Chapter 165: Spiritual Growth (7,000 words)
Chapter 165
Regardless of the size or structure of the temple of Mystra, there will be a central patio in the center.
Because this central patio is an important place for believers to worship every day.
Countless powers of faith have been accumulated here over the years, like an invisible torrent, surging in the space under the patio.
According to legend, at certain specific moments, the great god Mystra would descend with her eyes and absorb all the power of faith without leaving a trace.
However, this temple today is still filled with abundant power of faith, like a vast ocean, emitting a faint golden glow.
It is for this reason that Qi brought Lin En here and tried to absorb the power of faith here.
Qi walked slowly to the front of the patio, his slender jade-like fingers slightly extended, as if sensing something.
A faint golden light slowly flowed from his fingertips, and as he moved, the golden light sank into the central patio like a thin line.
Suddenly, the sculptures and words above the patio seemed to come alive. Ancient runes glowed faintly and spread out in all directions like ripples.
That unique wave spread throughout the temple, carrying with it a sacred and majestic aura.
These fluctuations are not energy bodies, but something purer and nobler, the power of faith unique to the gods.
The power was invisible and colorless, like a gentle breeze, yet it carried a heavy sense of power, as if the will of the goddess Mystra was watching over it all.
[Activate the spirit of the blue sky, and it will move on its own. ]
Qi turned around and looked at Lin En calmly with a calm voice.
In fact, even if Qi didn't say it, Lin En had already sensed it.
In his chest, the spirit of the blue sky was trembling slightly, emitting a faint blue glow, as if it was longing for some kind of nectar-like gift.
Lin En could clearly feel the hunger, as if the spirit of the blue sky was telling him its instinctive needs.
"call out!"
As Lin En's mind moved, a green light suddenly shot out from his chest, like a green meteor.
The light seemed to have infinite attraction, and instantly formed a halo like a blue sun, enveloping Lin En.
In an instant, under the skylight, the power of faith that had been gathered for a long time seemed to have found an outlet and rushed madly to Lin En's chest.
The golden power of faith was like a thin golden thread, being pulled by the spirit of the blue sky, pouring into the blue halo.
“Buzz!”
Lin En's ears were suddenly filled with countless whispers. They were the sounds of believers praying devoutly, as if countless souls were on a pilgrimage.
"Goddess above..."
"Pay the highest respect to the Demon Network..."
The voice was distant and ethereal, with a strong sense of awe and piety. However, to Lynn, it sounded like a harsh noise that made people uneasy.
[Try to activate your extraordinary plants and connect with the spirit of the blue sky. ]
Just as Lin En frowned slightly, Qi's voice came in his mind, with a hint of guidance.
Lynn focused his mind and activated Ifgrid in the spiritual realm without hesitation.
"boom!"
In an instant, the shadow of a towering tree emerged behind Lin En.
The tree is several meters tall, with branches as thick as a coiled dragon and lush leaves like a green umbrella, exuding vitality.
The roots of the giant tree are rooted in the earth, and the branches and leaves are shining with green light.
[Why was the power of faith of these magic net goddesses absorbed by the spirit of the blue sky? 】
Lynn's brows furrowed slightly, his heart filled with doubts.
The power of faith is obviously an energy exclusive to a certain deity, and it carries extremely distinct divine qualities.
Could other gods compete for these beliefs? Why could the Blue Sky Spirit devour the power of these beliefs without any hindrance?
Qi noticed Lin En's doubts, chuckled, and explained calmly:
[Other gods can indeed absorb this power of faith, but the absorption efficiency is less than one tenth, and it will inevitably incur the wrath of the Lord of Faith. However, the Azure Sky Spirit in your hand is a godhead that does not exist in the world...]
[It had been hungry for too long, so it would instinctively absorb even the power of faith without any divinity. And since the godhead had no thoughts or will, it naturally would not worry about offending a certain god.
In fact, these powers of faith will be completely purified in the Blue Sky Spirit, leaving only some pure spiritual power, which you can use to enhance your own spiritual power. 】
After listening to this, Lin En seemed to be thinking about something, but he did not take any action immediately, and his expression was still a little solemn.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked:
[Can I really absorb this power of faith? Will there be no side effects? What if my mental power is polluted, or I even develop a faith dependence on the Goddess of the Magic Net? Then the gain will outweigh the loss.]
Upon hearing this, Qi glanced at him with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
The weak wizard in front of him was still cautious at this time, even a little too cautious.
