Chapter 102 - 83: A Sharp Rise in Spiritual Strength
That was Xia Bamboo’s scream.
Mo Ning immediately felt something soft press against the back of his head, followed by a pair of hands hugging him tightly.
’Not this again?’
That was the last thought that flashed through his mind.
The only difference was the point of impact. Last time, it was his face; this time, the back of his head.
And then.
Mo Ning completely left the Meditation World, returning to the Cabin in the Woods.
He closed his eyes and replayed the entire Meditation session in his mind from start to finish.
He was very satisfied with his performance.
Everything he had read, and everything he had experienced, pointed to a single truth: only by confronting the Meditation World—or better yet, dominating it—could one achieve a better Meditation Effect.
And during this Meditation session, he had performed even better than the time he "danced with Xia Bamboo in the dark."
Faced with a sudden flash flood, he hadn’t just let himself be swept away.
Instead, he had taken the initiative, observing the situation from the Phantom Carving’s perspective to direct the evacuation of the trapped students, saving nearly a hundred lives.
But Mo Ning was more focused on something else.
He gazed at the Phantom Carved Statue on the table, a curious expression on his face.
’Why do I feel like the connection between the Phantom Carved Divine Statue in my Spiritual World and the physical statue itself has deepened?’
Just by sitting next to it, he could faintly sense the cold statue breathing.
The feeling was so vivid, it was as if the statue were a living creature.
Mo Ning’s gaze flickered from the statue to the ancient Radiant Spirit Lamp.
After Burning for an hour, the single drop of Radiant Spirit Oil was spent. The magical lamp had gone out, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke swirling within the lampshade.
A unique scent still lingered in the air—like a forest after rain, or an open field after a thunderstorm.
Just a whiff made one’s mind feel unusually alert, as if every nerve had been gently strummed.
Mo Ning wondered to himself, ’Could it be the power of the Spirit Oil? Did it unlock my Spiritual Potential, which is why the connection between the divine statue and the physical one grew stronger?’
It was the only explanation he could think of.
After two hours of Meditation, he felt his mental state was the best it had ever been.
Mo Ning immediately issued a command with his mind. ’View Attribute Panel.’
An ethereal panel instantly materialized before his eyes.
[Name: Mo Ning]
[Spiritual Strength: 0.66]
[Physical Strength: 0.22]
[Spiritual Resilience: 0.23]
Compared to yesterday, his Spiritual Strength had increased by a full 0.06 points!
Mo Ning had expected his Spiritual Strength to increase by a fair amount.
But seeing such a massive jump, he couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across his face.
The boost to his Spiritual Resilience was also a pleasant surprise.
It had increased by 0.04 points since yesterday; about 30% of that was likely from natural growth, while the rest was the result of his spiritual metamorphosis.
He had to admit, the effects of the Radiant Spirit Oil were astonishing.
Seeing how late it was getting, Mo Ning reached for the statue, intending to take it back to the academy with him.
Just as his finger was about to touch the statue, the unexpected happened.
CRACK!
There was a soft sound.
A bright arc of electricity—not a normal spark, but an arc as thin as a strand of hair—shot out from the tip of his index finger.
The arc formed a steady connection between his fingertip and the statue’s base, holding firm.
Mo Ning was stunned.
He hadn’t performed any Witchcraft, nor had he even actively channeled his Spiritual Power. Why was there an arc of electricity coming from his fingertip?
The scene was entirely beyond his comprehension.
He subconsciously pulled his hand away.
Like a snapped string, the slender arc quivered in the air for a moment before dissipating completely.
Mo Ning stared blankly at his fingertip, as if the arc of electricity had been nothing but an illusion.
But it was no illusion.
The information retrieval system in his brain activated on its own, rapidly filtering through the vast library of his memory and pulling up several relevant passages:
"A rare few of the most powerful Phantom Carvings, driven by primal instincts branded into their very bloodline, will recklessly charge into raging thunderstorms.
"They actively release their Spiritual Power to attract the descending Thunderbolts, weathering the baptism of lightning time and time again.
"This frenzied behavior looks like a death wish.
"And in fact, it often is.
"Even when battered and scarred by lightning, these Phantom Carvings will not stop unless the storm subsides.
"The fate of most of these storm-chasing Phantom Carvings is to die in the tempest, smashed into a pile of mangled flesh on the ground.
"But for a very small minority—perhaps less than one percent—their Spiritual Power will gradually transform as they continually endure this baptism of lightning.
"They will slowly gain control over the power of the Thunderbolt, eventually evolving into the more powerful Thunder Phantom Eagle.
"At that point, a swing of their talons or a beat of their wings will be enough to unleash devastating Thunder Magic."
Mo Ning instantly recalled the scene in the Meditation World: the Phantom Carving being struck by lightning, and the sensation of electricity coursing through his own body.
A thought flashed through his mind: ’Could it be that because the Phantom Carving in the Meditation World was stimulated somehow, I’ve now grasped the power of the Thunderbolt?’
The thought sounded utterly absurd.
The Meditation World was illusory, a projection of consciousness, a dreamscape woven by "Demons."
How could anything that happened there possibly affect reality?