The Lotus Pond, seated upon which, calming and cultivating the mind, could slowly elevate spiritual power.
However, when Yang Chang set foot on the Lotus Platform, the tranquility that felt as if his entire soul had been stripped away still surprised him.
But,
Under the calming effect of the Lotus Platform, Yang Chang quickly suppressed his extraneous emotions and found a futon to sit down.
He naturally had points.
Those from the Investigation Bureau who came for exchange and learning, the special grade among them, were given an initial sum of points to use at their discretion.
This was also part of the exchange between the Investigation Bureau and the Hearth.
Yang Chang, as a double-awakened individual and the leader, possessed a considerable amount of points. However, upon glancing at the point difference between the 'Gazebo Space' and the 'Public Area,' he silently chose the futon.
The effect was no different.
At most, it was a private space, ensuring he wouldn't be disturbed.
At this moment,
Within one of the private gazebos, there were two figures, a man and a woman.
The man was clad in a white robe, holding a scepter, with a faint smile on his face.
The woman was tall and slender. Her upper body was a white square-necked shirt, with buttons fastened tightly, completely different from the loose white lab coat she usually wore.
Fang You couldn't help but pause for a moment, averting his gaze.
He had to admire that Yin Ling's professional title was indeed fitting.
"But your accumulation of mystery is too slow. You awakened early, yet only now meet the conditions for the third awakening, surpassed by many newcomers." Big Wind Novels
"After all, I'm a physician!"
Yin Ling clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, propping her chin with one hand, tilting her head slightly as she complained, "As a physician and pharmacist, developing potions is my primary job. Going out to eliminate anomalies is a waste of my precious time!"
"But you must admit, only by improving your strength can your treatment methods improve, and your innate abilities too. This also aids in your potion research."
He said.
Not long ago, he had injected Yin Ling with a life soul, making her more radiant. Without a doubt, she had gained an innate ability.
—The Light of Pharmacy.
Yin Ling could use her eyes, nose, and tongue to analyze medicinal materials and potions, and even extract a specific element from them.
Her strongest point was her discernment of potions, truly a potion analysis queen.
Previously, Yin Ling had been unable to deduce the formula for the energy elixir. But after gaining her innate ability, she only had to take a couple of sips of the elixir to immediately deduce the formula and production method for the energy elixir.
Her innate ability did not improve her personal combat power, but it was of immense value to the entire organization.
With the new and improved Yin Ling, the first thing Fang You thought of was whether he could trade for some finished potions the next time he transacted with Yi Yue Luxi.
The Black Stone Oasis probably wouldn't sell high-level potion formulas.
Even if they did, it was unlikely that some delicacies could afford them… but a small amount of potions was different; it was entirely possible.
As long as they had one or two vials, and Yin Ling tasted them, deducing the formula would be entirely possible.
Rounding up, it would be another freebie.
However, the more advanced the potion, the more difficult it would be to analyze, requiring Yin Ling to awaken further and strengthen her innate abilities.
"I understand all of that."
She said, "And I know the life soul you injected into me, Master, is extremely precious and magical, giving birth to an innate ability in an instant. I really like this innate ability, it's just…"
"Can you inject me with another life soul, and give me an ability that allows me to gain mystery just by lying down, or to become stronger by making potions?"
She leaned forward, her eyes wide, her eyelashes fluttering.
It seemed like a faint medicinal aroma wafted over.
But,
"You're dreaming."
Beauty could not tempt this Master!
Fang You, situated on the Lotus Platform, had a mind as still as water, unruffled.
Besides, he couldn't help it. Innate abilities weren't something he could decide. He had only enhanced Yin Ling's potential. As for the specific innate ability, it was born based on personal circumstances.
Compatibility was a given, but what exactly it was, he couldn't say for sure.
And dual innate abilities?
Whether they existed at all was still uncertain. Perhaps legendary golden potential prodigies could have dual innate abilities… maybe?
He hadn't seen it, nor heard of it.
He tapped the ground with his scepter and said, "Stop dawdling. If you dawdle any longer, you won't escape today's awakening."
"But can it not be in this lotus pond?"
She turned her head. The boundaries of the gazebo were shrouded in misty veils, yet those inside could still faintly glimpse the outside scenery and hear the gentle gurgling of a stream.
This was a public area, after all.
And awakening…
She said seriously, "Noise is forbidden in this lotus pond. These are your rules. And awakening discomfort might cause some noise… As the Minister of Medicine, I can't be the first to break the rules, can I?"
This reason was excellent.
Not an excuse at all.
The Master nodded, clearly accepting this explanation.
"That's why these private cultivation spaces were established. These gazebos, though seemingly flimsy, are also constructed by site anomaly artifacts. Their defensive and soundproofing effects are exactly the same as the individual cultivation rooms in the gravity field… These independent spaces are to ensure you are not disturbed, or for use when special needs arise."
"The awakening ritual is one such special need."
"You've already experienced the effect of the lotus pond: it calms the mind, making it as still as water, which is somewhat beneficial for awakening. Do you want to achieve the third awakening in one go, or do you want to struggle for a while, fail, have to accumulate mystery, and then struggle again?"
