Chapter 361: Self-Generated Mana and Molting Rebirth Incubation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 361: Self-Generated Mana and Molting Rebirth Incubation
Before we officially began the attempt, the Academy Dean shared some insights regarding the Witch race, placing particular emphasis on the concept of Mana Sources. After all, achieving a Witch Physique was inseparable from the concepts of mana and Mana Sources.
My initial motivation for attempting to acquire the "Self-Generated Mana" innate talent was to ensure my body possessed the foundation to host a Mana Source even after I had severed my Ley Line Shackles.
A Mana Source is one of the products of "Truth Dedication" within the Witch world, representing a foundational element of the Witch race’s heritage.
The title of "Truth Witch" is one of the highest honors the Witch race bestows upon an individual, usually granted following a dedication ritual performed by that witch for the benefit of the Witch world. In other words, it is a title for those who have made outstanding contributions and are widely recognized and acknowledged.
Other Truth Dedications on the same level as the Mana Source include Mana Authority, Dream Authority, Witch Contracts, and Witch Meditation Methods.
One could say that each of these represents the deep-rooted heritage that allows the Witch race to run rampant across the void. Many witches even count the Primal Witch herself as a part of Truth Dedication. While often said in jest, that Primal Witch truly did dedicate her entire being to the Witch race; otherwise, how could she possibly bear the title of "Primal"?
Simply because she was the first witch? Don't be ridiculous. That alone would never be enough, even if she was indeed the first.
As the Academy Dean discussed the reconstruction of my body, she focused heavily on the concept of the Mana Source, as mana is the exclusive transcendent energy mastered only by witches.
There is a saying: the transcendent races of the void are all chosen by transcendent energies. For instance, Holy Light shaped the Holy Angels, and the power of nature chose the Forest Elves. Witches, however, chose mana for themselves.
Witches have integrated the concept of mana so thoroughly into their race that nowadays, the mention of mana brings witches to mind, not the Demon race.
Originally, the transcendent Demon race also claimed the power they wielded was "mana." Later... they encountered the witches.
Subsequently, the transcendent Demon race became the Abyssal Demons, and the name of the power they wielded was forcibly changed to "Abyss Power."
Because witches redefined mana on a conceptual level, any life form influenced by a mana-rich environment undergoes a specific transformation—the so-called "Witchification."
No one knows what the Primal Witch did to the concept of mana after the Mana Authority was returned to the Witch world as a Truth Dedication, but mana has since become an absolute "taboo" that must not be touched within the void.
There are countless minor races in the void that, out of ignorance, touched the domain of mana and were subsequently assimilated into the Witch race. Such cases are not uncommon.
Consequently, the level of witches across different parts of the void varies wildly. However, the Primal Witch treats almost every witch with equal consideration, welcoming sisters from even the most remote regions to join the great family of witches and grow stronger together.
"Body Witchification progress has reached the 90% threshold. Mana Source adaptability has not yet met expectations..."
The witches responsible for recording and observing data reported their findings periodically. However, these were merely for reference; a concrete experiment cannot be entirely quantified by data. Still, the fact that the Witchification progress had reached 90% truly surprised them.
Witchification is usually a gradual process. Completing the ten-year education at a Witch Academy is the minimum standard, where the progress brought by a single Mana Source typically reaches a threshold of around 90%.
Advancing to a Transcendent Witch also requires a certain degree of Witchification progress. But with the way Witch Academies have developed, which of those senior sisters in the higher grades doesn't possess multiple Mana Sources?
They have even figured out that the upper limit of Mana Sources an individual can carry before advancing to Transcendent is around ten thousand. This alone shows the sheer abundance of Mana Sources within the Witch Academy.
Yet, this person before them had bypassed that long process and reached this level simply by utilizing the power of a Self-Awakened Body Cultivator...
One could say this was a case of "deformed development."
After all, to advance to a Transcendent Witch, one needs Witchification progress, mental strength, a certain life level, and a selected research project—none of which can be missing.
But then they remembered he was still a freshman, and they realized they were getting ahead of themselves.
Currently, I was standing in the center of the massive Ley Line Operating System equipment. Although I had severed my Ley Line Shackles, the Ley Line's ability to carry information did not prevent it from being an excellent driving energy.
The power of the Ley Line swept over my body, gathering accurate information and presenting it to everyone present in the most concise and clear manner possible.
The data before my eyes was even more detailed. After all, I had to perform all the operations myself; even the Academy Dean was merely standing by, using her incredibly vast store of theoretical knowledge to guide or instruct me.
