Chapter 1138: Iteration of the Dream State Soul Essence Preparation Technique
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1138: Iteration of the Dream State Soul Essence Preparation Technique
"Xiao Han, have you already developed... no, wait. Have you already planned out its future derivative effects based on the characteristics of the current spell?"
"Well... I can't say I have yet, but I'm optimistic about its future development," I said, shaking my head honestly.
"Fair enough. I was just curious—can the effects of the Great Ordinary Spell be applied to targets other than yourself?"
"We haven't tested that yet~ Sister Mei, don't overthink it. You'll only give yourself unnecessary stress."
"True. I doubt I can give you many useful suggestions regarding the effects of the Great Ordinary Spell from here on out. The only advice I can offer is for you to head over to the World-Casting Courtyard and see if you can run into the First Generation Elder."
"Don't worry~ If I get the chance, I'll definitely go have a chat with the First Generation Elders!"
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. I've been here quite a while, and I need to get back to business. After all, you lot caused quite a stir at the Holy Angel Academy. I need to help clean up the aftermath."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Mei~"
"Mhm. I'll leave this experimental base to you for now; consider it your permanent laboratory. I'm off."
After bidding farewell to Dean Mei, only Sister Bai and I remained.
"Sister Bai~" I walked over to her side and said, "Isn't it a coincidence? The birth of the Great Ordinary Spell might just be a brand-new breakthrough for us to perfect the framework and foundation of Perfect Human Body Cultivation~"
"Really?"
Sister Bai was genuinely happy for me—partly because I had created another Great Spellbook, and partly because I had found a completely new line of thinking.
"Now, I'm in no rush. I'll wait for my main body to return, transfer the Great Ordinary Spell over, and then slowly recultivate to complete the foundation."
"Speaking of which, Xiao Han, completing the foundation shouldn't make a difference whether it's you or a clone, right? For you, the most important things are the experience of how to do it and the sensation once it's done. Do you really have to wait for the main body?" Sister Bai asked.
"Well~ although there's no difference between the main body and the clones, the main body holds the integration of all transcendent systems. The more foundations that need completing, the better. Besides, the Main World is currently in a state of upheaval, and I need to participate in the turning points of its history."
"But having the main body intervene directly would be overkill. So, I plan to let this Spell Cultivation Clone of mine participate in the Main World's transformation. It'll allow me to hone and practice various spells while the main body handles more important matters."
"More important matters?" Sister Bai asked curiously.
"Yeah~ I promised to iterate the Dream State Soul Essence Preparation Technique. I can't put it off any longer," I said with a helpless shrug.
Of course, I chose to do this because I wanted to complete this reference as quickly as possible to accumulate experience. In the future, when building the Fool's Dream life cycle in the Land of Fool's Dream, the Dream State Soul Essence conversion would be an indispensable link.
"True... I think I've had a few sisters subtly asking me about that lately."
"Huh? They've already started pestering you, Sister Bai?"
"It's not exactly pestering. They're just trying to fish for information. They wouldn't dare rush you; if you got annoyed and quit, all their hopes would be for nothing."
"I'm not that untrustworthy."
* * *
Holy Angel Academy.
A shocking truth was revealed during this Academy War. Some of the Saint Angels, unable to bear it, even showed signs of their Holy Spirits collapsing.
"I am no longer qualified to wield the Authority of Holy Light. Do not grieve for me. All of this is for the sake of the final spark. I cast myself into the path of the Witch to ensure your return to the embrace of the Holy Light."
"Enough! we don't want to hear such excuses! Why... why did you do this?! It's not like we were desperate to just cling to life. Isn't it just sacrifice? Did you think none of us were prepared for that?!"
When the Saint Angel finished speaking, the reaction they expected didn't happen. No other Saint Angel echoed their sentiment.
Not every Saint Angel could face death with equanimity.
"That is why you are the spark that the Saint Angel race should value most... Do you remember what I said? I will fight for a slim chance of survival for the Saint Angel race. Outside the Main World, it is crawling with Transcendent Witches, and even Rebel Witches. As time passes, there will only be more. We have no way back. The only path is... the Witch Contract."
