The autumn wind rustled; the sky was high, and the clouds were pale.
The wilderness lay silent on all sides, save for the whisper of wind through withered grass.
Suddenly, a fireball the size of an infant's fist tore through the air with a shriek, hurtling straight toward the cracked earth in the distance.
Boom—
A muffled blast erupted, sending dirt and stones flying.
When the dust settled, a shallow, charred pit had appeared on the ground, wisps of white smoke still curling up from its edges.
Beside it, Jiang Fu'an's lips curved slightly upward. He nodded, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
Ever since gaining a cultivation environment rich in spiritual energy, he had set aside time each day to practice spells, in addition to meditating and drawing talismans.
The manual of the Eternal Spring Technique recorded the methods for casting several basic spells.
After much picking and choosing, he had ultimately selected the relatively easy-to-learn and fairly powerful Fireball Technique.
Unfortunately, his talent for spells was truly ordinary, and the time he could devote to practice each day was limited.
He had stumbled along for several months before finally succeeding in casting it for the first time today.
Feeling that there was still some spiritual power left in his dantian, Jiang Fu'an planned to try again.
Just then, a rumble of hoofbeats suddenly sounded in the distance, drawing nearer and nearer.
He turned to look.
At the end of the dirt road, a group of riders was galloping toward him.
The figure at their head looked somewhat familiar.
Jiang Fu'an narrowed his eyes and took a closer look.
It was Ma Ping!
Jiang Fu'an's heart skipped a beat, and his first thought was to avoid him.
He was now at the Qi Refining First Layer, while