Fireball Technique

At the sight of the charred remains of the wooden post on the ground, Chu Bai and Gu Qinghe stood as though their feet had taken root, unable to move another step.

Three hundred copper coins might be tempting, but they had to live to spend them.

With the power of that Fireball Technique, taking a hit would peel off a layer of skin even if it did not kill them.

Seeing their hesitation, the stern-faced instructor, Wu Shang, snorted and said coolly, "The Zhao household has vast wealth and holdings. Since we hired you, we will take responsibility for you to the end. If anything does go wrong, your medical expenses will be covered."

Beside him, Zhao Xing was eager to test his recent insights and urged them impatiently, "My aim is good enough now. I need live targets to practice anticipating movement. If I injure you, the Zhao household will cover all your medical expenses and pay each of you an extra five taels of silver!"

Five taels!

At that figure, Gu Qinghe's eyes instantly reddened.

Chu Bai's heart leaped as well.

Under a lavish reward, brave men were sure to emerge.

In a world where human lives were worth no more than grass, five taels of silver could buy half a poor man's life.

"I'm in!" Gu Qinghe growled through gritted teeth.

Chu Bai nodded too. Wealth and fortune lay amid danger. Since he was here, there was no reason to back down.

Only then did Wu Shang casually take two round shields from a nearby rack and toss them over.

"Catch."

Chu Bai reached out and caught his.

The shield was roughly the size of a well cover, fashioned from thick animal hide and coated with a layer of dark greenish mud. It was bone-chilling to the touch and carried a faint fishy smell.

"This is cold pool mud. It specifically counters low-tier fire spells. As long as you time your blocks properly or dodge in time, you'll be safe," Wu Shang explained briefly.

With that protection, both felt somewhat reassured.

Chu Bai tried swinging the shield a few times. It was a little heavy, but after years of farmwork, he found it manageable enough.

"Ready?" Zhao Xing stood ten paces away, already forming hand seals. "My spiritual qi is limited, so I can only fire seven or eight shots this round. Let's set a rule: one shot every fifteen breaths. That will give you time to catch your breath and dodge."

"Begin!"

At Zhao Xing's command, Chu Bai and Gu Qinghe quickly spread out.

"Take this! Left side!" Zhao Xing shouted as fire gathered in his hands, even kindly warning them of his attack's direction.

Before he had finished, however, Wu Shang cut him off sharply. "Shut up! Who told you to warn them? In a real fight, would your enemy tell you where he was aiming? Focus! You must aim to hit!"

Chastised by his instructor, Zhao Xing dared not argue and could only pour his resentment into the Fireball in his hand.

"Go!"

The first shot of the Fireball Technique roared forth, heading straight for Chu Bai.

Though nervous, Chu Bai was utterly focused. The wisp of pure-origin spiritual qi within him began circulating, sharpening his senses to their utmost.

To his eyes, the speeding Fireball was not impossible to track. The heat waves and fluctuations of spiritual qi surrounding it were clearly visible.

Lean left!

Almost instinctively, Chu Bai shifted his footing and sharply tilted his body to the left.

Whoosh—

A scorching gust grazed his robes and slammed into the wall behind him, blasting it black.

I dodged it!

Chu Bai let out a long breath. Cold sweat had already beaded on his forehead, but his eyes shone brighter than ever.

Fifteen breaths later, the second shot of the Fireball Technique hurtled toward Gu Qinghe.

The lad was not as nimble as Chu Bai, but he made up for it with sheer grit. An ungainly donkey roll let him narrowly evade the attack.

For the next few shots, Zhao Xing alternated between them.

Meanwhile, Wu Shang kept offering pointers. "Steady your wrist! Anticipate his movement! Don't just stare at where he is. Watch where he'll go next!"

As he dodged, Chu Bai divided his attention, firmly committing every word of Wu Shang's guidance to memory.

So that's how it works... At the instant the fireball leaves your hand, you can use Divine Sense to make small adjustments to its direction...

