Chapter 128 - 91: An Inspiring Topic
Just as the "cold" in its name suggested, the temperature there was quite chilly. The daytime high was only five degrees, while at night, it plummeted below freezing.
None of the newcomers were willing to set foot in that land dominated by pine trees and cold winds. They much preferred enjoying the lakeside mountain views at Bright Mirror Lake or listening to the beautiful symphony of Magic Power in the Wind Chime Garden.
Mo Ning made his decision. "Then let’s go."
*****
「Half an hour later.」
「Cold Pine Forest.」
A solitary white stone pavilion stood in a forest clearing, the ground around it covered by a thin layer of frost.
Gray-needled pines stood grimly upon the land. Their trunks were straight as swords, their bark as rough as scales.
The world was rendered in only three colors—black, gray, and white—like an ink wash painting from another dimension.
A cold wind swept through, carrying the distinct, sharp scent of pine needles. It crept into the stone pavilion and brushed against the trio’s cheeks, making them instinctively pull their heads into their collars.
The three of them sat around a stone table inside the pavilion.
Mo Ning held an Ink Tube Pen in his right hand, his left resting on a stack of blank scale pattern paper. The tip of the pen flew across the page.
His voice was quiet, echoing softly through the silent pine forest.
"In short, there’s a saying: ’All things can be explained through Divination.’
"The core objective of this research project on Black Moss is to explain the growth mechanism of its Iron Crystal Shell from the perspective of Divination.
"So, that’s the general idea.
"I made a point to check, and no one at the academy has conducted similar research. Other studies on Black Moss have focused mainly on how to suppress it, all from a practical standpoint.
"No research papers have used Divination to ask the question ’why.’ This project isn’t too difficult, which makes it perfect for us."
With that, Mo Ning concluded his lengthy explanation.
At the same time, the tip of his pen inscribed the final symbol on the paper with a faint TAP. He then set down the Ink Tube Pen.
Reina sat by the stone table in a daze, at a complete loss for words to describe how she felt.
The Dazed Girl had watched with her own eyes. From the moment Mr. Mo Ning began his explanation, he had been holding the Ink Tube Pen, ceaselessly writing out the project’s Divination framework.
She saw Divination Formulas pour from the tip of his pen like a flowing river, with barely a pause and not a single correction.
At least half of the formulas were ones she either vaguely recognized or had never seen at all, looking like some kind of script from another world.
Reina knew, of course, that this meant the Divination framework was on a level that far surpassed her own.
By the time he finished speaking, more than a dozen sheets of scale pattern paper, all covered in Divination Formulas, were stacked on the stone table.
Just as he finished, Mr. Mo Ning set down his pen.
This meant the Divination framework was complete.
Reina had to admit, she was truly stunned.
The Dazed Girl wasn’t a complete novice who knew nothing. She had a Second Level Apprentice for a teacher.
Her teacher had made it very clear that for an ordinary Apprentice, finding a research topic that no one had ever explored before, yet was still within their own capabilities, was an incredibly difficult task.
It could often take years, or even a decade, to find just one.
Once a research topic was chosen, the next step was to construct its Divination framework, which was typically a long and arduous process.
Writing the first draft alone took months, as it required constant revision, deliberation, and verification.
And even after toiling for months to complete the first draft, it was far from over.
Discovering errors or flaws in the Divination framework during the research process was commonplace. One would have no choice but to go back and revise the framework all over again.
It wasn’t at all surprising for this process to repeat three or four, or even five or six times.
Countless Apprentices had completely broken down under the repeated torment, forced to abandon their research projects.
For an ordinary Apprentice to conduct a Witchcraft research project all on their own was an incredibly, almost impossibly, difficult feat.
That’s why Apprentices fought tooth and nail to join the various Witchcraft Laboratories, starting as the lowest-ranking assistants to cultivate their academic abilities one step at a time.
And yet, Mr. Mo Ning’s performance was simply incredible.
The Steel Bamboo Plantation had only opened to all newcomers today, and Mr. Mo Ning had only been inside for an hour.
From that hour, you had to subtract the time he spent figuring out how to use the [Vibrating Stone] to clear the rhizomes, as well as the time he was held back for questioning by the Junior Deacon.
In other words, Mr. Mo Ning had spent, at most, only half an hour studying the Black Moss.
In that short half hour, Mr. Mo Ning had not only discovered a research topic, but had even fully conceived of the Divination framework in his mind.
If her Spiritual Trait, [Intuition of the Right Direction], hadn’t indicated that this was the correct path, Reina would never have believed what was happening right before her eyes.
"What do you need us to do?"
Anya’s voice pulled the Dazed Girl’s thoughts back from the far reaches of her mind.
Reina stole a glance at the Noble Lady. She saw no trace of doubt on that gentle, beautiful face—only complete and utter trust.
Reina’s heart fluttered as a thought surfaced in her mind. ’Could it be that Mr. Mo Ning has completed a research project before?’
She didn’t dare to ask out loud.
Mo Ning answered Anya’s question. "I need you to complete a series of experiments cultivating Black Moss and provide me with sufficient data.
"If the research goes smoothly, you’ll only need to cultivate three rounds, with five groups per round, for a total of fifteen groups.