Chapter 4158

To prevent Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya from transforming into another animal upon entering that region, Xia De placed the reluctant cat on Emilyia's head. Then, Dac Dac Nisi had the professors open an entrance, and two unicorns—one large, one small—emerged from behind the bookshelves and rushed together into the Catastrophe Zone.

"So Professor Dac Dac Nisi sent Marcus to solve the problem? That's actually a good idea—but isn't the other unicorn not from the academy?"

After the spatial shift, Xia De and Eli found themselves in an unfamiliar forest. Everything around them appeared utterly real, and the spiritual erosion power inherent to this world was indeed terrifying.

"I felt it! This way!"

Eli sniffed around, then led Xia De sprinting through the forest. The pair of unicorns moved like wind through the trees, and the dangerous beasts—transformed from unknown entities—could not even keep pace with them.

Because she could run alongside Xia De, Eli seemed in high spirits. But this forest was simply too vast; they would likely need to run much longer.

And at that moment, "she" spoke:

【Why not try your Arcane Art?】

"Library retrieval? Though this is indeed a library, that book carries Catastrophe energy... I might as well try."

Xia De halted the sprinting Eli. Both transformed into human form and flew to the treetop of the tallest nearby tree. After defeating a flock of giant eagles approaching from afar, Xia De extended his hand toward the direction Eli had indicated:

"Arcane Art—Moon Library·Library Retrieval!"

The Arcane Art activated successfully. The book's location clearly appeared in Xia De's mind. It resisted his retrieval, but the next instant, countless translucent, star-blue bookshelves materialized behind him against the starry background—the Moon Library's expansion amplified the retrieval's power.

Whoosh~ A book with a brown cover flew from afar into Xia De's hand. It trembled continuously but could not escape his grasp.

Like the "Twisted Tree Hollow," "Infinite Serpent," and "Anomalous Life Seed," this "Catastrophe Book" clearly possessed the ability to corrupt the mind through direct contact—but this power was useless against Xia De.

According to Dac Dac Nisi's instructions, the book must now be temporarily sealed in a specially crafted container; only then would this region vanish.

Since the Chosen of Knowledge and Wisdom, Sir Prilsha the Mad Omniscient, had been defeated and his power seized by Xia De, no effective method yet exists to completely destroy such books. The Church and the Academy can only contain them like relics, storing them in hidden locations.

Yet as Xia De gazed at the book in his hand, a strange thought arose:

"What if... placing this book inside my Moon Library could, after some time, restore it to normal?"

"She" smiled and gave an affirmative reply:

【Yes.】

The true nature of Xia De's "Moon Library" is closer to a Divine Art—like "Summoning the Little Boat" and "Book of Fate"—it emerged from the fusion of "Moon" power with the authority of other Ancient Gods.

Xia De then attempted to shove the book toward the bookshelf behind him. Normally, the Moon Library could only convert the contents of physical books into starlit volumes within its shelves; Xia De had never tried storing external books directly.

Yet this time, the "Catastrophe Book" successfully settled onto the shelf.

"The Infinite Serpent's Cycle of Catastrophic Fate could be absorbed into my Book of Fate. It seems my Divine Arts truly can handle the world's Catastrophes."

As Xia De thought this, the surrounding primeval forest faded, and the normal scenery of the academy library returned. He retrieved the book from the shelf, placed it into the container Dac Dac Nisi had given him, then jumped down with Eli from the vanishing tree, instructing Eli to carry the container to Dac Dac Nisi.

What followed was simple. Before lunch, Xia De privately explained to Dac Dac Nisi that his Arcane Art could purify the book. Surprised, Dac Dac Nisi opened the container and watched as Xia De placed the book onto the starry bookshelf.

"Truly miraculous... Then for now, keep the book in your possession. If it can indeed be purified successfully, we may later consider placing other contained Catastrophe Books into your library."

Dac Dac Nisi warned Xia De to assign a separate bookshelf for storing such books, to prevent dangerous knowledge from contaminating normal knowledge.

"I'll publicly claim I discovered a relic bookshelf of the Ancient God 【Silver Sage of the Moon】. Such shelves can conditionally contain and weaken the power of 'Catastrophe Books.'"

Dac Dac Nisi had even devised a plausible explanation for Xia De's power. Xia De had no objections:

"But now even the academy library has produced such a Catastrophe—this world is becoming increasingly dangerous."

It was already noon. Xia De and Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya accepted Emilyia and Dac Dac Nisi's invitation to stay for lunch.

