I am a mortal who has achieved enlightenment through burning my secrets

Chapter 173 Refining the Heart in the Mortal World
Within the mortal furnace, a mountain of spiritual stones is burning fiercely.

Xiao Wuji sat cross-legged in the center of the world within the cauldron, letting an invisible and formless flame surround him.

Countless desires arose in Xiao Wuji's heart, stirring up confusion in his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Upon seeing this, the Red Dust Furnace Dharma Body also stopped the formation. A full quarter of an hour later, Xiao Wuji finally opened his bewildered eyes.

"You're awake? What did you dream about?"

The Mortal Lord materialized his form, looking at Xiao Wuji with great interest and a teasing expression.

"Failed?"

Xiao Wuji stared blankly down at it for a moment, then quietly put it away.

"Isn't failure to be expected? After all, this is a Dao artifact!"

The Red Dust Daoist was unsurprised by this. After all, it was a mid-grade Dao artifact, and the Six Desires Red Dust Grand Array was a crucial array among Dao artifacts, formed from a supreme divine power. If he were to fully wield this array, it would be as if a long-lived giant were personally taking action. If Xiao Wuji could awaken from his desires on the first try, that would truly be abnormal.

Xiao Wuji said with melancholy, "I thought I could easily resist worldly temptations, but I never expected that the mortal world would be so alluring. Sometimes, even knowing it's just a fantasy, I can't help but get lost in it."

"However, this formation is of great benefit to my cultivation of mental strength. It would be a real waste if I could not make full use of it!"

"If I can remain unaffected by this formation, even if I cannot break through to the Dominator realm, I can still reach the Ice Heart realm."

"But the consumption of spirit stones is just too terrifying. In such a short time, it has already consumed nearly two hundred million spirit stones!"

The Red Dust Daoist said proudly, "Of course, after all, this Six Desires Red Dust Grand Array is the foundation of the Ten Thousand Feet Red Dust Furnace, and one of the two most important supreme divine arrays in this cauldron. It requires countless people's worldly desires to cultivate. Every time it is activated, it is as if the immortal giant personally takes action. I hadn't even used my full strength just now!"

"Send me out first. I need to go into seclusion to digest my insights. I'll come back to undergo my mortal tribulation once next year's spirit stones arrive!"

……

Fallen Demon Valley!
"Spatial power, isn't that all of that?"

The Great Severing Technique is one of the most powerful divine abilities of the Demonic Sect, and it is also extremely difficult to cultivate because the power of space is hard to draw upon.

However, unlike the solid spatial barriers of the Xuanhuang Great World, the spatial power of this world is not very stable; at least Xiao Wuji was able to break through it. Drawing upon its spatial power was not particularly difficult.

This ancient battlefield, riddled with spatial rifts, was also a treasure trove for him to cultivate the Great Severing Technique.

Among the several new divine abilities he acquired, he could not cultivate the Great Origin Technique, nor did he have the resources to cultivate the Great Star Technique.

In order to cultivate the Great Five Elements Technique, he painfully gave up the five great lotus divine powers and the five matching magic treasures, and took the five elements primordial energy from two golden pills. With all the five elements treasures in the Red Dust Furnace, he finally managed to cultivate the Five Emperors Great Demon Divine Power to a minor level and barely managed to construct a Five Elements Great Array in his Purple Mansion.

As for the cultivation of this Great Severing Technique, it is relatively simple. At least it does not require him to spend too many resources; it just takes more time.

After he finished absorbing the spatial power in the Fallen Demon Valley, he planned to cultivate in the spatial nodes that Linglong had mentioned. In comparison, the spatial power there was much denser, but it was also much more dangerous, since it was spatial power formed by the intersection of two realms.

What Xiao Wuji regretted most was the Great Devouring Technique. The blood of the Wandering Kunpeng was of absolutely no use to cultivating this technique.

In addition to these great Dao divine abilities, Xiao Wuji also directly absorbed the divine abilities from the other two golden cores, excluding those of the five elements, bringing the total number of divine abilities to over forty.

