Chapter 115: Divine-Sense
"What's there to teach about Fireball Technique…"
After four or five days and a hundred rounds of practice, Mo Hua froze in place.
He thought he'd already mastered it, but Grandpa Kui's words made it sound like he hadn't even scratched the surface.
"Then… Grandpa Kui, what spell are you going to teach me next?"
Mo Hua asked, a little excited.
"No need to teach you other spells. Fireball Technique is enough." said Old Kui.
Mo Hua was completely baffled. "Then what are you going to teach me?"
Old Kui didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked:
"What's the first key to using a spell?"
"Learning the spell first?" Mo Hua tried.
"That's just the foundation, not the key point. The first key is, you have to hit the enemy. No matter how powerful a spell is, if it doesn't land, it's useless. Might as well not have learned it at all."
Mo Hua had an epiphany, but also felt it was kind of… obvious.
"And to make sure your spell hits, what do you rely on?" Old Kui continued.
"Divine-Sense," Mo Hua answered.
"Why?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said,
"Casting a spell relies on Divine-Sense, the circulation of spiritual power, the release of the spell, even the trajectory afterward, all are guided by Divine-Sense. So to hit the target, you must rely on Divine-Sense."
Old Kui nodded. "The world seen through Divine-Sense is different from what you see with your eyes. You know that, don't you?"
Mo Hua nodded.
The world seen by the naked eye had clear outlines and vivid colors.
But when a cultivator released Divine-Sense, the world turned into a field of pale emptiness, outlines faded, leaving only the traces of spiritual energy.
In other words, the world within one's Divine-Sense was like a white sheet covered with colorful smudges of spirit light.
Divine-Sense did not perceive form, it perceived essence.
Old Kui continued, "A spell is guided by Divine-Sense. For it to hit, your Divine-Sense must first see the target."
"Then… can't I just use my eyes?" Mo Hua asked.
"Eyes are easily deceived. A cultivator who relies only on sight is a fool."
Mo Hua nodded earnestly.
Old Kui flicked his fingers, and a slender green bamboo leaf landed between them.
"From three zhang away, hit this leaf with your Fireball Technique."
Mo Hua hesitated, what if he burned Old Kui? Then he thought about their power difference… yeah, no danger there. His fireball probably wouldn't even warm the old man's hands.
He stepped back three zhang, released his Divine-Sense. In that pale-white world, the bamboo leaf floated, showing a faint green glow of spiritual energy.
Old Kui himself, however, did not appear, Mo Hua knew that was because the difference in their Divine-Sense was too great.
The weaker one simply couldn't perceive the stronger.
"Grandpa Kui, I'm ready."
Mo Hua gathered power and fired.
The fireball hit the bamboo leaf, turning it to ash, but Old Kui remained completely unharmed.
Old Kui flicked his finger again, another bamboo leaf appeared.
This time he released it, letting it drift and dance in the wind.
"Hit this one."
Mo Hua frowned but obeyed. He focused his Divine-Sense on the leaf's movement, then cast the spell.
The fireball whooshed through the air... missed.
"Know why you missed?"
Mo Hua scratched his head. "The leaf's flying too fast?"
Old Kui waved his hand. In an instant, a gust of wind swept up several leaves, spinning them madly through the air.
Then, with a gentle flick, a spark shot from his fingertip.
It chased the leaves, no matter how they twisted or turned, the spark curved after them, hitting each one dead-on, burning them all to ash.
Mo Hua stared, dumbfounded.
"This," said Old Kui slowly, "is the first thing I'll teach you.
Divine-Sense Locking."
"Divine-Sense… locking…"
Mo Hua murmured. He didn't quite understand it, but he was deeply shocked.
"When you lock onto the enemy with your Divine-Sense," Old Kui said, "no matter how he dodges, your spell will still chase and strike him."
"Then if I lock on, it'll definitely hit?" Mo Hua asked.
"Unless his movement technique is faster than your spell, or he blocks with another spell or magic tool, he won't escape."
"Oh, oh!" Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Then how do I lock on with Divine-Sense?"
"Release your Divine-Sense. Perceive the opponent's spiritual energy. Let your Divine-Sense attach to it, and you'll have locked his position."
Old Kui's explanation was simple and direct. Then he added:
"It sounds complicated, but once you do it a few times, you'll get it."
He flicked another bamboo leaf up. "Try to lock onto this."
Mo Hua nodded, spreading his Divine-Sense, sensing the leaf's spiritual fluctuations, and naturally, he felt that subtle sense of grasping it.
Just like drawing formation runes: once you understood the pattern, the whole formation existed clearly in your mind.
Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf.
Old Kui's eyes narrowed slightly.
That fast?
Is it because his Divine-Sense is unusually strong…?
After a brief silence, Old Kui released the leaf.
Mo Hua closed his eyes, fingers together, gathering power. A faint red fireball formed at his fingertips, then flew in an arc...
boom!
It hit the drifting leaf dead-on, reducing it to ash.
Mo Hua opened his eyes and grinned in delight.
Old Kui nodded. "Not bad."
"Grandpa Kui, it's because you teach so well!"
Old Kui made no comment.
After a pause, Mo Hua asked, "Then… if I can't lock onto someone's Divine-Sense, what should I do?"
"The best option," Old Kui said calmly, "is to run."
Mo Hua blinked, then realized.
If you couldn't lock onto someone, it meant their Divine-Sense was far stronger than yours, meaning their cultivation was, too. Staying to fight was suicide.
"If you can't escape," Old Kui went on, "then you can only rely on your eyes, or guess by instinct."
So basically… pray for luck.
Mo Hua thought silently.
"Then how can I avoid being locked on by someone else's Divine-Sense?" he asked again.
"When your Divine-Sense is stronger than your opponent's, it becomes harder for them to lock onto you. If it's much stronger, they won't be able to at all."
Mo Hua nodded.
The stronger your Divine-Sense, the less others could sense you, naturally, they couldn't lock you either.
"If your Divine-Sense is far beyond theirs, they won't even perceive you," Old Kui added. "And if they can't perceive you, they can't lock onto you."
"In combat, the use of Divine-Sense has many subtle techniques," he continued. "But those can't be taught. You'll have to comprehend them yourself when you fight in the future."
"Not even a little guidance?" Mo Hua asked hopefully.
"Divine-Sense isn't like spiritual power," Old Kui explained. "Spiritual power follows meridians and acupoints, you can trace its flow. But Divine-Sense is ethereal, formless. There's no map, no structure to mark it."
"So the use of Divine-Sense must be understood through your own experiences. I could tell you a thousand times, and you still might not get it. Even if you do, you may not know how to use it."
Mo Hua nodded solemnly, memorizing every word.
Even if he didn't understand now, one day he would.
Old Kui continued, "Still, you needn't worry too much. Generally speaking, among cultivators of the same major realm, the difference in Divine-Sense isn't so vast that one side can't lock onto the other at all…"
Here he paused, glancing at Mo Hua, eyes narrowing slightly.
Generally speaking, that was true, but this child… might be the exception.
(End of Chapter)