Chapter 75

Since learning the "Wind Control Spell," Han Li became even more interested in the other two spells, the "Spirit Calming Talisman" and the "Object Manipulation Spell," spending vast amounts of time and effort on them, hoping one day he would suddenly comprehend them as effortlessly as he had the Wind Control Spell.

But after repeated studies, Han Li unexpectedly realized that his inability to cast these two spells might not be due to his own shortcomings, but rather because the external conditions required for casting were simply not met.

According to the text, the "Spirit Calming Talisman" was a talisman that required a pre-prepared magical talisman to function. Thus, Han Li had always used yellow paper bought from the nearby town and, following the diagrams in the book, drawn the talisman patterns with a "hair" brush.

Although the book did not specify what pigment to use for drawing the talisman patterns, he recalled the silver-colored symbols on Master Mo’s talisman and naturally chose expensive silver powder as his pigment. He did not know whether this pigment worked, but at least the appearance of his homemade talismans matched the examples in the book exactly.

Unfortunately, appearance alone was not enough.

When Han Li chanted the incantation to activate these talismans, the symbols did not emit the brilliant silver light they had when Master Mo used them, nor did any other strange phenomena occur—his casting had utterly failed, leaving him in a desperate predicament: he did not know whether the failure stemmed from incorrect incantations or hand seals, or from flawed talisman construction.

But after this study, things were different.

Through thorough research into various related texts and legends about spells, Han Li finally realized that the talismans used by cultivators could not possibly be ordinary paper and pigment drawn by mortals, but must be made from special materials unique to cultivators, perhaps requiring unique methods during their creation. Thus, even if his incantations and hand seals were flawless, the spell could still not succeed.

The same applied to the "Object Manipulation Spell."

Han Li had previously believed that any object could serve as a target for the "Object Manipulation Spell," so he had always used common items like furniture or swords as targets when chanting and forming seals—yet achieved absolutely no effect.

But now, reminded by the talisman issue, he understood that the "Object Manipulation Spell" must target specific items used by cultivators, not ordinary objects.

Han Li then took the strange items he had obtained from Master Mo—including the "Soul-Guiding Bell" and the seven silver blades used in the "Seven Ghosts Devour Soul" technique—and tested them as targets for the "Object Manipulation Spell," but none responded to his casting. This left Han Li deeply disappointed; it seemed the spell did not act upon these magical artifacts either, but upon something else entirely.

Now that he understood the general root of the problem—that neither the "Spirit Calming Talisman" nor the "Object Manipulation Spell" could be cast without the proper items—Han Li shifted his focus away from them and instead began considering combining martial arts techniques with several spells, aiming to rapidly enhance his strength and elevate himself in a short time.

With this outlandish idea in mind, Han Li resumed his arduous self-training, and soon achieved minor success.

After much experimentation, he finally merged the "Luo Yan Step" with the "Wind Control Spell."

Calling it a "merger" was misleading—it merely meant casting the "Wind Control Spell" first, then activating the "Luo Yan Step" afterward; yet the coordination between the two had to be perfectly controlled, or errors would easily occur, costing Han Li considerable mental and physical effort.

Yet this combination gradually remedied the weaknesses of both: the "Wind Control Spell"’s poor agility and the "Luo Yan Step"’s excessive stamina drain, allowing Han Li to move and reposition with the speed of lightning and thunder—visible only as fleeting shadows, never as a distinct figure, making his footwork utterly elusive.

Soon after, Han Li also devised his own innovation in the use of the "Fireball Spell."

Originally, after the small fireball appeared, the caster was meant to propel it toward the target using their own spiritual power to kill the enemy—this was the spell’s standard application—but Han Li found this approach inadequate.

Han Li believed the fireball propelled by spiritual power moved too slowly; even a skilled martial artist could easily dodge it, severely limiting its effectiveness in mortal combat and rendering it flashy but impractical. So he now cast only half of the "Fireball Spell"—once the fireball formed, he ceased propelling it outward, instead using its property of destroying anything it touched as a short, blazing blade held in his hand.

With his improved supreme footwork and the searing fireball in his grasp, Han Li now confidently believed he could easily kill any expert.

With these advantages, Han Li finally breathed easier, no longer worrying about his insufficient strength—he could now face the journey to Lanzhou to seek the antidote with full confidence.

At this time, Han Li’s "Changchun Art" had quietly advanced to the eighth level through daily consumption of spirit herbs as snacks, significantly increasing his spiritual power.

In terms of sheer spiritual power, Han Li now surpassed Yu Zitong in his original physical form—but when it came to the breadth of spells mastered and actual combat techniques, he could not even come close to Yu Zitong’s level. After all, Yu Zitong had been guided by elders and had fellow sect members to spar with during his family’s spell training, far surpassing Han Li’s half-baked knowledge.

Han Li was unaware of all this, and even if he had known, he would not have cared—he had never been arrogant enough to believe that learning a few crude spells could let him rival true cultivators. His enemies were still primarily mortal martial artists.

Thus, Han Li’s mood was excellent. Just as he was preparing to find an excuse to leave the Seven Mysteries Sect and descend the mountain, the Wild Wolf Gang suddenly proposed peace talks with the Seven Mysteries Sect.

The news sent shockwaves through the Seven Mysteries Sect; for some time now, the Wild Wolf Gang had held the upper hand in their conflicts, relentlessly suppressing the Seven Mysteries Sect—so why, under such favorable conditions, would they suddenly seek peace? Was there some trick involved? Many grew suspicious.

Voices for and against peace talks erupted within the sect, and each senior member held differing opinions; Li Feiyu was among those firmly opposed.

Since the supporters and opponents were evenly matched and no consensus could be reached, the Sect Master Wang ultimately made the decision: first negotiate with the enemy; if their terms were not excessive, agree to peace, but if they were too harsh, continue the fight.

This muddy compromise satisfied neither side, but it was the only possible middle path—and so it had to be done.

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