Chapter 816: The Gap Between the Transcendent
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 816: The Gap Between the Transcendent
The training ground, which had been temporarily converted into an experimental site, soon no longer required my constant attention.
I felt that staying there any longer would only make me a bit of a nuisance.
Seeing that Sister Bai and the witch Danielle had finished their conversation, I took the opportunity to bid Danielle farewell and made my exit.
"Sister Bai~ what brings you here so suddenly today?" I asked, bringing up the topic even though I already had a good idea of the answer.
"Naturally... I came to see you, Xiao Han~" Sister Bai said with a smile. "You've been making quite a stir these past two days, so I was worried and came to check on you. It seems this trip wasn't in vain."
"Wasn't in vain? What do you mean by that?" I immediately caught the implication in her words.
Was there really some unstable element here?
This instantly reminded me of the topic Danielle had brought up—the group of witches who didn't want Prospective Witches to master Self-Generated Mana or encroach upon the power of Transcendent Witches.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Sister Bai replied with a smile, then took my hand and pulled me into the Dungeon World.
Although I was the only one with permissions for my Dungeon World, Sister Bai had placed a space marker here, so she could bring me in quite easily.
This also served as a side-proof that if anyone else left a space marker inside a Dungeon World, it would essentially become that person's backyard!
"Hi~ Xiao Han, and Little Bai~"
As soon as we entered the Dungeon World, I heard Ling Yi's voice.
Ling Yi had already made her home atop the massive tree named the Tree of Hera. Under the careful tending of the wood spirits and the nourishment of my Transcendent Source Crystals, the tree was growing rapidly and healthily.
The "Xiao Han" and "Little Bai" she referred to were, of course, Sister Bai and me.
"Ling Yi~ we're back. You look like you're doing well—quite idle, aren't you?" I teased her.
"Hardly! I have very important things to do. There are so many plants in this world that need my care. If only my sisters were here... sigh... let's not talk about that."
"Is that so? Is Ling Yi really working that hard every day? Then here, have a fruit as a reward~" I pulled out an elven fruit and tossed it to her. The fruit wasn't large, and Ling Yi deftly neutralized its momentum in mid-air, catching it securely.
"Wow! Thanks, Xiao Han~ Hehe, I won't disturb you two then!" Clutching the fruit, Ling Yi flew straight toward her tree hollow.
After spending time together these past few days, Ling Yi knew that Sister Bai and I often needed some private space. Every time she saw the two of us entering together, she tactfully made herself scarce.
Occasionally, she would be rewarded with Transcendent fruits from me.
Of course, since she was so sensible, we naturally gave her plenty of "compensation," such as seeds of rare Transcendent fruits. She had been nurturing them with great care lately, though unfortunately, those seeds didn't grow as fast as the Tree of Hera.
I pushed open the door to the small wooden cabin on Lake Heart Island. The interior now had a very warm, lived-in atmosphere.
In fact, Sister Bai and I rarely went back to the villa to rest lately, preferring to live here instead.
Moreover, the Dungeon World felt safer; there was no risk of a certain Rebel Witch suddenly appearing.
Returning here gave me a sense of security, like I was truly home.
I unbuttoned the top button of my collar and sat down unceremoniously on a nearby lounge chair.
"Sister Bai, you should tell me now. Who exactly was plotting against me back there?"
"If I said it was Danielle, would you believe me?" Sister Bai said, sitting casually on the edge of the bed.
"I would."
I nodded, paused for a moment, and then let out a breath of resignation.
My first impression of Danielle wasn't bad. To be honest, she seemed similar to other witches I'd met, possessing a natural familiarity like Chris.
However, during our conversation, I had to admit she felt strange. But my Heart Sense hadn't detected anything as bad as I had expected.
"Xiao Han, you're just going to blindly believe my answer like that?"
"Of course~ Sister Bai wouldn't lie to me about this, right?"
"Not even a hint of hesitation?"
"Maybe a little... but based on my instincts, at least my Heart Sense didn't feel any malice from her," I explained.
"Is that so? Actually, I felt the same," Sister Bai said frankly.
