Chapter 386: Chapter 364: The Girl Who Descends and Shines
There are many methods for a wizard to reach the Spirit Realm once they’ve met the standards.
However, the first step is to know where the Spirit Realm is.
The famous ancient "Crowned Wizard" Sigmund detailed this in his work, "Spirit Realm Origin", which is included in collections by various schools.
The Spirit Realm connects to the spiritual world of all intelligent life!
According to his theory, the spiritual world of humans is divided into three parts: consciousness, individual unconsciousness, and collective unconsciousness.
To use an analogy.
The inner world of humanity is like a vast archipelago, with the land above the water representing the awakened parts of some individuals’ consciousness; the part of land revealed by tidal movements represents the individual’s personal unconsciousness; and the sea bed serving as the foundation of all islands is the collective unconsciousness.
From high to low signifies the transition from individual to collective in the human spiritual world, moving from personality to commonality, until reaching the collective unconsciousness, which is the "sediment" of countless similar experiences passed down through generations within the psyche of all human members.
Dig through this layer accumulated over millions, and the gate to the Spirit Realm is hidden there!
Even many of the extraordinaries at the top of the pyramid deduce that the more flourishing the world of intelligent beings (in both quantity and quality), the closer the connection to the Spirit Realm and the more spiritual energy radiates from it, making the Extraordinary World thrive.
In a world that is completely barren, there may be no passage to the Spirit Realm at all, let alone an Extraordinary World built upon it.
Of course, the truth of the world cannot be so simple, but intelligent life itself is indeed a very important dimension. To some extent, it also reflects their value to the world itself and even the high and mighty Divine Spirits!
For most extraordinaries, the most convenient bridge to communicate with their own unconsciousness, collective unconsciousness, or even the Spirit Realm, is — the dream realm.
Even some ordinary people with keen spiritual ability might achieve communion with their ancestors through the dream realm, or even obtain certain information and knowledge leaked from the Spirit Realm.
Legend has it that the first batch of wizards was born from this!
However, after many years of development, the methods to reach the Spirit Realm are very mature, particularly for wizards rich in mystical knowledge who can inherit and accumulate, they possess the most convenient and effective methods.
For example, the "Prophetic School" of Milan inherits the art of Spirit Realm Travel, and Aiven’s "Vitalist School" uses the method of Spirit Communication Potion.
After rigorously testing the new reconnaissance network known as Witchcraft: White Bird, which has been drastically enhanced and specifically named by Aiven, confirming it meets expectations, Aiven starts preparing for his first Spirit Realm exploration.
During this period.
Apart from helping his second disciple Calvin, who had been secretly brought to Hatrafa Port, complete the beginner meditation method, Aiven carefully crafted several pieces of "Soul Armor" to protect the spirit body, based on the knowledge from "Flesh Sacrifice".
Since it belongs to a world of spirit and energy, ordinary physical tools certainly cannot be brought in.
Aside from that.
Although the "Snake-man" Hibekrite had squandered the accumulated assets of the "Vitalist School," he fortunately left behind a piece of "Soul Armor" that could protect the spirit body, specifically the Secret Key to the Super Giant Rock Golem "Mountain Giant" — the yellow gem pendant.
Allowing Aiven not to completely rely on his handmade items to stand out.
After feeling adequately equipped, Aiven also sought Milan for advice on various precautions for Spirit Realm Travel, making comprehensive preparations from every conceivable angle.
Then, on a night under the full moon, he embarked on his first Spirit Realm journey!
As for why he didn’t journey together with Milan, who is also a wizard and highly knowledgeable about the Spirit Realm?
That is because although they might seem close in the Material World, exploring the Spirit Realm is akin to dreaming. Even if lying on the same bed, they can’t share the same dream.
Moreover, the paths they take differ, and their encounters in the Spirit Realm will also differ, showcasing the Extraordinary Gathering Effect more vividly here.
Therefore, even with a trustworthy companion, using specific witchcraft to unite, it is still difficult to travel together, unless one party doesn’t mind gaining nothing or facing risks they can’t handle.
Thus, in Spirit Realm exploration, every extraordinary can only rely on themselves!
The bright moon hangs high in the sky.
Outside Aiven’s residence on the island, Gary and Milan are shouldering guard duties.
"Chirp chirp chirp..."
A flock of White Seagulls has been summoned early on, each one tied to a red thread on its leg, with the other end tied to Aiven’s hand.
Aiven switched to a loose cloth robe, donned a half-body armor crafted from black thorns, draped a skirt armor made from spiritually activated pine needles around his waist, adorned with a pouch of seeds, and wore the yellow gem pendant around his neck.
