Chapter 605: Miraculous Rising Star Teacher, Ji Niang!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 605: Miraculous Rising Star Teacher, Ji Niang!
A new day.
The Witch Academy.
The exchange students from various transcendent academies gathered here were all gearing up, their excitement palpable.
As the Witch Academy formally announced the opening of the teleportation channel to Ninglan New City, many students who had been out of the loop finally realized that something monumental had happened.
Ninglan New City—a place they once thought they would only ever hear about in rumors—was now open!
During this period, Ninglan Qiuyue, the City Lord of Ninglan New City, became a trending topic. Unfortunately, she wasn't at the Witch Academy; she was busy with official duties back in the new city.
Many students were eager to visit during their breaks to see the world, only to discover that an application was required, and not just anyone was eligible.
Ninglan New City wasn't like a Witch Secret Realm where you could simply pay to enter. For lower-year students, the prerequisite for applying was having a course exemption!
Suddenly, it clicked for many people. They finally understood why so many students had been desperately applying for course exemptions at the start of the semester—this was what they had been waiting for.
It turned out that hard work truly could change one's circumstances. Those who had previously been indifferent had now completely missed the chance to alter the trajectory of their lives.
Of course, having a course exemption and the eligibility to apply for Ninglan New City didn't automatically mean one's life was changed. Without a personal plan, one's own understanding, and even more diligent effort, one was better off staying at the Witch Academy and following the standard curriculum.
As the first batch of approved applicants was announced, the information was relayed by the mentors. Lower-year students were notified by their respective class counselors.
At that moment, Ji Niang made a rare appearance in her office. If not for this matter, she would likely still be in the laboratory conducting in-depth research on [Transcendent Knowledge].
However, she wasn't so busy that she had to spend every waking hour in the lab; after all, she was still a counselor in charge of a class.
"You two... here, take these. Since you've applied to go to Ninglan New City of your own accord, I won't stop you. I hope you can make even greater progress there." Ji Niang looked at the two girls before her and handed over their nameplates. These plates represented their identity as Witch Academy students and served as their credentials to enter Ninglan New City.
Standing before Ji Niang were Lucianne and Yu Yuetian.
Actually, there was another student in Ji Niang’s Class 14 who was eligible to enter, but she likely didn't need a permit at all—because she was the City Lord of Ninglan New City herself.
It had to be said that this was Ji Niang's first time serving as a counselor. She only managed a single class, whereas other counselors usually took on four or five.
But her?
Just one class, and yet every single student in it was a genius. She was becoming the talk of the town among her fellow witches during their tea breaks.
After all, think about it: when Class 14 was first formed, she, as the counselor, had single-handedly used a special admission to recruit a student who normally wouldn't have been invited to the academy. She then appointed that student as the class monitor. Now, that student had soared to the heavens, creating countless miracles within the Witch Academy, becoming a teaching assistant, and even becoming a Little Witch recognized by the Witch Contract!
Even setting aside that exceptional case, what else?
Shortly after the semester began, during the multi-school joint dream exchange competition, she had "abducted" Lucianne, a Child of Destiny who was now among the very top tier of the freshmen.
And after that?
During the trip to Ninglan New City, she had brought back a City Lord who had since been promoted to a Main World Child of Destiny, becoming a vital hub for the cooperation between the Witch Academy and the Expansion Realm.
Ji Niang was being hailed as a rising star of the teaching world among the witches. She had peaked right at her debut, and the buzz surrounding her success was even louder than the hype for the [Transcendent Knowledge] she was currently researching.
"Additionally, once you arrive at the teleportation hall in Ninglan New City, remember to follow instructions and sign the Witch Contract. You must read the contract terms carefully. If there's anything you can't accept, don't sign it. Staying at the Witch Academy isn't necessarily inferior to going to Ninglan New City. But... I still suggest you go and experience it, even if it's just to see the world."
Ji Niang was mainly saying this for Yu Yuetian's benefit. There was no need to worry about Lucianne; her supporters had likely briefed her long ago, probably with even more detail than Ji Niang. Only Yu Yuetian lacked connections and was, in a sense, the most "ordinary" student.
