Chapter 893: Laboratory Precautions
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 893: Laboratory Precautions
The three witches were momentarily stunned when they saw who Mei Lind was speaking to.
They had considered countless possibilities before, but it had never crossed their minds that the girl called "Yang Yuehan" would be a mere Little Witch—someone who hadn't even reached the Transcendent stage!
Muli, the most quick-witted of the three, recovered from her shock and immediately thought of a possibility.
After all, a Little Witch could also be a Transcendent Witch who had "courted death" and fallen from the Transcendent rank. If she were one of those crazed Academic Witches who didn't hesitate to perform experiments on themselves, it was entirely possible she had caused her own regression.
Just a short while ago, they had learned that this girl had killed dozens of Transcendents from other races during a single experiment.
However, Muli’s theory was quickly shattered by the response that followed.
"Hello, Sisters. Please, come in."
Seeing the Academy Dean personally leading the three witches inside, I naturally welcomed them.
Inside the laboratory, several other witches poked their heads out curiously to see what was happening. Most of them were here conducting routine expansion experiments on the Primitive Dream Realm.
"...Calling me 'Sister'... Wait... she really is a Little Witch?" Muli quickly sensed the contract authentication of an Honorary Little Witch.
"I’m very sorry for not being direct with you earlier. I didn't expect there to be a misunderstanding, but it's true—I haven't ascended to the Transcendent level yet." I took the opportunity to clarify the previous confusion as they entered.
Even as they processed their shock, they felt a lingering sense of unease.
Because... although the Little Witch before them wasn't a Transcendent, their instincts screamed that something was wrong the moment they met her eyes.
All three had cross-trained in Five Senses Body Cultivation—otherwise, they wouldn't have awakened their Sixth Sense so easily—but it was precisely because of this training that they could more easily sense the terrifying nature of her gaze.
It felt as if a single glance had stripped them bare, peering directly into their very essence.
Of course, while they were focused on her eyes, they also noticed a sensation stemming from Heartfelt Resonance.
The Little Witch before them was also a Sixth Sense Body Cultivator!
Though her lack of Transcendent status surprised them, the fact that she was a fellow Body Cultivator gave them a slight sense of kinship.
However, in their eyes, her physical constitution seemed somewhat frail; she clearly hadn't pushed her physical strength to its absolute limit.
"This is our Primitive Dream Realm. The very center of the lab houses a controlled Primitive Dream Realm. Currently, the lab operates on a collaborative model involving multiple research groups and projects, so you will often see witches from other experimental teams here..."
I led them on a tour of the laboratory, explaining the layout to help them familiarize themselves with the environment and informing them which areas were accessible and which were off-limits.
"Hmm? What’s this...?"
As Long peered curiously at the various items in the lab, she spotted a Fool's Dream. Her hand, which she had instinctively reached out, froze mid-air as she recalled the lesson she had received before entering the door.
"They are Fool's Dream. There are four of them in this laboratory. You can think of them as dream creatures. I’ve created physical shells for them so they can operate in reality. They’re a very cute bunch."
"They really are cute." Muli’s eyes practically sparkled as she looked at the Fool's Dream’s appearance.
"I hope you won't treat them as pets. They are my most important research assistants. Of course, if you really like these little ones, you can try visiting the Witch Cat Café; there are Fool's Dream working there as well."
"These little guys are at the Witch Cat Café too?"
"Yes."
"In that case, it looks like I’ll have to go experience it for myself."
"Let’s get back to the main topic," I said. "This area consists mostly of Stable Dream storage rooms, divided into reality-based equipment storage and dream specimen collection..."
After giving them a general overview of the laboratory, we returned to where we started.
"Because my research topics are relatively specialized, the laboratory might seem a bit sparse."
"It’s not sparse at all. It feels like a mini-labyrinth. It’s much more winding than the villa I’m staying in."
"That’s just how laboratories are. The architectural structure is designed to maximize non-interference between different zones," I explained with a smile. "Anyway, that’s the general situation of the lab. I imagine you’re most interested in the experiments regarding the Dream Domain."
