Finding A Master!
After seeing Li Li off, Jing was fully awake. Her mission involving Tang Wuying and Gong Juns duel in two days is ready for completion. With the refined boorang she gave him, if he still couldnt get the best of Jun then he would be a giant waste of her ti. Besides that, she has another matter to accomplish today.
Becoming an apprentice spellmaster. The required ti for her to participate in a ranking match is coming soon and she cant go out as she is now. She has shown herself to be an untalented cultivator with a subpar talent at being a spellmaster. So, she would continue to play the part. But first, she needs to actually be practicing the art of formations. She needs to find herself a master that is willing to take soone as untalented and average as her in and keep her despite her horrible talent that she plans to improve to average talent in ti.
Jing left her humble abode and proceeded to the Mission Hall. Inside the Mission Hall, there is a place where disciples can request to apprentice under elders. If they are lucky, they can et in the sa day they requested to et with them. If they are unlucky, it could be several months until a eting could be made. The latter only happens if it is a powerful and popular elder within the sect. So say that those that have tried to et with the Sect Leader have been waiting for years to et with him.
Jing arrived in the Mission Hall filled with her fellow disciples. Most wearing the standard robe given to all disciples upon arrival in the sect. They were wearing white robes with golden streaks running down them. A golden serpent was laying bare on the front of the robe in an S shape. While Jing was walking towards the request desk, she looked around to see many disciples offering their own missions. If you had enough contribution points, you could use them as rewards for sothing to fulfill a request of your own.
If the mission giver didnt have the contribution points promised, they would be stripped from ever being allowed to give missions again and receive 100 lashing by one of the elders that run the Mission Hall for besmirching the good na of their hall. Even if you were one of the elders blood and flesh, theyd still be unable to go easy on you. The rules of the Mission Hall are not ant to be broken or ignored.
Selling talismans! Im willing to sell each one for 10 spirit stones! An apprentice spellmaster shouted.
Selling Recovery Pills, Qi recovery pills, blood replenishing pills, and bone strengthening pills! Open to bargaining! An apprentice alchemist yelled into the crowd of cultivators.
Selling the hide of a Furred Anteater and the bones of a mysterious beast at the Qi Consolidation stage! Willing to accept spirit stones or mortal-ranked mystic treasures.
Willing to give 50 mortal-ranked spirit stones for anyone that manages to kill Ying Yue or Ai Bing! Just bringing back their head is enough! 50 stones for each head!
Jing had to stop herself from giggling after hearing that Bing and Ying had a bounty on them already. Just what fun activities have those two been doing without her knowing? Making enemies with soone in the sect without even telling her? If she was a bit more childish, she would want to tell them off for not including her. She does enjoy so chaos and mayhem. Maybe shell try and make things a bit more chaotic in the future by sending the Huan clan a little ssage on the behalf of Bing. Jing is his master after all.
Hello there. What can I do for you?
Id like to apprentice under a spellmaster. Can I see a list of all available elders? Jing asked.
No problem. Here you go. The average looking disciple gave her a book filled with the nas of all the elders who practice formations and talismans.
So of the nas were crossed out, Jing figured that they were unable to take her as an apprentice and skipped those nas. But most of the talented elders already had disciples and had their nas crossed out, forcing Jing to pick from the worst of the bunch. She didnt know why no one wanted to disciple under these elders but would surely avoid the ones that had a skull marked next to their nas.
Elder Lang huh... I guess youll have to do. Jing chose.
There were about 4 other nas she could have chose that didnt have a skull marked next to them or were crossed out but she chose Lang simply because her gut told her to. She handed the book back to the receptionist and asked where Elder Lang stayed.
You can find Elder Lang on Crescent Mountain. Hes usually the only one up there but sotis he cos down to fill up on supplies or et with the other spellmaster elders.
Thank you. Jing said with a friendly smile before walking away.
Jing headed towards Crescent Mountain without delay. She was interested in seeing what type of person Elder Lang was. Is he going to be an arrogant old blind idiot like the rest of the elders she saw on her first day here or is he going to be different? If he discards her with a single look, she definitely isnt letting him go peacefully. With her latest martial arts she learned, she has been looking to test it on soone.
Hu Tao has been caught up in sothing along with the rest of her followers. Bing and Ying have a bounty out on their heads. Lei Zhi has gotten caught up in a duel just like the situation with Tang Wuying. Just what kind of troublemakers has she recruited to her cause? How is she going to be able to call herself their leader if she doesnt even know what the hell is going on in their lives? She wants to get involved in dangerous and crazy situations or at the very least know that they are going on.
Not only because she wishes to make them even worse. Her followers do need so better martial arts and items. What better way of getting stronger is there than stealing from those better off than you? Shes doing them a favor once she finds out the exact situations, they found themselves in.
Knock! Knock!
Hello? Elder Lang? Jing rapped on his door.
Crash! Jing heard inside the dium-sized ho the sound of sothing very heavy crashing to the floor.
