My Demon Friends-Chapter 642 - 610: Fighting Blindfolded

The May Day holiday was approaching.

Zhou Li had previously agreed with Brother Nan that they would go watch the sunrise and sunset over the Yuanyang Terraces this May Day holiday, and incidentally stop by Mengzi to try the original cross-the-bridge noodles, enjoying the journey along the way.

Unexpectedly, even before the holiday arrived, he had already scaled the school wall and boarded a vehicle bound for Mengzi.

The vehicle was a domestic SUV, driven by a non-frontline member of the Celestial Master Department. Another Young Heavenly Master was in the passenger seat, while Zhou Li and Yin Le sat in the back.

He had received the message just one hour ago.

He was still in class at the time, but motivated by the chance to earn some combat subsidy and to hone his own skills, he had readily agreed, pretended to go to the bathroom, and slipped out of the classroom.

Half an hour earlier, he had received a message from Brother Nan: "The teacher says you're very bold."

Zhou Li felt a tinge of guilt.

Yin Le, sitting beside him, was speaking to the Young Heavenly Master in the passenger seat. "A little nervousness is fine, but don't get too anxious, as that can lead to panic. Try to relax. This is your first mission. If a fight breaks out, stay back. Wait for the right moment to harass them a bit—just like in a video game. Leave the rest to us."

"Understood."

"Deep breaths," Yin Le said. "Everyone has a first time. It's not as scary as you imagine."

"Understood."

The Young Heavenly Master seemed to be named Ma Ke; he had introduced himself when they first got in the car. Discovered only last year, he had trained for just one year. Fortunately, this group of Heavenly Masters was highly gifted.

This mission was also a form of training, then.

Zhou Li said to Yin Le, "Has your staffing situation not improved at all?"

"Not really..."

Yin Le paused, then elaborated, "It has improved a bit. After all, we've found many Gifted Ones and are accelerating their training, but they haven't completed it yet. Moreover, this new batch of Heavenly Masters is still very green and can't shoulder responsibilities alone. Perhaps things will be much better in two years. But for at least the next few years, we'll definitely be short-staffed. Otherwise, why would we be running around so much like this? We're completely run ragged.

"According to our future plans, there should be a Heavenly Master Bureau in at least every county or municipal administrative region, with at least a small team stationed there to ensure rapid response."

"I see..."

Zhou Li nodded, lost in thought.

Without giving him much time to think, Yin Le asked, "How many spells do you know now?"

"Hmm..." Zhou Li seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing, "Besides Red Light Technique, there's also Expelling Wind and Thunder Strike. I'm still learning the Town Boundary Art, but I've gotten the hang of Mr. Jiang's Carving Technique. I can already make several kinds of tools with quite a bit of practical use."

"Except for the Carving Technique, those are all minor spells," Yin Le remarked.

Yin Le knew all three spells. Apart from the Red Light Technique, which was barely passable, the other two were completely elementary Basic Spells, suitable for a primary school level.

Expelling Wind generates a pushing force to repel enemies.

Thunder Strike doesn't involve actual lightning; it's just a straightforward blast of Spiritual Power that explodes with a sound like thunder, typically producing a minor concussive effect.

In ancient times, many Heavenly Masters started with such Basic Spells. Of course, there were also many self-taught Heavenly Masters who, forced by circumstances, focused intensely on only one or two low-level spells their entire lives.

When one is unskilled and possesses weak Spiritual Power, such spells are only lethal to ordinary people and the weakest of Little demons. Even with proficiency, their power is difficult to enhance significantly.

Low-level spells are considered as such because they use Spiritual Power in a primitive and inefficient way. Given the same amount of Spiritual Power, low-level spells produce far less effect than high-level ones. Someone unfamiliar with Taoist magic might mistakenly believe minor spells are more energy-efficient, but that is not the case.

Since a Celestial Master's Spiritual Power is inherently fixed, the more advanced the spell and the deeper the Heavenly Master's cultivation, the more adept they become at conserving Spiritual Power, achieving maximum effect from minimal expenditure.

No sooner had Yin Le finished speaking than his brow furrowed. "Wait," he said, "the Carving Technique is a broad category, very fragmented. With your current level of mastery, it's not much different from minor spells. Surely you don't need to pause and think to list just a few minor spells like these, do you?"

"I also know quite a few techniques for using Spiritual Power," Zhou Li said weakly, "like the Qigong Wave, for instance."

"What does that even count as..."

Yin Le started to say something, then seemed to remember something and suddenly felt a bit awkward. He quickly continued with the previous topic, saying, "Expelling Wind is actually practical for you. You're not good at close combat, and your personality isn't suited for it either. Expelling Wind can push the enemy away, and then they'll face your insane bombardment.

"However, you should still learn a high-level spell. If you're already this strong with minor spells, you'll be even more powerful after learning a high-level one.

"Normally, knowing a few minor spells is enough. Their main purpose is to supplement or coordinate with high-level spells; learning too many is a waste of time and energy. In ancient times, many famous Heavenly Masters relied on just one or two signature skills to make their way in the world. Only when they grew older, with more free time and energy, would they gradually explore other spells. Take Little Zheng, for example—doesn't he only know one spell?"

"You're right," Zhou Li nodded.

"So, you need a powerful, destructive spell and then focus all your energy on it. We've collected quite a few; if you want, I can let you take your pick." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"No need."

Yin Le was momentarily struck speechless.

He felt a headache coming on.

Zhou Li added, "Thank you."

He still thought the Old monster made more sense.

His Spiritual Power didn't cost him anything, Qigong Wave was simple and brutally effective, and it didn't require arduous study. What wasn't to like? Besides, there was Master Ming's example to consider.