He laid his extraordinary weapon, the Sword Staff, across his knees, and slowly drank a bottle of the Spirit Communication Potion that shimmered silver, seemingly with stardust floating within.
Gulp...
To be honest, this concoction made from Evil Spirit Dust as an ingredient tasted truly indescribable.
But before he could further critique the potion’s taste, a profound drowsiness enveloped him completely.
Then vision, hearing, touch, smell... all gradually drifted away from him. By the time Aiven came to his senses again, his spirit had already detached from the confines of his body, as if he were floating downstream in a river of warm water.
Continuously drifting downward...
In the midst of it, he seemed to see modern airplanes, automobiles, skyscrapers; only the airplane had a single wing, the automobile’s wheels were larger than the car itself, and the skyscrapers were slim and stretched straight into the clouds.
He also saw a group of primitive people trying to create fire by drilling wood in a cave. After several failed attempts, an old man pulled out a short stick, and with a few muttered incantations, a blazing bonfire was ignited.
.....
His consciousness wavered between clarity and confusion, but most of the time, all he saw with his eyes open was thick fog.
Drip... Drop...
In his perception of time, it seemed as if he had experienced the entirety of human history, yet the "Data Visualization" bound to his soul showed that only ten seconds had passed.
Suddenly.
Aiven felt the temperature of the surrounding water rapidly plummet, falling below freezing in the blink of an eye.
However, the nature of the soul was far less resistant to the elements than the flesh.
Shiver——
Aiven involuntarily shuddered, and for the first time since consuming the magic potion, his dreams-like consciousness became unprecedentedly clear, allowing him to see the surrounding environment clearly once more.
Above, below, left, and right were utterly dark, as if he were in some unfathomably deep and dim seabed, where he could still hear the bubbling sounds and ethereal whale songs.
Yet even without the "Iron Cross Medal" on him, he didn’t feel the oppression of the deep sea.
Before him stood a luxurious brass gate, intricately carved with complex mechanical structures. Aiven even saw structures resembling circuit boards on it, and the gate frame, resembling both flesh and wood, extended into the depths of darkness.
However, Aiven knew that within the depths of his spirit, there wasn’t truly a brass gate; it was merely a manifestation of some imagery, related to each individual’s experiences, imagination, path...
Without hesitation, Aiven reached out to push open the gate engraved with the "Life Tree" symbol.
Creak——
Boom!
The next moment, endless silver radiance enveloped him, illuminating the pitch-black "seabed world".
Beyond Aiven’s immediate sight, the water was filled with countless transparent spheres of various sizes, each containing a curled-up creature: whales, squids, seals, brown bears, humans, giant dragons... and numerous unspeakable bizarre species.
Every sphere’s surface was connected by branch-like tubes, stretching further into the unknowable depths of the seabed.
This seemed like the legendary "Spring of Life" where everything was born, or an inverted "Life Tree", or perhaps... it resembled an enormous biochemical incubation chamber.
However, Aiven, having entered the gate, was unable to see any of this.
Engulfed in dazzling light, Aiven could only feel himself continuously descending.
All around him was a kaleidoscope of sights through which direction was indistinguishable, where in an instant he experienced ancient battlefields, desolate silent deserts, vast dark damp mushroom forests, bleak ruined castles, intricate underground labyrinths...
Finally, after traversing a vast forest, he arrived at the very center of a city ruin that seemed akin to prehistoric civilization.
Toppled stone pillars, collapsed palaces, crude yet uniquely charming sculptures... all sharing one common trait: immense size!
Whoosh——
The radiance around his body quietly dissipated, but in the last moment, it seemed as though he saw, not too far off in the forest, the tip of a pyramid softly emerge, whereupon another glow dissipated simultaneously.
With a sharp, fleeting intuition, it seemed to be a... glowing maiden!
Although somewhat curious, in theory, it seemed impossible for someone else exploring the boundless Spirit Realm to coincidentally arrive nearby.
Yet his actions were not slowed in the slightest.
Covering his chest, from the place where the clatter of gears and the thumping of his heartbeat emanated, he magically extracted an emerald seed resembling a jade seed.
Thump——
The seed fell as if into water, seamlessly sinking into the ancient stone slab underfoot, sprouting instantly upon touching the soil below. Within mere moments, it had grown into a tree, a fusion of fir, ash, and banyan.
Though not particularly tall, its massive crown hung heavily, shading a full acre of land.
Underneath the umbrella-like crown, countless tiny grasses and bushes began to grow, glowing particles like fireflies flitting between the vegetation.
Already, it somewhat resembled the "Vitalist School’s" mysterious origin!