The Way of Spells

Meanwhile, after escaping, Yuan Ming first returned to his hiding place, then headed for Toad Valley.

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

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

Only then did the man on the reclining chair slowly lower his book, revealing a fair, clean round face with a slight baby fat to it. His brows were somewhat thick, his eyes round and bright. He was not handsome, but his features were decent enough.

Seeing that the visitor was Yuan Ming, a faint smile finally appeared on his face.

Yuan Ming had dealt with him several times. Though they were not particularly close now, they were at least familiar faces.

There were quite a few Registered Disciples doing business in Toad Valley, but all of them carried themselves with their nostrils in the air. Zhao Tong was considered one of the more normal ones, though when dealing with Furred Beast Slaves, he never went easy on the prices either.

Perhaps because they were both from the Central Plains, he treated Yuan Ming fairly well. Thus, whenever Yuan Ming had any gains, he generally came to Zhao Tong first to trade them.

"Heh, this pair of boar tusks is pretty good. The spiritual power looks restrained within them; they've already reached the threshold for refining low-grade magical artifacts. So, what do you want to trade for this time?" Zhao Tong asked.

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

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

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

As he spoke, he removed the pair of boar fangs from his person, took two pouches from his waist, then drew two dark-red stones and a shriveled pale-purple herb from his chest.

Hearing this, Zhao Tong got to his feet and began examining the items Yuan Ming had placed on the table one by one.

After inspecting them carefully, he nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, everything's here. To be honest, I thought it would take you at least six months to gather all this. I didn't expect you to do it in less than three."

"I need the Wood Thorn Technique urgently. I can't wait six months," Yuan Ming said.

The struggles and hardships of recent days had made him fully aware of how lacking his strength was.

He might fare somewhat better against ferocious beasts, but whenever he clashed with other Furred Beast Slaves, Yuan Ming always felt that he had too few methods at his disposal, making things far too dangerous.

Especially now that he had openly offended the Green Wolf Gang, his circumstances would only become more perilous.

He had previously learned from Zhao Tong by chance that Qi Refining Stage cultivators could also learn certain spells. The Wood Thorn Technique was precisely a basic low-grade offensive spell that Qi Refining Stage cultivators could learn relatively easily, and its power depended on one's magic power.

Of course, only those who truly joined Jade Luo Cave as Registered Disciples had the chance to study such spells. Yet for profit, some Registered Disciples naturally copied them out in secret to trade with Furred Beast Slaves, though the prices were often steep.

"Fine. This is a copied manual of the Wood Thorn Technique. You have one hour to memorize it," Zhao Tong said, pulling a thin white booklet from his chest and casually tossing it to Yuan Ming.

"I can't take it with me?" Yuan Ming asked with a frown.

"What are you thinking? If you took the copied manual away, learned it, then resold it to others, how would I keep this business going?" Zhao Tong curled his lip.

"Fair enough." Yuan Ming nodded.

With that, he opened the booklet and began reading through it carefully.

Zhao Tong's voice sounded beside his ear. "If there's anything you don't understand during this hour, feel free to ask me."

The sound of pages flipping rapidly rang out. Yuan Ming showed no reaction to his words, as though he had not heard them at all, immediately making Zhao Tong displeased.

Yet before he could return to his reclining chair, Yuan Ming had already closed the book. He stood there with his eyes shut, silently reciting under his breath.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again and looked at Zhao Tong. "The manual says that when casting this spell, one must channel magic power into the ground and connect with the earth's vital energy. Must one touch the ground with a hand?"

Zhao Tong was initially stunned, then answered.

"Oh... It's like this. Casting the Wood Thorn Technique has three stages. At the beginning, when your mastery of the spell is insufficient, it's best to touch the ground with your hand to shorten the casting time. That's the most efficient method. Once you achieve minor mastery, you won't need to use your hands anymore. By planting your feet on the ground, you can likewise communicate with it."

"And once it reaches major mastery, even if one is in midair, one can release magic power through hand seals and cast the Wood Thorn Technique?" Yuan Ming pondered briefly before asking again.

"That's right. But that requires both ample magic power and thorough mastery of the spell." Zhao Tong nodded.

"I understand. Thank you." Yuan Ming clasped his fists.

"If you have any more questions, you can ask a few more," Zhao Tong said with a self-satisfied smile.

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

Yuan Ming's action left Zhao Tong somewhat baffled. "What, you're not reading anymore?"

"I've already memorized it all. For now, there's nothing I don't understand. If I have further doubts, I can only discover them after practicing it." Yuan Ming nodded.

"The Wood Thorn Technique manual is only three thousand words or so, but you memorized it all in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?" Zhao Tong asked, unable to believe it.

"I memorized it." Yuan Ming answered firmly.