But such caution did not annoy Qi, but made him somewhat satisfied.
After all, caution comes first, which is one of the reasons why he chose Lynn.
So he had no choice but to speak up and explain to Lin En the source of the power of faith.
[The so-called power of faith, tracing back to its source, is nothing more than those poor believers actively dedicating their own spiritual power, and under the inspiration and guidance of the power of the gods, it condenses into a special energy body. ]
[Under the influence of the Blue Sky Spirit, the divine qualities in the power of faith will be completely eliminated, transforming it into the purest spiritual power. Such power will not pollute you in any way, but can be absorbed harmlessly.]
He paused slightly, with a hint of vague meaning in his eyes.
[Besides, in your wizard world, don't wizards also hunt mortals and collect spiritual power for research and cultivation? In comparison, these powers of faith are a purer and safer source of spiritual power.]
After Lin En heard this, he gradually understood a little.
The source of the power of faith is actually the spiritual power that believers voluntarily contribute.
Every believer contributes a tiny bit of faith every day, almost too tiny to be counted.
However, with the dual superposition of time and quantity, the power of faith will eventually accumulate into a large amount, gather into a sea, and finally form a considerable amount.
And at this time, it is time for the gods to begin harvesting faith.
In fact, in the ancient times of the wizarding world, there were indeed some dark wizards who slaughtered mortals at will and plundered their spiritual power to enhance their own strength.
However, this practice never became mainstream.
Because the spiritual power of mortals is complex and dirty, forcibly absorbing it without purification will only cause irreversible pollution and damage to the spiritual realm.
Moreover, high-level wizards who are truly capable of conducting lengthy and complex purifications simply look down upon this crude and inefficient method.
Because for a strong person like that, if he wanted to improve his spiritual power by slaughtering mortals, he would need to slaughter at least hundreds of thousands or even millions of mortals to get a slight improvement...
Because of this, in today's wizarding world, with the rise of the Wizarding Council and the formulation of rules, these dark wizards who wantonly kill mortals have almost become extinct.
Only in some dark corners can one still hear rumors about blood sacrifice rituals and necromancy circles, but these have become the afterglow of a bygone era and can no longer cause any trouble.
Lynn shook her head gently, putting these thoughts behind her.
Since Qi personally confirmed the safety of the power of faith, he could naturally proceed with refining it with confidence.
Under Qi's instructions, he slowly manipulated the Spirit of the Blue Sky to establish a unique connection between it and Ifgrid.
In an instant, the spirit of the blue sky surged with wisps of blue light, spreading around Lin En like spiritual ripples.
The originally surging power of faith was first absorbed by the Spirit of the Blue Sky, and then a faint special fluctuation emanated from it, pouring into Lin En's body like a gentle stream of water.
These vibrations flow through the limbs and bones, and finally merge into the spiritual realm.
In an instant, Lynn seemed to be wrapped in a warm force, and his spiritual realm was soothed and relaxed as if it had been carefully massaged.
The fountain of the soul, which had been somewhat dry, gradually overflowed, becoming full and rich.
The comfortable feeling made him close his eyes slightly, as if he was immersed in a strange dream, wandering in the sky and forgetting the passage of time.
After an unknown amount of time, the comfortable feeling suddenly stopped and Lin En suddenly woke up from his trance.
He looked around and realized that the power of faith in the central courtyard of the temple had been completely absorbed by the spirit of the blue sky, and the entire space became empty and silent.
Lin En quickly mobilized his mental power to sense the changes in himself.
His spiritual realm has been completely renewed at this moment.
The critical points of the three stages of a first-level wizard are the initial peak (125 points), the middle peak (150 points), and the late peak (175 points).
Originally, his mental power was only 115 points, and his mental realm was like a clear spring, with large areas that had not been filled.
But now, the spiritual realm is as turbulent as a big river, and the spiritual power is almost overflowing, surging! As soon as he thought about it, the value of his spiritual power appeared in his mind...
"My mental strength value... is now... 130 points!"
Lin En's eyes suddenly focused, and a storm surged in his heart.
This is not only a significant leap in the value of mental power, but also a sign of qualitative change in the spiritual realm.
But then he calmed down and realized that the overflow of his mental power meant that his realm was not yet stable.
The improvement of a first-level wizard is not just about accumulating mental power, but also about compressing and condensing the mental power to make it more pure and stable.
