Chapter 1118: Taking the Bait
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1118: Taking the Bait
Before long, Dinah and Sheryl were each cradling a Fool's Dream egg in their arms.
Sheryl felt a strange, complex swirl of emotions. Perhaps this was the first time she had experienced such a feeling since becoming a Rebel Witch... but as she savored it, it didn't seem so bad.
Because of their unique individualistic perspectives, Rebel Witches never had fixed companions. They were merely a group of collaborators brought together by the same goals, ideals, and beliefs—but that was a completely different concept from having true traveling companions.
"True Fool's Dream lifeforms... they all possess the talent for Dreamification, don't they?" Sheryl asked instinctively.
Having been a Rebel Witch for so long, her first instinct was to ensure no one became a burden to her. However, the relationship between them and Yu Cha was undeniably subtle.
Previously, she had thought it would be nice enough just to have Yu Cha as a "friend" in the Main World. But if the Fool's Dream race mastered Dreamification, that miraculous ability would ensure they remained in a state of "pseudo-invincibility" whenever necessary.
"Yes. Dreamification is a bloodline talent of the Fool's Dream race—the kind that cannot be grafted," I said, meeting Sheryl's gaze. I saw through her thoughts and concerns in an instant, so I added, "To master this talent, the threshold is that one's life essence must be transformed into a dream-state soul."
"I see... I was overthinking things. Still, I didn't expect your insight to be this sharp. For a moment there, I even had the illusion that I couldn't block your prying eyes," Sheryl remarked with a sigh of admiration.
"I'm a body cultivator—specifically, one who has mastered Five Senses perception," I explained casually. I had originally wanted to say it wasn't an illusion, but I felt that would be a bit too much of a flex, so I kept it to myself.
"Among the powerful body cultivators I know, very few can reach your level," Sheryl praised. "By the way, since the Fool's Dream has become a life race... what about their Primal Progenitor?"
Though Sheryl wasn't deeply versed in academia, she was familiar with basic information. Any race that had never before existed in the Void would have a Primal Progenitor at its birth.
The potential of any race's Primal Progenitor was immense. They weren't necessarily terrifyingly strong at the start, but their potential was maxed out. If one were to talk about the upper limits of that potential, the "Primal Witches" of the witch race were the ultimate examples.
However, many Primal Progenitors never lived long enough to become as powerful as a Primal Witch. Between premature deaths and others coveting their Primal Power, the path to growth for any race's progenitor was fraught with hardship.
"The Fool's Dream race has no Primal Progenitor... they only have me, their Sage Sister."
"A Sage...?" Sheryl looked at me. Although she didn't quite understand what it meant to have no Primal Progenitor, she figured it was for the best. If there wasn't one, great; if there was, it was better not to let it show.
Sheryl glanced at the four Fool's Dream creatures nearby. No matter how she looked at them, these little ones didn't seem like Primal Progenitors.
"It's better that way. Primal Power draws the greed of many powerful entities. Even if there is no Primal Progenitor, it's best not to flaunt that power too openly," Sheryl added, still feeling a bit uneasy.
After all, she was aware of the concept of the "Primal Great Fool's Dream Spell."
* * *
With matters settled there, I left the Witch Cat Café.
Sister Dinah would help me spread certain information regarding this incident. If you wanted to know what kind of intelligence traveled fastest among witches, the answer was undoubtedly gossip!
With Dinah intentionally fanning the flames, various rumors quickly began to circulate. Sifting through the fluff, some of the content was so rare and intriguing that even witches in the academic circles couldn't sit still.
Among the Transcendent Witches in the academy, there were different circles and tiers. Some were lazy, some were effectively retired, and others focused solely on academia, seeking the comfort and stability of the Main World.
Normally, as an ordinary Transcendent Witch who wasn't even in the Saint Realm, Dinah would find it difficult to break into those higher circles. However, that didn't mean witches of that level didn't occasionally browse gossip circles to relax.
As they scrolled through their groups, several witches immediately noticed the core issue.
Xiao Han has made a major breakthrough in the field of dream life!
