Chapter 358: The Arrival of the Transcendent Academy Mentors
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 358: The Arrival of the Transcendent Academy Mentors
"She’s a lunatic."
"She’s just a fool who doesn't know what’s good for her..."
When those people heard my words, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, yet they didn't miss the chance to mock me, desperate to assert some sense of superiority.
They selectively ignored the staggering gap in combat power between us, comforting themselves with the fact that this was merely a dream. But the more someone lacks a certain quality, the more they tend to emphasize the importance of being a "Child of Destiny."
Through their actions, they put the ugliness of human nature on full display.
At this moment, however, I couldn't care less what they said. My eyes were fixed on a single goal: destroying that Luck Seed!
In an instant, those who had been standing by, casually tossing out cold remarks and gossip, lost their chance to lounge about.
The Underground District within the dream underwent another doomsday-like upheaval. The earth split apart, the dome shattered, and every visible creation became a weapon I could wield within the dream.
Under the influence of my Dream Rewriting Spells, they were manipulated, broken, and reshaped. The dream was no longer an orderly replica of reality; in my hands, it became decrepit, bizarre, and dangerous—reverting to the primal state of a disordered dream world.
This single strike gathered all my strength and my current imagination, condensing it into a single point aimed directly at its target.
Once the strike was fully charged, I didn't hesitate. I thrust the attack toward the Luck Seed.
Boom—!
As the explosion erupted within the dream once more, my expression was calmer than I had expected. My heart felt strangely hollow. Was my task complete? Had my plan reached its end?
Not yet. It was just that these consecutive accidents had drained a massive amount of my mental energy. I wouldn't feel this exhausted even if I buried myself in the library to study for an entire day.
Just now, I had watched with my own eyes as the Luck Seed shattered the moment it made contact with my strike. It was so simple it felt as though I hadn't needed such an exaggerated method of attack—as if a single Fireball Spell could have destroyed it.
Was it simply the sheer resolve of my refusal?
I didn't know, and there was no way to find out. I only knew that my eyes seemed to reflect a golden radiance.
As the Luck Seed shattered, the luck stored within it spilled out once more.
In that moment, everyone clearly saw the gold mist permeating the entire dome. It was the protective luck that originally belonged to Ninglan New City. Now, it filled the entire Underground District, drifting freely as if it had finally regained its liberty.
But I saw it clearly: this luck would eventually belong to the person who truly deserved it.
Tan Han stood dazed, watching it all. Just moments ago, she had been suddenly called out. She had witnessed the Luck Seed being pulverized by absolute power. This was the answer Xiao Han had given her—and her revelation.
Until this moment, she had never imagined that one could so directly say "no" to a gift from fate.
For a split second, she had the urge to follow suit, but when it came time to act, she was held back by misgivings. She feared failure, dreaded futility, and hesitated repeatedly...
The other girl had given her a vivid lesson, but what had she learned?
She realized she had learned nothing at all. She only saw her own cowardice, her own hesitation, and her own fear!
Was that not the same as learning nothing?
No, she understood that she had learned something; she just hadn't mastered it yet. But she had found her goal.
She understood that once she overcame these obstacles, she too could act with such effortless grace. Even if she couldn't achieve the same feats, she could at least accept her fate with a smile.
The luck was slowly settling in a certain corner.
There, Ninglan Qiuyue—who had yet to fall asleep—waited. At this moment, she was still just an ordinary person.
According to the time, it was already the middle of the night. Yet, so many people were unable to sleep, terrified that if they closed their eyes, it would be the last time they saw the world.
"It’s alright. Everything will be fine. We will lead the Ground Patrol to ensure your safety, and we will protect you until the very end."
Just then, a low, muffled explosion rang out again.
"What happened now?"
"Reporting! No additional urban damage detected. Preliminary deduction suggests combat within the dream. Specifics unknown..."
"What about that giant monster?" Ninglan Qiuyue stood up to leave, continuing her questioning.
"The monster hasn't expanded its disaster zone yet. The situation remains unclear..."
"Still unclear..." Ninglan Qiuyue punched the wall, letting out a dull thud. This feeling of being at the mercy of fate was absolutely wretched. Moreover... Ninglan New City on the surface must be suffering from a beast tide and energy tides by now. Misfortunes truly never come alone.
Only now did Ninglan Qiuyue realize that even the thousand-year-old Ninglan New City was powerless in this moment. She felt a surge of resentment—resentment that Ninglan New City was so frail, and resentment that she herself was so weak. If she could master spells and possess great power like Teacher Xiao Han, she could protect all of Ninglan New City with her own strength.
Unfortunately, there were no "ifs" in this world.
Just as Ninglan Qiuyue composed herself and prepared to lead the Ground Patrol to another disaster settlement zone, a sudden disturbance in the Underground District caused her face to pale instantly.
"What is this now?!"
Ninglan Qiuyue looked at the spatial portals opening within the Underground District, her face filled with despair.
Not long ago, after a similar channel was opened, that terrifying monster had entered. Now that so many were opening at once, wouldn't this be the death of the Underground District?