Of course, she wanted to awaken in one go!
She muttered inwardly. However, since this space was sufficiently isolated, she felt at ease. It was just that the Master was a bit of an eyesore.
Although a normal guiding Master would surely watch with keen eyes, perhaps even secretly chuckle, but…
"Don't all others just guide remotely?"
"This involves my Master's latest research, a method to increase the chance of awakening, and it will likely reduce the pain you experience during the awakening process."
"What do you say, want to try it? Of course, you have to try even if you don't want to."
Yin Ling: "..."
With his words spoken, what else could she do? After all, she was just a Minister of Medicine.
Yin Ling sat down, her mind quickly calming.
Then, the Master raised the golden scepter and gently pointed. Even from several meters away, it felt as if a finger lightly tapped her forehead.
Instantly, a profound power enveloped her.
Yin Ling suddenly had a thought, 'Could it be that last time in the pharmaceutical room, I used the Master as a test subject for my medicine, and this time, the Master is using her as a guinea pig?'
She felt she had solved the mystery.
The next moment, she felt like she was falling into an abyss.
…
"How could this Master be that kind of person? At most, I'll record short videos to collect embarrassing history."
However,
The on-site guidance and the latest methods were all true.
A few seconds ago,
Fang You picked up the brilliant scepter, his thought speed continuously escalating, his mind incredibly clear. In his eyes, a faint, wispy grey mist was swirling around Yin Ling.
Within the grey mist, distorted faces could be vaguely seen.
They rose and fell.
Above the grey mist was a thread that was difficult to describe in words – the Thread of Destiny.
This was the concretization of guiding awakening!
He once could only point lightly, but now, this authority, along with his research, had gradually become usable like an ability.
Or rather, an innate ability!
His, Fang the Savior's, unique innate ability!
The Authority of Games!
Towards that thread, Fang You pointed from afar.
Instantly, mystery surged.
The wisps of grey mist suddenly erupted, and the distorted faces within emerged one by one, lunging forward and enveloping Yin Ling's slender body.
In his eyes, it was like a greyish-brown, ugly, grotesque giant cocoon enclosing Yin Ling, covered with countless terrifying faces.
Beneath the giant cocoon…
Fang You's eyes didn't blink. A faint thread of destiny was hidden beneath the giant cocoon.
Yin Ling sat within, cold sweat constantly breaking out on her forehead.
Fearsome anomalies lunged and bit at her, and those cultists, the cultists she had killed or captured, reappeared before her once again.
Flesh cracked open, growing two heads, seven hands, and thirty pairs of eyes.
Unspeakably terrifying!
This was the tribulation of awakening that Yin Ling was experiencing, a terrifying tribulation that even a physician had to face.
At the same time,
It was the scene Fang You could see through the giant cocoon.
He could now see the tribulation of an Apostle's awakening.
At this moment, the true 'Guidance: Awakening' officially began.
"In the name of the Master…"
"Dispel the evil!"
The thread of destiny trembled slightly. The anomalies that were biting the fiercest twisted, their distorted faces gradually fading.
Sweat also began to seep from Fang You's forehead.
He wasn't expending life energy, yet it felt as if he were, as a child, lifting immense stones. Even a slight push, shifting the stones by a hair's breadth, required immense mental effort.
But simultaneously, in his eyes.
Yin Ling, gritting her teeth, resisted the impact of the mystery again and again, with more and more mystery integrating.
The greatest hurdle had passed.
Yin Ling's tightly furrowed brow slightly relaxed.
Fang You no longer needed to micro-manage the guidance. He sat down to rest, while observing Yin Ling's performance, having Xiao Huan record, document, and analyze.
The entire process proceeded without further complications. Yin Ling successfully—and without any screams or strange behaviors—passed the tribulation of awakening.
"This is true Guidance: Awakening."
"It was undeniably useful, suppressing the most dangerous impacts of the awakening tribulation."
He himself had awakened several times.
He had also read心得 (experience/tips) written by An Jianyou and others, especially those detailing failures, and summarized the most dangerous impacts.
"Awakening cannot be interfered with by outsiders, but I am not interfering; rather, I am pushing the thread of destiny to tilt the scales further… This was the case before as well; the consumption of destiny points was that hint of destiny, but the current operation is more flexible, and the mystery within is better understood."
"What needs to be done next is to simplify the process of personal guidance… After all, such guidance is very mentally taxing, and I cannot guide every Apostle."
"Moreover, increasing the success rate of Apostles is secondary. What truly needs to be done is to create a ritual that can suppress the impact of mystery… even if it can only suppress it a little."
He already had some ideas.
He had also gathered some intelligence on cultists from Yi Yue Luxi.
Rituals cannot be learned.
Processes cannot be learned.
Cultists were even branded by evil gods, but according to his research… the fundamental reason for high awakening rates might be the same.
As long as the anomalies could be kept in check, and the impact of mystery could be smoothed, awakening would not be difficult.