Techniques and Dao

Chapter 8 Silver-haired Girl
If you cause a major incident, the surrounding area will inevitably become abuzz with gossip. You'll usually encounter some unfamiliar faces. If you don't have the opportunity to meet many new people after causing trouble, it often means that the trouble wasn't serious enough.

When Hanamori opened her eyes, she found herself lying in bed. The room wasn't large, resembling a medical room. It was still daytime outside, so it seemed she hadn't been unconscious for long.

"You're finally awake." Just as Hua Sheng was still groggy, Tai Shang Xiao Jun's voice came from beside her.

Hearing a familiar voice calmed Hua Sheng down a little. The explosion at Sixian Pavilion was still fresh in his mind, everything was still vivid in his memory.

"How long have I been asleep?" Hua Sheng asked.

"More than an hour," said Taishang Xiaojun. "You just coughed up blood; are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Hua Sheng touched his chest, feeling as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, and said, "My chest hurts. It's probably an old injury I sustained before coming here."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "I heard that you took the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Pill before you came. Logically speaking, even if you were seriously injured, you should have recovered by now."

"Strange. I've been staying at the Magic Academy since I came to Saint Pingning, so I shouldn't have had any chance to get injured," Hua Sheng pondered. Only then did he realize that the girl with deep silver hair he had seen before he fainted was also standing in the room.

Upon closer inspection, the girl's face was exquisitely beautiful and graceful. Her brown pupils were as bright and clear as a child's.

The girl looked at Hua Sheng, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, and asked, "Are you new here?"

The sound was like a melodious silver bell, making one's heart race.

"Yes...that's right..."

Hua Sheng felt his tongue was tied and he couldn't speak coherently. He tried to straighten up and said, "I'm so sorry. I've caused everyone trouble."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun crossed his arms and said, "Her name is Wei Yu. She is the deputy registrar of the disciples' association of the Daoist Arts Academy. Fortunately, she was able to help us in time through the Si Xian Pavilion. Otherwise, if those fragments had fallen, the damage to the surrounding buildings would have been considerable."

The girl named Weiyu asked Huasheng, "How do you know how to use Samadhi True Fire?"

Hua Sheng didn't know how to answer: "I was learning the art of fire control when, somehow, that cluster of leaves suddenly exploded."

"Did you study before you came to Shengping Ning?" Taishang Xiaojun asked.

"I'm not sure, after all, I've lost part of my memory."

"Can't remember at all?" Wei Yu asked.

"Yes. Even now, I only know the basics of immortal arts," Hua Sheng replied.

Wei Yu's expression seemed somewhat doubtful.

At this moment, Immortal Master Yu Ran entered the room and, upon seeing Hua Sheng, said, "You're awake?"

"I just regained consciousness," Hua Sheng replied.

Master Yu Ran smiled wryly: "Your disciple claims he has never learned any immortal arts, yet he almost burned down the Si Xian Pavilion. He's young, but his temper is quite something."

Hua Sheng's face flushed red, whether from listening to Master Yu Ran's words or feeling embarrassed by the girl beside her.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened either. Is anyone hurt?"

Master Yu Ran said, "Fortunately, most of the students in the Xi Academy know immortal arts and dodged in time without any major problems. They were just startled."

"That's good."

Hua Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. He was most afraid of causing any mishap to the disciples of the Xi Academy, and he really didn't know how to face them in the future.

Master Yu Ran comforted her, saying, "This calamity was not your intention. It's just that Si Xian Pavilion has never experienced any calamities in thousands of years, so this is what was destined to happen. We'll have Xi Yuan rebuild it later. However, you were so anxious that you need to rest and recuperate."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "If you are going to repair Si Xian Ge, please be sure to invite me to join you."