However, he wasn't in a hurry to break through. He had recently consumed the only Yin-Yang Longevity Pill and used it to break through to the late stage of the Myriad Manifestations realm. He still had plenty of lifespan left, so there was no need to rush to extend it, and therefore no rush to condense talismans and a golden core. Moreover, once he broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, he would no longer be limited by lifespan; the only threat would be calamities.

"I wonder when I will be able to obtain the Great Calamity Technique. If I have this technique, the lightning tribulation will be nothing to fear!"

……

Beneath the Bodhi tree, Xiao Wuji sat cross-legged. The sapling, once barely a foot long, had finally grown large enough to provide shelter. The effects of the Nine Yang Holy Water on the Bodhi tree's branches were unimaginably immense; even if it couldn't compare to the Divine Spring, it was certainly no less beneficial. It was extremely advantageous for the growth of the elixir of immortality.

Under the influence of the Nine Yang Holy Water, the Bodhi tree branch, which was originally only a foot long, has now grown into a small tree over five meters tall. Sitting cross-legged beneath it, Xiao Wuji could even feel a significant improvement in his comprehension.

Unfortunately, he had a limited amount of Nine Yang Holy Water, and it was impossible for him to put it all into it; otherwise, the Bodhi tree could have grown even taller.

"Mental strength is truly the most elusive and difficult to cultivate."

"Those techniques that sever the seven emotions and six desires are merely forcibly reaching the Ice Heart Realm. Moreover, such mental power is completely uncontrollable. Let alone using it to fight enemies, it is impossible to remove the influence on oneself at any time."

"It seems that future simulations in the mortal world should also lean towards the practice of tempering the mind in the mundane world!"

"However, I need to find a way to seal my memories!"

With his current resources, even without any magical power, being in the mortal world wouldn't allow him to refine his mind. Therefore, to refine his mind, he would have to seal his memories. But without magical power, he simply couldn't make himself lose his memory.

After getting up and leaving the Bodhi tree, Xiao Wuji returned to Kunwu Mountain for a stroll.

Amidst the magnificent palaces and towers, Xiao Wuji wandered aimlessly alone. With only a few days left until the next simulation, he needed to find a way to make "him" lose his memory.

Ding-ding-ding-ding! !
With a pleasant jingling sound, a large, hairless dog came galloping into Xiao Wuji's field of vision. When it reached Xiao Wuji's feet, it wagged its tail happily and its front paws kept tugging at his pants.

Xiao Wuji tightened his belt, then pushed it away impatiently, saying with annoyance, "Stop messing around, I'm not interested now!"

Pushed to the ground by Xiao Wuji, Nangong Wan said with tears in her eyes, "Is Master tired of Wan'er?"

Xiao Wuji was also somewhat surprised by Nangong Wan's reaction; this kind of attitude was not something Nangong Wan would do.

"Huh? Don't you usually hate it when I humiliate you? Why are you making me humiliate you today!"

"Don't lie. On this entire Kunwu Mountain, the resentment and pent-up emotions from your and Xiaowu's daily prayers are the heaviest!"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Wan's face stiffened immediately, but she ultimately adopted a fawning expression and said ingratiatingly:

“Master has really misunderstood. This time, I truly want to cultivate with you.”

After saying that, he used his silver teeth to tear at his clothes, his nostrils slightly open as he greedily sucked on them.

Xiao Wuji put his hands behind his back, observed carefully, and then suddenly realized:

"Dual cultivation? I think you're trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, aren't you?"

Once upon a time, this stubborn and unyielding heroine finally began to feel fear because her lifespan was coming to an end.

Having figured out the key to it, Xiao Wuji no longer suppressed his instincts. He grabbed Nangong Wan's neck with both hands, feeling the elastic deformation on it.

After a long while, Xiao Wuji took out the Great Zhou Heavenly Star Chain that had bound the Yuan Sha Saint Ancestor and tied it around her neck.

"I originally intended to turn you into a human puppet, so that you could also live forever!"

"However, since you aspire to the Nascent Soul stage, I will grant you a chance..."

"From now on, you will stay by my side in this state, praying every day. When your faith is completely pure through prayer, I will naturally help you break through..."

……

(End of this chapter)