Spiritual qi has to build up in the meridians before its release can give it speed...

Such live instruction from an accomplished teacher benefited him greatly, even if it was not directed at him. The [food injury leaks elegance] destiny on his panel seemed to warm faintly, ravenously absorbing and converting this knowledge.

After seven or eight shots, Zhao Xing had exhausted his spiritual qi. He plopped down on the ground and began meditating to recover with Breath Regulation.

Chu Bai and Gu Qinghe were exhausted too, leaning against the wall and gulping for air. Repeatedly leaping back and forth along the edge of life and death was more tiring than a full day of farmwork.

"This money... really isn't easy to earn." Gu Qinghe wiped the soot from his face with a wry smile.

"But it's worth it." Chu Bai looked at Zhao Xing as he practiced Breath Regulation in the distance, a gleam flashing through his eyes. "Look at Young Master Zhao. After those few shots, his aim is noticeably better than when he was shooting at straw targets."

Half an hour later, Zhao Xing finished his Breath Regulation and sprang to his feet, vigorous as a dragon and lively as a tiger once more.

"Again!"

This time, after Wu Shang's guidance and the previous round of practical training, Zhao Xing's gaze was noticeably sharper.

"You again!"

Zhao Xing seemed to have set his sights on Chu Bai. This round, he concentrated all his firepower on him.

The first shot cut off his path to the left.

The second anticipated his movement to the right.

Chu Bai twisted and darted through several evasive maneuvers, narrowly avoiding every shot. Yet he realized that Zhao Xing was deliberately forcing his movements, driving him toward a dead end.

Interesting...

With the footwork enhanced by his panel and perception far beyond an ordinary person's, Chu Bai could easily have forced his way out of the encirclement.

But a thought crossed his mind, and he chose not to.

If I make him miss every time, how will Young Master Zhao save face? Isn't a sparring partner supposed to make the practice satisfying?

Since you want to practice predicting movement and cutting off escape routes, I'll play along.

With that thought, Chu Bai pretended to slip, exposing an opening and allowing himself to be forced into a corner.

"A perfect chance! Let's see where you run now!" Delight filled Zhao Xing's eyes as he unleashed the final fireball he had already charged and held ready.

There was no evading this strike!

"Bring it on!"

Chu Bai gave a low shout. Instead of dodging, he planted his feet in a horse stance and held the shield before his chest with both hands, frantically pouring his scant wisp of spiritual qi into his arms.

Bang!

The crimson Fireball slammed into the hide shield and burst apart.

The cold pool mud on its surface instantly evaporated under the intense heat, rising in great clouds of white vapor.

The tremendous impact traveled through the shield into Chu Bai's arms, numbing the webs between his thumbs and forefingers. As though struck by a charging bull, he stumbled back five or six steps before his back slammed into the wall, barely bringing him to a halt.

"Cough, cough..."

Chu Bai emerged from the white vapor, his face and clothes covered in grime. He looked thoroughly bedraggled, but he had suffered no real injury.

"I hit him! Haha! I hit him!"

Zhao Xing pumped his fist excitedly. The satisfaction of finally catching that slippery loach sent a thrill tingling across his scalp.

Beside him, Wu Shang stroked his beard and cast Chu Bai a meaningful glance with his sharp eyes.

Others might not have seen through that last exchange, but he had seen it clearly.

The spiritual qi fluctuations when Zhao Xing attacked had been obvious. Judging by the boy's earlier reactions, he had certainly had a chance to dodge.

He had deliberately let himself be driven into a corner and taken the blow head-on, both preserving Zhao Xing's dignity and fulfilling the task of practicing his blocks.

This boy... knows how to handle himself.

Wu Shang nodded inwardly, gaining a higher opinion of this impoverished yet remarkably perceptive boy.

"Good. You improved this round." Wu Shang offered Zhao Xing a rare word of praise, then turned to Chu Bai. "You did very well too. Rest a moment and prepare for the next round."