Versatile Mage: Lord of Space

The Queen Mother arrived as scheduled on the fourth day, but instead of holding a ceremony in Athens, she led everyone directly to a solitary peak overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The peak had been meticulously transformed into a tranquil manor villa, overlooking the endless blue ocean—a breathtaking view, yet unexpectedly secluded. For many students who yearned to receive glory under the spotlight, this was undeniably disheartening.

"After the Divine Seal Praise, you need to meditate for a month." Instructor Feng Li solemnly warned everyone, "During this period, try not to use magic and it is best to continue meditating so that you can fully absorb the power of the praise."

The matriarch possessed a dignified yet gentle demeanor, and her exact age was unknown. She did not speak with the students; all matters were conveyed by a female sage named Tisu. The ceremony proceeded according to merit, with Lin Lan, who had made the greatest contribution, being the first to step onto the altar of praise.

On the mountain altar, beneath the Heavenly Tree, the Temple Mother stood serenely. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, draping her like golden silk. She sang softly, and a sacred radiance flowed from her, her ethereal voice echoing endlessly through the mountains.

She beckoned to Lin Lan, signaling him to come forward. The female sage beside her whispered a reminder to Lin Lan that he should kneel, but Lin Lan looked up at the Queen Mother and did not kneel.

The identity of this temple matriarch is none other than the Pope of the Black Church. If Lin Lan weren't still not very strong, she would have killed him back then. And to expect Lin Lan to kneel and pay homage to a foreigner? That's just wishful thinking.

The madam smiled, not minding, and simply asked Lin Lan to lower her head.

"Let's get straight to it. I have a stiff neck and can't lower my head," Lin Lan said in Chinese.

The sage was furious at the sight. Lin Lan was showing no respect for the Temple Mother or the Parthenon!
"Wow, Lin Lan is really something else!" Mo Fan said, giving a thumbs up.

Even a fool could see that Lin Lan was doing it on purpose. As a high-level mage, his physical condition was comparable to that of a demon servant. He wouldn't get ordinary illnesses, let alone a stiff neck.

"Lin Lan, I recognize you. You are the most outstanding student in the World University Competition." The Temple Mother was still not angry. Her cool hand gently covered Lin Lan's forehead, and her chanting suddenly quickened.

Lin Lan closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling as if countless sacred instruments were playing in unison, cleansing away all distracting thoughts. In his spiritual world, a sudden burst of light enveloped all the stars, as if to melt them away.

"Concentrate your mind and guide the power of blessing into your chosen magic," the sage reminded her again, her tone tinged with displeasure.

Lin Lan had already made his decision, and his mind immediately sank into the lightning-elemental galaxy. What he wanted was the ultimate violence! In an instant, all the brilliance converged on the lightning-elemental galaxy, coating it with a mysterious halo. Every star began to flicker and merge, gradually imprinting itself with an immortal mark.

Unlike common temporary blessings, the Divine Seal Blessing is a power directly inscribed into the very essence of magic. Even if the galaxy expands into a sea of ​​stars in the future, newly born starchildren will inherit this seal. It permanently enhances base power and can stack with the amplification effects of Soul Seeds, Magical Tools, and other items. This is precisely why it is priceless and coveted by countless powerful individuals!

The ritual was quite lengthy and extremely taxing on the practitioner. After it ended, the temple matriarch looked exhausted, but still gave Mo Fan a gentle smile without uttering a word.

“The divine seal has been planted, and although the Temple Mother has reinforced it, it still requires a month of meditation to stabilize it. Energy loss is inevitable, and only absolute focus can minimize it. You must be in complete seclusion this month, and I will be here to supervise,” the sage Tisu said solemnly.

Just as Lin Lan was about to ask a question, he was horrified to realize that the divine power in the lightning star system was rapidly dissipating! He dared not delay any longer and turned to rush into his own meditation room to do his best to stabilize this hard-won fortune.

Over the next few days, the Temple Mother performed the rituals on the remaining students one by one, a process that lasted two days before finally concluding. She herself was utterly exhausted and only departed after a day of rest. The sage Tisu and the golden knight Hashir remained to supervise, while the instructor Feng Li also stayed behind as a protector. All the students, knowing the rarity of this opportunity, entered their respective meditation chambers, determined to grit their teeth and get through this crucial month.

