The Temple of Light's cultivation wing hummed with concentrated mana. Mariabel sat in meditation chamber four. Cross-legged. Eyes closed. Her Authority flickering at the edges of her consciousness.
The chamber's formation was active. Mana crystals embedded in the walls pulsed rhythmically. Flooding the space with pure divine energy. The influx was aggressive. Overwhelming. Most Expert Low cultivators struggled with this volume.
Mariabel absorbed it effortlessly.
Her Authority made the difference. Flame incarnate didn't just use mana. It commanded it. Shaped it. Transformed it into something else entirely.
The divine energy entered her core. Circulated through her pathways. She didn't just absorb. She refined. Compressed. Converted the neutral mana into flame-aspected power.
Her container was expanding. Expert Low meant her barrel was only partially filled. She needed to reach Expert Mid. Then Expert Peak. Each stage required exponentially more power than the last.
