A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu was quite interested in the spells listed in The Taiping Essential Arts, which also had far less elaborate spells.

For instance, the Golden Light Leap allowed one to transform into a streak of golden radiance and escape.

The Nine Breath Inhalation restored one’s magical power through nine cycles of breathing. The Shadowless Spell enabled one to become invisible and formless for a brief period, immune to nearly all attacks.

There were also minor spells similar in principle to the Golden Touch, like Steel Touch, which turned soil into steel, blocking blades and preventing Earth Escape Methods. There was also the Stone Melting Spell, which turned stone to soil. The Daoists used this spell in Fenglin to dig tunnels spanning hundreds of kilometers.

There was no shortage of auxiliary spells in the book, such as Piercing Sight, which dispelled illusion and even saw through physical obstructions to reveal hidden things. It was comparable to the Banished Immortals’ Eye of Providence.

The famed Taiping Talisman Water allowed one to infuse energy into water. During the Yellow Turban Uprising, the Taiping Sect relied heavily on this method to contend with the Wei Dynasty’s army. This Talisman Water varied in function. Some were used to heal wounds, while others granted protection from blades and arrows. However, such effects would not last long. Once the magical power within dissipated, the effects vanished.

Other spells like Bean Soldier, Yellow Turban Warrior, Five Elements Escape Methods, Five Ghost Transport Method, and the like were not exclusive to the Object Creation Realm. Qi Xuansu had simply never delved into the Diviner lineage before this.

But now that his Diviner lineage had leaped to the Wuliang stage, he learned them all at once. Many low-threshold spells were nearly instant for him to master.

Moreover, the Object Creation Realm had a tremendous advantage, which was to manifest objects from nothing. Thus, he no longer needed mediums like talisman paper or beans. He could even conjure altars, ritual platforms, and incense burners as disposable objects.

These spells were not especially useful in direct combat, but in certain scenarios, they were irreplaceable, capable of producing miraculous results. This was something fist-swinging Martial Arts Practitioners could not compare with.

Of course, not everything in The Taiping Essential Arts was a minor spell. There were plenty of complex spells as well.

For example, the Heaven-Earth Formula created a crushing force with heaven above and earth below. But it had an elaborate ritual, like erecting a ritual platform about 10 meters tall, burning incense, drawing talismans, and performing set steps for two hours. But given an equal cultivation level, a Martial Arts Practitioner could kill a Diviner multiple times over during the time it took to cast this spell. However, if the Diviner completed the spell, no Martial Arts Practitioner would be able to withstand such pressure.