Chapter 278: Wisdom Enlightenment, Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: Wisdom Enlightenment, Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art
"Whew... whew... huff..."
I was still struggling to steady my breathing, trying to calm my racing heart and chaotic thoughts.
I wasn't entirely sure what the formation of a spellbook was supposed to look like, but according to Teacher Ji Niang’s earlier hint, it should have taken about ten days to complete. It shouldn't have caused a commotion this massive.
It had literally torn the entire secret realm apart. Can you believe it?
The secret realm had lost its original function. The light was dimming, and the cracks at the edge of the sky were still spreading.
I didn't know what had happened to the others or Sister Bai, nor did I know the fate of the Fool's Dream spirits living in the village...
My mind was entirely consumed by the image of that spellbook.
When it released that terrifying surge of energy, it had already detached itself from the giant boulder of the Ancestral Land. Carried by a gargantuan force, it floated high in the sky, taking the place of the secret realm's extinguished sun.
This was definitely no ordinary spellbook. When the Academy Dean told me to be bold with my guesses earlier, it was a hint in itself.
A possibility surfaced in my mind. I think I had guessed what it was that the Nightmare had fed back into the spellbook when it was destroyed.
[Transcendent Knowledge].
Indeed, I seemed to possess something like that as well, though it was still in an unparsed state—something I had obtained when my talent awakened.
I had always felt it was far beyond my reach, nearly forgetting its existence. Moreover, it existed within my body in a way I didn't understand, which further lowered its sense of existence.
But those weren't the main point. The main point had always been [Transcendent Knowledge].
Teacher Ji Niang had explained it to me once: a spellbook containing [Transcendent Knowledge] is called a "Great Spellbook."
She hadn't explained what such a book could do or what made it special, but she seemed prepared to dedicate her entire life to it.
There was another crucial piece of information: if Teacher Ji Niang ever possessed a Great Spellbook... she wouldn't be able to keep it!
But what if the one creating the Great Spellbook was the Academy Dean?
It seemed like a reasonable guess, and a bold one at that.
Taking advantage of the current lull, I hurried to leave. I needed to find Sister Bai and the Fool's Dream spirits of the village to see how they were faring.
However, once I emerged from the place that was no longer the Ancestral Land, I found myself in a literal sea of transcendent energy. There were no Fool's Dream spirits here, nor were there any students or Sister Bai.
The surrounding rainforest had been flattened, the trees radiating outward like spokes on a wheel. Not a single tree had been spared. The high temperatures and radiation converted from the dissipating energy were roasting the entire forest. Fire and thick smoke had become the theme of the landscape.
I had seen a scene like this before... during the Exchange Competition.
As I stood there dazed, several figures drifted by in the distance.
"Fool's Dream..."
I watched helplessly as they emerged one by one, having lost their physical shells. They drifted toward the Ancestral Land as they always did, but once they arrived, there was no reincarnation waiting for them.
The giant boulder of the Ancestral Land had shattered. The clusters of Flower Elf plants had been reduced to ash. The Fool's Dream spirits could no longer undergo reincarnation, nor could they possess their own shells.
They huddled together in confusion, lost and helpless.
"They're all dead... No... the concept of death doesn't apply to the Fool's Dream." I shook my head, my heart a mess of conflicting emotions.
Should I apologize for destroying their Ancestral Land?
Should I repent for leaving them displaced like this?
I watched as they drifted toward the only living thing left here—me. They couldn't speak now, and even if they could, I, existing in reality, wouldn't be able to hear them.
I could only face them in silence. I didn't apologize. Perhaps I had realized this was an inevitable outcome.
Or perhaps I was simply cold-hearted.
Suddenly, a strange change occurred with the spellbook high in the sky.
Deep, dark rifts began to tear open, centering on the spellbook. These profound cracks looked like gateways to an endless, unknown abyss.
I didn't know what they were—perhaps spatial rifts or some other kind of channel. All I knew was that these opening rifts dealt the final, fatal blow to this dying secret realm.
The Fool's Village secret realm was completely shattering.
The sky broke apart, the earth split, and cracks ran through the very fabric of the world. Matter was leaking away; I could even feel the air growing thin.
Terrified by the cataclysm, the formless bodies of the Fool's Dream spirits trembled. They crowded around me, pressing against my body as if seeking one last shred of sanctuary.
I didn't drive them away. Instead, I cast a protection spell to shield them as well. It was the only thing I could do for them now.
I looked up at the "giant" spellbook. The dark rifts were multiplying, eventually swallowing the spellbook entirely.
"Haha! A Great Spellbook that hasn't even finished forming... Come, condense slowly within my grasp!"
Suddenly, a voice that clearly didn't belong to a witch rang out. A monster that wasn't even humanoid appeared, speaking a language I couldn't understand.
In the next instant, the space occupied by the spellbook and the rifts seemed to be sliced away.
The monster reached out, treating that entire block of space as if it were a trinket to be pocketed.
