Chapter 635: The Exchange and Intercommunication of Knowledge
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 635: The Exchange and Intercommunication of Knowledge
After giving me a general overview of the concept of totems, Belica tried to dissuade me one last time.
Seeing her expression so earnest made me feel a bit bashful. However, I felt she was overthinking things; if I truly felt I couldn't learn something, I would give up quickly. There are thousands of paths to transcendence—why pick one I’m not suited for just to make life difficult for myself?
Still, I ultimately chose the knowledge regarding totems. After all, you can only know if something truly suits you by trying it yourself.
But when Belica handed over her research notes on totems, the total volume barely filled the thickness of three books. This was enough to show just how much of a shadow totems had cast over her.
There were no formal books published on totems—or rather, very few. This type of knowledge relied almost entirely on individual research and summaries, accumulated notes that were eventually compiled into formal texts.
"Sorry... the total amount is a bit small. How about you choose my research records on Runology as well? These three books on totems can be a bonus gift. What do you think?" Belica said, looking a bit embarrassed as she held the three volumes.
She knew the weight of these three books. She had once been obsessed with totem research until reality "schooled" her into a proper witch. In the end, these were the only useful things she had managed to summarize. Moreover, totems could be classified under the field of runes anyway—after all, totems were the prototypes of runes.
"Mhm... alright. It seems I'm getting the better end of the deal this time." Looking at the vast bookshelves behind Belica and the content recorded within those books, I couldn't help but swallow hard. The refusal that had been on the tip of my tongue never made it out.
"This knowledge is actually cumulative. Given time, with your accumulation and insight in the path of runes, you might far surpass me. Let's not talk about who's getting the better deal~" Belica said dismissively.
"However... you'll have to wait a moment for these books. I need to make rubbings for you. I hope you understand—these are my personal collections. You should know that we are trading knowledge, not the physical items. You understand the difference, right?"
"Of course. But can I just use the Ley Line Identification Art to acquire the content? It saves you the trouble of making rubbings," I suggested.
"Ley Line Identification Art... Oh, so Xiao Han doesn't even need to flip pages to read anymore? That works too. But I'll need to unseal these books first. They are my collections, each one a product of my blood and sweat. They're all protected by anti-corrosion and anti-erosion spells, not to mention encrypted Sealing Arts."
"Alright." I nodded in agreement.
While waiting, I began organizing the data regarding the creation of the Reincarnation Rebirth Spell and my insights from that time within the Tree of Great Knowledge. I didn't want to miss a single detail; I had to make this worthy of all those rune-related books on her shelves.
Finally, I compiled a compressed information pack from the Tree of Great Knowledge. This method of information delivery reminded me of the impact I had caused Dongli Yiren when we first met. Such compressed data was indeed a significant shock to one's consciousness, but as a Transcendent Witch, Belica should be more than capable of handling it.
"Is this the insight you prepared, Xiao Han? I've long heard of the fame of your derived spell from the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell. I finally get to see it for myself." Belica reached out and touched the rune. Guided by the power of the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell, the entirety of the information transferred into Belica's Great Knowledge Seed.
"It really is high quality. Much more valuable than Sister Mei's..." Belica seemed to be savoring it, her eyes half-lidded, an uncontrollable smile spreading across her lips.
After a moment, Belica snapped out of it. "I like these insights very much. They were certainly worth what I gave in exchange. Such a novel way of thinking... and of course, I have to admire the skills you've mastered, Xiao Han. I'm truly envious~"
"I'm glad you like it, Sister Belica. So, about these bookshelves..."
"Of course. I've already removed the seals. You can record them directly. If the Ley Line Identification Art can't identify something, I can still make a rubbing for you. It's no trouble at all."
"Thank you, Sister Belica."
After thanking her, I stood up and walked to the bookshelves to use the Ley Line Identification Art.
These books didn't originally exist in the Main World, so the Main World's ley lines didn't necessarily have records of this information. Belica's insistence on making rubbings suggested she had also researched ley lines.
To my surprise, once the bookshelves were brought out, they established a connection with the Main World's ley lines. The content recorded within them was logged by the ley lines, but any further information about the books themselves was missing. For instance, when the book was written, how many people had borrowed it, or why there were creases or tears on the pages—none of that was there. There was only the most superficial information left after the initial contact with the ley lines.
Because of this, my recording progress was slow. I even had to manually open some books to complete the process. It took nearly half an hour of busy work to finish.
During this time, however, I learned a new trick: using the power of the Tree of Great Knowledge to bridge the information obtained from Spirit Vision into the Ley Line Identification Art.
The ley lines were the channel for the Ley Line Identification Art's information acquisition, but as my interpretation of information became more sophisticated, I began trying to replace the "Ley Line" prefix with "Spirit Vision."
It felt like I had discovered a brand-new path for the development of the identification art!
If I promoted to the Transcendent level in the future, wouldn't my Real Five Senses perception be just like Spirit Vision? Then wouldn't the identification art become... a Five Senses Identification Art?!
No, no, not just the five senses. As my body cultivation progressed, I also had Heart Sense and Time Sense!
I forcibly suppressed the throbbing excitement brought by this inspiration because the idea was simply too terrifying. But I was also curious—do Transcendent lifeforms, whose five senses constantly encounter so much information every day, truly have consciousnesses that can withstand it?
Perhaps... I would find out once I became a Transcendent Witch.
"Are you finished, Xiao Han? So fast?"
"Mhm. The ley lines record information very quickly, after all." I nodded, acting as if it were a small matter. At that moment, the other witch sisters nearby spoke up.
