Chapter 557 ·The Levels of Desire

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍consciousness returned, and the emotions faded away.

When ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Janna reopened her eyes, she saw the familiar sea of flowers surrounding her and Yoya–Bauhinia sitting gracefully on a tulip-shaped chair. After a brief moment of daze, Janna’s hazy awareness finally returned to normal.

“President, ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I have successfully established the coordinates in the 【Land of Desire】.”

Hearing ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍this, Yoya–Bauhinia smiled in satisfaction.

“Not ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍bad. You only took one minute this time—much faster than I expected.”

“One ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍minute?” Janna repeated softly. According to Yoya–Bauhinia, it had only been a minute, but to Janna, it had felt much longer. She nodded thoughtfully.

“It seems the time flow within the 【Land of Desire】 is much slower than in the 【Material Plane】.”

From her second descent into the dream, to entering the entrance of the 【Land of Desire】, then using her mental consciousness to find the lowest energy tide within it, and finally establishing a coordinate point amidst the nebula—all of it, in Janna’s estimation, had taken at least ten minutes.

Yet according to Yoya–Bauhinia, only a single minute had passed in the dream world. The near tenfold difference in time flow made Janna’s mind wander.

“If this difference in time could be properly utilized, then perhaps the 【Land of Desire】 could become another kind of mental space—similar to the 【World Inside the Book】...”

Just as Janna’s thoughts began to drift, Yoya–Bauhinia spoke again.

“There’s still some time before the fifteen minutes are up. While we’re at it, I’ll teach you how to capture the 【Threads of Desire】.”

Hearing that, Janna quickly withdrew her scattered thoughts and focused once more on Yoya–Bauhinia’s lecture.

“When you entered the 【Land of Desire】, you must have noticed those 【Desire Bubbles】—manifestations of sentient beings’ desires and obsessions. They are, in fact, the most primitive material from which the 【Threads of Desire】 are formed.”

“So those weren’t real 【Threads of Desire】?” Janna thought to herself.

Before entering the 【Land of Desire】, Yoya–Bauhinia had explained that only the most superficial desires gathered near its outer edge, while the deepest obsessions hidden in the hearts of sentient beings existed in the innermost region.

Thus, when Janna first entered the 【Land of Desire】 and saw those bubbles drifting on the outermost layer of “color,” each containing fragments of memory, she had mistakenly thought they were the 【Threads of Desire】.

“The 【Threads of Desire】 are formed within the 【Sea of Obsession】 at the core of the 【Land of Desire】. They condense from those 【Desire Bubbles】 into semi-solid filament-like structures—like loose threads falling from a cosmic spindle—and they extend deep into the desires of all sentient minds across the universe—”

“And depending on the type of desire or obsession that creates them, the 【Threads of Desire】 differ in kind. For example, the 【Thread of Passion】, born of lustful emotion, trembles with a resonance similar to a whale’s song when touched, while the 【Thread of Wrath】, born of hatred, produces a grating screech like nails on metal—”

“So… they’re that complex?”

Listening to Yoya–Bauhinia’s detailed explanation that transformed the abstract into tangible reality, Janna couldn’t help but feel both astonished and thrilled by this new knowledge.

“As spiritual energy existing throughout the cosmos, the 【Threads of Desire】 differ in quality depending on the intensity of the desire and obsession that gave birth to them. Hence, the 【Witch Sect】 categorizes them into five general levels according to quality—”

As Yoya–Bauhinia’s teaching delved deeper, Janna finally came to understand the five classifications of the 【Threads of Desire】.

The First Level—the lowest quality—was known as the 【Thread of Thought】, representing the most ordinary wishes of intelligent beings in the universe, such as the desire to drink water when thirsty.

The Second Level, called the 【Emotional Thread】, was formed by a single desire sustained for more than three months by a sentient being.

The Third Level, the 【Thread of Obsession】, embodied intense desires that had remained unfulfilled for more than ten years.

The Fourth Level, the 【Thread of Fate】, was a powerful yearning born collectively from an entire race or civilization, capable of transcending generations.

The Fifth Level, the final and highest, was called the 【Thread of Erosion】—a reverse form of desire produced in extreme environments and situations, bordering on corruption, and capable of increasing the entropy of the universe itself.

Moreover, the methods of collecting these 【Threads of Desire】 varied according to the collector’s strength and could be divided into three categories: harvesting, extracting, and siphoning.

For a Wizard Apprentice like Janna—who had not yet condensed the 【Law Seed of Beauty】—even though she had already comprehended the 【Authority of Emotion】, she could only employ the first method: slow, one-way harvesting within the 【Sea of Obsession】…

“This scroll records all the methods for capturing the 【Threads of Desire】. Due to time constraints, I won’t show it to you now—I’ll have a messenger deliver it to you later.”

Hearing that, Janna’s eyes gleamed with yearning as she gazed at the scroll in Yoya–Bauhinia’s hand.

After all, if she could truly capture a 【Thread of Desire】, it would not only increase her supply of potion materials, but also grant her access to new knowledge.

“All right, time’s up. That’s all for today.”

“Thank you for your guidance, President.”

Before Janna could finish her words, a dense fog enveloped her once again. A sweet fragrance filled the air, and her consciousness withdrew from the dream, returning to her physical body.

“It really was fifteen minutes… So the dream’s time flow matches that of the 【Material Plane】.”

Glancing at the mechanical clock on her dorm wall, which read 12:15, Janna rubbed her temples, feeling an unusual weariness in her spirit.

“Spending too long in the 【Land of Desire】 truly consumes a vast amount of spiritual power.”

Sensing her dwindling energy, Janna abandoned the thought of re-entering the 【Land of Desire】 in spiritual form that night. Instead, she crossed her legs on the bed and began her nightly deep meditation, splitting a portion of her focus to continue condensing her 【Source Power】.

“At this rate of condensation, it won’t be long before my comprehension of the 【Fragment of the Law of Growth】 catches up to that of the 【Fragment of the Law of Beauty】.”

Thanks to the successful performance of Withering Rose, Janna’s comprehension of the 【Fragment of the Law of Beauty】 had reached forty-one percent—making it the most advanced among all her 【Law Fragments】.

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