Chapter 593: Revisiting Ninglan New City
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 593: Revisiting Ninglan New City
Inside the laboratory.
My figure darted busily through the room.
In truth, there was no need for me to be this frantic. After that meeting with Sister Lina and signing the contract, I could have simply packed my things and headed straight for the teleportation channel to Ninglan New City.
However, I chose to stay behind a little longer to finalize the groundwork for my Great Knowledge Seed incubation plan.
I had already discussed the idea of using the Tree of Knowledge to gestate Knowledge Seeds with the other sisters in the lab shortly after the thought occurred to me.
It was a solid concept, and the witch sisters agreed it was a promising direction. If successfully implemented, it would significantly refine the information grading plan for the Great Knowledge Seeds.
Grading information at the very source.
Moving from foundational grading to information grading, and finally to technical grading—it was a massive undertaking.
The reason I wasn't in a hurry to perfect it myself was that the moment I proposed the plan, the witch sisters had enthusiastically taken charge of it.
They weren't afraid of failure, and neither was I.
I had already paved the way for a successful start and pointed out the path for them to follow. What I was busy with now was the handover of the knowledge seedlings.
After all, the Tree of Great Knowledge belonged entirely to me. Even if I wanted to hand over this Great Spellbook for everyone to study, I physically couldn't.
Strictly speaking, any research they conducted had to originate from me. Thus, my current task was the continuous mass-production of Great Knowledge Seeds for testing.
They didn't have the Order of my Heart State Domain to serve as a cultivation environment, but they had crystal mediums that simulated the Sea of Consciousness to mimic those conditions. They lacked the ability to wield the Tree of Great Knowledge itself, but they had the Dual Tree Structure and the Power of Knowledge I had granted them to use as research tools.
In essence, they could replicate what I did. Even if it was many times more difficult for them than it was for me, they were more than willing to do it.
I stayed busy like this right until the next day.
"Xiao Han, I heard you signed a contract to go to the Expansion Realm?"
"Hmm? Yeah. How did you guys find out?" I asked curiously, looking at the group of witch sisters who had gathered around me after my morning meditation.
"Oh, we have our ways of hearing things."
"Mhm, mhm! We’ve got things covered here at the lab, so you can head off without any worries."
"Wait, why do you all sound like you can't wait for me to leave?" I looked at them suspiciously.
I knew the research group for the Tree of Great Knowledge and its derivatives could function perfectly fine without me, but did they have to make it so obvious?
"Well, if we kept you busy with all this, wouldn't that make us look useless? If it's something we can handle, there's no need to trouble you with the manual labor, Xiao Han~"
"What kind of logic is that? Can't I just stay and help out while I have some free time?"
Seeing their stubborn expressions, I eventually gave in and didn't insist on staying.
Not long after I prepared to leave, a witch came running into the research room.
The moment she arrived, she announced the news with a face full of joy.
"The test was a success! The Great Knowledge Sharing Spell can truly transmit information using knowledge as a carrier, and it just passed testing in an extreme void environment!"
* * *
As I left the lab to head home and pack for Ninglan New City, I suddenly received a shared information burst from within the Tree of Great Knowledge.
This was a transmission via the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell. Once the synchronization was complete, I understood the details instantly, as if a thought had simply occurred to me.
"This is... the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell completing its void environment test... Wait, what? What are they doing with my techniques? Testing them in the void... They really know how to have fun."
After a brief review, I grasped the situation.
A while ago, after I handed over the derivative techniques of the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell to them, I hadn't paid much attention to their progress.
It turned out they had conducted a series of tests without telling me. Their main goal was to determine the range of the technique's sharing capabilities, even going so far as to test it in the void outside the world.
According to the shared data, it was a success. I had to admit, those witches were bold. I wasn't even qualified to step into the void yet, and they were already out there running tests.
Originally, I had planned to use this trip to Ninglan New City to test whether there was any interference in information retrieval between the Tree of Great Knowledge and the Great Knowledge Seeds.
After all, they would be separated by the Core World and the Expansion Realm—different spatial planes entirely. But looking at the results now... the circulation of knowledge shouldn't be an issue.
I didn't dwell on it too much. Even if they hadn't tested it, I would have done it myself once I had the capability. They had simply finished a task for me ahead of schedule.
