In the fourth space of the book.
Feather Fire Lord's light glimmered, casting a warm glow throughout the fourth space of the book. Xu Jingming sat attentively, listening intently to every word.
"The manifestation of emotions lies beyond the realm of the mind," proclaimed Feather Fire Lord. "Desire, on the other hand, is a spark that ignites within. Every emotion is merely an extension of that inner desire."
"Desire drives evolution," he continued. "We strive to evolve and improve our lives because of a deep-seated desire to survive. Strong desires like greed, a thirst for power—these things all drive progress."
"Unbridled desires can also push living beings to the brink."
"All living beings have desires," he stated. "Without desire, they are not truly alive, just mere puppets."
Xu Jingming listened, hanging onto every word.
"Where does desire come from?" asked Feather Fire Lord. "If you seek its source, you will find… the body."
"The body is the foundation of life, the vessel for the mind," he explained. "There are many forms of high-dimensional life, some as large as celestial bodies, some just streams of information, and others are frightening flames."
"Regardless of the form, all carry life, mind, and consciousness," he added.
Xu Jingming nodded in agreement.
"Most bodies have senses like eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. This is why they are drawn to beauty, music, delicious food, sweet scents, and comfortable clothing," Feather Fire Lord went on.
"But if you were a rock, with no eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, never having to eat or drink, you wouldn't have desires. You wouldn't appreciate beautiful scenery because you wouldn't have the means to perceive it."
"So you see, some desires stem from the body itself."
"The fourth level of the Eight Directions Map is a test of one's ability to control the two primal desires that drive all living beings—hunger and lust."
"When living things arrive in this world, they must eat to survive. Whether they're low-dimensional creatures or high-dimensional beings, they require energy to maintain their existence. Thus, they have an appetite."
"And when they seek to reproduce, they are driven by lust. This ensures the continuation of their genetic line."
"You must fully understand and control these two essential desires, using them to propel your evolution, not hold you back."
"The more fundamental the desire, the greater the danger if it becomes an impediment," warned Feather Fire Lord.
"For low-dimensional life forms, a voracious appetite can wreak havoc on their bodies and compromise their survival. For high-dimensional life forms, their excessive pursuit of precious evolutionary resources can lead to intense competition, resulting in their demise."
"While high-dimensional life forms are theoretically supposed to have an infinite lifespan once they reach the Eternal realm, it's a rare occurrence to live beyond ten Abyssal Eras," continued Feather Fire Lord. "Many are destroyed by disasters, but most are felled by their competition for resources."
"Control your desires, and you increase your chances of a longer life."
Feather Fire Lord looked at Xu Jingming. "Living long is a resource in and of itself. Sometimes, all you need is a long stretch of experimentation, and you can still become stronger even if you don't have access to precious treasures or legacies."
"Unrestrained lust can lead to the destruction of a species or a nation, or even a catastrophe."
Feather Fire Lord warned, "Controlling any desire requires an unyielding motivation. Once you lose control, the consequences are catastrophic."
"And even if you reach the Intent realm and have a complete mastery of emotions, do you dare claim that you have fully grasped these two basic desires?" Feather Fire Lord asked with a smile. "If you're confident, you may accept the fourth test—a test of appetite and lust."
…
Xu Jingming was transported to an illusory realm.
He was a refugee, struggling to walk as he was consumed by hunger.
I'm starving. I'm starving, he thought as his mind was repeatedly tormented by his emptiness. The trees were stripped bare, and the refugees scoured for any scrap of food.
The river had long since dried up, and even the fish were gone.
Xu Jingming's eyes locked onto two white buns nestled in the dry weeds. Hunger surged through him with a ferocity that threatened to swallow his consciousness whole.
"Only two buns for all these refugees," he thought. Despite his emaciated frame, Xu Jingming mustered all the willpower he had to resist the urge to pounce.
He watched in horror as the other refugees fought like animals for the precious food, leaving behind bodies, with only one survivor clutching the prized buns.
But the victor's triumph was short-lived as his own wounds were severe, and he knew he wouldn't survive for long. Gripping his dagger tightly, he surveyed his surroundings, ready for one final battle.
I must stay calm, he reminded himself. If I let my hunger rule me, I'll become just like them—a beast with no chance of survival.
Gritting his teeth against the gnawing pain in his stomach, Xu Jingming slowly moved forward, the reality of his surroundings slowly fading away.
He found himself in a new, illusory world.
"You will eat as much as you can," the man declared, his voice cold as ice. "The three who eat the most will live. The rest will die."
The other black-robed men stood at the ready, weapons in hand as they watched the group feast.
For half a year, Xu Jingming lived in this second world, testing his willpower and determination until he emerged victorious.
…
The illusory realm was a world of endless illusions.
Xu Jingming was in the grip of a hunger that was beyond anything he had ever experienced. He was no match for the eighth illusory realm and had fallen to its power before even attempting the lust tests.
Perfect control over desire was a tough task. Appetite and lust were two primal urges that were not easy to conquer.
What was perfect control?
