49 First Glimpse of Magic

A little over ten miles northwest of Zhuqi County, inside a cave among the Stone Forest.

Ye Qin suddenly opened his eyes, then exhaled a deep breath of stale air and ended his cultivation. He had sat motionless in the Stone Forest for a full day, finally managing to stabilize the Primordial Spirit of Nan Tianba, the old fiend who had unexpectedly intruded into his Purple Mansion Floating Island. The old fiend's cultivation was profound, and he had caused Ye Qin no small amount of trouble. If Ye Qin didn't keep him under control, he feared the fiend would turn his Purple Mansion upside down.

The cave was stuffy. Ye Qin changed out of his black outfit and bamboo hat and into the blue robe of an apprentice from the Herb Gathering Hall. Then he crawled out of the cave and went to a stream near the Stone Forest. He washed the black disguising herbs from his face and hands, revealing his original appearance.

The icy water cleared Ye Qin's head, and his thoughts grew calmer. He had to keep enduring for now. Until he had built up enough strength, he couldn't completely turn against the old fiend. The fiend still had no idea where he was, or that he had been trapped. Ye Qin would surely find a way to deal with him.

Ye Qin recalled the incantations for the Spirit Eye Technique and Wind Control Technique that the old fiend had taught him.

According to the old fiend, the Spirit Eye Technique was the lowest-level spell and the easiest to master—a beginner's trick for using magic. The key was to turn a tiny amount of magical power into an extremely thin film of energy and cover the entire eyeball with it. Then the eyes could observe the world through that film of power. The film couldn't be too thick or too thin. If it was too thick, he wouldn't be able to see anything; if it was too thin, it would impair the Spirit Eye Technique's effect.

Once this film of magical power covered his eyes, he would no longer see most things in the outside world. Only the spiritual energy given off by spiritual objects, or the concentration of a cultivator's magical power, could pass through the film and be perceived by his eyes.

Ye Qin began to try it. Under his control, a faint, cool current of energy passed through his eyes.

At once, everything went pitch-black. He couldn't see a thing. Startled, he quickly guessed what had happened: he had probably used too much magical power, blocking his vision.

He calmed down and reduced the amount of power. After a while, faint light finally appeared. It really was an immortal's spell. The entire world looked completely different through Ye Qin's eyes.

He looked around. For several miles in every direction, the world was dim and gloomy. The woods, rocks, earth, and stream were only vague outlines, without a hint of color.

Ye Qin looked at his own body. Inside his dantian and along his meridians, wisps of white energy flowed slowly. He was astonished. This had to be the so-called magical power.

Ye Qin continued thinning the film of magical power over his eyes until it vanished completely. The world gradually brightened and sharpened, returning to normal. The woods were lush green, the earth ochre, and the stream clear and lively, brimming with life. Every blade of grass and every leaf within several hundred yards came into sharp focus. The Spirit Eye Technique seemed to be quite effective. At the very least, finding spiritual objects would be much easier from now on.

After washing up, Ye Qin didn't linger by the stream. He set off around Zhuqi County, choosing secluded, empty spots to run through as he silently recited the Wind Control Technique's incantation.

The Wind Control Technique was far more difficult than the Spirit Eye Technique.

Ye Qin silently recited the incantation and channeled his magical power into his feet, slowly savoring the sensation. After more than half an hour, he finally found the knack. It felt as if a few wisps of wind were supporting his feet, giving him the wondrous sensation of stepping on a "soft breeze" and gliding along with its help. The feeling was somewhat like sliding on watermelon rinds.

When he ran at full stride, he could usually cover half a zhang in a step. With the wind supporting his feet, he could glide a full zhang with the lightness of a swallow, doubling his stride.

The sensation was subtle and wondrous, but also unfamiliar.

The few wisps of wind beneath his feet were supple and difficult to control. If he misjudged the force even slightly, he would lose control and slide to one side. His steps became uneven, and he stumbled about like a drunk.

Without long practice, he would have a hard time mastering his balance. Still, Ye Qin wasn't in a hurry to master the Wind Control Technique. He took his time, practicing and controlling the force of the wisps of soft wind beneath his feet.

He also tried channeling the Wind Control Technique's power into his hands and body, and found that it created the same effect, as if the "wind" were lifting him up. He could perform movements that would seem utterly unbelievable to anyone watching.

After running for an hour or two, Ye Qin gradually grasped four basic uses for the wisps of "soft wind." He could let the breeze support him from below, lifting him up; push him from behind to speed him up; block him from the front to slow him down; or brace against him from the side to force a change of direction.

With the help of these few wisps of wind, Ye Qin could move in any direction at will, "still as a maiden, swift as a hare, now fast, now slow, as elusive as a wisp of smoke."

His punches and kicks had already been extremely fast; he could strike out with more than ten palms in an instant. With the soft wind accelerating him, his speed increased dramatically once more, almost breaking the sound barrier. Only after he had thrown more than ten punches in a flash did the sharp whoosh of his fists cutting through the air reach his ears. His speed had become terrifying.

Ye Qin was almost certain that the Wind Control Technique was many times better than lightness skills. At the very least, Feng Xiao's Cloud Ladder Leap couldn't possibly be this flexible and versatile. And he had only just begun to grasp the Wind Control Technique. If he mastered it, its effects would surely be even more impressive.

Dusk was approaching, and it was getting late. Ye Qin thought to himself that he hadn't returned to the county town all day and ought to head back.

After picking out the right direction, he raced across the outskirts. Once he left the rugged, uneven mountain woods and reached the broad post road, he slowed his pace.

The post roads near Zhuqi County had been quite busy lately. Jianghu bravos and heroines on horseback galloped past from time to time, raising clouds of dust. There were also noticeably more merchants traveling by carriage from other counties in Ping Province to Zhuqi County to do business.

Ye Qin had been on the post road for barely half a cup of tea before more than a dozen luxurious carriages raced past him in both directions. Having just grasped the Spirit Eye Technique and Wind Control Technique, he was in high spirits and kept testing them out.

As he walked along the post road, he occasionally scanned the passing Jianghu travelers on horseback and the frequent carriages with the Spirit Eye Technique, eagerly checking whether they carried any spiritual objects. If he found one, he wouldn't mind playing the part of a roadside bandit and seizing it. Unfortunately, even the most powerful Jianghu figures might not possess a spiritual object. He examined dozens of people along the way and found nothing surprising.

Suddenly, Ye Qin's ears twitched.

A secluded patch of woods a mile to the east echoed with the sharp clashing of swords, shouts and curses, and cries of encouragement. It seemed a large group of Jianghu fighters were battling in the woods.