Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 257 Mysterious Power
In August of 2103 in the Han calendar, north of the Xun River (Mississippi River).

On the river, ships equipped with paddle wheels on both sides are sailing.

Unlike later ships with their clean, stadium-like decks and sandwich-like superstructures, the steamships of this newly developed world, whether naval warships or inland waterway vessels, were all built with iron sheds. It's like putting sunshades on tanks in the 21st century.

In the eyes of contemporary people, this is an era of great technological development; but in the eyes of time travelers, this is the technology on the eve of World War I.

Humanity broke through the limitations of traditional energy sources such as animal power and wind power for the first time in history, using steam as a power source. Human technology also began to correctly understand the function of each organ. These major breakthroughs and discoveries spurred the people of this era to explore new possibilities and also transformed the mystical.

In the middle of Xunhe River, beneath a meat processing plant, in a disguised secret laboratory, some witchcraft experiments imbued with modern scientific elements are underway.

In the heart of the laboratory, a group of medical doctors in white coats were observing a copper-plated steel tank filled with various tubes. Through the tank's glass window, a human face could be seen, contorted in agony.

These steel canisters, which contained people, were covered with densely packed yet regularly arranged patterns; upon closer inspection, the patterns resembled the runes used in ancient sacrificial rites by the Dongyin people.

Of course, upon closer examination, these patterns resemble the patterns found on the brain after opening the human skull.

Inside the tank, a rubber tube with a needle was inserted into the subject's body, and every muscle inside was writhing like a living thing. Without the steel tank's obstruction, the screams would have shattered the heavens.

Soon, the pupils of the person inside the steel tank emitted an eerie purple light, while the researchers participating in the experiment were excited, ready to witness the "possession of the ancestral spirit."

…a kind of witchcraft known as forbidden technology…

Regardless of East or West, mysterious forces have always existed in the world and profoundly influenced the course of history.

Compared to the orthodox teachings of the East that claim to be ordained by Heaven, the awakening of "ancestral spirits" that Longzhou has now discovered belongs to a mysterious force of unorthodox and heretical methods.

However, even if it is a "heretical or unorthodox" path, it is already quite remarkable that its lineage has survived to this day.

It should be noted that at the end of the Zhen Han Dynasty, the Age of Exploration was just beginning; before the world was connected, there were at least dozens of "mysterious power systems" in the world, and countless other low-level "superpower activation" evil methods.

Basically, every cultural group on the planet that occupies one million square kilometers of the Earth's surface has its own system of mystical powers. Examples include Southeast Asian witchcraft, the secret traditions of South American pyramids, and the spiritual language passed down among African tribes.

However, as the tide of time rolled on, the cultural influence of most regions succumbed to assimilation by other advanced cultures. Many mysterious systems of power vanished.

The system of ancestral spirits was originally meant to disappear; after the Eastern Yin were supported by the modern Han, the modern Han aimed to change customs and traditions.

However, fifty years ago, the Eastern Yin took advantage of the fact that the present Han Dynasty was vying with Europe for the "Great Tong River" (Suez River), and seized the opportunity to break away and achieve cultural and religious independence, thus the "ancestral spirit" inheritance system survived.

However, in order to "survive" and maintain its own small territory and inheritance, the "ancestral spirit" system has now gone to extremes, even with the connotation of "demonic path".

According to Xuan Chong's experience with the Great Yao, the reason why the demonic path is so extreme is that it has few resources and few people who uphold the orthodox tradition. Therefore, it is forced to go to extremes in the competition. Once resources and types increase, more people participate, and there is no shortage of geniuses to inherit the orthodox tradition, the inheritors will still choose the righteous path of moderation and peace after weighing the pros and cons.

Currently, under the suppression of the "orthodox" Taoist tradition in China, the other two major unorthodox systems in the world are somewhat "evil" and "demonic".

For example, the awakening of "ancestral spirits" is extremely difficult. In the adjacent vat, corpses, their bones twisted and covered in corroded holes due to failed injections, have filled the icehouse, awaiting dissection.

The ancient "ancestral spirits" awakened. In ancient times, the Yin people would have priests preside over the ritual on a pyramid made of stone bricks, using hallucinogenic drugs to make the participants' minds enter a transparent state and connect with the ancestral spirits.

