Chapter 636: Return to Ninglan New City
Last night was a wonderful night, filling the void of every night I had waited in vain.
Sister Bai gifted me the Fireball Spell, filled with her first anticipation, saturating my body in the way she was most satisfied with, making me feel as if I were a fiery ball inside, full of passion and energy.
I also felt Sister Bai’s perseverance in these past days, as she poured every bit of her effort into this spellbook, until the moment it succeeded, the accumulated restraint was released in an instant.
This spellbook seemed like the final detonator connecting me and Sister Bai, merging us together in the most intense way.
…
Afternoon.
Regarding the tasks to be completed at the Witch Academy, I had pretty much finished or even exceeded what was required.
I had perfected the attempt on the Mimetic Soul and had even developed a Reincarnation Rebirth Spell for creating a new body for the Fool Dream.
However, I hadn’t attempted this on all Fool Dreams yet; so far, I had only experimented with the double-tree structure of the Great Knowledge Tree and the Grand Wisdom Enlightenment Tree and further promoted the Enlightenment Meditation Technique among the Fool Dream group.
Until I had thoroughly helped the Fool Dreams to complete their life transformation, it was better to avoid involving them too much.
Yu Lan, Yu Yun, and Yu Guo were willing to be “pioneers” for the Fool Dream group, which was their own choice and also meant they would face more twists and even dangers.
Then there was the issue regarding the Knowledge Seed’s condensation and promotion—how should I say the current progress?
It’s absolutely perfect!
As long as developments were made step by step, there would basically be no unexpected issues.
Aside from some necessary processes I needed to participate in, the rest of the considerations could be handled by the witch sisters, and they could do it even better than I could.
So my affairs at the Witch Academy were satisfactorily concluded; the next matters were shifted to the Expanding Realm.
In the Expanding Realm, my primary goal was tree planting, continuously planting trees, guiding people to rebuild civilization. Perhaps the people of this world don’t need anyone to guide them, but I merely want to expedite this progress.
During the time I spend guiding them, I also need to invest time in accumulating knowledge.
After all, those Rune Literature knowledge I just acquired, and even that special Totem Studies.
These are all things I need to master.
Moreover, planting trees doesn’t require too much technical skill, or rather, once the Wanlian Main Network Tree system is established, many troublesome matters can also be omitted.
And during this free time, it’s when I can study.
Or one could say this is my sedimentation process in the Expanding Realm; I have grasped too many things, but they are all just skimming the surface, without digestion and deeper research. This truly is… too wasteful!
So I need to discard many external influences and focus entirely on my studies.
Balancing reality and thoughts, and understanding the trade-offs, that is what I need to do next.
Before that, however, there are still numerous trivial matters to handle.
For example… helping Ninglan New City resolve its predicament, helping certain individuals solve trouble—these seem to be the same thing: “solving the Dream Overlapping Phenomenon.”
But it does not come without a price. Helping Ninglan New City out of its troubles means the entire Ninglan New City owes me a huge favor.
And helping those individuals solve the Dream Overlapping issue in mining areas cannot simply be exchanged for goodwill. I have no intention of having too much contact with them; their goodwill is useless to me, what I want are tangible benefits, specifically a share of the resources they collect.
I am indeed okay with “as much as needed” regarding these resources, but I am not a pushover; no matter how much I get, it’s all just “as much as needed.”
Sister Bai is adapting to my way of thinking, trying to understand my thoughts, which also serves as an enlightenment for me. Perhaps my methods should be a bit tougher, saying the right thing to the right person, and trading the appropriate rewards for the tasks at hand.
In addition to resolving these issues, there is one more thing.
That is, I arranged to meet with those students I met yesterday, after all, their instructor has helped them complete the process of entering the Expanding Realm. For convenience, they planned to enter with me.
After all, since I previously invited them, I naturally should find a place for them.
As for why I would sincerely invite them… maybe I’m preparing to develop them into my friends?
As for what friends are… I’m not exactly sure how to define that word. Perhaps it means being able to talk, having common topics, or sharing similar thoughts, or doing the same things together.
