I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

Chapter 228 The Peony of Knowledge

But conversely...

If Lu Yuan could tame the Insect of Knowledge, it would be an unparalleled weapon.

It absorbs knowledge, refines it, and then gives back to the community.

This cycle itself is a complete system of extraordinary advancement, more efficient than any path he knew.

Even the insect of knowledge can be used against enemies.

The problem is, how do we get our hands on it?

Lu Yuan leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

The remnants of those scenes from Laurinna's lab were still swirling in my mind.

One segment has a blurry image, but the core information is very clear.

The worm of knowledge is neither a product of alchemy nor something man-made.

It is a native species in the sea of knowledge.

In Laurena's research notes, the word used is "capture," not "cultivate."

If you want the insect of knowledge, you must get it from the sea of knowledge.

At least, this is the only way I know of.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes.

The image of that vast ocean came to mind.

Infinite colors surged, words swirled in the depths, and the oppressive feeling was like a mountain collapsing.

And that voice.

"Not enough. You're not qualified to see those things."

"Let's go back."

Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

How do I get in?

The only thing he possessed that could connect him to the sea of knowledge was that peony of knowledge.

The broken seashell that the Viscount's mansion obtained, when it was activated last time, directly dragged him to the edge of the Sea of Knowledge.

But that time was almost a disaster.

The moment the shell was activated in the Viscount's mansion's collection room, the sealing system of the Bronze City was triggered.

The inscriptions on the city wall suppressed the overflowing aura, barely managing to keep the anomaly within the collection room and prevent it from spreading outwards.

Even so, Maurice still noticed.

His exact words were, "The seal patterns of the entire city trembled."

He added, "I'm not the only one who can feel that kind of fluctuation."

That was at the Viscount's mansion.

Inner city.

The location closest to the core area of the bronze pillar.

When the sealing system is intact.

And now?

Lu Yuan glanced out the window.

The faint glow of the runes on the city wall was indeed a bit brighter than a few days ago, but it was only "recovering".

The runes on the bottom third of the copper pillar in the pipeline layer are still extinguished. Klaus said he would go down to check it himself, but repairs would take time.

The sealing system of the entire Bronze City is like a person recovering from a serious illness; they can stand up, but they are far from being back to normal.

If you directly activate the Peony of Knowledge in the Alchemy Workshop...

Once the aura of the Sea of Knowledge spreads out, everyone in the outer city can feel it.

The night watchmen will find out.

The Tower of Learning will be discovered.

I just got back from the Tower of Learning tonight, and the "He" in the main tower has already noticed me.

Making such a fuss at this critical juncture is tantamount to directly exposing one's connection to the sea of knowledge to everyone.

That's courting death.

And there is another reason.

That voice saved him when he was dragged into the sea of knowledge last time.

They pulled him out of the abyss like a kitten.

Lu Yuan didn't want to have any further involvement with that being.

It's not that I'm not grateful.

No, I dare not.

Something that could effortlessly rescue people from the sea of knowledge was completely beyond his comprehension.

Every additional contact increases the chance of being noticed.

Being watched by an being of that level is a completely different concept from being watched by "He" in the Tower of Learning.

Therefore, starting it directly won't work.

Entering the sea of knowledge, no.

But Lu Yuan did indeed need the insect of knowledge.

He sat in the chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

The lamplight flickered on the table.

The faint glow of the runes outside the window reflected on the glass, blurry and indistinct.

The insect of knowledge is a creature in the sea of knowledge.

I can't get in myself.

Is it possible to lure it out without going in?

Lu Yuan's fingers stopped.

Once the thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it anymore.

The native species of the sea of knowledge.

Judging from the footage of Laurinda's experiment, the insects were not large, at least the larvae were not large.

They cling to fragments of knowledge, move with the flow of knowledge, and are attracted by systematic knowledge.

It looks a bit like a fish.

The ocean of knowledge is a body of water.

The insect of knowledge is a fish.

Systematic knowledge is the bait.

I have the key, but I can't push the door open and go inside.

Lu Yuan recalled what happened when he was first pulled into the sea of knowledge by the seashell.

After falling into that sea, forbidden studies broke through the bottleneck and advanced from seekers to seekers of knowledge.

However, the price of advancement is not small; a large portion of rationality has been consumed by the sea.

At the same time, the system provided a prompt.

One of the sentences reads: "You have provided entirely new knowledge, adding a drop of solidified words to the sea of knowledge."

As a bonus, he acquired the key to the Sea of Knowledge... the ability to capture known past events.

The sea took something from him, and it also gave him something.

There is some kind of exchange relationship involved.

What about this time?

If he were to slip a fishing line through the crack in the door... using systematic knowledge as bait... the insects in the sea of knowledge would smell it and swim over...

It was no different from the first exchange.

The only difference is that the first time was passive, while this time it was active.

