The Mystery of the Thought Spirit Pearl

As night fell, candlelight flickered in the study of the old Ye Family manor.

Ye Yun carefully took out the Thought Spirit Pearl from his Storage Bag. The pearl, about the size of a pigeon's egg, emitted a gentle luster under the candlelight. Within it, nebulae seemed to swirl, releasing a peculiar, calming wave that soothed the mind.

"Thought Spirit Pearl..." Ye Yun whispered, his fingertips tracing the smooth surface of the gem. He had spent the past few days poring over every ancient text he could find, finally confirming the pearl's origin. It was a treasure rarely seen in a millennium, formed with a one-in-ten-thousand chance only when a Technique Cultivator who had reached the 'Divine Roaming Void' realm passed away.

His recent experience studying formations had deeply impressed upon him the importance of mental power. That day, the effeminate man, despite being only an 8th Rank cultivator, had trapped the 5th Rank Zhuge Qing solely through the exquisite application of mental power in formations. His own repeated failures in setting up formations were largely due to his insufficient mental power.

Mental power... Ye Yun closed his eyes, attempting to sink his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness. At first, it was a void, but as he focused, vague images began to form—the dancing candlelight, the flowing night breeze, even the trajectory of falling leaves outside the courtyard!

This perception was entirely different from the five senses. It was more direct, more fundamental, as if bypassing sensory limitations to directly touch the reality of the world. No wonder ancient texts said that where divine sense reached, all things became clear.

What surprised Ye Yun even more was that as his mental power increased, his control over Essence Qi also became more refined. He could now clearly perceive subtle details that were previously imperceptible during cultivation. Even several points in the Purple Lightning Thunder Seal that he had been unable to comprehend suddenly became clear with the aid of his mental power.

"So that's how it is..." Ye Yun realized. Those with strong mental power could perceive the rules of heaven and earth more clearly, making cultivation naturally twice as effective with half the effort. This was likely what was meant by 'essence'!

He recalled records from some unofficial histories and miscellaneous talks: in ancient times, there were those who specialized in cultivating mental power, capable of moving mountains and filling seas with mere intent, or even annihilating strong cultivators' souls with a single glance. He had dismissed them as myths and legends back then, but now, it seemed they might have been true!

If he could truly cultivate to that level... a fervent light flashed in Ye Yun's eyes. He suddenly remembered the Flying Feather Knife technique he had obtained. This cultivation method required controlling the blade with Qi, and when perfected, could even allow one to control the blade with divine sense, killing without a trace. He had never grasped the essence of it before, but now he suspected it was due to his insufficient mental power!

Ye Yun held the Thought Spirit Pearl in his palm, attempting to inject a sliver of his mental power into it.

A wondrous thing happened! The Thought Spirit Pearl suddenly lit up with a soft white glow, and the nebulae on its surface began to swirl faster. A cool sensation flowed through his arm into his Sea of Consciousness, instantly invigorating his somewhat fatigued mind!

"What a marvelous feeling..." Ye Yun felt his mind clearer than ever before, and many martial arts puzzles that had previously eluded him were now easily solved. He could even clearly perceive the flow of Essence Qi within his meridians, with all its subtle flaws and blockages laid bare.

Inspired, he immediately circulated the spirit-refining techniques from the True Martial Secret Manual. The Thought Spirit Pearl's light grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into a pillar of light that enveloped Ye Yun! Countless tiny golden runes swirled within the light pillar, as if alive, merging into his brow.

Ye Yun couldn't help but let out a soft groan. At this moment, he felt as if his consciousness had detached from the constraints of his body, floating into the air!

He saw the entire study in full view—the trajectory of the flickering candlelight, the text on the ancient books on the shelves, even the tiny insects crawling in the wall crevices were all clearly visible. This god-like perspective left him stunned.

His consciousness continued to ascend, piercing through the roof and into the night sky. The entire night scene of Chun'an County unfolded before him: the patrolling constables within the County Yamen, the travelers sleeping soundly in the inn, even the faint movements from Black Wind Ridge outside the city... nothing escaped his perception!

However, this state lasted for only three short breaths. As the Thought Spirit Pearl's light dimmed, Ye Yun's consciousness rapidly returned to his body. A wave of intense weakness washed over him, nearly causing him to collapse.

