Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

For the next half month, Qin Lu kept to himself, rarely venturing out.

The reason was naturally his fear that Fang Hu and his gang might ambush him again. To prepare for such an event, he had even devised multiple combat scenarios at home.

He was guarding against anyone coming to seek revenge.

But clearly, he had worried too much. Throughout those two weeks, Fang Hu and the others never appeared, as if they had vanished.

Gradually, he relaxed.

During this time, he practiced the [Cutting Technique] and the [Illumination Technique] constantly at home.

His progress was rapid.

Every practice session translated into numerical values displayed on his attribute panel. Watching the steadily rising numbers, Qin Lu felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

This filled him with motivation, as if addicted to a game.

Of course, when practicing skills became too monotonous, he would draw a few talismans to relieve the boredom.

All in all, Qin Lu spent this half month in an extremely fulfilling manner.

The only slightly unexpected thing was that the matchmaker, Auntie Li, had introduced a certain Miss Zhang, but there had been no further news, for reasons unknown.

And today, a pleasantly surprising visitor came to his humble abode.

Steward Liu.

……

“Steward Liu!”

Qin Lu’s face lit up with surprise, and he quickly said, “What brings you here today? Could it be…”

Steward Liu smiled slightly. “Alright, didn’t you want to move into the market last time? There’s an available house now. Do you still want it?”

“Yes! Of course I do!” Qin Lu eagerly agreed.

He was ecstatic inside. After waiting nearly twenty days, he had finally obtained the right to live in the market!

“Then I must make this clear to you in advance,” Steward Liu said. “The cost of living inside the market is quite different from The Slums. Moreover, delays in payment are not tolerated. If you’re late by three days, you’ll be evicted.”

“And… how many Spirit Stones would that be, exactly?” Qin Lu asked cautiously.

“Fifteen Spirit Stones per month.”

Hearing this, Qin Lu couldn’t help but click his tongue. This fee was more than double the rent in The Slums.

Fifteen Spirit Stones! He would need to sell over a dozen [Water Qi Shield] talismans just to earn that much. It was outrageously expensive!

“If you wish to move in, you must pay the first month’s rent upfront,” Steward Liu stated plainly.

“Naturally.”

Qin Lu gave an awkward smile, suppressing the pain of parting with his money. He took out his remaining Spirit Stones from his robe, counted out fifteen, and handed them over.

After giving away the stones, his small cloth pouch held only a single, lonely Spirit Stone, looking rather pitiful.

Steward Liu, however, paid it no mind. He collected the stones, gave them a cursory glance, then looked away and said indifferently,

“Alright. I’ll take you to see the house today.”

“Excellent!”

……

With a Wuji Sect disciple leading the way, Qin Lu felt an overwhelming sense of security, not worrying in the slightest about anyone seeking trouble or revenge.

Along the way, many Loose Cultivators greeted Steward Liu with great respect, making Qin Lu, who followed behind, feel his own face was greatly honored.

They entered the market.

After walking for over ten minutes, they arrived before a courtyard.

The courtyard was located in the northwest part of Wuji Market, near the city wall, in a relatively remote area. On both sides were courtyards of identical style.

Steward Liu took out a key, opened the courtyard gate, and the two strolled in.

It was a two-courtyard residence, covering a considerable area. The small courtyard was enclosed by the main hall and the west wing room. The imposing gate and the elevated entrance hall, the stonework at the corners and the round arched windows gave it an air of refined simplicity.

A peach tree was planted in the courtyard, with several stone chairs and a stone table beneath it. Qin Lu liked it the moment he saw it.

Steward Liu led Qin Lu on a walk around, giving a simple introduction.

“So, how is this courtyard?” Steward Liu asked with a smile.

Qin Lu quickly nodded, clasped his hands in salute, and said with a laugh,

“Excellent! I’m very satisfied. I truly thank Steward Liu for your consideration in this matter!”

“Heh, as long as you’re satisfied…”

Steward Liu waved his hand dismissively and said plainly, “Alright, you need to vacate The Slums as soon as possible. We’ll be clearing it out when the time comes.”

“Rest assured, Steward Liu! I’ll move all my belongings here tomorrow!” Qin Lu patted his chest and replied heartily.

Seeing this, Steward Liu nodded, then left the key behind and turned to leave.

After Steward Liu departed, Qin Lu kept examining his new residence, his excitement plain to see.

“With this small open space, I can finally practice the [Soft Wind Technique]…”

“Moving into the market means I no longer have to worry about anyone coming for revenge!”

“Heh, this kind of environment is what you call living~”

“……”

Qin Lu stood there, filled with emotion, reveling in his joy for a good half hour before finally stepping out of the courtyard again.

After simply locking the gate, he turned and headed towards The Slums.

Today, he needed to pack his belongings. Tomorrow, he would officially move here to live.

The Wuji Market during the day was still bustling. People dressed in various attire created a cacophony of noise—shouting, haggling, inquiring—one sound after another, forming a very lively scene.

Having not been out for some time, Qin Lu was in an excellent mood today. His gaze swept over the surrounding shops and pedestrians, his body and mind feeling relaxed.

However, with empty pockets, he had no Spirit Stones to buy anything. After casually looking around for a bit, he walked out of the market.

“Whoosh!”

Just outside the market entrance, Qin Lu saw a cultivator activate a paper-like flying artifact, shooting straight up into the sky from the spot.

Besides this cultivator, many others were coming and going at the entrance.

They piloted all sorts of bizarrely shaped flying artifacts, some landing, some taking off. The small market entrance at that moment looked like a flying artifact exhibition.

“Sigh… When will I be able to buy a flying artifact and go up to see the scenery…”

A look of envy appeared in Qin Lu’s eyes.

In this world, flying artifacts were equivalent to cars from his previous life. Besides their function for travel, they also boosted a cultivator’s face.

But their prices were exorbitant. The cheapest flying artifacts cost several hundred Spirit Stones, far beyond the consideration of Qin Lu, who was still struggling at the poverty line.

As Qin Lu was lost in these thoughts, a commotion suddenly arose among the crowd at the market entrance.

Many people were pointing at the sky. Hearing the noise, Qin Lu, curious, followed their gazes and looked up.

Not far in the sky, a handsome youth of about sixteen or seventeen, with an aloof expression, was riding a dazzling flying sword, speeding towards them.

His striking features, combined with a unique aura about him, instantly captured the attention of everyone present.

“So handsome!”

“That’s the Wuji Sect’s young genius, Wei Zimo!”

“Tsk tsk, I heard he’s only sixteen this year and has already reached the late Qi Refining stage!”

“Truly a monster… How on earth did he cultivate?”

The crowd’s gazes held envy, jealousy, admiration, fervor—a myriad of expressions as they watched this handsome youth land gracefully at the market entrance.

The youth seemed accustomed to such attention. He ignored the discussions around him, walked straight into the market without even a sidelong glance, not pausing in the slightest.

Qin Lu watched Wei Zimo’s retreating back, a complex look in his eyes.

“This is basically the equivalent of a tall, handsome rich second-generation heir driving a Lamborghini right past me…”

He touched the single remaining Spirit Stone on his person, and his previously good mood instantly soured somewhat.

“Ah well, rich second-generation heirs wouldn’t understand the satisfaction of building something from nothing. No need to pity them…”

Qin Lu promptly adjusted his mindset, patted his worn-out robe, clasped his hands behind his back, straightened his posture, and walked towards his home in The Slums.