I just don't know if this will be discovered by the guys in the sea of knowledge.

Lu Yuan stared at the flickering shadows of the lamplight on the table.

This idea is crazy, but it makes logical sense.

The prerequisite is... he needs to have a crack in the door.

And this crack in the door, only the peony of knowledge can give him.

Lu Yuan stood up and walked to the bedside.

He folded his dark gray Night Watchman coat, which he had taken off, next to the pillow, and reached into the hidden pocket inside the lining, where he felt for the object.

After being brought out of the Viscount's mansion, it has always been kept close to its body, following it wherever it goes, no matter what clothes it wears.

Lu Yuan took it out as his fingertips touched the smooth outer shell.

A broken seashell lies in the palm of my hand.

It has obvious cracks along the edges and several missing parts on the surface, making it look unremarkable.

But this time... is different from last time.

Lu Yuan could sense it.

Something is flowing within the cracks of the seashell.

It wasn't the faint trace that required intense concentration to detect last time.

It is visible to the naked eye.

The crack was slightly open, about a finger's width.

A certain luster flowed through the gaps.

The claim about luster is inaccurate.

That's color.

Dark gold, deep blue, and extremely pale white—the three colors mingled together, slowly churning deep within the crack, like a tiny ocean compressed between the two petals of a seashell.

Lu Yuan stared at it for a few seconds.

Since it was activated at the Viscount’s mansion, the shell has been in a “dormant” state... at least on the surface.

But as his knowledge of taboos deepened, when he perceived it again, it was no longer silent.

This thing can now take me back to that place.

But he didn't intend to go in.

What he had to do was make use of that crack in the door without going inside.

Seashells connect to the ocean of knowledge...that's beyond doubt.

But connecting is not the same as opening.

His previous experience told him that the activation process of the shell is phased.

The first stage is resonance. Taboo studies and seashells establish a connection, and the cracks widen.

The second stage: opening the door. The seashell fully opens, revealing the ocean of knowledge.

The third stage: the fall. Consciousness is pulled in.

Last time, the three stages were completed almost instantly, completely out of control.

But at that time he was only a Seeker.

Now he is a seeker of knowledge.

It's a whole rank higher than it was back then.

What if he could precisely control the process and stop it between the first and second stages?

Only establish a connection.

Only open a crack.

But don't cross over.

The question is... once the crack opens, will the essence of the sea of knowledge leak out?

Lu Yuan recalled the situation from last time.

The moment the seashell opened, the seal patterns of the Bronze City trembled.

The reason his aura leaked out that time was because he stepped directly over it; his body and consciousness passed through the barrier simultaneously, and the separation between the two worlds was forcibly torn open.

But what if it's just a connection?

It's just about bringing the passage between the seashell and the sea of knowledge to life, but not breaking through that barrier.

Lu Yuan was unsure.

He placed the seashell on the table and stared at the colors swirling within the cracks.

My fingertips hovered above the seashell, but I didn't touch it.

If that barrier were broken, the aura of the Sea of Knowledge would surge out... even just a tiny bit... given the current conditions of the Alchemy Workshop, it simply couldn't stop it.

The problem won't be being discovered then.

The entire Beifang District may be impacted.

The atmosphere of the ocean of knowledge is pure pollution to ordinary people.

But if you don't try...

The insect of knowledge will forever remain just a concept.

Lu Yuan sat in the chair for a long time.

The lamp was half-burnt when the wax slowly dripped down the copper candlestick.

The sky outside the window was a bit darker than when I had just returned.

The faint glow of the runes on the distant city wall flowed quietly, just as before.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Lu Yuan stood up.

Try it.

Make only a small opening, about the size of a pinhole.

If there is any sign of leakage... even the slightest... shut it down immediately.

If you can't turn it off, smash it.

Lu Yuan drew the curtains tight and made sure the door was locked from the inside.

Return to the table.

Take a deep breath.

He reached out and picked up the seashell.

The moment my fingertips touched the shell, a very faint coolness seeped into my skin.

Same as last time.

But this time Lu Yuan did not resist.

He closed his eyes and released the senses of taboo subjects from his mind.

The change happened almost immediately.

Lu Yuan could feel that the area of perception deep within his mind belonging to the seeker of knowledge had suddenly become active, like a sleeping hunting dog smelling the scent of its prey.

The connection was established almost instantly.

It was so fast that Lu Yuan barely had time to react.

The resonance between taboo studies and seashells even carries a hint of impatience.

Because last time he was a seeker, he barely met the threshold.

After the resonance stabilized, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

The seashell in front of me has changed.

From the perspective of taboo studies, this broken seashell in the palm of one's hand is not a seashell at all.

It is a fissure.

A rift has been created between two worlds.

At one end of the rift is the Alchemy Workshop.

The other end of the crack...

Lu Yuan's breathing slowed down by half a beat.