Chapter 935: The World and the Three Great Rivers
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 935: The World and the Three Great Rivers
After waiting for what seemed like an eternity—though objectively only a few seconds had passed—Tan Han and the others felt the agonizing weight of every passing moment.
Before they could receive a response from the colossal entity before them, they all simultaneously received a pop-up message from "Xiao Han."
“The trouble inside the secret realm is mostly settled. Don’t be afraid.”
Just as their eyes were drawn to this sudden, intrusive message and they were about to read it aloud instinctively, another voice—cold as shards of ice—repeated the exact same words.
“The trouble inside the secret realm is mostly settled. Don’t be afraid.”
Word for word.
But as the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice finished the sentence, Tan Han felt a chill far more terrifying than the creature’s sheer physical pressure.
Was this a coincidence?
Impossible!
In that split second, Tan Han had considered ten thousand possibilities, but she had never imagined this.
Could this also be part of Xiao Han’s plan? Was the entire Glacial Throne Secret Realm just a board set by her?
But the Glacial Throne Secret Realm was a gift from the Academy to the Witch Secret Realm Club. If Xiao Han could influence the Academy’s decisions, why go through such a convoluted process to create this confrontation?
“Are you… Xiao Han?”
Forcing down the nearly uncontrollable thoughts racing through her mind, Tan Han finally voiced the question.
Meanwhile, Shi Ruizhi and Lucianne were still staring in shock at the pop-up message.
As for Xiao You, she only possessed a Seed of Wisdom; her information processing was half a beat slower than those with a Great Knowledge Seed.
“Not too slow. It’s time to go.” I extended my massive palm toward Tan Han and her group of four, signaling for them to climb on.
“Fate has arranged everything, and there is no need to let such kindness go to waste,” I continued.
Tan Han had already informed me of Ming Xueming’s actions earlier. Even if she hadn’t, it wouldn’t have taken me long to find out.
As for the so-called "arrangement of fate," I was naturally referring to the group that had gathered all the remaining fragments. They were currently trapped by a contract, busy digging at the ruins of the laboratory.
To the current me, wiping them out would be as easy as flipping a palm.
After acquiring "all but one" of the fragments, I had earned the right to explore the essence of transcendent power.
One could say that because of this single attempt, fate had granted me two gifts.
First, the chance to know Life—to understand the process of how deep-level life is born. I had even been allowed to "experience" it through a clone. This was an opportunity that could be sought but never guaranteed.
Second, the cognition of power. Using the Ancient Remnant Ice and the Great Glacial Throne Technique as a catalyst, I gained experience in utilizing the power of [Transcendent Knowledge] and the chance to understand its essence.
There was even a third point: gathering all the fragments to form the Great Spellbook would inevitably tear a Void Rift!
And that would be my chance to perceive a Void Rift firsthand.
“Wait! You’re Xiao Han?!”
At this moment, Shi Ruizhi finally fulfilled her role in the team by voicing the confusion everyone felt but was too afraid to ask.
Even though Tan Han had already asked, they still found it hard to believe.
Especially Lucianne!
If this giant before them was Xiao Han—the Yang Yuehan she knew—then what kind of method could possibly allow someone to… possess the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice?
In truth, she had misunderstood.
This wasn't possession. Without the accidental intervention of this consciousness, the Ancient Remnant Ice would never have had the chance to see their King.
One had to remember that back in the secret realm laboratory, so many witches had meticulously guided the Ancient Remnant Ice, using their race as a vessel and the extreme utilization of [Transcendent Knowledge] to create their King.
Did they really think they could replicate that past success with such a crude ritual this time?
Impossible!
The ritual didn't even have a complete set of [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments.
At the very beginning, I had used a ritual transfer to graft this power onto that royal high priest.
Otherwise, why would I have forcibly altered the ritual halfway through?
Because I had arrived, the subsequent ritual was no longer applicable to me.
“A bit slow on the uptake, aren't we?”
I looked down at the four people already standing in my palm, then slightly curled my fingers.
