Chapter 587: Circulation and Sharing are the Manifestations of Knowledge's Value
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 587: Circulation and Sharing are the Manifestations of Knowledge's Value
After some investigation, I finally gained a general understanding of the category known as Self-Sealing Spells.
To put it simply, the niche field of sealing arts wasn't originally classified by the target of the seal. It wasn't until the Soul Truth Witch completed the final piece of the puzzle that the field gained its most comprehensive classification: the "Self-Sealing Spell" category.
According to Sister Natalie, rumors say that the Truth Witch found [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments related to "Self-Sealing" and gradually perfected the discipline from there.
Regardless of the theories, one specific sub-category of Self-Sealing Spells has become quite famous: "Self-Consciousness Sealing Spells."
This was exactly the type of magic I needed.
While chatting with Sister Natalie about this, I cross-referenced the library records organized by the Tree of Great Knowledge. Just as Natalie said, the library had very little information on the subject.
It wasn't entirely devoid of records, but the entries were brief at best.
They could only serve as a reference.
"By the way, just out of curiosity, what do you want this kind of sealing spell for? I’ve tested it before; it can seal away stray thoughts or even discordant voices in the mind. However, these spells are mostly used for incurable conditions like schizophrenia. It’s... well, it’s generally considered an extreme measure. Xiao Han, do you really need something like that?"
"Oh, I actually want to see if it can be applied to the Tree of Great Knowledge. I’ve been planning to build something like a cognitive firewall for a long time, but I haven't had a good lead. Natalie, you probably know that some information—or rather, knowledge—carries cognitive hazards or even transmissible pollution, right?"
"A cognitive firewall... Oh!" Hearing my explanation, Natalie immediately understood the importance of the matter. "So it’s something that significant! You should have told me sooner. Just talking about it like this isn't enough. I thought you were just curious... I’ll go look for the notes I took back when I was studying sealing arts."
"I remember recording some information regarding Self-Sealing Spells. After all, that kind of magic can also be used to seal one's own possessions, abilities, skills, and so on. It’s incredibly abstract."
"Huh?" Hearing Sister Natalie say that, I also found it quite abstract. Self-Sealing... wasn't that basically the power of a Conceptual God?
If it’s a sealing spell that targets the "self" on a conceptual level, then if I considered the entire world to be a part of me, wouldn't I be able to seal the entire world?
However... I felt that was unlikely. Achieving something like that would be far too difficult. Besides, even if someone wanted to do that, there would surely be a more direct way. Why go through such a convoluted process?
"It’s very abstract, right? I’ll go dig through my old keepsakes. It’s been quite a while since I studied sealing arts. I’ll try my best to find them for you. Just a moment."
"Okay."
I nodded and didn't say anything polite about it being too much trouble; I simply waited quietly.
During this time, I went to check on the three students Natalie was mentoring.
Since I had mastered some basic alchemy techniques myself, it was a good chance to learn a thing or two.
There was no reason to feel embarrassed. From the moment Stacy cast aside her pride to ask for entry into my laboratory, I understood that if one truly wants to learn, status should never be an obstacle.
Furthermore, while Stacy and I were separated by a transcendent level, the gap between these three and me was merely one of status.
After chatting with them for a while, I gifted each of them a Great Knowledge Seed as a token of thanks.
Currently, because of its terrifying effectiveness, the Tree of Great Knowledge was only circulating among the group of Transcendent Mentors. It hadn't spread to the general student body yet, save for a few well-connected students like those from the Jack-of-all-trades Club and the few I had personally gifted.
I estimated that small-scale testing wouldn't begin until the information grading for the Great Knowledge Seeds was complete and my seed-condensation technique broke through again. Only then would it be promoted school-wide.
I hadn't even given these Great Knowledge Seeds to my former roommates.
At the time, I thought I would wait until the Great Knowledge Seeds had undergone their next iteration—specifically, the completion of information grading.
But... thinking about it now, there was really no need to wait.
Life is full of its own opportunities. I likely wouldn't have many chances to interact with them in the future, but I had promised not to forget them. At the very least... I took that promise seriously.
