Claiming a New Spell Seal

Saturday.

Outside the precinct's gates in the central district, Yang Wenqing was talking with a Security Academy guard on duty. This was Song Yu, his former classmate from the Security Academy.

After chatting for a while, Song Yu lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard about Liao Feng?"

Yang Wenqing shook his head and asked with a puzzled expression, "What happened to him?"

"His family set up a Spirit-Gathering Formation for him and hired three Daoist cultivators at the fifth stage to help him break through to the Qi Refinement Realm. Unfortunately, he failed. He's taken a long leave and is recovering at home now. No one knows whether he'll have a chance to recover."

Song Yu looked quite regretful, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Liao Feng had been quite the prominent figure at school. Rumor had it that his family had connections with the city bureau, and after graduation, the city bureau had recruited him directly. Who knew how many people had envied him for it?

Upon hearing the news, Yang Wenqing felt much less resentful about failing to break through to the Qi Refinement Realm directly the night before last. After chatting with Song Yu for a few more moments, he headed toward the precinct gates.

The precinct compound consisted of several gray-white buildings in a uniform style. A nearly three-meter-high bluestone wall surrounded it, its surface engraved with intricate runes.

The main gate was made of heavy ironwood, with a massive police emblem hanging overhead and guards stationed on either side. Even with his friendship with Song Yu, Yang Wenqing still had to present his police badge and explain his purpose before he was allowed inside.

Beyond the gates lay a broad plaza paved with massive bluestone slabs. Faint spiritual light flowed through the gaps between them. At the center of the plaza stood a statue holding a sword, its pedestal engraved with the police bureau's motto.

At the far end of the plaza stood lower side buildings on both the left and right, with only a scattered few people entering and leaving them.

Facing the plaza was a seven-story main building. Yang Wenqing's destination was not the main building, but a separate structure at the end of a corridor to its right. It was a three-story building shaped like an octagonal tower. To the right of its entrance hung a black-and-white wooden sign reading: "Thousand Reef County Police Precinct Folk Customs Division."

This was where the police system stored and taught basic spells and cultivation techniques.

As Yang Wenqing approached the tower entrance, the faint scent of sandalwood mixed with old paper reached him. A detection array had been set up at the entrance. Spiritual light swept across his police badge, and only after confirming his identity and clearance did the array's glow change from red to green.

The tower was spacious inside. The first-floor hall was brightly lit, with luminous pearls embedded in the dome casting a soft white glow. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, holding jade slips of every color.

Several circular counters stood in the center of the hall. Behind them sat several civilian guards in dark blue uniforms, each with at least the rank of senior guard on their shoulder insignia.

One of them, a gentle-looking female guard in her forties, looked up at Yang Wenqing. Her gaze fell on his shoulder insignia as she asked, "You're here to collect your second spell, right?"

"Yes." Yang Wenqing stepped forward and respectfully handed over his police badge. "I'd like to apply to learn the Golden Light Bodyguard Spell."

The female guard accepted his badge and placed it in a groove on the counter. The groove lit up faintly. After a moment, she nodded and took out a palm-sized jade slip from beneath the counter. It was pale gold throughout, its surface flowing with a watery sheen, with a complex rune engraved at its center.

Holding the jade slip, she said to Yang Wenqing, "See the green circle in front of the counter? Stand inside it first."

Yang Wenqing did as instructed and stepped into the green circle before the counter.

The female guard came out and examined Yang Wenqing from both sides for a moment before returning behind the counter. She raised the jade slip in her left hand and quickly formed a hand seal with the other. At her movement, the edge of the green circle immediately lit with soft white light, forming a pillar that enveloped Yang Wenqing.

"Close your eyes, focus your mind, and empty your sea of consciousness," the female guard reminded him.

Yang Wenqing immediately complied. He soon felt a gentle yet irresistible force pass through the pillar of light and softly probe his consciousness.

At the same time, the female guard tossed the pale gold jade slip into the pillar of light.

The jade slip did not fall. It hovered before Yang Wenqing's forehead, its watery sheen flowing rapidly. The complex rune at its center seemed to come alive, leaving the jade slip's surface and transforming into a three-dimensional pattern made entirely of golden light.

"Go!"

The female guard gave a soft shout, changing her hand seal.

Guided by something unseen, the golden rune suddenly shot toward Yang Wenqing's forehead.

