Chapter 1069: Change someone

Is Li Qi's mind within the Three Realms?

Yes, and no.

The true difficulty with the mind, which cannot be communicated, lies in the fact that communication between people relies on language.

This language can be body language, color language, verbal language, mathematical language, or any other form, but regardless, communication between people must always be built upon language.

All symbols and formulas are inevitably built upon a common world language.

This language must draw nourishment from all scientific disciplines, artistic genres, and philosophical thoughts before it can operate within people's minds, achieving perfection and fully realized pure existence.

This language is a channel through which the actions of Great Powers become a path from change to existence, from possibility to reality.

After all, even if you want to understand the world, language is indispensable.

How to describe and understand the world also requires a set of tools similar to mathematical and logical languages to define this world.

But can the mind truly be defined by language?

Clearly, anyone with a mind feels that language is inadequate, that it struggles to express one's thoughts. No matter how exquisite the language, even including 'music' as a language, it cannot fully articulate one's inner self.

But isn't this exactly what the Grand Director of Music aims to do?

The Grand Director of Music relies on his extraordinary musical skill to condense and elevate information into meaningful metaphors, guiding, adjusting, and foretelling Li Qi's mind, his life, and the entire world through this music.

This transmission is subtle, difficult to comprehend through 'reason' or 'wisdom.'

Thus, Zombie Li Qi cannot understand it.

Zombie Li Qi possesses complete wisdom but lacks feeling. To him, this music is merely ordinary vibrations, no different from other noise.

This differs from common 'language.' Language, as a code mutually deciphered by both parties, has a degree of precision. A word may have multiple meanings, but each is based on 'comprehensibility.'

Music, however, is different. Music is almost indistinguishable from environmental noise. To some, certain music is just noise—annoying and incomprehensible.

To others, environmental noise, like the sound of wind or waves, is also music, and they can appreciate its beauty.

This is all due to the feelings and subjectivity of the mind.

This is what Shamansan wants to awaken.

Consider this: two unrelated things can be equated by the mind through 'measurement.'

For example, 'one dollar' and 'one apple.'

These two have no inherent relation, but the mind establishes a connection between them, even making them 'equal.'

How can one apple and one dollar be equal?

How can the sound of wind and waves be equated with music? They are both just disordered waveforms—what is the difference?

Perhaps only the mind knows.

This is what the saying 'can only be sensed, not conveyed in words' means.

The World Honored One Tathagata emphasizes the 'mind,' focusing on 'enlightenment.' The so-called 'Dharma Combat' is precisely for this kind of 'sensing.'

What words cannot convey must be grasped by the mind.

A woman's blush sometimes speaks more than a thousand words. No matter how many sweet words are spoken, they cannot compare to that slightly reddened, turned-away face.

Then,

Leave the rest to the mind itself.

Trust the mind, though it can be deceived. For example, that earlier blush—if it were just rouge, the effect would be the same. What would the mind feel then?

Hard to say.

If things in the world are material, they have data, can be quantified. Whether black or white, light or heavy, observation and measurement will reveal.

But when things reach the mind, what is light or heavy cannot be weighed.

Yet this is also... where true possibility lies.

The mind is formed by the convergence of potential possibilities, enabling it to measure all things through potentiality. It is an absolute necessity, measuring all things in a state of unified harmony and simplicity. It is almost the soil that nurtures all future culture, and all spiritual life bears its mark.

It also has the necessity of connection, measuring all things through the unique characteristics of related matters. Finally, it can limit this potential possibility, measuring all related things through existence.

Moreover, the mind can measure symbolically through comparative forms, just as numbers and geometric shapes can equate them with other things.

But, Zhu Fengdan and Changqin discovered... within the Three Realms, there was no response from Li Qi's mind.

Their hearts sank to the bottom.

Had they failed?

If Li Qi could not be awakened, it meant all their previous efforts had failed.