After all, I was the one who put in the effort to pull that dormitory together. There was Dongli Yiren, whom I took over from that original Senior Sister; Guan Qiuling, who had been "properly disciplined"; the "pure love" enthusiast Hong Chenyi; and finally, the ascetic Holy Light believer, Yu Yuetian.
Every one of them was an interesting character.
* * *
After teaching the three students how to use the Great Knowledge Seeds, I took my leave. They still had assignments from Natalie, and I didn't want to keep bothering them.
While waiting, I also tried to look up data regarding Self-Consciousness Sealing Spells from the academy library. Though the content was sparse, it helped me understand exactly what kind of magic it was.
The more I learned, the more I realized that this type of magic was indeed perfect for integration into the Tree of Great Knowledge's cognitive firewall system!
Moreover, I discovered that it wasn't just Self-Consciousness Sealing; other sealing spells were quite fascinating as well!
For instance, there was a classic case in Self-Sealing regarding how to define an external object as part of the "self." The book didn't record how the experimental witch achieved it, but she managed to "categorize" a transcendent item into her personal domain. Then, using a self-item sealing spell, she sealed the "side effects" of that item, turning it into a transcendent object that could achieve its effects without paying a price!
Then I turned the page and found out the case was fake...
She couldn't actually categorize an external object as part of her self, but she sealed the side effects that the item inflicted upon her body. It was effectively the same as sealing the side effects themselves.
Well... that was certainly a brilliant shift in perspective. As expected, there are no truly impossible problems in this world, only solutions one hasn't thought of yet.
I truly admired this witch who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She wasn't blinded by the nature of the problem; she went straight to the root of what was bothering her, solving the issue by combining her needs with the abilities she possessed.
Eventually, after waiting for nearly an hour, it became clear that Sister Natalie really did have an extensive collection of books.
This reminded me of a rumor I’d heard somewhere.
Most of the Witch Academy's library is open to students, and even the so-called "graded" sections aren't meant for the Transcendent Mentors.
Every Transcendent Mentor possesses their own mobile library, containing mystical knowledge that students can't even touch.
Natalie was likely in that exact situation.
I could sense that Natalie was no longer in the alchemy room; she had likely entered another space entirely.
Witches have very long lifespans. Throughout their lives, they experience much, learn vast amounts of knowledge, and witness many things.
Travelogues, study journals, rare or out-of-print publications, and even the cultural accounts of civilizations after their worlds were destroyed...
All of these could become part of their collections.
Thinking of this, I suddenly realized the necessity of staying on good terms with those Transcendent Witches. Every single one of them was an untapped treasure trove of knowledge!
If I could enter their private libraries and see them with my own eyes, I couldn't imagine what kind of sight that would be.
Just as I was lost in thought, Natalie emerged, dragging a large crate.
"Xiao Han, this is about all of them."
With a heavy thud, Natalie dropped the crate onto the floor. She cast a spell to undo the seal and flipped open the lid.
"Inside here are the notes I left behind when I was teaching myself sealing arts." Natalie couldn't help but pat the dust off the top, then used a Cleaning Spell to clear away the rest. "There are quite a few. For convenience back then, I just recorded things by category in different notebooks. Now I’ve almost forgotten which one contains what. Why don't we look through them together?"
"Sure," I nodded, agreeing to Natalie's suggestion.
In truth, with this many books, I could have used the Ley Line Identification Art to instantly record all the information.
However, these were Natalie's life's work. Such a "hasty" action would be a sign of disrespect toward her hard work.
Of course, there was another point: the feeling of holding an actual notebook or book in your hands is truly different.
Besides, I wasn't in a rush. Slowing down the pace of life once in a while wasn't a bad thing.
And so, the two of us (little) witches spent a considerable amount of time sorting through the contents of the large crate.
"Ah... time really flies." Natalie picked up a notebook and tapped off some non-existent dust, sighing with emotion.
To ensure that these ordinary notebooks and paper items lasted, every book here was maintained by magic runes. These preserved the quality of the paper, preventing it from oxidizing, weathering, or being eaten by insects over time.
"By the way, Sister Natalie, have you ever thought about backing up these notes and books into the Tree of Knowledge?"