He had to adapt to them and make these desires work for him.
He had to harness their power without letting them control him.
Desire is a double-edged sword to begin with. Everyone wants the benefits, but no one wants the consequences. It is a challenge even for high-dimensional life forms to achieve. Xu Jingming sighed. I failed the appetite test and haven't started the lust test.
Xu Jingming sighed, feeling the weight of the task ahead of him. He had to borrow the power of lust, but this was not an easy feat.
Resistance was one thing, but to fully harness the power of lust without suffering any drawbacks was a daunting challenge.
This is only the fourth level, and the Eight Directions Map has eight levels. Even if I complete them all, it only increases my chances of becoming a third-realm high-dimensional lifeform. Xu Jingming could clearly sense how far he was from a third-realm existence.
So many great existences were stuck at the half-step third realm for their entire lives.
******
Xu Jingming was in a bind. He was stuck at the Eight Directions Map's fourth level, and the two secret techniques—Red Lotus Fire and Three Threads of the Heart Realm—were beyond his reach once he got stuck.
Appetite and lust are the root of all life. I failed the appetite test I was confident in and have no chance of passing the lust test, Xu Jingming muttered to himself, defeated.
Therefore, Xu Jingming dedicated all of his time and energy to constructing a high-dimensional body.
How do I build a high-dimensional body for the Heart Realm?
Xu Jingming was vexed.
Despite repeated attempts after his analysis, Xu Jingming could not seem to improve. He was still far from success.
The body is the foundation. It's where our mind and consciousness reside and where desire and emotions take hold, he thought, his mind racing. Could it be that desire and emotions are a crucial part of our body?
I don't know much about desires, but I've mastered the third level of the Eight Directions Map—the Intent realm—and emotions hold no secrets from me.
"Emotions and body?" Xu Jingming thought.
I've been delving deep into the intricacies of low-dimensional life forms for years. Their emotions and physical attributes, I've got that covered. But when it comes to high-dimensional creatures, I only have a handful of specimens like scales and blood. The dead ones don't evoke any emotions. Xu Jingming frowned. I need to get my hands on a living high-dimensional life form, one that will allow me to unravel the secrets of how emotions are intertwined with their high-dimensional bodies.
Xu Jingming's mind raced as he pondered the question, Who among the living high-dimensional lifeforms would grant me the opportunity to study them?
Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement as the perfect candidate came to mind. Secretary General Blacksky!
…
At the headquarters of the Primordial Research Institute,
Xu Jingming held the highest authority as the acting dean—even higher than the mighty Secretary General Blacksky.
This is Secretary General Blacksky's true body? As he gazed at the massive black beast lying before him, obediently sleeping, he couldn't help but wonder.
Suddenly, the beast opened its eyes and looked at Xu Jingming with confusion. "Deputy Dean Wu Ming, what are you doing here?"
The true form of Secretary General Blacksky was, after all, imprisoned.
With the Paramounts, including Redmond, possessing their true forms in high-dimensional space, it was necessary to keep Secretary General Blacksky in check to prevent any potential damage from his unpredictable character.
To keep him comfortable, the dean had prepared multiple carriers for him to use for traveling. It kept him entertained during his imprisonment.
"Secretary General Blacksky," Xu Jingming said with a smile, "I have a request to make of you."
"Oh, what is it?" Blacksky widened his huge eyes and looked at Xu Jingming in confusion.
"I want to observe the basic structure of your body," Xu Jingming explained. "I might need to observe it for a long time."
"Can't you just take a drop of my blood?" Blacksky asked nonchalantly.
"No." Xu Jingming shook his head. "I hope to be by your side constantly and observe your claws in detail."
Blacksky felt a little uncomfortable. "Extensive observation? Can you tell me why?"
"I want to study the relationship between emotional fluctuations and high-dimensional bodies," Xu Jingming replied.
Blacksky's eyes widened in surprise. "Emotional fluctuations?"
"That's right," Xu Jingming said with a nod. "I'll guide your emotions."
Blacksky's anger flared. "I don't want anyone messing with my emotions. Get out of here. Even if you're the acting dean, Deputy Dean Wu Ming, you can't force me."
"I promise I won't manipulate your emotions. Instead, I'll create an illusory realm that you'll enjoy exploring. Your natural emotional reactions will be captured there. And let me tell you, my environment is far superior to anything the virtual world can offer. It's even effective against high-dimensional life forms."
Blacksky's interest was piqued. "You can create any illusory realm I want?"
Blacksky had a long life ahead of him and was always in search of new experiences. But lately, it was getting harder and harder to find things that entertained him.
The idea of a powerhouse from the Heart Realm lineage creating a customized illusory realm just for him was tantalizing.
"Absolutely," Xu Jingming said with a grin. "Just let me observe your claws. They're the building blocks of your life structure."
Blacksky smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Okay, but we need to talk about what I want in the illusory realm. And I have to warn you, you'll have to immerse me completely, or I'll chase you out."
Xu Jingming smiled confidently. "Just trust in my illusory realm."