The injuries Shamansan sustained in the decisive battle against the Heavenly Demon, those who fell to seize the Heavens of the Formless Realm, the costs paid to maintain the war itself—all would come to nothing.

Could it be that Li Qi's mind had truly been destroyed?

No, that can't be. The Buddha said the mind is indestructible, which is why they accept 'Reincarnation.'

For Buddhists, your memories, your Dao Orthodoxy, your body—all are things that can be discarded. These are perishable: memories fade, bodies decay, even the Laws and the Universe itself have the four stages of 'Formation, Abiding, Decay, and Emptiness,' ultimately destined to perish. All these arise from Destiny and will perish by Destiny.

The only thing indestructible is your mind.

In this regard, Buddha and Devil are actually aligned.

The difference is that the Heavenly Demon only acknowledges his own mind, not the minds of others.

The Buddha acknowledges everyone's mind and believes that all Laws in this world arise from the interaction of minds. The interaction of minds is 'Destiny,' and everything begins with Destiny.

This is what 'Fated Encounter' truly means.

So... can the mind be destroyed? Where exactly is Li Qi's mind?

Zhu Fengdan and Changqin were somewhat overwhelmed.

They began frantically searching for possible errors.

They wanted to compose music, to use the most primitive witchcraft to influence the mind.

Thousands of methods were tried at an extremely fast pace.

Countless musical scores were brought out, displayed, and then discarded.

The Grand Director of Music's scores possess terrifying power, considered extremely fearsome and precious treasures in the outside world. But at this moment, Changqin showed no hesitation—if it was useless, he discarded it immediately.

Where exactly had they gone wrong?

Was it because the Buddha-Dharma itself was flawed?

"Try another one," Zhu Fengdan said.

"This is already the 2.145 billionth," Changqin frowned. "If we continue, my reserves won't be enough. These are all second-grade level."

"If the Heavenly Demon hasn't been discovered, then continue."

"Fine."

The two continued.

Changqin racked his brains.

You must understand, music is not merely composed of pure vibrations and patterns abstracted by Mortals through theory.

If music were just 'vibrations,' it could never accomplish those things.

Although vibrations are one of the fundamental essences of the world—as the saying goes, 'all things are waves,' and all matter possesses wave properties—this conclusion can at most support a third-grade Dao Orthodoxy path, reaching a state of 'Freedom.'

But throughout countless years, all music has first been built upon the pleasure of sensation, the burst of inspiration, and the complete emergence of mental power.

This power lies not in rhythm, but in the tones, friction, and stimulation born from the blending of various songs and the harmony of instruments. Undoubtedly, spirit is paramount.

The invention of instruments, new vocal styles, and new melodies are merely gestures and appearances. People must grasp and savor these surface sensory features through sensory perception to possibly understand the power from which they originate.

So, how to... "Not necessarily. Think about it—if you correctly recognize contradictory opposites, first see them as contradictions, then as relative poles of a unified whole," a voice sounded beside the two.

"Oh! That's right. If so, we should approach it from this angle—who is that?!" Zhu Fengdan suddenly turned around!

Prince Changqin also immediately moved!

But... what greeted them was Demonic Qi.

Intense pain, unrestrained intoxication.

Joyful spasms, endless greed.

Furious rage and uncontrollable fear.

Almost instantly, the two second-grades were subdued, unable to move.

"Ah, don't be nervous. Although you hid from me, you've wasted too much time here. Two second-grades disappearing for so long—even a fool would know something's up. Plus, Shamansan previously used great effort to snatch the Heavens of the Formless Realm from me. Process of elimination reveals your purpose."

"But don't worry. Possessing Taiyi's body—you want to do it, and so do I. After all, he left his own body and was injured so badly by Haotian that he can't even return to it. Might as well benefit me," the Heavenly Demon grinned.

Zhu Fengdan and Changqin felt cold sweat dripping.

"Don't worry. You've misunderstood one thing. I certainly don't want it myself, but... I have this."

