Chapter 818: A Visit from Teacher Ji Niang
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 818: A Visit from Teacher Ji Niang
I had just arrived at the entrance of the training ground.
This experiment was going to last a long time. After all, the number of people involved was simply too large, and the subsequent data integration and analysis would be a massive time sink.
I could completely understand if a Witch Mentor decided to drop by during this period. Even Dean Mei had replied to my messages, saying she would come by to check on the progress if she had the time—either in person or via a clone.
However...
I looked at the data on the Root Network. It was the information authentication of a specific mentor.
Naturally, the Root Network couldn't forcibly collect or exchange data with a Transcendent Witch; at most, it could capture scattered bits of leaking information. For me to see this witch's authentication info meant she had consented to share it.
But I actually knew the witch who was coming!
It was Teacher Ji Niang, whom I hadn't seen in quite a while!
"Teacher Ji Niang, what brings you here so suddenly?"
Seeing that familiar figure after so long, I found I had a lot I wanted to say to her. I wanted to ask how her [Transcendent Knowledge] was progressing and how things were going at the laboratory.
In the end, however, I only managed to ask that most plain and simple question.
"What? Are you surprised to see me?" Ji Niang asked with a smile.
"Of course I am! I can't believe you actually left the lab, Teacher. Did you really come just to see my experiment?"
"What other reason would there be?" Ji Niang shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "But do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me? Am I the type of witch who stays cooped up in a lab forever? I am still the counselor for Class 14, after all. If I really acted like that, I’d be failing my students."
"Um..." I looked at Teacher Ji Niang. As my first counselor, she was arguably the most important benefactor in my life, but I had to admit... previously, she had given me the impression that she didn't particularly care about the other students.
"What's with that look? Have you already started forming prejudices against me after being away for so long?"
"No~ way! Hahaha! How could I? You'll always be the Teacher Ji Niang I know!"
"Learning to talk back now, are we? Forget it, let's head inside. I want to see what kind of commotion you've stirred up. I have to say, the things you do are getting more ridiculous every time."
Ji Niang walked into the training ground, and I quickly followed.
"It's just some minor messing around below the Transcendent level, nothing worth mentioning~"
"Listen to you. Are you showing off to your mentor now? Having taught a student like you, the pressure is honestly too much. It's a good thing you left to become a teaching assistant; otherwise, you'd be turning my world upside down."
"Alright, Teacher Ji Niang, stop flattering me. It’s embarrassing. But did you really just come to take a look?"
"What? You don't believe me? I really am just here to see. The Self-Generated Mana project... I'm honored to witness the expansion of such a subject."
"Mhm... Then, on a side note, I'm actually very curious, Teacher. How is the progress on your [Transcendent Knowledge]? I'm really sorry... I haven't been able to go and help you."
"Help me? I don't need your help anymore," Ji Niang said with a laugh. She now had her own research group members, and with her leading the way, she had already gotten into a proper rhythm. "Though, you're still a member of the group I founded. On the other hand, you went and created a Great Spellbook without a word, moving even faster than me, your mentor."
"Ehehe~ It was built from scratch and is still being refined. Teacher Ji Niang is so kind, I'm sure you won't hold it against your own student, right?"
"Of course not. The more excellent you are, the more it proves how good my eye for talent was back then. Do you understand?"
"You're taking it that well, Teacher?"
"What else can I do?" Ji Niang gave me a playful roll of her eyes.
"I guess that's true?" Watching Teacher Ji Niang poke fun at herself, I almost burst out laughing. It seemed her mindset was quite healthy. "But Teacher, you're still avoiding my question. I'm really curious about the progress."
"How long has it been? A year? Do you expect me to produce results that quickly? I'm not a 'cheat' existence like you," Ji Niang said. "However, I have made some interesting discoveries in the derivative development of the Reverse Summoning Spell. Do you want a copy of the data?"
"Really? Yes, please!" My eyes lit up, and I nodded vigorously.
"Here, I had it ready for you." Ji Niang reached out, using her Great Knowledge Seed to condense the rune for the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell. "This is everything."
