Xu Jingming clutched the jade-green book tightly in his hands.
The Eight Directions Map—one of Feather Fire Lord's 3,000 legacies. He couldn't help but feel a sense of solemnity as he stared at it. Third Realms weren't all the same. Master of Abyssal Void had chosen to break through to the ultimate realm and die, which made some legacies available.
But Feather Fire Lord was benevolent, creating 3,000 legacies specifically for weak high-dimensional lifeforms.
In comparison, these legacies… were more suitable for the weak! For example, the terrifying powerhouse, Liu Mangxing—who had mastered six half-step third-realm means—built a foundation for his child with the Eight Directions Map.
Let's see what's so magical about this legacy. Xu Jingming gently flipped to a page.
Xu Jingming flipped open the book, his eyes scanning the dense text that turned into high-dimensional information before him.
Xu Jingming's mind turned adrift.
A towering figure appeared in his mind, with white wings and a body engulfed in flames, illuminating everything like the Primordial Star. Xu Jingming didn't even feel any pressure; instead, he felt 'warm and comfortable.'
Feather Fire Lord. Xu Jingming immediately knew who the white-winged figure was—Feather Fire Lord.
"There's a prerequisite for the Heart Realm lineage to reach the third realm," Feather Fire Lord said with a smile. "Your 'mind' has to be worthy of the third realm's strength. It must reach the Great Freedom state."
"Only by having a free mind can one withstand the power of the third realm of the Heart Realm."
"How should one cultivate the mind to attain Great Freedom? I've tried creating many techniques; the Eight Directions Map is one of them."
"The Eight Directions Map is divided into eight levels, each one tempering the mind. Once all eight levels are completed, the mind will reach the Great Freedom realm," Feather Fire Lord said. "Although the formulations are available, it's still very difficult to master them completely."
"If you study it diligently, your mind will become stronger with every attained level. It will be of greater help to your growth in the Heart Realm lineage," Feather Fire Lord continued.
"This original copy of the Eight Directions Map can be turned into eight layers of space. Every layer of space can also assist in mental tempering," Feather Fire Lord said. "The first layer of the Eight Direction Map—happiness and anger…"
Xu Jingming received the legacy.
He was a low-dimensional lifeform at the cosmic legend level after all, so the speed at which he received high-dimensional information was still too slow. It took him more than half a month to completely accept the legacy.
Impressive. Xu Jingming was in awe. This is a precious method for building a foundation, and although it won't boost my strength much, I can sense that it will smoothen my evolutionary path by over ten times.
Feather Fire Lord had said that reaching Great Freedom increases the chances of reaching the third realm, but in my opinion, it increases the probability by a hundred or even a thousand times. He's too humble, Xu Jingming thought. Of course, this was because it was extremely rare for ordinary high-dimensional lifeforms to reach the third realm.
Even if the probability was a thousand times higher, it was still very slim.
The Red Lotus Fire legacy has high requirements for the mind, but it is far inferior to the Eight Directions Map. The Eight Direction Map is a pure mental tempering legacy that completely analyzes every aspect of the mind, integrating everything to achieve a mind that enjoys Great Freedom.
A state of mind that has perfect freedom and liberation.
A state of mind that is flawless, untainted by the flaws of the past.
The third realms of other paths may offer their own advantages, but they fall short when it comes to the ultimate goal of a perfected mind. But the third realm of the Heart Realm lineage is different; it is where true perfection lies. Xu Jingming couldn't believe his luck as he nodded in agreement.
He was no fool and knew the value of this legacy.
"Liu Yufeng, a young high-dimensional lifeform. I will remember you," he thought as he gazed at the territory ruin in front of him. "I will remember this favor."
But before he reached the third realm, he knew he couldn't repay the favor. He could only keep it close to his heart.
Xu Jingming carefully explored the small territory ruins one last time before embarking on his return journey.
Whoosh.
Xu Jingming returned to his territory, a barren wasteland with nothing but the Dark Primordial Star and a vast expanse of land. Not a single tree could be found, and the territory was significantly smaller than the ruins of Liu Yufeng's domain.
The territory of a cosmic legend was pitifully small.
Mine is probably the smallest of them all. He couldn't help but chuckle as he waved his hand, sending the beast hide filled with games tumbling to the ground. The earth parted beneath it, concealing the hide deep within the territory.
I gained too much this time and can't risk bringing it back to my home universe. It would attract high-dimensional lifeforms. Xu Jingming knew the prying methods of high-dimensional lifeforms were too brilliant to evade. The attraction of the Eight Directions Map would be too great for high-dimensional lifeforms to resist.
My territory is still the safest.
Xu Jingming opened the Eight Directions Map. As he did, a wisp of Heart Realm Force flew into the book, creating another clone of Xu Jingming within the book's world.
…
The Eight Directions Map book world was a place of eight spaces, crafted by the masterful hand of Feather Fire Lord.
Xu Jingming's clone constructed by Heart Realm Force was in the first space.
Laws invisible to the naked eye circulated within this first level of space.
I-I've returned to my childhood? Xu Jingming realized that he had returned to his five or six-year-old appearance. He sat obediently in the living room, chewing on a massive apple as he watched a show projected on the wall.
As Xu Jingming cradled the juicy red apple in his hand, his eyes were drawn to the sight of his mother bustling about in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
"He's always up early, training in martial arts and not helping out around the house," she grumbled.
"Honey, I'm back."
The door burst open just then, and Mr. Xu strode in, a plastic bag clutched in his hand. "Jingming, come here. Look what I got!"
