Chapter 258: Comprehension, Longevity, Named
After the entrance tests ended, Xu Zhi could clearly feel her circuit expand by an entire circle. From that point on, she no longer needed to suppress her absorption efficiency of supernatural energy. The circuit’s conversion rate could finally keep up with the speed at which she drew energy from the air.
Unfortunately, the concentration of supernatural energy in the air wasn’t very high. Her absorption efficiency had already exceeded common sense, yet the environment itself limited how much she could obtain.
So she had no choice but to rely on attribute cores to make up the difference.
Attribute cores were considered “basic” supernatural resources. The academy even offered delivery service for a small additional credit fee. Naturally, Xu Zhi didn’t begrudge the cost—her mobility was still inconvenient, after all.
Clothing and other daily necessities were also available within the inner court and could be delivered directly. Just as Ke Yi had said, life in the inner court was extremely convenient.
After purchasing nearly everything she needed, the cores were delivered quickly. She didn’t rush to absorb them immediately. Instead, she maneuvered her wheelchair to the second floor to check on Qi Yanxin’s progress.
The small building even had an elevator and full accessibility features—more thoughtful than she’d expected. Though she wouldn’t need them for long.
Seeing Xu Zhi come upstairs, Qi Yanxin paused while arranging the new bedsheets. “What’s wrong?”
“I bought some things and left them in the living room. You can take a look.”
Qi Yanxin nodded. “Alright. I’ll finish making your bed first.”
Only then did Xu Zhi realize that the room with the best lighting—already clearly tidied by hand—had been prepared for her.
On second thought, it made sense. If Qi Yanxin hadn’t given her the best room and prepared everything down to the smallest detail, she probably wouldn’t have had the peace of mind to arrange her own space.
Xu Zhi didn’t disturb her further and instead turned toward the study. Though called a study, it was empty. Books were far more precious than ordinary necessities; not a single volume had been provided.
After closing the door, Xu Zhi took out the attribute cores she had just spent all her credits on. She placed the Blade core on the table and gestured for Xiao Yi to eat it. Then she picked up a Lamp core with a concentration of 20 and examined it.
Upon closer inspection, it was no different from those in the Federation.
Just in case, she didn’t swallow it whole like before. She tossed only this single core into her mouth.
The familiar sensation followed immediately. The moment it entered her mouth, it melted into liquid and slid down her throat, transforming into a stream of pure Lamp-attribute energy that rushed straight toward her circuit.
This energy was far stronger than what she normally absorbed from the air. It was like pouring a massive heap of fertilizer directly onto the circuit. The delicate structure, which had been growing leisurely with tentacle-like threads weaving themselves, suddenly accelerated its movements.
But the surge lasted only a few seconds. Once the energy from the core was exhausted, the circuit slowed again—returning to its usual pace, like an old grandmother knitting a sweater.
Unhurried. Slow. Methodical.
Xu Zhi’s lips twitched, though she could do nothing about it.
After carefully observing her body and confirming there were no abnormalities, she was certain: attribute cores here were identical to those in the Federation.
Now that she could directly absorb supernatural energy from the air, she could finally sense the difference between natural absorption and consuming a core.
If she had to describe it, it was like the difference between weak firewood and a diesel generator.
Energy drawn from the air felt raw—coarse, unrefined. It was like completely natural fuel that lost much of its “weight” after circulating through her body, eventually converting into the Lamp energy she was familiar with.
But consuming a core granted a large amount of already refined supernatural energy directly.
“Looks like I still have to rely on cores.”
In the early stages, absorbing energy from the air had been enough. Advancement requirements were low, and she could progress quickly. But now, the sparse energy in the air was clearly insufficient.
After absorbing the core, her circuit expanded slightly again. Just a little—but enough to complete a small pattern within the intricate design. She felt her body improve once more.
She had crossed another minor threshold.
Level Five—Comprehension.
Even the “cursed words” in her throat seemed to have upgraded along with it.
This advancement wasn’t merely an increase in energy reserves or physical improvement. Faintly, she felt as though she had brushed against the edge of something.
The sensation was familiar.
It was one of her former supernatural abilities—perhaps, now that she thought about it, the most important one.
Authority.
She had once assumed it was an ability granted by the Moth attribute.
Was it not?
Thinking carefully, Authority had never been particularly aligned with Moth. It had always been closer to Lamp.
Still, Level Five Comprehension was too low. It wasn’t enough to truly touch Authority—only enough to sense its existence.
With that thought, Xu Zhi grew interested in how this world categorized supernatural ranks. She remembered that Ke Yi had stored basic knowledge in her wristband.
She searched through the materials and opened the section on Supernatural Levels, choosing book mode rather than lecture mode. Lecture mode featured a teacher’s explanation, suited for most students. Book mode was better for those with high aptitude to study independently.
Soon, she found what she needed.
Supernatural ranks are divided into three major tiers. From lowest to highest: Comprehension, Longevity, Named.
Comprehension: Those who have first entered the Sea of Dreams and grasped the initial layer of the Mansus’ mysteries.
This marks the beginning of true understanding of the supernatural. It is divided into seven stages. After awakening, most can quickly rise to Stage Three. Advancement through the first three stages does not require communication with the Mansus. Beginning at Stage Four, one must possess the ability to cross the Sea of Dreams.
Upon reaching Level Seven Comprehension, a supernatural gains the basic ability to walk within the Great Dream. Successfully entering the Great Dream and stepping onto the correct path allows one to advance to Longevity.
Longevity: Those who possess power beyond mortals, extended lifespan, and greater opportunities—along with greater dangers and troubles.
Advancement within this tier is typically slow. Most supernaturals exhaust their lifespan and perish at this stage.
Longevity levels are determined by the number of steps one takes within the Great Dream. The ultimate goal is to reach the end of the Great Dream—to the dwelling of the Sun. The farther one walks this path, the higher one’s Longevity rank.
At this stage, supernaturals must first cultivate affinity with the Mansus to smoothly shed the mundane world and enter the Great Dream. This often requires a long period of preparation.
The Great Dream contains countless dangers. A Longevity’s aura attracts peril. Each trial overcome allows one to move another step forward. Typically, at least four trials are required before gaining the opportunity to advance to Named.
The more trials endured, the stronger one becomes upon achieving Named. But beware—the dangers also increase.
Named: When a Longevity completes at least four trials and one great achievement—or is elevated by another—they may advance to Named.
Reading this, Xu Zhi felt a flicker of realization.
The Archbishop was likely a Named.
In the Federation, she could not have truly advanced to Named. The Federation lacked the necessary conditions, and its Great Dream was incomplete. That was why Federation supernaturals could enter dreams so easily.
Incomplete meant less selective.
As for why she could still easily sense the Great Dream after leaving the Federation—
She attributed that to talent.
And in the Federation, she had never fulfilled the proper conditions for true Named advancement. She had only exploited a loophole when the rules dissolved, forcibly elevating herself temporarily to the level of Named.
Now that she thought about it, if the other side hadn’t disrupted the Federation’s rules, she probably wouldn’t have won.
“But…”
“I wonder if what I did in the Federation counts as a great achievement?”
If it did, then by sheer coincidence—
Wouldn’t she already meet the conditions to become a true Named?
