As an Innate Manifestation, I have a greater advantage than Xuanming in simulating the nature of True Spirit Power. With the premise of having a "textbook" and a reference object, it's easy to replicate the "inescapable flame" by copying what others have done. Looking at the flame in my hand, I thought of the Divine Seal Fragment.

For everyone, the Divine Seal Fragment is an unknown entity.

Gua Tianshi had suspected that the divine seal might be a product of an ultra-ancient civilization's technology, while Shan Liangyi also questioned whether it might be a product of alien civilization's technology. Regardless of which answer is correct, they both agree that the divine seal, this Divine Artifact, is not based on what is commonly referred to as mysticism or human science, but is born from completely unknown theories.

On the other hand, most of the Impermanences of Luo Mountain are able to develop and utilize the Divine Seal Fragments, indicating that they have all found the necessary clues to research the divine seal fragments. Not unexpectedly, that would be "True Spirit Power."

The research on Divine Seal Fragments is primarily based on Luo Mountain's long history of research into True Spirit Power.

It's possible that Ying Lingyun's breakthroughs in the field of Divine Seal Fragment research are related to this. The "Possibility Avatar" he uses is a spell that summons different potential self-incarnations and links them into a network of consciousness. This later seemed to become one of the foundational elements for the Dream Network "Paradise," and in the definition of the Great True Spirit, everything is a facet of the Great True Spirit. This spell "Possibility Avatar" likely possesses such a transcendent nature.

And through this spell, Ying Lingyun, who has fused experiences from different potential selves, might, while perhaps spiraling into spiritual madness, also align with the path of proving the True Spirit. The Power of Divine Seal Fragments is True Spirit Power. Ying Lingyun's superior knowledge in developing the power of the Divine Seal Fragments compared to others seems to have a reasonable explanation.

In contrast, despite Ming Zhuo possessing the Naraku Undying Body, he has consistently struggled to advance research on the Divine Seal Fragments, and once outsourced this research project to Divine Light. Perhaps it's because his spirit is too "normal."

At least in comparison to the Impermanences like Gua Tianshi, Xuanming, and Fa Zheng, Ming Zhuo is quite the "human" character. Afraid of aging and death, arrogant and selfish, yet willing to endure humiliation and admit defeat when at a disadvantage. He's adept at assessing the situation but unable to completely abandon his dignity, always harboring a desire for revenge. I'm not suggesting ordinary people should possess such detestable traits, but among all the Impermanences, Ming Zhuo indeed resembles an ordinary person the most. In this way, he might actually be a very special kind of person.

Could the Divine Seal Fragments become a key to defeating Shan Liangyi? Unlike Flame Magic Power, Shan Liangyi cannot directly intervene in the operation of the power of the Divine Seal Fragments. Currently, I can focus on at most twelve Divine Seal Fragments. If Little Bowl transfers two of the three Divine Seal Fragments he holds to me, I could simultaneously bind fourteen. Can the True Spirit Power output by so many Divine Seal Fragments compete with Shan Liangyi?

Useless — this is a conclusion easily reached. Fourteen Divine Seal Fragments sound impressive, but my compatibility with them is too poor. If the base is not good, even a high magnification won't help. Altogether, they can't even enhance one percent of my power. This isn't even a matter of creating offensive power — I can't even contend with a little mana fluctuation leaked by Shan Liangyi. It's like packaging up the Divine Seal Fragments just to give them as a gift to Shan Liangyi.

Stepping back, even if compatibility is excellent and each Divine Seal Fragment gives me Great Impermanence Level power, I still can't wield it freely or elevate its density to be comparable to Shan Liangyi, who is at the Third Gate level.

Then I studied the Incarnation Skill I learned while battling Meng Zhang.

Although it was modeled after Meng Zhang's incarnations, unlike Meng Zhang's, their mana is just mana, whereas my flame can also be seen as my soul. While programming instructions for my incarnations, can I also be seen as editing my soul?

Meng Zhang's incarnations might not give birth to true soul awareness, but mine have that potential. Perhaps I can really create a new "Catastrophe Demon" like the Naraku Gospel created the Great Demon.

And with continuous exploration, I'm gradually understanding how to achieve another goal — creating a blank soul for Little Bowl.

Simultaneously, I've clearly sensed my limits. Gua Tianshi's judgment is correct, and my current understanding of the soul is still insufficient. I might need to delve deeper into the path of "Manifestation" to achieve this goal.

Amid serious study, the image of Shan Liangyi reappears in my mind, inevitably evoking a hollow emotion. If all my power were taken away, everything I'm researching would become nothing more than Mirror Flowers and Water Moon.

Power is truly too important to me. It's closely tied to my adventures, and calling it a cornerstone is not an exaggeration.

