Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 42: The Effect of the Divine Statue Technique
Anya suddenly lost the mood to study.
Her gaze swept over the vanity mirror on her desk, which reflected a fair, flawless, and pretty face.
Staring at that face, she inexplicably recalled a saying:
"A pretty face and a seductive body are a woman’s two most powerful weapons."
This was a widely circulated saying in the circles of noblewomen.
It was also a lesson she had heard countless times since she was a child.
This lesson came from her mother, her grandmother, and many of the older women in her family.
They used their own experiences, the stories of others, and those cases of success and failure to tell her, over and over again:
"A woman must guard her chastity well."
"Only foolish women would carelessly squander the most precious gift the gods bestow upon them."
"When you meet a man worthy of your devotion, you must not hesitate. You must decisively offer him your most precious gift—it will bring you a rich reward that will last a lifetime."
Anya had only listened before, never truly understanding.
But now, gazing at her face in the mirror, she suddenly felt she was beginning to understand.
In the many pieces of news about the academy that Auntie Nasha had shared, it was mentioned more than once that many female Wizards or Apprentices had taken the initiative to attach themselves to outstanding male Wizards or Apprentices, reaping great benefits in the process.
For those women of mediocre talent, this was something they could never obtain on their own.
And Mo Ning’s genius far exceeded Anya’s expectations.
He had successfully applied for two research projects just days after entering the academy and had even earned the favor of the Rose Council—how far would he go in the future?
A Second Level Wizard?
A Third Level Wizard?
Or even higher?
Anya didn’t know.
But she understood that a genius like him was completely worth emulating her predecessors for.
’Especially since this gem has yet to shine its brilliant light, and I’ve been lucky enough to discover him.’
’If I’m too slow, someone else might beat me to it.’
’After all, there are plenty of smart and discerning women among the new students in our year.’
Anya pulled her gaze away from the mirror and murmured to herself, "Perhaps I should get to know Mo Ning’s preferences."
This was also something her mother had taught her.
She even remembered every single word her mother had said at the time.
It was a sunny afternoon when she was fourteen.
Her mother sat in a garden radiant with blossoms, gently holding her hand, and told her word by word, in a tone that was almost solemn:
"My dear, one day in the future, when you decide to give your chastity to the man you favor most."
Her mother paused, letting the words land with extra clarity:
"What you must do is not merely please him with your looks and your body. You need to do much more."
A fourteen-year-old Anya nodded blankly, not quite understanding why her mother was speaking so solemnly.
"You must always be concerned about his health;
"You must pay attention to his preferences;
"You must, even more so, understand his eating habits;
"And in front of anyone, you must do everything in your power to protect his dignity."
Her mother reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her tone carrying the certainty of someone with experience:
"My dear daughter, these seemingly trivial things are more useful than you can imagine.
"Through these things, you will slowly enter his heart.
"Your destiny will gradually become tightly bound with his.
"At that point, he will be willing to share his knowledge and insights with you, to share his wealth."
Her mother’s gaze fell upon the roses blooming brilliantly in the depths of the garden, her voice filled with a clarity born from experience:
"My child, you must believe me. Compared to painstakingly accumulating wealth yourself, this path is so much easier."
She turned back, looked at Anya, and concluded with a smile:
"My dear, you must remember, this is the philosophy of survival for women."
Anya thought for a good while, and a plan gradually formed in her mind.
’Mother said that even the most powerful Knight is just a walking, grumpy beast when his stomach is empty.’
’And the first step to taming a beast is always to feed it until it’s full.’
The Noble Lady’s beautiful red lips curved slightly.
’The cafeteria’s bread is too awful. He probably won’t like it. It seems I’ll have to find time to get a copy of "A Guide to Delicious Bread Baking".’
The young woman’s thoughts wandered for a while before she refocused.
Anya grasped her Ink Tube Pen and buried her head in her studies again.
Although she had made her decision, it didn’t mean she could stop studying.
On the contrary, her mother had also said something else—men hate stupid women.
She really didn’t want to be disliked by Mo Ning.
Not at all!
*****
"SCREE—!"
A high-pitched eagle’s cry.
Mo Ning transformed into a Phantom Carving, soaring over the bustling Nanying City.
Row upon row of tall buildings spread out below, and on the crisscrossing streets, countless beetle-sized vehicles crawled slowly along.
The situation was strange—how could a person be an eagle?
Yet Mo Ning didn’t feel there was anything wrong with it at all.
It was as if he were born to be a great eagle.
Every flap of his wings felt so natural, every glide so effortless.
Mo Ning beat his wings and swept over a cable-stayed highway bridge spanning a wide river.
The hawk-like super-vision allowed him to take in everything on the bridge’s surface:
A silver sedan had rear-ended a black SUV, which in turn had crashed into the large truck in front of it. The three vehicles were stopped crookedly in the middle of the road.
Behind the accident, traffic was at a complete standstill, a long line of cars stretching as far as the eye could see.
The drivers who caused the crash were standing by their cars, blaming each other with furious expressions.
Mo Ning soared past, leaving the chaos behind him.
On the other side of the river was a vast forest of reinforced concrete—skyscrapers like trees and roads like a net, spreading densely to the horizon.
