NOVEL NEXT Chapter 335: The Li Fan Flower, Power of Reverie
A few days later.
Lu Jun's [Time·Space Element] mutation had gradually stabilized, though the fine-tuning of the magic would require a longer period of cultivation. He accepted the invitation to visit the Incan Psychic Institute.
The towering structure was built of pure white marble, like the temple of a giant spirit. Its rugged architecture exuded a solemn and dignified aura.
Stepping inside, he found the grand hall spotless, with no unnecessary furnishings. The overall design was clean and simple, filled with a tranquil atmosphere—perfect for the meditation of Psychic element mages.
Upon entering, Lu Jun immediately saw on the wall before the hall a massive carving—a badge in the shape of a flower's stamen—suspended in mid-air, exquisite and grand. It was unmistakably the emblem of the Li Fan Flower.
"The Li Fan Flower, with its wondrous effects, can replace the calming and pacifying functions of Psychic magic. Consider it half a Psychic element mage—it is the key for you to cultivate this new method."
Suddenly, an old voice resonated in his mind.
Following his spiritual sense, Lu Jun turned around and saw behind him an elderly priest with white hair and beard, sitting cross-legged in mid-air, eyes sharp and focused, his body half-floating.
"I greet the Chief of the Psychic Institute."
He greeted with respect. Before coming, Elder Mina had already hinted to him that the Chief of the Psychic Institute—Gunnar—was the oldest of elders, his cultivation unfathomable.
Thus, Lu Jun was not too surprised that his own sharp spiritual perception had failed before this man.
The elderly white-haired man's demeanor was calm and detached; his lips did not move, and his ethereal voice seemed to come from the Ninth Heaven, reaching directly into the spirit.
"Do you know why we revere the Li Fan Flower as the symbol and faith of the Incas, raising it to such lofty heights?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun scratched his head. By the logic of modern national flowers, such a plant usually possesses some personified trait that perfectly embodies the national character to serve as a symbol.
Thus, he hesitated before saying, "Because its qualities match well? It's abundant in number? Its effects are extraordinary?"
"These reasons are part of it." Gunnar's voice lingered in his mind. "We are also conducting an experiment—an experiment about faith. Faith, whether evil or righteous, is born of the spirit. In other words, it is the ultimate sublimation of the mind."
"This energy is special—difficult to collect, difficult to use. The Li Fan Flower is the medium we discovered. Because of its close connection to spiritual energy, it can perfectly carry the power of faith."
Hearing this, Lu Jun faintly realized the grand vision of the Incan Empire, and his mind trembled. He was well-versed in the original work and naturally understood the terrifying nature of the power of faith.
The most typical example was Leng Jue's evil faith magic, by which his power was instantly elevated to Monarch-level, collecting evil faith through himself; next was the Titan demon in the Aegean Sea, the Holy City, the Evil Saint's Temple, and so on.
These examples were but small-scale uses of the power of faith. Imagine if an entire nation's power were used to gather the faith of all its citizens—wouldn't that be an inexhaustible, endless energy to refine?
The Chief of the psychic Institute seemed to see through Lu Jun's thoughts and said calmly, "Exactly. By using the Li Fan Flower as a symbol and continuously elevating its status, we instill in people's hearts a special reverence for it."
"Then, subtly and imperceptibly, we collect the overflowing faith energy for the priests of the Psychic Institute to use."
Lu Jun drew in a cold breath. Even more ingenious was that the Li Fan Flower itself possessed a harmless calming effect on the mind, making its elevation to a revered status effortless and without great cost.
It was the most common magical plant accessible to ordinary people, akin to the mysterious faith of certain folk in Hua Country in the miraculous effects of bull penis for virility.
The twist was that in the magical world, the more you believed in it, the stronger its effect became—truly idealist in nature.
The white-haired elder said, "Recently, with the empire facing collapse, this power of faith has instead reached its peak, allowing us to develop this method."
Lu Jun was silent. The cruelty brought by war highlighted all forms of beauty. The Li Fan Flower was the best sedative—nearly every injured soldier was using it.
Each time it was used, their faith in it deepened further.
He asked, "You mean…?"
Gunnar replied, "To imprint the Li Fan Flower's faith seal into your Psychic element, granting it the ability to collect the power of faith and convert it into energy."
"This… doesn't faith distort a person's character?"
Lu Jun hesitated endlessly. From the various cases in the original work, he knew that the power of faith was extremely high-level.
"No. The Li Fan Flower's faith is very gentle—it does not go to extremes. It is not evil, to twist you into a murderous fiend; it is not righteous, to turn you into a fanatical moral enforcer."
The old man said plainly, "It takes the middle path—calm and serene—symbolizing the Psychic element, its quality the purest. Once fused with mental magic, it becomes capable of anything. I prefer to call it the [Power of Reverie]."
Gunnar then added, "You must also be familiar with time-space energy. We have discovered that the Li Fan Flower, used as a fusion agent and combined with time-space energy, can brew a rare substance we have named [Liquid of Time and Space]."
"Unfortunately, this rare substance cannot be used on humans—it can only be used on summoned beasts, allowing them to temporarily transform into their mature form. Otherwise, we would not risk having you refine time-space energy."
Lu Jun suddenly understood—so this was how Mo Fan's Liquid of Time and Space was made. No wonder in later generations the Li Fan Flower would also be called the Flower of Time and Space.
The other party kindly added, "Of course, I am thinking that if your Psychic Element plants the faith imprint of the Li Fan Flower, it may effectively suppress the subsequent unexpected side effects of the Space-Time Element."
He fell into deep thought. The Incan magic doctrines of the Summoning, Space, and Psychic Elements were truly interlinked, each step dovetailing into the next.
The Space–Time Element was currently the first of its kind; if something abnormal occurred, it was hard to predict. Having one more safeguard was better.
In this light, the faith of the Li Fan Flower was indeed good. After all, it came from the collective faith of the nation's people, containing both good and evil, a myriad of strange beliefs that counterbalanced each other.
It was somewhat reminiscent of Mo Fan's future attainment of the Evil Saint King, with the four virtues and four evils forming eight soul patterns, balancing the soul.
"Then let us begin now."
Lu Jun had made up his mind. He would go all in, using his Psychic and Space Elements to serve as the Incans' test subject. If successful, each would be able to stand on its own, with Forbidden Curse potential within reach.
He then obediently followed the instructions of the Psychic Chief, lying flat in the center of the simple Psychic Hall, gazing upward at the topmost part of the structure. There, a cluster of gentle azure starlight hung high, none other than the faith imprint of the Li Fan Flower.
Once it had been like the blazing sun at its zenith; now, the starry radiance swayed unsteadily.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The azure starlight descended, and a sacred, solemn Li Fan Flower imprint fell upon Lu Jun's forehead. Threads of radiant glow intertwined, the scene beautiful and dreamlike.
Lu Jun's consciousness entered a dark cosmos — six great star rivers, each brilliant in different colors, flowed with radiant splendor. Among them, the transparent Psychic Element star river surged, as the Li Fan Flower emblem was branded deep within.
The once–transparent galactic river began to transform inch by inch; azure brilliance filled the vast river, exuding an aura of tranquility and serenity.
The Psychic Element star river turned completely into a dreamlike azure, with surging magic energy expanding outward without end.
Pop!
With a faint crisp sound, a thin light membrane at the edge of the star river shattered, and in an instant, the star river expanded more than twofold.
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