Chapter 10: Fireball Spell and Object Manipulation Technique

So that was the spiritual pressure released by a cultivator just now. Sister Yitong has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, which is why he felt that way earlier. The little booklet had mentioned that cultivators are not supposed to use their spiritual sense to probe others at will—it is considered impolite and unfriendly to do so. Recalling the uses of spiritual sense described in that booklet, Qiu Han suddenly understood something.

After pondering for a while, Qiu Han sat cross-legged again and began practicing the Fireball technique. He repeated the motions over and over. An entire hour passed, and he had lost count of his failures. Nevertheless, he persisted. Occasionally, he sensed that he was close to grasping the knack, but the feeling would quickly slip away, eluding his understanding.

Slowly, another hour went by, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. He took a short break, carefully recalling each failure to see if he could glean any insight.

The Fireball technique, as its name suggested, was a fire-attribute spell. It required gathering the spiritual energy of the fire element from the world and, once sufficient, unleashing it in a sudden burst. That, perhaps, was the key to success. Having figured this out, Qiu Han resumed his meditation.

After about the time it would take for a stick of incense to burn, he recited the incantation softly. As he extended his left palm, a cluster of flame the size of an egg began to form there. The fire was blue at its core, encircled by a red outer blaze.

“I did it.”

Suppressing his excitement, Qiu Han cautiously manipulated the flame, then flicked it toward a patch of open ground. The fire landed swiftly and extinguished itself a moment later.

He bent down to touch the spot where the fireball had struck—the ground was singed black, yet his hand remained unharmed. Rising, he pondered for a while, then stepped outside. Sitting on the open ground, he continued to practice.

With one success under his belt, he found that every subsequent attempt was successful as well. This made him exuberant for quite a while. After mastering the Fireball technique, he glanced up and saw that it was already midday.

“I’ll go eat first, and practice the Object Manipulation spell this afternoon.” After some thought, Qiu Han decided that filling his stomach was the priority. Straightening his robes, he headed toward the dining hall.

After lunch, Qiu Han wandered around the sect for a bit before returning to his quarters. He glanced at the rooms of Zhou Yi and He Yitong next door, but neither had returned. Finding himself a little bored, he decided to head to the back mountain for some amusement, so he set off alone.

The back mountain wasn’t far from his quarters—just a few hundred meters, although one had to pass through several narrow paths. After a short walk, he arrived and saw a group of people ahead—three girls and one boy, all about his age, though the boy seemed a little older.

The four appeared to be engrossed in conversation. Qiu Han strode forward and called out loudly, “Greetings, senior brothers and sisters!” The group noticed him. The older boy looked surprised as Qiu Han approached and asked, “Hello, junior brother. I don’t believe we’ve met before. May I ask your name?”

“My name is Qiu Han. I just joined a few days ago.”

Qiu Han replied cheerfully.

“So you’re Junior Brother Qiu,” the older boy said, “I’m Chi Yi. Two years ago, I was brought back to the sect by an elder who was out traveling. These three came to the sect last year.” He gestured toward the three girls, who then introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds. It turned out that all four of them had been found in the past three years by disciples sent down the mountain to search for talents. After discovering their spiritual roots, they were brought back to the sect to cultivate.

The girls’ names were Xu Yalan, Zhou Hong, and the last was Zhang Xin. All three had joined the sect a year ago and had already reached the third level of the Qi Refining stage, while Chi Yi himself had advanced to the fourth level, making him the most accomplished among them.

The four were discussing something that, by their own admission, might involve some danger. If Qiu Han wished to take part, he could meet them here in two months’ time, but they couldn’t tell him more in advance—it had to remain a secret.

Qiu Han did not agree immediately, saying instead that he would return at the appointed time if he made up his mind. After bidding them farewell, he returned to his quarters, for now putting the matter aside and beginning to study the Object Manipulation spell.

Carefully reading the method described in the jade slip several times, Qiu Han began to practice. With his experience from practicing the Fireball technique, this time he didn’t jump straight into action but first analyzed the underlying principles of the spell. Once he was confident, he slowly raised his hand.

He spotted a leaf on the ground nearby and decided to use it for practice. After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Qiu Han flicked his right hand into the air and the leaf suddenly floated up from the ground, hovering more than a meter above. So, the Object Manipulation spell was controlled through the mind’s intent and spiritual sense.

This time, he succeeded with far less effort. He continued to practice repeatedly and soon discovered that if the leaf was too far away, the attempt would fail, and that the larger or heavier the object, the higher the chance of failure.

“It seems to depend on one’s cultivation and proficiency. With more practice, or with a higher cultivation level, the failure rate should decrease or even disappear.”

Having pinpointed the cause of failure, Qiu Han began diligently practicing both spells. The afternoon passed quickly. By the end of it, his mastery and control over the Fireball and Object Manipulation techniques had greatly improved.

Closing his eyes, he extended his spiritual sense and sensed, thirty meters away, Zhou Yi and He Yitong returning to their quarters—the farthest distance he could currently perceive.

“They’ve been gone all day and now return only at dusk. Hmm, I should give them a little surprise.”

Soon, he saw their figures turning the corner ten meters away. Qiu Han immediately used the Object Manipulation spell to send a small twig from the ground flying swiftly toward them.

As it neared within a meter of Zhou Yi, he caught it easily with one hand. At that moment, the fireball Qiu Han conjured shot toward them as well, but it extinguished itself automatically a meter before reaching Zhou Yi.

“Well, well, little fellow, you’ve managed to master both spells so quickly. You’re certainly diligent in your cultivation,” came He Yitong’s gentle laugh, making Qiu Han feel a bit embarrassed. Zhou Yi walked over and praised him, “No wonder you’re the one I found, Qiu Han. Not only do you have excellent talent, but you also work hard. You’re sure to become a great cultivator in the future.”

Qiu Han clapped his hands with a laugh, “Brother Zhou, Sister Yitong, you two were gone all day. I was so bored I could only stay home and cultivate.”

“Master called me for some errands today and also asked about your progress in cultivation,” Zhou Yi explained. “Your sister Yitong here collected your monthly spirit stones and pills from the supply store as well. Oh, right, I almost forgot something.”

“What is it?” Qiu Han asked curiously.

“It’s about your ‘sister Yunrou’ that you keep mentioning. She’s already reached the second level of Qi Refining in just two days—she’s even more talented than you,” He Yitong teased with a playful smile, just as mischievous as she had been that morning.

“So impressive! Her spiritual roots must be extraordinary. I really need to work hard, or I’ll embarrass myself in front of her in the future,” Qiu Han replied. The three of them entered the house together. After Yitong handed him his spirit stones and pills, they rested for a while before heading off together for dinner.