A Shift in State of Mind

Over ten days had passed. Luo Zhiyuan had remained in a state of complete immersion, his body and soul entirely relaxed. The Evolution Fluid had been continuously elevating his spiritual force and physical energy, and his body had unconsciously undergone a genetic leap, entering the Star level. This continued until Bulieni called him out from within his consciousness.

"Wake up, kid Luo. It's been ten days. You've already reached the sixth rank of the Star level. Sleep a few more days and you'll hit the peak of the Star level. Don't blame me if you accidentally overshoot it!"

With a start, Luo Zhiyuan suddenly snapped out of his trance and sat bolt upright. Surprisingly, he felt no discomfort at all; it was as if those ten days had passed in the blink of an eye. He felt no grogginess, only absolute clarity.

Luo Zhiyuan stepped out of the Evolution Fluid and stood beside the massive lake, asking in confusion, "Bulieni, has it really been ten days? I don't feel like it at all. It feels like you just called me the moment I lay down."

"Haha! That's because your soul wasn't strong enough before. The Evolution Fluid that old geezer prepared for you isn't just some ordinary energy-based fluid."

"It is a substance he calls 'Secret Realm Spirit Marrow,' born at the core of a small cosmic secret realm. While this 'Secret Realm Spirit Marrow' boosts physical energy, it also strengthens the soul."

"You must know that opportunities to strengthen the soul are extremely rare. Ordinary lifeforms only experience minor soul evolution during the stages of genetic leaps, and only upon breaking through to the Undying level does a major soul transformation occur, significantly increasing soul strength."

"Other than that, there are no ways to additionally increase soul strength; one can only rely on the accumulation of long periods of time and arduous cultivation."

"Therefore, substances that can enhance soul strength are priceless treasures, circulating only among top-tier powerhouses. I estimate that anyone below the level of a Universe Venerable would find it hard to possess such a treasure."

Hearing Bulieni say that treasures capable of enhancing the soul were so precious, Luo Zhiyuan looked at the vast lake, which was about 500 kilometers in diameter, swallowed hard, and asked dryly, "Bulieni, then how much is all this 'Secret Realm Spirit Marrow' that Teacher prepared for me worth?"

Bulieni said nonchalantly, "It's hard to put a price on it. I haven't found similar treasures in your human race's Virtual Universe. If you really had to calculate it, one gram would be worth at least one Hunyuan, as it is a very rare treasure."

"Take you, for example. Before entering the Evolution Fluid, your soul and consciousness strength were only at the level of a ninth-rank Star level. And now? Your soul and consciousness strength have reached the seventh rank of the Universe level, and your mind power amplitude should have increased to 55. I estimate that by the time you soak until you reach the ninth rank of the Star level, you should be able to reach the soul and consciousness strength of a ninth-rank Universe level."

Hearing Bulieni's words, Luo Zhiyuan completely understood that for a Universe Master like his teacher, the Light Beast God, calculating wealth in Hunyuan was entirely inappropriate—the unit was simply too small!

One gram of "Secret Realm Spirit Marrow" was worth one Hunyuan, so one ton would be a million Hunyuan!

Luo Zhiyuan had soaked in the "Secret Realm Spirit Marrow" and knew it was much denser than water, similar to mercury. The lake before him, with its 500-kilometer diameter, must contain at least tens of billions of tons!

He had originally thought that receiving over 50 billion Hunyuan in cash from his teacher was a significant portion of his teacher's wealth, but now he understood what "pocket money" really meant.

The lake of "Secret Realm Spirit Marrow" alone was far beyond what tens of billions of Hunyuan could compare to, not to mention the other treasures, special lifeforms, and combat secret techniques—the value was immeasurable!

In an instant, Luo Zhiyuan had an epiphany. He felt his heart and vision broaden significantly, no longer constrained by the narrow-minded perspective of an Earthling who hadn't seen the world.

The world before him was colorful and diverse, and as far as his eyes could see, it was vast and boundless. Having received such generous gifts from his teacher and knowing the main developments of the Swallowed Star world, he possessed unique innate advantages and acquired wealth in this life. As long as he remained steadfast and kept moving forward, he would surely carve out his own brilliance and make the entire universe know his name!

Without Luo Zhiyuan even realizing it, the stimulation of such immense wealth had caused a massive leap and transformation in his state of mind.

His consciousness had not grown, but his will was evolving rapidly, and it soon reached the strength of an average peak World Lord level powerhouse!

Will and consciousness are two different concepts. Consciousness depends on the depth and strength of one's spiritual force, while will is purely a result of personal conviction. Consciousness is the general of mind power, while will is the commander of consciousness. A powerful will and consciousness allow an individual lifeform to unleash ten or a hundred times the power in terms of the soul.

Stimulated by the massive wealth, Luo Zhiyuan broke through his previous limitations.

Although he had known that Universe Masters were incredibly powerful, he lacked a clear, concrete understanding; it was all very vague because it was too distant, impossible to compare or quantify.

This simple comparison of wealth allowed Luo Zhiyuan to vaguely grasp the height of a Universe Master.

Even just a small comparison of wealth gave him a clear direction, for he firmly believed that as long as he kept moving forward without pause, his future achievements would not be limited to just being a Universe Master—that was merely a stage he was destined to pass through!