Now, in the laboratory, the same process is being carried out to ensure that, while the human consciousness is in a near-death state, the soul overflows from the body and communicates with the "Ancestral Spirit Sea".

However, the scalpel has now replaced the obsidian knife used in the past sacrifices; and the herbal juices poured from the golden cup to be fed to the "sacrificed" have been replaced by anesthetics and biological virus serum injected through syringes.

The methods employed by Dongyin in modern times all aim to allow the power of "ancestral spirits" to enter the physical body in a more controllable way.

Based on a limited number of documents from the modern Chinese literature, the people of the Eastern Yin Dynasty made a tentative theoretical exploration based on their limited understanding: the mysterious power originates from the soul, and the characteristics of the soul cannot be changed, so the awakening rate in the present day is not higher than that in the past.

The success rate of awakening on the ancient pyramids was 10%, while in this modern technological testing ground, only one in a hundred people achieves it.

Science is making very little progress in the realm of the mysterious these days! So why bother with science at all?
The reason why Longzhou and Ouzhou boldly used human modification technology in the awakening process was that they hoped the mysterious power of the "ancestral spirit" awakeners would develop in the direction desired by the priests. (This is similar to a player drawing cards, hoping to draw "useful" cards.)

Inside the tank, the experimental subject's eyes are now glowing purple, indicating that it has entered a state of spiritual connection and is about to succeed.

But just as everyone was about to celebrate and ask the kitchen to prepare "cocoa bubbles," the experimenter's eyes suddenly dimmed, and then his whole body weakened as if deflated, becoming emaciated within a few breaths.

The scientists outside the cylinder were shocked and shouted, "Stop the ceremony and inject the nutrient solution!"

One by one, doctors wearing rubber protective suits opened the cylinder, removed the skeleton, and then performed CPR while inserting tubes.

After several rounds of resuscitation efforts, the experimental subject was still barely breathing.

After a busy night, the scholars of the Yin tribe finally gave up and ordered it to be placed in an icehouse.

...The scene shifts...

As two workers shakily pushed the cart away through the dark underground tunnel, the corpse's eyes twitched under the white sheet.

Then a consciousness descended upon this place. This consciousness was also a student from the "school." Just a second ago, he had finished his exam and was about to enter the game pod with his classmates, but now he had suddenly been transported here.

Of course, this student wasn't surprised by the time travel, as it had happened several times already.

With the "mind control" ability he gained from this time travel, this experienced student quickly learned of the situation and devised a series of countermeasures.

When the body arrived at the entrance of the freezer, the person transporting the body was turning the combination lock on the freezer, while another person was chewing betel nut and mixing it with coffee. At this moment, the chewing sound stopped.

A withered hand pressed down on the top of the head of the unfortunate betel nut chewer, and then the man was put into a state of being controlled.

The person who had just entered the combination lock turned around and saw a skeletal figure glowing with purple light. The unfortunate fellow immediately trembled. However, he quickly covered his mouth, knelt down shakily, and allowed the skeletal figure's large hand to press down on his head, extracting his memories.

"Oh, his name is Green." The student who had transmigrated murmured the name. He then understood why the system had arranged for him to transmigrate when the original was on the verge of death.

"Ancestral Spirit Awakening" is the core strength of Longzhou. In the past, the awakened ones belonged to the religious ruling class.

However, in modern times, the Eastern Yin Dynasty had already established itself as a nation based on "commerce and industry," and used firearms and cannons for conquest.

Back then, the "Ancestral Spirit Awakener" could not prevent the Yin people from having their land east of the river seized by the European Company. It was thanks to the unparalleled hero of Longzhou who turned the tide through reforms.

From that time onward, this king of Longzhou, who was unparalleled in history, was very fond of emulating Qin Shi Huang. After he came to power, he exercised ultimate control over all "Awakeners," and all Ancestral Spirit Awakeners were required to be equipped with a "binding ring" to control their spiritual energy after birth.

Therefore, Green's first task after traveling through time is to "break free from the binding ring".