The mass-produced dream lifeforms, the 'Fool's Dream,' might become the first true dream lifeforms in existence!
Since this was "spreading news on orders," the goal was simply to attract attention; the exact ratio of truth to fiction didn't matter.
After being lectured by that Rebel Witch, Dinah realized just how significant the emergence of dream life was. This information could be revealed, but it couldn't look like she was the one leaking it.
Under Dinah's guidance, the topic shifted toward the Nightmare Workshop. According to "reliable sources," Dream State Soul Essence and dream-state souls would become vital materials for the birth of dream life.
Upon her return, Xiao Han had immediately expressed her intention to iterate and upgrade the Dream State Soul Essence preparation techniques of the Nightmare Workshop.
During this time, Dinah also inserted some tearful complaints about the "fainting incident" involving the Fool's Dream creatures, hinting at some behind-the-scenes drama.
The lay-witches just listened for the gossip, but the professional witches looked past the surface to the essence. The Fool's Dream incident likely meant that Xiao Han had indeed taken a major step forward in the field of dream life.
No one knew exactly how far she had gone, and asking Dinah yielded no further useful information.
Then came the main event.
Dinah gave a moving, tearful account of the incident, claiming that someone had secretly made off with the bodies of three Fool's Dream creatures, which had dealt a heavy blow to Xiao Han.
Transcendent Witches preferred to communicate via the Primal Dream. Although the Great Knowledge Seeds had become widespread among them, a few years wasn't enough to change the habits of the majority. Furthermore, in the Primal Dream, they could interact with witches outside the Main World. The Great Knowledge Seeds were currently limited to the Main World, which was a significant restriction.
Concepts like Dream State Soul Essence and dream life had already spread among specific groups in the Primal Dream. Since those witches weren't in the Main World themselves, they could only communicate through that medium.
"Make it clear! Are you saying a witch stole the Fool's Dream shells?"
"What is going on in the Main World? Isn't this academic theft? How can such a trend be allowed to grow!"
"This must be punished severely! So, how is Xiao Han now? Is it true what you said about her upgrading the Dream State Soul Essence preparation techniques?"
"This kind of thing absolutely cannot be tolerated!"
As Dinah lamented her failure to protect the Fool's Dream bodies, she didn't even have to guide the conversation further. Many witches began to clamor and protest spontaneously.
Dinah's acting was superb, but who among those present wasn't a witch who had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years? Who couldn't read the social nuances?
Thus, the situation rapidly accelerated in the direction Dinah desired. The witches leading the discussion were even "big shots" she usually couldn't even strike up a conversation with!
Now that these "titans" were speaking up, Dinah felt somewhat overwhelmed by the favor. Usually, these figures only appeared as silent "listeners."
However, after they promised to help, the topic gradually turned toward the technical iterations.
If Xiao Han was in trouble, they were certainly willing to help for free. But even if they were "willing to take the bait" in this obvious "fishing" attempt, they didn't want to act like fools. They didn't mind helping, but they didn't want to be deceived—at least, they didn't want to feel like they were being played.
"Oh my~ Of course it's true~ I don't know the technical details, but don't you all trust Xiao Han?"
Dinah had come prepared. With Xiao Han's permission, she shared a clip of Xiao Han's previous feat: the conversion of a soul crystal into a dream-state soul.
When the footage was presented to them, it elicited a chorus of "Whoa!"
Setting aside the later content, the mere technique of sublimating soul essence into a soul was something not just anyone could achieve. It was clearly not a technique recorded in any currently known Great Soul Subject.
Then came the disappearance of the soul, the dream overlap, and finally, the manifestation of the dream-state soul.
The impact of this process was simply too great!
They hadn't even fully figured out Dream State Soul Essence yet, and Xiao Han was already playing with dream-state souls.
And that wasn't even the most critical part...
The most critical part was that the raw material for this conversion into a dream-state soul was an actual soul!
"Has Xiao Han mastered the mutual conversion between souls and dream-state souls?!"
