The Path of Magic

At the same time, Yuan Ming, after escaping, first returned to his hiding place before heading to Toad Valley.

He stopped at the entrance of the first stone house in the valley. Inside, the registered disciple was still lying on a chair reading a book.

"Zhao Tong, it's time to do business," Yuan Ming called out.

Hearing the voice, the person on the lounge chair slowly moved the book aside, revealing a fair and clean round face with a slight baby fat. His eyebrows were a bit thick, and his eyes were round and bright. He wasn't handsome, just decent-looking.

Seeing that it was Yuan Ming, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Yuan Ming had interacted with him a few times. Although they weren't close now, they were at least familiar with each other.

There were many registered disciples doing business in Toad Valley, but they all carried themselves with an air of arrogance. Zhao Tong was one of the more normal ones, but he was never lenient when it came to bargaining with Furred Beast Slaves.

Perhaps because they were both from the Central Plains, he treated Yuan Ming relatively kindly. Therefore, whenever Yuan Ming had a good haul, he would prioritize coming to him for exchanges.

"Heh heh, these pig tusks are quite good. They seem to contain spiritual energy and have reached the threshold for refining low-grade magic tools. What do you want to trade for this time?" Zhao Tong asked.

"Wood Thorn Technique," Yuan Ming replied without hesitation.

"You're really persistent... but rules are rules. The price I told you before can't change. Have you saved enough?" Zhao Tong asked.

"It's all here," Yuan Ming nodded.

As he spoke, he began to remove the pair of wild boar tusks from his body, took off two pouches from his waist, and then took out two dark red stones and a shriveled, pale purple medicinal herb from his bosom.

Hearing this, Zhao Tong stood up and began to inspect the items Yuan Ming had placed on the table one by one.

After a careful examination, he nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good, everything is here. To be honest, I thought you would need at least six months to gather all these things, but you did it in less than three."

"I needed the Wood Thorn Technique urgently and couldn't wait six months," Yuan Ming said.

The hardships he had endured during this period made him fully realize his lack of strength.

He might have been okay when facing Fierce Beasts, but when he clashed with other Furred Beast Slaves, Yuan Ming always felt he had too few methods and was too vulnerable.

Especially after offending members of the Green Wolf Gang head-on this time, his situation would only become more perilous.

He had previously learned from Zhao Tong that Qi Refining Stage cultivators could also learn some spells. The Wood Thorn Technique was a basic low-grade offensive spell that Qi Refining Stage cultivators could learn relatively easily, its power related to their mana.

Of course, these spells could only be comprehended if one truly joined Jade Luo Cave and became a registered disciple. However, for profit, some registered disciples would secretly copy them out and trade them with Furred Beast Slaves, though the price was often not low.

"Alright, here's the copied manual for the Wood Thorn Technique. You have one hour to memorize it," Zhao Tong said, pulling out a thin, white booklet from his bosom and tossing it to Yuan Ming.

"I can't take it with me?" Yuan Ming asked, frowning.

"What are you thinking? If you took the copied manual and then resold it to someone else after learning it, how would I do business in the future?" Zhao Tong pouted.

"Makes sense," Yuan Ming nodded.

With that, he opened the pages and began to read carefully.

Zhao Tong's voice reached his ears: "During this hour, if you have any questions you don't understand, you can ask me anytime."

A rustling sound of turning pages filled the air. Yuan Ming showed no reaction to Zhao Tong's words, as if he hadn't heard him at all. This immediately displeased Zhao Tong.

But before he could sit back down on the lounge chair, Yuan Ming had already closed the book, stood there with his eyes closed, and began to silently chant to himself.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again and asked Zhao Tong, "The manual says that when casting this technique, one needs to channel mana into the ground and connect with the primal energy of the earth. Is it necessary to touch the ground with one's hand?"

Zhao Tong was startled at first, then replied:

"Oh... that's right. There are three stages to casting the Wood Thorn Technique. In the initial stage, when your proficiency isn't high enough, to shorten the casting time, it's best to touch the ground with your hand for the highest efficiency. Once you reach minor accomplishment with the technique, you won't need to use your hand; stepping on the ground will also allow you to communicate with it."

"So, at the stage of great accomplishment, even when in mid-air, one can release mana through hand seals and cast the Wood Thorn Technique?" Yuan Ming asked again after a moment of thought.

"That's right. However, this requires both sufficient mana and a thorough mastery of the technique," Zhao Tong nodded.

"Understood, thank you," Yuan Ming said, cupping his hands.

"Any other questions? You can ask a few more," Zhao Tong said with a self-satisfied smile.

"No more," Yuan Ming said calmly, then handed back the Wood Thorn Technique.

Zhao Tong was somewhat confused by Yuan Ming's action and asked, "What, you're done looking?"

"I've already memorized it. I don't have any doubts for now. If any questions arise later, I'll only discover them after I start cultivating," Yuan Ming nodded.

"The Wood Thorn Technique manual is only about three thousand characters, and you memorized it all in less than the time it takes for a cup of tea?" Zhao Tong sounded incredulous.

