Chapter 148 - 96: Early Contact with High-Level Power, Your Vision is Astoundingly Far-Reaching
Inside the main hall of the Cabin in the Woods.
Two thick, hardcover tomes, looking as if they were brand new, materialized out of thin air in the middle of the hall.
Flower received the books with the utmost speed, sending them toward the third massive bookshelf on the east side of the hall.
Her stream of consciousness, tinged with a hint of delight, flowed rapidly through the silence:
’Most new Apprentices can only increase their Spiritual Strength through the Basic Meditation Technique. A rare few with resources can use Magic Potions.’
’But Mr. Mo Ning has only just entered the academy, and he’s already delving into Spiritual Secret Techniques that First Level Apprentices would only just be starting to explore. He’s truly leagues ahead.’
’Among the nearly three hundred new Apprentices in this batch, even though Mr. Mo Ning’s talent ranks low, I’m certain he’ll be the first to condense a Spirit Ring.’
Held by an invisible hand, the books were placed on the first shelf of the bookcase.
Flower’s "gaze" swept over the spines of the books, "seeing" the titles of the two tomes.
’Knowledge is the source of a Wizard’s power. Using precious Black Tower Points to borrow books is the wisest course of action.’
’The *Starlight Resonance Secret Technique* is a Secret Technique recommended by many Wizards for Apprentices. Besides increasing Spiritual Strength, it also aids in learning Star Realm Witchcraft. An excellent choice.’
’The author of *A Brief Analysis of the Spiritual Web Secret Needle Technique*, Lord Ximan, died on a Plane Battlefield before he could truly perfect the Secret Needle Technique. What a terrible shame.’
’This book describes the most frequently borrowed Secret Technique among First and Second Level Apprentices at the academy. Many Second Level Apprentices rely on the Secret Needle Technique to push their Spiritual Strength to 30, meeting the threshold to advance to Third Level Apprentice.’
’It’s said that Lord Ximan mentioned before his death that if the potential of the Secret Needle Technique were further explored, its effect on increasing Spiritual Strength would be even greater.’
’Then, anyone with a Spiritual Strength below 100, including Third Level Apprentices, could use the Secret Needle Technique to increase their Spiritual Strength.’
’I have a feeling that with Mr. Mo Ning’s powerful Divination Talent, he might one day be able to perfect the Secret Needle Technique completely.’
Flower concluded, "Mr. Mo Ning certainly has a good eye... Hmm, when it comes to knowledge, perhaps he has an innate intuition."
The Artificial Soul had thought her new master’s borrowing session was over.
After all, the two tomes were quite expensive, a huge financial burden for a new Apprentice.
However, what happened next exceeded her expectations.
A few seconds later, a third book materialized in mid-air.
The gilded Secret Spirit Text on its deep blue cover gleamed under the light—*Wandering in the Sky’s Gale - Research on the Original Soul Seal of Phantom Carvings*.
Flower froze for a moment, then quickly took hold of the book and sent it toward the third bookshelf.
Her consciousness once again entered a state of high-speed thought:
’I remember the author of this book is a Second Level Wizard. Researching Phantom Carvings is extremely difficult, and the borrowing fee is quite expensive—I believe it’s 185 Black Tower Points.’
’Just how many Black Tower Points has Mr. Mo Ning saved up? It’s unbelievable.’
’The first time Mr. Mo Ning entered the Cabin in the Woods, he seemed to use a Phantom Carved Statue for Meditation... Hmm, it must be the Divine Statue Technique.’
’Successfully establishing a Spiritual Divine Statue in his Spiritual World so soon after enrolling is something most First Level Apprentices can’t even do.’
’Mr. Mo Ning’s purpose in borrowing this book is most likely related to his Divine Statue Technique. I have a hunch he’s about to do something incredible again.’
Before the Artificial Soul’s thoughts could conclude, a fourth book flashed into existence—*Thunder in the Sky - Exploring the Original Soul Seal of Phantom Lightning Carving*.
The book’s cover was dark gray, its edges embroidered with lightning-like patterns in silver thread.
Below the title was the image of a great eagle with its wings spread, wreathed in arcs of blue electricity, looking as if it might fly off the page at any moment.
Flower was even more astonished, her stream of consciousness clearly accelerating:
’A book worth 275 Black Tower Points... Tsk tsk, I never would have thought Mr. Mo Ning was so wealthy!’
