Chapter 1040: The Staff of World Destruction Plan and the First Generation Elder
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1040: The Staff of World Destruction Plan and the First Generation Elder
Once the conversation returned to the main topic at hand:
"The Staff of World Destruction Plan is essentially a deterrence plan led by the Wizards. Its execution consists of only three stages. The Wizards use this—the Spiral Geocentric Observation Tower, if my analysis of their terminology is correct—to observe the World Navel of the Main World."
"The specific principles remain unclear, but derivative analysis seems to point back to the Transcendent Invasion War from a thousand years ago. With the Wizards coordinating the observation, the Afuhemi Forest Elves are able to use the World Tree to briefly capture the World Navel."
"As for the power to sever the World Navel..."
At this point, I opened the world map of the Main World's Core World. I finally understood why the Holy Angel Academy shared a border with the Afuhemi Forest Elves.
"It is the faith in the Holy Light held by the people of the Main World. This action aligns perfectly with what Ning described—being killed by the very sword one holds in their own hand."
I then clicked on the locations of the Holy Light Cathedrals across the Main World. Instantly, dense clusters of markers occupied the entire Core World!
The only empty patch was over the Blood Slave Peninsula.
That was because an indiscriminate blood sacrifice massacre had just taken place there.
The truth seemed incredibly simple, yet it explained many of the strategic layouts of the Three Top Academies.
The Afuhemi Forest Elves had taken in so many elf-affiliated races, using the World Tree branches of those races as anchors to provide a "grafting" foundation for the Afuhemi World Tree.
If the Sun Rock Elf Academy hadn't been wiped out so quickly, the Afuhemi Academy would likely have been jumping for joy!
In fact, one could tell from my previous conversation with the Transcendent Elves just how much these smaller elven races were being oppressed in the Main World.
I had only snapped at them a few times, and they had taken the opportunity to leave, even leaving their World Tree branches behind. That in itself was highly abnormal.
As for the Holy Angels... they were obsessed with proselytizing and building Holy Light Cathedrals. No one had spotted anything unusual in that behavior.
However, from what we currently knew, the Holy Angel Academy consisted of a fixed campus and Holy Light Floating Islands that drifted in the sky.
Rumor had it that these floating islands carried the source of power for all Holy Angels, gathering the faith of the world's people.
I pulled up the general architectural layout of the Holy Angel Academy, including those floating islands.
When we saw those islands encircling the central, massive core island—and realized that the core island was shaped like a giant sword of judgment...
Its purpose became blindingly obvious.
"This matter is too important..."
Having understood the details of the plan, Dean Mei realized the gravity of the situation. She didn't even dare to convene an internal academy meeting, fearing the information might leak.
However, now that the plan had been revealed, Mei had already thought of several countermeasures. The finer details and the execution, however, still required careful deliberation.
"By the way... my deal with the Main World was for the location of the World Navel, right? This seems to be just a plan." I knew, however, that this was the extent of the information in Ning's mind.
"Regardless, given the current situation, the Main World Consciousness likely won't dare to make any major moves. This is essentially the predicament the Main World faces, and for us, it's enough."
"True. I was perhaps too fixated on the literal terms of the trade," I explained.
This was inherently an unequal exchange. Even if the Main World escaped the fire of the Three Top Academies, it would only fall into the clutches of the Witches.
But at this moment, if It didn't break free from the Three Transcendent Races, It would truly die!
It didn't matter what would happen once It fell into the Witches' hands; at least the Witch race promised to develop the Main World and had the World Repair Technique as a safety net.
If It didn't take a gamble now, there would be no chance left.
"So, Sister Mei, do you plan to call a meeting to discuss this and draft a feasible plan?" I asked.
"No, not this time." Dean Mei shook her head, rejecting the idea. "We cannot blindly convene a meeting. If even a shred of this leaks out, the consequences will be dire."
"Within the Witch Academy... there are..."
"I don't know. After all... a Betrayer Rebel Witch doesn't write those words on her forehead." Dean Mei sighed as she spoke candidly.
"I told you~ places that are too comfortable for retirement always produce a few witches with loose screws," Sheryl said with a smile, as if making a casual observation.
"Perhaps..." Only when facing this unavoidable issue did Mei find herself unable to refute the Rebel Witch's words.
"So, do you plan to go there?"
"There?" I looked at Sheryl curiously, wondering where she meant.
"Xiao Han doesn't know?"
"Should I?"
"Oh~?" Sheryl looked at Mei Lind with a half-smile, as if saying: I told you that you should have taken Xiao Han there at least once.
"It's the World-Casting Courtyard, a massive dungeon world. Many entities reside there—Great Witches whom even I must address as seniors. That Dean Serena Politzer you know is one of them, and she's considered part of the younger generation there."
"But she doesn't even rank among the top~" Sheryl chimed in.
"The... the Academy actually has such a foundation?" I ignored the Rebel Witch's comment about not ranking and stared at Dean Mei with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Witches whom Dean Mei called "senior"—such existences were living legacies just by being there!
They were treasures far more precious than pure resources, knowledge, or books.
"Are... are there Truth Witches among those seniors?" I asked tentatively.
"Pfft—hahaha!" Sheryl was the first to burst out laughing at my question.
"How could that be? Truth Witches don't stay in the Main World to serve as a foundation for future development. They are always at the absolute front lines, pioneering the Unknowable domains." Mei Lind's face darkened as she said, "Besides, if an existence like a Truth Witch came here even once, the Main World wouldn't have nearly this much trouble."
"Oh, right!" I nodded quickly, realizing I had misspoken.
After all, my understanding of the Witch race was mostly limited to ordinary Transcendent Witches, Little Witches, Truth Witches, and Primal Witches.
