On the way back, Elder Yu cautioned his son,
âDonât tell anyone else about Mo Huaâs Formation Painting for now.â
Yu Chengyi was startled, âWhy?â
âHeâs young and comes from a humble background, yet heâs bursting with talent. I fear it might attract jealousy, which isnât necessarily a good thing.â
âOh,â Yu Chengyi somewhat understood.
âBut we canât keep it a secret forever, can we? If the child truly has a gift for Formations, itâs bound to come out sooner or later.â Yu Chengyi added.
âAt least wait until heâs older and can protect himself.â
Despite his relieved gaze, Elder Yu couldnât help but worry.
I hope the child can grow up safelyâ¦
Having completed the Iron Armor Formation, Mo Hua earned some Spirit Stones, Bai received some Spiritual Ink, and also received gifts from Elder Yu, making him very happy.
The next day, he went to find Bai Zisheng to test the effectiveness of the Water Passing Step.
Bai Zisheng was first delighted but then suddenly remembered something, hung his head down, and became despondent.
âAunt Xue has given me a lot of homework, and she wonât let me spar with you anymore.â
Mo Hua was also taken aback, âHow about just one spar?â
Bai Zisheng felt troubled.
âIf we spar in secret, Aunt Xue wonât know, right?â
Bai Zisheng sneakily glanced at his sister, Bai Zixi, who was sitting aside, and said,
âAunt Xue had Zixi watch me, not allowing me to fight you.â
Next to him, Bai Zixi, who was elegantly and quietly reading a book, moved her beautiful eyes slightly upon hearing this. She looked at Bai Zisheng with a faint gaze and in a soft and melodious voice said,
âI wonât tell Aunt Xue, but can you finish your homework?â
Now, Bai Zisheng found himself at a loss for words.
The homework Aunt Xue assigned was copious, covering Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and theories of Tao Cultivation, and sparring with Mo Hua would undoubtedly mean he wouldnât finish it all.
Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng with sympathy, âYouâd better focus on your homework. Iâll bring you some treats when I have time.â
Bai Zisheng felt a bit better.
Leaving Forgetful Mountain Residence, Mo Hua sighed.
He had finally learned a movement technique, but now he found no occasion to use it, which disappointed him greatly.
âWhy not use this time to learn another spell?â he thought to himself.
With this idea, Mo Huaâs spirits lifted once more.
An adept Spiritual Cultivator should advance to attack and retreat to defend.
But⦠who could he approach to learn a spell?
Mo Hua felt troubled again.
He hadnât seen Zhang Lan for many days and wondered what kept him so busy, probably some affairs of the Taoist Court he couldnât escape from.
But even if Zhang Lan was available, it would not be right for him to seek him out again.
One canât always keep shearing wool from the same sheep.
To learn the Water Passing Step and use it discreetly was one thing, but to learn more from him would be inappropriate.
If Zhang Lan happened to teach him an ultimate technique of the sect protecting faction on a whim, the elders of the Zhang Family would probably never let him off the hook.
Even if they didnât kill him to silence him, they would likely try to make him marry into their family.
That would be a great loss for Mo Hua.
And yet, there was no one else from whom he could learn spellsâ¦
After much thought, Mo Hua decided to boldly seek advice from Mr. Zhuang.
The next day, Mo Hua brought some beef and pastries for the siblings, Zisheng and Zixi, and some food and wine to see Mr. Zhuang.
After asking a few questions about Formations, Mo Hua hesitated several times and held back.
Mr. Zhuang looked like a sage, with an air of immortality, no detectable Blood Qi, and no sense of Spiritual Power. What if he wasnât adept at Taoist Skills and never fought with anyone?
If Mo Hua asked him these questions and he couldnât answer, what then?
Considering this for Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua eventually decided not to ask.
On his way out, he encountered Old Kui playing chess alone in the pavilion. Mo Hua gave him several boxes of pine nuts and then played a couple of games of Five Elements Chess with him.
As he was about to leave, Old Kui asked, âIs something troubling you?â
âHow could you tell?â Mo Hua couldnât resist asking.
