The Quest for Immortality - Chapter 115 (Patreon)

Chapter 115: Spiritual Awareness

"What's there to teach about the Fireball Technique..."

After practicing the Fireball Technique a hundred times over four to five days, Mo Hua was stunned.

He thought he had almost mastered it, but Elder Gui's comment made him realize he hadn't really learned anything...

"Elder Gui, what else will you teach me then?"

Mo Hua was somewhat expectant.

"No need to teach other techniques; the Fireball Technique is sufficient," Elder Gui stated.

Mo Hua was completely baffled. "Then what are you teaching me?"

Elder Gui did not answer but instead posed a question, "What's the primary point in using a technique?"

"To learn the technique first?" Mo Hua ventured a guess.

"That's the basics, not the primary point. The main thing is, you need to hit your enemy. No matter how powerful a technique is, if it doesn't hit, it's as good as useless. It's a waste to even learn it," Elder Gui explained.

Mo Hua suddenly understood, though he felt it was somewhat obvious.

"What depends on hitting the target with a technique?" Elder Gui continued.

"Spiritual awareness," Mo Hua replied.

"Why?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, "The operation of a technique depends on spiritual awareness, casting relies on spiritual awareness, and even the trajectory of the technique after it's cast is controlled by spiritual awareness. So, if a technique is to hit someone, it also depends on spiritual awareness."

Elder Gui nodded, "The world seen through spiritual awareness is different from what the naked eye sees, you know this, right?"

Mo Hua nodded.

The world seen by the naked eye has clear outlines and vibrant, intricate colors.

But when a cultivator releases their spiritual awareness, what they perceive is a vast whiteness where the specifics of things dissolve, leaving only the state of their spiritual energy.

In other words, the world within a cultivator's spiritual awareness is like a blank sheet of paper splashed with colorful spiritual energy graffiti.

What spiritual awareness sees is not the concrete appearance of things but their more essential state of spiritual energy.

Elder Gui continued, "To hit with a technique, your spiritual awareness needs to 'see' it first."

"Can't I just use my eyes?" Mo Hua asked.

"Eyes are too easily deceived. It's foolish for a cultivator to rely only on sight," Elder Gui replied.

Mo Hua nodded.

Elder Gui casually plucked a slender emerald bamboo leaf and held it between his fingers.

"From three zhang away, hit this bamboo leaf with your Fireball Technique."

Worried about injuring Elder Gui with the Fireball Technique, but realizing the gap in their cultivation levels, Mo Hua tactfully remained silent.

His Fireball Technique probably wouldn't even warm Elder Gui's hands...

Mo Hua retreated three zhang, released his spiritual awareness, and the world within his spiritual awareness turned into a vast white expanse. The bamboo leaf floated in mid-air, its spiritual energy leaving a faint green shadow.

However, in this white expanse, there was no trace of Elder Gui.

Mo Hua understood that this was due to the significant difference in their spiritual awareness.

Those with weaker spiritual awareness cannot perceive a cultivator with a much stronger one.

"Elder Gui, here I come."

Mo Hua said, then activated his Fireball Technique, aiming at the spiritual shadow of the bamboo leaf.

The Fireball Technique hit the bamboo leaf, turning the vibrant green leaf into ash, but Elder Gui, holding the leaf, remained unscathed.

Elder Gui flipped his fingers, plucking another bamboo leaf.

"This time, hit this one."

Mo Hua hesitated, but still focused intently, tracking the trajectory of the leaf with his spiritual awareness before casting the Fireball Technique.

The Fireball flew through the air and missed the leaf, passing right by it.

"Do you know why you missed?" Elder Gui asked.

Mo Hua scratched his head, "Because the leaf was flying too fast?"

Elder Gui waved his hand casually, creating a gust of wind that whisked several bamboo leaves into a swift aerial dance.

With a flick of his finger, a spark flew up, chasing the fluttering leaves in the air.

Regardless of how the leaves danced, the spark eventually caught up with each one, piercing them and turning them into ash.

