Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

“You actually have some skill for a piece of filth.”

Qin Lu stared at the middle-aged man in the red robe, his voice dripping with glacial disdain.

The Blood Cultivator stood amidst the wreckage, a look of sinister amusement plastered on his face. Around him, vibrant lines of fresh blood swirled and danced like living vipers, weaving together to form a pulsating crimson shield.

At his feet lay two corpses dressed in identical robes. Their heads had been severed cleanly from their shoulders.

Qin Lu had killed them moments ago.

When the trio of Evil Cultivators had first approached the temple, Qin Lu had utilized the [Breath Concealment Technique], suppressing his aura to that of a harmless mortal. He had intended to ambush them at the gate, catching them completely off guard.

He hadn’t expected them to be so rabid. Upon seeing him, they hadn’t cared if he was a mortal or a cultivator—they had simply attacked with lethal intent.

The ambush had failed, but his disguise had still bought him a split second. As they lowered their guard to butcher a “mortal,” Qin Lu had exploded into motion. In a flash of cold steel, the two late-stage Qi Condensation lackeys were dead before they hit the ground.

But the leader—the man in red—was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He had reacted instantly, evading the initial slaughter.

“Tell me, boy,” the red-robed cultivator asked, licking his lips, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Did you butcher my disciples?”

Qin Lu nodded, his expression indifferent. “I did. And in a moment, you’ll be joining them.”

“Hahahaha! Arrogant little brat! We are the same rank. Do you really think you can kill me?” The Blood Cultivator threw his head back and laughed.

He had already gauged Qin Lu’s strength: early-stage Foundation Establishment.

In the cultivation world, Evil Cultivators were universally reviled rats, hunted by all. Yet, no one denied their combat prowess. Their methods were cruel, extreme, and often granted them a lethality that surpassed orthodox cultivators of the same realm. It was this seductive power that led so many astray.

“Why don’t we find out?”

Qin Lu didn’t waste another breath. He raised his hand and fired!

Thwip!

A [Finger Flick Technique] shot out—a condensed bullet of air pressure that screamed toward the enemy.

The man in red sneered. With a casual flick of his wrist, a circular Magical Artifact materialized in his grip.

Whoosh!

It was a chakram—a spinning disc of razor-sharp blades. It rotated at a terrifying velocity, its center glowing with a malevolent purple light. It tore through the air, slicing Qin Lu’s air bullet in half before continuing its trajectory straight for Qin Lu’s skull.

Qin Lu stomped the ground, his figure blurring as he vanished from his spot, barely evading the decapitating strike.

A ranged artifact? Qin Lu noted inwardly. Most use swords or sabers. This guy is tricky.

Whirrrr!

The spinning blade didn’t stop. Controlled by the Blood Cultivator’s Qi control, it banked sharply in mid-air, looping back to hunt Qin Lu down like a homing missile.

Qin Lu didn’t panic. He activated the [Soft Wind Technique], his body becoming weightless as he skated across the rubble, keeping just ahead of the pursuing blade.

“Let’s see how you handle close quarters!”

Qin Lu twisted his hips, changing direction abruptly. He charged straight at the Blood Cultivator.

Mid-stride, he raised his left hand, palm facing the enemy.

[Illumination Technique]!

FLASH!

A blinding supernova of white light erupted from his palm, intended to sear the enemy’s retinas.

But the Blood Cultivator was prepared. The swirling blood ribbons around him reacted instantly, coalescing into a dense, opaque wall that swallowed the light completely.

“Reflexive defense?”

Qin Lu’s eyes narrowed. This opponent was well-equipped.

But he didn’t stop. He channeled his Qi into the [Seven Star Sword], activating the [Cutting Technique]. The blade hummed with a razor-sharp aura, its cutting power amplified to the limit.

He thrust directly into the blood wall!

Shhht!

The enhanced blade tore through the crimson mist as if it were paper, aiming straight for the center of the man’s forehead.

The Blood Cultivator’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected such terrifying penetration power. He jerked his head back desperately, the tip of the sword missing his brow by a hair’s breadth.

Simultaneously, a yellow Talisman appeared in the Blood Cultivator’s hand. He slapped it forward.

ROAR!

The paper burned away instantly, transforming into a massive jagged boulder that shot toward Qin Lu’s chest like a cannonball.

Qin Lu reacted on instinct.

