Translator: CKtalon

According to Beam Transformation’s first volume, breaking through to Lv. 5 is a hurdle that countless humans on countless planets face. Xu Jingming’s expression turned solemn. Xuan described the difficulty going from Lv. 1 to Lv. 4 as relatively low.

Breaking through to Lv. 5 was much more difficult. This step… was also a qualitative change in human evolution across the vast universe. If one succeeded, they would become a cosmic lifeform!

The first step of the breakthrough is to be able to clearly sense all the cells in my body! Xu Jingming tried to sense it. I’ve evolved to Transcendent 99%, so it’s indeed a little clearer, but I’m still far from being able to sense all the cells clearly.

The cells in the body varied in size. He could sense some of the larger cells, but the smaller ones were hazy.

According to the legacy, I have to strengthen my spirit and mind to sense them clearly. Xu Jingming was extremely solemn. The method to make the spirit and mind stronger is the five mental tempering methods.

Of the five mental tempering methods, I’ve been consistent with the Twelve Orifices Tempering and Planetary Visualization every day! I’ll add ‘tempering the mind through multiple setbacks,’ as well as reading, Xu Jingming thought.

As for putting things into practice, it needed to be done after reading and gaining a clear understanding. Moreover, it took a long time, so it was clearly not suitable for the time being.

I’ll read three hours a day. The rest of the time, I’ll temper my spirit and mind.

There are 12 ways to hone one’s spirit and mind.

Previously, Xu Jingming didn’t train his will because it took too long. Once he spent time on one aspect, it would greatly reduce the time afforded to his spearmanship and shield technique practice.

…

First aspect of tempering the mind, hunger.

In the personal martial arts arena, Xu Jingming set up his personal status.

When hunger reaches a certain level, it will make one go crazy as they suffer in pain! Moreover, hunger will only increase with time. In this training, I have to overcome hunger and continue practicing my spearmanship! The longer I can last, the better. I can place my favorite food and alcohol beside me, but I won’t eat or drink. Xu Jingming remembered the description of this method and completely set up the scene.

Many of the delicacies he liked appeared on the stone table beside him. There were all kinds of noodles, drinks, meat, and so on.

Start off with Lv. 8 hunger! Xu Jingming set everything up, and his body immediately fell into an extreme state of hunger.

“Oh!” Xu Jingming couldn’t help but tremble, and he felt his stomach churn. Hunger spread through every neural network in his body.

He was hungry, starving! When he saw the food on the stone table—the delicacies he used to like—Xu Jingming’s eyes couldn’t help but light up, and his thirst increased tenfold or even a hundredfold. He really wanted to eat them!

Persevere. This is only the beginning. Xu Jingming practiced his spearmanship and Beam Transformation.

Beam Transformation was extremely simple—it only had one thrust! Now that he was suffering from hunger, he no longer had the energy to think about complicated moves. Instead, he fully focused on Beam Transformation, allowing him to divert some of the torment from hunger.

Persevere!

Persevere!

He just needed to click on ‘restore his body to its peak’ to escape his hungry state. He would also feel blissful eating the delicacies on the stone table beside him. However, he couldn’t click on the recovery button, eat, or drink.

Every second was torturous, and it became harder the further he went.

It’s too difficult. Hunger in the virtual world is 100% replicated, and the hunger level can keep rising. Lv. 10, Lv. 11… A body that has evolved to Lv. 4 99% can withstand very high levels of hunger, but can one’s spirit and mind withstand it?

It’s too difficult.

It’s too difficult for me. Xu Jingming’s spearmanship started becoming a little inaccurate. Am I crazy? Why am I tormenting myself like this?

There are 12 ways to hone one’s will. Why do I have to torture myself with these methods?

Training the brain and Planetary Visualization can slowly improve the mental tempering effects. Why do I have to hone my will through torture?

Give up…

Give up…

Every second became harder and harder to bear.

The feeling of hunger made Xu Jingming’s vision blur, and his entire will began to fall into a haze. He didn’t even think about it; it was purely his instincts that allowed him to finally reach out and tap the interface that had been floating to the side, restoring his body.

He returned to his peak state!

I-I… Xu Jingming woke up and realized that he was lying on the ground. At this moment, he felt extremely comfortable, and the comfortable feeling intoxicated him.

Only after experiencing such terrifying hunger did he feel how wonderful it was to not be hungry.

I lasted 32 minutes and 17 seconds? Xu Jingming looked at the record. When I collapsed at the end, my hunger reached Lv. 10?

As time passed, especially while practicing spearmanship, the hunger level slowly increased.

Lv. 10 hunger is that terrifying? Xu Jingming thought to himself.

According to Xuan’s records, there are three realms to honing one’s will.

The first realm is perseverance, and it’s also the most common realm. The longer one persists in resisting, the stronger one’s mental resilience and willpower will be.

The second realm is calmness. To be able to calmly face all kinds of pain and torture, one will feel that the pain and torment are only a part of one’s physiology. It won’t affect one’s mind. Xu Jingming found it incomprehensible when he thought of this realm. How can such hunger not affect one’s mind? To treat it as a part of one’s physiology? Is that even human?

Only after experiencing hunger did he realize how difficult it was.

The third realm is heat! No matter how great the torment is, it will only make the spirit and mind, as well as will, burn hotter and more condensed. The mind and will would be hardened like a blade’s edge! The torment will only make the blade sharper.

The third realm gets more and more ridiculous.

Xu Jingming shook his head. I’ll follow up with the second method to hone my will.

…

Second aspect, solitary confinement.

Locked in a small dark box that’s slightly larger than a person, I won’t be able to extend my hands or stand up straight; I have to bend my back to stand. No sound is allowed in the black box. The virtual world will detect ‘brain fluctuations,’ so once the brain fluctuations exceed a normal range, the training will fail.

Xu Jingming was in the small dark room.

The small dark room was tiny.

He had to bend while standing with his hands on his knees. This was the most comfortable position in comparison.

No sounds, and the area is so small? It’s stifling. Xu Jingming found it difficult to turn around.

The four walls of the small dark room were pitch-black and identical. The stifling feeling inundated him, making him feel uncomfortable.

In just three minutes.

“Brain fluctuations exceed the normal limits. Training failed.” A notification appeared, and the small dark room dissipated.

What? I just felt a little stifled and uncomfortable, and I failed? Xu Jingming frowned. Do I have to be relaxed and happy in this situation?

…

Third aspect, cursed by everyone.

The stronger one is, the more they care about their self-esteem. Can you maintain your calm amidst criticism? Once the fluctuations in the brain exceed the normal range, training will be a failure, Xu Jingming thought as he set up the scenario.

I can’t even fight back while being spat at and cursed by countless people? I have to maintain my brain fluctuations within normal limits? Xu Jingming thought of this and shook his head. I’m not a masochist!

While enduring the torment of hunger, Xu Jingming could still comfort himself with the words of the ancients: When Heaven is about to confer a great office on a man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil; it exposes his body to hunger, subjects him to extreme poverty, and harasses him with troubles and setbacks so as to stimulate his spirit, toughen his nature, and enhance his abilities.

However, Xu Jingming still cared about his self-esteem. Even if he forced himself to endure everyone’s spit and curses, his mind would fluctuate just thinking about it. He couldn’t face it calmly.

…

Xu Jingming tried all 12 ways to hone his will.

Just the thought of some caused him to flinch. For example, three of them required torture.

They are even more terrifying than the torture methods recorded in history books. Am I crazy to torture myself like this? Xu Jingming shook his head. Xuan himself said that these methods are suitable for some people, but it doesn’t mean they are suitable for everyone..