Once Goldwater's footsteps faded completely, the room returned to silence. Wang Yanfei leaned against the edge of the bed, took a deep breath, and extended his hand toward the twelve floating cards in front of him. The faint glow illuminated his face as his gaze swept over the cards, his fingers pausing on one with subtly distorted patterns in the lower right corner.
Without hesitation, he reached out and drew a card. As the card flipped, intricate patterns emerged on its surface—a massive, pitch-black figure coiled at the center of the image. Its form was grotesque and menacing, tentacles stretching ominously from its back. Its face was featureless except for six white beams of light resembling eyes, coldly gazing downward, shrouded in an endless mist.
A line of clear text appeared on the card:
"When the void is watching your words and actions, please count your hands and feet clearly, which can make you forget your fear."
Wang Yanfei whispered the text, and then felt a chill rushing into his body. His right shoulder sank slightly, as if there was an extra strange power. He stood up subconsciously.
"Panel." He whispered, and the black mist reappeared:
[Name: Wang Yanfei
Race: Human
Attributes:
Body: 0.9 (adult standard is 1)
Spirit: 1.5 ↑ (adult standard is 1)
Ability: Gift of Destiny
Skill: Unnamed
Refresh Time: 22:53:59]
The appearance of the skill bar made Wang Yanfei slightly stunned. He tried to concentrate and feel the strange power in his body. After a moment, he felt a slight tearing sensation behind him, and a dark tentacle grew silently from his back. The tentacle was made of black mist, and there were faint ripples on the surface.
Wang Yanfei carefully moved the tentacle, surprised at its flexibility. It felt as natural as any part of his body. Experimenting, he extended the tentacle toward a book on the bedside table. With a gentle curl, it brought the book to his hand. The ease with which the tentacle extended, contracted, and manipulated objects impressed him—it was like having a third arm.
He observed the shadowy appendage behind him before slowly retracting it into his body. Glancing down at his hands, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "I'll call you 'Tentacle,'" he said softly.
The panel appeared in front of him again, and the "Unnamed" on the skill bar quickly turned into "Tentacle".
----------------------------
The next morning, Wang Yanfei woke to a faint knocking at the door. Goldwater stood outside, her expression calm, signaling for him to follow. They walked through a long corridor into a spacious hall. The grand hall had towering ceilings, with walls adorned with intricate murals and mysterious reliefs. A soft blue glow from crystal lights above bathed the space in a sacred ambiance.
Hundreds of people had already gathered inside, standing on either side. They wore white or deep-blue robes, their expressions solemn, hands clasped in reverence. At the center stood a ten-meter-tall statue of the Spiritual God, its face indistinct, with glowing blue eyes. Beams of light radiated from behind it, seamlessly merging with the surrounding reliefs.
The bishop, wearing a gorgeous robe interwoven with gold and blue, holding a scepter inlaid with crystals, slowly walked to the statue. He turned around and faced the gathered crowd, speaking in a low and loud voice:
"The great spiritual god enlightens us with infinite wisdom and protects us with divine power. Today, the new enlighteners will walk into the holy light and feel the baptism of endless spirituality."
As the bishop spoke, everyone in the hall bowed their heads, put their hands together, and chanted in unison: "Great spiritual god, you are the source of light, you are the embodiment of wisdom, may your gift shine on the world."
"Please remember, fellow compatriots, the heart is better than things, transcendence into holiness!" The bishop's voice suddenly rose.
The whole place suddenly fell silent, and everyone chanted in unison: "The heart is better than things, transcending the ordinary and becoming a saint."
The neat and solemn chanting echoed in the hall, surging in all directions like a wave. Wang Yanfei stood beside Jinshui and felt a sense of honor.
Then, the bishop turned around, his eyes slowly swept across the crowd in the hall, and finally fell on Wang Yanfei. He smiled slightly, stretched out his hand and motioned Wang Yanfei to come forward.
Goldwater gave him a gentle push, whispering, "Go on."
