Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 246: Everything Falls into Place

Seeing Tang Bai’s intense reaction, Qin Lu’s heart leaped in his chest.

The object in question was a peculiar, glowing stone—a token of gratitude gifted to him by the Mountain Spirit, An Yang, after Qin Lu had casually slain a marauding Demon Beast in its territory. Ever since arriving in Shuntian City, Qin Lu had been too busy running around to have the stone appraised.

He had absolutely no idea what it was, let alone what it was worth.

But right now, none of that mattered. If this mystery rock could secure the Purple Treasure Ginseng from Tang Bai, it was a worthwhile trade.

“Is this acceptable?” Qin Lu asked, keeping his tone even.

“It is. This stone is exceptional. It’s exactly what I need right now.” Tang Bai’s usually icy face was flushed with undisguised joy.

Seeing the youth’s reaction, Qin Lu couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly is it?”

Tang Bai froze, tearing his eyes away from the stone to look at him. “You don’t know what this is?”

Qin Lu shrugged. “I truly don’t.”

Tang Bai let out a rare, low chuckle. “Then I won’t enlighten you. Regardless, this stone is more than enough to exchange for the herbs.”

With a flick of his wrist, Tang Bai summoned the Purple Treasure Ginseng once more, letting the dull purple roots float through the air until they hovered right in front of Qin Lu.

Qin Lu glanced at the floating herbs, then looked back at the massive, glowing stone. A heavy, sinking feeling settled in his stomach. He was definitely getting fleeced. If Tang Bai was this excited, the unknown stone had to be incredibly valuable.

Sigh… I only have my own lack of a discerning eye to blame, Qin Lu thought, quietly exhaling. Since he had already offered the trade, he had no grounds to complain. He would just have to swallow the bitter loss.

Fortunately, he had acquired the stone by mere happenstance, so the sting wasn’t too deep. He just felt the phantom ache of losing a massive pile of potential Spirit Stones.

Reaching out, Qin Lu swept the Purple Treasure Ginseng into his storage Magical Artifact. He stood up, offering a stiff salute to Tang Bai, who was already running his hands reverently over the smooth surface of the stone.

“Fellow Daoist Tang, since our transaction is complete, I will take my leave,” Qin Lu said, his tone carrying a slight, chilly edge.

“Wait.”

To Qin Lu’s surprise, Tang Bai suddenly turned around and stood up. With a grand sweep of his sleeve, a torrential downpour of Spirit Stones cascaded through the air, piling neatly at Qin Lu’s feet.

“This material is incredibly valuable,” Tang Bai stated, his voice ringing with blunt honesty. “A few medicinal herbs don’t even come close to covering its worth. I, Tang Bai, am open and aboveboard. I won’t take advantage of your ignorance. Take these two thousand Spirit Stones to cover the difference.”

“Uh…” Qin Lu was struck dumb.

He stared at the pile of glowing stones, utterly baffled. In the cutthroat world of cultivation, where people would murder their own masters for a scrap of resources, finding someone straightforward enough to voluntarily pay the difference on a completed trade was practically unheard of.

However, Qin Lu wasn’t one to refuse free money. Recovering from his shock, he swiftly waved his arm, sweeping the two thousand Spirit Stones into his spatial ring before Tang Bai could change his mind.

“I truly admire your magnanimity, Fellow Daoist Tang!” Qin Lu said, and for once, he meant it with absolute sincerity. Tang Bai might be young and stubbornly abrasive, but he carried himself with the unyielding integrity of a true gentleman. Such characters were rarer than phoenix feathers.

“May we meet again,” Tang Bai offered a brief salute before turning his back, his attention completely consumed by the glowing stone once more.

Seeing that he was dismissed, Qin Lu didn’t linger. He turned and strode out of the Merit Hall. He had far more important matters to attend to now.

It was time to find Fan Yueren and start the furnace!

Riding a wave of anticipation, Qin Lu hurried through Shuntian City and arrived at Fan Yueren’s grand residence.

After a brief wait following his announcement, he was escorted inside to meet the eccentric alchemist. Fan Yueren appeared to have just returned from his own expedition. The man was an absolute mess—his robes were caked in dried mud, and his flowing hair was a tangled nest of twigs and dust.

“Fellow Daoist Fan, I take it your gathering trip went smoothly?” Qin Lu asked politely.

“Not bad at all! I returned quite satisfied,” Fan Yueren laughed, slumping casually into a lavish wooden chair and leaving a dusty imprint on the cushions.

Skipping the pleasantries, Qin Lu got straight to the point. “Fellow Daoist Fan, I’ve secured every ingredient for the Calamity Crossing Pill. I’d like to commission you to open your furnace.”

With a wave of his hand, Qin Lu summoned the twenty-four distinct alchemical materials he had painstakingly gathered over the past weeks, suspending them quietly in the air between them.

“Oh? You move fast,” Fan Yueren remarked, a flicker of genuine surprise cutting through the dirt on his face. He hadn’t expected Qin Lu to assemble such a rare list in so little time.

With a flick of his finger, Fan Yueren drew the floating materials closer, his eyes narrowing as he began to casually yet thoroughly inspect them.

Watching the messy genius at work, Qin Lu couldn’t help but ask nervously, “Fellow Daoist Fan, are there any issues with the materials?”

“None!” Fan Yueren grinned effortlessly. He suddenly reached into the floating array of priceless herbs, plucked a handful of dark red berries, and tossed them directly into his mouth.

Crunch, crunch. “These materials are perfect,” Fan Yueren said around a mouthful of juice. “I can fire up the furnace today. Oh, by the way—these are Dark Spirit Fruits from the Jixiang Pavilion. Pretty tasty. Want one?”

Qin Lu stared at the berries in the alchemist’s outstretched hand, utterly speechless. He had assumed those fruits were obscure secondary ingredients, not Fan Yueren’s personal snacks. The man was literally skimming off the top to feed his cravings.

Unbelievable, Qin Lu thought. Still, he wasn’t about to rock the boat over a few pieces of fruit.

“I’ll pass,” Qin Lu said, clearing his throat. “Roughly how long will the refinement take?”

Crunch, crunch. “Five days at the earliest, half a month at the latest,” Fan Yueren replied, swallowing loudly. “Just wait at your inn. If it’s a success, I’ll send someone to fetch you.”

“Understood,” Qin Lu nodded gently. “And how much is the refining fee? I can pay you the Spirit Stones now.”

“About two thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.” Fan Yueren waved a dismissive hand, scattering a few crumbs. “But keep your purse closed for now. This is a top-tier second-grade Pill. Even with three sets of materials, I can’t guarantee success. Pay me when—and if—it’s done.”

“Fair enough. I leave it in your capable hands, Fellow Daoist Fan!” Qin Lu stood and offered a deep, formal bow.

Fan Yueren waved casually in return. “Go back and wait for the good news.”

Stepping out of the Fan residence, the lingering anxiety that had weighed on Qin Lu’s chest finally evaporated.

After weeks of running himself ragged, haggling with merchants, and dealing with eccentric geniuses, the prep work was finally done. The ingredients were gathered, and the alchemist was secured. The rest was entirely out of his hands.

He had done everything right. Now, he just had to wait.

“Time to get some rest,” Qin Lu muttered to himself, turning his steps toward the Penglai Inn.

……