Chapter 422: The Dilemma of the Tree of Knowledge's Derived Spells
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 422: The Dilemma of the Tree of Knowledge's Derived Spells
As soon as I pushed the door open and returned, I saw Qiu Ruxin, who had just woken up. She was sitting on the living room sofa in her pajamas, the television already on.
"Huh? Sister Xiao Han, did you go out this early?" Qiu Ruxin asked, looking a bit startled. She was probably wondering if I’d gone off and pulled off something big behind her back during the night again.
"What’s with that look? Do I look like the type of person who goes looking for trouble for no reason?" Seeing her expression, I let out a soft chuckle and countered with a question. Even though she hadn't said it, her eyes spoke volumes.
"No... I guess not..." Qiu Ruxin said, her gaze flickering away. Given that she called me "Sister Xiao Han" and knew my title was the "Calamity Witch," saying those words felt like a total lie, no matter how she phrased it.
"I went out to practice my body arts. Don't overthink it. I even did some meditation earlier. How is your progress with the Witch Meditation Method?"
"Uh... I haven't really found a lead yet..." Qiu Ruxin scratched her head, looking as guilty as a student facing a surprise homework check.
"If you haven't found one yet, then go study more. Once you become a Prospective Witch, the Witch Meditation Method is something you must persist with every day. Only with powerful mental power will you have enough support to gain greater strength in the Transcendent realm."
I wasn't surprised by this result. After all, the entry threshold for the Witch Meditation Method was quite high, so taking a bit longer wasn't an issue. Even in the Witch Academy, those who could learn it within a day or two of contact were considered geniuses—at least, that’s what the senior sisters said.
With a snap of my fingers, my Illusion Clone appeared beside me again. Since Qiu Ruxin had nothing to do, I might as well find something for her.
Otherwise, was I just going to let her sit here watching TV all morning?
Morning time should be spent on important things; otherwise, it’s a waste.
However, I found myself drawn to the program currently on the television. There weren't many TV shows in this world. Because the Secret Diggers had disrupted things, the development of entertainment and similar activities had been slow. There weren't many channels, and variety shows were practically non-existent.
The channel Qiu Ruxin was watching had already started the news broadcast.
I watched the news with some interest. This was likely how an average family learned about world events.
As I expected, the news was running an emergency report on the global Plant Network outage that had occurred in the early hours of the morning.
And, just as I had guessed, they claimed that the Omni-Link Main Network Tree had "rejuvenated its vitality" under the "meticulous care of maintenance personnel," and that they were performing "Plant Network maintenance and upgrades." Finally, they praised the "hardworking maintainers" for their "diligent labor" and so on.
I had to admit, they knew how to handle public opinion. In the end, they even took a swipe at the Secret Diggers, claiming they had been very active recently and reminding the general public to protect themselves and reduce the number of times they went outside...
"Hmph, boring."
Seeing that the subsequent news held nothing of interest, I turned off the TV and returned to my bedroom.
After my research in the middle of the night, I had gained a new understanding of the Memory Bookshelf spellbook. Next came the attempt to derive something from it.
Now that I was actually getting my hands dirty, I finally understood one thing. Looking back to when I didn't understand spell derivation and extension, I used to call any modification to a spellbook a "Magic Modification."
That was a purposeless behavior, relying entirely on luck. I finally understood how Teacher Ji Niang felt back then. To be able to derive a spell while fumbling around without a goal was indeed ridiculous—though that was only for a Basic Evocation Spell, which was still within the realm of understanding.
The spellbook I wanted to "Magic Modify" now was the Memory Bookshelf. Without a well-established goal, a detailed plan, a massive reserve of resources, and a deep understanding of the relevant knowledge, a miracle was impossible. Blindly experimenting as I had before definitely wouldn't work.
When I began to integrate the Plant Network framework with the spellbook, I discovered quite a few problems. While many remained unsolved, it was only a matter of time, so I wasn't worried. The biggest issue was that after the initial attempt, the effect of the derived Tree of Knowledge spellbook didn't meet my expectations.
After a full day of tuning, I obtained a "Tree of Knowledge (Semi-finished)" spellbook. Because the framework was already built, the rest involved classifying and managing those pieces of knowledge and memories. That was the most troublesome part.
Of course, there was an easy choice: scrap it and start over, relearning everything I had once studied. Under the current framework, the Tree of Knowledge spellbook could automatically filter and categorize this knowledge.
But I wouldn't choose that. I would rather classify them slowly myself. Besides, a significant portion of the memories and knowledge in my Memory Bookshelf didn't come from books.
Furthermore, I encountered another problem. Although this knowledge could be categorized upon acquisition, it was merely an advanced version of the Memory Bookshelf; it didn't even deserve a name as grand as the "Tree of Knowledge."