Back to business.
I returned home to pack, but upon reflection, there wasn't much point.
For instance, I had the Change of Clothes Spell for my wardrobe. As for toiletries, the city would provide hotel accommodations with everything included once we arrived. It seemed I only needed to bring myself. Besides, I had my storage equipment, which was already stocked with a vast array of daily necessities.
This included various clothes, tools, transcendent materials, and more.
I had heard that the current Ninglan New City was unrecognizable compared to its previous state.
With infrastructure aid from the Witch Academy and the influence of the Main World repair plans, Ninglan New City had to evolve with the times. It was inevitable, and honestly, I was quite looking forward to seeing the changes.
I wondered if the scholars at the Underground District Beyonder Research Base were still there.
Oh, and one more thing I almost forgot.
The new City Lord of Ninglan New City, Ninglan Qiuyue—she would likely be there.
And... Qiu Ruxin.
After all, the Expansion Realm was being repaired using her former world. The people still suffering there shared the blood of her civilization.
But these weren't things I needed to overthink. Before leaving the Witch Academy, I had one more thing to do.
And that was... to say a proper goodbye to Sister Bai.
Since this trip to Ninglan New City was an exclusive event for students, Sister Bai couldn't accompany me. It was a bit of a shame.
As a Transcendent Witch, there was no need for her to compete with students for resources. Between her teaching duties and her exchange studies regarding Real Editing Technology, she didn't have much free time anyway.
I didn't push the matter. Besides, with teleportation spells connecting the Core World and the Expansion Realm, it wasn't as if we wouldn't see each other for long.
The farewell wasn't overly dramatic. We parted with a light kiss, just like any other day.
After the parting, I headed to the Teleportation Hall specifically established for Ninglan New City.
This building was located in a previously reserved planning zone of the Witch Academy. The academy was massive, so designating one zone as a teleportation hub for Ninglan New City was no issue at all.
"It doesn't seem very crowded," I murmured as I stepped into the hall.
Looking at the somewhat empty space, I had expected a crowd now that Ninglan New City was officially open—at least some onlookers or people trying to get a head start.
But... it seemed most were still in the application and review phase. Until their applications were approved, they probably didn't even know where the Teleportation Hall was located within the academy.
Upon my arrival, a receptionist warmly approached me. After a brief identification check, I realized that these receptionists were likely graduated senior sisters who had found employment within the school.
After chatting with her, I understood why the place was so quiet.
Public reception had only just begun, and it hadn't been officially announced on the academy network yet. Ninglan New City's formal opening was a very recent development.
I heard the teleportation channel had been opened intermittently before this, likely to accommodate Ninglan Qiuyue. As for the Transcendent Mentors... they didn't need to use the main entrance.
It was just like how I didn't need a special channel to go from the academy to the outside world. Having that level of power wasn't just about convenience; it meant that as long as you didn't cause trouble, no one would interfere with your movements.
Once my identity was confirmed, she prepared to lead me directly to the teleportation channel.
If I weren't a Teaching Assistant, I probably would have had to sign another Witch Contract and verify my application before entering. Being a TA allowed me to skip many of the formalities.
"Just out of curiosity, how many people have gone through in the last two days?" I asked.
"Only six people have passed through in the last two days. All of them were academy Teaching Assistants like yourself. As for their specific details, my records show..."
"No need for specifics, I was just curious," I said, quickly stopping her. If I really wanted to know more, I could find out through my Ley Line Identification Art.
As we walked toward the channel, the receptionist shared more information.
For example, upon arriving at Ninglan New City, I would be greeted by the City Guard.
As a TA, I could obtain information directly from them regarding the city's current status, regulations, and so on.
I could also accept paid missions from them, such as assisting in the mining of identified transcendent energy mineral fields. Due to transcendent radiation and other factors, ordinary people were unqualified to work those mines.
Other tasks included clearing out mutated beast clusters outside the city.
Furthermore, the academy network had been laid out within Ninglan New City. As long as I was within the city limits, I could connect to the network for communication.
However, there would be high latency when connecting back to the academy side, as the two locations were on different spatial planes. Being able to communicate at all was a feat achieved by the academy network utilizing the Main World's ley lines.