Oh geez. Dang it all to heck! He loudly whispered. Be there in a second! Just give a mont! He responded.
A playful smile crawled on Jings face but she quickly drowned it back where it ca. Deciding to toy with this man she doesnt even know based on their first interaction is too hasty. Lets see how things progress at first before deciding to ss with Elder Lang. She still hasnt even asked if he could be her master and teach her about formations.
The door swung open to reveal a scrawny, ssily dressed, weak looking young man? His robes were wrinkled sothing fierce and werent tightened completely. He had a kind smile on his face despite him and his ho looking like a wild animal ran through them. Jing wanted to check if he was using a technique to hide his true age but she wouldnt know the first way of doing so.
Hello. He greeted.
Are you Elder Lang?
Yes, that is . Did you make a mistake in choosing a spellmaster elder or did soone play a prank on you by looking for ?
I dont believe I made a mistake... Will you be my teacher in all things related to formations and talismans? Jing asked kindly.
Are... you sure...? He asked dumbfounded that apparently soone would want to apprentice under him.
Yes! Jing answered with small determination behind her voice.
Please co in then. Ignore the ss. Ill get it later.
Jing entered inside the ssy ho filled with talisman slips, books filled with spell patterns or different techniques, jars of spirit ink, brushes of varying sizes, and bookcases to hold those books. She wanted to be polite and not step on the things on the floor but saw Elder Lang just ignoring them completely so she did the sa. He told her to wait at the small table while he went to go and make so tea for them.
Lang must be quite the dedicated spellmaster. This type of ss doesnt co without a lot of research and practice. Jing praised.
His deanor obviously needs so improvent but shes excited to see how good of a spellmaster he is. Maybe hes a hidden dragon. How else could he have beco an elder at such a young age? Well if he isnt hiding his age with so technique. Then hes even more pathetic than she would have thought.
And here we go. Lang returned and placed their tea on the table.
Jing took a sip and it wasnt bad. Based on how hes living, it doesnt seem like he gets visitors often. So, this tea is better than she thought it would be.
Thanks. Its nice. Jing told him.
A visible look of relief showed up on his face after her complint. Oh dear.
Before I accept you as my pupil, I must ask you a few questions if you dont mind.
Jing stared at him with acknowledgent.
Do you have any experience in the arts of spellmastery?
Little.
No change in his expression with this answer.
Are you aware of my background or status within the sect?
No.
Surprise filled his eyes at this answer.
How far are you planning to pursue in the path of arrays?
I wish to reach the peak of spellmastery! Jing shouted weakly.
A peaceful smile appeared on Langs face.
Then I have no reason to not accept you as my disciple. From this day forth you can now refer to as Master Lang.
Thank you for accepting this disciple teacher. Discipline Jing.
Fair warning... You are my very first disciple so, if you have anything you wish to say about or my teaching thods please feel free to share with your thoughts.
Oh god. Jing thought. Will do teacher. Jing responded.
When you said you have little experience with spellmastery, what have you worked with so far? He asked.
Ive created 10 talismans with the spell Qi shield.
Thats a good start. How long did it take you to finish?
Around 12 hours.
Very good! Much better than my first ti. It took over 3 days to create 10 talismans.
I think youre just untalented... Jing shared with herself.
Is the Qi Shield spell pattern the only one you know?
Yes. It was the only one I could even hope to finish... Jing ekly smiled.
Thats normal for all beginning spellmasters. Being able to etch spells takes ti, focus, and patience. None of those are things that most youths are good at dealing with. So, its understandable to be not so fast at the start, and besides speed is never sothing a spellmaster should focus on unless they are in battle. We wont get into how spellmasters fight for a while though. You must learn to crawl before you can walk.
Yes teacher.
To begin, lets have you make a qi shield spell again. Lang grabbed one of the hundreds of blank talisman slips on the floor along with a jar of spirit ink and a normal sized brush.
He placed the items in front of her and nodded to signal her to begin. Jing rembered the advice Shang Zhai gave her and slowly but surely started painting the qi shield pattern. She made sure to frequently look at the qi shield pattern every ti she made the slightest movent so that it looked like she doesnt have it burned into her mory quite yet. It also made her look cautious and unconfident. She glanced at her master from ti to ti only to see him with a reassuring smile.
Youre doing fine Jing. Take your ti. Your speed is the last thing Im concerned about.
Jing made it look as if his words made her less tense. Her strokes beca steadier and slower. She finished up the spell within 50 minutes and gave it to her master to look at it.
Perfect work! Now lets test it.
Lang injected his qi within the talisman and threw it on the floor. The talisman lit with a purple fla as it attached itself to the floor. It burned into ash and from its ashes, a wide barrier made of qi appeared. Jing smiled in relief that her spell worked. Lang smiled along with her as he destroyed the barrier he made with his sword.
Good! Your drawing style is fantastic. Who taught you how to draw like that? He asked.
A friend? Jing replied unsure of her own answer.
