Chapter 114: Spiritual Awareness

“What is there good to teach about the Fireball Technique?”

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

He still thought he had already learned almost enough, but Kui Lao’s sentence was equivalent to telling him that he had actually learned nothing yet.

“Grandpa Kui, then what magic spell will you teach me?”

Mo Hua was a bit expectant.

“No need to teach magic spells, the Fireball Technique is enough,” Kui Lao said.

Mo Hua was completely confused. “Then what will you teach me?”

Kui Lao did not answer, but asked a question:

“What is the first key point of using magic spells?”

“First learning the magic spell?” Mo Hua ventured.

“That’s the foundation, not a key point. The first key point is that you must hit the enemy. No matter how great the magic spell’s power, if it cannot hit the enemy, it is useless and learned in vain,” Kui Lao said.

Mo Hua suddenly realized, but then felt this was somewhat nonsensical.

“If a magic spell is to hit a person, what does it rely on?” Kui Lao asked again.

“Divine sense,” Mo Hua answered.

“Why?”

Mo Hua thought slightly, then said:

“Channeling the magic spell relies on divine sense, casting relies on divine sense, and after casting, the magic spell’s trajectory is also controlled by divine sense. So, if a magic spell is to hit a person, it also relies on divine sense.”

Kui Lao nodded. “You know that the world in divine sense and the world seen by the naked eye are different, right?”

Mo Hua nodded.

The world seen by the naked eye has clear outlines and colorful, detailed colors.

However, when a cultivator’s divine sense is released, what is perceived is a field of virtual white. In this virtual white, things lose their specific outlines, leaving only the state of spiritual power.

In other words, the world in a cultivator’s divine sense is like colorful, variegated spiritual power doodles on white paper.

What divine sense sees is not the specific appearances of things, but their more essential spiritual power state.

Kui Lao continued, “Magic spells need divine sense to guide. Therefore, if you want to hit something, your divine sense must first ‘see’ it.”

“Then Grandpa Kui, isn’t using eyes to see okay?” Mo Hua asked.

“Eyes are too easily deceived. Cultivators who only use their eyes to look are very foolish.”

Mo Hua nodded.

Kui Lao casually plucked, and an emerald green, narrow, long bamboo leaf fell onto his fingers.

“From three *zhang* away, use the Fireball Technique to hit this bamboo leaf.”

Mo Hua worried the Fireball Technique would injure Kui Lao, but estimated the gap in their cultivation levels and very sensibly did not say it aloud.

His Fireball Technique was probably not even enough to warm Kui Lao’s hands.

Mo Hua retreated to three *zhang* away, released his divine sense. In the world of divine sense, a field of virtual white, that bamboo leaf floated in mid-air, appearing as a faint green spiritual power remnant shadow.

But in this world of virtual white, there was no trace of Kui Lao.

Mo Hua knew this was because the gap in their divine senses was too large.

Someone with weak divine sense cannot spy on a cultivator with strong divine sense.

“Grandpa Kui, I’m coming.”

Mo Hua finished speaking, activated the Fireball Technique, and sent it towards the spiritual power remnant shadow of the bamboo leaf in his divine sense.

The Fireball Technique hit the bamboo leaf, burning that piece of emerald green bamboo leaf into flying ash. Kui Lao, who was holding the bamboo leaf, was unharmed.

Kui Lao flipped his fingers, and again held a bamboo leaf.

This time, he released two fingers, and the bamboo leaf between his fingers slowly floated up, dancing in the air with the wind.

“You use the Fireball Technique to hit this one again.”

Mo Hua was troubled, but he still held his breath and concentrated, following the trajectory of that bamboo leaf with his divine sense, and then cast the Fireball Technique.

The Fireball Technique flew into the air and brushed past the bamboo leaf, missing it.

“Do you know why you missed?”

Mo Hua scratched his head. “The bamboo leaf flew too fast?”

Kui Lao casually waved, and within a square inch, stirred up a gust of wind. The gust wrapped several bamboo leaves, which danced rapidly in the air.

Kui Lao gently flicked his finger, and a spark flew from his fingertip, then flew upwards, chasing the bamboo leaves in the air.

No matter how the bamboo leaves danced, they were ultimately all chased by the spark, one by one pierced through, and turned into flying ash.