"So... Sister Bai, how did you reach that conclusion then?"
"Hmm... how should I put it?" Sister Bai said, looking a bit troubled. "Though it might sound a bit forced, the subject Danielle is pursuing is the Rebel Witch Project."
"The Rebel Witch Project?!" My voice jumped an octave at that revelation.
The answer was far too shocking!
I really should have taken the risk to use the Ley Line Identification Art on her; otherwise, I wouldn't be so completely in the dark about her.
"It's just the Rebel Witch Project, she isn't a Rebel Witch herself. 'Rebel Witch' is a title for a specific group of witches. Not every witch who studies the Rebel Witch Project is qualified to be called a Rebel Witch."
"I know that! There are many other criteria. One of them is killing a Betrayer Witch to be officially recognized by the group," I added.
"It seems you remember quite clearly, Xiao Han. Danielle is one such witch. She hasn't earned the title of Rebel Witch yet, but her level of danger is no less than one."
"No less than a Rebel Witch..." I thought back to the Rebel Witch named Sheryl. It felt like there was no comparison between the two...
"Xiao Han! Do not underestimate any Transcendent Witch. I know that compared to a Rebel Witch like Sheryl, Danielle might seem like nothing. But no matter how 'weak' she might seem, she is still a Transcendent Witch! The gap between the Transcendent and the non-Transcendent isn't just a wide ditch; it's an impassable chasm!"
This time, Sister Bai's voice was stern and her expression was dead serious. The previous lightheartedness was gone; she clearly wasn't joking.
"Ugh... I understand." Seeing Sister Bai so serious, I quickly nodded. It seemed this matter was indeed quite grave.
"As long as you understand~" Sister Bai's tone softened, returning to her usual self. "So, Xiao Han, tell me what Danielle was talking to you about earlier, alright?"
"What we talked about... hmm..." I thought back over the conversation and summarized it. I realized the topics had been quite scattered. "Mostly, she was interested in what's happened since I enrolled. I just gave her a rough description; I couldn't exactly tell her every detail without reservation."
"Was that all?"
"Also, she gave me some warnings. Specifically, that if I want to promote Self-Generated Mana, I might face obstacles from the Transcendent Witch level."
"She told you that?" Sister Bai seemed surprised that I had brought this up.
"Yeah. Sister Bai, you're a Transcendent Witch too. In the current Witch Academy, are there really witches who don't want Self-Generated Mana to be promoted to the non-Transcendent level, like Danielle said?" I asked curiously.
I was genuinely curious about this. No matter how I looked at it, if I used Foresight with even a hint of malice, such a theory would hold water.
But this community of witches... could there really be malice lingering between one witch and another?
It was hard for me to imagine such an existence, and their racial structure made it impossible for me to speculate.
"There are... but certainly not many. At least, I haven't heard any such opposing voices yet. However, such thoughts are bound to be hidden deep in the hearts of certain witches, unwilling to be exposed," Sister Bai said, first nodding and then shaking her head.
"Then, Sister Bai, do you think the promotion of Self-Generated Mana is a good or bad thing for the witch race?"
"It's definitely a good thing..." Sister Bai said instinctively. "Perhaps even I don't know the full answer. My understanding of the concept of the witch race isn't much deeper than yours, Xiao Han. Much of my perception of the race comes from feeling and instinctive feedback. But the technique of Self-Generated Mana is your life's work, so I naturally believe it is a good thing."
"Since when did Sister Bai start looking at problems from so many perspectives?" I asked with a smile.
"Didn't I learn it from you? To look at a problem objectively, give an objective response, and then provide a subjective answer from one's own heart based on one's own cognition. It's quite interesting... responding to questions this way often yields completely contradictory answers..."
"Fair enough~" I sat up straight on the lounge chair and looked at Sister Bai. "It seems things are a bit more complicated than we expected... Sister Bai, do you think any witches will try to trip us up during this experiment?"
"Many witches are watching this experiment in secret. After all, that place isn't restricted like the Experimental Zone. So, it's absolutely impossible for any witch to try any petty tricks there."
