Chapter 563: Enlightenment Meditation Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 563: Enlightenment Meditation Art
The Great Spellbook, Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art, was exactly as Dean Mei described—the name she bestowed upon it was the one that fit it best.
Or rather, before this Great Spellbook was even created, the Dean had already vaguely settled on the name. It was the grand direction she had set as her goal, and she had embedded this intent within the experiments she recorded.
Wisdom is one of the most vital characteristics of life. Thus, in Dean Mei’s initial assessments, the [Transcendent Knowledge] originating from the Fool’s Dream gravitated toward this most prominent trait: "Wisdom."
She named it "Wisdom Enlightenment."
Furthermore, a derivative spell emerged from this: a "Meditation Art."
Back in the Fool’s Village Secret Realm, when Sister Bai and I first entered, we had used an Exchange Contract to obtain this spell. It was the earliest form of "Wisdom Enlightenment," and also the crudest method.
But now… combined with the "Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method" I had adapted from the Fool’s Dream…
One of them, the Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method, was a way of personal cultivation.
The other, the Meditation Art, was an active spell.
Theoretically, combining these two was a cross-disciplinary endeavor.
However, through my continuous refinements, the runes I had formed for the perfected Great Spellbook and the runes from the Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method—two seemingly unrelated, cross-disciplinary elements—achieved unification within the runic domain!
At this moment, I realized I wasn't just reverse-engineering a process to reach a known result. Instead, through a series of coupling events, I was completing "pre-designed" environments one by one, constantly deducing the unknown!
I didn't know if these accidental couplings aligned with my original research goals, but right now, that didn't seem so important.
After spending some time on it, I found that I had easily unified the final Meditation Art with the Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method.
Theoretically, this was a viable transcendent technique.
It didn't feel like a single spell; rather… it was more like a ritual composed of rune combinations, the most primitive type of spell framework.
Therefore, by definition, this ritual could still be classified as… a spell.
Since it was a spell, it naturally needed a name. So… I called it the "Enlightenment Meditation Art."
It was a spell, not a meditation method.
Moreover, after some brief testing, I found it had a slight barrier to entry.
One needed the Fool’s Dream to use this spell.
The reason for this "prerequisite" was its integration with the "Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method." It required the corresponding runic ritual obtained through the revelations of each individual Fool’s Dream to function.
Currently, there were no counter-examples to test whether humans—or rather, witches—possessed such runic rituals.
The creation, or rather the observation, of these runic rituals came from the revelations they received after personally brewing a Fool’s Dream Drink.
Consequently, the act of "brewing a Fool’s Dream Drink" could itself be viewed as a behavioral ritual.
Because a specific action achieved a specific goal, and performing it allowed one to obtain a corresponding runic revelation.
Thus… if one wanted to learn the "Enlightenment Meditation Art," it created a very strange prerequisite: one had to learn how to brew a Fool’s Dream Drink…
However, this didn't seem like a particularly difficult hurdle to overcome.
Furthermore, as my experience grew, I realized that the behavioral ritual of the Fool’s Dream Drink wasn't limited to a specific type of fruit. In other words, there were "substitutes" for the raw materials. While these substitutes were likely just different types of fruit, it didn't hinder the process.
Looking at the results of my "Enlightenment Meditation Art," I finally organized the process into the Tree of Great Knowledge.
This was an unexpected boon.
It could be considered a "by-product" of studying the research behind the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art. As Teacher Ji Niang once said, researching [Transcendent Knowledge] and creating Great Spellbooks would yield many derivative spells along the way, so there was no need to be overly anxious about the spellbook itself.
Experiencing it firsthand now… she was absolutely right.
The Meditation Art wasn't the only derivative spell in the data Dean Mei had given me. There were many others I hadn't touched yet. But those… there was no rush. I hadn't even fully digested the information regarding the Meditation Art.
After finishing these tasks, I sent the research results back directly. I asked the witch sisters who were helping me research the Fool’s Dream Drink Meditation Method to help test it. My main goal was to see how compatible this spell was with the Fool’s Dream and what effects it would produce when they used it.
Of course, if those two Transcendent Witches were curious and wanted to try it themselves… I wouldn't stop them. They were Transcendent Witches, after all; nothing bad would happen to them.
I slowly closed the book and tucked the Book in the Box back into its container.
