I Must Be a Genius

Half an hour later.

Inside the room with its door tightly shut, Yang An finally read through all the content on the paper several times, using the light filtering in through the window, ensuring no details were missed.

This was a spell that required absolutely no magical power, one that ordinary people could also perform!

It was just that it wasn't easy for ordinary people to learn this spell, and they also had to bear the terrifying price after casting it.

Fortunately, this spell had now been completely purified by him, and the price had been eliminated. The only drawback was that the method of practice might be a bit unfriendly.

Yang An had already memorized everything on the paper. The next step was verification.

But before practicing, he wanted to make some preparations.

Glancing at the sky outside, it was still morning. Yang An pondered for a moment, then quickly found a bowl from the kitchen, stuffed it into his clothes, and left home.

Recalling the direction of the scream from midnight last night, Yang An soon arrived at the end of the street.

Even from a distance, Yang An saw the corpse covered with a straw mat at a glance, along with the shocking scene, with fresh bloodstains everywhere.

A lingering smell of blood seemed to permeate the air.

He glanced at the body under the straw mat and quickly identified the deceased as a pretty widow who usually sold tofu on the street.

Several hours had passed since the incident last night, and the corpse was probably completely cold by now.

Yang An sighed regretfully, then looked around.

Ever since demons appeared in Jiu Nan Town, few people dared to appear on the streets without fear, even in broad daylight.

The pretty widow's body had not been collected, and he didn't know who had covered her with the straw mat, but at least she had been given a final dignity.

Beyond that, the crowd that usually loved to watch the excitement had completely disappeared. They probably didn't have the leisure for it now.

No one around! Perfect!

Yang An gathered his courage, gritted his teeth, took out the bowl from his clothes, and quickly ran towards the location of the corpse.

When he got close to the body, he didn't dare to lift the straw mat to get a clear look. He just glanced at the freshest spot and then extended the bowl in his hand.

There was a large gash on the corpse's abdomen, and the fresh blood had not completely congealed.

Yang An used a little force to scrape with the bowl, and immediately felt a good amount fill the bowl. He quickly returned the way he came, acting like a thief. In fact, he was incredibly nervous inside.

Fortunately, he didn't encounter anyone on his way back. No one else saw him. After returning home and closing the door, Yang An finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the half-bowl of bright red blood in the bowl, this was the preparation Yang An had made in advance.

The Lighting Method required using one's finger as a candle and blood as fire, but it didn't say it had to be his own blood. He would experiment with someone else's blood first, and if it didn't work, he would make other plans.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered using animal blood, but in the current environment, he couldn't even see a rat, so he had to resort to this desperate measure.

Recalling all the content on the paper, Yang An remembered every detail with perfect clarity.

He dipped his right index finger into the bowl, and his finger immediately turned red.

Enduring his discomfort, Yang An began to follow the content he had memorized in his heart, silently reciting the incantation while forming complex hand seals with his other fingers.

Although the first attempt was a bit clumsy, it was ultimately very smooth and successful.

As the incantation reached its end, and Yang An's hand seals also concluded, he suddenly felt a moist warmth at his fingertip.

The red blood ignited on his fingertip as if it were on hot oil, and a finger-sized red flame instantly sprang to life.

This flame was not large, but the red light it emitted illuminated the entire room, as if it had been rendered with a red filter.

Strangely, although the fire was burning at Yang An's fingertip, he could only feel a faint warmth, without the pain of being burned.

As Yang An watched the flame appear, along with a certain indescribable spiritual satisfaction, he also became excited.

"I must be a genius!"

Success on the first try gave Yang An a great sense of accomplishment.

Admiring the flame at his fingertip, which seemed to possess a wondrous beauty, Yang An waited for a while before flicking his finger to extinguish the flame.

He dipped his finger into the bowl again, took some more blood, and continued to practice repeatedly, aiming to master the Lighting Method completely.

Time flew by, and it was already afternoon.

With repeated practice, Yang An finally learned the Lighting Method completely, and could now complete all the steps within two seconds, producing a flame on his finger.

At the same time, he had also figured out a few techniques.

The flame didn't necessarily have to burn on the fingertip; it could also be transferred to other objects.

For example, he could guide the flame to a regular candle, but it still required blood as fuel, and the consumption rate would become very fast. It would also be easily extinguished by external influences.

If it only burned on the fingertip, the flame was relatively stable and wouldn't be extinguished by a gust of wind. However, he needed to prevent the blood on his finger from being depleted, causing the flame to turn into ordinary fire and ultimately burn himself.

With the Lighting Method mastered, these were minor issues that could be easily managed with a little attention.

However, there was still one problem that Yang An hadn't figured out a good solution for: the blood in the bowl was starting to solidify and clump. He could only find a pair of chopsticks to stir it occasionally.

This was also a drawback of the Lighting Method. Using someone else's blood required a method to preserve it and prevent solidification, otherwise, he would still have to use his own blood as the ignition source.

However, Yang An was already very satisfied with reaching this point. He still had no idea about the specific effects of the Lighting Method. He both hoped for the sky to darken quickly and not for it to darken too soon, feeling somewhat conflicted.

Time trickled by, and it soon became dusk. The sky gradually began to dim.

Yang An had also eaten his fill. Given his current circumstances, managing to eat one substantial meal a day was already a good condition.

The most important thing right now was survival. Once he confirmed the Lighting Method was effective, he would have the confidence to consider other matters, such as stocking up on more food.

Soon, the sky was completely swallowed by darkness. The already incredibly quiet street seemed to have fallen into a bizarre, silent domain.

Sizzle!

Yang An immediately used the Lighting Method, conjuring a flame at his fingertips. The previously dark room was instantly bathed in a crimson glow.

He then transferred the flame into the bowl on the table – the same bowl he had used to hold blood during the day. A wick, twisted from hemp rope, had already been placed in it.

Rather than waiting for the blood in the bowl to eventually solidify, it was better to consume it directly.

Once a red flame ignited in the bowl as well, Yang An extinguished the flame at his fingertips and turned to get into bed.

The black ash that had fallen on the bed that morning had been cleaned away. In its place, a small, rusty knife now lay hidden beneath the pillow – a precaution Yang An had taken in case of any accidents.

He sat on the bed now, his back against the wall, his gaze fixed on the direction of the door.

He wasn't sure if it was the Lighting Method taking effect, but he felt no drowsiness at all. Instead, he was wide awake, his heart filled with both tension and immense anticipation.