After a bit more nagging, the two girls stepped out of the office.
"Your name is Yu Yuetian, right?" Once outside, Lucianne glanced at the girl walking beside her and spoke first. "I heard you share a dorm with Xiao Han."
"Yes, but she... she rarely goes back to the dorm these days," Yu Yuetian replied. The last time she had seen Xiao Han was a few days ago, when Xiao Han had given each of them a Great Knowledge Seed.
"I see. It seems she really is busy." Lucianne didn't say much more, but she could tell that the other girl possessed a Great Knowledge Seed just like she did. She understood that Xiao Han looked after her roommates quite well.
Great Knowledge Seeds were incredibly rare—so rare that even among the teaching assistants, few possessed one. Most of the student body hadn't even heard of the concept.
"Yes, she works harder than anyone. Also, could you please not use Ley Line Identification Art on me? It's quite impolite."
"Ahem... sorry." Lucianne gave an embarrassed cough and immediately changed the subject. "Um... are you going straight to the teleportation hall? Want to go together? I know a few senior sisters in Ninglan New City; they can help us avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."
"That... I'm sorry, I have to wait for a friend. She's a student from Class 105, so I probably can't go with you."
"Alright then... let's exchange contact info. We're in the same class, but we haven't really talked until now. If anything happens once we get to Ninglan New City, you can contact me directly."
"Thank you." Yu Yuetian nodded, not standing on ceremony. She was well aware of Lucianne's status; having more friends meant more paths in life, and she couldn't rely on Sister Xiao Han forever, could she?
"No problem. I'll head over first then. Oh, right, I have some compiled information about Ninglan New City here. I hope it can be of some small help to you."
After speaking, Lucianne turned and headed down the stairs. She didn't actually need to be this helpful, but... she didn't dare underestimate anyone or anything connected to Xiao Han now.
Yu Yuetian watched her leave, then looked at the data synchronized to her phone via the Tree of Knowledge. She silently saved it.
Then, she went to another spot to wait quietly.
Before long, a figure emerged from another office.
"Dongli Yiren, you're finally out. Is your class counselor really that talkative?" Yu Yuetian asked.
"Can't be helped. I'm the only one in my class, so I got pulled aside for a long lecture on precautions," Dongli Yiren said, scratching her head with an air of indifference. "Let's go. Let's grab a good meal first and call those two from the dorm. It's a pity... Sister Xiao Han won't be coming..."
"It's fine. I heard she's in Ninglan New City too. Maybe we'll see her there," Yu Yuetian said. "By the way, you mentioned a senior sister earlier. When is she planning to go?"
"You mean Senior Sister Sofiri? She said her situation might not be great, so she might not make it into the first batch of approvals."
"Well, I guess it's just the two of us for now."
"No worries, the second batch will be soon. Since she's interested, she'll contact me once she arrives."
* * *
With the opening of Ninglan New City, the City Guard within the city became incredibly busy.
The residents of the city also understood exactly what kind of beings these sudden visitors were.
Even if they didn't know, the city's newspapers were reporting the latest news.
This was mainly to soothe the emotions of the residents; after all, ordinary people felt a primal fear toward transcendents.
Even if many of them looked similar to ordinary humans, it couldn't hide the massive chasm between them.
Not far outside the walls of Ninglan New City, a new giant tree had replaced the old one. Its massive canopy blotted out the sun, and the shelter built beneath it had been gradually improved by hand over the past few days. Recently, the shelter had even welcomed a new wave of refugees.
They called this place the "Calamity Shelter."
I wasn't sure if the "Calamity" they referred to was me, the Calamity Witch, or the calamity-like ordeal they had experienced. Perhaps it was both.
But I didn't care about such details. What they chose to do was none of my business. Currently, they were busy searching for building materials, food, and water outside, while those remaining at the shelter worked on improving the infrastructure. They seemed quite content in their busyness.
