Chapter 113: Fireball

Is this magic?

Mo Hua widened his eyes in astonishment.

It was simply a matter of circulating Qi along specific meridians and using spiritual awareness to propel the Qi outward, forming spells of different elements with power far beyond Mo Hua's expectations.

After a while of agitation, the pond returned to stillness.

Only the mottled water stains along the shore and the charred, broken waterweeds remained as evidence of what had happened.

Gui Lao nodded. "Good."

Mo Hua scratched his head. "Grandmaster Gui, what should I practice next?"

"Practice this again."

"Practice this again?"

"Yes," said Gui Lao. "Do it a hundred times first. Get a feel for it."

"Feel what?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you. After you've done it a hundred times, you'll feel it yourself."

Mo Hua was thoroughly confused.

Gui Lao added: "It's like practicing arrays—you get better through repetition. The more you draw, the more you intuit certain things naturally, but these things are hard to explain in words."

"Oh." Mo Hua understood a little and nodded.

"Can I practice here?"

Mo Hua asked hesitantly.

He couldn't practice at home—what if he burned down the house with the Fireball Spell?

Practicing alone in the mountains was also somewhat dangerous.

"No problem," Gui Lao said casually.

Mo Hua hesitated. "What if I damage the pond or these flowers and grasses? Is that okay?"

Gui Lao glanced at Mo Hua calmly, then swept his sleeve lightly.

Mo Hua didn't even know what had happened—only that in the blink of an eye, the water stains along the pond's edge vanished, the charred waterweeds restored themselves, and the fish resumed their leisurely swimming.

As if nothing had ever occurred, as if Mo Hua had never cast the Fireball Spell.

Mo Hua stood frozen in place.

"No problem," Gui Lao said casually.

In the following days, Mo Hua kept running over to Mr. Zhuang's place whenever he had free time.

If Mr. Zhuang was awake, Mo Hua would go greet him and ask about his doubts; if Mr. Zhuang was asleep, Mo Hua would practice the Fireball Spell beside the pond, near the bamboo grove.

Mo Hua had already understood the principle of the Fireball Spell, and after several days of practice, he had gained some familiarity with its use.

Yet the spell's power, speed of casting, and accuracy of impact varied slightly each time.

As Gui Lao had said, these things required personal practice and gradual intuition to master fully—they were hard to put into words.

These days, Mo Hua had been practicing the Fireball Spell by the pond every day.

One after another, fireballs exploded in the pond, stirring up the spring water, sending waterweeds flying everywhere, and sending the fish beneath scrambling in panic.

Fortunately, every day after Mo Hua left, Gui Lao restored the pond to its original state.

Otherwise, the pond's water would have long since been boiled dry…

One day, as Mo Hua was practicing the Fireball Spell by the pond, he spotted a small head peeking cautiously from afar.

"Bai Zisheng?"

Seeing only Mo Hua there, Bai Zisheng sneaked over curiously. "What are you playing at?"

"It's not play—I'm practicing magic," Mo Hua corrected him.

Bai Zisheng's eyes lit up. "You're learning magic? What spell? Show me one!"

Mo Hua cast the Fireball Spell again, blasting the pond.

Boom—water splashed everywhere.

After watching, Bai Zisheng instantly lost interest and sneered:

"Just the Fireball Spell…"

Mo Hua objected. "What's wrong with the Fireball Spell?"

Bai Zisheng comforted him. "It's okay, I just thought you'd learn something more powerful."

"Like what?"

"Like… oh, right—you've got low Qi, you couldn't use it anyway," Bai Zisheng said.

Mo Hua gave him a withering look and said coolly, "Have you finished your lessons?"

"Not yet," Bai Zisheng instantly slumped. "I heard noises over here, so I sneaked over to check—now I have to go back soon."

Bai Zisheng asked again, "Aren't you disturbing Mr. Zhuang by practicing the Fireball Spell here?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "I asked Grandmaster Gui—he said no, Mr. Zhuang's place is far away and very quiet."

