Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

The sudden explosion and the spreading crimson fog brought the battlefield to a standstill. Blades lowered, chants died in throats, and cultivators stared toward the west, shock painted on their faces.

Anyone who made a living in the White Jade Market knew the stories. When they saw that bizarre, coppery red mist, a single terrifying term surfaced in their minds.

Blood Cultivators.

Evil practitioners who boosted their cultivation by draining the blood of others. They were the very scourge that had been plaguing the Demon Slaying Sect’s territory recently, leaving a trail of dried corpses in their wake.

As the thick fog slowly dispersed, over 30 silhouettes were revealed hovering in the air. A hair-raising, sinister aura began to suffocate the market.

Qin Lu and Gu Yue hovered side by side, their expressions grim as they watched the nightmare unfold.

“As I expected…” Gu Yue sighed heavily.

Qin Lu didn’t look away, his gaze locked on the distant figures. “This is what triggered your instincts earlier?”

“Yes. The Demon Beasts were… wrong,” Gu Yue explained, her voice tight. “They were frenzied. They had no fear of death, only a maddening hunger for blood. That isn’t natural behavior. I just didn’t expect it to be them.”

“This battle just became a lot harder,” Qin Lu murmured.

He had witnessed the power of a Blood Cultivator back in the Great Lie Dynasty.

That middle-aged evil cultivator had been a walking arsenal—loaded with Magical Artifacts, pills, and talismans. His combat prowess had far stripped that of an ordinary cultivator.

Even Qin Lu, with all his advantages, hadn’t been able to secure a kill on the spot. If it had been anyone else, they would have been drained dry in seconds.

And now, the defenders of White Jade Market were exhausted. They had just survived a brutal beast tide and had zero time to recover. To face a fresh squad of Blood Cultivators now was like asking an egg to survive a collision with a rock.

“Hmph!”

Jiang Ge let out a cold snort that echoed like thunder. He didn’t hesitate for a second, blasting toward the west at full speed.

Seeing the Market Master charge, the other cultivators exchanged uncertain glances. Should they follow?

But soon, someone made the choice for them.

Zou Chang raised his massive black hammer high, his burly figure accelerating to catch up with Jiang Ge. He roared at the top of his lungs:

“Everyone, follow Jiang Ge! The Demon Beasts are finished! Let’s crush these wretched clowns together!”

Zou Chang’s war cry worked. The hesitation in the crowd vanished, replaced by a surge of adrenaline.

Dozens of cultivators moved, their faces hardening with resolve.

Qin Lu and Gu Yue exchanged a glance.

“Are we going?” Gu Yue asked tentatively.

Qin Lu turned back to the dissipating mist, his eyes cold. “Of course.”

He couldn’t run. His friends, his home, his accumulated wealth—everything was here. He refused to abandon his allies to live a low-key, ignoble existence as a fleeing coward.

To protect his life and his future, he had to fight.

“Let’s go.”

Qin Lu and Gu Yue shot forward, joining the stream of light trailing behind Jiang Ge. From all directions, over 10 Foundation Establishment cultivators converged in the sky.

“The beasts are retreating…” Gu Yue noted mid-flight, glancing down.

Outside the light curtain, the beast tide had ceased its mindless gnawing. They turned in unison, thundering toward the western wall as if summoned.

“Someone is commanding them,” Qin Lu said, his heart heavy. “Could there be a Rank 3 Demon Beast?”

If a Rank 3 monster appeared now—with the formation broken and Blood Cultivators looming—their chances of survival would plummet to zero.

“Unlikely,” Gu Yue replied, shaking her head. “If there was a Rank 3 beast, it would have shown itself already to crush the formation. It wouldn’t wait until now.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Within moments, the group arrived above the western wall. The Foundation Establishment cultivators hovered in a line, facing the thin layer of blood mist.

Two seconds later, the mist evaporated completely.

The enemy was revealed.

There were over 30 of them. It was a motley crew—a disorganized mix of robes, armors, and strange Magical Artifacts. They looked like a ragtag bandit force.

But they all shared one thing: greedy, predatory eyes. They smirked at the defenders, looking less like warriors and more like wolves staring at a flock of sheep.

Qin Lu scanned the faces, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw a familiar face.

Buried in the crowd was a middle-aged man with an unremarkable face but a sinister, charming expression. Orbiting his body was a sphere of rapidly spinning blood.

It was the red-robed cultivator Qin Lu had fought half a year ago in the Great Lie Dynasty!

It’s actually him…

Qin Lu’s mind raced. He’s a Blood Cultivator. Most of these people radiate the same aura. Was this entire invasion planned by them?

His heart sank. If the Blood Cultivators were behind this, then the beast tide wasn’t a natural disaster. It was a weapon.

“Blood Demon!”

Jiang Ge, floating at the forefront, suddenly exploded with rage. He pointed a trembling finger at a figure in black robes.

“It’s you! You stupid dog, you actually dare to enter my White Jade Market? Are you courting death?!”

“Heh heh heh!”

A pale, effeminate young man floated out from the group of evil cultivators. His skin was chalk-white, and his movements were languid. He chuckled softly at Jiang Ge.

“Jiang Ge. I really must thank you for your… ‘hospitality’ all these years. You chased me like a dog for so long. But today? I think the roles are about to reverse.”

The crowd’s expression shifted instantly.

Qin Lu’s heart dropped.

He knew that name. “Blood Demon.”

He was a late-Foundation Establishment monster who had made a career out of antagonizing the Demon Slaying Sect. He was a scourge who had slaughtered countless disciples to fuel his blood arts.

Cunning, treacherous, and slippery as an eel, he had evaded capture for years, eventually rising to the number one spot on the Demon Slaying Sect’s wanted list.

“Blood Demon!” Jiang Ge roared. “Do you think this rabble is enough to swallow my White Jade Market?”

“Hahaha!”

The Blood Demon laughed, a shrill, grating sound. “Originally? No. I wouldn’t have dared. But today, I have brothers to help me!”

He gestured theatrically to his left and right.

“Brother Pan used a secret technique to drive the beasts to your doorstep. Brother Ge used his artifact to shatter your turtle shell. And look at all these other fine gentlemen ready to act! Heh heh… Jiang Ge, today, it will be very difficult for you not to die.”

The revelation sent a shockwave through the defenders.

“The beasts were driven here by them?!”

“No wonder there was no Rank 3 beast… it was a Beast Tamer!”

“That short, twisted child… he must be the tamer.”

“And the formation? What kind of cursed artifact could break a Rank 3 formation so easily?”

The defenders whispered among themselves, terror beginning to bleed into their resolve.