Chapter 3: Mysterious Minerals

The surge of resentment and agitation had accumulated a significant amount of spiritual energy over the years, and the mysterious mineral, which had absorbed and stored this energy, suddenly activated. It refined all this spiritual energy, causing a tremendous transformation in the scattered and unutilized spiritual energy. The vast and chaotic spiritual energy within the mineral was continuously compressed and condensed, undergoing a qualitative change. Once the spiritual power that had been stored for as long as 3 years was completely exhausted, the scattered spiritual energy was finally solidified, forming a strand of consciousness. The vast and chaotic spiritual energy within the mineral was continuously compressed and condensed, undergoing a qualitative change. Once the spiritual power that had been stored for as long as 3 years was completely exhausted, the scattered spiritual energy was finally solidified, forming a strand of consciousness.

Upon seeing this, Qin Zhan unconsciously felt a drop of cold sweat trickle down his forehead

He bit into the object, crushing it halfway, and after chewing a few times, Qin Zhan immediately noticed that the texture was off

Not devouring jade and stone is also a form of death

What he was holding in his hand was not a "pastry" at all, but that piece of jade, the ancient jade that Lin Shan had stumbled upon and hurriedly concealed on his person

Resentment is also a form of mental power, and it can be even more potent than ordinary mental strength. When this force erupts, it instantly fills the void of insufficient mental energy, completely dispelling the overwhelming fatigue.

Qin Zhan was filled with confusion and was not overwhelmed by the sudden emergence of spiritual consciousness. Perhaps, being limited to the Qi Refining stage, he could not truly appreciate how difficult it was for spiritual consciousness to come into existence

At this moment, the stubbornness that had been lurking within Qin Zhan was ignited. He forcefully sustained his consciousness, focusing intently on every movement of that mineral. It had caused him to lose four hours of cultivation time each day, and he often fainted. Now, it compelled him to swallow jade stones, transforming him into something akin to a monster. In an instant, all the grievances accumulated over the years regarding this mineral erupted, manifesting as a powerful surge of energy.

Qin Zhan continuously forced himself to calm down, his mind racing at a terrifying speed, searching for a solution to rescue himself

For the time being, let us not speak of it; the first sensation upon regaining a slight awareness is hunger. From the intensity of this hunger, it can be determined that he has been in a deep slumber for no less than an entire day.

Why is this happening

There must be a way, there must be a way

It is as if a body that originally only possessed a sense of energy has suddenly condensed its first true qi, genuinely completing a transformation process from the ethereal to the tangible

Snap

This ore absorbs my spiritual energy to cultivate consciousness, precisely to provide the energy needed to refine these jade stones and ironware... Qin Zhan furrowed his brow; if all his mental power could be transformed into consciousness, he would naturally desire it. However, who knows what this mysterious ore truly does? After infinitely absorbing spiritual energy, will it undergo any mutations?

As his consciousness stirred, he suddenly realized that this pure energy was incredibly solid, dense, and heavy. Even the transcendent power of consciousness, which was as strong as its essence, found it extremely difficult to move. After extracting the ore and traversing a meridian, he was left drenched in sweat, and the thread of consciousness he had painstakingly gathered was on the verge of being completely depleted.

As soon as the thought arose, Qin Zhan immediately withdrew this divine consciousness, extracting it from the ore and returning it to his sea of consciousness

However, the ore that originally weighed less than one pound in hand now appeared more massive and heavier than the endless mountains stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles. The mental power that Qin Zhan summoned could not even shift it slightly, let alone move it from its position.

For three years, the ore absorbed Qin Zhan's spiritual energy, resulting in a remarkably high degree of compatibility between the two. Although they have not yet reached the realm of indistinguishability and mutual coexistence, it is certain that it will not resist the intrusion of his consciousness.

Qin Zhan felt an overwhelming shock in his heart

Shan'er, Master, Father

No! No way! Get out, I want to drive it away!

When he slightly steadied his mind and clearly saw the "pastry" in his hand, he was instantly stunned. In that moment, the drowsiness that had entangled his mind vanished completely, as if he had been thrown into an ice hole. A strong chill surged from the depths of his heart, causing him to become fully awake

During his period of confusion, all the jade had already adhered to the ore. After being absorbed by the ore, the jade, along with its meager spiritual energy, was refined. Before long, there was even a tendency for it to transform from a solid state into an energy state.

Surprisingly, the energy consumed in refining the jade stone is actually one's own divine consciousness.

If a few years ago he had not discovered a method to exercise his mental strength on his own, resulting in an improvement in his mental state, then since three years ago, his sleep duration would have only increased. ... Extending from twelve hours to fourteen hours, then to sixteen, eighteen, twenty ... . ... Until he would never wake up again.

Ate! Ate! Finally ate!

This is an instinct of evolution

It is unknown how long he had slept, but Qin Zhan finally awoke from a deep coma.

The originally weary spirit seemed to be revitalized, once again regaining its vigor.

Moreover, the longer one remains in slumber, the less time they have to find a way to eliminate the ore within their body, creating an absolutely vicious cycle

Recalling that he had already swallowed half a piece of jade, he immediately settled down, steadied his mind, and sensed the true culprit behind it all—the mysterious ore.

I remember reading a travelogue that described a form of consciousness as an incredibly powerful force, yet when it comes to me, I am unable to even manipulate a single type of energy... It seems that these travelogues, in order to attract customers, exaggerate and mythologize these unknown elements, much like illustrated books.

