Chapter 1041: The First Generation Elder's Appreciation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1041: The First Generation Elder's Appreciation
After seeing off Dean Mei, I could finally see clearly that this dungeon world seemed to consist of multiple overlapping layers of space, as if higher dimensions had been forcibly constructed through the vertical accumulation of spatial planes.
Their figures vanished from my sight, yet they never left the perception of my Spirit Vision.
"Curious where they went?" the First Generation Elder’s voice drifted over as she began walking toward the sea of flowers.
"A little," I replied quickly, hurrying to catch up.
"When Mei mentioned the Staff of World Destruction Plan, I had a good idea of what she was going to say next. Not long ago, she came here to talk to us about what you were doing. Was that Ancient Remnant Ice King the masterpiece of your Consciousness Incubation project?"
"Barely... though I wasn't the one who pushed it through the final step."
"Then it was Luck, wasn't it? The Main World is getting anxious," the First Generation Elder remarked.
"Yes, the Main World is indeed in quite a hurry."
In the middle of the flower sea, the First Generation Elder paused and turned to look at me, meeting my slightly hesitant gaze. "Xiao Han, are you wondering why I don't seem to take this so-called Staff of World Destruction Plan very seriously?"
"I am, a little."
"Because from start to finish, this plan has never posed any unbearable loss to the witch race itself. If it's a problem you have to face but shouldn't worry about, then treat it like the next game. You should find the joy in it, not the anxiety."
"So that's how it is?" I realized this was a difference in perspective born of a different mindset. As expected of an elder respected by the entire witch race, her vision was truly on another level.
"I thought you might argue a bit. After all, you've spent a lot of time and energy on this. Accepting such a statement is almost like negating your past achievements and the sense of accomplishment you felt, isn't it?"
"Achievements are like toys; one eventually grows tired of them. The sense of accomplishment from success is merely a momentary reward, not a shackle to bind me for a lifetime," I responded solemnly.
"You child... you really are a bit too mature for your own good, just as Mei said. Youth should have the passion of a young witch. Glory doesn't fade just because it's earned, yet in your mouth, it becomes a toy you've grown tired of?" The First Generation Elder laughed, her tone carrying a mix of gratification and helplessness.
"You should know that the things you've accomplished would be enough to make any other witch famous throughout the Void."
As she spoke, the First Generation Elder gave a gentle wave of her hand, and the entire world transformed.
The bright sky turned to night, dotted with countless stars. The flowers beneath our feet began to glow with a faint spiritual light, making it feel as though we were standing in an ocean of stars.
But I noticed something wrong instantly!
A dream!
And the flowers on the ground now radiated a familiar aura...
Dream State Soul Essence!
However, this Dream State Soul Essence was extremely dispersed. Only the tiny speck of light atop the stamens was true Dream State Soul Essence. To think it could be partitioned to such a degree!
"Xiao Han, do you see? The Dream State Soul Essence you discovered and prepared arrived at the World-Casting Courtyard even before you did. According to Mei, you were so busy that she never found the right time to bring you here."
The First Generation Elder gently plucked a deep blue flower. These were all forms manifested from information gathered within the Shallow Primitive Dream Realm.
They only took the shape of flowers; in reality, they were just a rudimentary application of Dream State Soul Essence.
"I have been a bit busy. Sister Mei wasn't wrong about that." I scratched my head, my fingers sliding through a strand of silver hair as I subconsciously toyed with the ends.
"Being busy is fine... I just hope you aren't busy without a purpose." The First Generation Elder smiled at my habit. With a soft breath, the speck of light on the flower in her hand scattered, and the petals withered away.
"Xiao Han, what do you think of the flowers here?"
"They are... beautiful. Very pretty, but also very fragile. They scatter at a touch." I leaned down to pluck one for a closer look.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't a flower, nor a plant, and certainly not a Dream State plant lifeform. It was merely a flower shaped within a dream, using Dream State Soul Essence as its core.
