Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique-Chapter 196 - 193: Sparring

A football-sized flat fireball flapped its two wings and dragged a bright tail, tracing a graceful curve in the air, exemplifying true elegance.

"Boom!"

The fireball exploded upon hitting Du Huaiyuan, shattering the purple protective spirit light instantly. His entire body flew seven or eight zhang like a battered baseball.

When the fireball exploded, bright yellow flames scattered like a blooming flower, embodying the fusion of beauty and violence.

"Thud," Du Huaiyuan crisply smashed into the rocks, tumbling like a rolling gourd.

Li Lingyu sneaked a glance at Senior Brother Liu, thinking no wonder he chose a gentle mountainside for the spar.

If this place were rocky and rugged, Senior Brother Du would have been in real trouble.

Mu Qingwan covered her eyes with her hands, unable to watch, as Senior Brother Du’s talent for magical combat was worse than both hers and Lingyu’s.

Du Huaiyuan walked over, clutching his left cheek, and grimaced:

"I give up, Senior Brother Liu is at Fifth-Layer Foundation Establishment, this isn’t fair, it’s pure bullying."

Liu Yu lightly shook his head, furrowing his brows as he said:

"If you encounter demon beasts or demon cultivators, would your opponents compete with you fairly?

Besides, in battle, you have to keep an eye out in all directions. How can you let the magic technique hit you squarely?

Can’t you move?!

Even if you can’t completely avoid it, you can’t just take the full brunt of the magic technique’s power."

Among the three of them, he sparred for a while with each, yet Du Huaiyuan lasted the shortest, merely a breath’s time to resolve the fight.

In the earlier combat, he hadn’t even used a magical artifact. If it were a life and death struggle, the opponent wouldn’t have known how many times they’d have died.

If they encountered a high-tier demon beast in such a condition, they’d simply be prey delivered straight to the door.

Only by overpowering and fighting against Qi Refining Stage enemies, but once the war starts, no cultivator gets to choose their opponent.

"Brother, you’re a Law Enforcement Hall cultivator, battle-hardened.

I’m just a humble Pill Master; it’s natural not to react in time."

"If that’s the case, practice more then."

Du Huaiyuan felt his face sting even more, argued:

"Junior Brother Ji is a Spirit Farmer, when he comes over, I’ll spar with him, there’s no way it will be so embarrassing!"

"Oh," Liu Yu showed a peculiar smile and said:

"Alright, let me see how long you last against Junior Brother Ji later."

"A quarter hour should be no problem."

Liu Yu no longer paid attention to Du Huaiyuan, turning to shout:

"Qingwan, Lingyu, have you two thought of any combat techniques? Are you continuing?"

Mu Qingwan stepped forward:

"I’ll go, at least to learn some movement techniques."

"Alright, Junior Sister, be careful, although my magic attack is in an arc, I can roughly determine its trajectory."

...

Ji An controlled the flying shuttle to land on the slope, just in time to see Senior Sister Mu getting hit by a bursting fireball.

Fortunately, it just grazed her, and the protective spirit light on her didn’t dissipate.

Liu Yu called out:

"Alright, let’s take a break.

Junior Brother Du, start your performance, Junior Brother Ji is here."

Ji An was perplexed and asked:

"What’s going on?"

Li Lingyu coughed and explained the situation.

Du Huaiyuan laughed and said:

"Junior Brother Ji is a Spirit Farmer, usually tending to the Spirit Field, our levels in magical combat should be about the same, sparring would be meaningful."

Liu Yu transmitted his voice:

"Junior Brother Du’s magical combat ability is too poor, lasting only a few breaths in my hands.

You better teach him a good lesson, can’t let him continue to slack off."

As a fellow sect senior brother, he was subtly anxious.

Ji An nodded gently, stepped forward, and smiled:

"Senior Brother Du, are you ready?"

During the process of walking, he already made hand signs to release Wind Control Technique, then took out the Earth Spirit Bead, injected magical power into it, covering his body in yellow spirit light.

Du Huaiyuan waved a purple flag magical artifact, a cloud-like spirit light enveloping his whole body:

"Bring it on."

Ji An moved close, casually unleashing Explosive Flame Technique, an orange-red flame shot towards its target.

Seeing Explosive Flame Technique coming, Du Huaiyuan used the Water Curtain Technique to block it. He wasn’t thinking of dodging, standing and exchanging blows was a rookie’s battle rhythm.

At this moment, Ji An moved into a favorable position, using his body to block the opponent’s line of sight, and made hand signs to release a bursting fireball.

Mu Qingwan, watching by the side, suddenly widened her eyes as she saw the fireball with blue flames on its surface instantly condensing in Junior Brother Ji’s palm.

Judging from the fireball’s condensation speed and color, the magic technique reached Perfection Level.

Is such a level of magic technique achievable by a cultivator who tends Spirit Fields all day?

She practiced the Fire Element Technique and had been at Foundation Establishment longer than Junior Brother Ji, yet managed to practice the bursting fireball to only the Great Success Level, still lacking some finesse for Perfection.

Mu Qingwan sighed silently in her heart; she already knew the fate awaiting Senior Brother Du.

Blocked from view, Du Huaiyuan didn’t know the fireball was condensing, thinking:

"This is the proper way to spar, coming directly is much better."

The Water Curtain Technique was hit by the Explosive Flame Technique, rippling with water patterns.

His eyes were caught by a brilliant color, and the next moment he was struck head-on by the bursting fireball, his body blasted four to five zhang away.

What’s going on?

Du Huaiyuan fell to the ground, his head buzzing, his first reaction was that Senior Brother Liu had launched a sneak attack.

Later he realized it wasn’t so; judging by the position from which the fireball was launched, it couldn’t have been Senior Brother Liu.