With the Memory Bookshelf spellbook, even if it was a bit more troublesome, I could achieve something similar by constructing multiple shelves to store memories. There was no need to go to such great lengths just for categorized memory.
The implantation of the Plant Network spell model was only equivalent to adding something like the Plant Network for systematic management.
It was the exact same problem the Plant Network was currently facing: when the data becomes too massive, it requires a very sophisticated search function, or rather, a retrieval system. The people of this world had chosen a method similar to artificial intelligence retrieval.
The main issue was that the current derived Tree of Knowledge was still too weak in terms of the "linkage" between different pieces of knowledge...
I fell into deep thought. Having spent a whole day on it, I was honestly very dissatisfied if the Tree of Knowledge spellbook turned out like this.
While it was indeed vastly superior to the previous Memory Bookshelf, as long as it didn't meet my expectations, it meant I still needed to work harder.
I spent all my subsequent time organizing knowledge. It was a long and tedious process, much like when I first spent a lot of time learning these things.
Calming my mind to slowly settle and organize these memories and knowledge was also a way of reviewing them.
I could also clear out useless memories or knowledge.
Perhaps I should set up a temporary memory partition for the Tree of Knowledge spell. The importance of some memories is time-sensitive; they can be properly cleared out when they are no longer useful. Otherwise, they occupy my energy and might even interfere with my thinking during critical moments.
After all, no one likes having irrelevant memories pop up during a crucial moment of thought. It’s like having a brain-washing song stuck in your head during an important exam instead of the answers. That is serious memory junk that needs to be cleared.
Therefore, the method of "forgetting" must be given equal importance.
The Memory Bookshelf spellbook has a limit to what it can record. Even though I had derived it into the Tree of Knowledge, it theoretically still had an "upper limit."
However, compared to the Memory Bookshelf itself, it had more advantages.
The Tree of Knowledge is constantly developing. Ideas and knowledge are like branches and leaves that keep extending.
I closed my eyes, and the consciousness space where the Tree of Knowledge resided appeared in my mind. When I looked at the Memory Bookshelf before, it was just a simple, monotonous row of shelves. Now, it had become a great tree, though it currently looked very withered.
It didn't even have leaves on it.
But I knew very well that these extending branches represented my classification of knowledge and memories. I needed to use memory and knowledge as nutrients to water this Tree of Knowledge, and eventually, it would sprout brand-new leaves on its branches.
At this moment, even without me actively classifying the unorganized knowledge and memories, the root system spreading out beneath the Tree of Knowledge had already begun to slowly take root, absorbing the legacy left behind by the former Memory Bookshelf.
However, the speed was very slow. Without my intervention, I didn't even know how many years it would take to passively organize and perfect itself.
So, my personal intervention was absolutely necessary.
This process of self-settling took me a full six days.
By the time I had classified all those memories and knowledge and fed them to the Tree of Knowledge, the tree had completely changed its appearance.
Looking at this Tree of Knowledge and its lush leaves woven from memory and knowledge, I felt goosebumps rise all over my body from the sudden surge of achievement. This feeling of changing oneself through one's own efforts was simply too exhilarating!
And after so many days of calm settling and reviewing knowledge, I realized something.
The so-called "derivation" isn't a strictly defined stage; it can still be continuously optimized.
Just like during this period, I had developed a brand-new plan for the Tree of Knowledge.
Wouldn't it be perfect if I also "merged" the "Practical Learning Spell" into the Tree of Knowledge?
The effect of the Practical Learning Spell—stimulating the association between memory and knowledge, the linkage between subjective thoughts and objective knowledge—was simply brilliant!
But this was also just an idea. The Practical Learning Spellbook was another independent spellbook. Setting aside whether linkage between multiple spellbooks was feasible—which I wasn't sure about—I wasn't very willing to dismantle the Practical Learning Spellbook either.
So, I prepared to start again with the Revelations from [Transcendent Knowledge].
The Practical Learning Spellbook was just too compatible with the derived Tree of Knowledge spell. This was my subjective perception, and now I lacked the objective theory to support combining them.
If I were to just bash my head against it, it might work, but I probably wouldn't have a clue until this small world crashed into the Main World.
It would be a case of high effort for little reward.
Compared to that, I preferred a more clever approach.
So, for the next period of time, I planned to "travel the world." I would visit the Omni-Link Main Network Trees in various parts of the world to see if I could obtain any more Revelations.
As for those countries hiding their Omni-Link Main Network Trees to prevent others from finding them, that was a joke to me.
Once I had taken control of the primary Omni-Link Main Network Tree, I had direct control over the Plant Network, and by extension, the root network that spanned the globe to build the Plant Network. Therefore, I could easily deduce the precise locations of those Omni-Link Main Network Trees in this world.
