Chapter 681: The Possibility of Summarizing Self-Generated Mana as an Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 681: The Possibility of Summarizing Self-Generated Mana as an Art
"Sister Bai, I’ve come up with a brilliant idea."
"Oh? What is it?" Sister Bai was currently running her fingers through my silver-white hair, which was draped across her lap. She clearly couldn't bring herself to stop.
"Do you think the Witch race's physical talent, Self-Generated Mana, can be produced in batches?"
"Self-Generated Mana... Xiao Han, what made you think of that?" Sister Bai asked, sounding a bit puzzled by the notion.
"It was a sudden flash of inspiration. I realized that my understanding of the Self-Generated Mana talent was a bit too... shallow? This physical talent could serve as the foundation for several sub-topics under the Witch Major Research Topic. Its potential for development is absolutely massive."
"So, you're interested in this now?" Sister Bai understood what I meant after my explanation. "The foundation of Self-Generated Mana is indeed one of the most important research topics. Countless Witches have dedicated themselves to its continuous development. If you're interested, I can help you find information on it. As a Transcendent Witch, I have the authority to access those records."
I’ll just have to pay a small price, Bai Yu added silently to herself.
"Oh, I know many Witches have studied it. But what if I’m talking about Self-Generated Mana before one has even ascended to Transcendent status?"
I remembered when I was working with Dean Mei; she had hinted that my case was practically unheard of. A Witch who hadn't ascended to Transcendent status, yet possessed a Transcendent Witch's physical talent!
This was a milestone that could potentially change the entire path of Witch transformation!
If it weren't for the incredibly strict threshold of Self-Awakened Body Cultivation, this would have absolutely sent shockwaves through the entire Witch race.
However, based on what I knew of Dean Mei... while she might have been exaggerating slightly, it at least proved that there wasn't much research in this specific area.
"That... I really haven't heard of anything like that before..."
"Exactly! That’s why I have this idea. I am the first successful case, so the only thing standing between this and a widespread method is a second case!"
"Widespread... Xiao Han, there’s no practical benefit for you in making this widespread, is there?"
"Does everything I do have to have a practical benefit for me? Sis-ter Bai~"
"...Alright, since you're being so headstrong, I’ll support you. But I still hope you don't put the cart before the horse," Sister Bai mused for a moment after my retort, but she didn't ultimately reject my idea.
"Seeing how reluctant you look, I do have my own reasons. I want to gain a deeper understanding of Self-Generated Mana through constant experimentation and trial. You should understand my priorities, Sister Bai. Understanding the unknown is far more important to me than any practical benefit."
"I know that now~"
"Hmm?"
"Is it that strange? You didn't like expressing yourself before. If the old Xiao Han had been as open as you are now, I’d probably know what color panties you wear every day by now."
"Eh? Sister Bai, you actually have that kind of hobby? Honestly, if you just asked, I could show you~" As I spoke, I began to slightly lift one side of my skirt...
"I’m joking! It was a metaphor, just a metaphor!" Sister Bai quickly pressed down the hem of my skirt to correct me, then swiftly changed the subject. "Ahem. Anyway, it’s for the best that you know what you're doing. But regarding this matter... do you plan to do it alone? No matter how you look at it, this seems like it would be incredibly draining."
"I plan to talk to Dean Mei about the Self-Generated Mana issue. Back in Ninglan New City, I used her Metamorphic Rebirth Spell to complete the metamorphosis of my Self-Generated Mana. I think Dean Mei would be very happy to see this succeed."
After all, if the Self-Generated Mana talent could be popularized, it would be a massive boost for the students in the academy looking to ascend to Transcendent Witches. Dean Mei would certainly welcome the birth of such an art.
"Dean Mei..." Sister Bai was startled by the unexpected name. "She should be quite busy..."
"She is. So, there’s no rush. I can't exactly go to her for help with just a vague idea, can I? I plan to mull it over myself first and come up with some feasible concepts. Blindly pushing the responsibility for the unknown onto Dean Mei would be irresponsible."
"True..." Seeing that I already had a plan, Sister Bai stopped worrying.
