Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Liang City.

A heavy gong resonated through the twilight air, followed by the rolling thud of a drum. The city gates groaned shut. On the streets, the crowds of commoners began to thin, and the bustling noise of the day faded into hushed whispers.

Watching the mortals hurry home, Qin Lu leaned over and whispered, “Looks like they still enforce a strict curfew here. See, Xiao Can? It’s completely different from the non-stop nightlife of the White Jade Market.”

Gu Can trudged along with his hands clasped behind his head, looking utterly bored. “That’s exactly why I hate the mortal world. This kind of life is suffocatingly dull.”

“Don’t say that. There’s a unique flavor to the plain and simple life…”

Qin Lu actually appreciated the tranquility. There was no chaos here, no constant scheming and intrigue between cultivators.

If the Spiritual Qi in mortal cities wasn’t so thin, he would have happily left the cutthroat market district behind to live in a place like this, spending his days in Secluded Cultivation to Grind his skills in peace.

Unfortunately, the Spiritual Qi here was barren. Forget about cultivation; staying here long-term might even cause his cultivation base to regress.

Still, Qin Lu observed everything with great interest. It was his first time visiting a true mortal city in this world.

The architecture and atmosphere weren’t much different from the historical dramas he had watched on TV in his previous life. It felt strangely nostalgic.

The two made their way through the emptying streets toward the city center.

soon arrived at the most prestigious estate in Liang City: the Immortal Master’s Manor.

Qin Lu didn’t waste words. He gave the servant at the gate the name “Jiang Ge” and ordered him to announce their arrival.

The process was refreshingly smooth. No brainless mortals stepped forward to mock them or demand bribes. Moments later, they were ushered in to meet the Demon Slaying Sect disciple stationed there.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a grey robe. His cultivation was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Upon seeing Qin Lu and Gu Can, he immediately sensed their superior aura and bowed low with extreme deference.

“Junior Bai Lang pays his respects to the two Seniors!”

Gu Can didn’t bother with pleasantries. He cut straight to the chase.

“Cut the crap. Just tell me directly—where is that damn evil cultivator hiding?”

Bai Lang froze, clearly taken aback by the aggression. He stammered, “This… this Junior does not know the evil cultivator’s current location.”

“You don’t know?” Gu Can frowned, his voice rising. “Then where are we supposed to look? We can’t search the entire dynasty inch by inch, can we?”

He threw himself into a chair, crossing his legs and looking at the ceiling with a casual, carefree demeanor, as if the mission were already a bore.

“Don’t be impatient.”

Qin Lu waved a hand to calm him, then turned his gaze to the nervous station master. “First, walk me through the entire sequence of events. Detail matters.”

“Yes, of course!”

Bai Lang nodded vigorously, then hesitated. “However… I believe having the Crown Prince explain it personally would provide the most clarity.”

“Fine. Summon him.”

“Yes! Please wait a moment, Seniors!”

Bai Lang hurried off. In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a handsome young man entered the hall.

He looked barely of age, with sharp, three-dimensional features—a high nose bridge, thin lips, and sword-like eyebrows that slanted aggressively toward his temples. A few stray locks of black hair fell across his forehead, giving him an air of noble elegance despite his distress.

“Commoner Yu Heng pays his respects to the two Immortal Masters!” The young man stepped forward and bowed deeply, cupping his hands.

Qin Lu glanced at him coolly. “You are the Crown Prince of the Great Lie Dynasty?”

“I am.”

Yu Heng nodded heavily. Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees.

Thud!

He prostrated himself, slamming his forehead against the stone floor with a loud, desperate sound.

“Yu Heng kneels and begs the Immortal Masters! Please, save the millions of commoners in my Great Lie Dynasty from fire and water!”

He remained bowed, his forehead pressed to the cold ground.

Qin Lu’s expression remained impassive. “Get up. tell us exactly what happened.”

“Yes!”

Yu Heng lifted his head, his expression resolute. He took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking.

“I discovered something was wrong half a month ago. My father, the King, suddenly became strange. He couldn’t remember things he had said just days prior. He was constantly muddle-headed, acting like a stranger in his own skin. Then, he executed the Prime Minister—a man he had trusted implicitly for decades.”

“Suspecting foul play, I launched a secret investigation. I found that the Imperial Palace had been infiltrated by many unfamiliar priests. More importantly… I noticed something on my father’s back.”

Yu Heng’s voice trembled slightly. “There was a yellow paper pasted discreetly on his skin. It shimmered with a strange light.”

“Hmm…” Qin Lu nodded slowly, his mind working. “Your father is likely being puppeted. In the cultivation world, there is a Talisman called the [Substitute Body Talisman]. It allows a cultivator to control the actions of a mortal. That yellow paper is almost certainly the control mechanism.”

“The Immortal Master is wise!” Yu Heng nodded repeatedly, his face darkening with sorrow. “That was my conclusion as well. I disguised myself and snuck out of the palace to investigate those strange priests. I managed to infiltrate one of their halls… and I saw them bathing in fresh blood. They were consuming it.”

Qin Lu frowned. “Blood…”

“I was discovered,” Yu Heng continued. “They hunted me down. I fled for my life, and it was only thanks to Immortal Master Bai’s intervention that I escaped the tiger’s mouth and made it here.”

Gu Can yawned loudly, covering his mouth.

“So, they’re Blood Cultivators,” he said dismissively. “A bunch of monsters who use human blood to boost their cultivation. Standard trash.”

“Exactly,” Bai Lang chimed in from the side. “That day, I was passing through a forest and heard fighting. I intervened, killed the pursuer, and rescued the Crown Prince. Later, I conducted a covert reconnaissance of the Great Lie capital. Evil cultivators are definitely active there, and all signs point to Blood Arts.”

Qin Lu looked at Bai Lang. “How can you be certain the leader is only at Qi Condensation Perfection?”

“I captured one of the cultists alive. After severe torture and interrogation, he cracked. He confessed that their leader’s cultivation is at the ninth level of Qi Condensation.”

“Good.”

Qin Lu nodded, feeling a wave of relief. The intelligence seemed solid. He turned back to the Prince. “Do you know what their end game is? Why control the King?”

“This commoner does not know…”

“Think,” Qin Lu pressed. “Besides killing the Prime Minister, has your father done anything else outrageous? Anything that defies logic?”

Yu Heng furrowed his brow, thinking hard. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

“Right! My father summoned several of my uncles back to the capital to pay respects at the Imperial Mausoleum. Once they arrived, he executed them all for ‘plotting rebellion.’ Because of this, the entire dynasty is on the brink of civil war. The lords are raising armies!”

Qin Lu nodded. The puzzle pieces fell into place.

“They want to ignite a war. When armies clash, blood flows like rivers and the stench of death fills the sky. These Blood Cultivators plan to harvest that massive concentrated slaughter to break through their cultivation bottlenecks.”

Gu Can stood up and stretched his arms lazily. “Brother Qin, you’re overthinking it. We don’t need to analyze their politics. Let’s just go over there and chop them up.”

“Yu Heng, do you know where their base is?”

“When I was investigating, I tracked them to a temple just outside the Imperial Capital.”

“Alright then.”

Qin Lu stood up, smoothing his robes.

“Let’s start there. We’ll investigate the temple first.”