[Spirit Shield Technique]!

BANG!

A transparent barrier of Qi materialized just in time. The boulder shattered against the shield, the impact force sliding Qin Lu backward across the stone floor.

Before he could regain his balance, the whistling sound of the chakram returned—aimed squarely at the back of his neck.

Qin Lu didn’t turn. Relying on years of drilled muscle memory, he twisted his upper body at an impossible angle, swinging his sword behind his back.

CLANG!

The [Seven Star Sword] met the spinning disc in a shower of brilliant sparks.

The force of the collision was heavy. Qin Lu grunted, forced to stumble back several steps to dissipate the momentum.

The two combatants separated, a dozen meters of ruined temple floor between them.

The red-robed cultivator’s face was now grave. The mockery was gone. In just a few exchanges, he realized this boy was not a normal early-stage cultivator. His reactions, his artifacts, his spell-weaving—it was all flawless.

Qin Lu, on the other hand, relaxed his stance.

He had the measure of his opponent now. The man was strong, but Qin Lu was stronger. More importantly, this guy was dripping with wealth. That chakram, the endless defensive blood, the high-tier Talismans…

If I kill him, I’m going to be rich.

“Again!”

Qin Lu roared, his greed fueling his battle spirit. He launched himself forward, sword dancing.

The Blood Cultivator snarled, refusing to back down. He controlled his chakram to intercept.

The battle erupted in full force.

Stone pillars shattered. Walls collapsed. The already-ruined Lingfeng Temple was being ground into dust by the shockwaves of their clash.

The more they fought, the happier Qin Lu became.

The man was a walking treasury. He threw out Rank 2 Talismans like they were scrap paper—fireballs, ice spikes, stone walls. Each one was worth a dozen Spirit Stones, yet he used them without hesitation.

Qin Lu’s eyes sparkled. He dodged and weaved, using his superior agility to evade the brunt of the attacks, blocking the rest with his [Spirit Shield].

Dozens of exchanges passed. Qin Lu was untouched. The Blood Cultivator, however, was sweating. His blood shield was dimming, battered by Qin Lu’s relentless sword strikes.

Time to end this.

Qin Lu sidestepped a chakram swipe. He raised his left hand to the sky, fingers curled into a claw.

Lightning crackled between his fingertips, the air smelling of ozone.

[Lightning Strike Technique]!

BOOM!

A pillar of blue-white lightning crashed down from the heavens, targeting the Blood Cultivator’s skull.

“Lightning arts?!”

The man turned pale. He slapped his storage bag, summoning a heavy tower shield. He raised it overhead just as the bolt landed.

CRACK!

The lightning slammed into the shield. The metal groaned and blackened, the force driving the cultivator to his knees.

Whoosh!

Qin Lu didn’t wait for the smoke to clear. He was already moving. He lunged through the dust, the [Seven Star Sword] glowing with lethal intent.

The Blood Cultivator looked up, panic finally setting in. His shield was ruined. The lightning had paralyzed his blood defense.

Desperate, he gathered the last dregs of his blood mist into a solid palm in front of him.

Clang!

The hardened blood stopped the sword, but cracks appeared instantly on its surface.

Qin Lu prepared to pour more Qi into the blade to shatter the defense. But then, his peripheral vision caught a flash of blue light.

The Blood Cultivator’s other hand was glowing. He was holding a small, unassuming bead.

Qin Lu’s heart stopped.

He knew that bead. He had used one himself to kill his first Foundation Establishment enemy when he was still in Qi Condensation.

[Thunder Bead].

A one-time consumable Dharma Treasure. Pure explosive destruction.

“NOPE.”

Qin Lu abandoned the attack instantly. He kicked off the ground, reversing his momentum and rocketing backward with every ounce of speed he possessed.

BOOM!

The world turned white.

A deafening explosion tore through the main hall. The shockwave pulverized the remaining walls, sending a mushroom cloud of dust and debris into the sky.

Qin Lu landed heavily fifty meters away, skidding to a halt. He coughed, waving away the dust.

“Crazy bastard…”

He peered into the smoke, ready to finish the job.

But as the dust settled, Qin Lu’s jaw tightened.

High in the air, a silver streak was tearing away toward the horizon. The red-robed cultivator was standing on a sleek, silver flying sword, fleeing at a breakneck speed.