"Supreme Lord, it's rare to find someone with such a kind heart. Your master will make arrangements. Your mastery of immortal arts will be of great help." Master Yu Ran turned to Hua Sheng and said, "However, regarding Hua Sheng's matter, I'm afraid the Academy of Arts and Sciences will need to go through a process of investigation. An accident investigation team will be set up at that time, and I will need your cooperation."

“No problem. It’s my duty to cooperate with the investigation since I’ve caused this trouble. Besides, I’m very eager to know the reason,” Hua Sheng said.

"Perhaps Hua Sheng is exceptionally talented and a good candidate for learning immortal arts; today he's just performing beyond his usual abilities," Tai Shang Xiao Jun said with a smile.

At this moment, Wei Yu, who was standing to the side, cupped her hands and said, "Since there's nothing else, I have classes to attend, so I'll take my leave now."

After speaking, Wei Yu bowed to Master Yu Ran and glanced at Hua Sheng as she left the room.

Hua Sheng watched Wei Yu's slender figure disappear from the room, a slight disappointment crossing his heart. He suddenly felt a strong urge to understand this girl. However, judging from the magical arts she had displayed in the air earlier, he truly didn't know the depth of her abilities. Moreover, Tai Shang Xiao Jun had said that she was the deputy registrar of the Disciples' Association, which meant she should be considered a rather outstanding disciple even within the entire academy. For a mortal like Hua Sheng with mediocre qualifications, it was hard to say whether Wei Yu would even be willing to befriend him. Judging from Wei Yu's effortless use of magical arts and her light-footed movements in the air, she was very likely not a mortal, perhaps even a descendant of immortals. And the distance between him and her was immeasurable.

Thinking of this, Hua Sheng felt a surge of inferiority.

Forget it, I still have to face the investigation from the Xi Academy, which will definitely cause a lot of trouble and require a lot of energy to deal with. I've only recently recovered, and now I've inexplicably vomited blood again; my health is a concern. Who knows, I might have barely escaped death and ended up in this Holy Peaceful Wonderland only to fall ill and die young. I have no time to befriend this extraordinary fairy, Wei Yu.

In the days that followed, Hua Sheng didn't feel anything unusual about his body, but he did need to run back and forth between various departments of the Academy to answer some questions. However, he still couldn't find an answer to the question of why a mortal freshman could possess the Samadhi True Fire.

Hua Sheng once tried to recite the incantation for the Fire Control Technique again when no one was around, but he could only conjure up a few scattered flames. He couldn't even control a fire the size of a fist, let alone regain control of the Samadhi True Fire.

However, the people in the Xiyuan Academy looked at Hua Sheng differently now; it was as if he had instantly become a celebrity. Whether he was studying in the library or dining in the Xinzhai Hall, people would secretly take pictures of him and whisper among themselves. This made Hua Sheng very uncomfortable, after all, he was the arsonist who set fire to Sixian Pavilion, which was not exactly honorable.

As for the exact concept of Samadhi True Fire, Hua Sheng knew very little. In the words of Tai Shang Xiao Jun, Samadhi True Fire is a divine fire, and in Sheng Ping Ning, it belongs to a relatively high-level immortal technique.

Within the Holy Peace Palace, immortal arts are divided into four levels, from lowest to highest: Illusionary Arts, Profound Clarity, Soaring Heaven, and Boundless.

The so-called "illusionary level" refers to the most basic magical arts, primarily involving illusions. These are tricks that can temporarily deceive the senses of the target, but they have little practical use. For example, temporarily changing the appearance of one thing to resemble another, thus deceiving others.

The Xuanming level, the second level, involves magical arts that often create new things through the transfer or arrangement of matter and molecules. For example, turning stone into gold involves decomposing the calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide in a stone and converting gold molecules from other regions to replace the calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide. In essence, turning stone into gold is a form of instantaneous transfer. Other spells like passing through walls, clairvoyance, and cloud-riding also belong to the Xuanming level. The Lingxiao level, the third level, presents a significant increase in difficulty in learning and performing magical arts. Very few mortals can perform these arts; extremely high levels of cultivation are required for mastery. Hua Sheng's Samadhi True Fire is one such Lingxiao level magical art.