From the very beginning, since the time I started school, I told myself not to underestimate my peers; geniuses are everywhere.
However, the clowns that once jumped around in front of me made me realize that not everyone is worth my respect.
Perhaps with the contrast, I would then find a decent initial feeling towards Yi Rui and her group.
Moreover, their learning ability is terrifying!
They have no Great Knowledge Seed, nor any cheating-like means such as the Memory Shelf, relying solely on their memory to learn Rune Literature. They also do not have my level of Spirit Vision, relying only on their own exploration.
From the start, they explored the rituals and runes of spells, and now they are even coming into contact with the theories of genuine editing, starting to understand spellbooks and grasp spells through them…
They have taken a tougher path and have spent more time choosing the same road as I did; this is why I respect them.
So I think they might become my friends, a group of… friends I can barely converse with.
At least when we meet, we won’t be awkward, unsure of what to say… that level counts as friendship, right?
So I scheduled the time for the afternoon because they also need time to prepare, and I can understand that.
I arrived a bit early at the transmission hall of the Witch Academy, which is a habit of mine; I prefer to arrive earlier and wait.
However, it seems I didn’t wait for Yi Rui and her group first, but for another person.
“Sister Xiao Han, you really are here!” The girl who spoke drew my attention; I remembered her, her name is Millien, a member of the All-purpose Association who had communicated with me at the Second Shelter.
But now she has already switched to calling me Sister Xiao Han, even though I am not much older than her.
“What brings you here? You’re not requesting me to solve the Dream Overlapping problem in Ninglan New City, are you?” I asked, as I couldn’t think of any other reason.
“Well… this is indeed a problem, I think the decision rests with you. If you are unwilling, I naturally wouldn’t dare to push, but I didn’t come here for this matter,” Millien hurriedly said as I was about to show impatience.
“Then what is your purpose for coming?”
“Sister Xiao Han, are you about to forget the Second Shelter so soon? After you left, many things have been in a standstill. Our All-purpose Association has communicated pretty much with the eighteen responsible people, we just lack your approval…”
“First of all, I must correct you on a mistake. I always refer to it as a shelter, not a refuge. That place is meant for them to escape disaster; it is their starting point for rebuilding civilization, not a place we bestow for them to seek shelter, food, or protection,” I corrected her.
That place is intended for them to gain strength and avoid disaster, rather than a place for them to ask us for charity.
Many things must start from the idea; others might not care, but I must.
“Furthermore, I mentioned that I entrust them to make their own decisions without inquiring about any matters. Why are they completely motionless without my approval? Who exactly needs a place to stay—is it them or me? If they don’t understand this principle, then they can stay in tree holes or dirt pits.”
“Just relay my words unaltered to them; hence, you don’t need to come seek me over this matter.” After saying that, I sighed, softened my tone, and waved my hand.
However, at that moment, Millien seemed to be stunned by my tone.
“Y-yes! I will relay this immediately!” After a moment of shock, Millien quickly nodded.
But after she turned to leave, she secretly gritted her teeth, yet she had no choice but to go through with it.
If she couldn’t establish a connection with that Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, then she would be utterly worthless… even her status would decline, becoming just a… mere intermediary communicating with those refugees!
So she must do something else. The Baker family, the All-purpose Association… these forces pushed her forward to ingratiate herself with Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, and she was unwilling to simply become a sycophant.
Because purely being this way, once the Second Shelter… no, the Second Refuge was completed, she would have no value.
Because she is just a temporary link between Teaching Assistant Xiao Han and the All-purpose Association, maintaining a relationship under the pretext of cooperation over a Second Refuge.
Once many Teaching Assistants in the Expanding Realm leave, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han becomes the most untouchable presence here, without exception.
So they need her to bridge the gap between this Teaching Assistant Xiao Han and the All-purpose Association.
Millien dared not disclose these inner calculations, at least until some of her ideas come to fruition; she needs to get things done well first before she has space to act.
After watching her leave, I no longer focused on this matter.
I continued to wait for the appointed people to arrive.
After a while, the scheduled time was about to arrive; unsurprisingly, I saw several figures at the entrance.
