Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 2365: Chapter 2360: Fresh Fungi

The method of controlling variables, basic yet effective.

Fu Qian expressed that coming out this late at night was certainly for a purpose.

The Academy is not just randomly praised as a place of outstanding people and a favorable environment; on one hand, it’s a place where people’s ideas run wild and test limits daily; on the other hand, the past event of the ark incident further proved the geographical significance with ironclad facts.

At the time, there was substantial discussion on why the ark appeared beneath the Benevolence Institute and why Nepheli couldn’t be relocated elsewhere.

And ultimately, the conclusion naturally fell onto certain conceptual ideas.

Such as leaving the Academy Region means losing the snow tree characteristic of turning white upon encountering snow, and Melia, represented by the snow tree...

Concerning that mysterious ancient superior being, the Jade Soul Master indeed provided quite a lot of information.

The most straightforward being the neutral body of high beauty he once transformed into, and the snow tree leaf he held in his hand.

The latter even purportedly led to the final part of the Reminiscence Record, starting with ”withered leaves.”

All in all, when combined before and after, it could almost be determined that Lord Melia was the Snow Tree Goddess.

Yet despite lacking any transcendent aura, the remarkable regional nature of the snow tree made it effortlessly connected to Melia’s symbolism.

Ultimately, the connection between ”this place” and the concept of ”Melia” emerged.

At times, even seen in a certain ”doomsday,” this place seemed to be the first point of the barrier’s fracture.

In summary, the Academy is a good place.

So, by analogy, could there be other phenomena also possessing regional characteristics?

Like Professor Luo Bu’s miraculous mushrooms.

...

As everyone knows, there is a difference between laboratories and mass production.

Especially due to the mushrooms’ special nature, Professor Luo Bu most likely didn’t take his research results beyond the Academy’s confines.

Thus, a purpose in requesting one from over there is to slightly test if such miraculous products could also be replicated elsewhere.

Facts proved that regional protection was evident.

Even when not very distant from the Academy, just as if there was an invisible boundary, crossing it, the structural basis of the mimetic mushrooms was deemed unreasonable and quickly collapsed.

As for the second purpose—

Watching that swiftly withering mushroom, Fu Qian neither attempted to retreat nor preserve it cold; he casually picked it up and tossed it into his mouth.

Not only observe but also gain insight, isn’t it reasonable?

In academia, one cannot blindly rely on hardware, yet there’s also no reason to actively abandon equipment advantages.

...

It melted on the tongue.

Although seemingly a forbidden object, it didn’t stir any ripples for Fu Qian; at that moment, he carefully savored the taste.

One must say that the mushroom sashimi’s texture was indeed good, the rich umami seemingly came alive in the mouth at that moment.

To a certain extent, the following statement is not metaphorical but factual.

It almost instantly ceased maintaining its original structure, dissolving directly between the gaps of the mouth.

Moreover, this flow differs from the texture of oil or water, instead possessing extra vitality, like a torrent of countless flying insects—a phenomenon seen in Professor Luo Bu’s laboratory.

Oh?

Such changes, of course, did not mean much to Fu Qian; what made him sigh at that moment was the harvest—no textual information emerged.

Insight is not omnipotent; so far, he has consumed many things, with both positive and negative effects, yet it seemed to be the first time an effect was absent.

Digested in an instant, yet unlike before, it didn’t grant him any new ability, like simulating the shapes of other things.

It is entirely understandable, for it is a product of a lower-ranking laboratory; if consuming them casually granted skills, exploration and discovery would indeed be too easy.

But simultaneously, it seemed there was no negative effect, similar to the Witch incident when bleeding and vulnerably cursed—wait a minute.

Fu Qian raised his hand to sniff at a certain moment; between his fingers was an intense mushroom aroma, as if the amount left behind just from grasping it earlier was astonishing.

The only problem was, he used his other hand to grasp it just now.

So, after all, are there side effects, and is he following in Professor Luo Bu’s footsteps?

With a sigh, Fu Qian casually crushed the mushroom container.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t that simple; although transparent in material, the fracture was wispy as if entangled by mycelium.

And such a scene was so reminiscent of what he witnessed in the Sword Pavilion back then.

Did his actions bring the Fungus Emperor back to this world?

At that moment, Fu Qian’s feet remained motionless, he merely looked up at the sky.

Night was deep, stars dotted.

Then he reached out, gesturing as if to pluck a star, full of literary flair and freedom.

Unexpectedly, that shimmer actually flickered slightly.

...

He hadn’t even exerted force.

Undoubtedly, a wondrous sight, making even Fu Qian click and sigh.

Although the reputation of the Abandonment King isn’t good, the stars wouldn’t be frightened by such a gesture.

The greatest significance of this spectacle was making the world momentarily unreal.

Whosh—

It could even become more unreal; Fu Qian turned his gaze to another cluster of starlight, gently blowing with a breath.

As if the wind of the deep cosmos brushed past, the image that felt ancient and eternal was instantly stirred, stars twirling.

Indeed, like last time encountering the Female and Male Dual Sword Saints?

The entire world ceased to be real, rather showcasing the deep and true rules, everything dominated by mycelium.

Shaking his head inwardly, Fu Qian quickly drew a conclusion.

Of course, this time the situation appeared even more serious because even he wasn’t spared.

Overall, the current scenario seemed as if consuming the red pill from The Matrix, witnessing the reality of the world.

Though this reality was somewhat abstract, it wasn’t entirely inexplicable—consuming mushrooms, seeing little people is normal, let alone just the stars shaking a bit.

Especially considering he swallowed mushrooms possessing divinity, even consuming it as sashimi.

Indeed, the conclusion is insight didn’t yield gains, only a purely negative effect, not even providing a trace of information.

Those who often walk by the river, not adhering to food safety regulations, occasionally encounter such things without surprise.

However, now there’s a problem, this thing likely isn’t just pure illusion, last time the Dual Sword Saints hurt painfully when cutting.

Moreover, currently, it isn’t inside the box isolated from reality created by the Jade Soul Master.

Even if hypothetically claiming it’s pure illusion, it’s the Abandonment King’s illusion.

In this state, taking a stroll around the Academy, what scene may unfold is indeed intriguing—without teasing the stars further, Fu Qian turned and walked towards the Academy.