This reading session had been immensely beneficial, sparking countless inspirations and yielding rich results. It felt as though I had been researching for days on end.
Soon, the light screen of the Tree of Great Knowledge appeared before my eyes. The absolute precision of the date and time provided by the Ley Line Identification Art told me clearly that I had been reading for an entire day and night. It was now… morning.
I instinctively patted my stomach. The last thing I ate was breakfast, and now… it seemed it was time for breakfast again.
However, my daily routine couldn't be neglected. I held the Book in the Box in my arms and closed my eyes as if resting.
In reality, I was meditating.
Meditation was a habit I had cultivated continuously—a daily spiritual exercise that couldn't be broken.
Even thirty minutes a day was far more effective than meditating for five hours once every few days.
After finishing my meditation, I stretched my limbs and stood up. The auction was set to begin today; the invited guests had likely all arrived by now.
But that didn't have much to do with me. Although I had seen some interesting transcendent items and other things during the preview, it didn't mean I had to buy them.
Besides, my private stash… didn't exactly support such extravagance. An auction was a place where an item's value was converted into its maximum price. Unless it was something I desperately needed, something rare, or something I wanted purely to satisfy a collector's urge, I wouldn't normally be so wasteful at an auction.
"Better go get some breakfast first." I reminisced about yesterday's breakfast; the taste was quite good.
Before leaving the Book Gallery, I spotted Jiao Xiaoshuang a short distance away.
She was breathing evenly and seemed to be sleeping well. However, through my Body Cultivation sensory perception, I could easily gauge her physical state.
This perception seemed to be a derivative of Heart Sense. She was currently in a light sleep; any significant noise would likely wake her.
How dedicated… I wondered what time she had finally gone to sleep last night.
While it was true that as witchification progressed, physical fitness improved and sleep requirements shortened, Jiao Xiaoshuang had been through a lot over the past two days. Catching a few winks in the early morning was perfectly normal.
So… I chose not to wake her, letting her sleep a bit longer.
Regardless, I had no more questions about the auction. Even if I did, I had my own methods and channels to find out.
I had originally let Jiao Xiaoshuang follow me mainly to keep others from bothering me.
Now that I had established my dominance, I had become famous in a roundabout way. Naturally, no one would dare trouble me. The last bit of value in having Jiao Xiaoshuang by my side was gone. Why would I want someone from the Jack-of-all-trades Club following me around, monitoring my every move?
It was too restrictive.
When I stepped out of the Book Gallery, I noticed the number of people outside had visibly increased. Even on this floor, I saw several figures passing by.
And it was only morning.
"Hiss! Te… Teacher Xiao Han?"
The girl passing by instinctively gasped as if startled when she saw me, then tentatively offered a greeting.
"Mm." I nodded slightly without much small talk, acknowledging my identity.
"Good morning, Teacher Xiao Han!" After receiving my confirmation, the girl greeted me formally.
"Good morning."
After that, I paid no more attention to the girl I had happened upon and headed straight for the elevator, planning to check out the buffet area.
While the hotel's à la carte sets were excellent, most of those items were available at the buffet. Naturally, I chose the most convenient way to enjoy my breakfast.
When I arrived at the dining area, quite a few people had already gathered.
But my arrival caused an immediate hush to fall over the room.
It was as if an invisible aura surrounded me, making them freeze in their tracks. Only after I had moved a certain distance away did they dare to whisper cautiously.
Seeing their reaction, I hadn't expected my appearance to cause such a stir.
It seemed I had underestimated the impact of my previous battle.
I didn't dwell on it, though. I walked into the dining area, and a server quickly arranged a seat for me.
This time, I didn't choose the prime window seat from before. Instead, I chose a different spot.
Because here, I saw familiar figures.
The elves of Aphra. Their long golden hair and the distinct streak of colored hair at the forehead were characteristic of the Forest Elves of Afuhemi Academy.
Moreover… among this group of elves, I saw a familiar face.
But now, I felt no emotional turbulence regarding her.
If before I was restraining myself from seeing her, even wanting to avoid her upon sight, now I could sit here and enjoy my breakfast as if nothing were wrong.
Actually, I could empathize with my past self. After all… we had been a couple. Although nothing physical had happened, I had cherished that relationship.
