Chapter 113: Magic
Chapter 113: Magic
On the way back, Elder Yu instructed his son, "Don't tell anyone about Mo Hua's ability to draw formations yet."
Yu Chengyi was taken aback. "Why not?"
"He's still young and comes from a humble background. With his exceptional talent, he might attract jealousy and it may not be a good thing."
"Oh," Yu Chengyi replied, only partially understanding.
"But we can't keep it a secret forever. If Mo Hua truly has a gift for formations, it won't stay hidden forever," Yu Chengyi added.
"At least wait until he's older and has the strength to protect himself," Elder Yu said, his eyes reflecting both satisfaction and concern.
He hoped the child would grow up safely.
Having completed the Iron Armor Formation and earned spirit stones, ink, and gifts from Elder Yu, Mo Hua was in high spirits.
The next day, he went to find Bai Zisheng to test the effectiveness of the Flowing Water Steps.
Bai Zisheng was initially delighted but suddenly seemed to remember something. He hung his head low, his expression turning glum.
"Aunt Xue has assigned me a lot of tasks and won't let me spar with you anymore," he said.
Mo Hua was also stunned. "What if we just have a friendly match?"
Bai Zisheng hesitated. "If we do it secretly, Aunt Xue won't find out, will she?"
Bai Zisheng stole a glance at his sister, Bai Zixi, who was sitting quietly by his side, reading a book with elegant composure. "Aunt Xue asked Zixi to keep an eye on me and not let me fight with you."
Hearing this, Bai Zixi, with her beautiful eyes slightly moving, gave Bai Zisheng a nonchalant glance and said in a soft, melodious voice, "I can keep it from Aunt Xue, but can you finish your tasks?"
Bai Zisheng was left speechless.
With the multitude of tasks assigned by Aunt Xue, including alchemy, artifact refining, and cultivation theory, there was no way he could finish them if he took time to spar with Mo Hua.
Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng sympathetically. "Just focus on your tasks, and I'll bring you some tasty treats when I have time."
Bai Zisheng's mood improved a little after hearing this.
As Mo Hua left Ziwang Mountain Residence, he sighed.
Having finally learned a body technique, he felt disappointed that he had no opportunity to put it into practice.
"Maybe I should take this opportunity to learn some magic as well," he thought, his spirits lifting at the idea.
After all, a qualified spiritual cultivator should be able to advance and retreat, to attack and defend.
But... who could teach him magic now? Mo Hua fell into a dilemma once more.
He hadn't seen Zhang Lan for many days and wondered what he was busy with. Perhaps he was tied up with matters at the Dao Court.
Even if Zhang Lan were free, Mo Hua wouldn't feel comfortable seeking him out.
You can't keep shearing wool from the same sheep.
Learning the Flowing Water Steps and using them discreetly was one thing, but it wouldn't be appropriate to keep taking advantage of Zhang's knowledge.
What if Zhang Lan, on a whim, decided to teach him some other powerful sect secret technique? In that case, the elders of the Zhang family would probably never let him off the hook.
Even if they didn't kill him to silence him, they would likely try to marry him into their family.
That would be a huge loss for Mo Hua.
But he didn't know anyone else who could teach him magic...
After much thought, Mo Hua decided to thicken his skin and ask Mister Zhuang for help.
The next day, Mo Hua brought some beef and snacks for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi. He also prepared wine and meat and paid a visit to Mister Zhuang.
After asking Mister Zhuang a few questions about formations, Mo Hua hesitated several times, wanting to say something but stopping short.
Mister Zhuang, with his immortal-like appearance, seemed devoid of both qi and spiritual power. What if he wasn't skilled in magic and never engaged in battles? Mo Hua was considering this possibility, worried about how Mister Zhuang would react if he couldn't answer his questions.
Mo Hua was truly considerate of Mister Zhuang, so he ultimately kept his questions to himself.
