Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 279: Swift Escape

Sensing the rapidly climbing momentum of the shadow entity before him, Qin Lu’s brow furrowed. He glanced down at the black-robed youth on the ground and shouted coldly:

“So, you’re here to kill and seize treasures?”

The black-robed youth flew into a rage, pointing a trembling finger at Qin Lu. “You! You snatched my [Foundation Establishment Pill]! You’ve gone too far!”

“Snatched?” Qin Lu was almost amused by the absurdity. “The auction follows the rule of the highest bidder. Since when does winning a fair auction count as bullying?”

“Hmph! The [Foundation Establishment Pill] belongs to me! No one is allowed to take it!” The youth’s voice was icy with entitlement.

“You’re quite the tyrant…” Qin Lu mocked. Then his expression hardened, his voice dropping to a sneer. “However, I must tell you—you picked the wrong person to rob today.”

Before the last word had even faded, Qin Lu moved.

He didn’t wait for the shadow’s power to peak. In the face of an unknown variable, the only correct move was to strangle the danger in its cradle.

Whoosh!

Mid-flight, Qin Lu drew back his arms and punched twice.

Two massive tornadoes materialized from the void, roaring toward the shadow like dragons made of wind!

Having reached the “Grandmaster” proficiency level, his [Wind Pillar Technique] had evolved. Its range had expanded tenfold, and its lethality had grown exponentially. A Qi Condensation cultivator caught in this gale would be shredded into bloody mist instantly. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would risk severe injury if they were careless.

“Heh. This little trick is somewhat interesting.”

An aged, raspy male voice echoed from within the shadow, dripping with arrogance and disdain.

Qin Lu’s heart skipped a beat.

He hadn’t expected the shadow to speak. The voice sounded ancient, weary, yet undeniably sentient.

A spirit body?

A hypothesis formed instantly in his mind. He had read obscure texts about powerful cultivators who, upon death, anchored their souls to artifacts to escape the cycle of reincarnation. These “remnant souls” would seek out a host, guiding them to gather resources until they recovered enough strength to possess a new body or reconstruct their old one.

The shadow before him fit the description perfectly.

It really is the legendary “Grandpa in a Ring”…

BOOM!

While Qin Lu analyzed, the shadow retaliated. It gathered two plumes of black mist and fired them forward, colliding with the tornadoes. The resulting explosion tore the air apart, scattering fierce winds that scarred the earth below.

However, the impact caused the shadow to shudder violently. Its aura flickered, dimming slightly.

Qin Lu’s eyes lit up.

He’s weak.

Based on this exchange, the spirit was not invincible. It had failed to instantly defeat Gu Can earlier, and now it was struggling against Qin Lu’s full power. The gap in strength was obvious.

“You… a mere Late Foundation Establishment cultivator… how can you cast a technique of this magnitude?” The shadow voice sounded genuinely astonished.

“Hmph!”

Qin Lu didn’t bother to answer. He wasn’t here to explain his cheat-like proficiency system to a ghost.

He charged.

Since the battle had begun, only one side would leave alive. Banter was a waste of breath.

The [Silver Sand Sword] hummed as Qin Lu thrust forward. The blade carried a majestic, thrumming sword qi that tore through the air with a high-pitched hiss, aiming straight for the shadow’s core.

Bang!

The thick black mist instantly condensed into a solid shield, intercepting the strike.

But the spirit had underestimated Qin Lu again. The sword qi didn’t just hit the shield; it punched right through it, blowing a massive hole in the condensed mist.

“This… impossible!” The shadow cried out, its voice laced with shock.

In the spirit’s memories, a recovered Foundation Establishment Perfection soul assisting a host in a simple robbery should have been a walk in the park. Based on his combat experience from his previous life, dealing with a rural cultivator should have been as easy as crushing an ant.

He hadn’t expected to kick an iron plate.

In just two exchanges, he realized this opponent possessed a ferocity and foundation that defied logic.

“Hmph! You have some skill, boy. Let me play with you proper—Hm?”

The shadow suddenly cut himself off.

Without warning, the entity abandoned the duel with Qin Lu and dove toward the ground with desperate speed.

Qin Lu glanced down.

Gu Can was diving like a hawk, his spear tip locked onto the black-robed youth on the ground.

The host was in danger. The spirit was rushing to save his lifeline.

“Thinking of leaving?”

Qin Lu sneered. He adjusted his spiritual qi, activating the [Phantom Mantra].

Whoosh!

His speed exploded, leaving a blurred afterimage in the sky as he chased the shadow down. He was faster.

Closing the distance in a heartbeat, Qin Lu’s hand crackled with blinding purple light. He aimed at the exposed back of the fleeing spirit and unleashed a full-power [Lightning Strike Technique].

BOOM!

It was as if the Thunder God himself had thrown a gavel. The Grandmaster-level lightning bolt screamed through the air, carrying the terrifying, purifying power of heaven.

It slammed squarely into the shadow.

Bang!

Struck by its natural weakness, the shadow convulsed like a scorched bird and plummeted uncontrollably toward the earth.

At the same moment, Gu Can reached his target.

His face was twisted in a mask of fury, his eyes locked onto the black-robed youth.

“Die!”

Seeing the Foundation Establishment cultivator descending upon him like a meteor, the youth stumbled backward, terror etched on his face. He turned his head, screaming for his savior.

“Elder Mo—!”

But when he saw “Elder Mo” falling from the sky, smoke trailing from his spirit form, the youth’s body froze.

His heart plummeted into the abyss.

Squelch!

A full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not something a Qi Condensation junior could survive. There was no miracle.

Gu Can’s spear pierced the youth’s chest effortlessly.

The immense kinetic force didn’t just penetrate; it detonated. The youth’s torso exploded in a spray of gore, half his body obliterated in an instant.

“NO!!” The shadow roared, a sound of pure, impotent rage.

The death of the host severed his anchor.

The spirit knew he couldn’t stay. Without a host to supply qi, he would dissipate if he continued fighting. With a flicker, the black ring spontaneously detached from the corpse’s severed finger.

The shadow wrapped around the ring and fled toward the horizon, moving with a desperate, burning speed that far outstripped his previous movements.

“So fast…” Qin Lu halted in mid-air.

Seeing the speed of the escaping artifact, he immediately abandoned any thought of pursuit. It was simply too fast to catch.

As the black streak vanished over the horizon, silence returned to the wilderness.

Only the scattered corpses and the scarred earth remained as testament to the brutal skirmish.

“Clean up the bodies! We move, now!” Qin Lu shouted down to Gu Can.

“On it!”

Both men knew that lingering after a battle was a recipe for disaster.

Gu Can flew over to Ren Longhu, who was still frozen in a dazed stupor from Qin Lu’s mental attack.

Thwack.

Without a flicker of emotion, Gu Can drove his spear through Ren Longhu’s throat.

For a pampered young master who relied on schemes because he lacked strength, Gu Can had no pity.

He quickly stripped the corpse of valuables.

Working with practiced efficiency, the two men looted the battlefield clean. Moments later, they returned to the medium-sized spirit boat, their pockets heavy with the spoils of war.

The engine hummed to life, and the vessel shot forward, disappearing into the clouds toward White Jade Market.

……