At that time, I was an ordinary person who hadn't touched transcendent power. Fragile both internally and externally, I had relied entirely on my identity as a transmigrator to endure.
That was why I had cared so much about this former deskmate, especially after our relationship was confirmed…
But who could endure the silence after the college entrance exams? Not a single contact for an entire summer break, while everyone in my family was trying every means possible to force me into those "fire pit" transcendent academies.
Under that constant family pressure, what I finally received was her silent grades and the admission letter from Afuhemi Academy.
I believe my perspective is rational enough, but no one requires me to be so rational on behalf of others. I should care for myself a little more.
I’ve made peace with it now. The most important thing is my own happiness. There’s no need to waste energy maintaining an unsuitable relationship.
What defines an "unsuitable" couple?
Perhaps it’s when both parties instinctively start looking for excuses and comforts to prove they aren't in the wrong.
Isn't that the perfect description of her and me?
As I sat down with a small selection of breakfast items I liked, my presence immediately drew the attention of the nearby elves.
They turned with interest to size me up, then turned back to whisper among themselves. But no matter how quietly they spoke, they couldn't escape my cultivated hearing.
Now, I was actually looking forward to their reaction. They recognized me as one of the two teaching assistants from yesterday's fight, and they even knew my name, but they hadn't truly recognized me…
From what I could hear… they seemed to want to come over and chat, to see if they could strike up a conversation. If possible, they wanted to establish a connection with me.
Listening to their undisguised private talk, I couldn't help but shake my head. Was Afuhemi Academy’s information gathering really that poor?
During that joint exam in the Bobapus Archipelago, I was one of the proctors!
However… I could sense Yao Beijuan nearby, constantly glancing at me while pretending not to.
But the moment our eyes met, she immediately looked away, feigning indifference.
I could see right through her little games. She was likely suspecting that the name "Yang Yuehan" wasn't just a coincidence.
But compared to these elves, I was more interested in the young man sitting next to one of them.
He… was just an ordinary person. Judging by his clothes… he seemed to be an aristocrat. However, the status of nobility in this world was rather awkward. It was mostly inherited, and one's status and position were largely self-proclaimed. If you were doing poorly, you called yourself a "fallen noble." If you were wealthy, you claimed a "long-standing noble bloodline." It was essentially just putting a gold leaf on oneself. Still… this act was quite popular in the society of ordinary people outside. After all… vanity is everywhere.
"Hello. You must be Teacher Xiao Han from the Witch Academy, right? I am a student from Afuhemi Academy. We heard of your exploits as soon as we arrived yesterday. To encounter you at such a wonderful time this morning… I wonder if my sisters and I might sit here and share this morning tea with you?"
"Of course," I replied with a smile, showing no coldness.
With my consent, she excitedly called over her sisters to sit down.
There were plenty of seats at my table. No one objected to me occupying a large multi-person table by myself.
However, my brow furrowed when the noble youth, who had been chatting happily with one of the elves, tried to sit next to me.
"I'm sorry, but I noticed you're trying to sit a bit too close. I must remind you that in the Witch Academy I come from, uninvited members of the opposite sex usually don't end up well. I think it's better if we maintain some distance, don't you?"
My gaze turned unfriendly. If he were just an ordinary male, I would have simply told him not to sit next to me without showing such an attitude. But this one… he seemed to be a Player.
Including the middle-aged man I met earlier, two Players had managed to sneak into this invitation-only auction. I wonder if the folks at the Jack-of-all-trades Club even know…
"This…" The young man’s face soured at being targeted so directly. It was likely the first time he had been rejected so bluntly, with a clear tone of disgust.
But he quickly regained his composure. "I apologize for my intrusion, noble lady. There are so many ordinary encounters in this world, and it was merely my own wishful thinking that—"
"Forgive him… he is a friend I met yesterday. His behavior was presumptuous… I apologize to you on his behalf." The elf who had been getting along well with the Player quickly pulled him away, cutting him off. Finally, she pressed him into a seat as far away from me as possible.
I didn't say anything more. I had thought she would just tell him to leave. My attitude toward him was so obvious, yet for the sake of an ordinary person… Heh.
I didn't feel like pressing the matter. It didn't matter if a Player was here. If anything, it just made things more amusing.