A few minutes later, the two men returned to the lab and reported that the body had been transported to freezer "X334" in the cold storage.

However, no one knew that the two then pushed a small cart carrying a large amount of nutrient solution and hot water to the lower level.

Green swallowed the nutrient solution underground, and then a game console inexplicably appeared in his palm. He started playing the game; Green changed his original "turtle breathing" state and, after circulating the "refining essence into qi" technique, allowed the energy from the nutrient solution to be transported throughout his body. Soon, his withered body regained its color.

After feeling a little better, he tore open the packaging of the beef jerky and bread next to him, swallowed it in large gulps, and then chewed it up.

The person who brought the food wanted to warn him that it was bad for his stomach; however, after swallowing the food, the awakened individual's previously emaciated body quickly recovered, like an earthworm encountering water. He revealed the appearance of a handsome sixteen-year-old boy. He flashed his white teeth at the two people who brought the food and said, "Don't worry, I don't eat people. I won't harm you, but you have to take me out of here."

…Game system mission 2: Escape…

Green emerged from the drainpipe, slid into the pond, and swam away in a flash. He then severed his control over the two men.

Ten hours later, after confirming that there were no more barking dogs behind him, he was certain that he had escaped. He then looked at the "superpower" attribute displayed by the system on his body.

Green muttered, "Oh, there are superpowers in this world? Hmm, like Marvel's heroes."

Yes, after the ancestral spirits awaken, some people mutate and become made of steel; others mutate and grow into monsters with huge muscles that can dismantle tanks with their bare hands; and of course, some people can control fire, and they belong to the Mind series.

Just as he nodded, thinking that his next task in this plane was to establish an independent "superpower academy" or something similar.

A system task pop-up window appeared: "Defend against external invasion."

Green: "Huh? Damn, the world's tension level is 90, and the chaos level is 80?! Damn, who pushed this mission level so high? Could someone possibly get a perfect score on this 'exam'?!"

Green rubbed his forehead and examined the "game interface" he had brought.

…Explanation of School Maintenance Rules…

This Green's original form comes from the 25th century. His classroom and Xuan Chong's classroom are not at the same level, and the mathematics he is tested on is completely different from Xuan Chong's.

For example, it would be unfair to ask a 21st-century person to directly compare math skills with an 18th-century person.

Virtual teaching methods in the 25th century have enabled students to generally have a much higher level of knowledge than their peers.

However! The school establishes a set of assessment standards based on a certain "key element" for students from different eras.

Therefore, Xuan's standard in his time was that of a "good student in three aspects," meaning he outperformed Green in a certain "key element."

This "key element" has clearly stood the test of time. And in the 41st century, it has been recognized as a core competency.

It's worth mentioning that the true form of "Green" can be seen in Xuan Chong's class. He appears in the school of Xuan Chong's era in a "modern form" that Xuan Chong can understand—the group of students who were the first to hand in their papers and were discussing games in the hallway.

Similarly, since Green could see Xuan Chong in a classroom, the image of Xuan Chong projected in that spacetime wouldn't be him doing problems in a classroom. Instead, he would be one of those people skillfully using optical equipment to take a geometry exam in interstellar space.

…students and students…

When students enter the teaching world, they will complete a memory loading process, which means loading the "memories" of the worlds they have previously traveled through.

After all, within the school's spatial dimension, teachers seal away miscellaneous memories from other dimensions so that students can focus on their studies. However, these memories are unsealed each time a student enters a time-travel mission.

The founder of Dimension School believes that if students do not seal away their memories of time travel within the ivory tower, they will all become cunning and calculating in regular classes, ultimately becoming burdened by their obsessions.

Inside the school, Xuan Chong was very naive, believing himself to be a reincarnated person; he regarded the lingering impressions left by the Great Yao as a teenager's fantasy.

Now that she's in this time and space, the sharp and capable "Wu Xiaoque" from her memories suddenly returns, and she habitually analyzes every action in the world from a utilitarian perspective.

The point at which Xuan Chong loads the memories of "Wu Xiaoque" lies in the novel, the novel "The Fierce Soldier".

This is because in the simulated world where Xuan Chong is located, the prop for "allowing people to fantasize about other worlds" is the novel.

