Chapter 458: Small World, Qiu Ruxin's Choice
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 458: Small World, Qiu Ruxin's Choice
In the time that followed, Sister Bai didn't teach me any specific body arts. Instead, she began instructing me on how to actually practice cultivation.
The most direct and fundamental method was Five Senses Cultivation. Much like meditating to increase mental power, it was the kind of practice that yielded slow results and required long-term dedication.
Five Senses Cultivation was essentially the process of transforming passive perception into active perception, supplemented by a certain degree of external stimulation. In the beginning, it wasn't advisable to train multiple senses at once; it was better to focus on a single sense, ideally aided by specific potions—much like using incense during meditation.
From this, one could see that the path of a Body Cultivator was slightly more troublesome, and even more expensive.
For me, meditation only cost the price of a bit of incense.
However, to cultivate the five senses and temper the body, I needed specific potions and ointments. Just for the five senses alone, there were five different types required.
Furthermore, as Sister Bai had revealed, the academy might not even have enough stock to meet these needs.
"Eh? There's really that little? Then, Sister Bai, back when you..."
"Of course I didn't use them. Or rather, I used lower-grade substitutes," Sister Bai said. "I only learned about these things from the Great Library of the Witch World. Given how niche Body Cultivation currently is at the academy, the library doesn't have many introductions to it. Even if there are materials, there's likely no market for them; they probably only circulate within small, private circles."
At this, Sister Bai looked at me again. "Don't overthink it. You have me. I'll give you the very best of everything."
"The best..." I was suddenly touched by her words. Sister Bai hadn't even used these things herself, yet now that she had reached a higher level, she wanted to bring the best to me. "Sister Bai, you're so good to me... I don't even know how to repay you..."
"Why are you talking about repayment? That's far too formal." Sister Bai reached out, patting my head with a doting expression. Her hand slid down my long hair before she reluctantly let go.
"Alright then, I won't be polite with you, Sister Bai~" I glanced at her withdrawing hand with a hint of regret. I actually quite liked this kind of intimate contact with her. Even though being patted on the head was something I instinctively resisted, if it was Sister Bai, it was perfectly fine.
"By the way, Sister Bai, about the upcoming teaching assistant interviews... there hasn't been a specific announcement yet. What do you think about it?"
"I'll be accompanying you, of course. Most of the witches conducting the interviews this time are newcomers to the Main World. Only a small portion are original teachers from our school. You just need to go through the motions."
"Just go through the motions? Wouldn't that be... bad?"
"What's bad about it? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If others heard you, they'd die of envy." Sister Bai reached out and pinched my cheek.
"True~" I nodded, feeling relaxed.
Anyway... it wasn't the first time I'd used the back door. My very admission into the Witch Academy was thanks to Teacher Ji Niang pulling strings. Since then, the gears of fate had begun to turn. It had been nearly a semester, and I was already about to become a teaching assistant...
However, just as I was preparing to continue my private tutoring with Sister Bai in the Body Cultivation room, I suddenly felt a ripple of energy.
"What's wrong, Xiao Han?" Sister Bai immediately noticed my strange behavior and asked.
"It's a Reverse Summoning Spell. Someone is summoning me."
"If it's urgent, then go," Sister Bai said, reacting quickly.
"It's from the Small World..."
"The Small World?!" Sister Bai instantly became alert.
I had told her quite a bit about what was happening there.
"Things aren't finished there yet?"
"I'm not sure. I was summoned back because of the monthly exam, and I couldn't really help much there anyway..." I shook my head, quickly thinking of that little girl, Qiu Ruxin.
"Then don't worry about it. Didn't you say you only gave the summoning ritual to Qiu Ruxin?"
"Mm... yeah. Is Sister Bai jealous? Then I won't go~"
"It's better not to. Come, let's continue discussing cultivation."
"Okay."
I nodded quickly, deciding to ignore the summons for now. I had told Qiu Ruxin to summon me twice in a row if it was a real emergency.
Besides, the Academy Dean and numerous mentors were there. Surely Qiu Ruxin wouldn't encounter a danger so great that she couldn't even manage a second summons.
So, I didn't feel much of a burden.