Next, what he needs to do is to use the Blue Sky Meditation Method to compress these surging mental powers, further improve their quality, and stabilize them at the middle stage of the first-level wizard! Lin En let out a long breath, his eyes were bright, and his whole body was refreshed, fuller than ever before.
He slowly moved his limbs, feeling the full power in his body, and his heart was filled with excitement.
As the saying goes, "A horse cannot grow fat without night grass", and Lin En's current improvement is the best interpretation of this saying! In just one night, his mental power has skyrocketed by 15 points! Thinking back to how much magic potions and resources he had consumed since breaking through to become a formal wizard, he could only barely increase his mental power by 15 points. Lin En couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
Every drop of magic potion is obtained after a long period of accumulation, and every spiritual improvement is accompanied by long meditation and refining.
And now, relying solely on the power of faith in the branch of the Magic Net Goddess Temple, his spiritual power has skyrocketed to 130 points. This is simply unbelievable! It is worth mentioning that most of the power of faith was swallowed and refined by the Blue Sky Spirit, and only a small amount was actually allocated to him.
Lin En narrowed his eyes slightly, and his heart was stirred.
You know, as your mental strength improves, the magic potions you'll need later will not only become more rare, but their value will also increase exponentially.
In other words, the cost of improving mental strength is increasing exponentially.
But now, these powers of faith can bring him an improvement comparable to dozens of bottles of high-level potions in such a short time! Thinking of this, Lin En licked his lips involuntarily, with a fiery light flashing in his eyes.
In this thirteenth plane world, there should be many temples of the Demon Net Goddess...
If they could be eliminated one by one, how huge would the amount of faith power be? I'm afraid even he himself couldn't imagine it!
By then, you will be able to directly enter the realm of a second-level wizard in just a few months!
However, reason quickly pulled him back from his fanatical thoughts.
Lynn took a deep breath and calmed down.
Unrealistic...
He knew very well that the reason why he could easily destroy this branch hall was entirely because of Qi's assistance.
Without Qi's help, the Bishop, who was a seventh-ring wizard, would have been enough to put him in a desperate situation.
Even those six-ring and five-ring clergymen were enough to besiege him to death.
While Lin En was lost in thought, Qi remained calm and indifferent, as if he was not surprised at Lin En's change.
He didn't even ask about Lin En's improvement, he just nodded, as if he could see Lin En's level of strength at a glance.
He just nodded slightly and said calmly: [Not bad, both the Azure Sky Spirit and you are in very stable conditions, and we have gained a lot this time.]
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi waved his hand slightly towards the sky, and a golden light cut through the night sky, slowly blooming in the dark sky.
The dreamlike Libra space emerged in the night, with light flowing, like a door leading to another world.
Lin En and Qi looked at each other, and the two figures slowly rose into the air and walked towards the dreamlike space.
Just as he was about to step into the Libra space, Qi's voice reached Lin's ears again. His tone was still calm, with a hint of nonchalance:
[Take a break. The next time I want to see you, I will let the witch notify you.]
When Lin En heard this, his heart was shocked, and his eyes suddenly focused! There will be a next time! This short sentence instantly aroused his ecstasy and expectation.
If he could have more opportunities like this, his mental strength would grow beyond imagination!
It’s probably not difficult to be promoted to a second-level wizard in a short period of time!
Lin En suddenly turned around and looked at Qi, but found that Qi's expression was indifferent, without the slightest fluctuation.
However, in the next moment, Qi's eyes suddenly condensed slightly, and a flash of excitement flashed across his eyes. Although it was extremely brief, it was keenly captured by Lin En.
Lin En followed Qi's gaze and saw a group of unfamiliar figures gathered outside the ruined Temple of Mystra.
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These figures were completely different from the clergy who had been killed previously. They had no wizard robes or clergy insignia on them. Instead, they wore rough and worn clothes, and were obviously not clergy.
But what is strange is that each of these people has an upright third eye on their forehead, and their skin is slightly green, as if it has a strange metallic texture.
Their eyes were bloodshot, their expressions were agitated and angry, they stared at Lin En and Qi, cursing and yelling continuously.
Lin En narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at this group of foreigners carefully.
Obviously, these should be the natives of this plane.
After the Demon Net Goddess conquered the world, they became her followers and became the fanatical guardians of the lowest level of the temple's outer perimeter.
Even if you can't understand their language, it's not difficult to guess their anger from their crazy expressions and ferocious faces.
