Chapter 82: Fire Spirit Dance

"Take me as your master?" Huoling Wu was stunned upon hearing this.

"Yes, I would like to ask you to be my mentor and teach me the art of talisman making," Zhang Xingyu replied.

"Heh, I recognize you. You're that one with the Waste Spiritual Root. Since you cannot cultivate, how could you possibly make spiritual talismans?" Huoling Wu looked at Zhang Xingyu as if she were looking at an idiot.

Zhang Xingyu blushed: "Beautiful Teacher, a Waste Spiritual Root is still a spiritual root. A Waste Spiritual Root can also cultivate."

"If a Waste Spiritual Root could cultivate, wouldn't that be a great wonder in the Cultivation Realm?" Huoling Wu's lips curled up, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her face was full of disbelief.

"It can. I am already at the first level of Qi Refining," Zhang Xingyu said earnestly.

Huoling Wu stared at Zhang Xingyu, slowly looking him over carefully.

After a moment, she raised her head and said with a look of surprise: "Strange, it really is the first level of Qi Refining. How did you manage that?"

Zhang Xingyu puffed out his chest: "Reporting to the Beautiful Teacher, I piled it up using spirit stones."

Huoling Wu giggled: "Piling it up with spirit stones, you really thought of that."

Zhang Xingyu looked at Huoling Wu and asked softly: "Beautiful Teacher, I can cultivate. Look, when can I follow you to cultivate?"

Huoling Wu waved her jade hand: "Don't be in such a hurry to call me teacher. If you want to enter my tutelage, you must pass the three trials I have set. Otherwise, go back to where you came from."

"Trials? A small matter, feel free to set the questions. I, Zhang Xingyu, have passed five passes and killed six generals; I have been through hundreds of exams, big and small, and the thing I fear least is a trial," Zhang Xingyu said loudly.

Huoling Wu heard this and burst into laughter: "Good, you have ambition. Don't cry later."

Saying this, she led Zhang Xingyu to a cultivation room.

The surrounding lights suddenly went out, and Huoling Wu giggled: "The first trial begins. Zhang Xingyu, enjoy yourself."

The lights brightened again, the surrounding scenery had changed, and the Beautiful Teacher was nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Xingyu found himself in a magnificent, golden palace.

In the palace, the zither played melodiously, the sound of strings and bamboo instruments filled the air, and a dancer in the center of the hall was swaying her waist.

This dancer was draped in thin gauze, revealing her navel, and while swaying her waist, she beckoned to Zhang Xingyu.

"Come here, come here."

Zhang Xingyu squinted his eyes, tapping along to the rhythm, watching with great interest.

After a moment, he chuckled and said loudly: "Beautiful Teacher, why does this dancer only have these few movements over and over? Her dance skills are too poor, far worse than the belly dances and hula dances I've seen!"

The lights went out, the music stopped, and the golden palace and the dancer all disappeared.

In the darkness, Huoling Wu's laughter came: "Stinky brat, it seems you are still a little pervert."

The lights brightened again, the environment changed again, and Zhang Xingyu found himself standing inside a volcanic crater.

Beneath his feet was churning magma, and beside him was erupting flame.

It felt as if he were placed on a grill; his whole body was scalding hot, and his clothes seemed about to catch fire.

Zhang Xingyu closed his eyes, circulated the *Fire Spirit Classic*, and took deep breaths in and out.

In his dantian, a thin thread of Spiritual Aura was forming.

After a moment, the magma disappeared, and the flames extinguished.

Zhang Xingyu opened his eyes and called out loudly: "Beautiful Teacher, the fire Spiritual Aura was a bit scarce. If there could be a bit more, that would be great."

The volcano disappeared, and darkness surged in.

In the darkness, Huoling Wu spat: "Stinky brat, you've caused this lady to lose quite a bit of cultivation."

The lights brightened again, and Zhang Xingyu returned to the cultivation room.

Beside him, Huoling Wu stared at Zhang Xingyu for a long time and said slowly: "Zhang Xingyu, you are a freak."

Zhang Xingyu laughed: "Beautiful Teacher, I have passed your trials. Now, can you teach me the art of talisman making?"

Huoling Wu curled her lips: "What's the rush? You've only passed two trials; there is still a third. This third trial, hehe, if you can pass it, I'll even take you as my teacher."

"Really? That would be great. To be able to take a Beautiful Teacher as a disciple, walking on campus, the head-turning rate would definitely be one hundred percent," Zhang Xingyu laughed.

Huoling Wu glared at him: "Wait until you pass the third trial before talking."