That was until the sensation of the first ritual faded, and a second summons immediately followed, leaving me stunned.
"What is it now?"
"Uh, it's the second summons. I promised her that if there was danger or an emergency, she should summon me twice in short succession..." I explained hurriedly, afraid Sister Bai might misunderstand.
"Then go. Looking at you, your heart isn't in your training anymore. Go on, hurry," Sister Bai said, her expression softening.
"Okay..." I looked at her. She had said "hurry" twice; it seemed she did have some reservations, but she didn't want to say anything that would make me worry.
"Then... remember to summon me every day, okay? That way I'll have a legitimate reason to come back. And, and... I suspect a stable teleportation channel has already been established between that Small World and our Main World. If you're worried about me, Sister Bai... you could go and ask about it..." As I spoke, the spell beneath my feet began to rise.
Feeling the familiar magical effect envelop my body, I didn't dare delay any longer.
In the blink of an eye, I vanished from the Body Cultivation room.
Left alone in the room, the loneliness in Bai Yu's eyes became visible to the naked eye.
It was as if she still had so much left to say.
Soon, she pulled out a Mithril figurine and gently rubbed its exquisite little face with her finger, before suddenly snapping out of it.
She tucked the figurine away. She couldn't just summon Xiao Han back the moment she arrived.
Since she couldn't bring her back so soon, she would go and ask about the way over. Since Xiao Han speculated that the Small World had established a connection with the Main World, it wasn't a baseless guess.
* * *
As the summoning ritual flickered, a figure appeared inside an unfamiliar room.
"Look at that~ Our Xiao Han is back."
"Mm..." After a brief moment of adjustment, I heard the voice. It sounded familiar. When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar figure. "Uh... Dean Bev Alanna? And the mentors?"
I looked at Dean Bev sitting in the seat of honor, feeling a bit surprised. Three or four other mentors were also present, so I politely greeted them all.
Then, I saw Qiu Ruxin standing to the side. She looked a bit constrained, but the moment she saw me, a spark of light flashed in her eyes. Her complex emotions and thoughts seemed almost impossible to hide.
"Alright, don't scare Xiao Han. we have serious business to discuss this time," one of the mentors said with a smile.
"Serious business?" I was confused. I didn't understand the current situation, and... this didn't look like the guesthouse I had stayed in before.
Instead, it was a room with far more luxurious decorations. Just looking at the exquisite carvings and... a plant cycle?
Wait... was this entire building a living plant?
Rich people really knew how to enjoy themselves.
"Yes, it's about Qiu Ruxin. I know you've been away for a while, Xiao Han, so you might not be up to speed, but all you need to know is that we have temporarily taken over this world."
"Temporarily taken over?!" My eyes widened in shock, though it also felt strangely logical.
"Yes. We didn't feel like haggling with the people of this world, so we used a bit of force. We are currently in a massive palace built by a small nation; we've requisitioned it for the time being," a mentor explained.
"I-I see." Very much the style of a witch.
"Of course, we are their saviors now, after all. They have to listen to us, or their world might not survive. Although their calamity was originally—"
"Ahem~ Alright, let's get straight to the point." Dean Bev interrupted the mentor who seemed ready to keep rambling. "I'll tell you what we're planning first, Xiao Han. Don't just stand there; this is a meeting hall, find a seat."
"Okay."
I nodded and soon saw Qiu Ruxin pull out the chair next to her, gesturing for me to sit.
I didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. Since this was a meeting, it was normal for mentors to sit with mentors and students with students.
"We have this Small World under control now. We plan to use this world as a base, employ some methods to take over the Abyssal Demon Lord's hidden schemes, and accelerate the collision between this Small World and the Main World."
"..." I listened intently but refrained from offering an opinion. Whether it was controlling a Small World or accelerating its movement, these weren't things I could interfere with. The Dean and the mentors surely had their own reasons for doing this.
"According to our current plan, it will probably take less than a month in Main World time for the Small World to reach the Main World's perimeter. After that, there will be a long phase where the Main World accepts and merges with the Small World."