"Speak up! Is it true? Is this real? Don't you dare use a composite image to trick us!"
Dinah was suddenly surrounded by a group of witches she couldn't afford to offend. Their excited expressions made her look as if they were about to shake her apart.
"It's... it's true! How would I dare lie?!" Dinah cried out, pleading for mercy. She then pointed to another figure in the footage. "Look at this person... this... this is a Rebel Witch. I wouldn't dare spread rumors involving a Rebel Witch..."
"A Rebel Witch?"
As those words left her lips, many witches froze. The expressions of some even shifted instantly.
"A Rebel Witch?! Why is there a Rebel Witch involved in this? What are those lunatics up to?"
"I heard the Rebel Witches have been making big moves lately, all targeted at the Main World. They aren't going to move against Xiao Han, are they? Dammit... what do those brutes want? I'm going to protect Xiao Han personally!"
"Xiao Han is absolutely a genius among geniuses. Her talent in the field of the Primitive Dream Realm is unique! Nothing can be allowed to happen to her!"
"Calm down! Everyone, stay calm! Don't make things more difficult for Xiao Han!"
Dinah shouted weakly from the side. The situation seemed to have exceeded her expectations and her range of control.
"Xiao Han hates trouble the most!"
As Dinah's voice barely managed to drown out the other witches, they finally snapped back to reality.
"How about... how about everyone helps Xiao Han find the stolen Fool's Dream shells first? That would be a huge help to her."
* * *
After leaving the Witch Cat Café, I didn't head straight to the Nightmare Workshop in the Expansion Realm. After all, some things needed time to ferment.
Sheryl, the Rebel Witch, was still following me.
"By the way, why are you still following me?"
"I'm just curious to see what else you'll do. After all, you disappeared from the Main World for so long without a word. You must have missed a lot of things."
"I have a life clone, so I'm indifferent to the passage of time. My experience and perspective on the Main World never skipped a beat during that period," I explained.
"Oh~ I almost forgot. I keep thinking of your life clone as just a regular clone. Now that you mention it, I suppose I was overthinking again." Sheryl chuckled softly and said no more.
"It seems you've picked a failed topic of conversation. If you have something to say, just say it. I have Body Cultivation Heart Sense. There's no need to beat around the bush. Otherwise, I'll clearly feel the mental process of you awkwardly searching for a topic just to bridge the gap."
"Is Heart Sense really that all-powerful?" Sheryl gave an awkward smile and couldn't help but complain.
"Theoretically, yes. It is the most critical concept in body cultivation and the one that provides the greatest revelation," I said, my gaze deep.
After all, when my body-cultivation-focused life clone was discussing the "Basics of Perfect Human Body Cultivation" with Sister Bai, I had felt it very clearly.
Heart Sense was definitely the pivotal turning point for body cultivation methods.
Hearing my words, Sheryl gave a polite but awkward smile. She seemed to be getting used to Xiao Han randomly dropping a bunch of incomprehensible professional knowledge and profound interpretations.
"Fine... I won't keep you in suspense. Xiao Han, aren't you curious about what we've been busy with lately?"
"Busy with what...? I'd guess collecting intelligence on the Main World, and perhaps communicating and exchanging info with the Rebel Witch sisters in the Void?"
"Mm... that is indeed one thing I'm doing, but it's not the main thing. Xiao Han... do you know?" Sheryl's voice became low and mysterious. "Because of your existence, many witches are starting to go crazy over you~"
"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.
"Do you remember the questions I asked you when we first met?"
"Questions? I remember." My memory went back to the scene of that "Teaching Assistant Hunt" exchange competition. At that time, I didn't even know the witch in front of me was a Rebel Witch.
"It was a question you asked and answered yourself. Do you remember the answer you gave?" Sheryl continued.
(Chapter 695)
"When you are caught in an unpredictable, unavoidable vortex, and you are simply too valuable, a group of people will inevitably do whatever it takes to protect you... You were right!"
"You are too valuable. And we will indeed do whatever it takes to protect you, to be your safety net, and to push you onto an even grander stage."