During this time, I also welcomed the witch sisters from the Witch Academy.
However, their state seemed a bit off. Or rather, only their clones had come—and these were ordinary human clones without a shred of transcendent power. This meant that if they encountered danger, they wouldn't even have the strength to protect themselves. They would either need protection from others or simply wait for the clone to die and send another.
This was the result of a compromise with the other transcendent academies. In the future, if students from other academies required mentor intervention, they could do the same.
In my opinion, it was entirely redundant, but that was the current situation. I was already very grateful that the witch sisters were willing to go through the trouble to come and help me.
"Xiao Han, come take a look. It's almost ready~"
"So fast?" I was a bit surprised. Seeing the witch sister waving at me, I hurried over.
"Of course. This is my specialty, after all. Besides, it's not that difficult. You've already solved most of the major hurdles, haven't you, Xiao Han?"
"But the efficiency is still amazing." I looked at the witch sister before me. Her name was Agnes, and she was the one who had first suggested building a game platform on the Tree of Great Knowledge.
Agnes gestured, and an information panel appeared before her.
"Eh? Sister Agnes, you're using your own clone as a test subject?"
"Yes, is there a problem? There's no loss, and I can correct any hidden issues immediately. It's quite convenient, isn't it?"
"I suppose so... I was originally thinking of letting the people here at the shelter try it... but this works too. Have you run into any difficulties, Agnes?" I asked with concern.
"It's going smoothly. Just some minor issues at most that take a bit of time. Don't you worry, Xiao Han. But... I'm still curious. If this is the design for the player panel, what do you plan to do about the combat methods and the source of transcendent power for the players?"
"How about Power of Knowledge?"
"Are you sure? Isn't it a bit wasteful to give them power of that level? I'm quite interested in the ley energy controlled by this Omni-Link Main Network Tree. Isn't that what the identification art uses? Have you thought about using that?"
"No, I'll stick with Power of Knowledge. I've researched the energy characteristics of ley energy; it's not suitable for combat. I still want to use Power of Knowledge, using the Omni-Link Main Network Tree as a carrier for the Dual Tree Structure, and then using the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell as a link to achieve the sharing of Power of Knowledge," I said firmly.
"Uh..." Hearing my description, Agnes fell into deep thought. She understood the logic, but implementing it and bridging these techniques would take considerable effort.
In her view, just hearing Xiao Han's ideas allowed her to foresee the potential troubles. For instance, how would the Omni-Link Main Network Tree carry the Dual Tree Structure? How would the Great Knowledge Seed within the Dual Tree Structure form a symbiotic relationship with the Omni-Link Main Network Tree?
And as for a derived spell like the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell... could it even share Power of Knowledge?
It shared knowledge!
Even when transmitting information, it used knowledge as the carrier. How was it supposed to share Power of Knowledge?
These were all problems that needed solving.
"Did you not understand, Sister Agnes?"
"No, I understood. I just feel like going to all this trouble for this concept... don't you find it tedious? Even just listening to your description, I know the difficulties you'll have to overcome will be immense..."
"What? Is Sister Agnes afraid of trouble too?"
"No." Agnes shook her head. She naturally wasn't afraid of trouble. Witches had eternal lifespans; they could spend centuries or even millennia in silence just to research and create a Great Spellbook. But Xiao Han...
"If Sister Agnes isn't afraid, do you think I would be?"
"Alright, I was overthinking it."
Hearing my answer, Agnes was stunned for a moment, then gave a soft smile.
Once she understood, she stopped worrying. Since Xiao Han had spoken her mind and expressed her will, Agnes would naturally help her achieve the best possible result—not just for Xiao Han, but for her own vision as well.
"That's the spirit~ Come, let's first complete the symbiotic compatibility between the Great Knowledge Seed and the Omni-Link Main Network Tree. We'll deal with the other problems later." Seeing that Sister Agnes was no longer hesitating, I began my attempt step by step.
I knew perfectly well that achieving my vision would involve many difficulties, but those difficulties were destined to be solved by me. I had that much confidence.