"I memorized it," Yuan Ming confirmed.

The Wood Thorn Technique could only be considered a low-grade wood-attribute secret technique, much simpler than the Nine Yuan Art.

"Could it be that you have a photographic memory?" Zhao Tong asked, puzzled.

"My natural memory is quite good," Yuan Ming said, cupping his hands again before taking his leave.

Zhao Tong watched his retreating back, his interest in him growing. Photographic memory wasn't a particularly powerful skill for cultivators like them, but for those who didn't have it, it was still a divinely bestowed ability.

"Brother Yuan."

As Yuan Ming stepped out of the valley entrance, he was called to a halt.

A person jumped down from a large rock not far from him and walked over.

"Wulu, do you need something from me?" Yuan Ming asked, a little surprised upon recognizing the person.

They didn't interact much on a daily basis, and Yuan Ming couldn't figure out why he would be looking for him at this time.

"Did you kill someone from the Green Wolf Gang?" Wulu asked directly.

"There was a conflict, I injured one of them, but... that guy died?" Yuan Ming frowned slightly upon hearing this, asking in confusion.

"He's dead. The moment they mentioned someone from the Central Plains, I guessed it was you." Wulu grinned, unconcerned about the man's death.

"Them?" Yuan Ming asked, confused.

"I've joined the Green Wolf Gang," Wulu admitted frankly.

"So, you're here to capture me?" Yuan Ming's gaze sharpened as he asked.

"I'm here to persuade you," Wulu replied, shaking his head.

"Persuade me?"

"I told them I was coming to persuade you to surrender and join the Green Wolf Gang. But I know your personality, you definitely wouldn't agree. So I'm just here to give you a heads-up and tell you to be more vigilant," Wulu said with a smile.

Yuan Ming was slightly surprised.

"What, is that unexpected? This is also my way of repaying your past kindness." Wulu first asked, then answered his own question.

"Then I accept your gratitude," Yuan Ming replied with a smile.

"After I go back this time, they'll likely issue a kill order for you and put out a bounty. Knowing their methods, anyone who reports your whereabouts will be spared from harassment by the Green Wolf Gang, and even receive their protection. So, your situation won't be easy from now on," Wulu continued.

"I figured," Yuan Ming nodded, unsurprised.

"If I'm not mistaken, the one who will chase you will be Bayin, a fierce-looking bald man. This guy just broke through to the third level of Qi Refining recently, and he's considered a notable expert among the Furred Beast Slaves in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Don't let your guard down if you encounter him," Wulu said.

"Understood, thank you," Yuan Ming nodded and cupped his fists.

Seeing this, Wulu's smile gradually faded, and he said seriously, "Brother Yuan, I've helped you as much as I can. If we meet again, we might be enemies, though I hope we won't be."

Yuan Ming paused for a moment, then nodded.

Wulu left first, and Yuan Ming also exited Toad Valley, returning to his hiding place.

After returning to his cave, Yuan Ming immediately began practicing the Wood Thorn Technique.

Half a month later, in a sparsely wooded area.

Yuan Ming crouched low, one hand on the ground, the other forming a hand seal. A wisp of mana flowed from his palm into the earth.

A bright light flashed in his eyes, and he let out a low cry, "Rise."

As his voice fell, a patch of ground about five zhang away suddenly glowed with green light, and a sharp green wood thorn shot out from the earth like a dagger.

The thorn was as thick as a child's arm and no more than a foot long, but its tip gleamed with a metallic luster, clearly indicating its sturdiness and sharpness.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, a smile flashing in his eyes.

After this period of practice, the range at which he could cast the Wood Thorn Technique had extended several times from the initial mere zhang, and its sharpness and sturdiness had also greatly improved, leaving him quite satisfied.

"This Wood Thorn Technique isn't difficult to cultivate, but it consumes quite a bit of mana. If I use it continuously, my mana might not keep up. I really need to improve my cultivation," Yuan Ming muttered to himself.

Just then, his ear twitched, and he suddenly turned his head in one direction, shouting, "Who's there?"

As soon as he spoke, rustling sounds erupted all around, and five figures emerged, having already surrounded him.

"Good kid, you were hard to find," one of the figures said, stepping forward.

He had a bald head and a broad face, exuding a fierce aura. Yuan Ming immediately realized this was the Bayin Wulu had mentioned.

He frowned and quickly put on his ape skin, using the Furring Technique to transform into a white ape.

"I advise you not to act rashly. I don't want to kill anyone," Yuan Ming said.

Bayin laughed fearlessly at this. "You think you're someone important just because you killed that good-for-nothing Zaha? If I don't twist your head off today, I'm not fit to be the vice-leader of the Green Wolf Gang."

With that, he also put on his beast skin and used the Furring Technique.

His body seemed to swell slightly, and long, dense fur began to grow on him. His forehead became broader, his eyes small and round, his nose flat and blunt, and his hands and feet all grew sharp, hard claws.

But the most striking feature was the ridge of white fur, about two feet wide, running from his head down his back, looking like he was wearing a silver-white long cloak.