Chapter 277: Wisdom Enlightenment, The Value of Floating World Level Spirit Vision
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Wisdom Enlightenment, The Value of Floating World Level Spirit Vision
Right now, I was constantly adapting to this new perspective. It was different from the chaotic, violent influx of information that usually came with Spirit Vision.
This was a perspective filled with a sense of order and focus. It had transcended the images visible to normal sight, allowing me to observe the operation of the world at the level of runes.
It felt like a trial card—and one limited strictly to observation at that.
Teacher Ji Niang had told me that after reaching the Transcendent level, one would experience Real Time and the Real Five Senses through their own cultivation. My Spirit Vision only accounted for one of those: "Vision."
Even so, using Real Editing to observe this entire spellbook was a completely different experience compared to direct observation with Spirit Vision.
In this moment, the rituals woven from runes that I had seen upon entering became crystal clear under the gaze of Real Editing. With the return of my Memory Bookshelf spellbook, my understanding of most runes had deepened significantly. I even began to faintly grasp the principles behind their operation. However, lacking the theoretical knowledge of Real Editing technology, I was still largely looking through a fog.
As I walked through this place again, it was as if I had entered with the status of an Administrator. Facing those Nightmares, I didn't even feel a hint of fear.
"Does it feel miraculous? To think the interior of a spellbook could be this absurd, cluttered, and dazzling."
Dean Mei’s voice drifted into my ear. She seemed to be using this conversational manner to establish a connection with me.
"Yes, it is." Regarding the words of Dean Mei Lind, I truly found it incredible. I couldn't imagine what kind of spellbook would be complex to such an extent.
"Don't be too afraid of these Nightmares. In essence, they are nothing more than clumps of Transcendent energy. You've seen those little cuties I call Fool's Dreams, haven't you? The two are identical in nature."
"Are these... all your arrangements, Dean?"
As I walked through this absurd world, surrounded by runes and haunted by Nightmares, I was gaining a direct understanding of the spellbook's internal deconstruction. Back then, my teacher had warned me not to touch these rune structures because they belonged to the level of Real Editing technology.
"Yes."
"Then... why did you go to such great lengths to post a task like this...?" Perhaps because the Dean's tone was so gentle, I subconsciously began to take the initiative in our communication.
"Posting the task was, of course, a casual move. Even now, I am still making endless preparations to create this spellbook. Why? Are you curious as to why I've gone to all this trouble?"
"Yes." I nodded, expressing my genuine curiosity—especially regarding my current actions. I didn't believe that what I was doing right now was irreplaceable.
Furthermore, I noticed the Dean used the word "create" for this spellbook, not "manufacture." This meant she was groping her way through unknown, new territory.
If it was so important, she shouldn't have let me interfere, nor should it have been delayed for over a century. But if it wasn't important, why would the Dean go to such lengths to meet me, using all sorts of hints and layouts?
Had I once again failed to accurately perceive my own abilities?
The last time this happened was when I first used the Fireball Spell. If Teacher Ji Niang hadn't explained it, I wouldn't have known I was that powerful.
"Haha, do I really have to say it? Or do you truly not know?" The Dean let out a light chuckle, sounding almost incredulous.
"You should be more aware of your own uniqueness than I am. I spent over a hundred years constantly groping in the dark, laying groundwork, and engaging in trial and error. If nothing unexpected happened, everything would have proceeded step-by-step, perhaps even lasting for a thousand years. During this time, I completed ninety-nine percent of the layout. This 'abandoned' spellbook you see now—I actually built its prototype in just a few years. Up until now, I had finished ninety-nine percent of the work. But it remained at ninety-nine percent simply because... I lacked a pair of eyes that could see the Revelation."
As Mei Lind spoke, her voice initially carried the high-spirited confidence of a visionary, but toward the end, a sense of powerless exhaustion crept in, making it painful to hear.
"A Revelation isn't something as simple as observing a phenomenon or gaining a spark of thought. It is a kind of meaning and hint revealed by information under the higher level of Real Time."
"I've always felt that the names for the talent levels of Spirit Vision are very vivid. 'Floating World'—to sit and watch the world's ups and downs, its gatherings and partings. That is a very high spiritual state, signifying the ability to look past the mortal dust and see through to the essence."
"Although Floating World level Spirit Vision is merely a crude imitation of Floating World level True Vision, I must say it captures the essence. Or rather, it allows you—someone who isn't even a Transcendent yet—to appreciate the beauty that only those at the Transcendent level are qualified to behold."
Mei Lind spoke a long string of words, but every line conveyed a single message: Floating World level Spirit Vision was incredibly powerful!
It made me feel a bit lightheaded. If I didn't still have my basic rationality, I might have let it go to my head right then and there.
However, the Dean's words also answered my question regarding what role I played in all of this. To put it bluntly... I was a tool for obtaining the Revelation.
