Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

“Name?”

“Lu Xian, at your service. Hard shift today, eh, brother?”

“Cut the crap. Where are you coming from?”

“We’ve all traveled from Wuji Market.”

“Purpose of entry?”

“Ah, you know how it is. The Wuji Sect and the Dragon Tiger Sect are at each other’s throats. We’re refugees seeking asylum. Honestly, the journey here was miserable!”

“Are all these people with you?”

“Yes, yes. Fellow Daoist, please see for yourself. Twenty-one souls in total: fourteen cultivators, seven mortals.”

“Judging by the rags, you’re all loose cultivators?”

“Your eyes are sharp as torches, Daoist. We are indeed humble wanderers.”

“Names?”

“…”

Through Lu Xian’s practiced oiliness, the group’s identities were quickly established.

After the initial registration, a second guard produced a bronze mirror. He swept the artifact over the group, the surface flashing with blinding white light as it cataloged their spiritual signatures.

“Your appearances and aura signatures have been recorded by the Light and Shadow Mirror,” the guard intoned, his voice carrying a practiced edge of menace. “Do not cause trouble within the market. If you break the laws, the Demon Slaying Sect will hunt you down, no matter where you flee.”

The warning hung in the air, met with submissive silence from the refugees.

Satisfied, the guard waved them through. They stepped past the shimmering light barrier and officially entered the White Jade Market.

The assault on their senses was immediate.

The roar of the crowd was a physical force. Rows of glazed tiles shimmered atop buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see. While the layout mirrored the grid-like precision of Wuji Market, the materials spoke of vastly greater wealth. The streets were paved not with grey stone, but with slabs of white jade.

Shops bustled with aggressive commerce, and artisans hawked wares with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. But the most striking difference was the people.

The loose cultivators here didn’t look like starving scavengers. Even those without magical robes wore exquisite mortal silks, their faces flushed with health rather than the gaunt desperation typical of Wuji Market.

Stepping into this new world, Qin Lu’s group gawked openly, resembling a pack of country bumpkins fresh from the sticks. They turned in circles, eyes wide, soaking in the prosperity.

Led by Qin Lu, they eventually located a large inn and booked rooms for the night. The sun was setting, painting the jade streets in hues of gold and amber.

“We’ll find a broker tomorrow morning,” Qin Lu told Lu Xian. “Tonight, we rest.”

The younger members—Gu Can, Lu Anchen, and Lu Xuan—were too wired to sleep. As soon as night fell, they rallied a group to explore the nightlife, eager to wash away the dust of travel with wine and excitement.

They invited Qin Lu, of course.

“Go ahead without me,” Qin Lu said, waving them off. “I need to meditate.”

While the others sought pleasure, Qin Lu sat cross-legged on his bed in the darkening room. He opened his status panel.

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Perfection: 16/100]

He sighed. “Progress has crawled since I hit the peak of Qi Refining.”

It had been nearly a month since his breakthrough, yet he was barely a sixth of the way to overflowing.

“The road is long and arduous,” he whispered to the empty room. “But I must endure.”

He noted that his [Finger Flick Technique] was on the verge of leveling up. He would need to find a secluded spot to test its new power soon.

“I need to stabilize quickly, then enter secluded cultivation to attempt Foundation Establishment.”

Closing his eyes, he shut out the muffled sounds of the city outside. While others wasted time, he seized every second.

The night passed in silence.

Early the next morning, Qin Lu, Lu Xian, Cao Yunxi, and Gu Can set out for the brokerage agency.

As they walked, Qin Lu observed the locals. He had gathered intelligence on the White Jade Market during the journey.

It was the economic heart of the Demon Slaying Sect’s territory, located deep within their safe zone. The Sect’s main mountain gate lay a thousand miles to the west, guarded, rumor had it, by a Golden Core ancestor. Though the ancestor was ancient and rarely left his mountain, his presence guaranteed a stability Wuji Market could only dream of.

Like Wuji, the market was managed by Foundation Establishment overseers appointed by the sect. The brokerage they were heading to was an official, sect-sanctioned enterprise.

The agency was quiet when they arrived, the morning rush yet to begin. An attendant greeted them immediately.

“Gentlemen,” the cultivator said, unfurling a large map across the counter. “This is the layout of White Jade Market. Rental prices vary by district.”

He pointed to the outer ring. “The Shantytown. Rents start at ten low-grade Spirit Stones a month.”

His finger moved inward. “The Outer City. Thirty stones.”

Finally, he tapped the inner circle. “The Inner City. One hundred and fifty stones minimum.”

Qin Lu studied the map. There was a large, unmarked void in the dead center. “And there?”

The attendant smiled apologetically. “The Core District. Fully occupied by Sect elders and elites. No vacancies.”

Qin Lu nodded. It was standard geomancy. The market was built over a spirit vein; the closer to the center, the denser the Qi. A home in the Inner City, equipped with a Spirit Gathering Array, could offer cultivation speeds double that of the slums.

After a brief conference, the group split. Lu Xian and Cao Yunxi, constrained by their budgets, opted for the Outer City.

Qin Lu and Gu Can, however, aimed higher.

“Inner City,” Qin Lu stated.

The agency was efficient. Four junior clerks were summoned to guide them to available properties.

Two hours later, Qin Lu stood in the courtyard of a sprawling estate on Green Lotus Street, in the western sector of the Inner City. It covered seven hundred square meters, a private fortress of solitude.

The rent was steep: one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones a month.

As he handed over the first month’s payment, Qin Lu didn’t wince. Instead, a wave of relief washed over him.

His new life—quiet, stable, and focused entirely on power—was finally beginning.