Visualization?
What am I supposed to imagine suddenly?
Lucian felt puzzled but still sat down and began visualizing.
This time, without the aid of any artifact, he concentrated on imagining the scene of a goddess stepping onto the Divine River, gradually entering a meditative state.
To his surprise, picturing her as if she were a real person standing before him was quite thrilling.
Hair, face, features, body, clothing, sash, and delicate feet—
Bit by bit, Lucian visualized a divine figure in his mind, meticulously constructing her image. She stood majestically upon the Divine River, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.
Meanwhile, the red-robed woman, Mistdream, appeared slightly unsettled.
She had just received yet another invitation through the Heart of a Lord.
Notification:
[Lunar City] Lord Lucian invites you to join [Lunar City]!
If you accept, [Clouddream Marsh] will become a vassal territory of [Lunar City], and you will serve as a vassal under Lord Lucian.
"Again!"
"So it's true! He's visualizing me as the subject!"
Mist Dream's beautiful face revealed a trace of anger.
This was disrespectful—an insult to a superior being and a higher lifeform!
However, thinking about how Lucian was merely her student, her heart softened, and the anger on her face slowly dissipated.
After a moment of thought, Mistdream finally said, "Enough!"
Lucian snapped out of his trance immediately.
"Your visualization is flawed. You're not visualizing the Divine River," Mistdream said calmly.
Hearing this, Lucian froze.
She had caught on!
His heart raced, but seeing her unruffled demeanor, he felt relieved. At least she didn't know exactly what he was imagining.
"You don't have to make that face. I can tell you weren't thinking anything filthy," Mistdream said coldly, her tone tinged with a faint reprimand.
She let out a soft huff and continued, "I'll summon the artifact's phantom again. This time, correct your visualization! Remember, focus on the Divine River!"
"Understood!"
Lucian nodded quickly.
With a wave of her hand, the surrounding space distorted. A phantom of the Divine River appeared, circling around Lucian.
At such close proximity, Lucian could feel the overwhelming power emanating from the artifact. For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw intricate script floating within the river's phantom—a glimpse of the true Divine River Visualization.
Yet, the vision vanished as quickly as it came, remaining elusive no matter how hard he tried to focus.
After all, the artifact's power was beyond his comprehension.
Lucian didn't try to resist or correct his current visualization. Despite his best efforts to focus solely on the Divine River, the image he conjured always reverted to a goddess stepping on the river's surface.
The mental distance between him and the Divine River seemed insurmountable.
After over an hour of attempting to visualize correctly, Lucian still failed.
Mistdream furrowed her brows slightly as she observed the entire process. Finally, she sighed, withdrew the artifact's power, and said, "Forget it."
"Teacher..." Lucian looked embarrassed.
She let out another soft huff, her tone indifferent as she said, "Go back. Don't mess around with this anymore. Visualization isn't as simple as you think. The slightest deviation or mistake can be dangerous!"
"Yes, thank you, Teacher!"
Lucian quickly bowed.
He silently committed her name—Mistdream—to memory.
After watching Lucian leave, Mistdream sat back in her chair, pondering for a moment before sighing softly.
"No need to dwell on it," she muttered.
She decided to treat the odd invitation as nothing more than an idle accident and dismissed it from her mind.
Back at Lunar City
Lucian returned home still feeling a little shaken.
Standing before Lady Mistdream had felt like being utterly exposed, as though his soul was laid bare.
The pressure she exuded wasn't intentional; it was a natural result of the vast difference in their lifeforms and levels.
It was akin to falling into the depths of the ocean, the crushing weight of the abyss instilling a primal fear.
"Still, when visualized, she doesn't seem as terrifying—more like a divine presence," Lucian muttered, shaking his head as he exhaled deeply.
For now, he decided to put the idea of visualization aside.
At the Clouddream Tavern
Qin Keqing carried a platter of dishes to the table, watching as Lucian wolfed down his food. She couldn't help but chuckle softly, her beautiful face radiating warmth and contentment.
She had recently learned to cook a few home-style dishes. While she wasn't a master chef, her cooking was undeniably better than Lucian's attempts.
Lucian agreed wholeheartedly. As he ate, he could feel the temporary buffs from the food taking effect.
Braised Eggplant with Green Beans (Blue Quality): Temporarily increases Constitution by +7, Spirit by +8, and Attack Power by +5%.
Seaweed and Pork Rib Soup (Rare Quality): Temporarily increases Spirit by +5 and Spirit Recovery Rate by +30%.
After finishing his meal, Lucian let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back in his chair.
Qin Keqing approached with a cup of Lunar Essence Water, smiling gently as she said, "Master, rinse your mouth."
Lucian took the cup and rinsed his mouth, setting it down afterward. He reached out, gently pulling her into his arms.
Holding her soft and delicate body, he felt an indescribable comfort.
"Master... I still need to wash the dishes," Qin Keqing murmured softly, her cheeks tinged with a shy blush.
"What dishes?" Lucian teased, tightening his embrace with a playful grin.
At that moment, the door opened with a bang!
Lin Daiyu entered, followed by Jia Yingchun. Seeing Lucian holding Qin Keqing, Lin Daiyu burst into laughter and said, "Yingchun, look at this young master. He's definitely not a good master!"
"...!"
Jia Yingchun's eyes widened in shock, her delicate face turning red as she froze in place.
She glanced at Lucian, then at Qin Keqing, her lips pursed as if she wanted to speak but dared not.
"Alright, enough teasing!"
Lucian rolled his eyes and released Qin Keqing. Looking at the newcomers, he asked, "I'm planning to buy some transfer certificates later. Do you have any suggestions? Did you see any in the Little Universe?"
"Of course, Master! I've seen plenty," Lin Daiyu replied with a soft laugh. She continued, "There's not much to do in the territory when you're not around. We've just been exploring here and there."
"Is that so? Alright then," Lucian said with a wave of his hand.
He was used to Lin Daiyu's boldness and wasn't bothered by it.
Seeing that Lucian wasn't annoyed, Lin Daiyu felt a bit disappointed. She quickly added, "I've decided to become a practitioner, Master. Qin wants to follow the path of immortality, and Yingchun plans to pursue the Scholar's Way!"
The world of cultivation had countless paths, each unique and extraordinary.
No one path was inherently superior to another. As the saying goes, "There are three thousand Daos, all leading to the same destination."
It didn't matter whether one was a practitioner or an immortal; there were endless possibilities.
Hearing this, Lucian turned to Jia Yingchun in surprise.
Practitioners and immortals were relatively common, but the scholarly aura of a Confucian Daoist was a rarity.
In some vast worlds, hundreds of scholarly cultivation systems existed, but the Confucian and Taoist ways were particularly noteworthy.
The righteousness of these scholars could kill ghosts and demons, their boundless vitality nourishing their bodies and repelling evil.
After pondering for a moment, Lucian nodded. "Alright! I'll get what you need!"
"Thank you, Master!"
The three women beamed with joy.
With that, Lucian retrieved his Universal Forum item and stepped outside.