Translator: 549690339
Mo Huaâs companions were indeed mostly Loose Cultivators with limited horizons, but there were also not a few Cultivators with exceptional insight.
Not to mention anyone else, the gentleman who taught Mo Hua Formation techniques was definitely not an average Cultivator; the woman called âAunt Xueâ by Mo Hua, shrouded in a veiled haze, could possibly perform Illusion Techniques, let alone other spells; there were also the two children who strolled the streets with him that day, seemingly surnamed Bai, with appearances and manners that indicated an extraordinary background; and then there was his father Mo Shan, who, although having average cultivation, had spent years hunting monsters in the mountains, and his judgment and experience were certainly not weakâ¦
Zhang Lan pondered in his heart, if they came to know that he had taught Mo Hua a movement technique as common as dirt, it wouldnât be Mo Hua who was looked down upon.
A mere child, what could Mo Hua understand?
When the time came, the one to be scorned would only be himself, Zhang Lan.
Just the thought of that veiled woman looking at him with disdain made Zhang Lan somewhat unable to accept it.
No, he couldnât afford to lose face!
âThis matter concerns not just my personal dignity, but also the face of the Zhang Family; I cannot let others think that the Zhang family lacks a foundation in Tao Cultivation,â Zhang Lan justified to himself.
âThese movement techniques are all quite ordinary; Iâll teach you something different,â Zhang Lan told Mo Hua.
âDifferent?â
âYes, different from the usual movement techniques.â
Mo Hua was actually troubled; his original intention was to have Zhang Lan give some pointers on which spells to study, preferably ones that everyone had heard of and practiced before.
If everyone had practiced them, then those spells must be practical and not too shabby, for Cultivators wouldnât idle away their time learning a spell that was utterly useless.
And if everyone had practiced them, it meant the spells were relatively stable; even if Zhang Lan stopped teaching later on, Mo Hua could still find others to consult should he have any doubts about the spells.
But now Zhang Lan intended to teach Mo Hua something differentâthis made Mo Hua apprehensive, as the cultivation of this spell could require some precious spiritual objects which he truly couldnât affordâ¦
âWhatâs with that expression?â Zhang Lan couldnât help but tap the table lightly, âWhy do you look so reluctant? Others beg me to teach them, and I refuse; donât try to act cute when youâre getting a bargain, kid!â
âIâm just worried about causing Uncle Zhang trouble,â Mo Hua scratched his head, âHow about you just pick any movement technique from this book to teach me?â
Mo Hua spread open the âQi Refining Technique Compilation.â It contained common Qi Refinement Realm techniques, well-known to bottom-tier Loose Cultivators, and Mo Hua felt more at ease learning from it.
âNo way! I canât afford to lose that much face!â
Zhang Lan firmly disagreed, no matter what.
Mo Hua didnât understandâhow could learning a spell be a cause for shameâ¦
Making up his mind, Zhang Lan gritted his teeth and said, âIâll teach you the Water Passing Step; itâs the Zhang Familyâs Ultimate Technique!â
Mo Hua hesitated for a long time before asking weakly, âIs your clanâs Ultimate Technique so worthless that youâll teach it to anyone just like that?â
Zhang Lan was so angry he nearly spat blood, he grabbed Mo Huaâs collar, lifted him with his Spiritual Power and said, âFollow me!â
Liu Ruhua saw it all from a distance, but she knew that Zhang Lan was a Supervisor of the Taoist Court and had a good relationship with Mo Hua; he wouldnât make things difficult for Mo Hua, so she didnât interfere.
She just thought to herself that Court Leader Zhang, despite his age, still had a temper not much different from Mo Huaâsâ¦
Clutching Mo Huaâs collar, Zhang Lan brought him to the foot of a mountain outside Tongxian City.
This place was concealed by lush woods and tranquilityâit rarely saw visitors.