For Lin Lan, seclusion was a perfect opportunity to refine his cultivation. He hadn't cultivated so calmly in a long time, and he still needed to master the complex high-level constellations of his newly advanced Earth and Shadow elements.

The first thing we must address now is the rapid loss of divine energy.

"The initial blessing grants you three times the base power; how much you retain is entirely up to you." The sage's words still echoed in her ears. Normally, this power diminishes over time, eventually stabilizing between 1.2 and 1.7 times. Retaining even half is already extraordinary. For ordinary people, 1.5 times is an astonishing boost, enough to gain an absolute advantage among those of the same level.

By the way, Lin Lan knew that Mo Fan's little mudskipper could stabilize the Divine Seal Praise, so she immediately went to find Mo Fan.

After finding Mo Fan, Little Mudskipper, being a loyal friend, knew that Lin Lan had helped him obtain a large amount of Pharaoh's Spring, so he directly helped Lin Lan stabilize the 3.0x bonus of the Divine Guidance Praise.

Three times more than expected!
Lin Lan was very excited, thanks to Mo Fan's little mudskipper. This mudskipper was so spirited!
Mo Fan's power level stabilized at 2.5 times; originally, he had a 2.0x increase, so reaching 2.5x meant his strength had been greatly enhanced. The month flew by in excitement. While stabilizing his divine seal, Lin Lan, with the help of various magical tools and a large amount of money, also made significant progress in his control over earth and shadow magic. His strength was about to experience another explosive increase!
It's estimated that the Earth and Shadow elements will soon break through to higher levels.

In the final five days, the divine seal's energy remained stable, having become an eternal imprint in the spiritual world. Even after the protective aura was removed, the energy remained steady.

3x! A true 3x increase in base power!

After his seclusion ended, Lin Lan suppressed the urge to roar to the sky, his heart filled with boundless joy and anticipation. Lightning element, transformed into the true source of destruction!
During the Flying Flower Festival, there was also a major battle.

Xinxia is Lin Lan's younger sister; there's no way she wouldn't take action.

……

The Flying Flowers Festival, originally a traditional celebration of the Parthenon, has now become one of the most famous festivals in Greece.

As the festival approaches, the honey-brown petals and turquoise leaves covering the sacred mountain intertwine in the Mediterranean monsoon, swirling between the mountaintop and its slopes. Then, like a festive procession, they drift slowly into the Acropolis of Athens, flying into courtyards and alleys, adorning the entire city with a dreamlike and breathtaking beauty.

On this day, devotees from all over the world flocked to the Acropolis, transforming the usually solemn and tranquil city into a vibrant hub of activity. Many had waited at the foot of the hill since the previous night, hoping to be among the first to enter the temple, hear the gentle prayers of the old sages, and share their heartfelt desires…

"Alas, we're still too late. I thought I could at least make it into the top 1,000, but look at this line, it's already winding all the way to the 'Ten Thousand Steps'..." sighed an elderly man who was over fifty years old.

“There are always people more devout than us. Hey, why are the people up ahead getting restless? It looks like something’s happened.” An old woman stood on tiptoe, peering over.

The front of the line was crowded with people, and the back was even more packed, completely blocking the road. The people at the very front seemed to have heard some bad news and began to clamor.

"Go back, go back! The sacred mountain is closed today!"

"Closed? What a joke! We've come all this way, and we've been waiting since last night!" someone complained loudly.

"The order has been given. If you're not satisfied, go and argue with Master Faith."

"How could this be? Why did the mountain suddenly close for no reason?"

"Who knows? Maybe something serious has happened... We'll have to come back tomorrow or the day after."

"Let's go, let's go... Oh dear, there are so many people behind us, how are we going to get out of here?"

Despite the large and difficult-to-move crowds, order was maintained at the Parthenon with government personnel guiding the process, preventing chaos despite the congestion. Soon, the waiting queues began to slowly disperse into the city.

However, many still find it hard to understand: given the importance of the Flower Festival, Mount Kinabalu would never close its gates so easily without a major unforeseen event. Unfortunately, the Parthenon has not released any information, making further speculation futile.

……

(End of this chapter)