"Please set the question, Teacher," Zhang Xingyu said solemnly.

Huoling Wu was silent for a moment, then took a jade talisman from her bosom and handed it to Zhang Xingyu.

"This is the method for making the first-tier spiritual talisman *Fire Spirit Dance*. If you can draw it within three days, I will take you as a disciple," Huoling Wu said.

"This first-tier spiritual talisman is called *Fire Spirit Dance*, isn't that the same as the Beautiful Teacher's name?" Zhang Xingyu asked in surprise.

Huoling Wu stared blankly at Zhang Xingyu, her vision gradually blurring.

That year, she had secretly cultivated this spell and showed it off in front of him.

"Master, is this spell I created good-looking?" Huoling Wu asked.

He looked at her with a smile and replied softly: "Good-looking. It's like little fire-red spirits dancing. I think it can be named after you; let's call it *Fire Spirit Dance*."

Huoling Wu was immersed in memories, her eyes distant, a sweet, childlike smile on her face.

This Beautiful Teacher is someone with a story! Zhang Xingyu thought to himself.

After a while, he couldn't help but reach out his right hand and wave it back and forth in front of Huoling Wu.

Huoling Wu woke up, glared at Zhang Xingyu, and said softly: "Go back. When you have mastered the *Fire Spirit Dance*, you will become my disciple."

Having disturbed the Beautiful Teacher's memories, Zhang Xingyu didn't dare stay long. He bowed to Huoling Wu and quickly ran out of the gate of the Spiritual Talisman Research Center.

Watching his hurried back, Huoling Wu muttered to herself: "Why run so fast? Am I that terrifying?"

After leaving the gate of the Spiritual Talisman Research Center, Zhang Xingyu headed straight for Jin Muyun's small courtyard.

Jin Muyun was talking privately with Zhu Yun'er, and upon seeing Zhang Xingyu arrive, she blushed with shyness.

Zhu Yun'er was more poised; she warmly greeted Zhang Xingyu to sit down before taking her leave.

"Brother Jin, I am truly sorry for interrupting your intimacy with sister-in-law," Zhang Xingyu teased.

"No, no intimacy. We were discussing cultivation matters." Jin Muyun's face turned even redder, and his words were stuttering.

Zhang Xingyu laughed: "Understood, understood. Brother Jin, I just went to see the Beautiful Teacher Huoling Wu. She wants me to master a spell called *Fire Spirit Dance* before she will take me in. What do you think I should do?"

"*Fire Spirit Dance*, a spell?" Jin Muyun was very surprised.

Zhang Xingyu nodded and handed over the jade slip in his hand.

Jin Muyun pressed the jade slip to his forehead and read it carefully with his divine sense.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and said to Zhang Xingyu with a complex expression: "Xingyu, I advise you to choose another mentor."

"Why?" Zhang Xingyu asked, full of confusion.

"Because this spell is simply not something you can master at your current stage," Jin Muyun said.

"Can't master it at this stage, so you mean I can master it later?" Zhang Xingyu asked again.

Jin Muyun nodded, then shook his head: "This spell has extremely high requirements for the practitioner's ability to control Spiritual Aura. To master it, Spiritual Aura control must reach the stage of 'manifestation.' Spiritual Aura manifestation also has very high requirements for the caster's primordial spirit. Usually, Golden Core stage cultivators can basically do it, Foundation Establishment stage cultivators have a slim chance, and no Qi Refining stage cultivator has ever mastered it. So, you should give up. I estimate that Teacher Huoling Wu doesn't want to take you on, so she deliberately set such a topic to make you retreat in the face of difficulty."

Hearing Jin Muyun's explanation, Zhang Xingyu was a bit dejected: "Golden Core stage can do it, Foundation Establishment stage has a slim chance. I am currently only at the first level of Qi Refining."

Standing still for a long time, Zhang Xingyu asked, unwilling to give up: "Brother Jin, is it really only possible for Golden Core stage cultivators? Besides Golden Core stage cultivators, is there any other way?"

Jin Muyun shook his head: "Golden Core stage is the basic requirement. Unless you are gifted, have a powerful primordial spirit, or have an amazing affinity with fire Spiritual Aura."

"So, people with a powerful primordial spirit or good fire-type spiritual roots still have a chance?" Zhang Xingyu asked again.

Jin Muyun nodded: "Theoretically, yes."

Zhang Xingyu's deathly pale face suddenly changed.

He bowed to Jin Muyun: "Brother Jin, I have a fire-type Hidden Spiritual Root, and my primordial spirit is not bad. I want to give it a try." ===== CHAPTER 83 =====