At the mention of this, the three witches instantly perked up. After the initial excitement of the tour had faded, they had begun to feel a bit bored.
"Based on this experiment, I’ve divided the process into four stages. The first is the Theoretical Stage. Before the experiment begins, you need to understand certain necessary concepts and be fully prepared mentally."
"The second is the Adaptation Stage. This marks the formal start of the experiment. The Primitive Dream Realm is an environment you’ve never encountered before, and you’ll need to adapt to it. You can think of it like the harsh environments you used to hone your resilience when you first started Body Cultivation."
"The third stage is the formal, critical phase. This is where you will fully utilize your Body Cultivation strength and techniques to establish a preliminary self-order within the Primitive Dream Realm, achieving the foundation of a Dream Domain."
"Is this stage... similar to how a normal Saint Realm expert condenses a domain?" Muli asked.
"Perhaps. It should be similar."
"Should be?" Muli was somewhat puzzled.
"Xiao Han isn't a Saint Realm Transcendent yet. Using 'should be' is correct," the usually quiet Fanny reminded her.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
"It’s fine. That’s essentially what I meant. I haven't experienced the sensation of condensing a domain in the Saint Realm, so I wouldn't dare make a definitive claim. However, I’m not saying this without basis." As I spoke, several fragments of the Power of Knowledge manifested in my hand.
"The power of Order?" Both Fanny and Muli instantly recognized the aura unique to a Domain Order.
Their voices were filled with shock.
"Correct. I haven't ascended to the Transcendent level yet, but even so, I possess a Domain Prototype. Don't forget that I am a Body Cultivator; it’s quite simple to derive a Heart State Domain Prototype from Heart Sense."
"I forgot again..." Muli slapped her forehead. She felt as though she had witnessed more unprecedented things from this Little Witch named Yang Yuehan in the past few days than in her entire life.
"A Heart State Domain doesn't seem to be like this, does it? Even though I know every witch’s Mindscape is different, the discrepancy shouldn't be this vast," Fanny noted.
"True. My domain isn't just a Heart State Domain; it’s a Composite Order made of other concepts as well. But let’s not dwell on that... I only mentioned it because I hope you can trust my professionalism. This experiment requires your full cooperation. If you harbor doubts, it won't be good for our partnership."
"Listen to you! How could we doubt you? If we did, we wouldn't keep it bottled up; we’d ask directly. After all, if you can't convince us, we have the right to walk away from the experiment at any time," Long said quite sincerely.
"Thank you for your trust," I said, smiling at them.
I had to admit, talking to this group of Body Cultivation witches was refreshing. They were straightforward—if they had a problem, they asked; they didn't hold back.
"Regarding the fourth stage I mentioned earlier: that is the final Refinement Stage. This step is quite difficult and depends on the circumstances." After all, even my Sister Bai hasn't completely perfected her Dream Domain yet; she still can't shake the "Prototype" suffix.
"I know why you’re here. I’ve already compiled the relevant theoretical issues regarding the Dream Domain experiment."
As I spoke, three runes condensed from the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell appeared in my hand.
"Take these. You can use your Great Knowledge Seeds to accept the data. I see you’ve all completed the consciousness symbiosis with your seeds, so there shouldn't be any issues, right?" I asked.
"Of course not," Muli was the first to speak.
Over the past two days, she had indeed been busy with the Great Knowledge Seed. Since it was a power related to the Great Spellbook, she was naturally curious. Under the tutelage of other witches, she was gradually becoming familiar with this unique operation.
What she valued most about the seed, however, was the Ley Line Identification Art!
Who could have known how valuable it was to have an identification spell that could provide specific information about the surface of things at any moment in daily life?
"Inside, I’ve summarized detailed precautions. If you don't want to read through so much complex text, you can simply feed it into the Great Knowledge Seed to memorize it for you. At the very least, you’ll be able to access the corresponding information through the seed at any critical moment."
"Additionally, it contains the insights summarized by Sister Bai... well, she was the first witch to attempt dominating a Dream Domain through Body Cultivation. I suggest you take a look; it will greatly accelerate your progress."