Well what a nice friend you have to share a drawing technique like that. Usually you only see those types of styles with families that has a deep history with making talismans.
Oh!
For the rest of today, I can have you look over all these other spells. Most spellmasters choose a certain type of spells or formations to work with their fighting style. If they choose to beco fighters that is. So spellmasters choose to only sell their works and make a profit from them while others use them to fight. Im guessing you would like to use your talismans to protect yourself and not make a profit right?
Yes master. Jing said with so sadness behind her eyes.
No problem! The world is dangerous after all. Filled with all sorts of beasts and evil characters. Take a look through this spell book and tell which category of spells you would like to focus on.
Jing grabbed the thick leather book and opened it. Elder Lang used the ti to drink his tea. Jing couldve flipped through this thing in around 30 minutes if Lang wasnt watching over her. It only takes her one glance to burn an image in her head. She could tell he was waiting for her to ask any questions and then answer her like a diligent master should.
Inside the book was hundreds of pages of spells and formations. They were separated into four types: Harming, Supportive, Trapping, and Movent. The harming one really made her insides tingle at the possibilities but shell have to save those for when her master isnt with her. To tie in with her current personality, shell go with trapping and movent. If her master wasnt around, shed learn all four with a focus on harming and trapping.
Is it okay if I choose two focuses? Jing asked softly.
Thats no problem at all Jing. As your teacher, Im here to help you with whatever you wish to accomplish. Which two are you interested in?
Trapping and Movent arrays.
Her master smiled.
For so reason, Im not surprised those are the two you picked. I can tell youre quite the kind and gentle person Jing.
Pfft! Jing had to cover her mouth to stop herself from bursting into laughter at the nonsense her master was saying. Such an easy and innocent fool.
Are you alright? He asked concerned.
Ah yes. Sorry I had a strange lump in the back of my throat. She lied.
Which one would you like to start with first? Trapping or movent? Its commonly known that trapping is one of the hardest array types to utilize. Its constantly debated within the spellmaster community over which field of arrays is the most difficult with trapping and supportive being the only contenders. Harming and Movent are considered the easiest due to the simple nature of their creation and function to most spellmasters.
Trapping! Jing determinedly shouted.
Very well. Lets start with the basics of all trapping formations. Creating a qi field.
How do I do that?
Youve already done it. Well, in theory anyway. What I an is... a qi field is four qi shield spells ford into a formation.
How do I make a formation?
To create a formation, you need to have a base to connect your spells to. Most cultivators use a sword as a base for their formations but really it would work with any material that can conduct qi well. Even chopsticks can be used as a base for a formation but it wouldnt be very durable and could shatter the formation if hit even once.
So, whats stopping soone from breaking my base?
Good question and the answer to that is you are.
?
You are the only defense for keeping your formation going. Without you, your enemy would destroy your base and do whatever they want to you.
I still dont understand how Im supposed to make this base and have it connected to all of my talismans.
Watch .
Lang grabbed four qi shield slips from his storage ring and set them on the table. He grabbed the spell book and moved each slip to each corner of the table. He then pulled out a 5th slip with a spiral pattern etched on it.
What spell is that? Jing asked curiously.
This is the spell that connects your spells together: Conduit. You activate it by sending so qi through it and attaching it to your base. He taught while also showing her how it worked.
He sent his qi through the Conduit spell and slapped it on the spell book. The spiral pattern slowly manifested onto the surface of the book.
Once the Conduit symbol has appeared on the base, it ans it can now connect spells together to form a formation. Like this. He tapped each qi shield talisman with so qi.
The slips burned with a purple fla as they all turned into ash. From that ash, a bluish white barrier made of qi rose to the ceiling of the house. The qi barriers ford around the spell book in a square shape. Jing placed her hand on the barrier and found that she couldnt penetrate through the barrier. Not that she was trying to, of course but still, it was quite amazing to witness.
Normally we would not be using a qi field formation to defend our base because thats the spellmasters job not the formations but this was to answer your questions on how to form formations.
Thank you, Teacher Lang! Jing said like a grateful disciple. She then put a finger to her chin. Is there a ti where a spellmaster would use a formation to protect their base?
Not usually, but yes. During tis of war or large scaled battles in which a formation cannot be destroyed or the battle would be lost with the destruction of the formation.
Jing nodded as she learned of another use of arrays and soon would spend the rest of the day learning the most basic of trapping spells and formations from her master. Well not learning how to use them but learning how to draw them with a brush successfully. It wouldnt be till the sun was lowering till she was dismissed and sent ho. With her ranking match next month, she should learn enough by then to pass by as an apprentice spellmaster and not get kicked out of the sect.
Participating in a ranking match is required every 3 months or expulsion from the sect on the account of being too much of a weakling and coward to be a disciple of the Golden Serpent Sect. Effective way of keeping your disciples on their toes but Jing would change it to every month rather than 3 months. Just because it would add more pressure to the disciples. Seeing them frantically train just so they could stay inside the sect would be an amusing sight to witness.
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