Free Web NovelChapter 64: Chapter 63: Fire Escape Skill
Emerging from the mine again, the daylight outside was somewhat blinding.
Array Master Zhou, however, had no intention of stopping.
Since the inside of the mine was not a node of the grand Array, it meant that the true connection to the mountain’s overall structure was still outside.
Holding the Array Disc, he began to slowly circle the area around Black Stone Slope.
Uncle Qu didn’t rush him, simply ordering He Shou to take some men and spread out. They were to search around the base of the slope and the piles of rubble, making sure not to miss any clues.
As Li Yuan made his way around to a shaded crevice in the rocks, he suddenly heard Array Master Zhou call out from nearby.
"Over here."
The group quickly gathered around him.
It was a shallow little pit, its surface covered with grayish-brown rubble that looked no different from the surrounding area. But after Array Master Zhou used a short ruler to brush away a layer of dirt, a small, dark red piece of ore was revealed. It was smaller than his palm, warm and smooth to the touch, and faintly glowed with a fiery light.
Jade Sun Stone.
"This again." Uncle Qu’s gaze hardened as he looked at the stone.
"This is no coincidence," Array Master Zhou said, squatting down to examine it.
The more he looked, the more intrigued he became.
"So that’s how it is."
Uncle Qu asked, "What did you find?"
Array Master Zhou pointed to the patterns on the ground.
"I couldn’t tell before, but with this as a reference, I can see it much more clearly now."
"This is the same as the smaller Array from before—an Array meant to attract and nurture Demon Beasts."
"But unlike that other Array, the last few strokes of this one have been altered by someone else. The technique is a bit crude, but the Array’s fundamental nature is the same. After the changes, however, it became an Array for repelling Demon Beasts."
Uncle Qu’s expression changed slightly.
"Repelling Demon Beasts?"
Array Master Zhou stood up and dusted off his hands. "The other Array traces we found earlier are likely the same. If the main Array is still connected, they’re almost certainly all like this."
As soon as he said this, the expressions of everyone around them changed.
Before, they had only felt that the unusual movements of the nearby Demon Beasts were strange.
But now, with the Array laid out before them, they were beginning to understand exactly what was wrong.
Uncle Qu was silent for two breaths before he said slowly, "Then this was no accident."
Array Master Zhou looked up toward the deeper mountain forests.
In that direction, the mountains rose layer upon layer, growing darker the further one looked. He already had a general idea of the main Array’s location, and now with the clues from these smaller Arrays, the path had become even clearer.
"I have to look further in," Array Master Zhou said suddenly. "Since the smaller Arrays were altered like this, the main one is most likely inside. If we just explore a little further, we might be able to find the real Array Hub."
Uncle Qu shook his head immediately.
"No."
"There’s been a lot less activity from Tier Two Demon Beasts lately, almost none at all," Array Master Zhou said with a frown. "If we go in now, we won’t necessarily run into any."
"Less, not gone." Uncle Qu’s tone was calm, but his words were firm. "Any deeper, and who knows what we’ll encounter. You wanted to see the Array, and I accompanied you. It’s enough that we can now confirm someone is tampering with things in these mountains."
Array Master Zhou was clearly unwilling to give up.
"Just a little further."
"Not even half that." Uncle Qu stood perfectly still, holding his lantern. "If there really are Tier Two Demon Beasts or something else hiding in there, I can’t protect you. We’re going back to the market city. We’ll take the news back and let the family elders decide."
In the end, Array Master Zhou suppressed the urge. He lowered his head and studied the remnants of the Array on the ground one more time, as if to burn them into his memory, before finally putting away his short ruler and the Array Disc.
"Let’s go."
The group reformed and started back along the mountain path they had come from.
Black Stone Slope and the abandoned mine were soon left far behind, and the sky gradually darkened. By the time they emerged from the valley mouth, the silhouette of the distant market city walls was visible in the twilight.
Inside the market city, a crowd was still gathered by the city gate. There was a lot of discussion coming from the tea stall there.
A Loose Cultivator took a sip of Spirit Tea and chatted with the others.
"Really reached the Golden Core stage?"
"He did. They say he’s the grandson of a Pill Hall elder from the Primordial Yang Sect. Broke through his bottleneck a couple of days ago."
"It’s no surprise. A place like the Primordial Yang Sect can just throw resources at someone until they break through."