"Mm, okay." Muli blinked, then nodded.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that when the Little Witch said these things, her tone was one of polite request.
Generally speaking, if they were cooperating with an experiment, the materials would be handed down with the expectation that they memorize every single line until they knew it by heart.
But this girl gave her the feeling of... do as you please, I’ll handle the fallout.
It didn't feel like she was looking for qualified experimenters, but rather... experimental subjects.
After all, a researcher doesn't place too many autonomous demands on a piece of experimental material; they simply take the material and shape it into what they need.
"Then... let’s leave it at that for now. If you encounter anything you don't understand, you can ask me directly. If you have urgent business, you’re free to leave."
"Can we really ask anything?"
"Yes." I looked at the witch named Long and nodded.
Dean Mei had given me some basic files on these three Body Cultivation witches, so I had a fundamental understanding of them. This included their personalities, hobbies, small habits, taboos, and so on.
"Can I try this Primitive Dream Realm? This is the first time I’ve sensed such a miraculous... power. I feel like it would be very helpful for honing my mental strength." Long pointed toward the eerie Primitive Dream Realm at the center of the lab.
"Does it feel familiar?"
"It does," Long agreed.
"The Witch Meditation Method hones mental strength by borrowing from the Primitive Dream Realm. The essence of the Primal Dream is also the Primal Dream, though the Primal Dream is much more uncontrollable."
"What? Is that true?" Long was astonished; it seemed she really didn't know.
Even Muli looked surprised. "No wonder... I was wondering why I could practice the Witch Meditation Method within the Primal Dream."
Most witches categorized the Witch Meditation Method as just another meditation technique. Few people bothered to trace the origins of common things, so they remained ignorant of these fascinating bits of trivia.
"So, can I try it? Just give me a straight answer. If not, just pretend I didn't ask," Long said, completely ignoring the look Dean Mei was giving her from behind.
Before coming in, Dean Mei had explicitly told them not to touch the Primitive Dream Realm outside of the formal experiments, as it would only cause trouble for Xiao Han.
However... she couldn't really stop her, as Long was merely asking for permission, not rushing in blindly.
"You can, of course, but it must be done under my supervision. Coincidentally, there are no dream experiments running right now, so a quick trial is fine."
"I need you to accompany me? Alright~ understood, understood."
Having received my consent, Long’s eager expression was plain to see as she headed straight for the Primitive Dream Realm.
But as she approached step by step, she suddenly realized something was wrong...
She hadn't even touched the Primitive Dream Realm yet, but the pressure the "Shallow" Dream exerted on her spirit and consciousness was already nearing her limit!
Once she hit that limit, her consciousness would most likely fall into a deep slumber!
Long naturally didn't understand the rules of the Primitive Dream Realm within this laboratory. If a normal Primitive Dream Realm was like the deep sea, the one in this lab was a shallow-water cliff! One step forward and you would plummet into the abyss.
The surrounding Dream Overlap might not be the deep-layer Primitive Dream Realm, but it was a transition zone. The pressure it exerted on one's consciousness was immense.
Even when I interacted with the Primitive Dream Realm, I did so in my Soul Essence state.
In the next moment, Long’s body fell straight forward, right in front of the Primitive Dream Realm.
The Dragon Witch’s physical resilience and body strength were immense, yet her fall against the laboratory floor still produced a heavy, dull thud.
Muli and Fanny watched in shock as Long collapsed, their expressions turning frantic.
Then, Long’s Soul Essence separated from her body. It was clear she wasn't quite used to this state.
"Steady yourself. You are currently in your Soul Essence state within the dream. Do not move forward. That is the Primitive Dream Realm; if you fall into the deeper layers from here, I’m the only one who can fish you back out."
I stepped forward, my body naturally taken over by a clone, while my Soul Essence grabbed hold of Long.
She seemed unfamiliar with the sensations of the dream world, and her soul-body was unconsciously drifting toward the Primitive Dream Realm.
"I... uh? What is... this? Am I dead?" Long was confused. When a Transcendent Witch died and their soul left their shell, it looked exactly like this.
Except this time, her soul wasn't in reality—it was in a dream.