As he spoke, the Demonic Prince appeared here.

No, not the Demonic Prince.

But Zombie Demonic Prince, the Demonic Prince who had lost his mind.

However, Zhu Fengdan and Changqin were astonished to find... the Demonic Prince who had lost his mind was very weak.

The real Demonic Prince couldn't even reach second-grade. His 'objective reality' couldn't maintain second-grade; now he was merely fourth-grade.

In other words, for the Demonic Prince, without his 'mind,' he was essentially a fourth-grade.

The reason he was second-grade was entirely due to his mind.

The Heavenly Demon said leisurely, "I created Li Qi, and I created Shang Fan. But Li Qi is rather dull, not very interesting. Shang Fan is different. If you compare the two, Li Qi isn't even worth one of Shang Fan's fingers."

"Because Shang Fan's mind is the strongest I've ever seen—a vessel that could endure Retribution of Black Karma during the fourth-grade period, his mind never collapsed."

"I've always believed that even if the entire Universe went mad, as it is now, blowing everyone to pieces, with only Shang Fan surviving, he would persist to the end, using fragments to piece the entire Universe back together, one by one."

"Compared to him, Li Qi is too fragile. So... rather than letting Li Qi possess Taiyi, it's better to let Shang Fan do it."

Zhu Fengdan couldn't help but refute the Heavenly Demon: "How would the Demonic Prince comply with your wishes? He hates you to the bone."

"Exactly. Precisely because he hates me to the bone, he will actively possess Taiyi. Why haven't any of you realized this yet? True demonic thoughts is always 'voluntary,' always calculating pros and cons, always saying what's impossible. As long as the mind thinks, what is impossible?" the Heavenly Demon said softly.

"By the way, you might not know—the reason you failed to awaken Li Qi is because of this."

"Within the Three Realms, it's Shang Fan, not Li Qi," the Heavenly Demon said.

"Let Shang Fan take Taiyi's body."

The next moment, under the Heavenly Demon's guidance, the Three Realms began to revive!

The Demonic Prince's roar within was heard even by Zhu Fengdan.

Upon touching Taiyi's body, without any hesitation, the Demonic Prince immediately began the process of seizing power!

The Demonic Prince's fury overflowed!

Everyone knew of the Demonic Prince's extremism, his straightforward, uncompromising nature.

He would seize every opportunity to bite back at the Heavenly Demon!

Since the Heavenly Demon dared to let him possess Taiyi, he dared to gamble with the Heavenly Demon to see who would last to the end!

Even if he lost a thousand times before, he dared to bet the thousand and first time!

Stubborn? Single-minded?

It doesn't matter.

The Demonic Prince has always been like this. Since his ninth-grade days battling in the Desire Realm, he saw only one path.

No matter how many paths, scenery, or outcomes surrounded him, he saw none of it. In his eyes, there was only the path beneath his feet.

Where to go, how many to kill.

Who is the enemy? Who are the passersby he can cooperate with?

As for friends?

The Demonic Prince has no friends. He has always walked alone in this world. In fact... if you examine the Demonic Prince, you'll find he is very similar to the Heavenly Demon.

He is as lonely as the Heavenly Demon.

He is as Stubborn as the Heavenly Demon.

He possesses an unimaginable persistence, just like the Heavenly Demon.

At his core, the Demonic Prince is exactly like the Heavenly Demon. They never see the big picture, never see others.

It's just that the Demonic Prince appears more serious, while the Heavenly Demon is more playful.

Now, as that Demonic Prince desperately began to possess Taiyi... in that instant, Zhu Fengdan and Changqin understood a deeper meaning behind the Heavenly Demon's past actions.

Perhaps, when he wanted to erase the 'minds' of Li Qi and the Demonic Prince, he was already planning for today.

Without the Heavens of the Formless Realm, everyone's inner thoughts were an open book to the Heavenly Demon.

In planning, this advantage was too great.