The Flame Show

Chapter 293: Immortal Arts

The young girl’s face was full of disbelief, but she knew her grandfather would not speak idly. Her heart was filled with shock. She had no choice but to forcefully restrain herself from looking in Han Li’s direction.

Han Li was satisfied that he had given her a small lesson without actually hurting her.

At this moment, his lips moved slightly as he transmitted his voice.

Immediately, the voice of Han Li sounded in the ears of the old man in the green robe.

“Once you leave Prince Xin’s residence, don’t rush off. Wait for me at the back gate. I have something to ask you.”

Han Li’s voice carried an unquestionable, commanding tone that made the old man’s figure stiffen. His heart was filled with silent, bitter regret.

“Could it be that this senior still won’t let the two of us go? Or does he have some other scheme for us? But at least he doesn’t seem like the ruthless type, so there probably isn’t any danger! And being able to build a connection with a Foundation Establishment cultivator might be a rare opportunity for the clan to revive.” The old man in the green robe could only comfort himself with these thoughts, his heart in turmoil, suffering greatly.

Seeing this, Han Li smiled faintly and turned his attention back to the white-haired old Daoist.

At this moment, this Immortal Master Wu had already inspected most of the crowd but had yet to find a single person with immortal affinity.

The young people who had been declared without affinity could only return to their seats dejectedly, while their elders naturally wore unhappy expressions.

“Immortal affinity, my foot. This is clearly just checking for spiritual roots. However, this old Daoist isn’t purely bluffing; he really does seem to want to take on a disciple here. Otherwise, he could have just pointed at a few random people and been done with it.” Han Li watched the old Daoist busily checking the spiritual roots of each young person, unmoved.

But Han Li felt that the old Daoist’s chances of taking a disciple here were slim. Out of these fifty or sixty people, the odds of finding someone with spiritual roots were really not high.

Just as Han Li thought this, the white-haired old Daoist suddenly spoke loudly:

“This child has immortal affinity. I can accept him as my disciple!”

Han Li was startled by this. He couldn’t help but look toward this person with immortal affinity.

He saw a fair, plump young man standing blankly before this Immortal Master Wu, looking completely at a loss.

Beside him, a potbellied, middle-aged man in purple silk clothing was asking repeatedly in disbelief:

“Immortal Master, my Tong Jing really has immortal affinity? Are you sure there’s no mistake?”

This man, who had been truly struck by a massive fortune, still couldn’t quite believe it. After all the talented young people who had been passed over, his own lazy, gluttonous son had been singled out by the Immortal Master. It all felt like a dream.

“Hehe, benefactor, rest assured! I have checked several times. Your son does indeed possess a spiritual root and can study immortal arts together with the young prince.” Immortal Master Wu stroked his snow-white beard and said with a smile.

“Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you! I may not be extremely wealthy, but my family has some land. Tomorrow, I will prepare a heavy gift for you as a disciple initiation fee! Son, quickly… quickly kowtow to the Immortal Master and become his disciple!” The middle-aged man, overjoyed, was practically dancing with excitement, his words becoming incoherent.

When the young people who had been rejected saw this, they were all dumbfounded.

Wasn’t this Tong Fatty, the one they always thought of as a good-for-nothing glutton?

How could such a waste have a spiritual root? This was too hard to accept!

It wasn’t just the young people who thought this. Their elders also looked at each other in dismay, finding it hard to believe.

After all, this young man named Tong Jing was notorious in their circle for being utterly useless.

Han Li’s face showed no change.

Whether or not a person possessed a spiritual root had nothing to do with whether they were handsome or beautiful, nor with their intelligence or ability. There was no pattern to it.

Otherwise, before the appearance of immortal families, the immortal sects wouldn’t have had such difficulty finding outstanding disciples.

Still, Han Li was a bit surprised that a spiritual root had actually been found among so few people. It seemed this Daoist was quite lucky.

Han Li and the grandfather and granddaughter understood this principle, but the others in the hall did not.

They began to murmur among themselves.

Some shrewd individuals even started to doubt whether this Immortal Master Wu was genuine. Those who hadn’t yet been tested hesitated to step forward.

As a result, an awkward silence fell before the old Daoist.

Prince Xin saw this and looked displeased.

But since everyone in the hall were old friends who had known him for years, he couldn’t say anything harsh. He simply spoke tactfully to the old Daoist:

“Immortal Master Wu, we are all but ordinary mortals. Few have ever witnessed true immortal arts. Why don’t you show us another display to open our eyes?”

Hearing Prince Xin’s suggestion, everyone in the hall immediately fell silent, waiting to see what the Immortal Master would say.

The white-haired old Daoist hesitated for a moment, then agreed quite readily. He then instructed everyone to follow him to the open space in front of the hall.

With the old Daoist’s agreement, the people in the hall surged out all at once. Han Li also followed, indifferent to the proceedings.

Only the grandfather and granddaughter did not move, still worried about Han Li’s request to meet with them later.

Once outside, the old Daoist stood in a large circle formed by the onlookers and began to perform his spell.

He formed hand seals with both hands, stood with his feet planted, and began to chant lowly under his breath. The faint, barely audible incantation added an air of mystery to the proceedings.

The onlookers held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the old Daoist’s every move.

Han Li, hearing the incantation, could only roll his eyes inwardly.

At that moment, the old Daoist brought his palms together, then slowly parted them. A fist-sized, blazing fireball floated between his hands. At the same time, the temperature around them rose sharply, and a wave of scorching heat spread outward.

This was the “Fireball Technique,” a spell that every cultivator with a fire spiritual root had to learn.

But this sight, so common among cultivators, immediately drew gasps of amazement from the onlookers, who cried out in wonder!

However, the next scene not only left the mortals stunned, but even startled Han Li at first.

The old Daoist’s hands continued to form seals and change gestures. Before everyone’s eyes, the blazing fireball began to slowly transform.

First, wings slowly extended, and a beak grew out. Then, a pair of slender claws and a tail formed. It had turned into a small, exquisite flame bird.

“Could it be the Fire Bird Technique?!”

Seeing this, Han Li’s nerves tensed up. He could hardly believe his eyes.

The “Fire Bird Technique” was a genuine mid-grade elementary spell, one that even Han Li himself had not mastered. Yet this white-haired old Daoist, who was only a Qi Condensation cultivator, was using it right on the spot. It was too hard to believe! No wonder Han Li thought he might be seeing things.

But Han Li’s shock lasted only a moment.

He immediately noticed the vast difference between this flame bird and a true Fire Bird Technique.

Although this small bird transformed from the fireball looked very similar to the spell image of the Fire Bird Technique, their sizes were incomparably different.

The fire bird of the Fire Bird Technique, with its wings spread, was nearly a full zhang in size. But the flame bird the old Daoist had transformed remained the size of a fist, completely incomparable.

But what truly convinced Han Li that this was merely a “False Fire Bird Technique” was the difference in magical power fluctuations.

The fire bird of the true Fire Bird Technique contained destructive power that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would not dare to face head-on. But this small, sparrow-like flame bird had magical power fluctuations identical to those of the original fireball, without any increase.

It was clearly just a pure transformation of form!

Having figured this out, Han Li felt both amused and exasperated.

He had almost been fooled by such a cheap trick! It was a bit embarrassing.

Still, this man’s control over flame manipulation was truly astonishing. Han Li himself knew he could never achieve such fine control. He wondered how a mere Qi Condensation cultivator could reach such a level. This old Daoist was quite interesting.

The old Daoist’s subsequent performance thoroughly confirmed Han Li’s thoughts.

The fiery red little bird, which had been spreading its wings and flying, suddenly landed on the ground and transformed into a red puppy, running happily around the old Daoist.

Not long after, the puppy transformed into a fire snake, and the fire snake then evolved into a little human…

This series of astonishing displays left the mortals, who had never seen such spell transformations, completely dumbfounded, their mouths agape.

It wasn’t until the old Daoist suddenly pointed a finger, and the final transformed flame pony charged toward a small cherry tree to the side, causing a burst of flames that instantly reduced the tree to ashes, that the old Daoist finally ended his performance.

Only then did the onlookers wake from their daze, frantically calling out “Immortal Master” to the old Daoist.

All their previous doubts had been cast aside. There was no trace of disbelief left!