bookbashuk Chapter 43, Second Instant Spell
Chapter 43, Second Instant Spell
"Selling sugar figurines! Sweet and delicious sugar figurines!"
A peddler carrying a load on his shoulder pole walked across the street, shouting loudly.
He walked up to the pale-faced middle-aged man, stopped, and smiled warmly. "Sir, would you like to try a sugar figurine? The sugar syrup is freshly made and very sweet."
The middle-aged man's gaze lingered first on the peddler's face before shifting to the bright red sugar figurine.
He twitched his lips and slowly forced out a stiff smile.
He pulled out a few stained copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to the peddler.
"Okay, here you go."
The peddler smiled and took the coin, then casually handed a sugar figurine with a flying bird design to the middle-aged man.
The moment their fingers inadvertently touched, the peddler's smile froze. He felt as if he had touched the coldest ice in a freezer; his skin was utterly devoid of warmth.
This is absolutely not the kind of touch a living person should have!
"hiss!"
The peddler felt a chill run down his spine.
He looked up, wanting to get a closer look at the other person's appearance.
But then he discovered that the middle-aged man who had been standing in front of him just moments before had vanished without him noticing.
The peddler suddenly turned around, behind him was a bustling crowd.
"This is unbelievable..."
The peddler rubbed his stiff fingers and muttered something under his breath.
But he quickly put the matter aside, thinking, "Who cares? Even if it really was a ghost in broad daylight, as long as I pay, it's a good ghost!"
……
……
Inside Zhao Cheng'an's studio in the bamboo building of the Imperial Academy.
Full of anticipation, Zhao Cheng'an opened the Qiankun Cauldron, took out the newly fused iron wire vine from it, and placed it on the Qingwei Illuminating Mirror to observe it. By adjusting the angle, he observed a completely new and complex rune clearly reflected on the mirror's surface.
Zhao Cheng'an breathed a long sigh of relief, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
These days of tireless research have finally yielded results.
The release of the Vine Armor Technique originally required three runes: the Vine Nurturing Rune, the Toughening Rune, and the Entangling Rune. Among them, the Vine Nurturing Rune and the Entangling Rune promote the rapid growth of vines through spiritual energy, which is similar in effect to the guiding runes required by the Grass Sword Technique.
Zhao Chengan's thinking was very clear.
He first used the Qiankun Cauldron to fuse the vine-nurturing pattern and the wrapping pattern for the first time, and then used the generated complex runes and guiding vein patterns for the second fusion.
Ultimately, this resulted in a new, complex rune system formed by coupling three basic runes together.
Zhao Cheng'an named this complex rune the Qingyan rune.
The color green is derived from wood, and the meaning of growth is derived from the growth of life, which corresponds perfectly to the growth module in his own magical system.
In this way, Zhao Cheng'an, now at the third level of Qi Refining, can inscribe three True Spirit Runes on his body to instantly cast spells.
These three True Spirit Runes are the Object Control Rune, the Azure Flow Rune, and the Toughening Rune.
Combining the Manipulation Pattern with the Azure Pattern allows one to unleash the Grass Sword Technique. Conversely, combining the Toughness Pattern with the Azure Pattern enables the instantaneous casting of the Vine Armor Technique.
The most difficult first step in the modular rune system has been successfully taken.
With this rune, Zhao Cheng'an could instantly cast two different spells, one offensive and one defensive.
This is something many cultivators who have just entered the mid-stage of Qi Refining cannot do. This will not only give him a huge advantage in actual combat, but also ensure his safety when he goes to Black Wind Valley in a few days.
"Persistence pays off. My approach is correct. Deconstructing the spell system through modularization is a further step in rune fusion. As long as I continue down this path, I can integrate even more spells into it. This approach has limitless potential!"
"But for now, let's learn the rattan armor technique first!"
Zhao Cheng'an raised his hands and rubbed his face vigorously, forcing himself to calm down from his agitated emotions.
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to inscribe the newly formed Azure Pattern into his body.
And so, several more days passed.
That morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Zhao Cheng'an arrived at the small courtyard below the bamboo building, stood in front of a huge blue stone, and prepared to test the power of his magic.
With a thought, the Manipulation Pattern and Azure Evolution Pattern within his body were activated simultaneously.
The bamboo-bone sword grass held between his fingertips transformed into a streak of green light and shot out.
boom!
The bluestone shattered under the immense impact, sending fragments flying and creating shallow craters in the ground. Zhao Cheng'an withdrew his hand and immediately switched to two other runes. The Azure Radiance Rune and the Toughening Rune lit up.
The black iron vines wrapped around his wrists grew and spread rapidly, covering his entire body in the blink of an eye.
The intertwined vines felt like a thick suit of armor, yet it didn't feel heavy at all when you moved around.
"Xiao Wu, I'll need your help with something next!"
Zhao Cheng'an beckoned to Xiao Wu, who was watching from the side, and asked him to come over and help test the defensive power of the rattan armor technique.
During this time, Xiao Wu followed Zhao Cheng'an and ate a large amount of hybrid spiritual rice containing spiritual energy every day, which caused his physical condition to change dramatically. Not only did his strength increase greatly and his blood and qi become abundant, but he also vaguely guessed the secrets of the Imperial Academy and knew that his young master was no longer an ordinary person.
Upon hearing Zhao Chengan's instructions, Xiao Wu drew the long sword from his waist and gripped the hilt tightly with both hands.
"Young master, please forgive me!"
Xiao Wu shouted and swung his long sword, slashing with all his might at the rattan armor on Zhao Cheng'an's arm.
when!
A crisp metallic clang rang out, and sparks flew from the point where the blade collided with the vine.
Xiao Wu felt a jolt in his hand, and the long sword almost flew out of his grasp.
"Let's do it again!" Zhao Chengan said.
Xiao Wu took a half step back, took another deep breath, and with a burst of power from his waist, slashed down with his long sword, accompanied by a whistling sound.
Click!
This time, the longsword broke in half, the broken blade spinning and flying out, embedding itself in the soil some distance away.
Xiao Wu stared wide-eyed at the broken knife in his hand, only half of it remaining, his face filled with disbelief.
He felt a tingling sensation in his wrist and a dull ache in the web of his hand.
These seemingly fragile vines actually possess such incredible defensive capabilities.
That's incredible!
Zhao Cheng'an was also very satisfied with the effects of the rattan armor technique.
This technique not only consumes little spiritual energy, but also creates vine armor that fits the body perfectly, is light and breathable, does not affect limb movement at all, and has outstanding defensive capabilities.
After the test was completed, Zhao Cheng'an put away the rattan armor and changed into a clean set of clothes.
At the appointed time, he appeared right on time at the gate of the Imperial Academy.
Chen Heng was already waiting there.
She was dressed in a simple white sword outfit, her posture upright. Her unique aura was like a newly drawn sword, its sharpness fully revealed, attracting attention wherever she went.
At this moment, people were coming and going at the gate of the Imperial Academy, and many students and servants secretly glanced at her.