Chapter 951: Ling Feng's Insight

"Will and the Mark of Brilliance originate from the same source. The Mark of Brilliance is nurtured by the power of spiritual consciousness, not by elemental force, and certainly not by the elemental qi of the world, as many mistakenly believe."

Mu Qingchen continued speaking. "Spiritual thoughts determine the will. The will determines the Mark of Brilliance. The Mark of Brilliance then determines the soul manifestation. This is something all of you must keep firmly in mind."

As Mu Qingchen was explaining his insights to the crowd, Ling Feng suddenly stood up. He looked directly at Mu Qingchen and slowly asked, "Senior Brother Mu, may I ask, what exactly are spiritual thoughts?"

Everyone turned to look at Ling Feng, and the murmurs quickly spread.

"Who is this guy? What gives him the right to interrupt a conversation between two unmatched prodigies?"

"Exactly. He looks unfamiliar. Probably not one of the sect world's top geniuses. His cultivation is only at the Transformation Realm, yet he dares to speak up in a setting like this?"

Most of the top geniuses from various sects had traveled great distances to be here. They rarely stayed in the imperial capital and had never seen Ling Feng before. Those who did recognize him simply smiled and waited to see what astonishing move he might make.

"This idiot doesn't even know what spiritual thoughts are. Spiritual thoughts, obviously, are..."

A genius from the Nine Heavens Sect began to speak but suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He realized that spiritual thoughts were not so easy to define after all.

"What exactly are spiritual thoughts again? I'm not actually sure myself..."

Someone voiced their confusion aloud. Very quickly, others began to realize the same thing. The so-called principles of the Great Dao that they thought they understood suddenly seemed meaningless. They didn't even know what spiritual thoughts were, so how could they possibly use them to nurture the Mark of Brilliance? It all sounded like nonsense now.

Seeing the looks of confusion on the faces of the young elites below, Mu Qingchen furrowed his brow slightly. He too sank into deep thought.

What exactly are spiritual thoughts?

The question appeared simple on the surface, yet it left both Jiang Qingge and Mu Qingchen silent. With their level of insight, they viewed the world from a different perspective than most.

After a moment of contemplation, Mu Qingchen slowly opened his mouth and said, "It's commonly said that spiritual thoughts reflect the soul itself. But in my view, spiritual thoughts are actually the embodiment of the soul's will. Humans possess consciousness and thought because of their soul. Spiritual thoughts represent the soul's ability to connect with the Great Dao and the natural laws. Everything the soul perceives and touches contributes to its growth."

"For example, your personal understanding, the mysteries of time, and the spiritual manifestations of the Great Dao, all of these."

Mu Qingchen paused briefly, then continued, "That is why I believe spiritual thoughts serve as a medium that strengthens the soul."

"No, I disagree."

Jiang Qingge shook his head and spoke slowly. "In my opinion, spiritual thoughts are the soul. The insight of spiritual thoughts and the soul are one and the same. When spiritual thoughts grow stronger, so does the soul. If spiritual thoughts are damaged, the soul suffers as well. Spiritual thoughts perceive the heavens and earth and continue to rise. The soul naturally rises along with them. On the other hand, if spiritual thoughts perish, how can the soul continue to exist?"

Jiang Qingge smiled faintly and nodded toward Mu Qingchen. "What does Senior Brother Mu think of that?"

"I still stand by my view."

Mu Qingchen was a peerless talent of the age. Naturally, he held firm to his convictions and would not be easily swayed by another's ideas.

As the two argued, Ling Feng seemed to enter a trance-like state. He stood still, a dazed look in his eyes. Mysterious flashes of light flickered within his pupils. The surrounding elemental qi responded to an invisible call and began to swirl into a terrifying vortex that wrapped itself tightly around him.

"He's having a moment of insight!"

The young talents nearby could not hide their envy. This rare state could not be forced and only appeared by chance. Some might awaken from a single night of insight with their realm skyrocketing. Others might comprehend supreme sword will in a single moment of clarity.

In any case, entering this state meant a transformation was taking place. Once awakened, the person would gain tremendous benefits in a particular field.

Xuanyuan Pozhen and Li Yunting exchanged glances. Both of them showed a hint of envy in their eyes. They had not expected Ling Feng to have such high perception. Just listening to the exchange between Mu Qingchen and Jiang Qingge had triggered his enlightenment.

Yue Yunlan's beautiful eyes sparkled. She looked at Ling Feng, who now stood still with a solemn expression. Without saying a word, she rose to her feet and moved to stand protectively at his side.

No one must disturb a cultivator during a moment of insight. Yue Yunlan understood this well. She took it upon herself to act as his guardian and prevent any unscrupulous individuals from interfering.

Jiang Qingge and Mu Qingchen exchanged a look and both nodded. They turned to the crowd of young elites and offered a faint smile.

"This brother has entered a state of insight because of our discussion. He must have a unique understanding of spiritual thoughts. Let us wait patiently. When he awakens, I would like to hear what he has to say."

With two top monsters leading the way, no one in the audience dared voice a complaint. They simply waited in silence.

About half an hour later, the vortex of elemental qi finally dissipated. Ling Feng slowly opened his eyes and found countless gazes fixed intently on him. Yue Yunlan and Qiao Qiao's faces were especially close, their curious eyes scanning his face as if he were some kind of rare creature.

Ling Feng rubbed his cheek and gave an awkward smile. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"

Bah!

"

Qiao Qiao gave a playful scoff and quickly asked, "Mr. Ling, tell us, what did you comprehend during your moment of insight? Why didn't your realm increase at all? Not even the slightest change?"

Yue Yunlan also stared at Ling Feng, clearly very curious about what he had gained.

"So that was what a moment of insight feels like."

Ling Feng touched the bridge of his nose and smiled lightly. "I didn't really comprehend anything specific. I just came to understand a few things."

The moment had not lasted long. Ling Feng only felt as if his soul had briefly left his body and then returned. That fleeting experience of the soul drifting outside the body brought him a deep sense of clarity.

Yue Yunlan's eyes, as clear as spring water, fixed on Ling Feng. Her soft lips parted slightly as she asked, "What did you come to understand?"

Her question instantly captured everyone's attention. Moments of insight were incredibly rare. Even the most casual realization drawn from such an experience could contain profound truths of the Great Dao. Anyone who could grasp even a sliver of that knowledge might receive a great fortune.

Jiang Qingge and Mu Qingchen also looked toward Ling Feng, waiting for his answer.

Seeing that everyone was watching him, Ling Feng smiled. "Since everyone is interested, I'll share a few rough thoughts I gained during that moment."

He paused to organize his words, then spoke. "When we condense the Mark of Brilliance, we use spiritual thoughts to guide the power of creation and form a manifestation within our sea of mind. Whatever we condense becomes the shape of our Mark of Brilliance. Similarly, when we cultivate martial techniques, we use spiritual thoughts to guide the flow of sword essence throughout our entire body to strengthen our cultivation."

"Thought arises from the heart. Spiritual thoughts are the expression of our will. Whatever you believe it to be, that is what it becomes. It can be a mountain. It can be a river. In a critical moment, it becomes the sword in your hand. It is the elemental force we cultivate."

Ling Feng paused again, then continued. "It exists in our hearts. We are the ones who command it. Therefore, it is everything. It is all things and all phenomena. Whatever you believe it to be, that is exactly what it becomes!"