"Backing them up? That sounds like a hassle. I probably have way more books than you imagine. Most are my own personal journals or research data, and... well, never mind. Mostly, it’s just too much trouble."
Natalie originally wanted to say that nothing could compare to the feeling of holding a physical book or notebook, which a mere database couldn't replicate. But then she remembered Xiao Han was only suggesting a backup, so she didn't run her mouth. Still, she was tempted to try it; perhaps she could back up the books and notes that were becoming difficult to preserve or were on the verge of damage.
Even if she didn't need them anymore, it would break her heart to just let them rot.
"Too much trouble? Sister Natalie, you can just use the Ley Line Identification Art. Identifying the books allows you to pull the information about their contents from the ley lines. The acquired information can be directly organized by a Knowledge Shadow. It’s a huge time-saver."
"The Ley Line Identification Art can be used like that? Wait... if you have that ability... then why did we waste so much time sorting through these old books!" Natalie was stunned by my suggestion.
She truly hadn't thought of using the Ley Line Identification Art to directly acquire the contents of the books. But then it hit her—Xiao Han clearly had this ability, yet she had spent all that time helping her sort through these books she didn't even use anymore.
It was like looking for work where there was none!
Xiao Han didn't seem like the type of person with that much free time.
Furthermore, these books only held sentimental and collector's value to her now. She didn't mind sharing them with Xiao Han by recording them into the Tree of Great Knowledge. Knowledge only realizes its value when it is shared; she had never been one to hoard her findings.
"Uh... maybe because I respect your hard work and the value of these books?"
"Knowledge only has value when it circulates and is shared!" Natalie lectured me. "But it’s good that you didn't rashly use the Ley Line Identification Art to take this knowledge. Not every witch is as selfless as I am. Many witches view their knowledge as their personal wealth. Taking it without permission is the same as stealing their fortune, and they will settle the score. You have to be careful with other witches."
"Yes, I understand. I was actually considering that just now. At the very least, if I don't do it, I won't make a mistake," I quickly agreed.
"In that case... there’s no need to waste any more effort. Just go ahead and record them."
With Sister Natalie's permission, I immediately began the process of recording the contents of the books. Meanwhile, Natalie stood by, tirelessly recounting the stories behind the notes.
"I still remember this one. I was testing a sealing spell and used this notebook as the subject. In the end, I didn't record the decryption key properly and had to break it open with brute force. You can still see the marks from the Repairing Spells."
"This one... wow. The contents of this book sent me completely down the wrong path in my study of sealing arts. It’s a very sinister sealing technique—unorthodox methods used in reverse. I found it quite fascinating at the time."
Before long, I had finished recording all the books.
"Hmm? You’re that fast?"
"Quite fast. After all, efficiency is key in many things."
"True. Efficiency... the faster, the better. Since I’ve given you what you wanted, I suppose there won't be any more trouble. I hope my research helps you perfect the Tree of Great Knowledge. I have to say, the ability of your Tree of Great Knowledge... is truly impressive!"
Natalie couldn't help but marvel. The information gathered by the Ley Line Identification Art was sometimes an excellent tool for data recording and observation. Most importantly, it was convenient!
It was free from subjective bias and added a new dimension to observation, allowing for more data comparison.
The most crucial point was that the Tree of Great Knowledge's version of the Ley Line Identification Art bypassed the process of "dominating ley line energy," observing and acquiring information directly. The external impact on the ley lines was extremely low, making the acquired data naturally more precise.
Natalie believed that she wasn't the only one; any witch who had experienced the Ley Line Identification Art would have surely conducted their own comparative experiments. This era-defining technique was a tool born for transcendent experimentation!
Once these Great Knowledge Seeds spread throughout the entire alchemy district, the buildings in this area might need major renovations. They might even need to blanket the entire district with techniques related to ley line stabilization.
After all, the more stable the ley lines in an area, the higher the precision of the Ley Line Identification Art and the lower the interference rate.
No one would question how vital such an ability was to the craft of alchemy.
"Let’s go. We still have plenty of time. Today, we’ll start by finishing the tests on the basic characteristics of your Power of Knowledge. After that, I can begin the first stage of the Book in the Box modification."
"Okay."