Aptitude

Chen Lin had a four-attribute spiritual root of metal, wood, water, and fire. Apart from earth spells, which required a medium, he could cultivate all the others directly.

Having more spiritual root attributes might seem like an advantage, but in reality, the more attributes one had, the more mixed and impure the root became, and the slower cultivation progressed. Those with a single spiritual root were heaven's true favorites.

He leafed through the book, page by page.

It recorded just six spells of the lowest level. The only slightly more advanced one was the Wind-Walking Art, which barely qualified as a flight spell. That was also his main reason for choosing this spell book.

There were many flight spells, but few could be cultivated in the mid Qi Refinement realm. This one suited him best.

After reading for a while, Chen Lin decided which spells to learn first.

First was the Object Manipulation Art.

This was a must. Without learning it, he could not control magical tools.

Surely he could not just hold a magical tool in his hand and use it like an ordinary weapon!

Next, naturally, was the Wind-Walking Art.

The simplest way to fly was actually to ride a controlled object, but flight-type magical tools were all exceedingly expensive. He could not afford one.

As for those scenes of sword-riding flight, covering a thousand miles in an instant, what they controlled were natal magical treasures. Those were even further beyond anything he could hope for.

He cast aside his stray thoughts and began studying the spells.

Three days later.

Chen Lin's face had turned eggplant-purple from straining, and his eyes bulged as though they might pop out. With his legs planted in a horse stance, he pointed one hand at the short sword on the table, looking thoroughly constipated.

The short sword kept trembling as though it were having an epileptic fit.

But no matter how hard he strained, he could not make it leave the tabletop.

Utterly dejected, Chen Lin slumped onto the floor and stared blankly at the short sword as helplessness welled up in his heart.

This scene was far too different from what he had imagined!

He had thought spells were merely tricks for applying mana. Once he understood the principles, using them should come naturally.

Yet the reality was that he had practiced for three full days, neglecting food and sleep, and still could not even make the short sword fly, much less control it to fight an enemy.

Forcing down the urge to give up, Chen Lin threw himself into practice again.

Several more days passed.

Chen Lin watched the Xiaoyao Sword wobble through a small circle before falling to the floor with a clang. The corner of his mouth twitched.

This was only a basic Object Manipulation Art. Under normal circumstances, a few days should have been enough to grasp the fundamentals.

Someone with outstanding talent might even master it as effortlessly as plucking a flower.

Yet he struggled so much to learn it.

At this rate, it would probably take a month before he could control it as naturally as his own arm and fingers. How could he endure that when all he wanted was to escape this place?

Though unwilling to concede, he temporarily stopped practicing the Object Manipulation Art and turned to the Wind-Walking Art.

A few days later.

Chen Lin pushed open the door and emerged with a gloomy expression.

He took a breath of fresh air he had not tasted in so long, easing some of the frustration pent up in his chest.

The Wind-Walking Art was even harder than the Object Manipulation Art. Several days of practice had still failed to give him a grasp of its essentials.

If even the lowest-level spell took this long, would learning advanced spells have to be measured in years?

If so, with so much time wasted on learning spells, where would he find the time to cultivate?

Standing outside the door for a while, Chen Lin considered how to solve the problem.

He felt this was probably because he had not adjusted his way of thinking. The scientific framework of his previous life and this world's cultivation system were completely different things. His ingrained thinking interfered with his understanding of cultivation principles.

But he had no good solution. This was the drawback of having no master.

Chen Lin wanted to find someone to discuss it with, but the other residents of the courtyard were all in the early Qi Refinement realm and had yet to reach the stage of practicing spells. He could only abandon the idea.

"If nothing else works, I'll have to spend some spirit stones to get someone to explain it to me."

Muttering to himself, Chen Lin locked the door and left the courtyard.

Along the way, he still found a secluded spot, changed his clothes, and put on a Disguise Mask he had never used before.

With a quick transformation, he became a fair-skinned young man.

Of course, this method of disguise was nothing particularly remarkable. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that he was disguised.

But that did not matter.

Many people used disguises, and everyone took it in stride. The purpose was not to impersonate anyone, only to conceal one's own identity.

Shuiyue Pavilion.

Standing at the entrance, Chen Lin studied the shimmering characters on the sign for a while, then weighed his money pouch in his hand before slowly walking inside.

"Are you here to inquire about information, fellow Daoist, or to seek answers to your questions?"

The shop was rather quiet. As soon as someone entered, an attractive middle-aged woman came over.

"I'd like to ask some questions about practicing spells. Would that be possible?"

Chen Lin asked somewhat uncertainly.

He had only heard that this shop could explain matters of cultivation to rogue cultivators, but had never visited before.

"Of course. Which spell would you like to ask about, fellow Daoist?"

The woman brimmed with confidence.

"Oh, the Object Manipulation Art."

Seeing her manner, Chen Lin felt reassured and spoke.

The woman visibly froze, then asked uncertainly, "If I heard correctly, did you just say the Object Manipulation Art, fellow Daoist?"

"Ah, yes. Is there a problem?"

Chen Lin looked at her in confusion. Could she be putting on this act to deliberately exaggerate the difficulty and raise the consultation fee?

But he immediately learned he was wrong. Her expression darkened, and she said coldly, "What questions could there possibly be about a mere Object Manipulation Art? Are you here to cause trouble, fellow Daoist?"

Seeing this, Chen Lin hurriedly explained, "You've misunderstood, fellow Daoist. I only recently broke through to the mid Qi Refinement realm, and this is my first time learning spells. I haven't been able to master them, so I came here for help."

Having said that, he gave a slight bow.

The woman's expression softened somewhat, and she studied Chen Lin with interest for a while.

Then she burst out laughing.

"So that's how it is. I was overthinking things. The Object Manipulation Art is only a low-level spell. As long as you practice diligently, there's no way you can't learn it. How long have you been practicing?"

"About ten days."

Chen Lin answered truthfully.

"Ah!"

The woman froze, then looked Chen Lin up and down again, leaving him baffled.

"You haven't learned the Object Manipulation Art in ten days? Forgive my bluntness, fellow Daoist, but I doubt you reached the mid Qi Refinement realm through normal cultivation, did you?"

Before Chen Lin could answer, her demeanor suddenly changed. She gave him a sidelong look and sneered. "It's just a trifling Object Manipulation Art. This fairy learned it in a single day back then, yet you've spent ten days on it. Ha!"

Chen Lin's face darkened.

She had all but called him a useless piece of trash to his face.

When Chen Lin said nothing, the woman knew she had guessed correctly. After a moment's consideration, she held up two fingers.

"Two methods. The consultation fee is ten low-grade spirit stones!"

Since he had come here, Chen Lin had already prepared himself to spend money. Silently, he took out ten low-grade spirit stones and placed them on the table.

The woman quickly put them away, then said, "First, use an Enlightenment Pill. The medicinal power of a single pill will be enough for you to learn this spell. Second, buy a Skill Transmission Jade Slip. That can also let you master it quickly, though one recording a spell as low-level as the Object Manipulation Art would be quite hard to find."

After a pause, she continued, "If you need the second option, our shop offers a service to make them. Not only for the Object Manipulation Art, but other spells too. Our prices are absolutely fair to young and old alike!"

Chen Lin's eyes lit up.

He really had overlooked the option of a Skill Transmission Jade Slip.