As he was leaving, he ran into Kui Lao, who was playing chess alone in the pavilion. Mo Hua gave him several boxes of pine nuts and played a couple of games of the Five Elements Chess with him.
Before departing, Kui Lao asked, "Do you have something on your mind?"
"How did you know?" Mo Hua blurted out.
"Your chess skills have regressed," Kui Lao replied.
Mo Hua opened his mouth but found no words to say.
Kui Lao hesitated for a moment before replying, "I know a little."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Then, can you teach me some?"
Kui Lao got up and started to walk away.
Mo Hua thought he was unwilling, but after taking a few steps, Kui Lao turned back to look at him and said, "Follow me."
"Oh, okay." Mo Hua quickly caught up.
Kui Lao led Mo Hua to a grassy area away from the big elm tree.
The open space had lush green grass, small bridges, a pond, and a rustling bamboo grove that swayed with the wind.
"When learning magic, don't just focus on its power. The most suitable magic for you is the best," Kui Lao advised.
Mo Hua listened intently and then asked, "Then, Grandpa Kui, what kind of magic should I learn?"
Kui Lao thought for a moment. "Mysterious and unpredictable magic, such as illusion magic, trick magic, and exotic magic..."
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled.
"...Your spiritual root is not strong enough, so you won't be able to learn it," Kui Lao continued.
Mo Hua: "...'
"Extremely powerful magic, such as the Grand Five Elements magic..."
Mo Hua's spirits lifted.
"...But your spiritual power is insufficient to cast it," Kui Lao added.
Mo Hua glanced at Kui Lao with a hint of resentment.
A smile played at the corners of Kui Lao's mouth as he said, "However, your divine sense is exceptional. You don't need to learn these complex magics. Just learn the simplest magic."
Kui Lao tossed a thin book to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua opened it and saw three large characters:
Fireball Magic.
Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment before asking, "Grandpa Kui, is this fireball magic any different from others?"
Kui Lao shook his head. "It's the same."
Mo Hua flipped through the book and found that the fireball magic recorded in it wasn't much different from the 'Foundation Cultivation Stage Basic Magic: Fireball Magic' he had seen before.
He felt a little disappointed.
"Don't you want to learn it?" Kui Lao asked.
Mo Hua hesitated, feeling that Kui Lao was right. Magic that was too complex, too difficult, and required too much spiritual power was indeed not suitable for him.
Moreover, he hadn't intended to learn any extraordinary magic in the first place. It was best to start with the basics and learn something practical.
He was already grateful that Kui Lao was willing to teach him; he had no reason to be picky.
Mo Hua shook his head and sincerely said, "I want to learn it, Grandpa Kui. Please teach me."
Kui Lao gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"The key to magic lies in three aspects: divine sense, spiritual power, and meridians."
"Use your divine sense to manipulate your spiritual power, guide it through your meridians to specific acupoints, and form a cycle. This will allow you to condense magic."
"Body techniques are also a type of magic. Now that you've learned a body technique, you should understand the similar principles. Learning fireball magic at this point shouldn't be difficult..."
...
Kui Lao shared a few key points with Mo Hua, who committed them to memory. He then followed the incantation and meridian diagram in the fireball magic technique, channeling his spiritual power.
Fireball magic was simple, and the route for spiritual power was much simpler than the Flowing Water Steps.
After a few tries, Mo Hua mastered it.
"Give it a try," Kui Lao instructed.
Mo Hua calmed his breath and focused his mind, manipulating his spiritual power and activating his meridians to form a cycle. He then pointed his fingers at the pond in the distance.
Faint red spiritual power gathered at Mo Hua's fingertips and formed a ball of reddish gaseous flame. Following Mo Hua's divine sense, the fireball flew straight toward the pond.
The fireball exploded on the water's surface, sending ripples across the pond, shattering the aquatic plants, and startling the fish beneath the surface.
The pond's surface was momentarily covered in ripples, and debris floated on the water.
(End of Chapter)
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