Chapter 433: Solutions to the Ley Line Energy Problem
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 433: Solutions to the Ley Line Energy Problem
After finishing the book, I let out another sigh. The methods recorded later in the text seemed even less reliable than the Ley Line Life Transformation Technique.
To use Ley Line spells, one similarly had to borrow the power of Ley Line life forms. This required establishing a Witch Contract, an Exchange Contract, or even Life Symbiosis with them. But I hadn't even seen a Ley Line life form before; how was I supposed to establish a connection with one?
Ultimately, I shook my head. It seemed that trying to tackle the issue of Ley Line energy through the books in the library would be quite difficult. If the Tree of Knowledge Spellbook couldn't establish a relationship with Ley Line energy, then all my future plans were nothing but delusions.
Maybe I should just stick to using external tools, I thought. Perhaps I could find some alchemy related to Ley Line energy. I had to admit, there were times when alchemy really saved the day. Back when I first started learning it, I heard the phrase "Everything can be alchemy" in class. It seemed that wasn't just a boast.
However, I didn't put the book down just yet, as I had become interested in several terms mentioned within.
For instance, the book mentioned "unlearnable spells" and "talent spells." I recalled that there was once a category of magic called talent spells—specifically, "Elf Magic." That was, until the Elves met the witches... and then, Elf Magic became learnable. Or rather, it was turned into spellbooks for others to use.
For example, the "Elemental Elf's Blessing" I possessed was one of the talent spells belonging to Elemental Spirits. When I was modding that spell to allow for custom element selection, I had looked into the relevant information.
Among the unlearnable spells, I also saw "Unique Spells" and "Forbidden Spells." The book didn't describe them in much detail; perhaps the author didn't know much about them either. It simply stated that a Unique Spell referred to a spell of which no second copy could exist within the Void.
This "no second copy" meant that even if one were to duplicate it, the copy would be unusable. It likely involved some sort of concept rather than being a simple matter of technical skill.
There was even less written about Forbidden Spells. They seemed to fall under the category of Unique Spells, as it was impossible for a second identical one to appear. However, the fact that they were listed separately was proof enough of their special nature. As for the owners of these special "Forbidden Spells"—or Forbidden Curses—the book mentioned only one person. Or rather, not a person, but a witch: the Primal Witch.
That answer... wasn't surprising at all.
Closing the book, I returned all the volumes concerning Ley Line energy to their original spots and headed toward the alchemy section.
Upon arriving, the number of Senior Sisters became noticeably higher. Between the bookshelves, I could occasionally see a Senior Sister tucked away, buried in a book and looking incredibly focused.
I pulled out the glasses Teacher Ji Niang had given me and put them on. Learning alchemy was a real hair-pulling endeavor; after all, as a craft that claimed to touch upon transcendent truths, the barrier to entry was extremely high.
If there was alchemy related to Ley Line energy, I surmised it would most likely fall under the branch of Energy Alchemy.
Following this train of thought, I searched through the bookshelves one by one. Using the lifts provided, I finally found alchemy related to Ley Line energy in a deserted corner.
As expected, niche subjects are always tucked away in the corners.
"Ley Line energy... Energy Alchemy... Hmm..."
I flipped through the books, hoping to find a breakthrough. I spent half the day reading.
Even with the Tree of Knowledge assisting my learning, the obscurity of alchemy exceeded my expectations. To achieve a specific goal in this craft, one needed a multitude of other means to support it. While it was said that alchemy was omnipotent, its complexity was equally a massive headache.
It took a long time before I finally grasped the essence of what those complex "alchemical terms" were trying to convey.
It was incredibly difficult for a life form that had broken free from the Ley Line Shackles to plug back into the Ley Line system. Indeed, within the field of Energy Alchemy, Ley Line energy was categorized as its own separate system—the kind of topic that required its own dedicated lecture.
For alchemy to interface with Ley Line energy, the low-threshold method was... conversion.
That’s right—the simplest form of conversion between transcendent energies. This method also existed in the field of spells and was quite simple. It seemed that when I was looking up Ley Line spells earlier, the descriptions hadn't mentioned this because the subject was too niche.