Throughout the process, the creature didn't seem to care about me at all. Even so, the moment it appeared, its mental power seemed to lock onto me. That heart-stopping sensation was something I prayed I would never have to experience again.
But before I could even recover, a blood-curdling scream echoed from above. By the time I looked up, the sound had cut off abruptly. The spellbook was still there, and only the rifts remained.
"Truly seeking death."
A soft sigh echoed through the sky. The moment this voice appeared, the most special of the Fool's Dream spirits became incredibly agitated. Without even looking, I knew it was Yu Hu.
The other Fool's Dream spirits remained lost and terrified.
Then, a figure emerged from a rift in the secret realm. It was Dean Mei Lind.
She looked exactly as she had when I first met her. She stepped through the air, standing between the spellbook and the rifts, inspecting the book with a look of immense satisfaction, as if observing her finest masterpiece.
Then, she seemed to notice me. She nodded with a smile and waved her hand. The collapsing secret realm suddenly froze, the destruction halted in its tracks.
Seeing the realm stop its rapid disintegration, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least... I was saved.
However, it was clear the Dean didn't have much attention to spare for me or the group of Fool's Dream spirits.
"Don't go over there." I grabbed Yu Hu. Although she was a formless spirit, I used my mental power, condensed into threads, to pull her back.
"Don't go. The Dean can't be distracted right now. You'll only cause trouble!"
I looked at the Dean in the sky, who was now reaching out to pull those dark rifts into the spellbook, and then back at the pitifully dejected Yu Hu. I didn't mince words.
"Reflect on yourself. Your impulsiveness will only hurt others. You wouldn't want Dean Mei Lind's arrangements to fail because of your foolishness, would you?"
After lecturing Yu Hu, I stopped paying them any mind. I kept my personal feelings for Yu Hu separate from my principles.
But at the end of the day, I realized I didn't truly treat the Fool's Dream spirits as friends. They were more like... cute pets. I was happy to interact with them, but I wouldn't tolerate them making mistakes.
The wait was tedious and long. I could see the Dean stuffing the rifts into the spellbook. Those rifts seemed to be filled with transcendent energy, as if they connected to a vast ocean of power. To think such things were being used as mere components for a spellbook... was this the terror of a Great Spellbook?
And then there was that creature that had appeared earlier. It definitely wasn't from any other academy, and no known race fit its description.
I couldn't understand its language, but a possibility suddenly struck me... that being wasn't from my world.
If it could slice through space so easily, was it possible it came from outside the world?
I suddenly realized I had still underestimated the value of a Great Spellbook. Perhaps Teacher Ji Niang’s casual remark about not being able to protect it had kept me from realizing its true significance.
From the moment a Great Spellbook is born, it isn't just a prize for this world to fight over—it's a catalyst for conflict beyond the world itself!
The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. That creature could have killed me with a single thought, yet it had died within that terrifying rift.
And the Dean had the means to incorporate that very rift into her spellbook. It was clear that the Dean's strength was many times more terrifying than that of the thief who tried to snatch the prize.
Time continued to tick by until the Dean tucked the final rift into the spellbook. In the next instant, both the spellbook and the Dean vanished.
"Wait... they're gone?"
I couldn't believe it. The Dean just left? What about me?
Just as I stood there in a daze, a figure appeared behind me.
"Xiao Han."
"Huh? Who!" The sudden voice, especially one using my name, made me jump in my highly sensitized state.
But when I saw who it was, my pupils dilated. "De... Dean?! I thought you le—"
"Correct, my main body has indeed left. There are certain reasons why I had to leave immediately. What you see before you now is merely a managed clone with self-awareness. Naturally, I wouldn't forget about you."
"A clone?"
I looked the Dean over and quickly accepted the explanation. After all, even I had the Illusion Clone spell, though the one before me seemed to be a physical clone, likely a spell effect.
"Yes. I know you have many questions. You can take your time asking. I've already sent everyone else out of the secret realm. You're the only living person left here. It's better to discuss certain things in an environment like this; some information isn't suitable for those who aren't yet qualified to hear it."
"Um... okay, okay..." I nodded quickly. Hearing that everyone had been sent out took a weight off my chest. At least Sister Bai was safe. After a moment to compose myself, I looked into the expectant eyes of the Dean's clone and asked my first question.
"I want to ask... those rifts that appeared around the spellbook... what were they? Where did they lead?"
"Starting with that? Very well. Those were Void Rifts. No one knows where they lead. Anything that gets close to them will be torn apart. Even a standard Resurrection Spell usually can't bring someone back from that. That's the level of danger we're talking about."
"Void Rifts..." I had learned a new term, but unfortunately, it was at a level far beyond my reach. "That... that monster that appeared... was it a powerhouse from outside the world?"
"Oh... you guessed? You're half right. It was indeed from outside the world, but as for being a 'powerhouse'... not necessarily. That disgusting thing only had that one impressive spatial technique; the rest of it wasn't worth mentioning. But don't worry, that was an isolated case. It's not that easy for powerhouses from outside the world to get in."