Once I understood the principle, I pinched the glowing speck of Dream State Soul Essence from the stamen. In my palm, the original receptacle crumbled away like dust.
Then, a brand-new flower bloomed in my hand.
"Truly worthy of being called the pioneer of Dream State life. You understood its composition the very first time you saw it." A flash of appreciation crossed the First Generation Elder's eyes.
This overlapping dream region within the World-Casting Courtyard was an experimental site for the few elders interested in Dream State Soul Essence. This sea of spiritual flowers was their masterpiece. While Dream State life wasn't a new concept to them, this was the first time they had been so close to it.
"Calling me a pioneer of Dream State life is a bit much, isn't it?"
"You are too humble. I heard you are conducting life experiments on Fool's Dream. Even if the experiment ultimately fails, no witch can shake the massive contribution you've made to the field of Dream State life."
The First Generation Elder gave me an incredibly high evaluation. Her seriousness made it clear she wasn't joking.
She then led me to a resting area.
The sea of flowers was merely the background tone of the World-Casting Courtyard, not its entirety.
As we walked, the First Generation Elder simply chatted with me. We talked about my understanding of the Primitive Dream Realm and my outlook on Dream State life. Then we moved on to my perception of self-generated mana and the recent advancement of Infinite Mana.
In her words, the topics we were casually discussing were things even she, a First Generation Elder, was intensely curious about. She had come here specifically for this.
I recalled how Dean Mei had described her—the First Generation Elder represented the concepts of academic rigor and the accumulation of knowledge. These "new toys" were things even she had never seen before.
"Normally, I would care more about Infinite Mana. The concept of mana is the absolute cornerstone for a witch. But from the moment you mentioned the concept of 'Prototype Self-Generated Mana,' I realized it had already moved beyond my scope of understanding."
"Actually, the concept of Prototype Self-Generated Mana was just something I—"
"I know, I know." The First Generation Elder reached out and gently pressed the air, silencing my explanation. "Anyone can define the unknown. So-called consensus and academic names are just matters of communication and dissemination. To be able to leap over the Great Witch Projects, delve deep into the essence of life, bypass the witch race concept and bloodline information, and construct Prototype Self-Generated Mana... I must admit, this has reached a domain that even I cannot touch."
"Ah? Is it really that profound?"
"Earlier, that Rebel Witch arrived at the World-Casting Courtyard before you. Although I didn't meet her directly, I know everything she did and said here. In her view... you have the qualifications to ascend as a Truth Witch."
"At the time, I didn't believe it."
"And now?"
"Now, I believe it a little bit." The First Generation Elder finished speaking and took a small sip of the flower tea beside her. "Do you know what the only thing you're lacking right now is?"
"Perhaps... more knowledge?"
"No... it's confidence," the Elder said.
"Confidence..." Hearing this answer, I was surprised, yet I quickly accepted it.
People who lack confidence often despise arrogance. Because of this, every moment of confidence is accompanied by intense self-reflection to ensure it doesn't turn into conceit.
"I used to disbelieve that a family of origin could have such a profound impact on a child, until I met one peculiar child after another. Now, you have reaffirmed that belief. If you had grown up in a home filled with love, Xiao Han, you would never have developed this personality."
"I think it's fine. Perhaps a different way of living would have led to a different life, but it certainly wouldn't have forged the person I am now."
"True... I suppose I was daydreaming about the impossible." The First Generation Elder was momentarily stunned by my response. Seeming to understand something, she dropped the subject.
"Let's talk about something else. For instance, the Fool's Dream you care about most. You mentioned them briefly just now, but what stuck with me most was what that child Mei said—that you even tore apart the Great Spellbook she gave you for the sake of the Fool's Dream. With that kind of resolve, you must have quite the ambition, don't you?"
"Yes. My idea is simple: I just want the Fool's Dream to become living beings."