"Thank you, Teacher Ji Niang~" I took the rune she had prepared and immediately shared it into the Tree of Great Knowledge.
I didn't check the contents right away.
"Why are you thanking me? By the way, my arrival isn't interrupting your process, is it?"
"Not at all. Although this technique has only entered the small-scale testing phase, it's actually quite mature. The remaining problems can basically be solved without me stepping in. In fact, I plan to step back in the later stages and give full control of the experiment to them."
"Give it all to them? You're going to be a hands-off boss? Isn't that a bit irresponsible?"
"No way~ Don't wrong me, Teacher. I put a lot of effort into this Self-Generated Mana project. But now that the main hurdles are cleared, I can't just hog all the minor credit, can I? Continuing to refine it myself would just be a waste of time for me, but for them, it's a rare and valuable experience. It's a win-win for the team!"
"From the sound of it, you really did do most of the heavy lifting?"
"Of course!" I nodded, my tone brimming with absolute confidence.
"As long as you have your own plan." Teacher Ji Niang stopped fussing over it. Perhaps she knew that her "concern" was just unnecessary nagging.
Against a student whose achievements had already surpassed her own, she didn't feel confident enough to offer professional guidance.
It is hard to admit someone else is better than you; it is even harder to admit your own student has surpassed you as a teacher.
But... she had already accepted it.
And because she had adopted this mindset, she found that she herself might have the potential to go even further.
"Don't worry~ I definitely have a plan. Besides, I have something else to do soon, so I can't afford to waste time here needlessly," I explained.
I didn't specify what I'd be busy with, but the only things that could truly keep me occupied now were Fool's Dream and Soul Depiction.
"You have other things to be busy with?"
"Yeah~ I'm a very busy person!"
"Fine, I can see that. You're the same busybody as always. I won't disturb you then."
"Eh? Wait, wait! Actually, I have some time right now. How about I show you around, Teacher?" Surprised, I quickly grabbed Ji Niang's forearm to stop her from leaving.
"Do you really have nothing to do?" Ji Niang looked me over seriously before asking, "You just said you were very busy."
"Being busy refers to the workload, not my current state. If there's something I deem important, I can squeeze out time to enjoy life at any moment."
"I'm starting to envy your sense of relaxation. I remember you used to be in a rush all the time, acting like you wanted to use every single second."
"People grow up~" I offered a casual excuse.
Teacher Ji Niang seemed convinced.
She had come today specifically to see her former student, show some support, and witness Xiao Han's results.
After a bit more small talk, we arrived at the experimental site.
"Let me introduce you. This is Teacher Ji Niang, my counselor from last year."
"Hello, Teacher Ji Niang~ My name is Pei Huan. I didn't expect you to be the legendary mentor who taught Xiao Han!" Pei Huan said excitedly.
"That's an exaggeration. With Xiao Han's talent, I could hardly 'teach' her anything. She's just capable on her own," Ji Niang said with a wave of her hand and a smile.
At that moment, Yi Rui also walked over, and Teacher Ji Niang got to know them briefly.
Their impression of Teacher Ji Niang was universally positive; at the very least, she seemed much more approachable than Witch Danielle.
Finally, there was Witch Danielle. As the witch nominally in charge here, she was a hurdle Ji Niang couldn't avoid. Danielle hadn't expected another witch to show up so soon after the experiment started.
Upon learning of the relationship between Ji Niang and me, she became quite interested.
Specifically, when she learned that Ji Niang was the leader of a [Transcendent Knowledge] research group, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
To be able to form a witch group within the Witch Academy to research [Transcendent Knowledge], one had to excel in at least one or more areas: ability, connections, patience, resources, or talent.
To say she wasn't envious would be a lie.
"That mentor named Ji Niang seems really impressive, and she's quite friendly too," Pei Huan whispered to me.
"Teacher Ji Niang has always been impressive, but what I admire most is her eye for talent!" I said with a smile.
To be able to spot me in the vast sea of people amidst countless accidents, recognize my uniqueness, and make use of it... that was a collision of coincidence, vision, and execution.