After all, in my mind, if Ley Line energy was converted into another transcendent energy, was it even Ley Line energy anymore? It wouldn't be able to carry data or information.
But seeing this line of thought in alchemy, I realized the truth instantly.
The application of Ley Line energy in alchemy was energy conversion. This conversion process was actually a way to bypass the "world-regionality" of Ley Line energy, allowing non-native species to borrow the power of the Ley Lines.
So, in essence, this wasn't about mastering Ley Line energy itself, but rather mastering the secondary energy derived from it.
But I didn't care about that. My goal was never the Ley Line energy itself, but the memories, information, and data it carried!
"This method is feasible! And there's even an energy conversion refining ritual at the back... How thoughtful."
I flipped through the remaining content, feeling as though I had found a literal treasure!
With this, my delusions might actually become reality!
The idea of the Tree of Knowledge deriving a Ley Line Information Identification Art was partly thanks to those Secret Diggers. Weren't they playing a game? The most common ability in a game was checking item information, right? Thus, the Identification Art was born from that inspiration.
After recording all the relevant knowledge, I solemnly placed the book back in its original position.
My goals for coming to the library today were basically complete. There was still some time left in the day; I’d get a good night's sleep tonight and prepare for tomorrow's exam.
Speaking of which, I remembered hearing those guys in the dorm say that the monthly exam was tomorrow and that they absolutely had to cram in the library today. Why hadn't I seen them?
Having finished my tasks, I felt light-hearted and my thoughts were much more active. I wasn't in a hurry to research this alchemy further; after all, I was out of time—or rather, the timing wasn't right. Moreover, since this was all to serve the Tree of Knowledge, I needed to do it all in one go. If my train of thought was interrupted by the monthly exam, I wouldn't even know where to go to cry about it.
I took a deliberate lap around the library, checking the reading and self-study areas. Finally, in an inconspicuous spot, I spotted some familiar faces.
"So this is where you are?"
Seeing that they hadn't noticed me yet, I walked up directly behind Hong Chenyi, who was currently talking the most excitedly.
"Hiss..." Hong Chenyi gasped, then looked behind her. "Sister Xiao Han? What are you doing here?"
"Looking things up, of course. So, how's the revision going?" I found a seat and sat down. Now our dorm was fully gathered once again, right here in the library.
"The revision is making me want to die... There's way too much to remember for Elemental Theory. And this Spell Construction Theory—we haven't even touched many spellbooks, is it really necessary to learn this?"
"Spell Construction Theory is very necessary. It explains the basic structure of spells. Don't think that just because you have spellbooks, you can skip the basics," I countered, responding to Hong Chenyi's complaining.
Then, I reached out and traced a circle on the table. Several runes emerged, flowing according to a ritual, and a spell effect immediately enveloped the small area where we were sitting.
Seeing this, Hong Chenyi's eyes lit up instantly.
"So cool! Which spellbook's effect is this?"
After she spoke, she kept staring at the circulating spell runes, her eyes wide. Ordinary spellbooks didn't usually have such visible spell structures; at most, they showed the condensed ritual structure. Thus, this spell looked quite intimidating.
"This is a Silencing Spell. Did you forget you're in a library?"
"Uh..." Hong Chenyi's words caught in her throat as she realized, her expression turning awkward.
"But now you can say whatever you want. Within the spell's effect, you won't affect others, and others won't affect you," I said with a smile, withdrawing my hand. "Also... this wasn't done with a spellbook."
"Not a spellbook? Then how did you do it?"
"Did you learn nothing in Spell Construction Theory? This is just a spell. Did you think spells could only be released through spellbooks?"
The classes in the first semester for new students included explanations of spell construction, but they weren't very deep. They were just meant to instill the concept in students. You could say this was the course I valued most, but it was quickly ruined by the existence of spellbooks.
With spellbooks available, who would want to suffer through learning the basics of spells?
Add to that the influence of the Great Weakening Spell, and the positive feedback for learning the basics was extremely low. It was essentially a bucket of cold water over any interest in the subject.
"So this is... hand-casting a spell?"