They probably couldn't imagine that my understanding of the Plant Network was already superior to theirs.
Perhaps their application of the Plant Network, accumulated over many years, was richer than mine, but what could they do when I was hitting them with a dimensional strike?
I didn't care how many tricks they could play with its application; I could just use the supreme authority to shut them down.
Regarding my idea of traveling the globe, I mentioned it briefly to Qiu Ruxin. This trip wasn't just about testing those Omni-Link Main Network Trees; it was also about practicing the saying, "Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles."
Moreover, this would allow me to increase my experience, broaden my horizons, and witness landscapes I had never seen before.
Increasing one's experience is indeed beneficial for accumulating foundation. It was also a way to balance work and rest.
Ever since I entered the Witch Academy, I had been constantly pushing myself to learn, never stopping for a moment. Even when I had the idea of resting, sleeping, or playing, my mind was entirely focused on how much time had passed and what I had to do next.
In the past, I couldn't study well, and I couldn't play to my heart's content. I was always looking over my shoulder, which made my life a complete mess.
Even if it looked organized on the surface, it was only on the surface. It was a deeper form of self-deception and an extreme lack of responsibility toward myself.
Being unable to focus on one thing is truly tragic.
Perhaps saying "unable to focus on studying" doesn't sound like much, or maybe most people are used to it. But if you rephrase it as "unable to focus on playing," it truly highlights a person's misery.
I planned to continue like this: traveling, seeing, learning, and reflecting.
When I play, I'll play properly. When I study to complete the Tree of Knowledge spellbook, I'll do it seriously. The inability to enjoy play comes from uncertainty about the future—because you don't know if you'll ever be able to do this again in an uncertain future.
Humans have a compensation psychology. This psychology makes you feel unsatisfied even if you've enjoyed yourself this time. Such thoughts will constantly occupy your mind and might even harm your body.
So, I wanted to take this opportunity to solve this problem once and for all.
Isn't this behavior a way of practicing the spiritual realm of the Unity of Knowledge and Action?
This time, I was taking Qiu Ruxin with me. Otherwise, I’d be worried about her safety if I left her here. More importantly, I still needed the Revelations of [Transcendent Knowledge] provided by her Transcendent item, the Tears of the Mad Plant.
I was very open-minded now. Perhaps I had the qualification to touch this [Transcendent Knowledge], but if I wanted to fully research a Great Spellbook, I wasn't yet qualified. Therefore, all my efforts during this period were aimed at using this [Transcendent Knowledge] to improve myself. A Great Spellbook was too far away for me; only what I could hold in my hand right now truly belonged to me.
"Um... Sister Xiao Han, this is a global travel guide I made based on the locations of the Omni-Link Main Network Trees you provided. I think it should be quite helpful for us."
"Oh? You made this yourself?" I was a bit surprised. Although I had the plan for the global trip, a specific plan—travel routes, accommodation, and so on—was still very necessary.
"I searched for it on the... Plant Network over the last few days. I compared a lot of global travel guides. It should... be fine."
"Thank you. Sorry for the trouble."
"It's no trouble at all! It's my honor to be able to travel the world with Sister Xiao Han!" Qiu Ruxin said excitedly.
"Is that so? But our global trip might be terminated at any time, you know?" After all, I knew very well that the Void exploration teams the Academy Dean mentioned would arrive in about a month. Many days had already passed. Their arrival might vary slightly in time, but I would definitely have to go and welcome them. As the first person—no, the first Prospective Witch—to arrive in this world, I naturally had the duty to introduce the current situation to those teachers and Academy Deans.
Of course, I wasn't looking for trouble. It was just... to see the shocked expressions on those Transcendent Witches when they realized there was a "wild Prospective Witch" here. Wouldn't that be more fun?
"Mhm, I understand. Sister Xiao Han, you're referring to the teachers from the Witch Academy, right?" Qiu Ruxin nodded, her eyes filled with a hint of anticipation. If the mentors or even the Academy Dean from the Witch Academy arrived, wouldn't she be able to go to the Witch Academy early and escape this "sea of suffering"?
"Yes. So, plans can't keep up with changes. It's enough that you've made the travel guide to this extent." I smiled, my tone carrying a bit of praise.
At that moment, I fell into a slight reverie. I wondered when Sister Bai would be back. I wanted to travel the world with her too...
But when the opportunity truly arises, I must go to an even larger world with Sister Bai for a global... no, that's too small-minded. I want to go on a Void tour of various worlds in the Void with Sister Bai!
Of course, that would have to wait until I had the corresponding strength. After all, the environment in the Void is extremely dangerous. How could one venture into the Void without some strength?
One might encounter a random world and be forced to end the journey prematurely.