Chapter Nineteen: The Seven Heart Sutra

For the time being, Mo Xuan accepted this external assistance. He felt it was better to handle his own primary affairs personally.

Looking at the coordinates, Mo Xuan felt an immense weight in his heart. He lay on the rooftop, gazing at the sky, feeling as though his heart were being sliced by a knife. He had never expected that a small family like the Chen clan would be beyond his power to resist. How could he possibly find his father or unmask the murderer of his uncle? At this moment, his heart was deeply stung.

He had to pull himself together; he could not lose his composure. He had acted impulsively three times before, but achieved nothing and only added to his burdens. If it weren't for his sheer luck, he might have been dead long ago. His inner state became exceptionally profound; only by biding his time and keeping a low profile could he succeed. For now, patience and steady progress were the best strategies.

Lan Bing honored her promise. She arrived at the agreed time and place early to wait for Mo Xuan. The night was vast, with a sky full of stars resembling the Milky Way, occasionally streaked by the glowing lines of two or three shooting stars. Although Mo Xuan was slightly late due to other matters, Lan Bing did not blame him.

He hadn't looked closely before, but now, the scene before him seemed remarkably harmonious, with a trace of spiritual energy drifting through the air. Lan Bing wore a pale blue dress that, under the dim light, made her appear fresh and natural. For a moment, it felt as though she was being far too casual—hardly looking like a teacher at all.

*Does she dress like this every night?* Mo Xuan wondered to himself.

"Hoo..."

Mo Xuan vaguely felt a ripple of illusion in the surroundings, making the scenery appear surreal. He shook his head helplessly, knowing he could not break it; the gap in their cultivation levels was simply too vast. "That was too fast!"

In just a single day, she had already succeeded in her cultivation. Mo Xuan realized that if he were to use his "Null Domain" now, it might no longer be able to trap her.

"Haha, this trick of yours is quite powerful, though its flaws are obvious. Still, it’s quite practical," Lan Bing said, motioning for Mo Xuan to sit opposite her. "Sit. Let's get this straight: this is just a transaction. Don't look at me as your teacher."

"Then I shall call you Sister Bing," Mo Xuan replied. He had intended to call her teacher, but since she had directly refused, this was his only option.

Lan Bing didn't waste words and went straight to the topic, though she digressed into related matters. "Our type of Origin Spirit is called 'Void.' It is the rarest and most difficult type to cultivate. Initially, it is just a black mass of gas without a physical form, making it naturally weaker. Furthermore, because it is so difficult to cultivate and there are few matching techniques in the world, it is rarely seen. However, its greatest strength is its incredible durability—in this regard, even a 'Seven Heavens' level Origin Spirit cannot compare. You are lucky to have found me; my technique is almost perfectly compatible with it. Although the technique’s grade is low—only at the 'Mi' level—it has the potential to evolve."

The "Seven Heavens" refers to the classification of an Origin Spirit’s power, divided into nine levels representing its overall strength. Some high-level Origin Spirits, once unleashed, can exert power far greater than their actual cultivation level. However, a "Void" spirit, being weak and difficult to cultivate, is generally considered the lowest grade. Of course, there are exceptions, and the Void spirit is one such unique case.

Techniques and combat arts are two different systems. One can only practice one technique; if one abandons it halfway, one might lose a portion of their Dao heart and strength. This is why few people choose not to cultivate until they find a suitable technique. One should not underestimate this loss of Dao heart and strength; if it happens at a critical juncture, it can lead to the irreversible consequence of being permanently stuck at a certain level.

Both techniques and combat arts are divided into four tiers: Mi, Kai, Earth, and Heaven, with Mi being the lowest.

"Ah, then how long will that take to cultivate?" Mo Xuan asked, surprised by the complexity.

"Why the rush? I said it's possible. If you were illiterate, it would be a book; if you are knowledgeable, it might just be the thickness of a single page. The explanations are complex and filled with digressions, mostly detailing related content. That is all. Because of this, anyone who reads it carefully can learn it. But there is a catch: everyone interprets the meaning differently, and the cultivation results vary. So, I can only teach you the basics; what comes after is up to you."

With that, Lan Bing handed Mo Xuan six imitation volumes.

"How strange!" Mo Xuan felt puzzled. He checked the table of contents, deciding to deal with the rest after he mastered the basics. "Then, Sister Bing, what level have you reached?"

Mentioning this, Lan Bing became even prouder. She boasted, "As a genius like me, not only is my strength far beyond my peers, but my comprehension is also top-tier. I have reached the third level, the 'Eye-Condensing' stage. I won't brag about other things, but even someone at the Earth-Nether Realm could be slain by me."

"It seems I've truly struck gold."

"What did you say? I am who I am; I don't belong to you."

Afterward, before the formal lesson, Mo Xuan gave Lan Bing the Ghost Shadow Twin Blades he had won at the auction. Seeing the gift, she was delighted. "Although the grade is low, it’s truly beautiful." She accepted it happily, smiling like a blooming flower.