Instead of going to the academy cafeteria, they returned to the unicorns' habitat and spread out a picnic cloth. Emilyia was delighted; as Dac Dac Nisi and Xia De arranged the food brought from the kitchen, she plucked a blade of grass and, beneath the sunlight, played a melodious elven-style tune for everyone.

The tune was beautiful.

The earlier "Knowledge Catastrophe" had been merely a minor interlude. During lunch, Xia De informed Dac Dac Nisi about the academy's oldest Dragonblood Tree. Dac Dac Nisi had yet to find results from her investigation into the original manuscript of "The Harem Life of Saint Byron," but though the novel was astonishingly lengthy, it was merely ordinary text. She would read it this afternoon, and Xia De would have results by tonight.

Of course, Xia De also mentioned his search for the "Seed of Life," tied to opening the door of the 【Creation Chamber】. Dac Dac Nisi agreed to ask the Serkess Higher Medical College for him, but urged him not to harbor high hopes—Old John's information was far too ancient; the seed was likely no longer at the medical college.

After lunch, Xia De and Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya left the academy. He promised Dac Dac Nisi he would return tonight.

The cat wished to nap, so Xia De left her at home, then traveled alone to Arcadia City.

Mondays were typically the busiest days. Xia De assumed Vige would be out, but when he arrived at the Fragrant Manor, the witch seemed to have been waiting at the entrance—she immediately launched herself at him:

"I thought you weren't coming today~"

She hugged Xia De tightly. He noticed Agerina and Miss MacDonald looking helplessly on.

Xia De patted Vige's back:

"Relax—I have to purify your sister every day. How could I not come?"

Vige finally released him, eyeing him warily:

"So you're here only to purify her—not for me?"

Xia De laughed:

"Are you jealous of your own sister?"

"What nonsense—she's just a child without form... What's your relationship with Agerina? Do you like the sister more than the elder?"

This question made Agerina blush.

Today's Arcadia City had fine weather, and all was peaceful on this Monday. Though rumors surfaced of active machinery in the lower district, compared to powerful relics or demons, it was merely a trivial matter.

The 【Puppet Hall】 had been successfully contained. Though the demon had appeared, it had not manifested. Vige's mother remained elusive. Thus, this afternoon, there was nothing requiring Xia De's personal intervention.

After welcoming Xia De, Vige and Miss MacDonald went out. Agerina descended to the underground chamber to process alchemical materials. With nothing else to do, Xia De read through the documents in Miss Felianna's suitcase in Vige's study.

He picked up the documents at two in the afternoon. When Vige returned and opened the door, Xia De had set down his teacup and the parchment in his hand—the sunset had already appeared outside the window.

"What a peaceful day."

Xia De stood up with a smile. Vige had developed the habit of hugging him whenever she saw him. The returning witch brought him another piece of news:

"The Liming Sect has tested the bloodline of the black-haired girl you brought from the 【Puppet Hall】. She is human, indeed of the Delinor royal lineage—but she is not pure human. The Church believes they have discovered a new human subspecies. This subspecies appears influenced by vampiric bloodlines, granting extended lifespan and enhanced physical condition."

"Her drawbacks include aversion to sunlight and a preference for organ and blood products over ordinary food; otherwise, she suffers bodily weakness akin to prolonged salt deficiency in normal humans."

"Does she have blood thirst?"

Vige shook her head:

"No. The old princess's bloodline differs from normal humans, but she is not vampiric. The Church has questioned her; she herself does not know why her lineage became this way."

Xia De frowned:

"How did those ancient vampires manage it? This kind of enhancement to human bloodlines sounds truly wondrous, with such a small price to pay. Compared to the New Human technology of the 【Blood Spirit School】..."

Xia De suddenly realized something:

"Wiegela, we had originally assumed that the New Human modification technology of the 【Blood Spirit School】 was obtained by the 'Blood Weepers' through their research on birthing rooms. But their discovery of the door of the 【Creation Birthing Room】 in the New Continent was only in 1853 — not even five years ago. What kind of research could have progressed so quickly?

Is it possible that the New Human modification technology had actually already been making progress within the 【Blood Spirit School】 all along, and that the source of this technology is also connected to the ancient vampires of the Deliniol era? Of course, it's also possible that it's the other way around — that the vampires of the Deliniol Kingdom era obtained the prototype of the New Human technology from the hands of the 【Blood Spirit School】."

Wiegela thought for a moment:

"You mean that the cooperation between the 【Blood Spirit School】 and the ancient vampires wasn't only about continuing to advance research through the bloodlines of the vampires — that the two sides' technologies were actually the same kind to begin with?"