Even though I was a Self-Awakened Body Cultivator, it didn't mean I had an exhaustive understanding of my body the moment I awakened. The body doesn't speak to tell you what is what.
However, I could learn. As long as I learned, I could do it—that was the powerful potential of a Self-Awakened Body Cultivator.
It wasn't like ordinary Body Cultivators who, even if they knew and understood something, would have their bodies tell their brains: So what if you know? I don't know how to do it. Sorry, can't do it. Maybe if you beat me to death I could, you want to try?
As for what my body would be sculpted from, it would naturally be through the simplest Resurrection Spell. However, I was currently in a state of being "dead without a corpse" to some extent. To resurrect and create a vessel to host my soul, additional casting materials were required. Technically, it could be done without them, but the Academy Dean insisted on using casting materials for assistance. In this regard, she was not stingy at all, preparing many rare materials for me.
After all, in a way, this was one of my few opportunities in reality to "sculpt" my own appearance.
If I were to wait until I could freely reshape my own body at will, who knows how long that would take? The Resurrection Spell simply reconstructs the body; I couldn't just mold the resurrected form however I pleased.
But with the Academy Dean here, she granted me that privilege.
She mentioned that to achieve such a feat, other spells were required, but those spells were all very rare.
"Witchification progress has reached 99%... It is beginning to infinitely approach a Witch Physique. Mana Source adaptability has met the standard... The body can host a Mana Source... No signs of self-generated mana have been observed yet..."
"Something must still be missing..."
"Missing what? Does it need further elevation? That would be at the level of Real Time."
"Isn't a Mana Source an anchor for Real Time? The Witch Physique is a constitution naturally designed to adapt to Real Time! It's a transcendent physique—have you lived so long you've gone senile?"
"But with that quality of mental strength, how could it possibly withstand the level of Real Time?"
"But her life essence is a soul, and her Spirit Vision is at the Floating World level. Why wouldn't it work? She touched Real Time long ago!"
Outside the spell isolation barrier, the Transcendent Witches were arguing, each holding their own opinion. The Academy Dean had thoughtfully set up a soundproofing effect.
"Ignore them. Focus on what's in front of you. You should have sensed something by now, right?"
"Yes... I'm missing... a ritual," I said, nodding. After all, I was the lead in all these attempts. I hadn't handed everything over just because the Academy Dean was present; this was my own body being sculpted, after all.
In a way, what I saw, felt, and foresaw was even clearer than what the Academy Dean perceived.
"A ritual indeed. So, where do you think you can obtain the revelation for this ritual?" the Academy Dean asked with a smile, as if guiding me toward a choice.
"From... the Mana Source."
"What do you need?"
"I want to understand the process of a Mana Source coming into being from nothing..."
"The technique for condensing a Mana Source? That can be done. I'll find it for you and let you watch a professional explanation."
"A professional explanation?" I looked up at the Academy Dean in confusion.
"Yes. It's a recording of the Mana Source condensation technique provided to every witch who advances to Transcendent or reaches adulthood. The explanation is very easy to understand."
"But I only want to know the principles and the transcendent techniques involved. I don't just want to be taught how to 'hand-craft' a Mana Source," I explained. Being taught how to manufacture something and understanding the creation of it are two different concepts.
To understand, one needs to know the principles.
"Then watch this first while I find the corresponding materials for you." The Academy Dean nodded and began searching through her database. She didn't say much, remaining as efficient and decisive as ever.
Who would have thought that the Academy Dean of the Witch Academy would actually spend time looking up materials for a single student?
But at this moment, Mei Lind was simply taking responsibility for this experiment, playing her role as a diligent mentor. She didn't see anything improper about it.
And I felt the same. I watched the content explained in the video, hungrily absorbing everything I needed, slowly summarizing the revelations brought by this knowledge, and using those revelations to depict the ritual I required.
"Found it. Don't rush, take your time. I see you're often limited by fixed thinking. This experiment doesn't have to be completed today. Some things can't be achieved overnight; they require time to lay the groundwork."
"Understood," I nodded.
After seeing the materials the Academy Dean had found for me, I realized this was going to be a long-term battle.
Reviewing materials and learning is a tedious process. To overcome that tedium, one needs an internal drive—a clear understanding of what is needed and the determination to execute it.
Before long, the witches outside also realized something: the Academy Dean seemed to have hit a bottleneck. While this was common, there was a serious problem—they could no longer keep up with the Dean's pace, and they couldn't dare to interrupt.