Bai Zisheng nodded, gazing at Mo Hua with a touch of envy. "Mr. Zhuang really treats you well…"

"Doesn't Mr. Zhuang treat you well too? And you have some connection with him, don't you?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

Bai Zisheng waved his hand. "You wouldn't understand…" He thought for a moment, then said no more.

He and Bai Zixi held deep reverence for Mr. Zhuang—though they sometimes went to ask him questions, they never disturbed him lightly otherwise.

To do what Mo Hua did—go to him with questions, even blast the pond with the Fireball Spell in his courtyard—they would never dare.

"Are you plotting against him? That's why you're afraid of him."

Mo Hua eyed Bai Zisheng suspiciously.

Bai Zisheng sneered. "I'd need the ability first."

"That's true." Mo Hua nodded.

Bai Zixi asked curiously, "Did Guilao teach you this Fireball Technique?"

"Yes."

"Did Guilao teach you only the Fireball Technique?"

"You don't understand. The right one is the best."

Mo Hua imitated Guilao, adopting an air of seasoned experience.

Bai Zixi thought for a moment and nodded. "That's true."

Mo Hua asked in return, "Is Grandmaster Guilao very powerful?"

"Probably," Bai Zixi replied uncertainly.

"So you don't know either."

Bai Zixi chuckled awkwardly.

Mo Hua shooed him away: "Go do your lessons quickly. Don't disturb me practicing my spells."

Bai Zixi didn't want to leave—lessons were too boring.

"You practice. I can give you some pointers."

"Pointers? You don't even know any spells," Mo Hua blinked.

Bai Zixi frowned. "Have you never eaten pork, but never seen a pig run? I train in martial arts, but I still know about powerful spells."

That was true—Bai family had deep ancestral traditions.

"Use the Fireball Technique again for me," Bai Zixi said.

"Oh." Mo Hua cast the Fireball Technique once more.

The pond exploded again.

"Hmm… the power's a bit weak," Bai Zixi said.

"Is it because my Qi is too weak?"

"Not entirely. A spell's power depends on your proficiency. The more skilled you are, the stronger the spell. Even if your Qi consumption stays the same, if you master a spell completely, its power will increase," Bai Zixi explained patiently.

Mo Hua nodded repeatedly. "Then what exactly does 'proficiency' mean?"

"Do you have the meridian chart for the Fireball Technique?"

Mo Hua opened the Fireball Technique's meridian chart.

Bai Zixi pointed at the chart and said:

"Simply put, it's the precision of your Qi's path. If every time you channel Qi, it flows exactly through these meridians and acupoints, your spell's power will rise significantly."

"Of course, absolute precision isn't possible. Humans are humans, not puppets—no one can hit it perfectly every time. Close enough is fine," Bai Zixi added.

Mo Hua suddenly understood and asked Bai Zixi several more questions.

Rarely getting a chance to show off in front of Mo Hua, Bai Zixi beamed and gave detailed pointers for a long while.

Suddenly, a paper ball flew in from nowhere and struck Bai Zixi squarely on the head.

Mo Hua picked up the paper ball, opened it, and found a simple ink sketch of a small face.

The face had only a few lines and two dots, looking distinctly displeased.

Bai Zixi rubbed his head, looked at the note, and exclaimed:

"Oh no, Zixi is angry. I told her I'd come over to play with you for a bit, but I lost track of time."

Bai Zixi jumped up in a hurry, tossed out, "Practice more on your own," and dashed off.

Mo Hua blinked, then couldn't help smiling.

After that, Mo Hua followed Bai Zixi's advice, striving for precise Qi flow each time—and the Fireball Technique's power indeed increased slightly.

When Mo Hua completed one hundred repetitions, the Fireball Technique became quite proficient.

Mo Hua went to find Guilao. "Grandmaster Guilao, I've practiced it one hundred times!"

Guilao nodded. "Have you learned it?"

"Yes."

"Good," Guilao nodded. "Now I'll begin teaching you properly."

"Huh?"

Mo Hua froze. "Didn't you already teach me?"

Guilao said coolly:

"I haven't taught you anything. What's there to teach about the Fireball Technique?"