Although this spiritual consciousness is extremely weak, so weak that it cannot even extend beyond the body, it is indeed spiritual consciousness

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and his surroundings brightened: "That's right, the master once said that by continuously refining the sword with one's mind and spirit, a bridge can be established between the person and the sword. The sword is forged from materials such as iron ore; why not use my consciousness as my spirit to refine this piece of ore, transforming it into a part of myself? As long as it can be under my control, I need not worry about it constantly absorbing my mental energy, which could lead to excessive mental depletion and frequent fainting." The sword is forged from materials such as iron ore; why not use my consciousness as my spirit to refine this piece of ore, transforming it into a part of myself? As long as it can be under my control, I need not worry about it constantly absorbing my mental energy, which could lead to excessive mental depletion and frequent fainting.

Still not fully awake, he hazily discovered something that appeared to be particularly delicious. At that moment, he thought it was a pastry prepared for him by Xiao Shan and did not think much of it; he simply picked it up and took a bite.

The immense potential born from the pressure of life and death allowed him to immediately concentrate a powerful mental force, firmly locking the ore in place, attempting to move this piece of ore using the method of shifting true energy.

Although he forced himself to suppress that terrifying thought, he still unconsciously committed such an unimaginable act

Recalling the kindness and love of his father, Qin Yue, the meticulous guidance of his master, and the charming smile of Lin Shan, Qin Zhan suddenly erupted with a strong desire to survive

Parasitism, refining, devouring, growth

The entire ore block is akin to a parasitic life form, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of that life, transforming it into a mutated consciousness capable of refining the minerals, and refining those ores into a peculiar energy of which he has never heard, allowing itself to grow incessantly

In an instant, a slight recovery of his spiritual power surged once again. This time, he actually controlled the meridians within his body, absorbing all of this energy, the consequences of which he had no idea would have on his body

The things within me are mine! This includes my spirit, consciousness, you, and the energy you have refined from the ancient jade; all of these are mine! If you wish to overshadow me... then dream on in your grand delusion!

Once upon a time, he realized how close death was to him

Without experiencing the tempests of life and death, Qin Zhan felt as if the entire world had suddenly collapsed and crumbled

Impossible

Feeling the heavy energy gradually flowing into the mysterious ore, a glint of cold determination flashed in Qin Zhan's eyes

The endless darkness engulfs from all directions, resembling a devil that sneers and mocks, tearing apart every fragment of warmth from memory

Only those transcendent beings who have cultivated to the fourth level of the Transformation of the Divine, achieving perfect mastery of the mind and spirit, and have entered the realm of seeking eternal life and immortality, can nurture the supernatural power known as divine consciousness

vicious cycle

However, after these shocks, he did not experience the kind of panic he had imagined. Instead, he found it strange that his teeth had become so good; half a piece of jade had surprisingly broken off with just one bite, without any pain or discomfort, and it was no different from swallowing food such as rice.

After the jade stone entered the body, it did not pass through the digestive tract but was instead directly attracted to the mysterious mineral. At the same time, his scattered mental energy suddenly surged like a flood breaking through a dam, being drawn into the mineral with overwhelming force. In an instant, he found himself once again plunged into weakness, having just recovered to a state of full mental clarity, as the drowsy fatigue from a day earlier surged like a mountain torrent, attempting to completely obliterate his consciousness

The purpose of this ore absorbing my spirit is actually to cultivate my consciousness

Upon this thought, Qin Zhan infused his divine consciousness into the mysterious ore, quietly sensing its special properties, its composition, and the magical effects it possessed

Moreover, as he grows older, the demands on his mental strength will increase. If sufficient energy cannot be provided at that time, what awaits you is nothing but the exhaustion of mental strength, leading to a state of mental and physical collapse to the point of death

With the influx of consciousness, a remarkably simple memory immediately surfaced in my mind

This profound sense of helplessness seemed to drain all the strength from his body in an instant, leaving him so weak that he even lost the energy to open his eyes...

In an instant, Qin Zhan's expression grew heavy once again

That pure energy flowed through a meridian, losing the guidance of consciousness, autonomously drawn by the mysterious ore, slowly flowing into the stone. If it were to truly flow into the ore and be digested, it would be equivalent to strengthening it further. At that time, who knows how many more days of deep slumber it would cost to restore its spirit in order to serve him

Devouring jade is death

The support of spiritual energy lost, the refining of the ore into jade immediately ceased. At the same time, due to insufficient energy, its mysterious attraction to spiritual energy re-emerged. The spiritual energy, which had already fallen into exhaustion, was once again drawn in by it, and an intensely familiar sense of weakness surged back to the forefront of consciousness.

Upon this realization, Qin Zhan immediately mobilized a trace of his divine consciousness to control the pure energy refined from the ancient jade that the mysterious ore was absorbing, forcibly drawing it away from the ore.

What astonished him even more was that, due to their mental connection, if he did not allow this mysterious mineral to consume jade and other minerals, it would instinctively believe that the refining power was insufficient and would gradually increase its demand for mental energy... By that time... he would still be unable to escape the fate of dying from mental exhaustion

Suddenly, his expression slightly froze, as if he had recalled something. Immediately after, disregarding his image, he burst into loud laughter: "Haha, energy, energy! By absorbing energy to grow, if I forcibly extract the energy that I have swallowed into my body, preventing it from ever growing, what can it do to me!"