Because of this firm conviction, Luo Zhiyuan's state of mind underwent a major transformation. According to the three realms of mental cultivation, Luo Zhiyuan had entered the third realm—the heart is infinite, the heart encompasses everything.

This was not particularly abrupt, as he possessed unique conditions that other lifeforms did not. First, as someone familiar with the original work, Luo Zhiyuan knew very well that the realm of mental cultivation was crucial for enhancing will and consciousness.

For top-tier powerhouses, there were many ways to improve both the body and the soul, but only will and consciousness came from within the lifeform itself. Various treasures and secret techniques could hardly improve them, and the gap became more apparent in the later stages.

Because Earth had been artificially modified, the lifeforms born there were more capable of improving their will and consciousness, which was why he had been consciously or unconsciously training his state of mind.

The reason his will had improved so drastically this time was that his state of mind had changed; his convictions had become incredibly clear and firm.

He was going to venture into this vast, boundless world. He would become an existence surpassing the Universe Masters, a powerhouse of infinite strength, to roam the entire Primal Universe, the Universe Ocean, and even the Origin Continent—a place only briefly mentioned in the original work and a subject of his own fantasies in his previous life. This gave him the foundation for a heart that encompassed everything.

Thus, it was only natural that Luo Zhiyuan entered the third realm of mental cultivation.

Bulieni noticed that after asking about the price of the "Secret Realm Spirit Marrow," Luo Zhiyuan had remained silent for a long time. Fearing that the massive wealth had clouded his judgment, he immediately asked, "What's wrong, kid Luo? No response for so long—don't tell me you're scared?"

"Your teacher is one of the natural Beast Gods, a powerhouse in the universe; this little bit of stuff is nothing!"

"Keep your eyes on the long term. These are just external objects to assist your cultivation, and they are meant for you to control. Don't let yourself be confused by external things or controlled by wealth; that would be putting the cart before the horse!"

Taking a deep breath, Luo Zhiyuan came back to his senses, a confident smile on his face as he said, "Heh, how could I be confused or lose my mind over these external things? I just solidified a conviction. With such excellent conditions, I will definitely become a top-tier powerhouse in the universe."

"I will ensure there are no circumstances in this universe that can limit me, and I will become an existence even more powerful than Teacher!"

"Bulieni, in the future, I will get you a body, and we can roam this vast universe as we please, exploring the Universe Ocean at will. I only need to keep cultivating, keep getting stronger, and then walk my own path as an invincible powerhouse!"

Bulieni was startled by Luo Zhiyuan's sudden outburst of passion, but immediately noticed a detail: the kid had just revealed something he shouldn't have known. "Hmph, kid, it seems you know quite a lot."

"Neither I nor that old geezer ever mentioned the Universe Ocean, yet you know about it. I'm becoming more and more curious about your origins!"

"As for getting me a body, we'll talk about that later. There's no rush."

"Haha, Bulieni, isn't it good that I know a bit more? It will make the time for us to roam the universe come sooner. Don't you want that?"

"As for my origins, the Primal Universe's origin will doesn't allow me to speak of them, and there's nothing I can do. I'll find a way to tell you later, but I can't right now."

"By the way, it's been ten days. How is the organization of Teacher's secret techniques going? Are you finished?"

Seeing Luo Zhiyuan change the subject, Bulieni stopped pressing him and replied, "The secret techniques have been organized. I am currently putting together your cultivation plan, which will take about another day to finish."

"I called you because your father, Luo Feng, sent you a message. He told you that Earth is temporarily out of danger and asked you not to worry."

"Also, didn't you say you wanted to participate in the Virtual Universe Company's auction? It starts today, in two hours."

Hearing Luo Feng say that Earth was temporarily safe, Luo Zhiyuan knew they had resolved the crisis of Earth being invaded by cosmic adventurers. It seemed that his decision to have Luo Feng advance to the Star level early hadn't caused any negative repercussions, which put Luo Zhiyuan's mind at ease.

As for the intermediate auction, it was actually being held in the Xuanyi Universe Kingdom, a place that had never appeared in the original work. This was something Luo Zhiyuan was very interested in, so he definitely couldn't miss it.

"Alright, let's get ready. We'll go attend this auction in a while. Our spaceship is too poor; an intermediate auction should allow us to trade for a better one. You can temporarily use a spaceship as your vessel for now."

Upon hearing that Luo Zhiyuan was genuinely concerned about finding him a body, Bulieni said happily, "That works too. It's better than nothing. Being stuck in the World Ring all the time feels very stifling. A change of environment should be much better. Haha, it's settled then! I'm going to pick out a beautiful spaceship!"

"No problem. At an intermediate auction, the participants are basically all Immortal-level powerhouses, so we should be able to find a beautiful ship. The pocket money my teacher gave me is definitely enough to buy one, haha!"

After speaking, Luo Zhiyuan put on that Tier 2 Force Battle Suit, transformed it into a set of form-fitting undergarments, and then put his outer clothes on over them. He had Bulieni send him out of the World Ring, and he waited quietly in the spaceship's cabin for the auction to begin.

PS: I saw some brothers saying that I've been writing less these past few days, and I'm quite helpless about it too. My good brothers, I've started working now; I can't be like I was a while back, staying at home all day. Long live understanding!

Additionally, I have to volunteer in the community this weekend, so I won't have time to write during the day either. So, my apologies!

However, don't stop with the favorites and votes!

Gentlemen, thank you!