"No way. It still depends on your own aptitude, talent, comprehension, and luck. You think reaching the Golden Core stage is that easy?"
The speaker set his tea bowl down on the table and lowered his voice.
"If you ask me, it’s easier for a Demon Beast to reach Tier Three. As long as their bloodline is strong enough, all they need are more resources."
The person across from him scoffed.
"You think people are any different? Look at those Sect disciples. The ones with good aptitude have a much easier time climbing the ranks than us Loose Cultivators. In the end, it all comes down to whether your aptitude is good enough."
Someone else chimed in.
"There’s no point talking about this. It has nothing to do with us anyway."
They all laughed, a hint of self-deprecation in their voices.
Li Yuan didn’t stop, just walked past them.
’Golden Core, Tier Three... those are all far beyond my reach. The most practical thing for me right now is to slowly build up what I have.’
By the time he returned to his residence, the sky was completely dark.
The moment the door closed, most of the noise from outside was shut out.
On the table were the Cyan Pattern Paper and Spiritual Ink he had bought a few days ago. Talisman Master Lu’s manual lay beside them, open to the page showing how to draw a Fireball Talisman. He knew the Fireball Technique and was familiar with its principles, but actually drawing it on a talisman paper was a different matter entirely.
Li Yuan took the unequipped Flame Snake Tube, placed it on the side of the table, and then re-equipped the Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill.
Then he lit the lamp, ground the ink, and spread out the paper.
The Cyan Pattern Paper lay flat on the table. Its color was lighter than ordinary yellow paper, and its edges were pressed with fine patterns. It felt tough to the touch and was indeed more resistant to Fire Spiritual Power than the previous talisman papers he had used.
Li Yuan pinched the brush, but didn’t rush to put it to paper. frёeωebɳovel.com
The drawing method in Talisman Master Lu’s manual wasn’t complex, but the key points were clearly written. A Fireball Talisman wasn’t just a simple copy of the Fireball Technique onto paper; the crucial part was the ring of Fire Gathering Patterns in the middle. If the gathering was too dispersed, the talisman would fail. If it was too intense, the paper would burn first.
With a turn of Spiritual Power in his palm, the tip of the fine brush was instantly imbued with a faint red glow.
The first stroke went down smoothly.
But just as he was halfway through the curve of the second Fire Pattern, the edge of the paper suddenly curled up, letting out a soft wisp of white smoke.
’A failure.’
Li Yuan picked up the talisman paper, tossed it aside, and took a second sheet.
This time, his initial stroke was steadier, and the first part went without a hitch. But when he reached the position of the Talisman Core and applied a bit more Spiritual Power, the Fire Pattern on the paper flared brightly and—POP!—burned a sesame-seed-sized black hole through it.
Soon, there were two ruined sheets of paper by the side of the table.
The third sheet barely made it to the final strokes.
Just as the Fire Patterns were about to connect, the brush tip paused for a final moment. He failed to lock in the spark of fire intent at the Talisman Core, and the entire talisman paper split down the middle, its edges burnt to a crisp.
The room was very quiet.
Only the RUSTLE of the brush tip scratching across paper and the soft thud of ruined sheets being tossed into a corner of the table could be heard.
Li Yuan continued to draw, one sheet after another.
Sometimes the Fire Gathering Pattern would be off by a hair’s breadth, ruining the paper instantly. Other times, his Spiritual Power infusion would be uneven, making the paper’s surface flicker between light and dark, and the fire intent would dissipate before it could form. The most troublesome part was the final step. Even if the first ninety percent was perfect, if he couldn’t control that final breath of power, all his previous effort would be wasted.
Knowing Magic didn’t mean you knew how to create talismans.
Creating a Fireball in his hand was an instantaneous act, a success or failure decided in a moment. Drawing a talisman wasn’t exactly the same as circulating Spiritual Power in his body; it required deconstructing that single moment, carefully laying it down on paper stroke by stroke. Where to press hard, where to be light—the slightest deviation meant failure.
By midnight, a small stack of ruined paper had piled up next to the lamp.
A faint smell of burning hung in the air.
Li Yuan set down his brush, shook his aching fingers, and then picked it up again.
’Continue.’
This time, he was even slower than before.
As he pressed the brush tip down, he fed Spiritual Power into it bit by bit. The first few strokes laid out the Fire Patterns, while the central ring of Fire Gathering Patterns was drawn very tightly, as if gathering a scattered flame and pulling it toward the center.