The primary purpose of the network in Ninglan New City was to facilitate local communication and coordination with the academy. To that end, there were special missions involving the setup and protection of network base stations in areas with high ley line activity outside the city.
"We can only take you this far. Once you arrive on the other side, the City Guard will be there to arrange basic accommodation and other needs. If you have any issues, feel free to raise them; they will do their best to meet all reasonable requests."
"Thank you for the explanation," I said politely, my gaze falling upon the massive teleportation channel.
This channel was kept permanently open. The energy consumption for maintaining it was negligible. Since the energy required to "open" a portal is much higher than what is needed to "maintain" it, it was more efficient to simply leave it running.
As I stepped through, I felt the pressure on my body suddenly lift. It was the sensation of imbalance caused by leaving the range of the Great Weakening Spell.
I adapted quickly, having prepared myself mentally.
"Honored visitor from the Witch Academy, I am the City Guard assigned to receive you. I shall guide you through this miracle of civilization, Ninglan New City."
When I emerged, a neatly lined squad of City Guards stood at attention, radiating discipline. The leader greeted me with a brief, rehearsed welcome.
"Alright, I'll be in your care then." I nodded, not wanting to make things difficult for them, and followed him away from the teleportation area.
As we exited the building, I realized we were right in front of the massive stone monument at the very center of Ninglan New City!
The exit led directly to a vast plaza and the city's most iconic landmark.
"The plaza you are currently in is..."
"I know this place, no need to explain. You mentioned you're the City Guard—is the highest-ranking officer still Mo Le?" I asked curiously. I still remembered meeting her during my first visit to Ninglan New City.
"This... yes." The guard wasn't annoyed by my interruption; after all, the people coming through this channel were not to be trifled with. However, hearing a familiar name clearly surprised him. "Guest, have you been to Ninglan New City before?"
"Something like that. Let's not dwell on it. Take me to my lodgings first so I can settle the food and housing situation. I plan to walk around the city afterward," I said.
From what I could see, the plaza didn't show too many changes yet, though the paving stones seemed to have been entirely replaced. Even that alone must have been a massive project for the city.
Since my arrival, I had been continuously using my Ley Line Identification Art to collect data on the city's ley lines, constructing a complete map of the current terrain.
I finished gathering the information shortly after. During that time, I familiarized myself with the hotel and dining arrangements. With the basics settled, I was ready to dismiss the guard.
"I don't have anything else for now, so you can head back. Oh, right—if you see Mo Le, give her a message for me. Tell her Yang Yuehan is here. She should remember the name."
I sent the message mainly as a reminder. She might not recognize my current appearance, but she would certainly remember my name.
When I eventually headed out of the city, I would need the City Guard's help for initial intelligence. It was much more efficient to speak directly with the commanding officer than to deal with random soldiers.
Of course, that was assuming she wasn't too busy. If she was swamped, I wouldn't bother her.
"Yang Yuehan... Yang Yuehan? Wait, did you say you are Yang Yuehan? The Scholar Xiao Han?"
"Oh? You've heard the name?" I looked up at him, surprised. Even a common soldier in the City Guard knew who I was?
"Of course! We all know that name. But... but I remember Scholar Xiao Han wasn't..."
"There was an accident, and my appearance changed. If Mo Le can contact Ninglan Qiuyue, she can verify it for me. Anyway, that's all for now. You don't need to disturb me further."
"Yes, Scholar Xiao Han." The guard's tone shifted instantly. He didn't pry further and left immediately.
I watched him go, feeling curious. I hadn't expected the title "Scholar Xiao Han" to still be circulating in Ninglan New City after all this time.
It was quite unexpected. I wondered who was fueling the rumors, but one thing was certain: with this reputation, things would be much easier for me here.
I let out a sigh and waved my hand. A 3D magical projection of the Tree of Great Knowledge appeared before me.
This was the new layout of Ninglan New City that I had just mapped using the Ley Line Identification Art.
"This area is the plaza and the monument... I didn't expect the city to have expanded this much. These buildings are new, this ring is the old city wall, this was the former strategic buffer zone, and here..." Looking at the miniature model of Ninglan New City, which looked like a tabletop sandcastle, I couldn't help but marvel. "This truly is a miracle."