About half a month later.
On the Nameless Independent Peak where Qi Baicang and Qi Chuan lived.
Sizzle!
A streak of crimson light shot through the air and landed on the branch of a Nameless Great Tree.
Whoosh!
The jujube-sized fireball wrapped in the crimson light turned into a sea of fire the instant it touched the branch. It spread in a flash, swallowing the entire Nameless Great Tree.
Whoosh, whoosh!
In that instant, it was as if wind and fire had joined forces. More than half the peak was bathed in crimson, like dusk beneath burning clouds.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the entire Nameless Great Tree turned to ash and scattered down. Perhaps because it had burned too thoroughly, there was very little ash—only a small circle of it—and under the caress of the wind current, it was rapidly dispersing.
In just a short time, a towering, living tree had vanished into thin air, leaving almost no trace behind.
"So this is the power of spells. As expected, it is nothing Mortal Fire can compare to."
Watching this shocking sight, Qi Chuan could not help but sigh aloud.
Naturally, Qi Chuan had caused the scene before him.
Over the past half month, he had diligently cultivated spells and had finally brought all Five Basic Five Elements Spells to the Entry Stage.
In his previous life, he had been an ordinary person who had never come into contact with such Mystical Power as spells. After holding back for so long, he had ultimately failed to resist coming out to test their power.
The Fireball Technique's power did not disappoint him either. It was unexpectedly formidable.
Fortunately, he had not tested the Fireball Technique in his own room before this. Otherwise, the entire room might have vanished outright, and he would have had nowhere to live.
"What a sin, A Chuan! Why did you burn this tree for no reason?"
Not far away, Qi Baicang hurried out of the simple house where he lived upon hearing the commotion. The moment he saw the situation, he immediately cried out.
He had thought some outsider cultivator had come to attack the mountain. Who would have thought it was his own junior causing trouble?
"Ah, it's catching again! Catching!"
Before he could say more, he spotted a small cluster of Tail Fire drifting in the air nearby, falling toward a patch of woods below. If it touched them, more than half the mountain top would be destroyed. That would be disastrous.
Qi Baicang immediately widened his eyes and formed a Hand Seal, preparing to cast a spell and extinguish that cluster of Tail Fire.
But Qi Chuan had already noticed it. He had finished forming his seal, and a Water Arrow Technique as thick as a thumb shot out, colliding with the cluster of Tail Fire in midair. Both were extinguished.
"Phew..."
Only then did Qi Baicang, who had been forming a seal, let out a breath of relief and disperse the Hand Seal.
He then turned and scolded Qi Chuan. "A Chuan, you are young and playful, so I will not say much about it. But fire is not something to be played with carelessly. One moment of carelessness, and more than half the mountain top could be destroyed..."
"Second Master, I only saw that this Nameless Great Tree was blocking the sunlight from these Spirit Herbs, so I removed it for you. Besides, didn't it end without causing any trouble?"
Qi Chuan pointed innocently at a small Spirit Field not far from the circle of ash.
That tiny Spirit Field contained some unknown Spirit Herb crops. However, their grass leaves were somewhat yellow and wilting, clearly looking as though they lacked sunlight.
"The Spirit Herbs I grow are semi-free range to begin with. They are not worth many Spirit Stones. But this great tree was planted by me decades ago, and I had some feelings for it. Yet you burned it just like that..."
Qi Baicang scolded him, though his tone was full of regret.
"Alright, I was wrong."
Hearing this, Qi Chuan obediently admitted his mistake.
It seemed he had overthought things. Looking at the messy and wild appearance of the Spirit Fields across this mountain top, Second Master probably specifically chose spirit plants that were tough and not delicate, raised them casually, and occasionally exchanged them for some Spirit Stone resources. They did not need much tending at all.
"...I will forgive you this time. Do not do it again."
Seeing Qi Chuan admit his mistake, Qi Baicang sighed. Fortunately, the fire had not spread. It was only a tree that was not even a spirit plant; it was not more important than his own junior. Besides, the latter was still young, and being playful was normal.