’I don’t think you could find a single new Apprentice in the last hundred years wealthier than Mr. Mo Ning.’
’First, something about Phantom Carvings, and now a book researching Phantom Lightning Carvings. It seems my hunch was right. Mr. Mo Ning must be planning to do something shocking.’
’I really hope I get to see Mr. Mo Ning’s brilliant results soon!’
Flower made another prediction—’Surely it’s over now, right?’
Four books added up to a huge sum of money.
However, the artificial intelligence’s judgment was wrong again.
More books began to appear, one after another.
This time, they were all books related to Secret Divination and Divination, and their number was astonishing.
They fluttered out of the void, landing one by one in Flower’s invisible hands.
*Low-Cycle Divination Introduction*, Volumes I, II, and III—each a massive tome of over 1,500 pages, with spines as thick as bricks.
The three volumes cost a total of 30 Black Tower Points, with a 60-day borrowing period.
*Multi-Dimensional In-Depth Analysis of Spiritual Flow Field Divination*, Volumes I and II—also massive tomes, each over 1,000 pages long.
The first volume covered basic theory, while the second delved into practical application examples, for a total of 40 Black Tower Points.
*Divination Power Analysis and Calculation*, Volumes I and II—each over 800 pages, for a total of 28 Black Tower Points.
The massive tomes poured out in a torrent, and Flower’s speed in catching them grew faster and faster.
She simultaneously controlled over a dozen flying books, precisely guiding each to its respective place on the shelves.
The number soon surpassed one hundred.
Because the academy encouraged Apprentices to study Divination, the prices for these purely Secret Divination and Divination books were generally quite low, with no single volume exceeding 30 Black Tower Points.
Their borrowing periods were also generally longer, usually 60 days.
But the total borrowing fee for so many books was still a staggering number.
Flower was utterly shocked. "By the Mystery! Just how many Black Tower Points has Mr. Mo Ning accumulated?"
Only when the one hundred and thirty-sixth Divination book appeared did this insane borrowing spree finally come to a close.
Flower deftly placed all the books on the shelves, sorting them by category.
At the same time, the Artificial Soul calculated the total borrowing cost for all the Divination books—2,155 Black Tower Points.
The number was so astonishing that she fell into a rare trance. ’Is Mr. Mo Ning really a new Apprentice?’
「Meanwhile.」
Mo Ning opened his eyes, completely satisfied.
Although the balance in his Guiding Ring account had plummeted to 2,087 points, he felt a sense of exhilaration, ’I finally got to spend to my heart’s content today.’
He glanced at the bookshelves, feeling even more delighted.
With so much knowledge waiting for him to study, he even felt a faint sense of bliss.
Flower’s pleasant voice drifted over. "Mr. Mo Ning, you are the most incredible new Apprentice I have ever seen!"
The Artificial Soul immediately recommended herself. "My greatest skill is transcribing books. I can transcribe 20 books simultaneously, at a rate of 200 pages per second. I hope you will give me the opportunity to be of service."
She quickly added, "Of course! You’ll need to prepare enough scale pattern paper for me. A total of 128,800 sheets are required."
"Calculated at 300 sheets of scale pattern paper per Black Tower Point, the total procurement cost is 430 Black Tower Points."
"However, I have a way to get a 20% discount for bulk purchases, so you will only need to pay 344 Black Tower Points."
Mo Ning smiled slightly. "I’ll leave it to you, then!"
If he hadn’t obtained the right to use the Cabin in the Woods, he never would have dared to borrow books so recklessly.
Because scale pattern paper contained a minuscule amount of Spiritual Power, it was essential for transcription-type Witchcraft, so this expense was unavoidable.
Finally, Flower sighed with genuine admiration.
"Secret Divination and Divination is the foundation of the towering Witchcraft Tower. Your willingness to spend so many Black Tower Points to borrow Divination Books shows a level of foresight that is truly astounding!"
Mo Ning didn’t reply, simply smiling as he said, "Please bring me *Low-Cycle Divination Introduction*, and two hundred sheets of scale pattern paper."
"Of course!"
Flower replied cheerfully.
A massive tome detached from the bookshelf, flew across the hall, and landed lightly in front of Mo Ning.
A thick stack of scale pattern paper followed, RUSTLING as it flew over, before being neatly stacked by Flower to Mo Ning’s left.
Mo Ning opened the first page, and the unique scent of ink washed over him.
He planned to study quietly in the Cabin in the Woods until the second general assessment arrived.