But regarding this Revelation—since the Dean had already locked onto the Fool's Dream clan, how did she know the connection between them?
Based on the information I had gathered, the existence of the Fool's Dream clan was a race of cute creatures facilitated by the Dean herself.
According to what I learned from Yu Hu, what the Dean wanted was for the Fool's Dreams to become true life. Therefore, the spellbook the Dean needed to complete was very likely related to that. It might even truly be named the "Wisdom Enlightenment Spellbook."
However, if this spellbook was for Wisdom Enlightenment, what did it have to do with the Fool's Dream clan?
After all, the Revelation was being obtained from them. Or was it that the Fool's Dream clan's intense desire to become living beings was also part of the Dean's layout?
Was it all to obtain a Revelation for Wisdom Enlightenment? That still felt a bit far-fetched.
"Why have you gone silent? It's quite boring for me to just talk to myself. I haven't taken on a student in a long time. But... have you decided where to embed this most crucial rune into the spellbook yet?"
"Uh... no..." I responded somewhat guiltily. After the Dean had praised me so highly, it was truly embarrassing to be unable to help at all.
"It is as I expected. You still don't understand. But that's alright. Perhaps you aren't clear on what a Revelation actually is, or perhaps there is a cognitive gap between us. Let me give you a hint. Do you remember learning that the Fool's Dreams and the Nightmares are actually one and the same?"
"I know." I nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief.
"Previously, you were focused on obtaining Revelations from the Fool's Dreams. Those Revelations allowed you to complete this rune. Now, to find where this rune belongs, you need to look for it within the Nightmares."
"Why?"
The question slipped out instinctively. Though I regretted it immediately after, I hoped the Dean wouldn't mind my prying.
"I like inquisitive children. However, before I give you the answer, I prefer to let you find it yourself. You are very close to the answer; you're just afraid to think it. Perhaps you should try to guess—be a bit bolder."
Mei Lind continued to give me hints without directly explaining the situation. Even with such vague prompts, I still couldn't guess why.
Perhaps the question itself was meaningless. It was like having already obtained the answer—why bother seeking the process?
Though I might instinctively explore the "why," humans are, after all, always curious about the unknown.
So, I turned my attention toward the Nightmares.
The original spellbook had already been deconstructed down to the level of runes. But right now, I was inside a "massive" spellbook where the effects of the runes provided the most direct magical results, acting like the natural enemy of the Nightmares.
I still didn't know what the magical effect of this spell was, but it was definitely strongly correlated with the existence of Nightmares.
And to see a Revelation from them... that was no small challenge. I could only see the most primitive madness belonging to Nightmares...
No, it was also mixed with the memories and cognitive concepts stripped from the Fool's Dreams. They were like the sum of all negative concepts, while the Fool's Dreams were the other extreme.
Aside from seeing these things, there didn't seem to be much else.
Wait—there was also the thing left behind after they were destroyed. It wasn't energy, nor was it a rune, yet it fed back into the spellbook.
"It seems you've noticed. Why don't you try finding a more efficient way to exterminate those Nightmares?" Mei Lind's voice appeared in my ear at just the right moment.
I followed the Dean's advice and began to experiment. I might not know where to place the rune, but utilizing it here was quite simple. This was the interior of a spellbook! While I didn't understand the rune structure of the spellbook itself, I knew a thing or two about other magical ritual structures. Combined with my experiences inside the Memory Bookshelf spellbook, I quickly found a way to slaughter the Nightmares on a massive scale.
In an instant, a vast number of Nightmares dissipated. A massive amount of unknown existence constantly fed back into the spellbook, and the spellbook itself began to undergo changes.
During this process, I "felt" the sense of the Revelation.
"Looking at your surprised expression, have you mastered the trick?"
"Yes." I nodded and continued to exterminate the Nightmares. However, they seemed unkillable, appearing in a never-ending stream. Even the Nightmares that had just respawned left nothing behind when they died again.
In other words, their deaths were like the reincarnation of the Fool's Dreams; they would simply reappear. Death was a non-existent concept for them.
However, the things they fed back into the spellbook were finite.
As this feedback entered its later stages, the Revelation I perceived became clearer and clearer. Everything felt so right, so natural.
Through the perspective of Real Editing, I watched this massive spellbook being modified and corrected under my hands. It was as if the Revelation I received was teaching me to do exactly this. The Dean also tacitly allowed my behavior of modifying her spellbook until I personally embedded the rune into it. In that moment, the entire spellbook seemed to burst with life.
The internal structure surged, runes flowed, and a heart-stopping power erupted.
"So this was what was missing..." That was the last thing I heard from Dean Mei Lind.
In the next moment, my consciousness was hit head-on by this abstract power. My vision went white, and a second later, I fell onto my backside on the ground.
I was back in reality. The giant stone before me was now glowing with the same eerie blue luster I had seen in the dream.
It was as if something was gestating within.