His gaze fell upon a highway, following a Knight riding a Thunderbolt War-Donkey.
The Knight weaved nimbly through the traffic, charging forward without hesitation.
But then, an accident happened.
A car suddenly slammed on its brakes. The Thunderbolt War-Donkey couldn’t stop in time and crashed right into it.
At the moment of impact, however, the Knight shot into the air, executed a clean front flip, and landed steadily on the car’s front windshield.
The Knight then used the momentum to execute a "hip strike," sending spiderweb cracks across the glass.
This set of moves was as smooth as flowing water, executed in one breath, causing nearby drivers to stick their heads out and gawk.
But Mo Ning saw confusion in the Knight’s eyes: ’Where am I? What am I doing?’
He also saw terror in the car owner’s eyes—an instinctive shock at the "Knight Level Martial Arts."
Mo Ning retracted his gaze, his heart filled with emotion. ’All living beings are so busy, but for what?’
He slowly descended, finally landing on a tall palm tree in front of an academic building on a school campus.
Through the windows, he could see young students sitting upright at their desks, the melodious sound of them reading aloud drifting out.
Mo Ning looked into one of the classrooms, and his eyes met those of a young boy.
The boy’s face was filled with astonishment.
The next moment.
Mo Ning felt the world spin around him.
When he regained his senses, he found himself sitting in the classroom, having taken on the appearance of the young boy.
He likewise didn’t feel there was anything wrong with this, as if he was supposed to be sitting here all along.
Mo Ning turned his head, and a charming face entered his line of sight.
Her hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead. Her eyes curved into a smile, and the corners of her mouth were upturned.
This was Zhang Xiaoxiao.
During his naive and innocent high school days, she was the unattainable love of his life.
Zhang Xiaoxiao suddenly leaned in close, in a rather intimate manner, and whispered in his ear:
"Mo Ning, my parents aren’t home tonight. Why don’t you come stay over at my place?"
Mo Ning’s mouth went dry, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of his chest.
’Is something... indescribable... going to happen tonight?’
Zhang Xiaoxiao pulled her head back and began reading aloud again: "It waited for my birth, and then it waited for me to live to my most arrogant age, before suddenly crippling my legs..."
Mo Ning turned to look the other way and met Liu Zihao’s gaze.
Liu Zihao had clearly noticed the previous exchange. His eyes held envy, jealousy, and an unconcealable trace of bitterness.
Mo Ning felt a little smug.
Because he knew that Liu Zihao had a secret crush on Zhang Xiaoxiao.
Mo Ning didn’t look at Liu Zihao again. He reached out and turned a page in his book.
Lines of elegant Secret Spirit Text immediately entered his vision.
"On the path of a Wizard, danger lurks at every moment.
"Meditation is no different.
"Every Meditation is like walking on the edge of a bottomless abyss; you might misstep and fall in, never to return.
"Because in the Meditation World, which is constructed from pure consciousness, everything is too wonderful. You might become completely engrossed and instinctively refuse to leave.
"Every year, there are many unlucky fools whose souls are seduced by illusory beauty and who never wake up again.
"Ultimately, their souls perish, and they become ’Soulless People.’
"Therefore, you must commit the following principles to memory.
"Principle One: When you realize you are in a Meditation, you are not in a Meditation..."
Reading this, Mo Ning had a sudden realization.
’I think I’m in a Meditation!’
This thought exploded in the depths of his consciousness like a clap of thunder.
The classroom began to blur. Zhang Xiaoxiao’s face became indistinct, and Liu Zihao’s figure turned transparent.
The desks, the blackboard, the sunlight outside the window—everything was fading, dissipating.
The sound of reading aloud grew more and more distant, softer and softer, like a receding tide.
Then.
The entire world underwent a cataclysmic change.
Nanying City, his hometown from his past life, vanished without a trace.
His familiar apartment quickly materialized, once again occupying Mo Ning’s entire field of vision.
At last.
His first Meditation was finally over.
The plug-in’s notification arrived right on cue:
[The Divine Statue Technique Meditation has concluded. Duration: 4 hours, 18 minutes. Relevant data has been saved and archived for future research.]
[Spiritual Power restored by 5.37%. Current level: 87.49%. Current Spiritual Strength: 0.55. Increase of 0.01.]
[Comparison with other Meditation Techniques in the database, such as the Starry Sky Technique and the Wave Technique, shows the Divine Statue Technique has a 22.6% greater recovery Effect for Spiritual Power and an 18.5% enhanced strengthening Effect for Spiritual Strength.]
[Suggested future improvements: Optimize the Divine Statue Model to enhance the Spiritual Power recovery Effect and the stimulation Effect on Spiritual Strength.]
Mo Ning was instantly energized.
’Four hours of Meditation increased my Spiritual Strength by 0.01?’
He couldn’t help but break into a smile. "The Divine Statue Technique’s Effect is really good. The last two days of hard work weren’t for nothing!"
Mo Ning naturally understood that his rapid progress had a lot to do with his low "base" level.
It was like the saying, "Poor grades mean more room for improvement."
Once his Spiritual Strength reached 0.6 or 0.7, the rate of improvement would slow down significantly.