But given the Witches' characteristic of eternal lifespans, those who had existed for a very long time would naturally be the race's sturdiest foundation.
"So, Xiao Han, don't be too ambitious. Regardless of anything else, respect for your seniors must come first." After saying this, Mei Lind shot a glare at Sheryl.
"I understand."
After a few brief introductions, Dean Mei was already eager to head over.
Her intention was to take me with her. Even Ning, who had no connection to the Witch race, would be coming along.
The matter was of such great importance that, if possible, it was best not to let more Witches know.
No one could be sure if this would be treated as gossip. Even if not explicitly stated, a boastful hint could leak vital information.
They couldn't afford to provoke the Transcendent Races any further.
Dean Mei had already decided that after this temporary entry into the World-Casting Courtyard, the Witch Academy would internally announce the failure of the experiment.
The Qi Observation Art project would be transferred to the Core World and sealed.
The experiment would have only one product: the World Guardian known as the Ancient Remnant Ice King.
Doing this would undoubtedly cause disappointment and frustration among many Witches, as everyone had been full of confidence during the process.
But the Witch Academy had failed many times before; one more wouldn't make a difference.
Moreover, the truth wasn't entirely unspeakable—at least, it could be shared with Witches who were completely trustworthy.
Like... Bai Yu.
On the way, Dean Mei gave me several pointers on what to watch out for, which was essentially a brief orientation.
"In the World-Casting Courtyard, the seniors are very free-spirited. You won't necessarily see everyone every time you go."
"What you need to know is that among these seniors, there are those whom even they must call 'Elders.' These Elders in the World-Casting Courtyard are divided into two titles."
"For example, the senior witch we revere as the First Casting Elder is a transcendent existence representing the peak of combat power and technique. 'First Casting' is just a code name; names have no meaning for witches of that level. There are also the Second Casting Elder and Third Casting Elder. They all represent the pinnacle of combat and skill, though they specialize in different fields, such as casting or alchemy—and alchemy itself has many branches."
"The other title is the First Generation Elder. They represent academic research and the accumulation of knowledge. They are the most highly respected Academic Witches."
"That is the origin of the World-Casting Courtyard. Xiao Han, once we're inside, don't go around calling everyone 'Sister.' Even though they look very young, their mindsets are different. In the Academy, most witches might enjoy being called that, but for Elders and seniors, that kind of mental shift and accumulation makes such petty cleverness backfire."
"I understand!" I nodded vigorously, signaling my comprehension.
If not for Dean Mei's lecture, I might have called the first "sister" I saw there exactly that...
I felt that if I really did that, the seniority levels would become a mess—though Witches generally didn't harp on seniority.
Once lifespans stretched long enough, "seniority" became impossible to track!
Witches with an age gap of thousands or tens of thousands of years might still spark a romance, so if you really wanted to talk about generations... well.
But when it reached the level of "Elders," it wasn't just about age; it represented their contributions, achievements, and accumulation. Only those widely recognized and respected by the Witch race could make other Witches willingly call them "Senior" or "Elder."
As we followed Dean Mei to a place I had never been before, I knew that another hidden veil of the Witch Academy was being lifted for me.
This was a very secluded area, housing many Dungeon Cores. The core representing the "World-Casting Courtyard" was at the very depths.
The gates opened for us.
The moment I stepped inside, I felt a sensation completely different from the dungeon world I possessed.
It was as if this world were more "vivid"!
Immediately after, I felt several sweeps of mental power pass over us. They vanished in an instant, feeling almost like an illusion.
"This is the World-Casting Courtyard?" I sensed the natural aura here; the air carried a unique fragrance.
"Yes, this is the World-Casting Courtyard."
Dean Mei led me forward, giving me a brief tour until a figure appeared at the end of a short path.
She was so easy to overlook that it wasn't until we drew close and saw a sea of flowers before us that her presence suddenly registered in our perception.
"It's... it's the First Generation Elder!" Mei Lind's eyes widened in disbelief!
Under normal circumstances, the First Casting Elder and the First Generation Elder did not show themselves. Even as a Dean, she had only seen these Elders a handful of times.
The last time she had accompanied Sheryl here, they had only met the Third Casting Elder.
"Little Mei is here again, and she's brought some interesting little guests." The First Generation Elder didn't possess the oppressive aura Dean Mei had described. She seemed as simple as a girl next door, radiating an inexplicable sense of affinity.
"Greetings, First Generation Elder." I hurriedly offered my respects. Not just me—even the Rebel Witch Sheryl beside me reined in her previous flippancy.
"If I recall correctly, your name is Xiao Han, yes? I've been hearing quite a bit about your exploits lately. Little Mei has finally seen fit to bring you here."
The First Generation Elder gave a gentle wave, signaling for us to follow.
In her words, it sounded as if the Dean had been demoted to the same generation as me...
Soon, however, a different kind of scenery within the sea of flowers caught my eye.
Dean Mei took the opportunity to explain the primary reason for our sudden intrusion.
"First Generation Elder, I have come today primarily to report the specific details of the Staff of World Destruction Plan. This matter has massive implications."
"That matter?" Upon hearing about the Staff of World Destruction Plan, the First Generation Elder clearly gave it some weight, but she didn't seem overly concerned.
"You should discuss the details of that with First Casting first. I came out today mainly to see Xiao Han. I trust you don't mind if I borrow Xiao Han from you for a while? Just to have some tea and a chat."
"This... of course, I have no objection..."
"And what about you, Xiao Han?" The First Generation Elder turned her gaze toward me.
"Me? Of course, I'd be honored!" I nodded quickly. It seemed that this First Generation Elder valued me even more than the so-called Staff of World Destruction Plan!