Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 251: Beginning Secluded Cultivation

Looking at the delighted expressions around the room as everyone admired their gifts, Qin Lu felt a profound sense of satisfaction. Without realizing it, he had developed a deep bond with the people gathered before him.

The Qin Sect, in particular, was his life’s blood.

He remembered his early days in the White Jade Market. Back then, he had been determined to hide his strength, staying indoors to grind his skills. He was indifferent to the outside world and had absolutely no intention of building a faction.

But the tragic, accidental death of his servant, Chu Xiaoyi, had shattered that illusion and forced him to adapt his survival philosophy. He realized then that playing the fool would only get the people around him killed.

If that was the reality, he might as well build a faction, gather capable people, and carve out a collective space to survive in the brutal cultivation world. There was safety in numbers, after all.

The Qin Sect had flourished since those early days. Their dozen or so shops in the White Jade Market alone brought in over 7,500 Spirit Stones every month. Given their eighty-twenty split, Qin Lu personally pocketed 6,000 Spirit Stones monthly.

It was a staggering fortune, all built on his relentless struggle.

“Alright, listen up. I have a few announcements,” Qin Lu said, his voice cutting through the chatter.

The room quieted down immediately.

“First, we are temporarily halting all shop expansions. Focus on operating what we currently have. Maintain stability and avoid overreaching—moving too fast will only breed chaos.”

“Second, Gu Yue and Gu Can are officially joining the Qin Sect. Moving forward, they will be your first points of contact for any shop-related matters. Old Lu and Nie Feng, you will report to Gu Yue. Old Cao and Little Lu, you will report to Gu Can.”

He paused, a slight smile touching his lips. “Though, of course, that will have to wait until Xiao Can wakes up.”

The four men chuckled. They had already been briefed on Gu Can’s condition and knew the young man would make a full recovery soon.

Qin Lu continued, his tone turning serious. “Third, I will be entering Secluded Cultivation for the foreseeable future to push for the late Foundation Establishment realm. While I am behind closed doors, Gu Yue will assume full control of the sect’s major affairs.”

The room erupted.

“Late Foundation Establishment?!”

“Already?”

“That’s unbelievable…”

Shock was plastered across everyone’s faces—even Gu Yue stared at him, her eyes wide with astonishment.

It hasn’t been that long, she thought, her mind whirling. His down-and-out days are still fresh in my memory, and yet, in the blink of an eye, he’s reaching this height?

Watching their stunned reactions, Qin Lu felt a surge of smug satisfaction, though he kept his face impassive.

“Fourth,” he pressed on, dropping the final bombshell, “during my trip to Shuntian City, I stumbled upon a Foundation Establishment Pill. I have no use for it. However, Lu Anchen, Nie Feng, and Cao Yunxi—you three are at the late stage of Qi Condensation. The first one of you to reach the Perfection stage gets the pill.”

Lu Anchen, Nie Feng, and Cao Yunxi snapped to attention, their eyes practically glowing with sudden fervor.

The value of a Foundation Establishment Pill was astronomical. It could artificially boost the success rate of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm. Among everyone present, only those three were at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, teetering on the edge of Perfection.

It was a three-way race for a priceless treasure.

Seeing the raw ambition igniting in their eyes, Qin Lu leisurely lifted his teacup and took a sip. Perfect. After a moment, he turned to Gu Yue, who had remained quietly observant. “Xiao Yue, do you have anything you want to add?”

Gu Yue smiled radiantly. “I have nothing to add. I defer to your arrangements. Moving forward, we all just need to work together with one heart.”

“Good. Then let’s continue ironing out the details for the Qin Sect.”

At Qin Lu’s prompting, the room filled with lively discussion once more. For over an hour, they debated logistics and finalized plans before everyone finally bowed and took their leave.

The Qin residence fell silent.

Qin Lu returned to the master bedroom alone. He sat cross-legged on his familiar meditation cushion and channeled a sliver of Spiritual Qi to activate its miniature gathering formation. With a flick of his wrist, several items materialized from his Storage Ring.

“Time to really grind these skills…” he muttered with a heavy sigh.

Four jade scrolls rested before him:

[Falling Leaves Sword Art]

[Phantom Mantra]

[Gold Escape Technique]

[Spirit Control Technique]

These were the technique manuals he had acquired—some intentionally, some by pure luck—during his chaotic trip to Shuntian City.

“But it’s not just these four. I need to push the others, too,” he murmured, his mind already calculating.

With a thought, he summoned his status panel. Five older skills still sat below their maximum level:

[Wind Pillar Technique], [Earth Fire Technique], [Wood Binding Technique], [Earth Splitting Technique], and [Water Dragon Technique].

Nine skills in total. If I max them all out, my combat power will multiply exponentially. These were all Foundation Establishment stage techniques. The sheer destructive force they contained vastly outstripped anything from the Qi Condensation stage. In fact, a Foundation Establishment technique at the ‘Expert’ level was easily comparable to a ‘Perfection’ level Qi Condensation technique.

Qin Lu slowly closed his eyes, his mind working like lightning as he mapped out a rigorous schedule for his Secluded Cultivation.

Since breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm, his vitality had skyrocketed. Staying awake for three days and three nights was child’s play now, which drastically expanded his available training hours.

Thanks to the system panel, his progression was purely mathematical: successfully cast a technique once, gain one proficiency point.

As for his cultivation base, progress required meditating and circulating the Heavenly Heart Sword Art mantra. Conveniently, this meditation was also the fastest way to replenish depleted Spiritual Qi.

The most efficient path forward was clear.

He would repeatedly cast techniques and practice sword forms until his Spiritual Qi reserves ran completely dry, converting every last drop of energy into skill proficiency. Once empty, he would meditate to replenish his core. The moment his reserves were full, he would start casting again.

A perfect, punishing cycle of exhaustion and recovery.

He ran the numbers in his head, factoring in his casting speed, meditation recovery rate, and minimal sleep requirements, until he had locked in an optimized, merciless routine.

“Hoo…”

Qin Lu exhaled a long breath, his eyes snapping open with unwavering resolve. He reached out and grabbed the first scroll, injecting a pulse of Spiritual Qi into the jade.

Instantly, the scroll crumbled into fine powder that drifted away on the ambient air. A flood of esoteric knowledge and spiritual light surged directly into his mind, seamlessly etching the technique into his memory.

He officially began his secluded cultivation.