Seeing that Lin’s spirit is lighted, Grandpa Mu smiles and says, “You have given me the jade for free. If I don’t return the favor, I believe that my cultivation will be impeded. Luoran, is there anything you want? Just say it to save me from the devil inside.”
Lin Luoran doesn’t know much about the impediment in cultivation so she fails to realize that Grandpa Mu is not telling the exact truth. She thinks for a while with her head tilted, “I have recently learnt a simple spell of casting fire balls, but my master is not around to give instructions. Can you give me some advice?”
She has promised to go to the “Night of Bermuda” with Wen Guanjing. She can’t let others know that she can’t even cast any spell, or she may expose herself and puts her safety on the line.
Lin Luoran is anxious that Grandpa Mu and Guo seem to be surprised that her master never teaches her spells. She tries her best to stay calm. Lin Luoran is aware that she should make up an excuse, but she will have to tell more lies to cover up a lie, and her lies may be revealed someday. Thus she decides to take a chance — even if someone knows, she may as well take her parents and Luodong to live in the deep mountains and come out after she becomes strong enough. Still, this is her plan to face up to the worst.
In fact, Grandpa Mu and Guo are surprised not because that they have seen through Lin Luoran’s secrets but that her request is not comparable to the value of the jade.
The Fire Ball spell is commonly seen in the world of cultivation which is already declined. On the contrary, the jade Lin Luoran refines is of direct use for human body. It is beneficial for Grandpa Guo’s health, and it can even help cultivators save a lot of hard work.
Grandpa Mu asks seriously, “Luoran, do you know how valuable the jade you give us is?”
Lin Luoran is astonished. Is the jade valuable? It only takes her several minutes to refine a jade, and she doesn’t expect it to be so valuable in the eyes of a senior in the level of Laying Foundation like Grandpa Mu.
Thinking of the fact that Lin Luoran just steps on the path of cultivation for a short time, Grandpa Mu says,
“You are so lucky to become a cultivator and you haven’t experienced the hardship. Since Reiki in the world started to decrease and became agitated a thousand years ago, most cultivators have had to spend three times longer than before to refine the Reiki they absorb… Although cultivators in the level of Laying Foundation can live 200 years, those with normal quality will be dragged by the time-consuming process of refining Reiki. The agitated Reiki also makes the magic restoratives useless, and there is not much elixir which can assist cultivators. Thus, no one can enter the level of Bearing Essence any more. You can see now how valuable the jade with Reiki which can be directly absorbed is.”
Grandpa hesitates for a second while saying “no one can enter the level of Bearing Essence any more” because he thinks of Lin Luoran’s mysterious master. According to his prediction, Lin’s master has to be in this level.
Seeing that Lin Luoran is paying close attention to his words, Grandpa Mu understands that her master hasn’t informed her of the hardship — however, the master has the refined jade, so the problem which bothers most cultivators may be nothing for the master. Certainly, there is no need to say things like this to influence the cultivation of his beloved apprentice.
Grandpa Mu stops talking, and Lin Luoran becomes anxious. Her knowledge on the current situation of the world of cultivation is not enough, and she is desperate for more.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Guo takes out a booklet and gives it to Lin Luoran. Seeing the words “Spells of the Five Elements” written on the cover, Lin Luoran is flattered. She has a hard time believing that she just gets the spell book she longs for so easily?
Grandpa Guo notices her surprise and explains, “Don’t be amazed. This booklet only records some primary spells. You can have it if you like.”
“Thank you so much, Grandpa Guo!” Lin Luoran expresses her gratitude sincerely. The primary spells are valuable to her. Especially, the first page happens to record the Fire Ball spell she tries but fails to cast!
Noticing Lin Luoran’s happiness, the two old men both praise her for being pure and virtuous in their hearts. How can a primary spell booklet account for the favor of life-extending? They want to give something else to her in return, but they are struggling about what gift the apprentice of a master in the level of Bearing Essence may like.
Grandpa Mu leaves the thought of returning the favor behind him for now and makes several gestures with his right hand. Four mounds rise up from the empty ground. Lin Luoran senses the fluctuations of Reiki but she can’t figure out what Grandpa Mu is going to do at the moment. She stares at his hand gestures without blinking and relaxes more to sense the Reiki fluctuations — Lin Luoran has realized from her failure of casting the Fire Ball spell that she may have ignored the Reiki fluctuations while casting spells. She refuses to let this opportunity pass.
After a few seconds, the four mounds take shape gradually. It turns out they are one table and three chairs.
Ordinary people may think this is magic, but Lin Luoran can feel the moving brown Reiki molecules on the ground. Looking at the table and chairs made of mud, she realizes that the brown Reiki must belong to the nature of earth!
“Grandpa Mu, the mud is wet and soft. We can’t sit on it!” Lin Luoran assumes that Grandpa Mu hasn’t finished his performance, so she says something ironic on purpose in order to push him. She wants him to have a sense of accomplishment so that he can cast more spells. Lin Luoran loves to take more free spell lessons.
Grandpa Mu smiles. Lin Luoran’s little trick cannot fool him at all. Nevertheless, he sees her as a nice junior, and he likes to spoil her.
“Watch closely, Luoran!” Grandpa Mu starts to make another gesture with his right hand. His actions are slow and completely different from the spell he casts to make mud into table, or Wen Guanjing’s Fire Ball spell. A sharp and serious sense comes out with every single move he makes, and golden Reiki molecules in the thin air are reacting to him. Grandpa Mu looks careful and not as easy as he was when he casted the earth spell just now. He shouts, “Spell complete! Go!” A golden light comes out of his palm. The metal Reiki collapses with the earth Reiki and generates sparks. Fire starts to burn around the wet mud table and chairs!
He is drying the mud table and chairs? Lin Luoran stares at the sparkling flame. Her heart is beating fast. She is 100% sure that Grandpa Mu doesn’t direct any fire Reiki. Where does the fire come from?
Grandpa Guo coughs. He can’t bear the sight of Mu tricking the young woman with the myth of spells. After all, Mu is an old man, and the woman is a young cultivator.
“Mu, though metal and earth will generate fire, the spell can only be casted by cultivators above the level of Laying Foundation. Don’t try to trick Luoran!”