“He… he actually escaped.”

Qin Lu lowered his sword, his shoulders slumping.

He didn’t bother chasing. One look at that flying sword told him everything—it was fast. Much faster than his own shoddy [Flying Cloud Paper]. He would never catch him.

“Rich. Too rich,” Qin Lu lamented, shaking his head. “Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and even a high-tier flying sword. If I had killed him, I would have been set for years. What a waste…”

He looked down at his own feet, imagining the clumsy paper artifact he usually rode.

“Damn it. When I get back, I am buying a flying sword. I don’t care how much it costs. This paper trash doesn’t match my status anymore.”

Speed was life. If he had a faster mount, he could run away faster—or catch rich enemies like this one.

Qin Lu sighed, floating back down to the ruins of the main hall.

“Hm?”

Embedded deep in a stone pillar, something glinted.

It was the silver chakram.

The Blood Cultivator had fled in such a panic that he had severed his connection with his weapon and left it behind.

“Well now…”

Qin Lu pried the disc from the stone. It was heavy, cold silver, with four vicious curved blades along the rim. He injected a sliver of Qi, and the disc hummed, spinning obediently in his palm.

“Not a bad consolation prize.”

Grinning, he stowed the artifact in his [Storage Bag]. He then quickly stripped the two headless corpses of their valuables before sitting down to meditate.

A short while later.

“Hey! Brother Qin! It’s a mess in here! Did you fight again? Are you alive?!”

Gu Can’s voice boomed from outside.

Qin Lu stood up, dusting off his robes, and walked out to meet them. “Relax. I’m fine.”

Gu Can, Bai Lang, and a royal-robed Yu Heng stood at the entrance.

“What happened?” Gu Can asked, eyeing the fresh crater.

Qin Lu recounted the battle, admitting that the leader had escaped.

“Dammit!” Gu Can slapped his thigh, his face twisting in genuine pain. “If I had been here, we would have pinned him! I shouldn’t have wasted time showing off to the mortals!”

“It’s fine,” Qin Lu reassured him. “I injured him badly, and his scheme here is ruined. He won’t be coming back. The mission is complete.”

“I suppose,” Gu Can grumbled.

Qin Lu turned to Bai Lang. “This matter is closed. I will return to White Jade Market and report to Shopkeeper Jiang. You should report to your sect Elders.”

“Yes. Thank you, Seniors, for saving us!” Bai Lang bowed deeply.

Before Qin Lu could reply, the young Emperor Yu Heng stepped forward. He fell to his knees and performed a grand, ceremonial bow to the three of them.

“I thank the Immortal Masters for saving my kingdom! The 10 million subjects of Great Lie will remember your Immortal Grace for ten thousand generations!”

Qin Lu’s lips curved slightly.

He had to admit, being the hero felt good. It was risky, yes, but the sense of accomplishment was undeniable.

He looked at the young Emperor. “Yu Heng. You have achieved great martial skill at such a young age. Your talent is undeniable. In fact… I suspect you possess spiritual roots.”

Qin Lu waved his hand. A thin book flew out of his [Storage Bag] and hovered before Yu Heng.

“This is the [Profound Yang Art]. It is a basic cultivation manual. Our meeting is a form of fate. Today, I grant you a thread of Immortal Fate. Study this book well. If your fortune is sufficient, you may one day ascend to Immortality yourself.”

“This… this…”

Yu Heng stared at the floating book, his body trembling. He was too shocked to speak.

“If you succeed in sensing Qi,” Qin Lu added with a smile, “you may come to White Jade Market to find me. I can arrange a place for you.”

“Yes… Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you!”

Yu Heng grabbed the manual with both hands as if it were the holiest object in existence, bowing his head to the floor repeatedly.

Qin Lu nodded. Without another word, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light that shot toward the horizon.

To the current Qin Lu, a common manual like the [Profound Yang Art] was trash worth a handful of Spirit Stones.

But he had noticed Yu Heng’s dual spiritual roots. Giving the boy a chance cost him nothing, but it might plant a seed for the future.

After all, Qin Lu lived by a simple code:

Giving roses to others leaves a lingering fragrance in one’s own hand.

Kindness, no matter how small, was never truly wasted.

Qin Lu and Gu Can soared through the clouds, leaving the mortal dynasty behind, heading back toward the world of cultivation—back to the White Jade Market.