Chapter 129: Three Magical Arts

"So fast?" Liu Ping was startled. This efficiency was remarkably high; in less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, she had mastered three spells?

Wait, three spells? There were actually three? Liu Ping was astonished once again. One had to know that both he and his senior sister had only managed to manifest two each. In his own case, the "Dao Soldier Wings" were essentially a "buy one, get one free" deal that Ling'er had pulled in herself; otherwise, he would have only had one. Yet now, Bai Zhi had actually obtained three?

"Yes. Just as you said, Little Husband, I entered a strange space... It was truly mysterious. I never expected such a place to exist within a piece of animal hide," Bai Zhi nodded and said.

Liu Ping asked, "You haven't absorbed those three spells yet, have you?"

Bai Zhi nodded. "I'm afraid I need to go into seclusion. Little Husband, please stand guard for me."

Liu Ping agreed. "No problem."

Bai Zhi then lay down on Liu Ping’s bed to begin her seclusion. Watching her lying motionless on the couch, Liu Ping couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. He held high hopes for these three spells; if they could be learned like the "Heart of the Realm," the benefits to him would be self-evident.

By now, night had fully fallen. After the long journey, he finally felt relaxed, and a slight drowsiness crept in. After blowing out the candles and lighting a stick of calming incense, Liu Ping walked over to the couch and lay down beside Bai Zhi.

Seclusion requires absolute silence, so Liu Ping did not hold her as he usually did, like a pillow. Instead, he stayed quietly by her side, drifting in a state of half-sleep. By midnight, he yawned slightly. His sleepiness hadn't increased; rather, it had faded, and the weariness in his body had vanished entirely.

In truth, Liu Ping could have simply taken a medicinal pill to clear away all his fatigue. He could have even taken pills throughout his journey here, without needing to waste time and energy riding a horse. However, he understood the drawbacks of medicine all too well. The accumulation of medicinal properties places a burden on the body—though slight, it adds up, and its impact cannot be underestimated.

He did not fall into a deep sleep; having promised to stand guard, he couldn't simply doze off. Half-sleeping was already a compromise. He remained fully alert, waiting quietly by Bai Zhi’s side.

A thought crossed his mind: it had taken him three days of seclusion for his two spells, so wouldn't it take Bai Zhi four or five days for three? While they might not be as powerful as the "Descent of Gods and Demons," Bai Zhi was not as strong as he had been at that time either. If it truly took that long, he would have to stand up the Dragon King; he couldn't leave Bai Zhi alone in an inn while she was in such a state.

Fortunately, by the early hours of the morning, Bai Zhi opened her eyes. Her seclusion was over.

Her cunning eyes surveyed the room, and upon seeing her "Little Husband" watching her, she smiled slightly and whispered, "Little Husband."

"Yes," Liu Ping nodded, asking with some surprise, "Is the seclusion finished?"

"It is. These three spells are truly profound."

"Oh, what kind of spells are they?"

Bai Zhi replied, "One is a mental cultivation technique, one is an offensive spell, and one is a supplementary mystic art."

"Tell me in detail."

"Alright." Bai Zhi nodded and shifted her body forward.

Liu Ping was taken aback, then chuckled, unabashedly pulling her small frame into his arms and wrapping his hands around her slender waist.

"The mental technique is called the 'Taiping Heart-Calming Art.' It’s a method for nourishing qi, though since you said you already have the 'Heart of the Realm,' you probably don't need it."

"Indeed, even if the techniques are of the same type, they can conflict."

"So, I won't go into detail about that one. Let’s focus on the other two. The offensive spell is called 'Ten Thousand Shadow Strikes.' It allows one to divide into ten thousand, with every shadow capable of launching an attack. It is very mysterious and profound, though it requires immense control and the ability to multitask to use it perfectly..."

