Heart Like a Mirror, Heart Like a Blade

“How is this possible?”

“How… how is this possible?” Luo Feng stared at the email content, shaking his head repeatedly. “Yike, Brother Yike is dead?”

This email was sent to all core members of the Taichu District. The Taichu District had very few members, only a little over 1,100 in total, each considered a top-tier super genius from various Cosmic Nations. The entire Taichu District admitted fewer than 20 people every ten thousand years, making every genius incredibly precious.

Whenever one fell, all members of the Taichu District were notified as a reminder.

“Yike…” Luo Feng’s body trembled, a hint of shock in his eyes.

Indeed.

Yesterday, during the public lecture, Yike’s consciousness had left the Virtual Universe Network without Luo Feng noticing, and his call invitations went unanswered. At the time, Luo Feng thought he might be in a state of enlightenment or on a treasure hunt. Now, it seemed Yike had likely already met with misfortune.

“How could this be? Brother Yike came from the Virtual Universe Company, a figure who commanded great power. How could he just die like that? Even if he left the protection of the company’s wings and faced many challenges, he was still a core member of the Virtual Universe Company. How could he be killed so easily?” Luo Feng couldn't believe it.

Scenes from his memory involuntarily flashed before his eyes.

“It’s you again? I saw you twice before when I attended lectures. What a coincidence.” The burly young man in scale armor walked over, smiling as he called out.

“What a coincidence,” Luo Feng smiled back. “My name is Luo Feng.”

“My name is Yike.”

…

“Let me tell you, when a Sector Lord-level core member of the Virtual Universe Company is assigned, they’re sent back to their home Cosmic Nation. This time, I’m going back to my hometown… commanding great power, it’s a completely different feeling. My clan members’ status has greatly improved because of this; no one dares to casually bully my Tongyan Clan.” Yike said proudly.

“It’s the same for my hometown, Earth. Because I could enter the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company, Earthlings hold an extremely high status in the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield,” Luo Feng also laughed.

“Hmm, if there are strong ones in the clan, the clan’s status will rise accordingly. But if we fall, that clan’s status will also plummet,” Yike’s gaze sharpened. “However, I will definitely strive to become an Immortal, definitely!”

“Let’s work hard together.” Luo Feng’s eyes were also filled with longing and fighting spirit.

…

“Luo Feng, you are still Universe-level. You can still cultivate peacefully under the Virtual Universe Company’s wing, taking on cultivation missions, everything within controllable limits. But once you reach Sector Lord-level and are assigned to various Cosmic Nations, commanding great power and truly undergoing tempering… that’s when the real danger begins. Especially at Universe Master-level, you’re not even allowed to bring a guard squad; you directly begin various life-and-death trials.”

…

Scene after scene flashed through Luo Feng’s mind.

He hadn’t known Yike for long, but the two had clicked, perhaps because they shared many commonalities.

“The path to Immortality is arduous and fraught with peril…” Luo Feng murmured softly, looking at the screen before him.

The main body of the email on the screen read:

“To all members of the Yuxiang Mountain Taichu District:

Our Virtual Universe Company has just confirmed that Yike, a Sector Lord-level member of the Taichu District, who has been exceptionally outstanding since the Genius Battle, has… fallen!

This is heartbreaking news.

The Taichu District directly recruits members through two avenues: the Genius Battle and the Strongest Battle. No more than 20 people are admitted every ten thousand years… yet, as time passes, almost every few hundred or thousand years, someone falls. One genius after another falls, and ultimately, very few are able to overcome all the hardships and become Immortals.

95%!

A chilling number!

This is a mortality rate figure summarized by our Taichu District over countless years: 95% of those in the Taichu District will fall!

Yes!

Of the 1,137 people currently living in the Taichu District, approximately 95% will fall on the arduous path to Immortality, with only about 5% reaching the end and becoming Immortals!

We hope all living members will be vigilant. Attending lectures? Cultivating? Missions? Being assigned to your home Cosmic Nation? Life-and-death trials as a Universe Master? Our Virtual Universe Company grants you great freedom. The path you choose, the level of danger you choose, everything is your responsibility!

We only hope that when you face death, you will not regret your choices!

…

Virtual Universe Company”

…

One email, received by all 1,137 living members of the Taichu District, and the entire Taichu District seemed to fall into a sudden silence.

…

In the Taichu District, at the manor of the Manka Star youth, Wuka, in the living room.

Luo Feng, Rongjun, Aichen, Aopatela, Wuka, Jiangmo, Qianshui, and Lansiluo. The eight individuals selected into the Taichu District during this Genius Battle were, for the first time ever, sitting together. Normally, they formed their own small circles: Luo Feng, Rongjun, and Wuka were close. Aopatela and Lansiluo were good friends, as were Aichen, Jiangmo, and Qianshui.

But at this moment—

The eight sat around the living room, all in complete silence.

“95%, 95% of people will fall,” Lansiluo, a youth so handsome he was almost demonic, murmured softly. “The thought of… one genius after another falling and dying, and the once lively Taichu District instantly turning into a massive graveyard, sends shivers down my spine.”

