Chapter Six: The Mysteries of Immortal Arts

Institute of Arts and Mysticism. The sun was bright and the breeze gentle.

In the blink of an eye, the day to attend the academy had arrived. At dawn, two quarters past the hour of the Rabbit, Hua Sheng, led by the Grand Young Lord, came to a place called "Pavilion of Remembrance." The pavilion soared over forty meters high, nine levels in all, open on all sides. Standing atop its floors, one could gaze upon the magnificent scenery of the Institute. Hua Sheng had worried that the open edges might lead to a dangerous fall, but upon approaching, he realized a layer of magical barrier encircled the perimeter.

The Grand Young Lord explained that the pavilion was protected by a geomantic array, functioning much like a fence—there was no need for concern. Moreover, insects could not enter unless they understood how to break the array, ensuring only those who mastered its secrets could freely come and go.

Looking out, Hua Sheng noticed three similar tall pavilions nearby. Together, these four formed the "Pavilion of Remembrance," "Pavilion of Comprehension," "Pavilion of Unity," and "Pavilion of Command," evidently venues where the academy imparted its teachings.

When Hua Sheng entered the classroom, over twenty disciples were already seated on the floor. He and the Grand Young Lord found two vacant spots beside each other and took out the books they had received earlier. According to instructions, the first lesson would be from the "Book of Fulfillment," which Hua Sheng browsed through—it was filled with incantations for paper-cutting horses, bean-sprouting soldiers, and other mystical arts.

The Grand Young Lord remarked, "This is the foundational text, mostly illusions and beginner spells. Later, I'll show you my 'Compendium of the Ten Thousand Arts,' where all the dazzling techniques reside. We'll learn from that one eventually."

Hua Sheng nodded and adjusted his academy robe.

At that moment, he noticed an elder in white robes, holding a horsetail whisk, descending from the sky and gliding into the room. The elder settled at the front, behind the desk. His beard floated gently, his bearing radiated an immortal air, and he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, his face kind and amiable. He seated himself cross-legged on a cushion, slowly surveying the gathered disciples.

"That's Master Yu Ran," whispered the Grand Young Lord, nudging Hua Sheng. "A grandmaster in the immortal realm, highly respected in the Institute."

Master Yu Ran glanced at the Grand Young Lord and smiled softly. "Good morning, disciples. I am Yu Ran. It seems some of you already know your teacher. Since we share a bond as master and disciple, let me first share my teaching principles: Do good to establish your character; study to establish your destiny. What I will teach you is the fundamental law governing all things in the world. Use it well, and when you leave, you may benefit many. Misfortune and fortune have no gates; they are summoned by people themselves. Remember this in your daily cultivation!"

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and continued, "Here in the Institute, you can learn many mystical arts. Simply put, besides the usual transformation arts, fire control, wall-passing, and other standard subjects, those gifted may master higher disciplines such as celestial phenomena, sealing, feathering, dragon-slaying, soul wandering, summoning, feigned death, and more. The arts are vast and profound; to master them all is exceedingly difficult—not even immortals can claim such achievement. Most disciples spend their lives learning only the basics or mastering a few, and without a millennium of cultivation, there is little to say."

"But always remember: the arts are but methods, tools. What matters most is how you use them. Only by always holding righteousness in your heart can you benefit the world. The cycle of heaven teaches all, so hold reverence for all things and always follow the right path."

Hua Sheng raised his hand and asked, "Master, can mortals learn mystical arts?"

Laughter swept the room.

"I heard there's a new transfer disciple today—surely it's you," Master Yu Ran replied. "Mortals certainly can learn mystical arts. There are many stories of mortals seeking immortality and achieving the way. Yet, due to differences in innate talent, mortals progress at different rates."

---

Master Yu Ran raised his voice slightly, "You all come from different places, your talents vary. But here, with the guidance of the Institute's immortals, diligent mortals can still master the arts—even surpassing those idle offspring of immortals!"

At this, the immortal disciples felt an invisible pressure.