The paper began to grow hot.
When he reached the final stroke, Li Yuan’s fingers paused slightly.
The next moment, the Fire Patterns on the paper suddenly flared before quickly dimming.
’Still a failure.’
An entire night passed.
The next day, just as the sky began to lighten, Li Yuan was already sitting at his table again.
Morning light streamed through the window, illuminating the remaining stack of Cyan Pattern Paper on the table with a cool white sheen. Traces of last night’s failures were still visible; a few scorched scraps of paper lay on the floor, a testament to his messy struggle.
Li Yuan paid them no mind, simply picking up his brush and dipping it in ink.
The first sheet failed again, just missing that final half-breath of control.
When he started the second sheet, his hand was much steadier than it had been the night before.
The initial Fire Patterns flowed smoothly from his brush, with far fewer pauses at the turns. When he reached the Talisman Core, Li Yuan slightly retracted the Spiritual Power at his fingertips. The fiery intent that had been about to burst out was suppressed, forced to flow along the talisman’s patterns for one full circuit before finally settling steadily in the center.
He lifted the brush.
The faint red patterns on the paper first lit up, then slowly subsided, but they did not dissipate.
The finished talisman lay quietly on the table. Its edges were not curled, and its core was not cracked. A moment later, an extremely faint fiery glow shone from between the patterns before vanishing again.
’Success.’
Li Yuan’s fingers paused for a moment before he picked up the talisman.
It was warm to the touch.
It felt a little heavier than the Cleaning Talisman or the Exorcism Talisman, as if a small ball of Fire Qi was sealed within the paper, waiting to be released by a touch of Spiritual Power.
The next instant, the familiar panel appeared.
[Detectable equippable item: Fireball Talisman]
[Entry Preview: Swift Fire Casting (White) — Increases casting speed for Fire Element Magic.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Practice a Fire Element Cultivation Technique and reach the entry level.]
[Equip?]
Li Yuan’s eyelids twitched slightly.
’A white entry, and the condition for permanence is relatively simple.’
’I’ll get a simple one first and secure this entry.’
Li Yuan put away the talisman paper and Spiritual Ink on the table, placed the newly made Fireball Talisman by itself into a sleeve pocket, and then left his room.
The market city was much brighter in the daytime than it had been the previous night.
Li Yuan went straight to the Scripture Pavilion.
The Cultivator guarding the first floor was already familiar with Li Yuan. He gave his waist token a cursory glance and said, as usual:
"Browse the second floor yourself. Bring your selections here to register them."
Li Yuan acknowledged him and went upstairs.
As a Cultivator, his memory was astonishing. He remembered seeing several Fire Element Cultivation Techniques here, though he hadn’t read their descriptions.
’These basic Cultivation Techniques don’t have entries.’
’Red Fire Skill. Ten contribution points. Not much.’
The name was ordinary, and so was the content.
It was a very basic Fire Element Cultivation Technique. Although not a high-level skill, its cultivation path was straightforward, unlike the winding complexity of the Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill. It was perfect for getting started.
The other Fire Element Cultivation Techniques didn’t quite fit his needs.
Afterward, Li Yuan moved on to the Magic section to pick out a Fire Element Magic as well. He already had a target in mind: the Fire Escape Skill, valued at twenty-two contribution points.
Li Yuan had heard people mention this Magic before. It could be used for both travel and escape, but its activation was on the slow side, requiring one to first spread a path of fire with Spiritual Power at their feet or side.
’But now that I have ’Swift Fire Casting,’ it might be able to compensate for that weakness.’
’The current situation isn’t optimistic. Learning the Fire Escape Skill for self-defense wouldn’t be a bad thing.’
’Besides, when I was searching for Magic here before, I remember this Fire Escape Skill had an entry.’
[Detectable equippable item]
[Item Entry Grade: White]
[Note: ...]
Li Yuan pulled out the Fire Escape Skill as well and took both scrolls downstairs.
The attendant took the two volumes, looked them over, opened a register to make a note, and then handed the books back.
Li Yuan took the books, tucked them into his robes, and turned to leave the Scripture Pavilion.
’First, I’ll get the basics of the Fire Element Cultivation Technique down. Then I’ll see just how fast this new entry can make me.’