In this moment, it was as if time no longer had value. Materials were constantly being flipped through, rituals were being deduced, and effects were being tested.
Until... the first sliver of mana information was captured by my Spirit Vision.
It was a tiny thread of mana. In that instant, it was discovered by my Spirit Vision and interfered with by my mental strength.
The rune ritual I was controlling around my body suddenly trembled. It was a success!
Spirit Vision capturing the information of mana meant my body had begun to produce mana—this was the start of self-generated mana.
My mental strength interfering with mana... meant my mental strength had achieved a new breakthrough! At the very least, there was a qualitative change.
The Academy Dean had informed me that the changes brought by Witchification were a comprehensive enhancement of the body, including mental strength. The leap in my mental strength was also related to the ritual and the Witchification process.
However, this represented the quality of mental strength, not the quantity. The accumulation of quantity could only be achieved through my own continuous efforts using the Witch Meditation Method.
The reason I was so excited was that once my mental strength could interfere with mana, I could do incredible things with my spellbook!
I had foreseen this result back when I first learned about spellbooks.
The Academy Dean was also momentarily stunned. As a veteran Transcendent Witch, how could she not sense the fluctuation of mana?
Even if it was only a sliver, her mastered Real Five Senses were no joke. Furthermore, the deduction of this ritual had been inseparable from her help.
"It's a success."
The Academy Dean spoke in a flat tone, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile, as if everything was just a natural progression without any surprises.
"Yes."
I nodded gently. My body began to reconstruct at that moment. All previous forms had been mere attempts; now that the correct path had been found, I naturally had the courage to tear it all down and start over. Since it was my own body, I had to pursue perfection.
"Let's begin. It seems this is finally coming to an end. It certainly took some effort." With a wave of the Academy Dean's hand, a spell effect immediately enveloped my original form.
"Wait? Academy Dean, this... doesn't seem to be the Resurrection Spell."
"You've studied the Resurrection Spell, haven't you? Then you should understand that your current state isn't exactly 'death.' Compared to that spell, another one is much more suitable for you. The Resurrection Spell is for those who cannot even perceive or master their own life essence."
"Another spell?" I asked curiously. If not the Resurrection Spell, then what?
"The Molting Rebirth Incubation spell."
"Molting Rebirth Incubation?"
"Yes. It's equivalent to a cycle of rebirth while preserving your life essence. It's a spell with a very high threshold for the target, and it's the most perfect form of resurrection. Combined with your Self-Awakened Body Cultivator abilities, you should be able to grow back to your mature stage within a single day. And... you should also be able to adjust your physical appearance."
"Really?!" Hearing the Dean's words, I hadn't expected her to give me the authority to "re-customize" my face.
At that moment, I felt a surge of magical power gently lift my soul, wrapping me inside a massive egg.
I felt warm and comfortable. Everything was gentle, and my consciousness gradually drifted into a deep slumber... It was as if all burdens were lifted, all worries vanished, and I returned to my true essence.
"May... is it over?"
"Yes. The data has been synced to the Ley Line system. You can check it yourselves, but don't touch anything else." Mei Lind nodded slightly to the eager witches, but then she walked over to Bai Yu.
"A-Academy Dean." Facing this Dean, whom she usually never even saw, Bai Yu was a bit stiff and formal.
"I can see that Xiao Han... is very dependent on you. Take this."
"What is this?" Bai Yu instinctively took the item, only to find it was a letter—a traditional envelope sealed with wax.
"A recommendation letter for a part-time teaching position at the Main World Witch Academy. With this, you'll have the qualification to return after you leave the Main World."
"This... thank you, Academy Dean..."
"It's nothing. Congratulations on graduating early. After all... students who graduate before the official completion of their studies are worth celebrating. Haven't you told Xiao Han yet?"
"Not yet..."
"Then perhaps you could try severing your Ley Line Shackles here. If you're quick, you might become the second student in Ninglan New City to do so."
The Academy Dean didn't lecture Bai Yu; she simply offered the suggestion with a playful tone.
"Oh, right. Remember to find the witch you signed that confidentiality contract with and settle it. Concepts like World Scripts are things Transcendent Witches have the right to know. Besides... there's no longer a need for the Main World to keep secrets in that regard."
"Thank you for the reminder, Academy Dean. I understand."
"Good. I hope you can always maintain your 'ordinary' attitude, just like your research project. Entering the Transcendent realm—that is when the true research into your project begins."