âYour chess skills have regressed,â Old Kui said.
Mo Hua opened his mouth, speechless.
Five Elements Chess is so simple, you can play it blindfolded, and thereâs no room for retreat even if you wanted toâ¦
However, Old Kuiâs words reminded him, and taking the opportunity, Mo Hua quietly asked:
âGrandpa Gui, do you know any spells?â
Old Kui hesitated for a moment, then said, âI have some understanding.â
Mo Huaâs eyes lit up, âThen, could you teach me a little?â
Old Kui got up and started walking away.
Mo Hua thought Old Kui was unwilling, but after walking a few steps, Old Kui turned back to look at Mo Hua and said:
âFollow me.â
âOh oh.â Mo Hua hurriedly followed.
Old Kui led Mo Hua to another grassy area, far from the large locust tree.
This place was open and spacious, with lush green grass, surrounded by small bridges, ponds, and a bamboo forest rustling in the wind.
âIn learning spells, donât just focus on their power. The suitable ones are the best,â Old Kui said.
Mo Hua listened attentively, then asked:
âSo, Grandpa Gui, what spell should I learn?â
Old Kui pondered briefly and said, âUnpredictable and mysterious spells, like Illusion Technique, Trickery Technique, Strange Skillâ¦â
Mo Huaâs eyes shone brightly.
ââ¦but your Spiritual Root is not good, you wonât be able to learn them.â
Mo Hua: ââ¦â
âSpells of great power, like the Big Five Elements type of spellsâ¦â
Mo Hua perked up.
ââ¦you donât have enough Spiritual Power to use them.â
Mo Hua glanced at Old Kui somewhat resentfully.
Old Kui had a smile that was not quite a smile, âBut your Divine Sense is outstanding, thereâs no need to learn these complicated ones, the simplest spells will do.â
Old Kui tossed a thin book to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua opened it and saw three big characters:
Fireball Technique.
Mo Hua frowned and pondered for a moment, then couldnât help asking: âGrandpa Gui, is this Fireball Technique any different from other fireball techniques?â
Old Kui shook his head, âItâs the same.â
Mo Hua flipped through the book and realized that the Fireball Technique Old Kui gave him was not much different from those he had seen in âBasic spells at Qi Refinement RealmâFireball Manipulation.â
He felt a smidgen of disappointment.
âDonât want to learn it?â Old Kui asked.
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, feeling that Old Kui had a point. Spells that were too complex, too difficult or required too much Spiritual Power indeed werenât suitable for him.
Besides, he hadnât planned on learning any remarkable spells to start with, starting from the basics was best, practicality was all that mattered.
Old Kui was willing to teach him, he was more than grateful, so why be picky?
Mo Hua shook his head sincerely and said:
âI want to learn, Grandpa Gui, please teach me.â
Old Kui nodded almost imperceptibly.
âThe key to a spell lies in three aspects, Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and Meridian.â
âUse Divine Sense to mobilize Spiritual Power, channel it through the meridians to specific acupoints to establish Circulation, and you can condense the spell.â
âA movement technique is also a kind of spell. Since youâve learned a movement technique, you should understand the similar principle. Starting with the Fireball Technique now should not be difficultâ¦â
Old Kui told Mo Hua several key points, and Mo Hua remembered each one, then channeled his Spiritual Power according to the incantation and Meridian Chart of the Fireball Technique.
The Fireball Technique was very simple, and its path of Spiritual Power circulation was also much simpler than the Water Passing Step.
After trying a few times, Mo Hua learned it.
âGive it a try,â Old Kui said.
Mo Hua took a deep breath, concentrated, mobilized his Spiritual Power, activated his meridians, formed Circulation, then pointed his fingers toward the pond not far away.
A faint red Spiritual Power gathered at Mo Huaâs fingertips, forming a gaseous red flame, which, following his Divine Sense, shot straight towards the pond.
The fireball exploded on the water surface, jolting the pond water, shredding the water plants, and startling the fish at the bottom.
The surface of the pond rippled with waves for a while, a complete mess.