Objects ignited by the Samadhi True Fire cannot be extinguished with ordinary water. Fortunately, the flames exploded into the sky, so only a portion of the roof of the Sixian Pavilion was set ablaze, and were quickly extinguished by several nearby immortal masters using the Eternal Profound Ice Technique. If it had truly become a large fire, it would have been a real disaster for the teachers and students of the Daoist Academy.

Of these three levels of immortal arts, most graduates of the Arts Academy can only cultivate to the second level, the Profound Brightness level. Some exceptionally talented disciples can learn a very limited number of Lingxiao-level immortal arts. Therefore, the fact that Hua Sheng, a mortal who had only been in Shengping for a few months, could use Lingxiao-level immortal arts truly astonished the entire academy.

Logically, immortals or spirits who have mastered the Lingxiao level are usually all-rounders of the first two levels of immortal arts. It's not like Hua Sheng, who can use the Samadhi True Fire but cannot use lower-level immortal arts like the Illusion or Profound Clarity levels. It's like a national track and field athlete who can compete in the 200-meter Olympics but can't even match the performance of an average high school student in the 100-meter dash—it's extremely illogical. This is precisely the strange situation Hua Sheng is currently facing.

Once a spell surpasses the Lingxiao level, it reaches the fourth level, known as the Wuliang level.

Limitless-level spells are practically unattainable for humans and spirits. Examples include the Heavenly Manifestation Technique, capable of traversing heaven and earth, and the Great Celestial Immortal Technique, which can seize the creation of heaven and earth and transcend reincarnation. The technique used to hide the Sacred Peaceful Realm within the tears of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was a limitless-level immortal technique. The entire operation of Sacred Peaceful Realm is powered by limitless-level spells, which are also supreme immortal incantations. Taishang Xiaojun said he had only heard about them from his grandfather, as Sacred Peaceful Realm had enjoyed favorable weather and peace for nearly a century, so he had never had the opportunity to witness limitless-level immortal techniques.

In the past few days, Hua Sheng often thought of the silver-haired girl. Although he had only seen her for a brief moment, Wei Yu's long, gray-silver hair kept appearing in his mind. It seemed that he had a vague sense of familiarity with Wei Yu's eyes. This feeling was very subtle, something Hua Sheng had never experienced before. Every time Wei Yu's face appeared in his mind, he would feel his face burning and his heart pounding.

Whatever the reason, he hoped to have the opportunity to see the girl again.

The more I want to see him, the less I dare to go.

Therefore, Hua Sheng tried to inquire about the disciples' association of the Daoist Arts Academy from Tai Shang Xiao Jun, intentionally or unintentionally. He learned that Wei Yu was a freshman in the same year as him. After arriving at the academy, due to her mastery of various immortal arts, she was a very talented immortal cultivation prodigy and was quickly elected as a disciple representative and became the deputy registrar of the academy's disciple committee.

"What does this student usually do?" Hua Sheng asked.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "The function of the Disciple Association is to organize various activities for the disciples of the Academy. Most of the disciples who enter the Disciple Association are outstanding disciples with special talents. Some core members of the Disciple Association have special permission to contact senior administrators of the Academy and to go to places that ordinary disciples are not allowed to enter."

"Are there places in the Xi Academy that disciples are not allowed to go?"

“Of course. For example, several important departments of the Academy. Because the Disciples Association needs to participate in important activities of the Academy, the Disciples Association members are given access to enter and exit for the convenience of their work.” Tai Shang Xiao Jun thought for a moment and said, “By the way, there are also places like Lingyan Tower, which are related to the annual festival activities of the Academy, and only high-level immortal masters and core members of the Disciples Association can enter.”

"Then how come a disciple with such a powerful background like you didn't become a leader in the student council?" Hua Sheng asked.