The Wood Thorn Technique could only be considered a low-grade Wood Attribute secret art. It was far simpler than the Nine Yuan Art.

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

"I was born with a fairly good memory." Yuan Ming clasped his fists, then took his leave.

Watching his departing back, Zhao Tong found Yuan Ming even more interesting. Photographic memory was not some remarkable skill among cultivators, but those who did not possess it simply did not possess it. It could be considered a heaven-bestowed gift.

"Brother Yuan."

Yuan Ming had just left the valley entrance when someone called out to him.

A man jumped down from a large boulder not far from him and walked over.

"Wulu, do you need something from me?" Yuan Ming asked, somewhat surprised when he recognized the newcomer.

The two of them did not interact much in ordinary times, and Yuan Ming could not imagine why Wulu had sought him out now.

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

"We had a conflict. I injured one of them. What, did that guy die?" Yuan Ming frowned in confusion.

"He died. When they mentioned someone from the Central Plains, I guessed it was you." Wulu grinned, clearly unconcerned about that man's death.

"They?" Yuan Ming asked suspiciously.

"I joined the Green Wolf Gang," Wulu admitted openly.

"So you came to arrest me?" Yuan Ming's gaze narrowed.

"I came to warn you," Wulu shook his head.

"Warn me?"

"I told them I came to persuade you to submit and join the Green Wolf Gang. But I know your temperament. You definitely won't agree. So I merely came to give you advance warning, so you can be more careful." Wulu smiled.

Yuan Ming was slightly surprised by this.

"What, is that unexpected? Consider it repayment for the kindness you showed me before," Wulu asked, then answered himself.

"Then I'll accept this favor." Yuan Ming smiled faintly as well.

"Once I return this time, they'll probably issue a kill order against you and offer a public reward. Given how they operate, as long as someone reports your whereabouts, that person will no longer be harassed by the Green Wolf Gang and may even receive their protection. So your situation from here on out won't be good," Wulu continued.

"I guessed as much." Yuan Ming nodded, not surprised.

"If I'm not mistaken, the one pursuing you later will probably be Bayin, a fierce-looking Bald Man. That bastard recently broke through to the third level of Qi Refining. Among all the Furred Beast Slaves in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he can be considered one of the notable experts. If you encounter him, don't let your guard down." Wulu said.

"Understood. Thank you." Yuan Ming nodded and clasped his fists.

The smile on Wulu's face gradually faded. He said seriously, "Brother Yuan, this is as much help as I can give. If we meet again next time, we may be enemies, though I do not wish to stand against you."

Yuan Ming paused at those words, but still nodded.

Wulu left first. Yuan Ming then departed Toad Valley as well and returned to his hiding place.

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

Half a month later, in a patch of woodland where the trees grew sparsely.

Yuan Ming crouched halfway down, one hand braced against the ground while the fingers of his other hand formed a seal. A thread of magic power flowed from his palm into the earth.

A gleam flashed through his eyes as he gave a low shout. "Rise."

The moment his voice fell, green light suddenly flashed across the ground five zhang away. A sharp green wooden thorn, like a pointed blade, stabbed up from the earth.

The wooden thorn was as thick as a child's arm and less than a foot long, but its tip gleamed with a metallic luster, clearly hard and sharp.

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

After practicing for this period of time, the range of his Wood Thorn Technique had expanded severalfold from its original distance of barely over one zhang. Its sharpness and sturdiness had improved considerably as well, leaving him quite satisfied.

"This Wood Thorn Technique isn't difficult to cultivate, but it consumes a great deal of magic power. If I use it continuously, my magic power probably won't keep up. I still need to raise my cultivation." Yuan Ming muttered to himself.

Just then, his ear twitched. He abruptly turned toward a certain direction and barked, "Who's there?"

As soon as his words fell, rustling sounds erupted all around him. Five figures emerged, having already surrounded him at the center.

"Brat, you really were hard to find." One of them stepped forward and shouted.

He was bald with a broad face, his countenance brimming with ferocity. Yuan Ming immediately realized that this was the Bayin Wulu had mentioned.

His brow furrowed. He immediately draped himself in ape hide and used the Furring Technique, transforming into a white ape.

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

Rather than being afraid, Bayin laughed. "You killed that useless Zaha, and now you really think you're somebody? If I don't twist your head off and take it back today, then I'm not fit to be the Green Wolf Gang's deputy leader."

As he spoke, he too donned beast hide and used the Furring Technique.

His body swelled slightly, long dense fur sprouting over him. His forehead became broader, his eyes smaller and rounder, his nose flatter and blunter, while sharp, hard claws grew from both his hands and feet.

Yet the most eye-catching feature was the strip of white fur, over two feet wide, running from the top of his head all the way down his back. It looked as though he were wearing a long silver-white cloak.