Yang Wenqing immediately sensed a new spell seal emerge from the depths of his memory. He was not surprised, since he had learned the Immobilization Spell in a similar way at the academy.

Once the memory had stabilized, the pillar of light around Yang Wenqing dispersed, and the jade slip fell back into the female guard's hand with a snap.

"That's done." The female guard's voice pulled Yang Wenqing out of his introspective state. "Practice diligently after you return. Remember, this spell must not be passed on lightly to outsiders."

Yang Wenqing gave a military salute. After thanking her, he eagerly left the hall. He could not wait to return to his dormitory and try engraving the new spell seal.

But as soon as he reached the plaza in front of the precinct, he was stopped by two classmates from his graduating class who were walking toward him. They were also two of his few friends from the Security Academy.

The two had also come to collect new spell seals. After the three chatted for a few moments, Wu Qi, standing to Yang Wenqing's left, suggested, "It's not often that we get together. How about we go have a drink?"

Wu Qi was Yang Wenqing's dormmate and friend. His family circumstances were similar to Yang Wenqing's, and his theoretical grades had always ranked near the top of the class. Unfortunately, he had little talent for cultivation. He and Yang Wenqing had become friends because they both enjoyed reading historical documents.

"Let's go shoot targets instead."

Liu Rong made the suggestion from the other side. As he spoke, he looked at Yang Wenqing. "I've improved quite a bit lately. Want to compete again?"

Liu Rong had become friends with Yang Wenqing through target shooting. With the deductions of the Golden Core World, Yang Wenqing could grasp a new gun's ballistic trajectory after firing no more than five shots, which Liu Rong found hard to accept. He often dragged Yang Wenqing into competitions, and over time, they had grown familiar with each other.

Yang Wenqing knew Liu Rong's personality well. If he refused, he would get no peace for the rest of the day.

"Fine, we'll shoot targets. Same old rules: the loser buys lunch."

"Deal!"

Liu Rong rubbed his hands together, looking brimming with confidence.

Laughing and chatting, the three headed for an independent courtyard behind the main building. It was one of the precinct's internal training grounds, equipped with a dedicated shooting range. With their badges, they easily completed the necessary procedures and received standard practice revolvers and a small box of ordinary bullets.

Yang Wenqing skillfully loaded the bullets, raised his gun, aimed, and fired. For the first five shots, he deliberately slowed down, carefully feeling the practice gun's trigger resistance, recoil, and ballistic characteristics.

Starting with the sixth shot, his shooting became exceptionally steady. Every bullet struck the bullseye.

Liu Rong beside him had indeed improved considerably. His shooting rhythm was steady, and most of his bullets landed within the ninth ring, with the occasional shot striking the tenth. After finishing a round, he looked at Yang Wenqing's target. The dense cluster of bullet holes in the tenth ring made him smack his lips. "You really are a monster!"

Wu Qi did not shoot quickly, but he strove to keep every movement precise. His scores hovered around the eighth ring.

The three took turns shooting and exchanged shooting tips, the atmosphere harmonious. In the end, the result was no surprise: Yang Wenqing won by a narrow margin.

Although Liu Rong protested that he was unconvinced, he still honored the wager readily.

At noon, the three sat down at an old noodle shop near the precinct. They ordered three bowls of the shop's signature braised pork noodles, along with a plate of braised dried tofu and a dish of cold shredded kelp.

When the steaming noodles arrived, Wu Qi picked up a clump with his chopsticks, blew on it, and asked quietly, "Have you heard about what happened to Liao Feng?"

Liu Rong bit into a piece of braised dried tofu and said indistinctly, "I heard. Tsk, tsk, it really is..." He shook his head. Unaccustomed to speaking ill of others behind their backs, he did not continue.

Yang Wenqing ate silently. Liao Feng's misfortune was like a warning bell, strengthening his resolve to proceed steadily and build a solid foundation.

After swallowing the tofu in his mouth, Liu Rong looked at Yang Wenqing and asked, "What did you choose for your second spell seal?"

"The Golden Light Bodyguard Spell," Yang Wenqing said without concealing it.

"Not a bad choice. Staying alive comes first." Wu Qi nodded in agreement. "I'm planning to choose the Lightness Charm. It'll let me run faster when chasing criminals."

Liu Rong grinned. "I'm planning to choose the Sharp-Eye Spell. Next time we shoot targets, just watch how I beat you!"