Feeling Spiritual Power lifting him, Mo Huaâs feet left the ground, and the world spun around him, the surrounding scenery receding backwards. After a while, when he regained his senses, they had reached somewhere outside Tongxian City.
âUncle Zhang, why have you brought me here?â Mo Hua couldnât help but ask.
âStab me with this sword.â
Zhang Lan tossed to Mo Hua a sword inlaid with gold and pine patterns, clearly not a commonplace item.
Mo Hua opened his mouth, âThis doesnât seem right.â
âIf I tell you to stab, then stab.â
âWhat if I hurt you?â Mo Hua expressed his concern.
Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua speechlessly, making her realize that she might have overestimated herself a bit.
With Mo Huaâs cultivation, if Zhang Lan stood still and let her stab him with a sword all day, she might not even damage a hair.
âFine, then.â
If Zhang Lan wasnât afraid, what was there for her to fear?
Mo Hua gripped the sword, ready to stab Zhang Lan, but after trying, she said, âNo, it wonât work.â
âWhat do you mean it wonât work now?â Zhang Lan asked.
âI canât move this swordâ¦â
Mo Hua said softly.
What kind of sword was Zhang Lan using? Why was it so heavy? Could it really be a sword meant for a spiritual cultivator?
Zhang Lan sighed and pointed up slightly. Before Mo Hua could understand what had happened, a section of a branch fell from a tree.
âUse this branch.â
âOh,â Mo Hua nodded.
She took the branch, held her breath to focus, channeled her strength through the branch, and thrust vigorously at Zhang Lan. Of course, Mo Huaâs strength was almost negligibleâafter all, she was not a body cultivator.
But the next scene left Mo Hua dumbfounded.
Mo Huaâs branch had pierced through Zhang Lanâs body.
Mo Hua was startled, but on coming to her senses, she realized there was no force feedback on the branch. She hadnât actually hit anything. As she took a closer look, she saw Zhang Lanâs figure gradually blur and then vanish, with Zhang Lan reappearing a step away.
Although Mo Hua didnât know what had happened, it felt incredibly powerful!
âIs this a movement technique?â
Zhang Lan lightly chuckled, then his figure dispersed like mist, creating many afterimages around Mo Hua. She could neither discern with her eyes nor lock on with her divine sense. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
After a short while all the spiritual power dissipated, and Zhang Lan appeared back in his original spot, as if he had never moved.
Mo Hua was utterly shocked.
Seeing Mo Huaâs inexperienced look, Zhang Lan felt quite refreshed, but his facial expression remained indifferent.
âNow you want to learn, right?â
Mo Hua couldnât help nodding.
âThis movement technique is called the Water Passing Step, an ultimate technique of my Zhang Family, not ordinarily taught to outsiders. The Water Passing Step is a movement technique for spiritual cultivators that uses spiritual power to manipulate the body, enabling swift and nimble movement within tight spaces to dodge attacks from cultivators. And at its advanced stages, one can even create afterimages to confuse someoneâs vision and disorient their divine senseâ¦â
Mo Hua listened intently, then worriedly said:
âBut if you teach me, wonât that be considered disclosing it? Wonât the Zhang Family penalize you? If so, letâs forget it.â
âYou donât like this technique?â
âItâs good, but I donât want to cause you trouble,â Mo Hua said, somewhat torn.
Zhang Lan paused for a moment, and then laughed, âDonât worry. If I dare to teach you, itâs definitely not going to be a problem. Those old stick-in-the-muds in the clan canât do anything about me.â
Iâll just be locked up for a few months or kneel in the ancestral hall for a few days at mostâ¦
Zhang Lan silently added in his mind, of course, he wouldnât say something that would diminish his status out loud.
âOh, okay,â Mo Hua nodded, then asked, âBut if I learned it, wouldnât your family kill me to keep the technique a secretâ¦â
Zhang Lan couldnât help but tap Mo Huaâs forehead again, âWhat is your little head filled with? How can you spout such nonsensical things?â