Wang Yanfei took a deep breath and walked up the steps leading to the statue. The eyes of the people around him fell on him. He walked to the center of the stage, stood directly under the statue, and felt countless solemn gazes.
The bishop raised his scepter and said loudly: "New Enlightener, put aside your doubts and cast aside your fears. The Spiritual God will lead you into the highest realm, feel the purification of the soul and the sublimation of the spirit. Step forward and accept the gift."
Wang Yanfei hesitated for a moment, but finally took a step forward as instructed and faced the statue of the Spiritual God. The bishop chanted again:
"Spiritual God, the supreme wisdom and protector, please give your power to this new Enlightener, let him become the bearer of light, the disseminator of will, and let him step into the beginning of transcendence."
The blue light in the hall suddenly intensified, and the blue eyes of the statue began to fluctuate slightly. A slender tear slowly fell from the corner of the statue's eyes and fell straight to the top of Wang Yanfei's head.
The moment the light touched, Wang Yanfei felt a strong energy impacting his whole body, and whispers seemed to sound in his mind, but those voices were vague. He closed his eyes involuntarily, feeling the power flowing from his limbs to his heart.
At the same time, the familiar black mist appeared in front of his eyes, and the translucent panel appeared again:
[Name: Wang Yanfei
Race: Human
Attributes:
Body: 0.9 (adult standard is 1)
Spirit: 2.0 ↑ (adult standard is 1)
Ability: Gift of Fate
Skills: Tentacles, Spirituality
��@%¥Granted Named Skill: Spirituality
Refresh Time: 14:54:03]
The refreshed information showed that the person who granted the skill was a mess of garbled characters, and it was completely unclear who it was. Wang Yanfei frowned slightly, but quickly adjusted his mood. When he opened his eyes, the blue light had completely merged into his body.
The bishop nodded with satisfaction and said loudly: "Enlightener, you have become the bearer of the spiritual god. May you follow the truth and transcend the mundane world under his guidance."
The people in the hall chanted again: "Great spiritual god, may your wisdom live forever, may your power lead us forward! The heart is better than things, transcending the ordinary and becoming a saint."
--------------------
Goldwater led Wang Yanfei through several corridors and into the dining hall. The space was spacious and bright, filled with the aroma of food. Along the long dining tables, a variety of dishes were laid out, from exquisite meats to fresh vegetables, everything one could desire, tempting enough to stir anyone's appetite.
Wang Yanfei glanced around, noticing many people in white robes sitting at the tables in small groups, speaking in low voices. Unlike the solemnity of the main hall, this place was much more relaxed, with even the occasional sound of light laughter.
Goldwater took a plate of food and gestured for Wang Yanfei to do the same, then sat in an empty corner. Wang Yanfei followed, silently taking a seat across from her with his tray.
"Looks good," he said quietly, a hint of surprise in his tone.
Goldwater smiled faintly. " "The Spirituality Church never lacks resources; at least,at least we are never harsh on food. However, you must remember that the abundance here is only a temporary benefit. In the future, you will find that spiritual practice is your greatest 'good news'."
Wang Yanfei looked up, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Cultivation?"
Goldwater nodded, put down the tableware in his hand, and said calmly: "From today, your life will gradually change. The gift of the Spiritual God is just a spiritual seed. You need to polish it for a long time before it can bloom. Meditate for at least five hours a day. This is the foundation."
"Meditate?" Wang Yanfei raised an eyebrow. "How exactly?"
"It's not difficult. In a quiet environment, close your eyes and imagine darkness, with a blue dot in the center. When you truly see it, that's when you're cultivating," Goldwater explained. "Spiritual energy needs to be accumulated; it's not infinite. If you don't refine your spirituality, you might find in future battles that this power is no better than a small knife."
"How powerful can spirituality become?" Wang Yanfei asked.
"Young people are always impatient. Let me put it this way: at the very least, it can make your body tough enough to withstand bullets," Goldwater said with a faint smile, her tone softening slightly. "For now, focus on honing your spirituality. Don't worry about battles or anything else. We have enough time to let you get familiar with everything here."