Xu Jingming bounded over to his father, his eyes wide with anticipation. He then set the half-eaten apple down on the table.
"Wow, so many buns!" he exclaimed, reaching into the bag and pulling out one of the warm, fluffy treats.
"San Ding buns," he murmured, taking a big bite and savoring the delicious flavors.
"The two of you and your buns," his mother chided with a laugh, bringing a steaming bowl of porridge topped with vegetables to the table.
"Hey, I've loved them since I was a kid, and Jingming is just like me." Mr. Xu chuckled, ruffling his son's hair playfully.
Xu Jingming rolled his eyes in mock disdain but couldn't help continuing to munch.
Everything was proceeding.
Xu Jingming's consciousness could only take in everything.
It happened when I was young. Xu Jingming watched and couldn't help but feel a warm sense of contentment.
He was blessed with a loving family. His parents doted on him, showering him with affection and care.
…
The young Xu Jingming stood tall on the stage, spear in hand, and let out a triumphant wave to the cheering crowd below.
"That's my boy!" Mr. and Mrs. Xu exclaimed, jumping out of their seats in excitement. Grandpa Xu chuckled with pride, missing teeth on full display.
The young champion could feel the energy of his family's joy and excitement radiating through him.
This was it. The moment he had worked so hard for. The moment he became a national champion in high school. And he couldn't help but let the excitement take over. Years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice had finally paid off.
…
He experienced everything he had been happy about since he was a child.
The small, everyday moments and the inconspicuous details all filled him with happiness.
But there were also the 'great joys'—his years-long pursuit of becoming a national champion, being selected for the national team, stepping onto the World Tournament stage, and winning the first World Series. And finally, there was Miaomiao—the one he loved.
These moments of joy made life more exciting and unforgettable.
Over the 2,000-plus years since his birth, Xu Jingming experienced all of these small and great joys in a unique order. It was like a bombardment of emotions that flooded his mind, finally making him understand the true meaning of joy.
…
Xu Jingming sat at his desk, a child consumed with completing his homework. As he finished the last addition and subtraction question, he shot out of his seat, excitement pumping through his veins. "Dad, Dad, I'm done. I've finished everything."
"Oh."
Mr. Xu, who was lounging in the living room watching a program, smiled. "Good job, son. But before you watch cartoons, let's do one round of boxing practice."
"Alright." Xu Jingming eagerly executed the latest boxing moves he had learned, finishing in just five minutes. He then stared at the projection with intense eyes, yearning for more.
"Okay, now you can watch cartoons," Mr. Xu granted with a nod.
Just as Xu Jingming was about to indulge in his cartoons, the door swung open, and in walked Mrs. Xu.
"Jingming, your test results are out?" she asked, rummaging through his small bag for the Chinese test script.
But as she scanned the results, her face twisted with anger. "What? Only 85 points?"
Xu Jingming's heart sank in terror.
"How many times have I told you how 'blue' in 'blue sky' is spelled?" she exclaimed, holding up the test paper. "Get over here."
Xu Jingming shuffled over to his mother's side.
"It's a mess, a complete mess. You didn't even score 90 points. Your teacher said that 43 people in your class of more than 50 scored above 90, but you actually scored 85 points? You're ranked at the back!" she raged.
Tears welled up in Xu Jingming's eyes as his mother's anger reached a boiling point.
"You still have the cheek to cry?" she sneered.
But Mr. Xu intervened, whispering, "I promised him that he could watch cartoons after finishing his math homework."
Mrs. Xu's grip on her son's ear tightened as she yanked him into the house. "He may be done with mathematics, but not Chinese!"
Xu Jingming couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face.
He wouldn't be able to watch the promised cartoon.
Endless Chinese homework loomed ahead.
How infuriating!
But he knew he couldn't resist.
Haha... Xu Jingming laughed as he looked back on that moment, now understanding that he had been angry, aggrieved, and indignant.
…
Once, during spearmanship training, his teammates deliberately played dirty, injuring him in the process…
And when his focus on spearmanship caused his results to plummet, his teacher had reprimanded him…
A friend he had loaned money to had not only refused to pay him back but had also spread nasty rumors about him and blocked him on all forms of communication…
All his personal experiences.
Other than these small angers in his life, there were times when his rage reached a boiling point!
Being wronged, he roared at his coach in anger and took the initiative to leave the school team…
And at the Martial Arts Tournament, he watched in despair as his teammates—who he had spent day and night with—were deliberately crippled and disabled.
The fury, rage, and resentment that consumed him as he lay there with a broken leg…
He let himself spiral into misery, fueling his hatred and fueling the fires of massacre.
But what is joy? What is anger? Xu Jingming, immersed in the first level of the book world's auxiliary cultivation, remained eerily composed.
After all, he had long since attained the Heart of Cleansing Lotus. The first level of the Eight Directions Map was but a mere trifle for him. In a mere half a year, he had mastered the emotional techniques detailed in the Eight Directions Map—joy and anger—and emerged victorious from the first level.
…
The emotions were the most common for even the highest dimensional lifeforms.
But why was one happy and angry?
These two emotions were also the first basic level of the Eight Directions Map.
Huh?
At the Primordial Research Institute headquarters, in a chamber in Xu Jingming's residence.
A deeper Cleansing Lotus Fire rose from his fingertip.
I've succeeded at the second level, he thought to himself.
After mastering the emotion techniques of happiness and anger, it was clearly much easier for him to cultivate the Cleansing Lotus Fire.