Listening to this, Liu Ping was slightly stunned. It shared a similar principle with the "Dao Soldier Wings," but they were two extremes—one light and one dark—which meant they could complement each other. Seeing Liu Ping’s interest, Bai Zhi began to explain the details and the various processes of cultivation.

An hour later, Bai Zhi finally finished describing "Ten Thousand Shadow Strikes." Unlike the mental technique, Liu Ping couldn't practice this immediately even if he knew the theory; it would take a great deal of effort and time to master it since he hadn't received the inheritance directly.

After committing the spell to memory, Liu Ping asked, "What about the last one?"

Bai Zhi said, "The last is a mystic art—a breathing technique."

"A breathing technique?"

"Yes, it accelerates the process of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to rapidly replenish the spiritual power within one's body. There are two ways to use it: one while meditating, and the other during combat."

She paused before adding, "However, while this technique is convenient, its drawbacks are also self-evident."

Hearing that it was for quickly replenishing spiritual energy, Liu Ping was initially delighted. But upon reflection, he realized there must be downsides. He nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Rapidly absorbing spiritual energy puts a heavy burden on the body, and drawing in large amounts of energy also introduces too many impurities. Either way, the consequences can be very serious."

"Exactly. But despite the consequences, it remains a life-saving technique. And if one finds a body-refining spell to continuously purify the body, the drawbacks can be significantly reduced."

Liu Ping shook his head slightly. "Easier said than done. Reaching that level of physical refinement is no simple task... Still, this technique is worth learning. Tell me about it in detail."

A practitioner’s needs depend on their cultivation realm. Likewise, the range from which one can draw spiritual energy increases with each level. This is an insurmountable limit determined by one's soul, cultivation method, and physical constitution; you cannot simply choose to draw energy from a wider range than your body can handle. Bai Zhi’s technique, however, offered a way to bypass this. Though the risks were high, its value was undeniable.

Still, the overall value of these two spells didn't quite reach the level of the "Dao Soldier Wings," let alone the "Descent of Gods and Demons." He felt a sense of relief—quantity truly had come at the expense of quality.

For the rest of the day, Liu Ping and Bai Zhi practiced these two spells together. The breathing technique, "Celestial Spirit Art," sounded grand, and by midday, Bai Zhi had already broken through the second level, while Liu Ping had barely reached the first. By comparison, "Ten Thousand Shadow Strikes" was impossibly difficult; despite Bai Zhi’s detailed descriptions, Liu Ping had no clue how to begin, and even her own progress was minimal. It was clearly not a task for a single day.

When their practice reached a natural pause, before heading to the Dragon Palace banquet, Liu Ping took Bai Zhi out for some fun. During their outing, he remembered the question about Yingning he had yet to ask, so he brought it up.

The answer he received left him surprised and feeling it was all quite inconceivable, yet upon careful reflection, it began to make sense.

"So she is not human... nor is she a fox. She is half-human, half-fox..."

Liu Ping shook his head, his expression easing. The mystery that had plagued him for so long was now mostly unraveled. There were still some lingering questions about Qin Han, but he could likely resolve those by asking his mother.

By now, it was time for Bai Zhi to return. Having gained these three spells, the benefits to her were immense; she felt she was on the verge of breaking through to the Demon General realm and needed to go back to prepare.

As Liu Ping sent her off, the conch in his pocket grew warm again.

"Hello?" Liu Ping answered the "conch phone," only to be met with a barrage of urging from the little goldfish.

After hanging up, Liu Ping headed straight for the Zhang River. He arrived shortly after. Gazing at the rolling waters of the Zhang, he stood waiting quietly until, before long, a fishing boat appeared on the river.

The boatman rowed quickly toward him and asked respectfully, "Are you the Honorable Liu, Young Master Liu?"

"I am," Liu Ping replied calmly. With a single movement, he stepped onto the boat.

The boatman was startled, but then heard a calm command: "Let’s go."

The tone was unquestionable, sending a chill through the man. Daring not to disobey or speak out of turn, he hurriedly began to row away from the bank.