Mo Hua watched, stunned.

“This is the first point I will teach you,” Kui Lao looked at Mo Hua and slowly said:

“Divine sense locking.”

“Divine sense locking…”

Mo Hua murmured, although he didn’t know what it was, he was immensely shocked in his heart.

“So-called divine sense locking is using divine sense to lock onto the enemy. This way, no matter how he dodges, he ultimately cannot escape the pursuit of the magic spell,” Kui Lao said.

“Then if divine sense is locked, will it definitely hit?” Mo Hua asked.

“Unless the opponent’s movement technique is too fast, faster than your magic spell, or they use other magic spells or spiritual tools to block, otherwise they cannot escape.”

“Oh, I see.” Mo Hua was somewhat excited, and then asked, “Then how do I use divine sense locking?”

“Release your divine sense, perceive the opponent’s spiritual power, attach your divine sense to it, and then you can lock onto its position.”

Kui Lao said concisely, and after that, added:

“It sounds complex, but if you follow along and do it a few times, you will understand.”

Kui Lao finished speaking, pinched his fingers, and took another bamboo leaf. “You try to lock onto it.”

Mo Hua nodded. According to what Kui Lao said, he released his divine sense, perceived the bamboo leaf’s spiritual power state with his divine sense, and after that, there was naturally a feeling of ‘perceiving and locking’.

It was just like drawing array formations. As long as you understand the array patterns, the entire array formation is as if imprinted in your mind.

Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf with his divine sense.

Kui Lao looked at Mo Hua, his gaze condensed.

He learned so fast…

“Is it because his divine sense is too strong?” Kui Lao silently said in his heart.

After a moment of silence, Kui Lao loosened his fingers, and the bamboo leaf danced in the air.

Mo Hua closed his eyes, pointed and channeled energy. A faint red fireball condensed at his fingers, then flew upwards following his intention. After drawing an arc, it hit the dancing bamboo leaf, burning it into flying ash.

Mo Hua opened his eyes and smiled happily.

Kui Lao nodded. “You learned well.”

“Grandpa Kui, you teach well!”

Kui Lao did not comment.

Mo Hua thought for a bit, and then asked, “Then if I cannot divine sense lock the opponent, what should I do?”

“The best way,” Kui Lao looked at Mo Hua and said, “is to run.”

Mo Hua was stunned, then understood again.

If you cannot divine sense lock, it means the opponent’s divine sense is far stronger than yours, and naturally, their cultivation is also far superior to yours. Not running is waiting for death; making a move is also equivalent to seeking death.

“If you really cannot run or cannot escape, then you can only rely on your eyes to look, or rely on feeling to guess,” Kui Lao said.

Just leaving it to fate…

Mo Hua thought silently.

“Then how can I not be locked by the opponent with divine sense?” Mo Hua asked again.

“If your divine sense is stronger than the opponent’s, they will not easily lock onto you. If your divine sense is far stronger than the opponent’s, they will not be able to lock onto you.”

Mo Hua thought for a bit, then understood.

If your divine sense is stronger, it is harder for the opponent’s divine sense to perceive you, and naturally harder to lock onto you.

If your divine sense is strong to the point that the opponent cannot perceive it, they naturally cannot lock onto you.

“In combat magic, there are also techniques for using divine sense, but this cannot be taught. In the future, when you fight with cultivators, you will have to slowly comprehend it yourself,” Kui Lao said.

“Cannot be taught at all?” Mo Hua asked.

Kui Lao explained, “Divine sense is different from spiritual power. Spiritual power has traces to follow, but divine sense is ethereal. Cultivators can use meridians and acupoints to position spiritual power, but they cannot use anything to define divine sense.”

“Therefore, the usage of divine sense can only rely on your own experience and comprehension. Even if I tell you, you might not understand, and even if you understand, you might not necessarily be able to use it…”

Mo Hua nodded, seriously remembering everything Kui Lao said.

Although he didn’t understand much now, he would definitely be able to use it in the future.

Kui Lao continued, “However, you don’t need to worry too much. Generally speaking, among cultivators of the same great realm, the gap in divine senses cannot be so large that the opponent is completely unable to lock on.”

Kui Lao paused here, looked at Mo Hua, his gaze slightly condensed.

Generally speaking, this is the case…