Chapter 115: Speed Alone

Generally, among cultivators of the same major realm, spiritual sense rarely differs so drastically that one cannot lock onto the other.

But Mo Hua, strictly speaking, is not a "general" cultivator—at least not in terms of spiritual sense.

If his spiritual sense continues to grow like this, whether others can lock onto him becomes uncertain…

Old Puppet remained expressionless, but a faint ripple stirred within him.

Mo Hua remembered another question and asked: "Old Puppet Grandpa, can every cultivator perform spiritual sense locking?"

"No."

Old Puppet snapped back to attention and said coolly: "Of all the cultivators I've seen, seven in ten cannot, two in ten can, but only barely, and fewer than one in ten can use it skillfully."

Mo Hua frowned in confusion: "It doesn't seem that hard—why can't more than seven in ten cultivators do it?"

At least he himself didn't find it difficult at all.

Old Puppet gave him a silent look and thought Mo Hua at this moment bore a slight resemblance to Mr. Zhuang.

Not all cultivators possess such strong spiritual sense, nor are all skilled in its application.

So indeed, "like master, like disciple"—this child of Mo Hua has also been corrupted a little…

Old Puppet sighed inwardly, then said:

"Half of the seven in ten cultivators who cannot perform spiritual sense locking have no teacher to instruct them, and lack the method; the other half have learned it but still cannot use it…"

"Spiritual sense is intangible, like a goat's horn hung on a tree—no trace to be found. Thus, it is hard to teach and hard to learn. Merely verbal instruction rarely leads to true understanding…"

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded, half-understanding.

"But," Mo Hua hesitated, then asked, "if the calculation method can hit, the Fireball Spell isn't very powerful—what threat does it really pose?"

Old Puppet did not answer, but countered: "How much Qi is needed to kill a cultivator?"

Mo Hua's heart tightened, and he shook his head.

He had never killed anyone—how would he know…

Old Puppet said: "Some cultivators can kill with only ten Zhou Tian of Qi; others, even with a hundred Zhou Tian of Qi, cannot kill."

One Zhou Tian is one full cycle of Qi circulating through the Twelve Regular Meridians. Regardless of age or body type, the amount of Qi per Zhou Tian varies little among cultivators.

Thus, cultivators commonly measure Qi quantity by "number of Zhou Tian."

The more Zhou Tian, the more Qi, and the greater the power of the spell activated.

"Is it because cultivators have vital points?"

Old Puppet nodded: "Vital points such as Baihui, Shenting, Heart Meridian, and Dantian—if struck by a spell without defense, they result either in severe injury or death."

Mo Hua said: "So if a spell hits a vital point, even if its raw power is weak, it causes greater damage. If it strikes non-vital areas, even a powerful spell may not be lethal."

"Correct."

Mo Hua pondered again, then suddenly understood:

"So spiritual sense locking is crucial—only with strong spiritual sense and precise locking can a spell more easily strike vital points. Is that right, Old Puppet Grandpa?"

Old Puppet nodded.

Mo Hua felt excited—if so, even if his Qi was weak, his spells could still be highly threatening.

But Old Puppet doused his enthusiasm: "The logic is sound, but it's useless in actual combat."

"Ah…" Mo Hua froze.

"Any non-fool knows to protect their vital points. Aim for them, and even if you don't hit armor or robes, they'll block with hand or arm." Old Puppet said.

Mo Hua grew confused again. "Then what should I do?"

"Know your opponent's vital points—you may occasionally ambush them, but in direct combat, don't rely on them."

Old Puppet said: "For a spirit cultivator who excels in spells, the most important thing is to know how to use spells."

"How?"

Old Puppet nodded: "Casting a spell takes time."

Mo Hua still didn't fully grasp it.

Old Puppet explained: "Cultivators must channel Qi to cast a spell—this takes anywhere from one breath to ten breaths…"

"The higher the spell's rank, the more Qi it draws, the greater its power—and the longer the casting time. Some extremely powerful spells require hours to cast."

"Conversely, low-rank spells draw less Qi, have weaker power—but their casting time is much shorter…"

Old Puppet said slowly, watching Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly.

"Thus, in spirit cultivator combat, either anticipate the enemy's move, cast a powerful spell first, and kill in one strike! Or…"

Old Puppet's gaze sharpened: "Strike first, overwhelm with simple but swift spells, leaving the enemy no chance to breathe…"

Mo Hua's mind cleared instantly.

Since his elemental affinity was low and his Qi weak, he could not learn high-rank spells that demanded immense Qi.

He could only forge another path—learn spells like Fireball Spell: low power, but fast to cast, allowing him to seize the initiative.

But there was still one problem.

"Can low-power spells really suppress the enemy?" Mo Hua asked.

"Body cultivators break their opponent's techniques; spirit cultivators break their opponent's spells. If the enemy cannot attack, they are naturally suppressed."

Old Puppet added: "Body cultivators are still human—they feel pain when struck by your spells. Unless they possess iron will, their assault will be broken…"

"If you face one who fights recklessly, trading blows for blows, trading life for life, aim for their joints or vital points—this makes them think twice. Once they hesitate, they won't dare risk their life anymore…"

…

Mo Hua had never imagined spell usage held so many subtleties; suddenly, it was as if a sudden enlightenment had poured over him—his eyes shone with admiration for Old Puppet.

Old Puppet's expression remained calm, but under Mo Hua's gaze, his once-still heart stirred with a faint sense of satisfaction.

He thought: Mr. Zhuang was right—teaching a disciple now and then is a pleasant pastime.

"Understood?"

Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.

Old Puppet added his guidance:

"Although there are countless spells under heaven, the principles behind them are largely the same. Every spell has its weakness, and at the same time, every spell has its strength. What a cultivator must do is play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, bringing out their own advantages."

"Put another way, every spell has its strength, but at the same time it must inevitably possess a weakness. What you must do is spy out that weakness, and use its flaw to break the spell."

"The Dao and its arts are myriad, each with its own strengths and shortcomings; the wonder of their application lies in a single heart."

……

Old Puppet, usually taciturn, became utterly unstoppable once he started talking about spells, and every word was a pearl.

"You won't need these principles just yet, but the path of cultivation is long—perhaps they'll be of use in the future," Old Puppet said.

Mo Hua listened attentively, committing every word to memory, then bowed to Old Puppet and said:

"Thank you, Grandpa Puppet, for your guidance—Mo Hua has remembered it all!"

Old Puppet nodded.

Mo Hua carefully replayed Old Puppet's words in his mind, then thought of a very practical problem.

Right now, he only knew one spell: Fireball.

All that stuff Old Puppet had said about "striking first, suppressing with spells, playing to strengths, breaking the enemy's arts"—it all still felt rather far off.

After all, he only knew one spell: Fireball…

"Then what should I do now?" Mo Hua scratched his head again.

"Practice Fireball."

Old Puppet gave a plain, unadorned answer.

"Practice until when?"

"Keep practicing. The more accurate, the better; the faster, the better."

Old Puppet looked at Mo Hua, his gaze deep. "You only need to remember one phrase…"

"Of all the spells under heaven—only speed is unbreakable!"