"Really? Why do you say that?"
"Because Teacher Ji Niang was the witch who specially recruited me into the Witch Academy. You could say she was the first... benefactor who completely changed my life."
"Wow... put that way, Teacher Ji Niang really does have a great eye," Pei Huan remarked.
Though she didn't think it was quite the same thing, since it had happened, it was a beautiful story worth envying.
While Ji Niang and Danielle were talking...
The experiment at the training ground was in full swing. Having completed the changes from the Demonification Reshaping Rebirth Spell, the participants were now qualified to practice the Witchification Body Cultivation Method.
Thus, the first stage was collective training in the Ritual War Dance.
During this training, their physical data needed to be collected in real-time.
With the various techniques of the Root Network and the Tree of Great Knowledge, this had actually become the easiest part.
However, that didn't mean other data collection was simple. For instance... everyone's understanding of the Demonic Ritual War Dance was different, which led to deviations in their learning efficiency for the resonance method.
Once these differences became apparent at the very beginning, they would have a massive impact on the architecture of the Self-Generated Mana shaping ritual.
But that was fine!
What we needed was exactly this "kaleidoscope" of differences!
That was the charm of experimentation. If every trial was identical, there would be no comparison; without comparison, there is no progress; without progress, there is no improvement.
In short, the reason we needed so many people for testing was precisely to collect data on various experimental anomalies.
These anomalies might be troubles, but they could also be unexpected pleasant surprises. No one could say for sure if a shortcut was hidden within some ridiculous possibility.
Even if the chances were slim.
Their mistakes were more representative, and these mistakes would be the problems that must be overcome and the risks that must be avoided when the method was eventually promoted.
Even the most basic teaching of the Demonic Ritual War Dance had already encountered many issues. First was the issue of learning efficiency; some people got it in one go, while others were completely clueless.
As a result, the experimental site looked like a chaotic mess, with over a hundred people performing the Demonic Ritual War Dance.
And this was already the result of using the Root Network's "god's eye view" for macro-adjustments, dividing the field so they wouldn't interfere with each other.
To facilitate this, the teaching process for each person even involved interconnecting the Knowledge Seeds they held and linking them with Knowledge Shadows for error correction. Otherwise, our lab team of a dozen people wouldn't have been able to teach over a hundred people the standard movements simultaneously.
Without that, we would have had to teach them in batches, which would have wasted everyone's time. Our principle was simplicity and efficiency above all else.
"Looking at this... maybe we should divide these 147 people into batches based on their learning efficiency. Managing them as a whole is too troublesome. Uniform batches would allow us to target our teaching to people at the same stage..."
As this was the first time conducting an experiment with over a hundred people, no one had much experience, which was why this suggestion was only being made now. We were still constantly groping for new methods.
I believed that with this lesson learned, everyone would be able to handle such large-scale testing more calmly in the future.
"Dividing them into batches is indeed an urgent need. We failed to consider the differences in individual learning efficiency," Yi Rui agreed, nodding. Not everyone could pick things up as quickly as their team of geniuses.
After all, they were essentially a team of elites gathered together.
The experimental subjects, by contrast, had very uneven skill levels.
Even the upcoming Tenfold Base Resonance Method was a technique created by Yi Rui and the others; the gap in talent was self-evident.
"How about we also plan out the cycles for the different experimental groups? Setting a specific time limit can act as a subconscious incentive for learning."
"I think that sounds good..."
"But would that also..."
For a moment, the air was filled with the sounds of the group's discussion.
"Stop arguing. Let's not get bogged down in fancy bells and whistles. Let's pull out the general outline of the experimental process first, and then refine and supplement the specific requirements based on that," I said.
The general outline was the broad framework of our experiment—the experimental guide that needed to be structured from the very beginning. After all, this was a formal, large-scale experiment; we couldn't just wing it like we did in the lab.
Optimistically, we estimated the experiment could reach the harvest stage within a month; pessimistically, we were prepared to invest the entire semester into it.