Chapter Seventeen: First Practice of Magic

Li Xingyu began by studying the storage ring. According to the records left by Qin Shi Huang on the piece of beast hide, what is known as a storage ring is actually a magical artifact used by cultivators to store items. Depending on its grade, the internal space and the requirements of the user vary. The lowest-grade storage ring holds about fifty cubic meters, while the higher-grade ones are said to contain hundreds of thousands of cubic meters. Legendary divine artifacts are rumored to be able to hold an entire planet, though such tales remain unverified. Furthermore, time within the storage space is absolutely still, which ensures that precious medicinal herbs stored inside remain undamaged. Most importantly, no living being can survive within this space—if one is placed inside, its consciousness will dissipate instantly, resulting in death. Some high-grade storage rings also possess special abilities.

Like other magical artifacts, storage rings require a blood ritual for ownership recognition. Once bound to a master, no one else can claim it unless the original master dies or willingly erases their spiritual imprint. Alternatively, a cultivator whose power exceeds the original master's by three major realms can forcibly erase the imprint, though some especially high-grade or specially treated artifacts resist even this method.

Although he coveted the advantages of the storage ring, Li Xingyu knew that only cultivators who had reached the Spirit Condensation stage—able to form spiritual consciousness—could actually use it. Those below that level could only use storage pouches, which did not require ownership recognition and typically had a space of ten to thirty cubic meters. While he could not yet use the ring, he was still able to perform the recognition ritual. When he dripped his blood onto the ring, the familiar scene unfolded, just as when he had accidentally dripped blood onto his original ring. He then tried channeling his true energy into his hand and grasped the ring, but nothing happened this time. Testing it with his laser gun and other means, he concluded that this ring was of a lower grade than his previous one.

Unable to use it for now, he put the ring away and picked up the jade slip. He already knew how to use it—pressing it to his forehead, he focused his spiritual sense and probed into the slip. The content appeared in his mind as if projected on a screen. Because his cultivation was low, he needed to physically touch it to read the information; higher-level cultivators could scan it with a mere sweep of their consciousness.

Within the jade slip were unfamiliar characters and diagrams of the human body. The diagrams depicted various postures and movements, with special colored lines flowing through the body, usually ending at the hands. He guessed these described methods of casting spells and utilizing true energy. Unable to read the annotated text, he dared not try cultivating them recklessly, but he did notice the writing matched that found on the beast hide he had obtained on Earth. This confirmed that both items originated from the world of cultivation. Since Qin Shi Huang’s hide had mentioned Earth as an abandoned cultivation planet, it was not surprising to find such things. In truth, he was still underestimating the value of the two items he possessed.

Finally, he opened the jade bottle, and at once a refreshing fragrance filled the air. Inside was a single pill that shimmered with rainbow hues. He could sense its preciousness, but dared not consume it without understanding its effects, especially since Qin Shi Huang himself had nearly died after taking a pill when he was at the late Spirit Condensation stage. Moreover, the emperor’s subsequent mysterious death left open the possibility that it was related to the pill.

Since none of these three items were immediately useful to him, Li Xingyu put them away. According to his original plan, he was to leave, but from the newly acquired beast hide, he found records of several spells: Fireball, Binding, Defense, Daze, Eagle Eye, Telekinesis, and Flight. The descriptions indicated he could currently learn Fireball, Binding, and Defense. Daze, Eagle Eye, and Telekinesis required the Spirit Condensation stage, while Flight was only accessible at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The Fireball spell used one’s true energy to gather fire elemental aura from the surroundings, ignite it, and launch it under the control of spiritual sense. Binding condensed true energy into threads to restrain opponents. Defense stimulated true energy to form a shield over the body’s surface. All three could be cultivated and used from the Qi Refinement stage onwards, growing in power as the practitioner advanced.

This discovery convinced him to remain for a while longer, determined to master these three basic spells before resuming his original plan. Ten days later, he could already form a small fireball at his fingertip, floating above his finger and flickering gently. Testing its power, he found it could instantly melt a fist-sized rock or vaporize a horse-sized creature. One month later, he could manipulate fireballs at will, accurately striking targets within a hundred meters.

His progress with Binding was also considerable; he could now immobilize a fierce beast for a quarter of an hour, though the effect weakened with distance. For Defense, he started by testing against weaker animals and was pleased with the results—an ordinary unarmed person could no longer harm him.

Three months later, he had achieved notable mastery over these basic spells. His rapid progress was largely due to having already reached the peak of the late Qi Refinement stage, while these were all foundational techniques accessible from the early stages.

With these new spells, his strength had grown tremendously, and he still possessed a laser gun. Comparing the fireball’s destructive power to that of his laser gun, and referencing the spell’s description, he concluded that his gun, when fitted with a standard ruby, matched the full-force fireball cast by a mid-to-late Spirit Condensation cultivator. With high-energy rubies, its power neared that of a mid-to-late Foundation Establishment cultivator. Moreover, his spacesuit—designed to protect astronauts from crises in space or explosions—offered additional defense.

Judging by the aura density on this planet, Li Xingyu concluded that even if there were cultivators here, their levels would be low, with only a few possibly reaching Foundation Establishment. With his current abilities and equipment, cultivators below Foundation Establishment would pose little threat to him, unless they wielded powerful magical artifacts or talismans, which were rare even in the cultivation world.

Feeling confident in his ability to protect himself, he decided not to continue cultivating in this mysterious mountain range. The place was too enigmatic, and lingering might invite danger. Now that he had gained some strength and a basic understanding of the cultivation world, there was no need to risk staying any longer. He planned to end his period of seclusion and travel across this unfamiliar planet, hoping to discover new opportunities or fortunes. He now understood that in cultivation, great achievements required not only talent and techniques, but also a wealth of opportunities and the willingness to face challenges. This was why cultivators often chose to journey when they reached a bottleneck—only by experiencing more could they hope for greater fortune.

After leaving the cave, he used his laser gun to melt the cliff and seal the entrance, not wanting anyone else to discover this mysterious place. He spoke of “people” because he now knew that the cultivation world was primarily populated by a race much like himself, though other humanoid high-level beings also existed, some with extraordinary innate talents.

With these preparations complete, he began walking out of the mountains he had called home for over three years.

This is the third update for today. I hope everyone enjoys the last day of the New Year holiday, and thank you all for your support.

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