Green's memory loading comes from "game consoles." This is something from his 25th-century timeline, and this "game console" is not the "game console" as understood by people in the 21st century; this concept is equivalent to the word "folder" in the 21st-century computer age.

In the 25th century, "game console" was a general term for a "game world model" in the virtual world.

In the timeline where Green lived, most people lived in deep-sea cities. At that time, human entertainment consisted of playing single-player games with tens of thousands of terabytes of data in holographic game pods. The folders containing such large single-player games were called "game world models".

Of course, there is a key point here: Xuan Chong was at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, which was relatively underdeveloped compared to the future; the information contained in the novel, as a vehicle for fantasy, was limited.

The novel, with its hundreds of thousands of words, resembled a dream that seemed to be a vague memory of him sleeping in class. Xuan Chong wasn't really sure if he had actually transmigrated.

When Xuan Chong saw the novel's plot, which seemed familiar, he could only doubt that "his memory was a bit messed up." After reading the novel, he made unfounded connections to his past dreams.

But in the world of 25th-century "game consoles," there's a memory operating scale of 10,000 terabytes.

This thing, the server alone weighed over twenty tons, and it was cooled in the ocean—back then, everyone had a house in the ocean.

Because the information contained within the fantasy nodes is vast and detailed, these 25th-century students are to some extent aware that they are not "reborn," but rather trapped in a special space called a school. They simply don't know if their teachers are NPCs, so they dare not rebel.

Students admitted in the 27th century realized that the teachers were all actors.

Green has three game icons in the Viktoria space. These three game icons correspond to three worlds he has already traversed.

So, as a seasoned student, his first reaction upon entering the classroom was quite mature. After confirming that the "mission level" of this world was being maintained by the other students, he then needed to find them.

…When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up…

Fifteen hours later, Green escaped to a steel mill. Soon after, members of the Ancestral Spirits Department arrived in a horse-drawn carriage carrying revolvers. However, at the steel mill gate, the gates opened.

With a creak, the metal door slowly opened, filling the room with the smell of steam and rust.

Three armored vehicles, their surfaces studded with rivets, drove out, and a revolver machine gun on one of them was revealed. This caused the pursuing troops outside the factory, who were carrying revolvers, to lower their weapons.

Xie Ming, wearing a phoenix feather crown, stepped out and extended an invitation for "negotiation" to the forces blocking his door. Half an hour later, the laboratory director who had summoned the ancestral spirit also appeared and asked bluntly, "Is the person here with you?"

Xie Ming readily admitted: the person is with him, and he can pay the money.

The priest looked at Xie Ming and, after receiving the assurance, said: Let's leave it at that.

…Our perspective shifts to the other side of the ocean…

Xuan Chong is interpreting Longzhou's "aggressive diplomatic behavior" in contemporary times. Veteran diplomats have analyzed the differences between the Eastern Yin people and the modern Han people of Longzhou.

Unlike the Eastern culture of "courtesy before force," where powerful figures first reason and then, after their arguments are rejected, resort to force without hesitation, Longzhou follows the principle of "force before courtesy." It involves demonstrating strength to deter the weaker opponents before the leaders speak—a practice that can be traced back to early tribal times, where war dances were performed before actual combat.

Xuan Chong: This is an outdated culture. When they encountered Europeans before, they displayed the power of the tribe in this way, and then the chief came forward to negotiate. Little did they know that by being so unreserved, they had exposed their true intentions.

If they (Dongyin) maintain their strength, that's fine, but once they fall into weakness, such an overly transparent cultural character, if they encounter a ruthless opponent, will be like the "Xunhe" plain encountering a northern blizzard, with no natural defenses!

Xuan Chong couldn't help but sigh: "One region's water and soil nurture its people."

In modern Chinese culture, there's a deconstruction that suggests geography and culture are related. If the Ouzhou people had massacred the original inhabitants of Longzhou and replaced them with people from other parts of the world, and these immigrants had wiped out the original culture, creating a diverse new culture, it would ultimately still gravitate towards the culture of the Eastern Yin dynasty. They would also become impulsive, showy, and unconcealed regardless of their strength or weakness.

(End of this chapter)