[Should we do it to them? ]
Lynn asked softly, a hint of caution in her eyes.
However, to Lin En's surprise, Qi simply waved his hand, with a rare hint of desolation and sadness in his eyes.
【Let's go, these are just a bunch of poor people. 】
His voice was calm, yet it contained a hint of lamentation and a certain inexplicable melancholy.
Lin En was slightly stunned, staring at Qi's slightly lowered profile.
He never thought that this cold-blooded and decisive man would show a trace of mercy at this moment.
You know, no matter it was the high and mighty Morning Star Wizard, an ordinary wizard apprentice, or a wizard of the Gods Civilization.
Qidu killed them all without blinking an eye, ruthlessly and without hesitation.
But now, facing these foreign believers, Qi actually chose to let them go.
Lin En's heart was slightly touched, and he suddenly understood something.
"Maybe... this is empathy?"
After all, Qi's hometown, that once glorious civilized world, had long been completely destroyed under the iron hoof of the gods' civilization.
Those texts that have been passed down through the ages have been completely obliterated, and the ancient and distant language has long since disappeared.
His tribesmen also fought in the battlefield, and countless of them died in their resistance against the civilization of the gods.
Even if some members of the tribe survive by chance, they will become "faith providers", living like livestock and continuously providing the power of faith to the alien gods.
Neither a believer nor a free person, just pure "energy".
Who can truly understand the despair of complete collapse and the pain of complete annihilation of civilization?
Lin En looked at those foreign believers who were screaming and cursing crazily, and suddenly felt that these people were extremely pitiful.
Their civilization, language, and beliefs had long since vanished under the oppression of the Demon Net Goddess.
Eventually, they became the most loyal lackeys of the Demon Net Goddess, and were even willing to sacrifice their lives to protect the gods who conquered them.
It's really ironic and sad.
At this moment, a golden light suddenly spread out, rippling across the night sky like ripples, completely engulfing Lin En and Qi's figures.
The golden light dissipated, the night sky returned to silence, and the group of alien believers continued to roar.
But all they got in response was the empty and cold darkness, without a single human figure.
…………………………
On top of the Thirteenth War Fortress, the atmosphere at this moment was solemn and murderous, making it hard to breathe.
The night wind howled and the battle flags fluttered under the gray sky, but in the war fortress, the lights were bright and the people were busy all night long.
In the conference room at the top of the fortress, the atmosphere became increasingly depressing and heavy.
Great Wizard Yod and Great Wizard Earl stood side by side, both of them silent, their faces as dark as ink, cold sweat oozing from their foreheads.
Just this day, the great wizard Yude urgently transmitted relevant information about the mysterious wizard to the Eastern War Zone.
Soon after the message was delivered, the Morning Star Wizard responded quickly.
However, what made the two of them bitter was that although the news came back, it was not what they imagined.
Originally, the 13th War Fortress became an abandoned piece due to the defeat in the war, and the Eastern Theater had already abandoned it.
Be it war materials, troop deployment, or logistical supplies, there was no news of any of them.
Even at the last post-war meeting in the Eastern Theater, the Morning Star Wizard never even looked at Yod and Earl and simply ignored their existence.
The Thirteenth War Fortress seemed to be abandoned.
But now, based on just one piece of information "suspected Morning Star wizard-level enemy", this dilapidated fortress has regained its vitality.
Batches of resources, supplies, and manpower poured into the fortress like a tide.
Brand new war magic devices, crystal energy cannons, and composite shield cores were continuously delivered, and all kinds of high-level potions and magic energy crystals were piled up like mountains.
Even a group of elite wizards were quickly dispatched, the number and high standards of which were simply jaw-dropping.
The two great wizards had previously tried every possible means to get the Eastern Theater to allocate resources to them to repair the bitter consequences of the defeat, but there was no response at all.
Although resources were being allocated and the two great wizards' requests were being responded to, they couldn't even smile at all.
These abundant supports can certainly bring the fortress back to life and even completely repair the bitter consequences of the previous defeat.
However, for the two third-level wizards, this is not entirely a good thing.
Because the great wizard Yode actually faced the terrible mysterious wizard head-on.
Great Wizard Yod slowly closed his eyes, recalling the horrifying scene he had caught a glimpse of.
That day, his clone followed the trail and was about to investigate the wizard's origins.
However, at the moment when the figure raised his hand slightly, the white jade-like fingers flicked lightly.