“Xiao Han~ we’ve arrived!”
The one leading, Yi Rui, waved at me, bringing along a total of twelve people, including her!
That’s even more than the number of people I met yesterday.
“Sorry for being late, we hope we didn’t keep you waiting?”
“Hmm~ right on time, I just arrived not long ago. How much stuff did you bring?” I glanced at them. While they weren’t overloaded with baggage, they all seemed to have some backpacks.
“Oh, since it’s our first time going there and we heard we need to assist in rebuilding civilization, we brought quite a bit. Mainly, it’s some equipment and spellcasting materials we commonly use, you know how it is—without spellcasting materials, researching many spells can be quite troublesome.” While speaking, Yi Rui opened her small bag, casually pulling out several storage cards, which was even more extravagant than carrying large bags!
To think that each storage card has such a large capacity!
Why are they using a whole stack?
“You all prepared this much? Each person brought this much?” I asked in shock.
“Pretty much, my instructor gave me a semester off to support my visit to the Expanding Realm.”
“I have a similar situation; I’ll be taking a long break by the end of the semester…”
“Ah, but once we’re in the Expanding Realm, we can return; there are plenty of materials there as well. Since we’re in the Expanding Realm, we should try out some unfamiliar materials; otherwise, how would that be different from being in our original places?” I tapped my forehead and said.
“That seems right; since we brought so much… I’m also quite curious about how many new materials exist in the Expanding Realm.”
“By doing some comparative experiments, I find that very meaningful.”
“Well then, since we’re here, let’s head over together.” I didn’t linger on this topic since no matter what, they have done their best to rely on their thoughts and have reached what they consider the best level.
They simply lack understanding of the Expanding Realm but definitely have their own thoughts.
However, as we appeared in the transmission hall of the Expanding Realm, we immediately attracted many gazes.
Due to the opening of Ninglan New City, there are still many people flow here daily; it naturally stands out when multiple Teaching Assistants and senior students appear in “teams.”
Even though Yi Rui and her group typically keep a low profile, no matter what, she is still a Teaching Assistant.
Moreover, this time, the more than ten who followed weren’t just her; there were several others as well.
But the one drawing the most attention was me, leading the way.
Currently, the students still mingling in Ninglan New City are basically familiar with my name.
Let alone the ongoing Dream Crisis in Ninglan New City that only I can resolve, stepping back—a Dream Demon Spell that can ensure self-protection in the dream realm is also my handiwork.
The two large shelters currently under construction are also connected to me, so… not wanting to be famous is difficult.
And such news quickly spread throughout the Witch Academy, and those with some connections to Yi Rui would undoubtedly take notice of it.
Even if they merely made a decision, it would undoubtedly stir a wave on another level.
But what impact this would have is none of my business. Under the enthusiastic reception of the staff here, we entered Ninglan New City.
“Is this Ninglan New City?”
“Indeed, it feels like suddenly all shackles have vanished!”
“This is a world without the Great Weakness Spell? I feel like I could create a fireball taller than me with my bare hands right now!”
Upon arriving in Ninglan New City, everyone instantly felt the difference in spatial dimensions.
As scholars deeply invested in researching spells, witnessing such vibrant energy and elements around them indeed excited them greatly.
I turned around and let them adapt to the new environment; I didn’t say much to them since if it were me, I would be excited too.
I quietly stepped forward and communicated with the City Guards here first.
Each City Guard recognized me, and upon seeing me immediately gave me the highest respect, followed by the leader coming forward to communicate with me.
After a brief introduction, they knew how to proceed.
“Alright, sisters, let’s settle in our accommodation first. Remember not to experiment with highly powerful spells in the city, and be cautious about spell usage norms—after all, spells are more powerful here; it’s tricky to control at first and could easily cause danger.” After wrapping things up, I turned and clapped my hands, speaking to the crowd, “The hotels in Ninglan New City have already had 13 explosive incidents and 4 cases of fire due to outside visitors, so everyone should hold back for now. Afterwards, I’ll find a way to arrange experimentation areas for you. Let’s proceed with the required processes first, then we can explore here to adapt to the new environment.”