"In that case, I'm actually quite safe~"
"But you still can't let your guard down!" Sister Bai reminded me timely.
"I know~" I nodded, then thought of something. "By the way, Sister Bai~ I don't think I've ever really dealt with targeting or suppression from a Transcendent-level enemy. Could you let me experience what it's like to fight someone at the Transcendent level?"
"Fight a Transcendent-level enemy?" Sister Bai repeated, puzzled.
"Yeah~" I nodded. "Just to experience it in advance. That way, I'll have some experience in how to deal with it. I trust Sister Bai completely, so please let me try~"
"Fine... it seems you won't give up unless you try it for yourself..." Sister Bai said, shaking her head at my eager expression.
But it was indeed a good suggestion. The current situation was far from safe.
While Sister Bai knew that I had ways to save my life against those below the Transcendent level, if I became overconfident and made a mistake due to a lack of experience against Transcendents, it could lead to an irreversible tragedy!
* * *
The next day.
After completing my daily meditation and cultivation check-in, I arrived at the experimental site early.
Yesterday, Sister Bai and I had returned early, and at the end, I had proposed the idea of a sparring match.
Sister Bai had granted my wish.
We held the match within the Dungeon World.
According to Sister Bai, a fragile world fragment like the Dungeon World couldn't withstand a Transcendent like her exerting her full power, but that didn't matter.
Sister Bai didn't plan to use her usual methods, only very conventional ones.
Her goal was to show me that even if a Transcendent Witch didn't use a Mana Source, didn't have a spellbook, didn't know body arts, and did absolutely nothing else, she was still terrifying simply because she was at the Transcendent level!
And the reality was exactly as Sister Bai had said. The Transcendent level was like a celestial chasm, dividing existence into two entirely different categories.
Sister Bai merely released the life pressure of the Transcendent level, and I found it difficult to even withstand it with my Self-Awakened Body Cultivation power!
And that was just the initial clash before everything ended.
Even when I used my domain to reshape the space into my own order, Sister Bai maintained that same Transcendent pressure, and in the end, I was still suppressed in a crushing fashion.
Even if Sister Bai did nothing and let me attack—though I was a bit reluctant to strike—once I actually did, I discovered... the immortality of the Transcendent level and the immortality of the non-Transcendent level were two completely different things!
I had faced and fought many assistant-level enemies who possessed immortality, and I had never lost.
But facing Sister Bai... I lost.
Furthermore, Sister Bai had perfectly revealed everything to me without reservation. She even allowed me to observe the Transcendent life level constructed upon the foundation of "Real Time"...
Because I could not touch true Real Time, I essentially lacked any means to kill a Transcendent-level enemy.
It was like two different dimensions of life. Sister Bai existed between Real Time and Fake Time, her life's structure anchored in Real Time, while I remained forever in Fake Time, unable to touch the true essence of life.
Only my Spirit Vision talent allowed me to catch a glimpse of a corner of that Real Time.
So-called power, so-called spells, and so-called methods all appeared utterly useless before one could touch that essence.
And this was the baseline of the Transcendent level. Even a child born Transcendent would be lethal to someone at the non-Transcendent level.
This was the lesson Sister Bai taught me: to rein in my restless heart.
Only one's level determines one's height.
My accumulation might allow me to soar into the sky eventually, but until I reached the Transcendent level, I was ultimately an ant.
This was also why Sister Bai was so desperate for me to advance to the Transcendent level. Nothing was more important than that.
Sister Bai knew my talent, but to blindly immerse myself in the strength brought by those talents was a false strength. Only by advancing to Transcendent would all of this transform into the most lethal of means.
Advancing wouldn't become a burden to these talents; instead, it would only make them even more terrifying to my enemies!
So... starting from today, I became a bit more reserved. Perhaps it was because I had felt the gap so directly that I realized the need to move forward with a lower profile.
And today was the day for the small-scale promotion experiment of Self-Generated Mana. Even Tan Han and Yi Rui were here, correcting the "Perfecting Ritual" due to progress issues.
But the protagonists of today were destined to be those 147 experimenters.
They had come here with hearts full of anticipation!