After a while, Ji An noticed the other party coming back to their senses and said:

"Senior Brother Du, you must keep moving during a battle."

The most intense battles are often life-and-death, and facing a stronger opponent requires constant movement to dodge attacks and create distance.

Mu Qingwan said:

"Junior Brother Ji’s Bursting Fireball has reached the Perfection Level, so Junior Brother Du’s loss was well deserved."

Li Lingyu was surprised and whispered: 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Junior Brother Ji’s Bursting Fireball can also attack in an arc; if I were to fight him, I wouldn’t last long either."

"I’ll go down the mountain and think it over."

Du Huaiyuan’s expression was somewhat dejected; among many junior brothers and sisters, his cultivation was left far behind, and his magical combat ability was actually the weakest.

He steered the Flying Shuttle away, heading toward the Cold Pool.

"I hope he realizes, in times of the Demon Calamity, cultivators can’t afford to be weak."

Liu Yu sighed softly, for the times were such that weakness meant destruction.

Junior Brother Du is of top-grade aptitude; if he drinks less Spirit Wine and focuses more on cultivation and battle strategies daily, he could potentially sustain himself once the Demon Calamity breaks out, even without earning merits.

As a cultivator of the Law Enforcement Hall, he was acutely aware of the war’s brutality.

Liu Yu turned his head and said in a deep voice:

"Junior Brother, how about a spar between us?"

"I was just thinking the same thing."

Ji An responded, putting away the Earth Spirit Bead and taking out the apricot yellow Banner.

Liu Yu looked carefully as he took out the Blazing Golden Wheel.

As the two began their combat, Ji An displayed his battle skills with quick movements, turning freely in the air, using the Water Curtain Technique or Cold Wind Technique to block attacks.

The battle ended in a draw, surprising not only Li Lingyu and the two other women, but also Liu Yu, who had used eighty percent of his strength by the mid-battle.

Now, Junior Brother Ji’s magical combat ability and experience were no different from that of seasoned Law Enforcement Hall cultivators.

"Junior Brother, your abilities are among the first tier within the Law Enforcement Hall cultivators."

Liu Yu said with admiration, noting how Ji guarded without any flaw and attacked swiftly and sharply.

"Senior Brother was holding back against me."

Ji An replied. Through the earlier combat, he gained a more precise understanding of his own combat power.

He still had many trump cards he hadn’t used, and Senior Brother Liu surely hadn’t gone all out either, but if both fought with their full power, he was confident he could win.

...

At dusk, Liu Yu and others left one after another.

Ji An took out the account book and handed it over, saying:

"Senior Brother Du, you still have about a thousand jin of top-grade pine nut wine, do you want to take it away or sell it?"

"Sell it; I can’t lead a life of drunkenness anymore."

Du Huaiyuan forced a grim smile; in the years following his Foundation Establishment, his cultivation had slackened considerably, widening the gap with his fellow brothers and sisters.

Among the many disciples under the master, only he remained in the Early-stage Foundation Establishment.

With the growing gap in cultivation levels, he might find it hard to fit into the circle.

After seriously reviewing the account, he returned it and said:

"The accounts are fine, in the future, I plan to sell ninety percent of the share from wine brewing proceeds, to acquire Spiritual Artifacts and purchase Pills. Junior Brother, you need to supervise me."

He would keep the Tier Two Spirit Wine for exchanging all kinds of Spiritual Objects.

Senior Brother Liu was right; once the war starts, there will be no fairness in battles, and he too must arm himself as much as possible.

Otherwise, if he ends up becoming the laggard in the team during missions, his future would prove difficult.

Ji An nodded solemnly:

"I will remind Senior Brother."

It seems today’s battle struck him painfully, but also woke him up.

"Tomorrow, I will visit Ningcui Cliff to ask the master about what kind of Spiritual Artifact cultivators practicing Water Element Cultivation Method should choose."

"Crafting Spiritual Artifacts indeed requires early planning; collecting materials can be a troublesome task, consuming quite a bit of time and energy."

Du Huaiyuan nodded slightly and said:

"Junior Brother Wei is very well-connected in this area; I plan to ask him for help collecting materials, and Junior Brother, I would need you to mediate."

Wei Songnian was known to approach anyone, chat lightly, and boast a little, casually planting his face to be remembered.

Oddly enough, such people are particularly suited to business; whenever something arises, they are the first ones people think of.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, Junior Brother Wei will certainly do his best to help."

Ji An opened the account book and said:

"Recently, 7,200 Spirit Stones of top-grade Spirit Wine were sold. According to the agreement, Senior Brother is entitled to forty percent, which is 2,880 Spirit Stones in total."

He took out 29 pieces of middle-grade Spirit Stones and handed them over.

Du Huaiyuan accepted the Spirit Stones and said with clasped hands:

"Junior Brother, farewell.

In half a month, I will be heading to Mingfeng Mountain Immortal City, and I expect to return in about half a year, so the wine brewing won’t be delayed."

...

Under the gentle moonlight, Ji An buried the tea tree seeds into the black soil at the center of the clearing.

He cast the Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell, and with the yellow spirit light shining down, the Spirit Field was filled with nurturing and profound Magic Intent.

With changes in the Dharma Seal in his hand, he released the Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, where clouds gathered within a zhang radius at the clearing’s center, enveloped in a moist and fresh aura, as Spirit Rain silently fell into the soil.

Under the moonlight, raindrops shimmered like glistening pearls, with Spirit Light twinkling.

Under the dual nourishment of the Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell and the Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, the tea tree sprouted and grew roots.

When the clouds dissipated and the rain ceased, the newly born sapling grew to a height of one chi, its five white leaves sprawling freely in the serene illumination.

The veins of the leaves were a pale golden color, unmistakably marking the seed from the Ghost Moon Cyan Jade Tree.