"Mortals revere immortals, believing them omnipotent, but that's not entirely true. Mystical arts have boundaries. You can recite a spell to conjure a cup of water, but reciting it a billion times won't summon a world-drowning flood. The so-called creation from nothing is a misunderstanding; the core of mystical arts is not creating out of thin air, but changing form, method, or position." Yu Ran raised his left hand, and instantly a floating fireball appeared above his palm. "This fire is formed by gathering the energy around us. When it heats here, somewhere else must cool. This is what mortals call conservation of energy."

He turned his palm, and the flame vanished, replaced by a floating golden bracelet, shimmering brightly. "This is gold, as I said—the elements from our world's mines. When it appears here, it decreases elsewhere. The art merely changes its location and form."

The golden bracelet then disassembled and vanished.

Master Yu Ran continued, "Mystical arts do not create something from nothing—they only transform."

A disciple in the back raised his hand, "Master Yu Ran, how do mystical arts make things appear or disappear?"

He looked humble, likely a mortal with little foundation like Hua Sheng.

"Making things appear or disappear depends on interpretation, for there are two ways. The first, most common, is illusion." Master Yu Ran waved his hand, and a small bird appeared on the desk, endearing with a red tongue. "What do you all see?"

"A bird!" came the chorus.

"Yes. But observe." Master Yu Ran reached for the bird, and his fingers passed through it as if through a hologram.

Surprised exclamations filled the room.

"This bird does not exist. It's an illusion I created for you to see. Now tell me, what kind of bird is it?"

Hua Sheng examined the bird: mostly brown, with black-brown stripes atop its head and white circles around the eyes extending as narrow brows—surely a thrush. A female disciple in front called out, "Thrush!"

"Nonsense!" shouted a group of male disciples from the other side. "A parrot and you call it a thrush?"

"Exactly, it's clearly a colorful parrot!" more voices chimed in.

Hua Sheng rubbed his eyes. How could a brown thrush be mistaken for a parrot? Though not well-versed in birds, parrots are unmistakable. A thrush confused for a swallow or sparrow might be forgivable, but as a parrot? Absurd.

---

The classroom erupted in debate. Amid the noise, Hua Sheng noticed something odd: disciples on the left saw a thrush; those on the right, a parrot.

"This is illusion!" Master Yu Ran explained. "The bird does not exist; you see only what I wish you to see. Illusions can target people or places. For example, I can cast an illusion on a location so those standing on the left see one scene, while those on the right see another. I can also target individuals, making only one person see what I want, invisible to all others regardless of their position."

He waved his hand, and the bird flew out the window, the pages on the desk fluttering along with its wings, and even his beard stirred in the wind.

"Advanced illusions account for interactions with the surroundings. There are levels of illusion; high-level spells can make you see, hear, and touch something, even alter your perception of time, trapping you in a false reality."

His words hinted at the power to imprison someone without their awareness.

"The illusion I just demonstrated is the first method for making things appear or disappear. But the flame and golden bracelet I conjured earlier were not illusions. This brings us to the second method—"

"—the core of mystical arts, the ability to change matter. Our world operates by rules and laws—like a bucket can hold water. If you make a bucket, you can change where the water sits. Any container serves, but what if you can't use one, can't cup your hands, only two fingers—who can bring a cup of water?"

"I can!" Hua Sheng raised his hand.

"The new disciple, please explain."

"Freeze the water into ice, then you can hold it between your fingers."

"Indeed, that's a solution. Knowing water's properties lets you transform it into ice and retrieve it without a container. Mortals, by understanding daily life and nature's workings, use common attributes skillfully—that's technique. Mystical arts are the same: if you comprehend the true rules behind things, you could even fetch water with a single finger."

Master Yu Ran lifted the glass of water on the desk, inserted one finger, and drew out the entire contents as though frozen.

"Mystical arts are methods to change all things by understanding the operation of heaven and earth. In essence, mystical arts are about grasping the hidden truth of the world and using it to transform everything around you."

Hua Sheng and the disciples clenched their fists, eager for the journey ahead.