Three striking crimson marks could be seen on Fu Yuan's back.
After Fu Yuan equipped Stigmata, crimson marks like these would appear on his back. Each Stigmata possessed its own unique pattern.
The three crimson marks now appearing on Fu Yuan's back corresponded to the three Stigmata he had equipped.
Looking at the three crimson marks in the mirror, Fu Yuan nodded. "So marks like these appear on me after I equip Stigmata too."
Having inspected his back after equipping the Stigmata, Fu Yuan next intended to examine the power and enhancements this set of Stigmata had brought him.
Bzzz—
Fu Yuan clenched and opened his hand, and blinding orange lightning appeared in his palm.
Lightning could reach temperatures two to three times higher than the surface of the sun. Ordinary lightning was roughly between 17,000°C and 28,000°C.
As for the artificial lightning Fu Yuan created with the true qi of Great Void Sword Qi, as long as he increased its output, the lightning he unleashed could reach such terrifying levels as well.
Fu Yuan stared at the lightning he had summoned and maintained in his palm. His open hand slowly curled, and the lightning in his palm changed accordingly.
Under Fu Yuan's control, the orange lightning began to compress. The first change was its size—it shrank under the pressure, while its color shifted from orange toward purple.
Through his own control and compression, Fu Yuan could roughly determine the power and enhancements brought by the Monet Stigmata.
"Setting aside the power it brings, after equipping this set of Stigmata, my control over lightning has practically reached the point of doing whatever I want..." Fu Yuan muttered as he loosely grasped the purple lightning.
If Fu Yuan obtained Shadow Knight: Moon Halo, which wielded lightning, would he become a thunder god from legend, one who controlled lightning?
After all, the Shadow Knight: Moon Halo character template was even more adept at using lightning than Valkyrie: Vermilion Knight [Amplifier Core].
Fu Yuan would soon find out which was stronger in controlling lightning, Shadow Knight: Moon Halo or Valkyrie: Vermilion Knight. As long as he completed today's Daily Quests, he would be able to unlock the Shadow Knight: Moon Halo character template.
Fu Yuan lightly clenched his hand, and the purple lightning, which possessed terrifying heat and power, dissipated in his palm.
After roughly figuring out the power and enhancements provided by the Monet Stigmata set, Fu Yuan left the bathroom and went to the courtyard's cooling terrace.
Fu Yuan sat cross-legged on the courtyard terrace. He now planned to cultivate Great Void Sword Qi and adjust himself to his best condition.
Because he intended to complete today's Daily Quests shortly and meet the Queen Scáthach of the Land of Shadows.
Queen Scáthach of the Land of Shadows II
Today's Daily Quests required him to gain the recognition and acknowledgment of Queen Scáthach of the Land of Shadows. The enemy he would face next might be the Queen of the Land of Shadows, who was capable of slaying gods.
Therefore, Fu Yuan wanted to adjust himself to his best condition and face the Queen of the Land of Shadows, who had slain gods, at his peak.
Sitting cross-legged, Fu Yuan closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Then, in his heart, he silently recited the Sword Heart Incantation brought to him by Valkyrie: Vermilion Knight, adjusting his state.
Sword Heart Incantation.
It was the incantation required to cultivate the first layer of Great Void Sword Qi, "Sword Heart."
It was a string of strange, incomprehensible syllables.
The incantation itself held no meaning. Its profundity lay in the fact that reciting, silently chanting, and listening to it could temper one's heart.
It could make the reciter's state of mind as still as a mirror-like lake, the lake of the heart freeze into dustless ice, the heart's ice become clear as a bright mirror, and the heart's qi become formless as the great void.
In plain terms...
While silently reciting the incantation, one severed distracting thoughts and restrained one's breathing.
Emptying one's mind and relaxing one's body.
Then, while continuing the silent recitation, one sensed every minute change within one's body.
In the end, aside from the true qi flowing within the body, one knew nothing and sensed nothing, becoming one with heaven, earth, and all things.
A talentless beginner would probably never cultivate the "Sword Heart" true qi of Great Void Sword Qi in an entire lifetime. But Fu Yuan was fortunate—after unlocking the Valkyrie: Vermilion Knight character template through the Honkai System, he had already entered the first layer, "Sword Heart."
As Fu Yuan silently recited the Sword Heart Incantation, he could clearly sense the true qi within his body becoming active, like living water in a stream, flowing freely and smoothly.
As the true qi in Fu Yuan's body began to circulate, the calm space around him immediately changed. It trembled and spread like ripples across the surface of a still lake.
The energy of heaven and earth [Great Source Mana] permeating the area around Fu Yuan began drifting toward him.
The moment this energy of heaven and earth touched Fu Yuan's skin, which shimmered with crystalline light, it was absorbed into his body.
The energy of heaven and earth absorbed by Fu Yuan then circulated through the channels of true qi within his body. After several cycles, it was completely transformed into his own true qi.
However, Fu Yuan was not sitting cross-legged this time to cultivate, but to adjust his condition through cultivation.
Once his condition reached its peak, Fu Yuan stopped silently reciting the Sword Heart Incantation and opened his clear eyes, which gleamed with light.
Fu Yuan silently sensed the changes in his body after that brief cultivation session, then said with slight delight, "After equipping Stigmata, not only has my strength increased, but my cultivation speed has risen drastically too. What an unexpected bonus."
"But the energy I can absorb while living here is too scarce. Looks like I'll have to move eventually. Otherwise, I'll need to set up some kind of formation at home that can gather the energy of heaven and earth." Fu Yuan looked around as he spoke.
The energy of heaven and earth existed in every world.
In the world Fu Yuan currently inhabited, the energy of heaven and earth drifting through the air was called "Great Source Mana" by magi. The mystery of this world was gradually fading away, causing the Great Source Mana dispersed through the air to grow increasingly scarce.
Therefore, if Fu Yuan wanted to advance further, he would need to move somewhere rich in the energy of heaven and earth [Great Source Mana].
Or he could set up some sort of magecraft formation at home to draw Great Source Mana from a Ley Line.
The former required moving, which was rather troublesome.
As for the latter... Fu Yuan did not understand it, nor could he do it.
Great Void Sword Qi had granted Fu Yuan power, but he knew nothing about formations or magecraft arrays.
"Forget it. I won't think about these problems for now. I should complete today's Daily Quests first." Fu Yuan set those thoughts aside and said, "System, begin the Daily Quests."
Understood.
The System's emotionless voice rang out in Fu Yuan's mind.
Afterward, Fu Yuan remained in his own home. He was not transported by the System to the Land of Shadows.
But Fu Yuan sensed a deep, ancient aura suddenly appear behind him. Someone... had suddenly appeared at his back.
Sensing that aura, Fu Yuan turned around and looked toward the alluring figure that had suddenly appeared behind him.
The moment he saw the figure behind him, a flash of amazement passed through Fu Yuan's sharply defined black-and-white eyes.
The person who had suddenly appeared behind Fu Yuan was none other than Queen Scáthach of the Land of Shadows, whom the System had pulled over from the Land of Shadows.
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