The next moment, the clone shattered instantly and disappeared into the void, without even a chance to resist.
The third-level great wizard Youde was unable to even sense the power fluctuations of that wizard. Life and death were just a blink of an eye.
That suffocating feeling of oppression still haunts his soul like a nightmare, making it difficult for him to calm down.
The great wizard Earl looked at Yoder's pale face, couldn't help swallowing, suppressed his inner fear, and whispered: "What should we do now?"
Yoder did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a long time without giving any answer.
He looked at the gloomy moon outside the window, his eyes were deep and dark, and there was a hint of deep fear in the depths of his pupils.
Earl felt a chill in his heart and looked at Yod with a serious expression.
Although I have never seen that terrifying existence with my own eyes, I can imagine its destructive power just based on Yode's description.
The mysterious wizard was like the sword of Damocles, hanging high above the Thirteenth War Fortress, and could fall at any time and crush them into powder.
The shadow of death lingers, as if even the air has frozen.
Inside the war fortress, at this moment, there were shouts of training on the square, and the sound of metal colliding mixed with bursts of coldness.
But both Yoder and Earl knew that these fortifications and reinforcements were nothing but futile decorations.
Facing the mysterious wizard, any preparation was just a paper shield, so fragile that it could be easily destroyed.
"I hope Morning Star Wizard can deal with that mysterious wizard as soon as possible..."
Youde murmured softly, and suddenly his eyes narrowed slightly. He thought of something and spoke.
"This time, there were three young wizards who met the mysterious wizard. They met the mysterious wizard but did not die. Perhaps they can..."
…………………………
This plane world is now divided into two parts, one side is the world occupied by wizards, and the other side is the world occupied by the goddess's forces.
The ratio between the two is about 30% and 70%, with wizards occupying 30% of this plane of the world, and 70% being occupied by the goddess's forces.
In the power of the goddess, in the center of this vast ocean of faith, there is a towering temple that reaches into the sky, standing in the gaze of all living beings.
That is the core holy place of the Goddess' power. The top of the temple is inlaid with bright starlight stones, which shines brightly.
And in the very center of the temple, there is the most noble existence in the legend, the "Seven Stars".
The Seven Stars are the most powerful wizards under the command of the goddess in this plane of world. Each of them has surpassed the limit of the ninth-level wizard and entered the realm of legendary wizard.
Originally, they were located in this supreme temple, but since that day, seven rays of starlight intertwined and descended into this world like a brilliant galaxy.
Even the high and mighty Seven Stars did not dare to enter the center of the temple easily.
Because at the deepest part, there is a crystal coffin quietly placed, cold and transparent, emitting a faint light.
In the crystal coffin, there lay a stunningly beautiful woman, with her long hair spread out like ink, hanging down like tassels at the bottom of the crystal coffin.
This is the incarnation of the Goddess of Demonic Net in the human world, her clone.
The woman had a fair face, her skin was as smooth and crystal as mutton-fat jade, and her long, dense eyelashes were quietly closed like butterfly wings.
Her thin lips were like newly blossoming cherry blossoms, her nose was tall and beautiful, and her whole body seemed to be frozen in sleep.
She was wearing a dark silk robe. The fabric was smooth, simple and elegant. The hem of her skirt slowly spread out in the crystal coffin, outlining her graceful figure.
Her pale arms hung gently, her white and tender feet exposed at the edge of her silk robe, revealing a warm luster.
Around her waist she wore a mesh corset inlaid with gems, inlaid with gorgeous rubies and sapphires, dotted on her slender waist that could be held in one hand, like a galaxy falling into the mortal world.
According to legend, the Goddess of the Demonic Web is simply accumulating strength in her slumber, waiting for the most appropriate time to wake up.
The Seven Stars firmly believed that when the goddess opened her eyes, it would be the time for them to launch a full-scale counterattack against the wizards and completely expel them from the plane of existence.
At this moment, the night was as heavy as ink, shrouding the entire temple in endless darkness.
On the top floor of the temple that towers into the clouds, only the sound of wind whistling past.
In this silent moment, suddenly, a dream talk as gentle as a spring echoed in the lonely space: "Shang...Ti...Ya..."
The sound was soft and ethereal, like ripples on the water.
The next moment, the beautiful woman sleeping in the crystal coffin had her long eyelashes tremble slightly, like the fluttering of butterfly wings.
(End of this chapter)
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