had departed for Phoenix Ridge Market.
Their goal was obvious.
Reclaim the market.
Rebuild the destroyed branches.
Reestablish control.
The battle would determine the future balance of power within Dragon Yuan Province.
Now—
A full week had passed since their departure.
News continuously flowed back toward Cloud Mist Market.
At first the reports were vague.
Then increasingly detailed.
Eventually one piece of information spread throughout the Training Center.
The war had already reached its climax.
Lin Sheng sat quietly while reading the latest intelligence report.
His gaze paused.
Lin Yan.
The name appeared clearly.
According to the report—
She had personally engaged the injured Rank-2 Late Stage Yao Beast Lord.
The very same beast responsible for the destruction of Phoenix Ridge Market.
The same beast injured by the former Guardian's self-detonation.
A terrifying existence.
Even injured, it remained one of the strongest combatants within the entire battlefield.
Yet Lin Yan had challenged it directly.
Lin Sheng's fingers tightened slightly around the jade slip.
He wasn't particularly worried.
At least not outwardly.
Internally, however, concern naturally existed.
After all—
That was his sister.
No matter how talented she was.
No matter how powerful her inheritance.
Battlefields remained battlefields.
Unexpected events could occur at any moment.
Unfortunately, the latest reports ended there.
No victor had been announced.
No conclusion had arrived.
Only uncertainty remained.
Lin Sheng exhaled slowly.
"She'll be fine."
Whether he was reassuring himself or stating a fact—
Even he wasn't entirely sure.
Fortunately, not all news was bad.
A smile appeared on his face as he recalled another recent development.
Lin Shou had finally begun his breakthrough.
The cultivation room assigned to him had already been sealed.
The signs were obvious.
He was attempting to enter Xuan Gang.
Apparently the events of the previous month had ignited something within him.
His cultivation speed had increased noticeably.
Perhaps anger.
Perhaps determination.
Perhaps clarity.
Whatever the reason—
It had become fuel.
As for the others—
Zhao Feng.
Lou Han.
Lin Xiaolu.
All of them had exchanged for their Gang Condensation Pills.
Preparations were already underway.
Breakthroughs were only a matter of time.
Thinking about the pills caused Lin Sheng to smile faintly.
He himself had exchanged for one previously.
Not because he needed it.
But because not exchanging for one would attract attention.
A core trainee preparing for Xuan Gang yet refusing to obtain a Gang Condensation Pill?
That would raise far more suspicion than simply exchanging for it.
So he did.
Then quietly stored it away.
Simple.
Effective.
Low profile.
Exactly how he preferred things.
Unfortunately—
When it came to resources for Xuan Gang cultivation, matters became more complicated.
Despite reaching the realm, he still hadn't obtained information regarding pills specifically used by Xuan Gang experts.
Such resources were heavily restricted.
Far more valuable than Innate resources.
Even Xuan Gang cultivators couldn't freely access them.
Which meant—
His original plan remained unchanged.
Continue studying.
Continue researching.
Continue relying upon the Chip.
Eventually—
He would find a solution.
After all, seventy-two acupoints weren't going to fill themselves.
And if no suitable pill existed—
Then perhaps he would simply create one himself.