Chapter Seven: Xu Cheng's First Spell

At this moment, forging the first magic sigil was of utmost importance, so Xu Cheng immediately immersed all his attention into the Scroll of Ten Thousand Arts.

Within the small bamboo slip lay an endless darkness, where tens of thousands of silver-gray runes danced ceaselessly in the air, dazzling Xu Cheng’s eyes.

“Are all these the legendary spells?”

He wondered silently, then focused his senses to discern which spell would suit him best at this stage.

After a long while, one silver-gray rune turned gold and settled in his palm, slowly spinning.

In the infinite void, dozens of words lit up: “Spell of the Law Eye. Condense a rune to open the Law Eye—see a thousand miles, peer into hearts, perceive the unseen, and repel enemies with magic power. When cultivated to the highest realm, the Law Eye sees the mysteries above and the depths below, nothing in the Three Realms escapes its gaze!”

The golden rune in Xu Cheng’s palm transformed into an eyeball, then turned into a ray of golden light that entered the center of his brow.

He was immediately drawn out of the bamboo slip’s world, his mind filled with the method to forge the Law Eye sigil.

Gathering his spirit into the divine aperture, he communed with the boundless celestial light that filled his body, merging it with his own true qi to forge the sigil.

The first attempt failed; both his true qi and the celestial light dispersed at once.

Undiscouraged, Xu Cheng began a second attempt.

The second, third, and fourth... he persisted until the ninth try.

Finally, the celestial light and his true qi condensed into a blue sigil. Success at last—joy surged in his chest.

Unable to contain his excitement, he activated the sigil. At once, a seam opened at his brow, slowly widening to reveal a blue eye within.

With a swish, a blue ray shot forth from Xu Cheng’s vertical eye, shattering a stone not far away into dust.

“Incredible!”

He laughed foolishly, unaware that drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

“Who’s there! You startled me—I thought an enemy had attacked the mountain! Oh, Junior Brother, you’re lucky to have forged your first magic sigil so quickly!”

It was Liao Zhen, who looked at the vertical eye on Xu Cheng’s brow with a hint of envy.

Yet even after she spoke, Xu Cheng remained grinning like a simpleton.

Seeing this, Liao Zhen pouted in annoyance, and a purple sword-light appeared out of thin air in her hand.

“Let me show you my Xuantian Sword Technique!”

She guided her sword-light straight toward Xu Cheng’s face.

By the time Xu Cheng realized, the purple sword-light was already before him.

“Senior Sister, you’re trying to murder me!”

He cried out, retreating several steps. Suddenly he recalled his newly forged Law Eye.

The vertical eye opened and shut, releasing a blue ray. Liao Zhen countered with her sword-light; the two collided in an explosion, sending Liao Zhen reeling dozens of steps back.

The power of the Law Eye’s divine light was clear.

“Again!”

Now Liao Zhen was serious. She spun her hands in a circle, and hundreds of shimmering purple sword-lights appeared behind her.

“Go!”

Hundreds of sword-lights merged into a purple river, surging toward Xu Cheng.

“I’m done for, I’m done for.”

“Who knew Senior Sister Liao Zhen was this powerful!”

A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, but Xu Cheng could only muster two rays of divine light from the Law Eye, barely neutralizing a few dozen sword auras.

“Arcane Earth Dragon Technique!”

In his moment of peril, a giant dragon of earth materialized before him, crushing the sword-lights one after another.

“Good thing I didn’t go far. Liao Zhen, were you really going to skewer your fellow disciple?”

It was Master Lingxu, the lazy old teacher, appearing as mysteriously as ever.

“Of course I wouldn’t kill him!” Liao Zhen withdrew the sword aura from around her. “Oh, Master, I was just playing with Junior Brother!”

She even began to act coy, tugging at Lingxu’s sleeve and shaking it.

“You child, sparring is fine, but you must know your limits. Otherwise, even if Wu has a hundred lives, they won’t be enough for your practice!”

Lingxu patted her on the head.

“I understand, Master!”

Liao Zhen stuck out her tongue and stood quietly to the side.

“Wu, your talent isn’t bad, to have condensed your first spell so quickly! Here are my cultivation insights—take them and study well.”

Lingxu produced a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Cheng.

“Thank you, Master!”

Xu Cheng accepted it, planning to study it overnight in preparation for his journey down the mountain.

“No more words! At dawn tomorrow, I’ll escort you off the mountain!”

With that, Lingxu vanished at once, as elusive as a dragon.

“Junior Brother, once you’ve mastered a few more spells, let’s spar again!”

Liao Zhen clenched her small fists, eager for another match.

“Certainly—please go easy on me next time, Senior Sister!”

Xu Cheng withdrew the Law Eye spell and returned to his quarters to examine the scroll that Lingxu had given him.

To his surprise, the scroll was filled with the old Daoist’s insights on practicing various spells. Though it contained nothing about the Law Eye, it was still greatly beneficial to Xu Cheng. Especially the mention of the Arcane Escape Technique, which required ten thousand sigils to form—he couldn’t help but marvel, thinking this must be the old Daoist’s greatest skill.

After reading attentively, Xu Cheng realized it was already past midnight.

He sat in meditation to restore his true qi. His sparring with Liao Zhen earlier had not yet been fully recovered from.

“Cluck cluck cluck—”

At dawn, the purple-crested rooster crowed for once. Xu Cheng, full of vigor, packed his things and prepared to descend the mountain.

Coming down from Sky Peak Cliff, Master Lingxu spoke little along the way.

The two of them arrived at the mountain gate, where someone was already waiting—Li Yi.

“Li Yi? Old Lingyu allowed you to go down the mountain?”

Lingxu looked at Li Yi, calculated for a moment, and nodded, understanding the reason for his presence.

“You old Lingxu, I knew you’d gossip about me!”

A figure appeared on the gate pillar—it was Master Lingyu.

“Ahem! Senior Brother Sect Leader, between us we’re almost a thousand years old. Why are we still playing hide and seek?”

Lingxu bowed with a laugh.

“Hmph!” Lingyu snorted, as if to say, “I can’t be bothered with you.” Then, turning to Li Yi, he admonished: “Off the mountain, things are not like they are here. Remember, any monster, demon, or ghost you encounter must be slain without mercy!”

“I know, Master! Surely I can tell right from wrong?”

Li Yi remained as lazy as ever.

“You child! Off with you! Go! The sight of you vexes me!”

Lingyu, unable to do anything with him, disappeared in a huff.

“Junior Brother Wu, let’s be off!”

Li Yi threw an arm around Xu Cheng’s shoulders and strode out of the mountain gate.

“Come out, my dear Senior Brother Lingyu!”

Lingxu called into thin air, but after a moment, there was no response.

“If you won’t show yourself, then I’m leaving!”

With that, Lingxu ran off. Not far away, atop a great boulder, Lingyu revealed himself and muttered, “That scoundrel—how did he know I hadn’t left?”

Let us leave aside Lingxu and Lingyu.

Li Yi and Xu Cheng walked out of the mountain gate and simply chose a direction, setting off with no fixed destination. In truth, neither of them had a clear objective—Xu Cheng only knew there was a fated opportunity awaiting him down the mountain, while Li Yi, to put it plainly, was just out for fun.

“Junior Brother, where do you think we should go first?” After a long walk, Li Yi finally couldn’t help but ask.

Recalling the large sack of gold he had once stolen, Xu Cheng smiled and said, “I think we should visit the Lu family estate first!”