"I know this isn't the ending you hoped for, but this ending doesn't belong to you alone. Live on with them, in the form of Saint Angels!"
"This is... a divine oracle issued to you with the Authority of Holy Light!"
The Saint Angel whom all others addressed as "Dean" took out the Authority of Holy Light that represented the Main World's pioneering and garrisoning. Carrying the final decree, she returned it to the true Saint Angel race.
Because from the moment she emerged from seclusion, she was no longer a Saint Angel, but... a Saint Angel Witch.
As the Authority of Holy Light was handed over, the Holy Light Divine Kingdom domain began to disintegrate.
With the collapse of the Divine Kingdom, the vast number of Saint Angels reappeared.
Having witnessed the entire process, I had a vague idea of what had transpired during this time.
Seeing the Authority of Holy Light unique to the Saint Angels complete its transfer, a new Holy Light Archangel had been born.
That Saint Angel, entwined in a mess of complex and tragic emotions, was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. They proactively transformed into a Holy Spirit, using that state to avoid the weakness inherent in being an emotional lifeform.
I didn't step forward to provoke them. Although I was confident they couldn't kill me, since the rules of the game were set, there was no need to cause unnecessary complications.
After all, to me, this "play" was optional, but to the Main World, it was of paramount importance.
This was a ritual titled "Exit and Curtain Call."
At that moment, I met the gaze of the "Old Dean." Her expression was complex, but in the end, she nodded to me.
Then, my gaze met the new Saint Angel wielding the Authority of Holy Light. Feeling the intense hatred they harbored for me—and their utter helplessness to do anything about it—I felt a secret sense of satisfaction. However, I also knew it was time for me to make my exit.
The Holy Angel Academy hadn't fallen. The next act of the script was the destruction of the Holy Light Church.
This was a grand play that involved the entire world.
On the surface, they would use "heretical faith" to pin down the Faith-based Sword of World Destruction, break the Holy Light, destroy the churches, spread word of the Saint Angels' sins, and stir up the indignation of the Main World's people.
By using the destruction of the Holy Light Church as a means, they would undermine the steadfastness of faith. After all, the theory that "faith is toxic" was technically sound.
Once the anchors of Holy Light faith across the Main World were destroyed, and the collective disgust, hatred, and scorn for the Holy Light were gathered, this reverse application of faith would be the decisive blow to shatter the Faith-based Sword of World Destruction!
Having no reason to stay at the Holy Angel Academy any longer, I teleported directly back to the Witch Academy.
After handing over the Great Ordinary Spell, my Life Clone, who possessed all my spellbooks, rushed out of the academy.
Once I activated the backup plan, the territories under the Witch Academy's influence immediately began purging the Holy Light churches.
Before long, the ruin of the Holy Light faith would be a settled matter.
Even in the Wizard and Elven territories, it was the same. In the end, it was just a game between families. Faced with a "world-ending" crisis, someone would always step up.
After all, those who could benefit from the lie of "restarting the world" were a tiny minority.
"As expected... I still feel quite out of place after losing my transcendent power."
After handing over the Great Ordinary Spell, I moved around a bit, gradually adapting to being ordinary.
Now was the time to settle down and slowly complete my foundation.
The ability that needed completing most was none other than the "Perfect Human Five Senses"!
Under the suppression of the ordinary boundary, I could more clearly understand what constituted a foundational improvement versus a cultivation improvement.
This ability to constantly remind oneself of the importance of the foundation was, in the end, just one "use" of the spell's effect, not the whole of it.
The current Great Ordinary Spell was much like the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art had been at the start.
When a spell effect was applied, it was very "generalized."
"Wisdom Enlightenment" was like that, and "Ordinary" was even more so.
The Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art might have had more possibilities, but I had dismantled it to create the current Land of Fool's Dream. That power was both the source of the Fool's Dream Clan and my exploration of the domain of Life.
Now, I only had the Great Ordinary Spell.
To perform sequence derivation on it and create more possibilities, the first requirement was inspiration.
Inspiration stems from one's most primal inner desires and longings.
What did I want the Great Ordinary Spell to be?
Once deployed, everyone returns to being ordinary. No matter how powerful you are, we all share the same foundation.