"Xiao Han, I'd like a copy for my collection as well, if that's alright? I can exchange equivalent knowledge—also Runology research? My field of study is different from hers, so there shouldn't be much overlap."
"I have rune research data too, though I'm better at Alchemy. Plus, I've studied Real Editing Technology, so I've dabbled in runes. I've also researched totems—I suppose I'm just naturally gifted, as I managed to figure some things out. Do you need them? Though, I hope you don't focus too much energy on totems."
Following Belica's completed trade, the other sisters began offering their own exchange items.
Even though they wanted this knowledge for "collection" rather than deep research, the knowledge itself remained unchanged regardless of the reason. Given their long lifespans, who was to say a witch wouldn't suddenly become interested in this at some point in her life?
Thus, they didn't use the "just for collection" excuse to drive down the price. Knowledge had its own inherent value, and they respected that value—a sentiment that came from the heart.
I accepted them all. I admitted I couldn't finish reading so much knowledge at once, nor could I turn it into my own in a short time. But it could serve as my accumulation. Furthermore, even if I hadn't studied the knowledge yet, once it was recorded in the Tree of Great Knowledge, I would have an impression of it. If I encountered a related problem, I could at least "look it up" in the fastest way possible.
The trade ended on a perfect note. The circulation of knowledge didn't make anyone lose anything; instead, it allowed more people to see more scenery. This trade was a profitable venture for everyone involved.
For me, especially so. The benefits brought by this trade even made me wonder if they were the ones asking me for an exchange.
At the end, they all left their contact information with me. This gesture represented their high regard for me, signaling their belief that I would create even more wondrous miracles in the future. It was a roundabout way of showing they believed in my potential.
Afterward, we chatted about other topics, such as the things I had done in the Expansion Realm. They were very interested in the Omni-Link Main Network Tree system and my domain characteristics.
During this time, I learned about the concept of a "Composite Domain." My domain encompassed two Great Spellbooks and the power of body cultivation. Normally, any spellbook could derive a domain, but every domain was different; even domains generated from the same spellbook might vary.
Finally, they chatted with me about domain resonance. Since I had been live-streaming, they knew what I was trying to do, even if they hadn't watched the whole thing. Even though they knew they couldn't achieve it themselves, it didn't stop them from being curious.
The gathering finally came to an end as the sky began to dim.
Before we finished, Belica introduced her teaching assistant, Yi Rui, to me, and the others did the same for theirs.
"A pleasure to meet you. If there's a chance, we can exchange ideas in the Expansion Realm." After exchanging contact info, I issued another invitation.
I really didn't want the Expansion Realm to be turned into a mess by those people, though I had to admit they had established a new order there, radiating outward from Ninglan New City. However, due to the social unrest in the Main World's Core World, many teaching assistants had already withdrawn from the Expansion Realm. Without their leadership, at least the people in Ninglan New City wouldn't be causing any more trouble.
"Do you want to go to the Expansion Realm and try it out? It's a good place; without the suppression of the Great Weakening Spell, the positive feedback when learning spells is very strong. Yi Rui, have you written your application for the Expansion Realm yet?" Belica asked, thinking my suggestion was a good one.
"Uh... not yet..."
"Forget it, I'll help you with the paperwork tomorrow. You should go out more and experience new things. Learn a bit from Xiao Han; you're already a teaching assistant, after all."
"Oh... okay..." Yi Rui nodded without protest. She was the typical quiet type who didn't like going out or causing trouble.
After saying our goodbyes, Sister Bai and I left. The other witches planned to stay and continue their research and exchange.
After all, whether it was day or night was just a change in the external environment for witches. In the Void, there was no such thing as day or night. They would simply keep pouring out their energy until they were tired, then rest. They played hard, worked with all their might, and slept soundly to replenish their energy. A witch's daily life was that simple, without excessive worries. Without good lifestyle habits, how could they enjoy such eternal lifespans?
The worries, gloom, boredom, anxiety, emptiness, and numbness of daily life are all caused by lifestyle habits. Short-lived species find immortality a curse because their fast-paced lifestyle makes them encounter eternal torment in their future lives, which is why they fear eternal life.
But if every day is lived simply, fully, and interestingly, then everything in life is stretched out, and negative emotions don't stack up. Naturally, one won't feel fear or helplessness toward things that haven't happened yet.
That was why the witches' daily lives seemed so leisurely, appearing completely out of place compared to ordinary people. It was simply a different attitude toward life.
"Here... for you."
"Wow... it's beautiful!"
"It's just a Fireball Spellbook."
"But it's one you made with your own hands, Sister Bai."
Simple dialogue, simple actions, without much ceremony, yet it was something I treated with the utmost gravity.
"Xiao Han, do you blame me for just giving it to you like this, without more of a sense of ritual?"
"That depends on how you define a 'sense of ritual,' Sister Bai~" I turned around to look at her.
The sky was dimming, and the streetlights hadn't turned on yet. Sister Bai's face was slightly blurred against the dark sky. At this moment, she looked like an ordinary girl, nervously giving a gift and asking if I liked it.
"Since this is a spellbook you made yourself, then you should be the one to tuck it in, Sister Bai~" I unbuttoned the first button of my collar, then used one finger to slowly pull the neckline downward. The dim atmosphere made the view inside my collar hazy, yet it carried a lethal temptation.
"Come on... hurry up~" I urged, though my heart was already impatient. "If you think this isn't enough ritual... then you'll just have to compensate me in bed tonight~"