Chapter 115: Divine Sense
Chapter 115: Divine Sense
"What's so difficult about teaching the Fireball Technique..."
After spending four to five days practicing the Fireball Technique a hundred times, Mo Hua was stunned.
He had thought that he had already learned it quite well, but Guai Lao's words were like telling him that he hadn't actually learned anything...
"Grandmaster Guai, what other techniques will you teach me then?"
Mo Hua asked expectantly.
"There's no need to teach you any more techniques. The Fireball Technique is sufficient." Guai Lao replied.
Mo Hua was thoroughly confused, "Then, what will you teach me?"
Instead of answering, Guai Lao asked, "What is the first key point of casting a technique?"
"To learn the technique first?" Mo Hua ventured.
"That's the foundation, not the key point. The first key point is to actually hit your target. No matter how powerful a technique is, if it doesn't hit the enemy, it's useless, and learning it would be pointless." Guai Lao explained.
Mo Hua had an epiphany, but he also felt that this was a bit of a truism.
"What does a technique rely on to hit its target?" Guai Lao continued.
"Divine sense." Mo Hua replied.
"Why?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment before answering, "The manipulation of a technique's energy depends on divine sense, as does its casting. Even after it's released, the trajectory of the technique is controlled by divine sense, so to hit a target, one relies on divine sense."
Guai Lao nodded, "The world as perceived by divine sense is different from what the physical eye sees, aren't they?"
Mo Hua nodded.
The physical world had clear contours and vibrant, delicate colors.
However, when a cultivator released their divine sense, they perceived a world of white haze. Objects in this hazy world lost their distinct contours, leaving only lingering traces of spiritual energy.
In other words, the world as perceived by a cultivator's divine sense was like a colorful mess of spiritual energy splashed on a white canvas.
What divine sense saw was not the physical appearance of objects but their more fundamental spiritual energy state.
Guai Lao continued, "Techniques need to be guided by divine sense. To hit a target, your divine sense must 'see' it first."
"Then, Grandmaster Guai, won't it work if I just use my eyes to look?" Mo Hua asked.
"The eyes can be deceived too easily. It would be foolish for a cultivator to rely solely on their eyes."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
Guai Lao casually plucked a slender jade-green bamboo leaf that landed on his finger.
"From three zhang away, use your Fireball Technique to hit this bamboo leaf."
Mo Hua was concerned that the Fireball Technique might injure Guai Lao, but judging by the difference in their cultivation levels, he wisely kept this thought to himself.
His Fireball Technique probably wasn't even enough to warm Guai Lao's hands...
Mo Hua stepped back three zhang, released his divine sense, and in the world of white haze, he saw the bamboo leaf floating in mid-air, leaving a faint greenish-blue afterimage of spiritual energy.
However, in this hazy world, there was no trace of Guai Lao.
Mo Hua knew that this was due to the vast gap in their divine sense capabilities.
Those with weak divine sense could not peer into the divine sense of a stronger cultivator.
"Grandmaster Guai, here I come," Mo Hua said, and he activated his Fireball Technique, aiming at the afterimage of the bamboo leaf in his divine sense.
The fireball hit the bamboo leaf, turning the verdant green leaf into ashes, but Guai Lao, who had been holding it, remained unharmed.
Guai Lao flipped his finger, and another bamboo leaf appeared between his fingers.
This time, he loosened his grip, and the bamboo leaf slowly floated up, dancing in the air with the wind.
"Now, hit this one," Guai Lao said.
Mo Hua was stumped, but he calmed himself and focused his divine sense on tracking the leaf's trajectory before releasing his Fireball Technique.
The fireball flew into the air but merely grazed the bamboo leaf without hitting it.
"Do you know why you missed?"
Mo Hua scratched his head, "The bamboo leaf was flying too fast?"
Guai Lao casually waved his hand, and within a foot, a gust of wind blew, carrying several bamboo leaves that danced rapidly in the air.
Guai Lao gently snapped his fingers, and a spark flew from his fingertip, chasing after the bamboo leaves in the air.