And what about Ninglan New City on the surface?
Please, let nothing happen to it!
While Ninglan Qiuyue was consumed by worry, strands of luck began to accumulate within her body... gradually forming the phantom of a shattered Luck Seed.
In her state of anxiety, a figure suddenly blocked her path. She instinctively looked up. It was an older sister she had never seen before, wearing magnificent robes that didn't match the style of Ninglan New City and a striking wide-brimmed hat. This mature woman immediately exerted an immense pressure on her.
"You... who are you!"
* * *
Back at the center of the chaos, my brow was furrowed. These sudden spatial portals were yet another unexpected development. My energy wasn't infinite.
Was the Abyss about to officially declare war and launch a full-scale assault on the Main World?
Just as I thought countless monsters like the previous demon would swarm out of those portals to steamroll the Underground District, a sudden cacophony erupted. Countless small, dark, and hideous creatures were dumped out of the spatial portals like trash.
"What are these... Little Demons?"
No one gave me an answer. They were like a plague of locusts—weak individually, but seemingly endless in number.
I looked at the Ley Line Shackles that I still hadn't severed, then at the disaster facing the Underground District. I debated whether I should create a body to return to reality and support them.
At that moment, a giant spectral hand suddenly appeared. Its clenched fist pulverized one of the spatial portals with a single blow, turning the Little Demons within into dust.
In the next instant, a figure followed the shattered space and appeared before everyone.
"Men... Mentor!"
As someone in the crowd cried out, everyone froze. Then, several more figures followed in quick succession.
"This is..."
Even I was surprised by this sight. Mentors from the Transcendent Academies were actually intervening!
The struggle for luck shouldn't have been completely finished yet, and the Dream Demons hadn't been entirely wiped out.
As more and more mentors arrived, I became certain that several Transcendent Academies had stepped in to interfere. This was a signal—a signal that everything was being brought to a hasty conclusion.
Had something gone wrong?
Or was it because... what I did just now worried them, and they couldn't let the script continue this way?
While I was wondering, I turned around and nearly bumped into someone.
My first reaction was shock—someone was standing behind me, and I hadn't even noticed!
But when I looked up, it was the Dean... Oh, then it was fine.
"Dean, this is..."
"It’s ending early."
"But... the luck hasn't..."
"The luck already has an owner. You don't need to worry about that. Worry about yourself instead."
"Myself?" I looked at the Dean in confusion. What did I have to worry about?
Had I accidentally done something to cause major trouble?
"I gave you a Resurrection Spell, and you dared to use it like that?"
"Huh? Um... wait... didn't you intend for me to use it that way, Dean?" I looked at her awkwardly. I had thought all of this was within her expectations.
"I never said any such thing. No matter how crazy you are, there has to be a limit, do you understand? If you keep seeking death like this, you’ll eventually play yourself into an early grave."
"I was wrong, Dean."
Facing the Dean’s lecture, I immediately bowed my head and admitted my mistake. This is called accepting criticism with an open mind; as for whether I’d actually change, that depended on my mood.
"You little brat, you’re certainly quick to apologize. Sigh... I don't think there’s anything wrong with your fearlessness. I just hope that every decision you make is one you can take responsibility for. You haven't reached the level where you can recklessly experiment with the unknown."
"Yes, yes! I understand!" I nodded vigorously, but then remembered something. "Um... Dean... my Ley Line Shackles... I haven't..."
"There’s no rush for that. I never intended for you to sever them yourself."
"Eh? But didn't you say that, theoretically, I could do it?"
"Do you not understand what 'theoretically' means? Theoretically means that in a practical situation, you can't do it at all. Moreover... you’ve attracted the Main World Consciousness. Now, it’s even more impossible for you to sever the Ley Line Shackles with your own strength."
"I see... alright..." Hearing the Dean’s explanation, I had no choice but to let the idea go for now.
"Don't be discouraged. I’ll help you."
"But... I also didn't complete everything in this script node..."
Just as I was about to continue, I suddenly realized something. With so many people around, was it really okay to chat with the Dean about this so openly?
However, when I scanned my surroundings, I noticed that no one was looking our way. Instead, many mentors from other Transcendent Academies had arrived.
The students from the corresponding academies were flocking to them, for only in the presence of their mentors did they feel a sense of security.
Even if they knew the "truth" now, so what? Setting aside whether the enemy's words were trustworthy or just an attempt to sow discord, this was an emergency.
Throwing a tantrum at a mentor now?
That would just be asking for trouble. No one here was a fool.
"It’s fine, speak freely. They can't see us. You were going to say... that you messed everything up in this script node?"
"Yes..." I lowered my head and whispered. Knowing the truth, I had many ways to stop those Dream Demons from speaking, but I had remained indifferent.
"Don't take every bit of trouble onto your own shoulders. You didn't do anything wrong during this time." The Dean reached out across the gap between reality and dreams and patted my head, offering a bit of comfort.