With our sharing of inspiration over, Sister Bai and I returned to the task at hand.
And so, the leisurely time passed slowly.
Sister Bai continued to teach me the finer details of condensing a Mana Source. These were nuances that could only be learned through experience and constant trial, and they were also indirect reflections of how to utilize Self-Generated Mana.
After all, if I remembered correctly, mana was the highest energy level of transcendent energy that a living being could control. It was also an energy exclusive to the Witch race.
Being the "Unit One" of energy level classifications was proof enough of the vital role mana played in the hierarchy of power.
It was simple to convert high-level energy into low-level energy. For example, the Transcendent Origin Crystal I had encountered before—once its energy level dropped, it directly triggered the growth of an entire surface mine of energy crystals.
However, that only worked for energy degradation. Generally, low-level energy cannot undergo reverse metamorphosis into a higher level without the guidance of specialized arts.
Transcendent Witches could use energy-rich environments to shape a Mana Source. The first step was to transform that low-level energy into mana, and only then could they condense the Mana Source.
If this art were taken on its own, it would be incredibly troublesome and thankless. However, the Witch race had turned such a complex art into an innate talent: Self-Generated Mana. By relying on this talent, they could "instinctively" acquire mana.
The second method of condensing a Mana Source also relied on the Self-Generated Mana talent, but the difference between it and the first method was essentially the difference between "passive" and "active."
Currently, I could only rely on the passive generation of mana from my talent to complete the shaping of my Mana Source; I couldn't actively utilize the transcendent energy in the environment.
According to Sister Bai, Self-Generated Mana is only considered "complete" once one reaches the Transcendent life level. My current Self-Generated Mana was merely at the peak of the non-Transcendent level.
But even so, it was incredibly enticing to the other students—and even to me, since I wasn't a Transcendent Witch yet.
"Xiao Han, it won't be long after we get back before the new round of final exams begins, right? Do you have any thoughts on that?"
In the evening, Sister Bai personally cooked dinner for me while I helped out. Though it wasn't a feast, it had a home-cooked flavor that you couldn't find in any restaurant.
"Yeah. Regarding the college entrance exam, Teacher Lina did me a favor. I expect she'll use that as leverage to get me to participate in the finals again," I said, shoveling rice into my mouth. "Phew~ this is delicious."
"Eat more if it's good," Sister Bai said with a smile.
"Mhm." I nodded and continued the previous topic. "I heard these finals are also linked to the promotion of my Knowledge Seed project. It’s probably about time for a large-scale rollout."
"Really? That was fast."
"Yeah. I haven't been actively keeping track. Honestly, that laboratory can function perfectly fine without me now. I heard they even went to the Abyssal Demon world to restock or something..."
"So, you're basically free now?"
Sister Bai naturally knew about the laboratory I had in the Great Spellbook. Because its style was completely different from the mainstream academy research into [Transcendent Knowledge], it was often discussed, receiving both praise and criticism.
She also knew that I had set up the Omni-Link Main Network Tree laboratory in the Expansion Realm. Now that I had been away for so long, I heard I’d only left a clone behind in that lab.
"Exactly. Lightening the load~ You could say we all got what we wanted. I provided the platform and shared the results, while they got the foundation to realize their ideas and gained knowledge, experience, and arts. With the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell, that derived spell ensures that every participant gets something out of it."
"Aren't you afraid of people getting something for nothing?"
"How can there be 'something for nothing' when it comes to knowledge? That’s called sharing~ Knowledge that isn't personally studied is just information. Even if it's shared, it won't belong to anyone without their own effort. It’s just a piece of data that hasn't entered the brain."
"True..." Sister Bai realized that if the knowledge wasn't studied and researched, even if the Great Knowledge Seed had recorded it, it belonged to the Seed, not to any specific person.
"Mmm... Ah~ I'm stuffed! Sister Bai, the fried eggplant sandwiches you made today were amazing!" I patted my slightly rounded belly and leaned back in my chair with satisfaction.
"Is that so? In that case, you're full, right?" Sister Bai put down her chopsticks; she hadn't eaten much.
