Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

How… how is he this strong?!

He’s already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment! It’s only been half a year!

This… this is impossible!

The three remaining evil cultivators stared in shock. Right before their eyes, Qin Lu had instantly decapitated a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert with a single sword strike. The speed and brutality of the kill left them paralyzed, their minds unable to process the reality.

The red-robed evil cultivator was particularly shaken.

Six months ago, when he first crossed swords with Qin Lu, the boy was merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Although Qin Lu had fought ferociously back then, forcing the red-robed man into a sorry state, he had ultimately escaped by detonating a [Thunder Bead].

Yet, after just half a year, this same person had advanced a full minor realm and slaughtered a powerful peer as effortlessly as cutting grass.

The progress was terrifying. The gap between them had not just widened; it had become a chasm.

But before the red-robed cultivator could fully process his shock, Qin Lu’s figure blurred.

He didn’t wait for them to recover. He pounced.

No words. No posturing. Just cold, lethal intent.

However, Qin Lu’s ferocious charge did not break their wills completely. These were evil cultivators, veterans of countless bloody skirmishes. Madness was in their blood. The moment the initial shock faded, their savage instincts took over.

Roar!

Kill him!

Charge!

Howling like beasts, the three cultivators unleashed their arsenal. Close-combat Dharma Treasures buzzed through the air, ranged spells lit up the night, and Talismans burned to release their power.

Qin Lu did not back down. He met their combined assault head-on, his Spiritual Qi erupting as he clashed with the trio.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rippled across the White Jade Market.

The battle wasn’t limited to Qin Lu’s corner. The entire sky above the market was filled with the sounds of slaughter, flashes of light bursting like deadly fireworks. It shook the heart of every defending cultivator.

On one side, over 30 Foundation Establishment evil cultivators. On the other, barely a dozen defenders. The scale of the battle was heavily tipped toward destruction.

Although most of the invaders were at the early stage, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the defenders. Even with Qin Lu drawing the fire of four enemies alone, the overall situation remained bleak.

The White Jade Market was losing.

This can’t go on…

Qin Lu felt a spike of anxiety—his heart was as tangled as hemp. A quick glance showed Gu Yue locked in a desperate duel nearby.

He couldn’t afford to let a single defender die. If the line broke, no amount of personal strength would save him from being swarmed and devoured by 30 bloodthirsty lunatics.

Damn it! Filthy scum!

Qin Lu felt a suffocating pressure in his chest. He had fought so hard to secure a firm foothold in the White Jade Market, only to have it threatened by this sudden calamity.

Fury ignited his blood. The [Silver Sand Sword] in his hand danced faster, the blade turning into a dense net of light.

For a moment, his sheer rage allowed him to suppress all three opponents simultaneously!

Of his three current enemies, none exceeded the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Two were merely early-stage. Under Qin Lu’s explosive assault, they were forced to retreat step by step, panic flickering in their eyes as they barely deflected his lethal sword Qi.

But as the saying goes, two fists cannot fight four hands.

The evil cultivators were seasoned killers. They weathered the storm and seized the gaps in his defense to launch vicious counterattacks.

Clang!

Qin Lu’s right hand whipped the sword around to parry a vicious slash.

The attack came from the mid-stage cultivator on his right—currently the biggest threat to his life.

But Qin Lu’s combat instincts were now Proficient. He didn’t flinch. His eyes turned ruthless, his body curling slightly to absorb the momentum. His left hand clenched into a fist, Spiritual Qi condensing rapidly at his fingertips.

He punched straight at the red-robed cultivator directly in front of him!

A point-blank [Finger Flick Technique]!

Bang!

At the critical moment, the red-robed cultivator summoned his signature Defense Dharma Treasure—a heavy black shield.

The sturdy metal intercepted the blast. However, the force behind Qin Lu’s technique was overwhelming at such close range. The Spiritual Qi coating the shield rippled violently, the defense buckling under the strain.

The impact lifted the red-robed cultivator off his feet and blasted him backward several zhang, temporarily removing him from the melee.

Ping!

Qin Lu deflected another strike from the left.

His mind moved as fast as his blade. He reached into his robes with a pulse of Spiritual Qi. In the next instant, a silver disc appeared before him.

[Full Moon Blade].

Under his mental command, the bladed disc began to spin with a high-pitched whine.

That’s my Dharma Treasure!

Seeing his stolen treasure, the red-robed cultivator screamed frantically. Losing his most precious artifact during his escape months ago had been a source of constant heartache.

Seeing it now, his eyes filled with obsession and madness.

Then I’ll return it to you!

Qin Lu shouted coldly. With a thought, the [Full Moon Blade] tore through the air, shrieking toward its former owner.

Qin Lu had spent months refining this weapon. Coupled with his newly Awakened [Micro-control] talent, the artifact moved with a lethal precision far surpassing its original master’s skill.

The difference in power was worlds apart.

Even while fighting two other opponents, Qin Lu’s split focus allowed the [Full Moon Blade] to completely suppress the red-robed cultivator, pinning him down at a distance.

Now it’s just the two of you. Die!

Qin Lu roared, seizing the opening.

He twisted his wrist, his body leaping into the air like a flood dragon. The [Silver Sand Sword] erupted with blinding radiance as he descended upon the remaining pair.

Even with three people, they couldn’t gain much advantage against him. Now that the red-robed distractions was neutralized, the remaining two faced a catastrophe.

Qin Lu’s eyes bulged with concentration. An invisible force, distinct from Spiritual Qi, extended from his mind. It surged toward the early-stage cultivator on his left, wrapping around him like a python.

[Object Control Technique]!

The evil cultivator sensed the foreign energy immediately.

But mental force was instant. Before he could react, an invisible giant hand crushed down on him, seizing his limbs. His body froze in mid-air.

This…!

His face twisted in horror. He frantically flared his Spiritual Qi, shattering the invisible hold.

But breaking free took him a single breath of time.

In a normal life, a breath is nothing. In a duel between Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was an eternity.

Qin Lu did not waste the gift.

He blurred forward, the wind howling around his robes. His sword drew a cold, bright line through the air.

Schlick!

The immobilized cultivator couldn’t even raise his weapon. His protective barrier—and his body—were cleanly severed at the waist.

The bisected corpse lost its aerial buoyancy and plummeted to the ground in two gruesome pieces, blood raining down.

Boom!

A heavy impact slammed into Qin Lu’s side.

He staggered violently, his protective shield trembling on the verge of collapse. His face went pale, and a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

The mid-stage cultivator on the right had landed a solid hit.

Hmph!

Qin Lu ignored the pain. He spun on his heel, his eyes locking onto the attacker.

You dare attack me alone?!

With only one target left in melee range, Qin Lu unleashed his full swordsmanship. The [Silver Sand Sword] flickered like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, hissing as it tore through the air.

The mid-stage evil cultivator found himself drowning in a storm of steel. He couldn’t block it all.

Seeing an opening, Qin Lu fired another burst of the [Object Control Technique].

The enemy stiffened for a fraction of a second.

That was all Qin Lu needed. The sword flashed, and another head rolled.

In the span of a few furious exchanges, three of the four besieging evil cultivators were dead.

Only one remained.

The red-robed cultivator was still desperately fending off the relentless assaults of the [Full Moon Blade].

Qin Lu showed no mercy. He turned, ready to pounce and cut the man down.

But before he could close the distance, a long spear suddenly erupted from the red-robed cultivator’s chest.

It had pierced him from behind, the tip exploding out through his heart.

The wielder of the spear stepped into view, eyes cold and fierce.

It was Gu Yue.