"Can we start the lesson now?" Mo Xuan asked.

She collected her thoughts, smiled, and continued, "No rush. Answer me one question first: how many hearts do you think a person has?"

"Heart? One?" Mo Xuan didn't understand.

"I mean the heart, not the physical organ!"

Mo Xuan thought, *If it’s not the physical heart, it must be something abstract.* "Three!"

Lan Bing shook her head. "Wrong. Remember, it is ten. Humans have three souls and seven spirits, and each soul and spirit carries an emotion. 'Heart' refers not to the flesh, but to the soul and the mind. That is the essence of the Seven Hearts Technique. To master it, you must first assimilate the power of the three souls and seven spirits to build the framework of the technique. Therefore, you must first perceive the boundary of your soul to communicate with the spiritual meridians of your body, reaching the realm of 'Merging the Origin into One'."

As he listened, Mo Xuan attempted to perceive the existence of his soul before the lesson even began, trying to find those boundaries. Lan Bing did not stop him, continuing, "To communicate with the power of the three souls and seven spirits and distinguish their boundaries, you must first see your own soul..."

During the process, Mo Xuan discovered the difference between the soul and mental energy. Mental energy is the manifestation of the will, while the soul is another, ethereal self. There is a vast difference. Through mental energy channeled by the soul, one can exert more power. For instance, if one had a base of one hundred units of mental energy, one could normally only utilize sixty percent; but by utilizing the soul, one could exert seventy percent or more.

The joy of success always comes with pain. While Mo Xuan felt a different kind of mental power, it brought dual pressure on his body and mind. Every time he tried to search, he felt a strange pressure, as if his soul were splitting, attempting to interrupt his progress.

He had never imagined this technique could solve the problem of an inability to communicate with the soul, or even allow the will and soul to merge, reaching a state of unity between person and spirit. Who could have created such a miraculous technique? It was perfectly suited for him, as if it were tailor-made. Through repeated splitting and mending, the soul Mo Xuan perceived became clearer, yet he still felt a resistance blocking everything.

Lan Bing seemed familiar with this. Whenever Mo Xuan was about to reach his limit, she would use specific methods to force an interruption or guide him with her words. Gradually, Mo Xuan adapted, the resistance diminished until it vanished, and the subtle boundaries finally revealed themselves to his inner eye.

In just one night, Mo Xuan’s Origin Spirit changed from black to blue, and his cultivation showed signs of a breakthrough. He felt that if he pushed a little harder, he could break through naturally.

However, Lan Bing stopped him. Her explanation was: "The Seven Hearts Technique merely establishes a connection between the power of the three souls and seven spirits and your meridians. While it allows your Origin Spirit and meridians to flow smoothly, that is a characteristic of the technique itself. If you use it to force a breakthrough, it will lead to flaws in the technique and affect future cultivation. Never rely on the progression of a technique to increase your own level; otherwise, you lose stability and neglect the root for the sake of the tip—a loss that outweighs the gain."

"Sigh!" Mo Xuan felt this made sense, so he stopped, though he was helpless. "But if..."

Lan Bing gave him a look of disdain and warned, "If? Is level really that important? What matters is combat effectiveness, understand? Even if you reached the eleventh level now, you might not be able to defeat someone at the same level. If you do as I say, forget the eleventh level—you could slay those at the Spirit Gathering Realm."

After hearing this, Mo Xuan understood. He had glimpsed a new path of cultivation and felt a sense of reverence. Even at the start of his practice, he felt his body changing. His spiritual energy became remarkably resilient, and the amount he used seemed to be etched into his mind; he could even sense the approximate power and volume of spiritual energy released by others. If he continued at this rate, he could save a great deal of energy in future battles.

Truly, this was the strangest technique Mo Xuan had ever encountered.

"Not bad. To reach this point on your first attempt, I'm even a little envious."

"If it weren't for Sister Bing's guidance, I doubt I would have been so successful..."

"That's true, haha! It seems I am quite capable after all!"

*This person is truly shameless,* Mo Xuan thought. *She changes so quickly—just one compliment and she's unstoppable. I really don't know which side of her is the real one.*

However, despite the technique's low grade, it was clearly superior. When Mo Xuan asked how the technique evolved, Lan Bing became serious.

"Ahem, as for the evolution... I actually don't know. It says it can evolve, but I don't know the specific method!" Lan Bing said, stammering.

"What? Then why didn't you tell me?" Mo Xuan felt he had been cheated.

"You were the one who wanted to learn it. Are you regretting it now?"

"No, it's just... a bit awkward!"

"You'll see its benefits later. The technique is just an aid; the key lies in how you combine it. Its resilience can even compare to Earth-level techniques. Don't look down on it. I can reveal that this technique has no upper limit to its realm. I am currently at the Eye-Condensing stage, and I can feel that it is already no weaker than a mid-grade Kai-level technique." Lan Bing said confidently, her words filled with pride as if she had done it before. She continued, "Just for this point alone, what other technique in the world can compare? What do you say?"