They held onto my fingers as if they were guardrails to keep from falling. The sudden change in height put quite a bit of pressure on them. After all, among the four, only Shi Ruizhi was an upperclassman with the physical enhancements of a Witchified Body Cultivation; the other three were all underclassmen.
“Is it really you, Xiao Han?! How did you become the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice?”
Shi Ruizhi once again asked the question everyone was curious about but didn't dare to voice.
They suddenly realized that Shi Ruizhi seemed a bit of a space cadet… but having a companion like that felt… actually quite nice sometimes.
“Oh, a minor experimental failure led to this.”
“Then… can you change back?”
“Change back?” I looked at Shi Ruizhi and the others with hesitation. “You’ve misunderstood. You can think of this form as a clone, just like Yue. My main body is perfectly fine over at the Experimental Zone.”
“A clone! Wow… what kind of experimental failure results in such terrifying means? I remember you didn't even enter this secret realm, right?”
“Not being in a place doesn't mean I can't influence what happens there.”
“Then… isn't this like being a mastermind pulling strings from the shadows?!” Shi Ruizhi grew more excited as she asked, as if she were personally involved in the behind-the-scenes plotting.
“Exactly. So don't go blabbering about it, and don't let anything slip. Understand?”
“Oh! Got it, got it! But… what about the Academy? If you do this, won't the Academy hold you responsible?”
“The Academy… Heh… the Dean is right next to my main body, so it’s not a big deal.” I used the most direct way to convince them, completely dispelling their doubts and worries.
It must be said that this was the first time they had glimpsed the gap between them.
It was as if a layer of eternal, impenetrable mist stood between them. At this moment, the other party had gently brushed aside a small part of the veil; even if the view was blurry, it was enough for them to see how vast the distance truly was.
At this point, under Tan Han’s subtle prompting, Shi Ruizhi managed to restrain her curiosity.
Tan Han felt that if Shi Ruizhi kept asking, she really would ask anything—and if Xiao Han actually answered everything, they might not even dare to listen!
Once Shi Ruizhi quieted down, Tan Han spoke up in her stead.
“Xiao Han, since you’ve dealt with those people, what are we going to do next?”
“Next? Next, we’re going to the laboratory ruins, of course. Doesn't the Jack-of-all-trades Club have a big gift waiting for us there?” I said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“There… well, it is indeed a big gift. So, Xiao Han, do you plan to gather all the fragments and synthesize the Great Spellbook?”
“Why not? It’ll be interesting, and a very wondrous experience.” I replied lightheartedly.
Although this accident had made the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice my clone, it didn't mean I would inherit everything. From beginning to end, I remembered what I wanted.
If asked whether I wanted to understand [Transcendent Knowledge] or simply obtain a piece of it, I would definitely choose the former.
I wasn't lacking in [Transcendent Knowledge]. There was one waiting for me to harvest in the Game World, and my main body still had a portion of Dean Mei’s [Transcendent Knowledge] that I hadn't utilized yet.
Even though it was Dean Mei’s in name, that didn't change the fact that it was currently within me.
As I gradually used this clone to resonate with this power, I also gained many unique insights into this "Great Glacial Throne Technique."
Its existence was much like the "Tears of the Mad Plant" that Qiu Ruxin once held in the Message World; it involved the intervention of powerful Luck, so it could never truly belong to me.
Furthermore, it was more complex than the "naturally formed" Tears of the Mad Plant. it involved the bloodline resonance of the Ancient Remnant Ice and the intervention of racial concepts. It was equivalent to making an entire race a component of this Great Spellbook, bolstered by the shared faith and connection of all its members.
Thus, I saw through it clearly. Even if I accepted this clone, it would only be a thug that could only exert its power within the Main World. It wasn't a pure, unrestricted power that I mastered myself.
But as a temporary, handy tool or a future bargaining chip, it was more than sufficient.
And just as I made my decision within the secret realm…
Back at the Primitive Dream Laboratory:
“You’re saying you’ve now become the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice? Is that right?”
“Yes, at least for now. I think this is a unique opportunity. Due to the limitations of my Mimicry Soul Technique, this clone can't become a true lifeform yet, but I’m confident that with Soul Depiction, I could…”
“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Mei Lind hurriedly interrupted. She didn't want Xiao Han to reveal all her trump cards.