Mo Hua watched in awe.

"This is the first lesson I'm teaching you," Elder Gui looked at Mo Hua and said slowly:

"Spiritual Locking."

"Spiritual Locking..."

Mo Hua murmured, not fully understanding but feeling a profound impact.

"Spiritual Locking means using your spiritual awareness to lock onto your opponent. No matter how they dodge, they can't escape the pursuit of the technique," Elder Gui explained.

"So, if I lock them with spiritual awareness, will it definitely hit?" Mo Hua asked.

"Unless the opponent's movements are too

 fast, faster than your technique, or they block with another technique or spiritual tool, they won't be able to escape."

"Oh..." Mo Hua was a bit excited and asked, "How do I use spiritual awareness to lock on?"

"Release your spiritual awareness, perceive the opponent's spiritual energy, and attach your awareness to it to lock onto their position," Elder Gui explained succinctly, then added, "It sounds complicated, but you'll understand once you try it a few times."

After saying this, Elder Gui pinched another bamboo leaf, "Try locking onto this."

Mo Hua nodded and did as Elder Gui instructed, releasing his spiritual awareness and perceiving the spiritual state of the bamboo leaf. Soon, he felt a sensation of "insightful locking."

It was like drawing an array. Once you understand the array patterns, the entire array seems to be imprinted in your mind.

Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf with his spiritual awareness.

Elder Gui's gaze sharpened.

Learning so quickly...

"Is it because his spiritual awareness is too strong?" Elder Gui thought silently to himself.

After a moment of silence, Elder Gui released the leaf, and it danced into the air.

Mo Hua closed his eyes and channeled his energy, forming a pale red fireball at his fingertips. With his will, he sent it arcing through the air, striking the dancing leaf and reducing it to ash.

Mo Hua opened his eyes and smiled happily.

Elder Gui nodded, "Well learned."

"You teach well, Elder Gui!"

Elder Gui was noncommittal.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "What if I can't lock onto my opponent with spiritual awareness?"

"The best option," Elder Gui looked at Mo Hua, "is to run."

Mo Hua was stunned, then understood.

If you can't lock onto them with spiritual awareness, it means their spiritual awareness is far stronger than yours, and naturally, their cultivation is much superior to yours. Not running is simply waiting for death, and fighting is tantamount to seeking it.

"If you really can't run, or escape is impossible, you just have to rely on your eyes or guess based on feelings," Elder Gui said.

So it's just leaving it to fate...

Mo Hua silently thought.

"How can I avoid being locked onto by an opponent's spiritual awareness?" Mo Hua asked again.

"If your spiritual awareness is stronger than your opponent's, it's not easy for them to lock onto you. If your spiritual awareness is much stronger than theirs, they can't lock onto you at all."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then understood.

The stronger your spiritual awareness, the harder it is for others to perceive you, and naturally, the harder it is for them to lock onto you.

If your spiritual awareness is so strong that your opponent can't even perceive it, they naturally can't lock onto you.

"The use of spiritual awareness in combat also involves techniques, but I can't teach that. You'll have to figure it out yourself when you face other cultivators in the future," Elder Gui said.

"Not even a little bit?" Mo Hua asked.

Elder Gui explained, "Spiritual awareness is different from spiritual energy. Spiritual energy leaves traces, but spiritual awareness is intangible. Cultivators can use meridians and acupoints to locate spiritual energy, but there's nothing that can define spiritual awareness."

"Therefore, the use of spiritual awareness can only be understood through your own experiences. I could explain, but you wouldn't understand, and even if you did, it doesn't mean you'd be able to use it..."

Mo Hua nodded, taking to heart all that Elder Gui had said.

Although he didn't fully understand now, he would definitely find it useful in the future.

Elder Gui continued, "But you don't need to worry too much. Generally speaking, among cultivators of the same major realm, the gap in spiritual awareness isn't large enough to prevent an opponent from locking on..."

Elder Gui stopped there, glanced at Mo Hua, and his gaze slightly hardened.

Generally speaking, that is...

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