It's not that without power, adventure is impossible, but it would be like entering turbulent waters without a ship, drowning before one experiences the truly spectacular. Many experiences in the abnormal world support this apparent fact. Although I've countless times wondered if my excessive power affects my adventure experience, I've never thought about letting go of power, nor can I accept it being completely taken. In many ways, "having power" and "being able to adventure" are equivalent in my mind.

The fear of losing power, the fear of being unable to adventure, vividly appears before me.

And besides that... it seems I have other emotions as well.

Whenever I think of Shan Liangyi, my mind always conjures images of my failure. This is partly due to Shan Liangyi's overwhelming strength, yet that alone shouldn't prompt such thoughts. Although I must acknowledge Shan Liangyi as my unprecedented formidable foe, unparalleled peril has always been what I seek, and it's not my first encounter with true despair.

As early as my first visit to the fifteenth floor basement, I tasted the feeling of helplessness, but back then, all I thought about was how to break through. Encounter the problem, solve the problem—it's that simple.

Just look forward and move forward, regardless of the high walls ahead, without hesitation. Either shattering myself against them or breaking them down—no need to consider other possibilities. But now, I'm looking around, even looking back. Why has this changed? The answer is clear, because more things have appeared in my world.

Relationships between people are sometimes described as "bonds" or "fetters." These words originally mean entanglements that hinder progress, and now I deeply understand their meaning.

This must not be a good change. Perhaps, I should cut off these things that bind my hands and feet early. Otherwise, I will not be able to become stronger and will not be able to defeat Shan Liangyi.

The words of the Old Fist God resounded in my heart.

——"If you wish to attain proper insight as per the spell, then do not be affected by others; kill whatever you encounter, both within and without.

——"Kill Buddha when you meet Buddha, kill the Patriarch when you meet the Patriarch, kill Arhat when you meet Arhat, kill parents when you meet parents, and kill kin when you meet kin, only then can you achieve liberation, unbound by things, and move freely.

Without the enlightenment of a great sacrifice, true great rewards are destined not to come.

If I want to pursue higher realms... must I sacrifice something important? I asked myself this.

It is said that Manifestation is the strongest state of combat power in all Legendary Realms. Shan Liangyi also pursues Manifestation for power. But from my own actual experience, the greatest advantage Manifestation has brought me is just being very resilient and enduring.

So, my Innate Manifestation must not yet be the true Manifestation.

Manifestation can transform the structure of one's soul at will, but I have never changed. I can only continuously decompose and reassemble myself, yet not once, nor do I know how to genuinely change the shape of my soul. It's like holding countless blocks of different shapes in hand, but only able to stack the same structure. True Manifestation can incarnate and merge into all things of nature, yet I can only incarnate and merge into flames.

To become stronger, one must abandon the weak old structure and reorganize into a stronger new self... This is the same principle as the Old Fist God's "great sacrifice."

Thinking of this, a naturally logical answer surfaced in my mind.

Perhaps, the reason I cannot grasp the true essence of Manifestation... is because I can never let go of my "current self."

I cannot defeat my own "I-obsession."

Yinyue fears the path of proving True Spirit because proving True Spirit means completely obliterating the self, and she has an excessively strong I-obsession. Thinking of this, I somewhat understand the potential commonality between "Manifestation" and "True Spirit."

Merely understanding it is not enough; I must also act. I must sacrifice something so pivotal that it overturns and negates my soul.

Abandon all those important for the sake of adventure, even to the extent of having to kill them all with my own hands, without reaching such an extent, I cannot completely kill off the old self——

No, reaching such an extent is bound to fall short. "For what reason to abandon the most important thing"——this logic itself is flawed. If you can abandon the latter for the former, then obviously the latter is not the most important thing, the former is.

Thus, what I truly should give up is already glaringly obvious. However, that more impossible thing is. Since it is the most important thing, I cannot trade it for becoming stronger, because "becoming stronger" is a comparatively secondary goal.

Killing off the old self may be intrinsically akin to attempting to strangle oneself with one's own hands: an impossible and self-contradictory endeavor.

Yet in my heart, there's a harsh voice telling me—this is my only way out.

At this moment, I heard footsteps coming from afar, someone was approaching. Turning to look, it was Lu Chan coming over.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"A guest is here to visit, specifically mentioning they want to see you," Lu Chan said.

"See me... who is it?" I was curious.

I'm somewhat renowned, so it's not surprising someone wants to speak with me. But if there's no special reason, Lu Chan should've stopped them.

"The person is an unfamiliar Great Success Rank, not giving their real name. However, she calls herself 'No. 7.' She says just hearing this title, you will understand," Lu Chan said.