No matter how the leaves danced, they were eventually caught by the spark, one by one, turning into ashes.
Mo Hua watched, dumbfounded.
"By locking on with your divine sense, you can fix your target on an enemy, ensuring that no matter how they try to evade, they cannot escape the pursuit of your spells." Guai Lao explained.
"So, if I lock on with my divine sense, will I definitely hit my target?" Mo Hua asked.
"Unless your opponent's movement technique is too fast, faster than your spell, or they counter with their own spells or spiritual artifacts, there's no escape."
"Oh, I see." Mo Hua was thrilled and asked, "Then, how do I use my divine sense to lock on?"
"Release your divine sense and perceive your opponent's spiritual energy. Attach your divine sense to it, and you will be able to lock on to their location." Guai Lao explained concisely, then added, "It sounds complicated, but you'll understand once you try it a few times."
As he finished speaking, Guai Lao plucked another bamboo leaf with his fingers and said, "Try locking on to this."
Mo Hua nodded and followed Guai Lao's instructions. He released his divine sense, perceiving the spiritual energy state of the bamboo leaf, and soon felt a sense of "insightful lock."
It was similar to comprehending an array; once you understood the array pattern, the entire formation would be imprinted in your mind.
Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf with his divine sense.
Guai Lao's gaze intensified as he observed Mo Hua, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Is he learning this fast...?
"Could it be because his divine sense is too strong?" Guai Lao wondered silently.
After a moment of silence, Guai Lao loosened his fingers, and the bamboo leaf danced in the air.
Mo Hua closed his eyes, channeled his energy, and a faint red fireball condensed at his fingertips. With his thoughts, the fireball flew into the air, arced, and struck the dancing bamboo leaf, turning it into flying ash.
Mo Hua opened his eyes and smiled happily.
Guai Lao nodded, "Well done."
"Thank you for teaching me, Grandmaster Guai!"
Guai Lao gave no response to this.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "What if I can't lock onto my opponent with my divine sense? What should I do then?"
"The best option," Guai Lao said, looking at Mo Hua, "is to run."
Mo Hua was taken aback but soon understood.
If you can't lock on with your divine sense, it means your opponent's divine sense is far stronger than yours, and their cultivation is likely far superior as well. Not running would be akin to waiting for death, and attacking would be equally suicidal.
"If you really can't run or can't escape, then you can only rely on your eyes or try to guess," Guai Lao said.
In other words, it's up to fate...
Mo Hua thought to himself.
"Then, how can I prevent my opponents from locking onto me with their divine sense?" Mo Hua asked.
"If your divine sense is stronger than your opponent's, they will find it difficult to lock onto you. If your divine sense is far superior to theirs, they won't be able to lock onto you at all."
Mo Hua pondered this for a moment and then understood.
The stronger your divine sense, the harder it is for your opponent's divine sense to perceive you, making it naturally more difficult for them to lock onto you.
If your divine sense is so strong that your opponent cannot perceive you at all, then they won't be able to lock onto you.
"There are techniques to using divine sense in battles, but I can't teach you those. You'll have to figure them out yourself when you face other cultivators in the future." Guai Lao said.
"Can't you teach me even a little?" Mo Hua asked.
Guai Lao explained, "Divine sense is different from spiritual energy. Spiritual energy leaves traces, but divine sense is elusive and intangible. Cultivators can use meridians and acupoints to locate spiritual energy, but there is no such reference for divine sense."
"Therefore, the usage of divine sense can only be learned through your own experiences and insights. Even if I explain it to you, you might not understand, and even if you do, it doesn't mean you'll be able to apply it..."
Mo Hua nodded, carefully committing Guai Lao's words to memory.
Even if he didn't fully understand now, he knew it would be useful in the future.
Guai Lao continued, "However, you don't need to worry too much about it. Generally, the difference in divine sense between cultivators of the same major realm isn't large enough to completely prevent them from being locked onto..."
Guai Lao trailed off, his gaze on Mo Hua sharpening.
Generally, that's the case...
(End of Chapter)
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