"That was close..." Ye Yun broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed he had overexerted his mental power.

But he soon discovered that although his mind was fatigued, the capacity of his Sea of Consciousness had clearly expanded! If his Sea of Consciousness had been a small puddle before, it had now at least become a well!

Even more miraculously, his perception of his surroundings had become sharper. Even without deliberately circulating his energy, he could sense the slightest disturbance within thirty feet. This perception was different from a martial artist's sensing of Qi; it was something more fundamental.

"Is this the marvel of mental power?" Ye Yun muttered to himself. He tried to focus his mind and look at the teacup on the table...

"Move..." he silently commanded in his heart.

An astonishing thing happened—the teacup trembled slightly! Although it was an extremely subtle movement, it had indeed occurred!

"Controlling objects with divine sense!" Ye Yun's heart surged with joy. Although he could only move the lightest objects for now, this undoubtedly proved a brand new path of cultivation!

He eagerly took out the Flying Feather Knife technique. The previously obscure verses now seemed like pearls of wisdom. Especially the part about controlling the knives with divine sense, which required first refining mental power into threads and attaching them to the Flying Knives...

Ye Yun became immersed in his new cultivation, completely forgetting the passage of time.

He first attempted to control a silver needle with his mental power. Initially, the needle merely trembled, but with continuous practice, it gradually began to levitate and even perform simple stabbing motions.

Next, he moved on to the heavier Flying Knives. This was much more difficult; the Flying Knives could at most hover three inches off the ground, and controlling them was extremely taxing. But he was not discouraged. Whenever his mental power was depleted, he would use the Thought Spirit Pearl to recover.

Curiously, each time his mental power was exhausted and then restored, its total amount would increase by a sliver. The Thought Spirit Pearl was like an inexhaustible treasure, continuously nourishing his Sea of Consciousness.

Unknowingly, the sky had begun to turn white. Ye Yun awoke from his deep meditative state, not feeling tired at all, but rather invigorated, with a sharp glint in his eyes as he opened them.

"What a marvelous feeling..." He stretched his limbs, feeling as if the entire world had transformed.

Colors were more vibrant, sounds clearer, and he could even faintly sense the flow of Essence Qi in the air. This all-encompassing improvement was far more profound than any change brought about by a breakthrough in cultivation.

He tried circulating the Purple Lightning Thunder Seal and was pleasantly surprised to find that the speed of condensing the lightning seal had increased by thirty percent! Furthermore, his control over the power of lightning was more refined, now allowing him to wield it with ease.

What pleased him most was his progress in formations. He could now set up an concealment formation with a flick of his finger, and a spirit gathering formation could be maintained for an hour. He could even attempt more complex formations, which, though still rough, were beginning to take shape.

"It seems mental power is the key to formations..." Ye Yun mused. No wonder that effeminate man, despite his low cultivation, could set up such powerful formations; he likely had a special talent in mental power.

He took out the Thought Spirit Pearl again, his gaze burning with intensity. The value of this pearl was likely beyond his imagination! If the outside world were to discover the existence of the Thought Spirit Pearl, it would surely attract the covetous eyes of countless powerful individuals!

"I must keep it safe..." Ye Yun tucked the pearl close to his body. Such a treasure must never be known to a second person.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window into the study, falling upon the open pages of the Flying Feather Knife technique. A sudden realization dawned upon Ye Yun: martial arts cultivation, Qi refinement was merely the foundation; spirit refinement was the key to reaching the highest realms!

And the Thought Spirit Pearl was the key to opening that door...

Familiar footsteps echoed from the courtyard, and Yan Xiao Liu's booming voice could be heard from afar: "Brother Ye! Lord Zhuge wants you to go over, he says he wants to discuss suppressing bandits!"

Ye Yun collected himself, carefully concealing all traces of his cultivation. When he opened the door, he had reverted to being the low-key, ordinary young constable.

But only he knew that this night's cultivation had opened a brand new door for him. The mysteries of mental power, the marvels of formations, the essence of the Flying Knives technique... these would all become crucial bargaining chips on his path to revenge.

As the morning sun rose, casting his shadow long before him, Ye Yun took a deep breath of the morning air, a confident glint in his eyes.