Silence.

The atmosphere in the living room seemed to solidify, incredibly oppressive, and everyone felt the pressure.

95%!

This number, 95%, stunned these newcomers.

Luo Feng felt a chill run through him.

“These days, I’ve been living a leisurely life. I attended lectures, practiced in the training grounds, studied ‘Essays on Space-Time,’ burying myself in research. Even my teacher personally reminded me to take on cultivation missions, to temper myself through combat during missions while continuing my research, but I didn’t truly take it seriously.” Luo Feng’s heart grew cold. “Thirty years of comfortable living have numbed me. True strong ones are only forged through life-and-death tempering, refined like steel. Only through repeated trials of life and death are great strong ones created.”

…

Silence.

The eight sat there, each lost in thought.

Whoosh!

Luo Feng stood up, and the other seven involuntarily looked over.

“Since we’ve embarked on this path, unless we choose to retreat and live a comfortable life, we can only push forward. If we stumble, we can get back up. If we’re severely injured, we can recover. Only death means the end of everything!” Luo Feng’s eyes were cold. “The path to Immortality is not for everyone!”

Luo Feng turned and walked outside, then shot into the sky, disappearing from view.

The other seven were slightly stunned.

Whoosh!

Rongjun stood up and said in a low voice, “Luo Feng is right. The path to Immortality is not for everyone. If you don’t have the heart for it, just quit.” With that, he turned and walked out, soaring into the sky.

“Haha, good, isn’t it just combat? Haha, we Manka Star people are the race that loves combat the most!” Wuka also stood up, laughing loudly, but his laughter sounded eerie in the cold, oppressive atmosphere.

“Let’s go.” Jiangmo stood up.

“Mm.” Qianshui followed her brother and also left.

…

Yike’s death served as a harsh wake-up call for many members of the Taichu District, but it truly ‘awakened’ the eight of them, who had previously been completely unaware of how dangerous the path was.

“Cultivation missions.” Rongjun sat in his study, opening the screen to examine them carefully. “Safe-tier, Normal-tier, Difficult-tier, Dangerous-tier, Desperate-tier? Going on a cultivation mission for the first time, without any danger, there’s no tempering effect. Now I can choose danger, but later I won’t have a choice. Still, the first time shouldn’t be too dangerous, as I lack experience.”

“Difficult-tier!”

Rongjun clicked on Difficult-tier and began selecting a cultivation mission.

…

Illusory Sea plane.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The black sea roared, waves dozens of meters high crashing against the cliff shore again and again.

Luo Feng stood on the cliff, gazing at the endless Illusory Sea.

“A strong one, besides talent, comprehension, and diligence, besides external resources like secret techniques, most importantly possesses the heart of a strong one!” Luo Feng looked into the distance. “A heart like a blade, with unwavering will. On the path ahead, any obstacle is merely a joke! Forge ahead, with a respectful heart, doing fearless deeds!”

“A heart as cold as a mirror can see through all illusions in the world.”

“A heart like a blade can cut down all obstacles.”

Luo Feng’s eyes were cold, then with a boom, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the first island in the Illusory Sea.

…

A heart as cold as a mirror—this was a mental state Luo Feng had achieved long ago, allowing him to maintain absolute composure at all times.

And after thirty years of quiet meditation.

The tragic death of a friend, this sudden jolt!

It made Luo Feng reflect on himself, ultimately seeing himself clearly, his will unwavering, achieving a heart like a blade!

A heart like a mirror is one aspect of the heart reaching its peak.

A heart like a blade is another aspect of the heart reaching its peak.

Hong and Lei Shen both greatly valued mental cultivation; their mental states had long reached a state of near perfection. In terms of mental state, Hong and Lei Shen, who had reached the pinnacle of Huaxia culture and yoga, followed the methods of their predecessors to achieve ultimate perfection.

Perhaps they were lacking in other areas, but in terms of mental state, Hong and Lei Shen were among the absolute top in the universe.

And Luo Feng, being able to achieve ‘heart like a mirror’ and ‘heart like a blade’ in his mental state, had significantly narrowed the gap between them.

…

In Chaos City.

A group of people were listening to Zhenyan King’s lecture, and Luo Feng was among them.

“Such an illusion wants to affect me? My heart is like a mirror, seeing through all falsehoods! My heart is like a blade, cutting down all deceptions! Break! Break! Break!” Luo Feng’s consciousness roared like thunder, his shout shaking heaven and earth, which then shattered and collapsed. The illusion broke, revealing the original island scene: a white sandy island, with trees and flowers growing on it, quiet and beautiful.

Luo Feng stood on the sandy ground of an island.

In the distance, the sea was dark.

And now, a white glimmer gradually appeared in the far distance—it was a deeper island revealing itself. Only by passing through the illusion of one island would the next island appear in the Illusory Sea.

“I really want to see what illusion can stop me!” Luo Feng instantly shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light, flying towards the sixth island.

Yes, just now, Luo Feng had already consecutively cleared five islands in the Illusory Sea.