"When you test spells next time, remember to call me over to stabilize the scene. This time, if not for that Water Arrow Technique afterward..."
Qi Baicang warned Qi Chuan, but before he could finish, he abruptly stopped.
Only then did he gradually realize that he had been too anxious earlier and had forgotten that Qi Chuan was merely at the Qi Refining First Layer. How long had it been since he broke through? How had he managed to cast the Water Arrow Technique, and the earlier Fireball Technique...
"A Chuan, you... you have brought the Fireball Technique to the Entry Stage? Not only that, but the Water Arrow Technique too? You have brought both spells to the Entry Stage?"
After coming back to his senses, Qi Baicang asked in disbelief.
"Yes. I only reached the Entry Stage not long ago."
Qi Chuan nodded.
All his Basic Five Elements Spells had already reached the Entry Stage. With the Water Arrow Technique he had secretly prepared long ago, a single Fireball Technique naturally could not accidentally cause spreading fire.
Otherwise, he would not have burned the tree so casually.
"They have all reached the Entry Stage? How is that possible? It has only been half a month!" Qi Baicang stared wide-eyed. About half a month ago, he had been the one to remind Qi Chuan to cultivate spells.
Back then, it had taken him more than a month just to bring a single Fireball Technique to the Entry Stage.
Yet now, Qi Chuan had brought two spells to the Entry Stage in only half a month?
Qi Chuan very much wanted to say that not only had he brought the Water Arrow Technique to the Entry Stage, but all five Basic Five Elements Spells recorded in the Evergreen Art had reached the Entry Stage.
But seeing Second Master's expression, he felt there was no need to say it. It would only make the latter find him even stranger.
Qi Baicang stared at Qi Chuan for a long while, then went over to inspect the pile of ash several times. Only then did he stroke his beard and mutter thoughtfully, "A Chuan, it seems you are a Magic Talent..."
"With this kind of Magic Talent, if you can break through to the Mid Qi Refining Stage, your strength will certainly not be weak."
"You must know that within the Lineage, aside from the few Elders at the Late Qi Refining Stage, those at the Mid Qi Refining Stage are the backbone."
"And once you break through to the Mid Qi Refining Stage, relying on your Magic Talent, your strength will absolutely surpass most Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators in the Lineage and make you an outstanding person among them."
"By then, with your status, I will be able to enjoy some good fortune too."
At this point, Qi Baicang's eyes glimmered faintly. He had talked himself into delight.
After all, with his current Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation, he was a marginal figure within the Lineage, destined for toil and mediocrity, receiving little care from the Lineage.
"This already counts as being a Magic Talent?"
Qi Chuan was somewhat surprised upon hearing that.
It seemed the true worth of bringing five Basic Five Elements Spells to the Entry Stage in half a month was even greater than he had imagined.
"A Chuan..."
Qi Baicang chuckled, turning his head as if to say something more to Qi Chuan.
"Dong!"
But at that very moment, a grand bell sound suddenly rang out above Red Maple Valley and spread in all directions. In an instant, a stir rose from every mountain top in the entire Red Maple Valley.
Qi Baicang's expression changed, and he immediately looked toward Red Maple Valley's Main Peak, where the bell sound had come from.
Qi Chuan also looked over in great surprise, wondering what had happened.
Figures emerged from many Mountain Tops, rushing toward the Main Peak at great speed.
"What happened?" Qi Chuan asked Second Master.
"Come with me, to the Main Peak!" Qi Baicang's expression was grave. He hurried down the mountain toward the Main Peak, his uneasy voice drifting back:
"When the Main Peak bell rings, it means something significant enough to affect the entire Lineage has happened. Every Qi Family Xiu Xian must immediately go to the Main Peak."
"So something truly serious has happened?" Qi Chuan looked somewhat surprised, but he did not hesitate for long. He immediately set off, following Second Master toward the Main Peak.