"That idea is anything but simple. As far as I know, before the Fool's Dream were entrusted to you, many witches were completely helpless regarding them. I imagine when Mei gave them to you, she did so with the mindset of letting you do whatever you wanted with them."
"That... seems to be the case."
I recalled the scene back then. Dean Mei really hadn't cared much about the Fool's Dream, even asking if I wanted to use them as a servant army or something.
"Perhaps... Dean Mei never imagined I would come this far," I said half-jokingly.
"If you truly open up a brand-new field of Dream State life using the Fool's Dream, then Mei's actions will likely be recorded as a stroke of genius in witch history. At the very least, she delivered the right Fool's Dream to the right little witch."
"Haha... surely it won't go that far?"
"Why wouldn't it?" The Elder laughed. "To leave a major turning point in witch history—she'll be too happy for words."
"But speaking of the Fool's Dream, have you encountered any difficulties in your life experiments? Although we are at the same starting line regarding Dream State life, as the First Generation Elder, I have accumulated a vast amount of data regarding life experiments. Knowledge is interconnected. If there is something you don't understand, you can come and ask me directly. Even if I don't know the answer... I believe my accumulation of knowledge can at least provide you with some inspiration."
"Really!" My eyes widened in pleasant surprise. In terms of inspiration, revelations, ideas, and the skills I possessed, I felt I had enough to complete the Fool's Dream life experiment.
But the wisdom of a scholar built upon a mountain of knowledge was exactly what I needed!
I had already mastered the knowledge within the Academy through the Tree of Great Knowledge, but in the fields I was now touching, that student-level knowledge was no longer enough to support my research. I had been forced to slowly practice, discover, and summarize everything myself to form new techniques.
If I had such a knowledgeable scholar acting as my mentor, it would save me an immense amount of time and energy!
"Naturally."
The First Generation Elder was very satisfied with my reaction. At the very least, this young girl, even with her self-deprecation buff, wasn't so arrogant that she wouldn't listen to advice or teaching. She had seen many geniuses—or rather, being a genius was merely the minimum requirement to meet her. She had met witches of all personalities and fields, including many who refused to listen to her counsel. Geniuses had their own pride; she understood that.
She reached out, and a magical pattern condensed from mana, looking like a rune, formed in the air.
"Take this. This is the permission to enter and exit the World-Casting Courtyard. If you run into something you don't understand, come find me."
"Thank you, First Generation Elder!"
I took the spell rune with both hands. It was like a key that could open the gates to this dungeon world. From the moment I entered the World-Casting Courtyard, I could feel it was on a completely different level from the one I owned. The spatial stability alone was daunting.
If my dungeon world was a public park that anyone with the coordinates could enter using their own methods, then this World-Casting Courtyard... even leaving it right now would be difficult for me!
Of course, that difficulty was mainly on the spatial level; reverse summoning spells were an exception.
"No need for thanks. It's rare to see a junior with such talent in the Academy; it's only natural to give you a hand." Seeing me accept the pattern, she dropped the formalities.
"Do you have any questions you want to ask now? While I'm in a good mood, feel free to ask whatever is on your mind."
"As for questions... I certainly have some." Seeing the opportunity, my mind immediately began racing.
What I needed most was to ask about the creation of the Life Sequence for the Fool's Dream. However, since the Elder had called me the pioneer of Dream State life, it meant she had no prior experience in that specific area.
Refining my needs, the information I required became clear.
"Could I see some data regarding Life Consciousness and interpretations of Life Sequences?"
After all, my understanding of these two was entirely based on my own practical experience. I needed professional, authoritative data to fill in the gaps in my common sense and foundational knowledge. Otherwise, my current research felt like it was standing on shaky ground—it was difficult, and many things felt untethered.
"Consciousness and Life Sequences..."
Hearing those keywords, the First Generation Elder quickly fell into thought.
Before long, she snapped back to the present. She reached out, and the power of a Great Knowledge Seed manifested, condensing into a rune for the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell.