Speed is the Key

Generally speaking, cultivators in the same major realm do not have such a disparity in their divine sense that they cannot lock onto each other.

However, Mo Hua is not strictly speaking a "general" cultivator, at least in terms of his divine sense.

If his divine sense continues to grow like this, whether or not he can be locked onto by others' divine sense becomes uncertain...

Elder Kui kept his thoughts to himself, a slight ripple stirring within him.

Mo Hua thought of another question and asked, "Grandpa Puppet, does every cultivator know how to use Divine Sense Lock?"

"No."

Elder Kui came back to his senses and said calmly, "Of the cultivators I have seen, seventy percent do not know how to use it, a bit over twenty percent know it but are not proficient, and less than ten percent can use it skillfully."

Mo Hua was puzzled, "It doesn't seem that hard. Why don't over seventy percent of cultivators know how to use it?"

At least he didn't find it difficult to use.

Elder Kui silently glanced at him, thinking that Mo Hua at this moment bore some resemblance to Mr. Zhuang.

Not all cultivators have such strong divine sense, and not all are adept at using it.

It seems like "like master, like disciple"; this kid Mo Hua has also been somewhat misled...

Elder Kui sighed inwardly and said:

"Seventy percent of cultivators don't know how to use Divine Sense Lock. Half of them have no one to teach them and cannot find the proper method, and the other half, even if they learn, won't be able to use it."

"Divine sense is elusive, like the horns of a deer, leaving no trace. So it's hard to teach and hard to learn. It's difficult to grasp through mere verbal instruction..."

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded, somewhat understanding.

"But," Mo Hua hesitated and then asked, "Even if a technique can hit, the fireball technique isn't very powerful, so it isn't much of a threat, right?"

Elder Kui didn't answer directly but instead asked, "How much spiritual power is needed to kill a cultivator?"

Mo Hua felt a chill and shook his head.

He had never killed anyone, how could he know...

Elder Kui said, "Some cultivators can kill with the spiritual power of ten cycles, while others, even with the spiritual power of a hundred cycles, can't kill."

The spiritual power circulating once through the twelve standard meridians is called one cycle. Regardless of age or physique, this cycle of spiritual power does not vary much among cultivators.

Thus, cultivators often use the number of cycles to measure the amount of spiritual power.

The more cycles, the more spiritual power, and the stronger the technique.

"Is it because cultivators have vital points?"

Elder Kui nodded, "The Baihui, Shenting, heart meridian, and Dantian are vital points for cultivators. If hit by a technique without defense, it results in serious injury or death."

Mo Hua said, "So if you hit a vital point, even if the technique itself isn't very powerful, it causes greater harm. If it hits non-critical areas, even a powerful technique may not be fatal."

"Correct."

Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then had a sudden realization:

"So Divine Sense Lock is very important. Only with strong divine sense and precise locking can techniques more easily hit vital points. Is that right, Grandpa Puppet?"

Elder Kui nodded.

Mo Hua was excited, thinking that even if his spiritual power wasn't strong, his techniques would still be very threatening.

But Elder Kui doused his enthusiasm with cold water: "That's true in theory, but it's useless in actual combat."

"Ah..." Mo Hua was stunned.

"As long as they're not fools, everyone knows to protect their vital points. If you aim at the vital points, even if it doesn't hit armor or a Daoist robe, the cultivator will block it with their hand or arm," Elder Kui said.

Mo Hua was confused again, "Then what should I do?"

"You need to know the vital points of a cultivator, and occasionally you can launch a sneak attack, but in direct combat, it's not something to rely on."

Elder Kui said, "As a spiritual cultivator who excels in techniques, the most important thing is to know how to use them."

"How to use them?"

Elder Kui nodded and said, "Casting spells takes time."

Mo Hua still didn't quite understand.

Elder Kui explained, "For cultivators to cast spells, they need to circulate their spiritual power, which can take anywhere from one breath to ten breaths..."

"The higher the rank of the spell, the more spiritual power it requires, the greater its power, and the longer the casting time. Some extremely powerful spells can even take several hours to cast."

"Conversely, although lower-rank spells require less spiritual power and have less power, their casting time is much shorter..."

Elder Kui looked at Mo Hua and said slowly.

Mo Hua's eyes brightened.

"So, when a spiritual cultivator faces an enemy, they should either anticipate the enemy's moves and pre-cast a powerful spell to kill the enemy in one strike, or..."

Elder Kui's eyes sharpened, "Strike first with simple but fierce spells to suppress the enemy, giving them no chance to catch their breath..."

Mo Hua suddenly understood.

Since his spiritual root was lower and his spiritual power weaker, he couldn't learn those high-rank spells that were powerful but consumed a lot of spiritual power.

So, he could only take a different path, learning spells like the fireball technique, which might not be very powerful but were quick to cast and could gain the upper hand.

However, there was still a problem.

"Can low-power spells really suppress the enemy?" Mo Hua asked.

"Body cultivators break their moves, spiritual cultivators break their spells. If the opponent can't attack, they naturally can only be suppressed."

Elder Kui added, "Body cultivators are still human; if hit by your spell, they will naturally be injured and in pain. Unless they have strong willpower, their offensive will be interrupted..."

"If you encounter someone who is willing to exchange injury for injury or fight to the death, you can aim at their joints or vital points. This way, when they fight you, they will be more cautious. Once cautious, they will hesitate to risk their life..."

...

Mo Hua had never realized there were so many nuances to using spells. He felt enlightened and looked at Elder Kui with admiration.

Elder Kui remained calm, but being looked at by Mo Hua like this, he couldn't help but feel a bit pleased in his otherwise tranquil heart.

He thought to himself, "Mr. Zhuang is right. Teaching disciples is indeed a good way to pass the time."

"Do you understand?"

Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.

Elder Kui continued to instruct:

"There are many spells in the world, but the principles are largely the same. Every spell has its disadvantages, and every spell also has its advantages. What a cultivator needs to do is to maximize their strengths and avoid their weaknesses."

"Conversely, every spell has its strengths, but there are also inevitable weaknesses. What you need to do is to find these weaknesses and use them to break the spell."

"There are thousands of Daoist methods, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The key to using them lies in the heart."

...

Usually silent and reticent, Elder Kui was now speaking eloquently about spells, every word filled with wisdom.

"These principles may not be useful to you now, but the path of cultivation is long. They might come in handy in the future." Elder Kui said.

Mo Hua listened attentively, remembering every word, then bowed to Elder Kui:

"Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa Puppet. I have remembered everything!"

Elder Kui nodded.

Mo Hua carefully recalled Elder Kui's words and then thought of a practical problem.

He currently only knew the fireball technique.

The concepts of "striking first, spell suppression, maximizing strengths, and breaking enemy spells" seemed a bit distant.

After all, he only knew the fireball technique...

"So, what should I do now?" Mo Hua scratched his head again.

"Practice the fireball technique."

Elder Kui gave a straightforward answer.

"Until when?"

"Keep practicing. The more accurate and faster, the better."

Elder Kui looked at Mo Hua with deep eyes, "You just need to remember one thing..."

"In all spells, speed is the key!"

(End of the Chapter)