Chapter 102: Spell (First Update)_1
Translator: 549690339
Mo Hua thought to himself, I intentionally wrote the book’s title so large that it could be seen from several zhang away, and you still ask what book this is. This pretentious act, could it be any more fake?
“No need, I’m just looking,” said Mo Hua.
The more Mo Hua refused, the more curious Zhang Lan became. He leaned in to take a look and then pretended to notice the book title, saying,
“‘Qi Refining Technique Compilation,’ not bad huh, interested in learning spells? Reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement?”
“Just reached the fifth level, I’ll take a look first, no rush,” Mo Hua said, feigning calm.
“How about it? Want me to teach you?” Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow.
“Uncle Zhang, are you a Spiritual Cultivator?”
“Well, sort of,” he responded.
“Sort of... What does that mean, oh, a half-baked one?” Mo Hua said.
Zhang Lan’s face darkened, “What half-baked? At such a young age, where did you learn these messy terms?”
“Your Blood Qi doesn’t seem weak though, and I haven’t detected much strong Spiritual Power from you. Am I just not seeing it right?” Mo Hua asked.
Zhang Lan said proudly, “I used a spell to conceal my aura, of course, you can’t detect it. If a youngster like you could, then wouldn’t all my years of cultivation be in vain?”
“Oh, so is this considered Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body?” Mo Hua asked curiously.
“Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body is not that easy. I’ve just cultivated my body somewhat, to avoid being at a disadvantage when fighting cultivators who practice Body Cultivation at close range. My main focus is still on spells. A cultivator who practices Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body needs exceptional natural talent, a prestigious family lineage, and a wealth of resources. You might not even meet one in your entire life,” Zhang Lan lamented.
Mo Hua clicked his tongue. Talent, lineage, and resources – each of these requirements seemed as insurmountable as the heavens to Mo Hua, so even if he were reborn ten thousand times, he might not meet the criteria once.
“Then, Uncle Zhang, are you good at casting spells?”
Zhang Lan replied with pride, “Not bad, just so-so, I guess.”
“So that means you’re not very good, right?”
Zhang Lan, extremely irritated, tapped Mo Hua’s head, “I’m being modest, you understand? Modest!”
Mo Hua rubbed his head and asked, “Then between you and Aunt Xue, who is more impressive?”
“That, well,” Zhang Lan hesitated, “how would I know without having sparred with her?”
“Do you know any Illusion Techniques?”
Although Mo Hua was reluctant to admit it, it seemed that this was indeed the fact.
Zhang Lan thought to himself that it was a good thing that Mo Hua’s spiritual root talent was average. If his spiritual root talent were as good as his talent for Formation, what would happen in the future?
Indeed, the Heavenly Dao is relatively fair.
Zhang Lan continued to explain, “If your spiritual power is weak, even if you use a defensive spell like Golden Bell Shield, it won’t last long. Once your spiritual power is exhausted, you’ll still be sitting ducks.”
“Moreover, Golden Bell Shield requires prior knowledge of danger and the pre-emptive mobilization of spiritual power to cast. If you are ambushed and don’t have time to cast it, the spell might as well be unlearned.”
Mo Hua became worried, “Then what should I learn?”
So you do have moments of worry, huh? That’ll teach you for not wanting to ask me!
Zhang Lan secretly gloated in his heart for a while.
Every problem at the Qi Refinement Realm is a minor one... as long as it doesn’t involve Formation.
Zhang Lan put on a bit of an act and then said to Mo Hua, “You can learn movement techniques.”
“Movement techniques?”
“If you learn a defensive spell like Golden Bell Shield, facing an attack, you’d only be able to take it head-on,” Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, “but your physical body and spiritual power can’t take much of a beating.”
Mo Hua nodded in deep agreement.
“So that’s why you learn movement techniques. You can advance to attack and retreat to dodge, and if it really doesn’t work out, you can still run,” Zhang Lan said.
“Won’t there be any drawbacks?”
“There will definitely be drawbacks. If you use a defensive spell, you can at least take a few hits before your spiritual power runs out. But if you use movement techniques to dodge, you either have to move cleverly without a scratch or if not, as soon as you are caught off guard, and someone finds a flaw, you are more often than not doomed.”
“So it’s like, if I make a mistake, I’ll be hit by an attack without any defenses. Is that what you mean?”
“Exactly.”
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then said, “Defensive spells—once my spiritual power runs out, I’ll be at the mercy of others. Movement techniques—if someone catches a flaw, I’ll be just as vulnerable. But at least with movement techniques, I can attack or retreat. If I learn Golden Bell Shield, then if it doesn’t hold up, I can’t block or run away...”
“Have you made up your mind?”
“Yes, I’ll learn movement techniques.”
Zhang Lan nodded, “That’s wise of you. Since you can’t have the best of both worlds, you should play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.”
Zhang Lan picked up the “Qi Refining Technique Compilation”, flipped through it, then took up a pen from the table and marked several movement techniques, ready to let Mo Hua choose one to practice, when he suddenly realized something was amiss.
These movement techniques were common at the Qi Refinement Realm. It was fine for Mo Hua to learn them, but if they were common, others could teach them too. How would that show that he was superior?