As a Transcendent Witch, she almost didn't need normal food to sustain her life functions. She had only tasted a bit of each dish, out of a habit of training her Five Senses Body Cultivation.
"Yeah~ so full."
"Then... now that you're full, it’s time for me to eat~"
"Huh?" I was currently in that post-meal state where my brain was a bit empty. I didn't quite register what Sister Bai meant at first...
"Wait... do you mean 'eat' in the way I think you do?"
"(Stare)—"
"Uh? You do mean it that way, don't you..." I looked at the few scraps of food left on the table...
"What do you think?"
"Wait... I just ate..."
"Then how about some after-dinner exercise? Actually, with a body cultivator's constitution, you can ignore the health habits of ordinary people~" Sister Bai stood up and walked toward me with a smile.
"The night is still young. I’ll wait until you're ready~"
The moment Sister Bai said that...
I knew... tonight was going to be another "wonderful" night~
...
The next day, near noon.
After taking a shower to clear my head, a beautiful new day began~
Even so, I didn't forget my daily meditation. After all, one couldn't slack off on training mental power.
While I was meditating, an unexpected Witch arrived.
"Hi~ Sister Bai Yu."
"Hmm?" Bai Yu opened the villa door to find a Witch standing there. "Oh, Sister Lina. What brings you here so suddenly? Is something the matter?"
"There is, actually. I’m mainly here for Xiao Han. I couldn't get a hold of her by phone, so I figured I’d drop by while I was free. Also, congratulations on yesterday. You've taken another step forward~"
"Thank you. I didn't expect my unintentional actions yesterday would reach your ears, Sister Lina. But Xiao Han is currently meditating, so it might not be convenient to disturb her. What is it? Can you tell me?" Sister Bai quickly ushered Lina inside.
"Meditating? Meditating at this hour?" Lina instinctively checked the time, then realized something. Her face immediately took on a "knowing" expression. "Alright, I won't interfere in your business as a couple. Let’s get back to the point."
"Ri... Right. Let’s get back to the point." Bai Yu instinctively tried to hide her embarrassment, but outwardly she looked as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, she had the habit of erasing Ley Line Information...
"Actually, I came over to talk to Xiao Han about the final exams for the lower-year students this semester."
"The finals... Xiao Han mentioned them. She said you did her a favor, and she said she’d set aside plenty of time for them."
"A small favor? You mean the college entrance exam thing? That hardly counts as a favor. I didn't expect her to have anticipated it already."
"Xiao Han changed a lot during this trip. It might have been a small thing for you, but it meant a lot to her. And... I gained a lot from it too."
"I almost forgot you went with her. Was it to help her settle things with her old family?"
"Yes."
Bai Yu and Lina talked for quite a while. Although the conversation started with Xiao Han, it quickly branched out into other topics.
Witches were like that; their conversations were very jumpy. Until... my meditation ended.
"Eh? Sister Lina, what are you doing here?"
I was currently wearing loose pajamas since I’d just showered that morning, and my hair had air-dried during meditation. I really hadn't expected a guest at Sister Bai’s villa in the middle of the morning!
"Sorry... I’ll go change!" I was about to use a spell to change my clothes, but Sister Lina stopped me.
"It’s fine, Xiao Han. Just be casual in your own home. Or has our relationship grown so distant that we need formal wear to talk?"
"Though I did drop in unannounced. I really just came to mention a few things. Once I’ve said my piece, I’ll be going. I have other things to do, and I don't want to interrupt you two."
"Alright..." I stopped and walked over, though I instinctively pulled my pajamas tighter. "Did you come to see me about the final exams, Sister Lina?"
"Yes. I was just talking to your Sister Bai about it. I heard you agreed?"
"Yeah. It’s not like it’s a hassle. I’m happy to do my part for the Witch Academy."
"I really love hearing you say that, Xiao Han." This was the first time she’d heard a student say they were happy to help the academy and felt they weren't being sarcastic. "But this time, we really do need you to keep an eye on the finals. The format of this Multi-School Joint Exam is a bit special. Also, it’s closely related to you."