In truth, there was something she didn't say: the surprises this student had brought during this period were far too many. They had even given several Transcendent Witches watching the live feed new inspiration, leading to a deeper understanding of dream exploration.
Some witches were even joking that when they published their upcoming academic papers or articles, they would have to add Yang Yuehan’s name to the author list.
If the things these people wrote didn't hit the plagiarism limit in the Great Library of the Witch World, they would likely be archived.
After all, exploration of the Dream Domain was a brand-new field, especially research concerning the specific environment of dreams invading reality.
"Let’s let this matter pass," the Dean said softly.
With that, the journey to Ninglan New City came to a "successful" conclusion. The moment those mentors arrived, the end was already written.
Before long, they vanished one by one from the dream, leaving Ninglan New City.
Back at the Transcendent Academies in the Main World, the students who had been lying unconscious for a long time due to the "Sleep Curse" finally began to wake up. However, most of them seamlessly transitioned into a deep sleep the moment their consciousness returned to their bodies. After all, a good sleep was the only way to slightly recover the mental energy they had exhausted during this time.
"Now that they’ve all gone back, what about you... what are you going to do?"
The Dean looked at me and waved her hand. A piece of White Crystal from the ground in the distance flew into her palm. It was the "Transcendent Item" formed from the First Generation City Lord’s Luck Seed.
"I... uh... I’ll go back too?"
"And what about your body? You’re using a dream to carry your soul. I have to say, you really aren't afraid of death."
"Well, circumstances forced my hand... I also wanted to rely on my own strength to... anyway, I’m sorry!"
"You really should fix that habit of saying 'sorry' for everything. The strong don't need to apologize to anyone. And your thinking wasn't wrong."
"Alright..."
Since my thinking wasn't wrong, I guess I won't change my "sorry" catchphrase for now...
I stared at the Transcendent Item in the Dean’s hand. If I remembered correctly, I had promised the First Generation City Lord that I would hand this over to Ninglan Qiuyue.
"What, you keep staring at this. Are you curious about what a Transcendent Item is?"
"Yes!" I nodded immediately. I hadn't had the chance to ask the Dream Demons earlier, but asking the Dean now was just as good.
"A Transcendent Item is something formed by chance that possesses transcendent power. It can be any known or unknown object, it can exist without a specific shape, or it can even be a concept or an action."
"This... is a miracle completed by the First Generation Ninglan City Lord. He used the Luck Seed as a medium to complete the formation of this Transcendent Item. At that time, the City Lord didn't know the specific term for 'luck,' but he had intuitively grasped the concept of its existence. In the end, he figured out a crude way to utilize luck on his own. At the end of his life, he held only the purest thought: he wanted to pass this power down. The ritual responded to his expectations..."
"..." I listened quietly, without interrupting. Whether the Dean had witnessed this personally or deduced the past through the Transcendent Item, it was indeed a miracle worth singing about.
"So... can the First Generation City Lord be resurrected?"
"Theoretically, yes."
"Theoretically again?"
"Yes. Because his soul essence still remains, but he has become a part of the Transcendent Item. To resurrect him, one would have to fight against the ritual of the Transcendent Item itself. So, it is only theoretically possible." The Dean explained patiently.
"Let’s go..."
"Okay. Um... where are we going?"
"Didn't you promise the First Generation City Lord to hand this over to that girl, Ninglan Qiuyue?"
"The Dean knows about that too..."
"Of course. We’ve been watching you most of the time. And... if everything goes smoothly, Ninglan Qiuyue will also become a Child of Destiny."
"Eh? Impossible! I checked her before and she didn't... wait! Could it be!" I quickly thought of a possibility.
"Yes, it’s likely what you’re thinking. Since you didn't accept the favor of the Main World Consciousness, it will pick another. But seriously, you’ve got some nerve, provoking the World Consciousness like that."
"Um, that shouldn't be a problem, right? How could the World Consciousness care about a small fry like me..." Hearing the Dean say it like that, I was starting to feel a bit of lingering fear.
"Who knows? But it doesn't matter anymore. Since you’re going to sever the Ley Line Shackles anyway, the World Consciousness isn't going to give you a warm welcome."
"Oh, by the way, as an aside, do you know the other reason why one can only sever the Ley Line Shackles after ascending to the Transcendent level?"
"Another reason? I don't know..." I looked at the Dean with clear, honest eyes.
"Because non-Transcendent lifeforms are rejected by the World Consciousness if they try to leave the world's system. Once you sever the Ley Line Shackles, you essentially cease to be a person of this world. Even if you were born, raised, and grew strong here, the World Consciousness will no longer recognize you."
"Uh..."
"Therefore, the World Consciousness instinctively rejects outsiders. Just like those Dream Demons or that Black Stone Giant—if they force themselves to stay in the Main World, they become incredibly unlucky. This is what we call the Bad Luck Curse imposed by the World Consciousness. Only when your life level reaches Transcendent can you ignore this curse. Otherwise, the curse will only slowly dissipate if you voluntarily leave the Main World."
"What?!"