"Xiao Han!" Yu Hu's voice called out.
"Don't come over!" I turned my head and barked sharply. If Yu Hu came over now, she might be forced into reincarnation again. I knew exactly what was happening inside—a spellbook was being born!
And because of my interference, this spellbook seemed to have reached completion. I had never witnessed the radiance of a spellbook's birth, and I couldn't guarantee it was safe.
"Help me stabilize the spellbook."
A voice suddenly rang out in the Ancestral Land. There was no need to guess who it was.
"It's... Lord... Lord Mei!" Hearing those words, Yu Hu froze on the spot. "Lord Mei, is it really you? After all this time, have you come to see us again? I'm sorry... so much time has passed, and we still haven't inherited the name of the Fool's Dream..."
"Yu Hu, get out of here!" I looked at Yu Hu, who was dazed because she had heard the Dean's voice, and hurriedly interrupted her. If she wanted to be moved, now was not the time.
But I didn't have time to worry about Yu Hu. The Dean had told me to stabilize the spellbook, so I would do exactly that.
I didn't know if it was an illusion, but I felt like this giant stone, which had sat in the Ancestral Land for a hundred years, was about to explode.
But it didn't matter. By now, all the exchange contracts for my spellbook had been returned. Having my spellbook back gave me a slight sense of security.
With a wave of my hand, I cast protective spells on myself and even on Yu Hu. If she was going to be in the way, so be it. Given her relationship with the Dean, I could afford the extra mana for one more protective spell.
To be safe, I even added the Element Elf's Blessing. But when I examined the spellbook within the stone, I felt a surge of dread.
A massive amount of energy was gathering inside. I remembered the commotion caused when I completed the metamorphosis of my Intermediate Meditation Art not long ago. If the energy here completely exploded, that previous event would be like comparing a small flame to a bonfire!
I had been too conservative... I silently layered several more shields on myself. Now was not the time to worry about consumption.
As I cast the protective spells, the internal energy rippled with a heart-stopping resonance. Then, a tooth-aching crack signaled that the stone had reached its absolute limit.
"Run!"
I turned and shouted to Yu Hu behind me.
I didn't care that this giant stone was the foundation of the Fool's Dream clan or the key to their reincarnation. There was no time to grieve its loss, nor time to ponder the future path of the Fool's Dream clan.
The long-accumulated energy finally found a breakthrough. The giant stone exploded violently, and a massive wave of Transcendent energy erupted. I felt as if I were bathing in a torrent of energy, and the protective spells in front of me shattered and crumbled at a visible rate.
This was the result of mere energy leakage. If this power were fully utilized, how terrifying would the destruction be?
The Ancestral Land, located in the underground cavern, finally succumbed to the commotion and began to break apart. However, it didn't collapse. Instead, the erupting energy destroyed everything above it. A terrifying, focused pillar of energy pierced straight through the sky and earth of this secret realm.
The sky of this secret realm was only a simulated one. The explosion of energy tore through the horizon, cracks spreading across the sky. A terrifying energy tide swept outward. Even if this Transcendent energy were converted into basic light radiation and thermal energy, it wouldn't be enough to exhaust it.
The Transcendent energy formed a physical tide that surged outward.
Even I, standing at the center, had to constantly retreat to avoid the brunt of it—and that was with my full spellbook protecting me. I didn't even know if the exchange contracts of the others had been canceled yet.
As I dodged the brunt of the force, I couldn't help but complain inwardly. This Dean really thought highly of me. Asking me to stabilize this spellbook... was an impact of this magnitude really something I could interfere with?
* * *
Outside.
At the headquarters of the Witch Secret Realm Club in the Witch Academy, a terrifying explosion of energy rang out. The ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.
Such an anomaly was a first even for the club members who maintained the Witch Secret Realm. They were momentarily stunned.
They could only flee the area along with the students who had been queuing to enter the secret realm, seeking refuge outside.
These were students who wielded Transcendent power, after all. Before further damage could occur, they all used their own means to leave the area.
Turning back to look, one could see that even important buildings with solidified spells had been destroyed. The severity of what was happening inside was clear.
In the next moment, the secret realm itself flew out from the damaged building where it was stored. Then, a figure appeared in the sky above the Witch Academy. Many sharp-eyed senior sisters immediately recognized who it was.
"It's Dean Lind! Thank goodness..."
"The Dean? Is that really the Dean?"
"To think the Dean was alerted... this must be a huge deal, right?"
"Such a big commotion. Did something go wrong with the Witch Secret Realm?"
"Did someone set off a nuke inside?"
"Don't say that, it's actually possible. Maybe it was a fission bomb driven by high-energy mana. Talk about a death wish."
"The last time someone caused a stir like this, the Dean didn't even show up..."
"Am I the only one worried about how much compensation will be needed for this secret realm?"
"I'm more curious about who's going to have to pay it."