"So... Dean, your main body is currently outside the world..."
"You're clever to have realized that. Then... you should also know exactly what kind of thing I've created, right?"
"A Great Spellbook?" I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty, as if seeking confirmation.
"My, it seems Ji Niang has told you quite a bit if you even know about Great Spellbooks."
"Yes... but I only know the name..."
"Understandable. That little girl Ji Niang has her heart set on the heavens; she's planning to make a Great Spellbook herself. No wonder she told you. It was a wise choice for her to find you, though she still lacks the necessary foundation. Of course, I'm not saying it's impossible for her to succeed." Mei Lind shook her head as she spoke.
I understood what the Dean meant. Basically, it would be incredibly difficult for Teacher Ji Niang to achieve the same feat.
At that moment, one of the Fool's Dream spirits approached me, her form trembling with excitement.
"Oh? A Fool's Dream spirit... You're... Yu Hu. Interesting..." The Dean didn't show much emotion toward the spirit that had suddenly run up to us, recognizing her quite casually.
Just as I thought the Dean might reminisce with Yu Hu, Mei Lind simply waved her hand. The Nightmare clinging to Yu Hu was instantly stripped away.
She wasn't just helping Yu Hu. What she stripped away wasn't just a Nightmare, but Yu Hu's very cognition and memories!
"What? Do you think I'm heartless?" Mei Lind looked at me with a smile, her tone flat. "Some things aren't meant for them to hear. But looking at you, your calmness surprises me. I thought you had formed a deep friendship with her; I was prepared to figure out how to soothe your feelings."
"No..." Although I was confused by the Dean's actions, the decisiveness with which she removed Yu Hu's memories and cognition gave me a glimpse into the cold-blooded nature of a Transcendent Witch. However, it was still within the realm of what I could accept.
"Fool's Dream—that's the name I gave them. In reality, they are just very ordinary creatures commonly found in the Endless Dream Realm. Their birth and death might not even span a second in the depths of the dream."
"But you brought them out anyway."
"Yes, because they have a value that warrants special treatment. I think you've figured it out by now."
"It's the [Transcendent Knowledge], isn't it?"
"Exactly. I attempted to separate them, which resulted in the simple Fool's Dream spirits and the pure Nightmares. However, the Transcendent Knowledge exists within the Nightmare half. They were originally one. To obtain stable [Transcendent Knowledge], I needed the Fool's Dream spirits to survive peacefully. So, I created this secret realm and provided them with independent shells—those Flower Elf plants—to isolate them between reality and the dreamscape."
"But if they gain too much cognition, they'll merge back into dream creatures. Why did you leave this secret realm open to the public, Dean?" I asked curiously.
The Dean couldn't have predicted my existence a hundred years ago, before I was even born in my previous life.
"It wasn't open originally. But then, through the spellbook's revelations, I hit a seemingly insurmountable bottleneck. If I had followed the standard path, it might have taken me over a thousand years to make a breakthrough. So, I opened it up. After all, where there are many people, miracles tend to happen. If even one person glimpsed a revelation within, it would be a massive boost to my research. A century of practice proved my theory correct; the Witch Academy is undeniably a place where geniuses emerge in every generation."
"Then... the reason fewer and fewer people came to the Fool's Village secret realm..."
"That was my doing as well, though some of it was spontaneous on their part. You students are, after all, just students who haven't even reached the Transcendent level. Your help was becoming marginal, and you were starting to become a nuisance. It was better to mothball the realm. However, the meditation technique is still very helpful for students, so I didn't seal it off entirely. Oh, that so-called meditation technique was actually a component of the Great Spellbook before it was finished. Though I suppose it's gone now."
"Then... the effect of that Great Spellbook..." I couldn't suppress my inner curiosity any longer.
"Remember this: in the future, you should never rashly ask about the effects of someone else's Great Spellbook. That is the foundation of their power and their ultimate trump card. Asking such a thing can easily make you an enemy." Hearing my question, the Dean's tone turned stern as she lectured me.
"Yes! I... I'm sorry!" I apologized immediately. I hadn't realized it was such a serious matter...
"It's alright, I'm not blaming you. Besides, weren't you the one who contributed the most core effort to this spellbook?" The Dean's tone shifted from stern back to the warm, gentle voice from before.
"If you want to know, I'll tell you." As she spoke, Mei Lind reached out and held something out to me.
"This... this is... the spellbook? Wait? Huh? Dean, you didn't take it with you?" I stared in shock at the familiar spellbook in her hand. This was the very culprit that had destroyed the secret realm!
"To correct you, this is a Great Spellbook. Hehe, you're so cute, Xiao Han. Why wouldn't I keep such a precious thing on me? Besides, it doesn't provide me with any combat power, so there was no need for my main body to take it out."
"It doesn't provide combat power?"
"No. There are always some spells that aren't meant for fighting. I've named this Great Spellbook... the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art."