"So, before that happens, we asked for Qiu Ruxin's opinion. We asked if she wanted to enter the Main World ahead of time." At this point, Dean Bev shifted the topic. Clearly, Qiu Ruxin's situation was just a branch of this grand plan.
"Qiu Ruxin didn't hesitate. After all, she is now a Prospective Witch. Although she still has some minor troubles, it's necessary for her to enter the Main World Witch Academy and become a registered student."
"Does that have something to do with me? Or do you want me to take her back?" I asked at the right moment. "Um... hasn't a stable teleportation channel been established between the Small World and the Main World? I shouldn't have needed to come here specifically, right?"
"Oh? You know about that?" The Dean seemed surprised.
"Mm... I ran into Mentor Aphra at the academy. If there wasn't a teleportation channel, she wouldn't have been able to return so quickly, right?"
"Oh, she went back? I was wondering where she'd gone. But that's a minor matter. The main issue is Qiu Ruxin herself."
"Um... what's wrong with her?"
"Have you forgotten she's a Child of Destiny? Although she used a Transcendent item to sever her Ley Line Shackles, there are still many problems if she wants to go to the Main World right now."
"To address this, I gave Qiu Ruxin two choices. One is to go back now. The other is to wait until this Small World merges with the Main World, and the Main World takes over this world's ley lines, luck, and so on. We could help her graft her script onto the Main World's script, allowing her to retain her status as a Child of Destiny. But she refused."
"Is that so..." I looked at Qiu Ruxin, understanding why in my heart. Perhaps it was because of what I had told her before, giving her a preconceived distaste for the status of a Child of Destiny.
"So, she chose to go back now. But by doing so, she will completely sever her connection with her luck."
"Um... is there a problem with that?" I asked curiously. If she doesn't want it, she doesn't want it. It's not like I haven't refused things before, and I'm perfectly fine, right?
And... I looked at Qiu Ruxin, eventually focusing on her wrist. There was a bracelet there that looked completely out of place with her clothing. It clearly wasn't a creation of this world. Moreover, I could sense a power from this alchemical item similar to the one on my neck that suppressed the Bad Luck Curse.
Looking at it that way, Qiu Ruxin shouldn't have any problems.
"Have you forgotten the Tears of the Mad Plant around her neck? Her luck flowed through the script and connected with [Transcendent Knowledge], converging into a Transcendent item that is ultimately tied to her luck seed. If she gives up her status as a Child of Destiny, it will trigger a series of unpredictable risks."
"Ah? Even you can't stop it, Dean? Then isn't Qiu Ruxin in great danger?"
"No, the danger isn't to Qiu Ruxin. It's the [Transcendent Knowledge] she carries. It's well-encapsulated by the Transcendent item, so we can't study its nature in the short term. Naturally, we can't prepare a suitable bearer for it in advance."
"No bearer? But... what about the ley lines?"
"The ley lines of this Small World? Do you think we'd use those? If we used this world's ley lines as a bearer, the world's will would cast it away in a heartbeat. Who knows where in the void it would be tossed? We are outsiders, invaders, the ones pushing this world's will toward assimilation with the Main World. Xiao Han, do you understand?"
"I... I understand. But... why me?" I asked the crucial question.
"Well, this was Qiu Ruxin's choice, her personal will. However, we can see that as the indirect owner of [Transcendent Knowledge], this is her most optimal choice. Furthermore, you carry that fellow Mei's [Transcendent Knowledge]. It's possible that you yourself are a very special type of bearer."
"Uh... the Dean knows about that too..."
"Of course I know. That kind of information was clear the moment you awakened your talent. The fact that Mei put that [Transcendent Knowledge] in you and hasn't taken it back is likely a form of protection for you. No one dares touch her things."
"Eh?" I remembered the Dean telling me not to talk about it, otherwise the Transcendent Witches in the academy would come after me... So she was just scaring me?
"It seems you still don't understand. Never mind. It's just an experiment anyway. It doesn't matter if you succeed or fail. It's just a bit of [Transcendent Knowledge], after all. The Main World has no shortage of that."
"Uh..." I instinctively swallowed. Were Dean Bev and Dean Mei really talking about the same Main World?
In Dean Bev's mouth, [Transcendent Knowledge] sounded far too cheap.