"Yes. It's quite common, isn't it? For example, the Divine Arts mastered by Holy Angels and the Elf Magic mastered by Elves follow similar principles. It's just that the Witch Academy has the shortcut of spellbooks."
I looked at Yu Yuetian, who had just spoken, and smiled.
"If I completely master the Spell Construction Theory course, can I also hand-cast spells, Sister Xiao Han?" Hong Chenyi asked expectantly.
"Barely," I said, sounding uncertain. After all, the actual knowledge taught in that course wasn't much. Even the explanations regarding runes and rituals were sparse. At most, one could try following simple cases, and even then, casting materials were likely needed to release a spell normally. Otherwise, it would be like when I first tried the Fireball Spell—only a few sparks would come out.
The Great Weakening Spell protected the Main World to some extent, but it also brought significant trouble to transcendent education.
But that's just how the transcendent world is. If you don't find a way to learn, plenty of others will. The main reason is that the Main World is simply too comfortable. Such an atmosphere cannot nurture the strong.
"Sister Xiao Han, why don't you teach us? You never go to class, so how does all that knowledge get into your head? Nothing is sticking in mine..."
"Me teach you? Hmm... I suppose I could?" I thought about my Illusion Clone, which was already integrated with the Tree of Knowledge. It would indeed make an excellent private tutor.
"Eh? Really? You're actually going to teach us, Sister Xiao Han? I was just joking!"
"It's fine. Friends should help each other. That is, if you can handle my teaching style." Before I even finished speaking, a spell effect locked onto them.
Immediately after, they discovered that an extra person had appeared beside each of them.
"Two... two Sister Xiao Hans!"
"Is this... is this an Illusion Clone? How amazing!"
For a moment, they all cried out in surprise. Although they knew I had the Illusion Clone spell, they hadn't personally experienced its wonders. After all, those not under the spell couldn't see what it actually was.
"Yes, you could call it an Illusion Clone, but I've made some modifications to her." This Illusion Clone was currently linked to the Tree of Knowledge. Her appearance represented the peak of my current knowledge. Aside from lacking a physical body, she was a perfect assistant who coordinated with me flawlessly.
"Learning should follow one's own plan and pace, so I won't interfere too much. If you run into any problems, just ask my Illusion Clone."
"This ability is way too cool! Do we each get our own exclusive clone of Sister Xiao Han? One-on-one tutoring?"
"Yes. You can't see the clones in each other's eyes. After all, you wouldn't want to see five of me standing here at once, would you?"
"Oh~ that would be a spectacular sight!"
"Forget spectacular, the monthly exam is tomorrow! Hurry up and review!" At that moment, my voice—or rather, the clone's voice—rang in Hong Chenyi's ear.
"Sister Xiao Han, your clone is actually pretty fierce, huh?"
"Mm-hmm~ This clone is controlled by my subconscious. Her behavior is also determined to some extent by your impression of me. Do I seem fierce to you?" I asked, looking at Hong Chenyi with a smile.
"No, no, no! How could that be? Sister Xiao Han is the most capable and gentle person ever!"
"Forget it~ stop talking. If you can't give a proper compliment, don't say anything at all." I quickly cut her off.
After giving them all something to do, I decided to try a bit of this alchemy myself. Since I had to stay here to maintain the spell, I couldn't go too far.
As for tomorrow's theory assessment, I wasn't worried about it at all.
Besides, did they really think I wasn't reviewing tomorrow's content?
The girls in front of me were all reviewing. The problems they encountered would also be understood by me and would leave traces within the Tree of Knowledge.
So, their learning was also my learning. It was a win-win.
I felt like this format could perhaps be used on more people.
I just didn't know what my limit was. But when the time came, I could try looking after Class 14 as a whole... maybe.
I'm sure Teacher Ji Niang would be very happy to have me share the pressure and improve the class's grades.
I pushed that thought to the back of my mind for now. In any case, such things should wait until before the next monthly exam. Moreover, not everyone would be willing to accept my help.
Right now, I wanted to get over the hurdle of the Ley Lines. I began researching the alchemy while simultaneously opening the Ley Line system.
This was a library, after all. It wouldn't be good if something went wrong while researching alchemy. It was better to use the Ley Line system to simulate success before attempting it for real.