But such a desire must compromise with reality. After the compromise, that desire becomes the most precious guidance in spell derivation.
You must believe you can achieve something before you can try to do it. As for whether you succeed, that ceases to be important the moment you start.
"Sister Bai~ I'll be needing a lot of help from you from now on~ After all, I'm technically just a normal little witch now, the kind without a speck of power." I pulled on Sister Bai's arm, acting spoiled.
"Alright~ So, what does Xiao Han want to do next?" Sister Bai asked, her spirits high.
Bai Yu really liked Xiao Han in this state. It wasn't that she wanted Xiao Han to lose her power, but rather that she didn't feel the usual pressure when facing this "ordinary" Xiao Han.
She could interact with Xiao Han in a more relaxed, even dominant, manner.
"Mhm, first to the Nightmare Workshop in the Expansion Realm. It's time to expand that place," I said, opening the page where the Tree of Great Knowledge interfaced with the academy network.
The effect of the Great Ordinary Spell had a strong suppressive effect even against other Great Spellbooks. Currently, the Tree of Great Knowledge was only providing its most basic functions.
However, that didn't stop me from contacting Sister Dinah.
I planned to have Sister Dinah help me spread the word that I was going to iterate the Dream State Soul Essence Preparation Technique. After all, there were probably too many witches waiting for this news to even sleep well, right?
This was also a way to fulfill my promise—at least it gave them something to look forward to.
"Doing that first? I thought you planned to perfect the Perfect Human Five Senses first, Xiao Han."
"Actually, they don't conflict. Cultivating the five senses can be done at any time; you know that, Sister Bai. So, iterating the technique won't stop me from perfecting the Perfect Human Five Senses. If the definition of the Perfect Human Five Senses isn't perfected, how can we push forward with the Awakening Body Cultivation experiments? Right, Sister Bai?"
"True. It's just hard on those students still participating in the experiments," Sister Bai said.
"If they can't take it, they can leave. Besides, I've already said that the time span for this experiment is uncertain. They can cultivate on their own, but once I update the experimental progress, they must keep up immediately."
"Well said. No one is begging them to walk the path of cultivation, especially when we're blazing a brand-new trail." Sister Bai nodded in agreement; she really liked my current attitude.
"By the way, Xiao Han, since you're currently under the effect of the Great Ordinary Spell, how are you going to iterate the technique?" Sister Bai suddenly asked, as if just realizing the problem.
"You're overthinking it, Sister Bai. You said it yourself—it's a technique, not a spell. The essence of this special technique is using special power to achieve special things. That means I don't have to do it personally."
Recalling how I had hand-crafted all the equipment inside the Nightmare Workshop myself made me feel exhausted.
Now... it was time for others to help me!
The reason I asked Sister Dinah to spread the news was precisely to see who was paying the closest attention.
When the time came, they could help craft the equipment to carry the special technique.
As for the power to carry the special technique... Fool's Dream, of course!
Up until now, all the techniques I mastered originated from the power of the original Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art. That Great Spellbook had gone through a lot of turmoil to eventually become the Land of Fool's Dream, but the essence of its power remained unchanged.
Therefore, for the command of power, I would need the Fool's Dream spirits to cooperate with me.
This was something I had planned long ago. After all, helping the Fool's Dream spirits shape a unique transcendent power system was a part of the plans I had recorded in my memos.
While on the surface, "Dreamification" and the concept of dream spells were the future power system for the Fool's Dream spirits, the techniques I could master were essentially things they could master as well. I didn't mind teaching them.
After all, the power the Fool's Dream spirits wielded shared the same source as mine. That was the foundation of everything.
I didn't expect every Fool's Dream spirit to learn or understand these techniques; as long as they knew how to use them, or if some of them could use them, that would be enough.
One could say I gave most of my favoritism to the Fool's Dream spirits. After all, who else was as deserving?
At my call, Yulan and several others quickly emerged from the Land of Fool's Dream.
My current state was indeed a bit inconvenient, so naturally, I had to explain things to the Fool's Dream spirits beforehand. The subsequent tasks would be left to them to complete.
Or rather, this was exactly what Yulan and the others had been looking forward to. They had followed me since before they were even living beings, hoping to be of help. And now... they truly could.