Mana Pool

Jialan frowned, repeatedly pondering the meaning of each line of poetry.

"Silver Leaf... Ancient Tree... Mirror Lake..." Jialan murmured to himself, "These are all symbols of the Elf sacred land, but what do 'True Meaning' and 'Origin' refer to..."

He recalled the insights he gained during the Star Chart Trial. Everything about the Elves was closely related to nature, and their wisdom stemmed from understanding nature.

"Can it be understood this way," Jialan's eyes lit up, "This isn't testing knowledge, but testing one's comprehension of nature!" With this thought, he decided to give it a try.

He placed his palm on the stone tablet, closed his eyes, and let his Mental Power resonate with the surrounding natural elements. A gentle breeze brushed his cheek, the fragrance of the earth filled his nostrils, and the sound of a distant stream seemed to reach his ears.

The stone tablet emitted a soft glow, and a staircase leading deeper slowly appeared...

Jialan rejoiced. Compared to the three years of Gaokao and five years of practice exams in his previous life, this was far less arduous.

Jialan cautiously walked down. As he stepped off the final step, the entire space suddenly lit up. He found himself in a circular crystal hall, the entire space filled with a soft blue light. He felt as if he were in a vast starry sky, with countless twinkling light points floating around him.

"This is..." Jialan was astonished to discover that these light points were actually pure Mana crystals. They slowly converged towards him and merged into his body.

Suddenly, a warm energy surged from his dantian, quickly spreading throughout his body. Jialan felt his Mana pool begin to vibrate violently, like an overflowing container constantly expanding.

"Ah!" He couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. This expansion brought not only a sense of fullness but also a tearing pain. Every nerve in his body screamed, and the agony of his Mana circuits being forcibly widened almost made him lose his balance.

Jialan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious. He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he could endure it, his Mana pool would undergo a qualitative leap.

He sat down cross-legged and began to practice his meditation technique. His Mental Power, like a fine net, guided the incoming Mana to flow in an orderly fashion. Gradually, he found his rhythm.

The process of expanding the Mana pool was like carving out a new world within his body. Jialan could clearly feel his previously small Mana pool expanding at an astonishing rate. If his Mana pool was like a small pond before, it was now transforming into a lake.

This process lasted for nearly an hour. When the last trace of pain disappeared, Jialan felt as if he had been reborn. He opened his eyes and found his vision had become clearer, and his perception of the surrounding elements had become much sharper.

He tried to channel his Mana, and an unprecedented sense of fullness surged through him. Spells that previously required careful control of Mana output could now be cast with ease. He could even feel that his Mana reserves had at least doubled!

"Is this the gift of the ancient Elves..." Jialan murmured to himself. He raised his hand, and an ice-blue light flowed in his palm, purer and more powerful than ever before.

Jialan stood in a hidden corner of the ruins, feeling the abundant Mana within him. Since his Mana pool had expanded, his perception of his surroundings had become more acute. This seemed to be a forgotten corner, far from the dangerous areas of the ruins.

"It should be safe here," Jialan muttered. He carefully checked his surroundings, confirming the absence of traps or magical fluctuations, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fatigue washed over him like a tide. Jialan felt his Mental Power was on the verge of collapse. The Necromancer's several mental attacks and consecutive battles had severely damaged his mind. He knew that if he didn't treat it promptly, it could leave permanent damage, and in severe cases, might even lead to a decrease in his rank.

Jialan found a relatively clean spot and sat down. He took out the notebook containing the meditation technique he had obtained from the Necromancer from his backpack. The notebook was made of some unknown leather and emitted a faint Mana fluctuation.

"I hope this can help me," Jialan carefully unfolded the notebook. It was filled with complex runes and patterns, seemingly containing profound wisdom.

He studied the entire meditation technique carefully. With his knowledge, he found no traps, which put his mind at ease. Besides, that Necromancer wasn't a deity; how could they set a trap in a meditation technique beforehand?

So, he followed the instructions in the notebook, adjusted his breathing, and relaxed his body. He closed his eyes and began to guide Mana to circulate within his body. Soon, he entered a wondrous state.

In this state, Jialan could clearly "see" his mental world. What should have been a tranquil lake was now covered in cracks and stains. These were the mental injuries he had sustained during the battles.

Jialan began to use the techniques from the meditation method to guide Mana to repair these damages. This process was extremely painful, like stitching wounds with a needle and thread. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

As time passed, Jialan found that this meditation technique was indeed effective. The cracks in his mental world began to heal, and the stains gradually dissipated. What surprised him even more was that during this process, his Mental Power became more refined and powerful.

Suddenly, Jialan's consciousness was pulled into a strange space. There was no concept of up, down, left, or right, only an endless starry sky. He saw countless light points twinkling.

"This is... the stars?" Jialan was shocked as he perceived all of this. He realized that this meditation technique not only repaired mental injuries but also allowed one to connect with higher-level existences.

In this space, time seemed to lose its meaning. Jialan immersed himself in this wondrous feeling, sensing the pulse of the stars. His Mental Power grew continuously during this process, and his understanding of Mana deepened.

After an unknown amount of time, Jialan's consciousness returned to his body. He opened his eyes and found his perception had become sharper. Even without intentionally using magic, he could sense the flow of Mana around him.

"This feeling... is amazing," Jialan murmured to himself. He checked his condition and found that his mental injuries had basically healed, and his Mental Power was much stronger than before.

Feeling the surging Mental Power in his sea of consciousness, after this deep meditation, he finally understood why the Necromancer was so fixated on attacking him with Mental Power.

This meditation technique was exceptionally good at refining Mental Power, practically tailor-made for mental combat.