Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Night descended.

The streets of the White Jade Market surged with life once more. Countless cultivators and mortals, having eaten and drunk their fill, spilled out from the taverns to revel in the neon glow of the spirit lanterns.

Qin Lu, disguised and silent, moved through the shadows like a drop of ink in water. He slipped away from the noise, arriving unnoticed at the perimeter of the Tao Family estate.

He retrieved a disc-shaped artifact from his [Storage Bag].

Staring at the bronze disc, his mind flickered back to the bloody nights in Wuji Market. This was a trophy of war, looted from the corpse of a black-robed assassin who had dared to invade his home.

“I always thought I’d find a use for this,” Qin Lu whispered, his voice barely a breath. “I just never expected it to be for this.”

He pressed the artifact against the shimmering defensive array protecting the walls. With a subtle injection of spiritual energy, the disc hummed, activating its disruption matrix.

Pfft.

With a sound like a punctured lung, the formation’s light curtain warped, opening a small, unstable gap.

Qin Lu wasted no time. He retrieved the disc and flashed through the breach. Behind him, the light flickered twice before sealing shut, leaving no trace of the intruder.

Inside the walls, Qin Lu pushed his [Breath Concealment Technique] to its absolute limit. His aura vanished completely; to any observer, he was less significant than a drifting leaf.

“[Heavenly Eye Technique].”

He cast the spell internally. An invisible ripple of perception expanded from his body, sweeping through the estate.

The walls turned transparent to his mind’s eye. Every heartbeat, every flicker of spiritual pressure within the mansion appeared on his mental map. He located Tao Xi instantly—the young master was alone in his quarters in the rear courtyard.

“Hmph.”

Qin Lu moved.

With the [Heavenly Eye Technique] active, he possessed near-omniscience of his surroundings. He drifted through the gardens, avoiding the gaze of servants and the patrol routes of guards with preternatural ease.

He arrived at the rear courtyard without disturbing a single blade of grass.

“He’s alone.”

Confirming the isolation, a flash of cold ruthlessness crossed Qin Lu’s eyes. He stepped out of the shadows and pushed open the door.

Creak.

The sound was sharp in the quiet room.

“Who is it?” Tao Xi’s voice rang out instantly, sharp with vigilance.

Qin Lu didn’t answer. He simply released a surge of spiritual pressure, forming a dense, invisible barrier around the room. Sound was now locked in; screams would not escape.

Qin Lu stepped past the silk screen partition, revealing himself to the young man.

“You really don’t learn, do you?” Qin Lu said, his voice dropping the disguised accent. “You only learn how to be vile.”

Tao Xi stared at the bearded stranger, scrambling to his feet. He pointed a trembling finger. “Who are you?!”

“Me?”

Qin Lu sneered. He canceled the [Disguise Technique]. His features shifted, the rough beard melting away to reveal his true, cold face.

“Do you recognize me now?”

“It’s you!” Tao Xi stumbled back, colliding with his desk. “What are you doing here?! I already apologized last night!”

“Apologized?” Qin Lu stepped closer. “No. That is far from enough. I require you to pay for her life with yours.”

“Are you crazy?!” Tao Xi screamed, his face twisting in disbelief. “She was just a mortal! A servant! A matter of half a Spirit Stone—why would you go to such lengths for trash like that?!”

“Just consider me a man who seeks vengeance for the smallest grievance,” Qin Lu replied flatly.

“You are being utterly unreasonable! Kong Mengli is my aunt!” Tao Xi backed against the desk, his voice rising in a desperate threat. “Do you dare touch me?!”

Qin Lu shook his head gently. “She won’t avenge you. And even if she wanted to, she would never trace this back to me.”

“Ridiculous! You are a mere Qi Refining cultivator. How could you possibly escape her investigation? I advise you to think twice before acting!”

“No need. Just go and die… Hmm?”

Qin Lu frowned. His mental force lashed out.

[Object Control Technique].

Tao Xi’s hand froze mid-motion behind his back. He had been reaching for a magical artifact hidden in the desk drawer, hoping to launch a surprise attack. Under the scrutiny of the [Heavenly Eye Technique], however, his movements were as clumsy as a child’s.

“What… what is this?!”

Tao Xi shrieked in panic. The artifact slipped from his paralyzed fingers and clattered to the floor.

Qin Lu approached him slowly. With a thought, he increased the pressure. Tao Xi was lifted off his feet, suspended helplessly in mid-air.

The young master flailed wildly, his limbs jerking against the invisible bonds. “Put me down! Put me down!”

“Boy, I forgot to mention,” Qin Lu looked up at the terrified face, his expression placid. “I am a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

The struggling stopped. Tao Xi’s eyes bulged.

“Foundation… Establishment?!” His voice broke into a sob. “Se… Senior! I truly didn’t know that mortal was your servant! Please! Spare me this once!”

“No. There will be no next time.”

Qin Lu’s gaze drifted downward.

“That filthy three ounces of meat between your legs… it is the root of your sin. Let me help you remove it.”

“Senior! Senior, no! Don’t! I beg you!”

Cold sweat poured down Tao Xi’s face. He thrashed violently, but against the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was a chick trapped in an iron vice.

Qin Lu raised a finger. The [Cutting Technique] condensed into a blade of pure, sharp energy.

Shhht!

The energy blade slashed. Blood sprayed across the floor.

“AAAAHHH!”

Tao Xi let out a shrill, soul-tearing scream, his eyes rolling back in agony as his manhood was severed.

Qin Lu watched the blood dripping from the suspended body. He felt a wave of nausea; he took no pleasure in torture. He was not a sadist, but this was the price that had to be paid.

“Senior… I… I won’t dare… ever again…” Tao Xi wheezed, his face grey with shock. “Spare… my life…”

“Since you committed the act, your fate was sealed. There is no ‘later’ for you.”

Qin Lu didn’t let him suffer further. He drove a spike of spiritual energy directly into Tao Xi’s skull.

Boom.

The energy shattered the brain instantly.

Tao Xi’s body went limp. The light in his eyes vanished.

The vengeance was done. Qin Lu’s expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand, storing the corpse into his [Storage Bag], then used a cleaning spell to scrub the blood from the floorboards.

He stood in the center of the room for a moment, centering himself.

Then, he activated the [Disguise Technique].

His bones shifted, his skin morphed. Within seconds, he was the spitting image of Tao Xi. He stripped the clothes from the corpse in his bag and dressed himself.

He adjusted his collar, checking his reflection.

The brand new “Tao Xi” pushed open the door and stepped out into the night.