"I'm used to being carefree and easygoing, so I don't have the energy to deal with all sorts of trivial matters." Tai Shang Xiao Jun pinched a strand of long hair behind his ear with two fingers. "I have no desires or ambitions. Being an official is good, but how can it compare to the carefree and happy life of being free from all worries?"

As he spoke, Taishang Xiaojun revealed a carefree expression as if he were outside the Five Elements and not within the Three Realms.

Although Hanamori knew they were far apart, the desire to get to know Miyu lingered in her heart.

Some ideas are like seeds; when you try to pull them out, you'll find that they've already taken root in your heart.

Fortunately, as long as you truly want to do something, opportunities will always come.

Not long after, a performance poster appeared on the bulletin board inside the Shudao Academy: the Liyuan Music Center would be staging the "Le Ying" concert. Hua Sheng quickly learned that the Liyuan Center was located next to the Shudao Academy, on the shore of a lake with a ten-mile-long causeway. The Liyuan Center was built along the water, and the Liyuan Theater inside was a large performance theater with a capacity of 20,000 seats. Many well-known musical and opera performances were staged in this theater.

The "Musical Eagles" band is currently a household name in Santo Pinin. Composed of six male spirit idols, each a nine-tailed fox spirit representing a different color—white, red, purple, yellow, blue, and black—each possessing exceptional musical talent. The band's signature style is a fusion of traditional opera and electronic music, and they have rapidly gained popularity among young people in recent years, having released over a dozen albums. Many young men and women in Santo Pinin adore this cool band, and tickets for their performances are always in high demand.

Since they are so hard to get, ticket prices naturally skyrocket, meaning buyers need to "bleed" a lot to purchase them. Hua Sheng thought to himself that he had just vomited blood not long ago, and now he needed to bleed again.

There were also ticket sales points for various performances inside the Shudao Academy. Hua Sheng paced back and forth at the entrance for ten minutes.

For more than half a year, he lived almost entirely within the Xi Academy. The dark cloud had told him that Sheng Pingning would send some living allowance to his account every month. Hua Sheng was frugal and had saved about five thousand Shengjing coins.

Hua Sheng finally mustered up the courage to go to the ticket sales point.

"Excuse me, I'd like two tickets to Leying's performance. Do you have any left?"

"What location do you need? Let me check." The staff member was a spirit, with gleaming eyes, like a monkey in disguise.

What are the locations?

"This time it's a mobile grandstand setup; there's no inner field, only a difference in front and back positions."

"Mobile grandstands?"

"It's a moving aerial grandstand. The effect is amazing. The grandstand has two floors, three floors, four floors, and five floors. Which one do you want?"

"Which is the best location?" Hua Sheng asked.

"It must be the front area on the second floor."

"What's the price?"

"Two thousand Holy Realm Coins per piece," the staff member said.

Hua Sheng gasped in shock. He only had five thousand in his account, and these two tickets would consume eighty percent of his savings.

"The seats that cost 2,000 Holy Realm Coins are probably sold out. Let me check. Oh, two seats in the middle of the second row became available a minute ago, someone just returned their ticket, and the view is pretty good. You really got a great deal if you bought them!" The staff member glanced at Hua Sheng. "Would you like me to reserve seats for you?"

As Hua Sheng walked out of the ticket booth clutching two concert tickets, he no longer cared whether someone had actually returned the tickets or if it was just a promotional tactic by the staff. He was incredibly excited; this was the first time he had ever tried to ask a girl out, even though they had only met once.

It was like a high-stakes gamble. Hua Sheng spent almost all of his living expenses to take a girl he had just met to a performance.

If you happen to be going to have a nice meal, then that meal could cost you a month's worth of food expenses.

Nevertheless, like many young boys, Hanamori didn't need to think about anything else.

What he should be thinking about now is how to muster the courage to say it.

(End of this chapter)