After all, there were many witches listening in. Every one of them was a gossip expert. Even if they promised not to tell, what if one of them had a slip of the tongue?
“So, what do you plan to do next?”
“Next, I’ll gather all the fragments and try to piece together a Great Spellbook to play with,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Huh? Play with? Are you sure you want to use the words ‘play with’?”
“Mhm. I’ve already obtained a large amount of laboratory records through Tan Han and the others. Being shattered is just an unconventional state for this Great Spellbook; it’s not like it was actually destroyed. It’s just putting it back together. How hard can it be?”
“Wait… is this really the Xiao Han I know? Is Xiao Han’s subconscious actually this arrogant?” some witches whispered to their friends.
“She has the right to be arrogant~ I think this version of Xiao Han is very frank. It makes communicating much more comfortable!”
“I like this Xiao Han too.”
While the witches gossiped, the conversation between the Dean and me shifted to another level.
“Dean, since such an accident has occurred, why don't you take this chance to perform a Qi Observation? So far, I only have a vague idea of what Qi Observation does. As for how to use it to lock onto the World Navel, I’m still not quite clear. Is this not a good opportunity?”
“It’s no use. At least not at this stage,” Dean Mei said, shaking her head with a hint of helplessness.
In truth, the calibration of the Qi Observation instruments was mostly complete and nearing success.
“The turning point hasn't arrived yet.”
“Then what counts as a turning point?” I asked, puzzled.
Previously, the Dean and the others had wanted to use the Ancient Remnant Ice and the Great Glacial Throne Technique as a medium to lock onto the World Navel. Now, with the same timing and the addition of Qi Observation instruments they didn't have back then, shouldn't it at least be worth a try?
“Do you remember what I told you the World Navel is related to?”
“Related to what? Uh… that’s a very broad question… what specifically are you asking?” I replied.
“Let me put it this way: have you heard of the Three Great Rivers of the Void?” Mei Lind was no longer in a rush. After dispersing the gossiping witches, she began to explain.
“I know about them.” I had encountered the River of Ley Lines while studying ley lines, and later, for various reasons, I had learned about the Three Great Rivers of the Void in detail—likely from that Luck Alchemist.
“In that case… the World Navel is related to the River of Ley Lines, right? Sister Mei, what exactly are you trying to ask me?”
“Yes, the World Navel is related to the River of Ley Lines. So, let me ask you: can you guess which sources a complete world system originates from as a concept?”
“Uh… I remember you once used a metaphor. A world is the fruit of a Void Ley Line. So… a world is a product of the ley lines?”
“One-third correct.” Mei Lind smiled and explained, “The source of a world originates from the Three Great Rivers of the Void. Not just one, but all of them. Do you understand what I mean?”
“The… the Three Great Rivers? All of them?!”
“Yes! So, let me explain it to you.” Mei Lind paused before continuing. “First is the most fundamental River of Time. Of course, what flows in the River of Time isn't ‘time’ itself. Time isn't a concrete concept, nor is it a property that can be controlled by power. With your Time Sense, you should understand the concept of time better than I do, right?”
“Mhm. Time is irreversible and cannot be objectively manipulated. It can only be a concept used for deconstruction, application, and deepening auxiliary understanding.”
“That’s very profound—a bit over my head, actually. However, the River of Time is a concrete concept used to measure the depth of Real Time. Its essence is the actual existence of Real Time. Its existence and application have even led everyone to accept the concept of ‘Transcendent,’ used to completely demarcate the boundary between Real Time and the world visible to the naked eye.”
“And Real Time—the so-called River of Time—is the cradle of a world’s birth, as well as the foundation upon which a world can exist.”
“Only then comes the River of Ley Lines, which constructs the framework for a world’s operation within Real Time.”
“Then what about the River of Causality?” I asked.
I had learned from the Luck Alchemist that the River of Causality is the most mysterious. It cannot be observed or understood; only its branches can be seen—and those are what we call the “River of Luck.”