Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 256: Application to Join

Qin Lu looked at the aristocratic young man standing before him and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad. To reach the second level of Qi Condensation in such a short time… you truly have some talent.”

“This Junior, Yu Heng, thanks Senior for the grace of bestowing the cultivation technique!” Yu Heng bowed deeply, his expression grave and solemn.

“There’s no need for such formalities.” Channeling a wisp of Spiritual Qi, Qin Lu gently lifted Yu Heng to his feet. He chuckled, “Your successful entry into the path of immortality is entirely due to your own spiritual roots. I merely gave the boat a push along the current.”

“No,” Yu Heng insisted, his face remaining strictly serious. “Senior Qin’s great kindness and virtue will be forever etched into my heart.”

Qin Lu laughed, leaning back lazily in his chair. “You’re quite the formal one. Now that you’ve successfully embarked on the cultivation path, what are your plans?”

At this, Yu Heng’s expression firmed with absolute certainty. He cupped his hands respectfully. “This Junior wishes to join the Qin Sect. I hope Senior will grant this request.”

It was a decision Yu Heng had made less than a day after arriving at the White Jade Market.

Only upon reaching the city did he realize just what kind of existence ‘Senior Qin’ truly was. Even in a sprawling cultivation hub where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked around every corner, Qin Lu was a top-tier powerhouse. His faction was arguably the strongest rising force in the district. From what Yu Heng had gathered, the local Loose Cultivators considered it a supreme honor just to associate with the Qin Sect.

However, their recruitment requirements were notoriously strict; to date, no outsiders had been allowed to officially join. Now, standing directly before Senior Qin, Yu Heng knew he had to seize his chance. It might be the best opportunity he would ever get.

Qin Lu rubbed his chin, falling into deep contemplation. Hmm…

Over the past six months, the sect had expanded rapidly, hiring quite a few cultivators as shop hands. Yet, without exception, these were all strictly cooperative business relationships. Qin Lu had been wary of letting the sect become a mixed bag. Too many people meant difficult management, and frankly, none of the job-seekers had caught his eye. Most were simply opportunistic Loose Cultivators eager to latch onto a powerful backer. Letting people like that into the inner circle would only shatter the sect’s hard-won unity.

Therefore, the core roster had remained completely unchanged.

But the young man standing before him now gave him pause. First, Yu Heng was a rare dual-spiritual root genius. With proper nurturing, a cultivator of his caliber had a high probability of reaching the Foundation Establishment realm—the exact type of talent major sects fought tooth and nail to poach. Second, Qin Lu had personally illuminated Yu Heng’s path to immortality, practically guaranteeing his loyalty. Most importantly, after a few interactions, Qin Lu found his character to be rock-solid. He liked the kid.

After a long moment of silence, Qin Lu nodded. “Alright. You can start by helping out at the sect’s properties. Consider this a one-month trial period. If your performance is satisfactory, I will officially welcome you into the Qin Sect.”

Yu Heng’s face lit up with profound joy, and he bowed deeply in gratitude.

“Follow me,” Qin Lu said, rising to his feet. “I’ll introduce you to another Senior. We’ll have her assign you to a shop.”

Yu Heng hurriedly followed as they left the Qin residence and headed toward the Gu family estate. Along the way, Qin Lu asked about his journey to the market.

Holding nothing back, Yu Heng recounted his tale. After receiving the cultivation technique, he had quickly drawn the heaven and earth’s Spiritual Qi into his body, officially crossing the threshold into cultivation. This awakening forged his Dao-heart. Without hesitation, he had abdicated his mortal throne, passing the crown to a successor. Accompanied by a few loyal mortal retainers and a substantial fortune in mundane gold, he had crossed thousands of miles to reach the market. The journey had been surprisingly smooth, free of any Demon Beast encounters. They were currently renting a courtyard outside the city walls, living the life of traveling Loose Cultivators.

The two soon arrived at the Gu residence. Bypassing the guards without a need for announcement, Qin Lu located Gu Yue in a tranquil side room.

“Xiao Yue, are you busy?” Qin Lu called out with a warm smile. Ever since their embrace outside the city, addressing her as ‘Xiao Yue’ had become second nature to him. Gu Yue, however, still used his full name.

“Not at all. I was just about to meditate,” Gu Yue replied, offering a soft, radiant smile.

“Perfect. I need to run something by you.” Qin Lu stepped aside, revealing Yu Heng standing respectfully behind him, and quickly explained the situation.

“I see,” Gu Yue nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, have him help out at San Wei Xuan. Shi Geng was just complaining to me that he’s drowning in work over there.”

Qin Lu nodded in agreement. Shi Geng was an old man, a close friend of Lu Xian, and a fellow survivor from the Wuji Market disaster. He was currently managing one of their restaurants single-handedly, but the sheer volume of customers was pushing his limited capabilities to the breaking point. Sending Yu Heng to assist him was a smart move.

He suddenly thought of something and turned back to Yu Heng. “You were an emperor in the mortal world. Does the idea of working as a server in a restaurant bother you?”

Yu Heng bowed without hesitation. “How could this Junior refuse? I have abandoned all worldly attachments. In this life, I only pursue the Great Dao of longevity! Serving in a restaurant is a trivial matter not worth mentioning.”

“Good. Mentally prepare yourself, though. You’ll deal with all sorts of people in that line of work. Consider it a crash course; it will help you integrate and understand the cultivation world faster.”

As he spoke, Qin Lu waved his hand. Several streams of light shot from his spatial Magical Artifact, floating gently to a halt before Yu Heng. “Here is a Qin Sect waist token, a uniform, and a small Storage Bag. Keep them safe.”

“Yes, Senior!” Yu Heng accepted the items with trembling hands, overwhelmed with joy.

Qin Lu dismissed him, telling the young man to wait outside. Once the door clicked shut, he turned back to Gu Yue. “Xiao Yue, I’ll be making a long trip soon. I wanted to let you know in advance.”

“A long trip?” Gu Yue tilted her head, puzzled. “Where to?”

“Zou Chang is hosting a grand banquet for his Sect Opening Ceremony. He sent me an invitation, so I plan to attend.”

“When are you leaving?”

“In about a month and a half.”

“Huh?” She frowned. “Then what about your secluded cultivation? Weren’t you going to attempt the breakthrough to late-stage Foundation Establishment?”

Qin Lu smirked confidently. “I’ll be able to advance next month. There’s plenty of time.”

“…Alright,” Gu Yue replied slowly. Her expression didn’t so much as twitch, as if she had long since grown numb to his monstrous, logic-defying cultivation speed.

Just as the words left her mouth, a hearty male voice echoed from the hallway.

“A grand banquet? Count me in! I’m going too!”

Qin Lu turned his head. Striding into the room, looking as high-spirited and hot-blooded as ever, was Gu Can.