Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 277: The Gale Strike

Qin Lu’s group had arrived at the Ten Thousand Treasures Market as a party of 5, but they departed as a party of 7.

Gu Can had insisted on bringing along the grandfather and granddaughter he had met at the beef noodle shop that day—Fang Yao and Fang Chang’en. His reasoning was simple: he feared the Ren family would retaliate against the helpless duo once he was gone, so he invited them to relocate to White Jade Market.

Qin Lu didn’t object.

It was Gu Can’s decision, and their medium-sized spirit boat was spacious enough to accommodate two extra passengers without issue.

During the brief time they spent getting acquainted, the Fangs learned of Qin Lu’s identity as a Sect Leader. They were overwhelmed with gratitude for his willingness to offer them sanctuary.

Qin Lu also learned their history.

Fang Chang’en and Fang Yao were originally from a collateral branch of a minor cultivation clan. Their family had been targeted by enemies, resulting in a brutal slaughter that claimed the life of their clan head. With the main family fallen, the collateral branches scattered to survive. The grandfather and granddaughter had been wandering as refugees ever since.

By a stroke of fate, they ended up in the Ten Thousand Treasures Market, only to run afoul of a local tyrant immediately upon arrival. If not for Gu Can’s intervention, their fate would have been grim.

The entrance to the Ten Thousand Treasures Market was as chaotic as ever. Cultivators streamed in and out like a colony of ants, while streaks of light from flying magical artifacts painted the sky.

After Gu Can bid a brotherly farewell to the scholar shopkeeper at the city gates, Qin Lu summoned his spirit boat and ushered everyone aboard.

With a hum of spiritual power, the vessel rose into the air, accelerating toward the horizon and the safety of White Jade Market.

…

The spirit boat cut through the clouds, leaving the bustling market far behind.

As the distance grew, the number of surrounding travelers dwindled until the skies were empty and the land below turned into desolate wilderness.

Normally, reaching this kind of uninhabited territory allowed a cultivator to relax. But Qin Lu stood at the prow, his expression grave.

His paranoia—honed by years of survival—was screaming at him. His spiritual sense had locked onto a faint signature behind them.

A spirit boat had been trailing them since they left the market. It hadn’t deviated once.

“Little Can, watch the rear,” Qin Lu warned, his voice low.

Gu Can’s playful demeanor vanished instantly. He stopped chatting with Fang Yao and vaulted to the stern of the boat, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the sky.

The atmosphere on deck shifted from relaxed to tense. Everyone knew that in the cultivation world, a silent tail in the wilderness was a prelude to violence.

“They’re definitely coming for us,” Gu Can concluded, his voice hard.

“This…” Fang Chang’en’s face drained of color, his hands trembling. “Could it be the Ren family coming for revenge?”

“Hmph! Most likely. Let them come!” Gu Can snorted, his body radiating killing intent. He turned to Qin Lu. “Brother Qin, what’s the plan?”

Qin Lu pondered for a moment, calculating the variables. “Stay alert. Prepare for battle.”

He could feel the malice radiating from the pursuers. Their vessel was of a higher grade than his own, and its speed was superior. It was only a matter of time before they were overtaken.

Since they couldn’t outrun the enemy, they would have to outfight them.

Just as Qin Lu was formulating a strategy, a harsh glare of light erupted in the distance ahead of them.

His eyes flashed.

“Ambush ahead!”

He shouted the warning and slammed his spiritual energy into the controls, banking the spirit boat violently to the left.

Whoosh!

An attack grazed the hull, missing them by inches.

“A pincer attack! Front and back!”

Gu Can roared in anger. With a wave of his arm, his newly purchased silver spear materialized in his grip.

Qin Lu summoned the [Silver Sand Sword], entering a combat stance.

The emergency maneuver had brought the spirit boat to a halt in mid-air. Within moments, they were boxed in.

Two groups of cultivators appeared.

To the rear was the vessel that had been trailing them, carrying 6 people.

To the front, emerging from their ambush positions in the clouds, were 4 more cultivators.

10 enemies in total.

Seeing the trap spring, Gu Can didn’t wait. He leaped from the deck, hovering in the air with his spear leveled, ready to charge.

Qin Lu turned to Cao Mo. “When the fighting starts, you pilot the boat. Do not leave my line of sight.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!” Cao Mo nodded frantically, gripping the railing.

The others looked terrified, but Qin Lu offered them a calm smile.

“Don’t be afraid. They are just a mob of rabble. I can wipe them out with a wave of my hand.”

With that, Qin Lu stepped into the air, floating back-to-back with Gu Can as the encirclement tightened.

His confidence wasn’t feigned; it was based on cold, hard data. He had already scanned their cultivation levels.

Of the 10 enemies, only 4 were at the Foundation Establishment realm.

Among those 4, one was Late Stage, two were Mid Stage, and one was Early Stage.

To the current Qin Lu, this lineup posed zero threat.

However, one face in the crowd caught his attention. Among the Qi Condensation fodder in the opposing group stood a figure shrouded in black robes.

It was the man he had outbid for the [Foundation Establishment Pill].

The stranger stared at Qin Lu with eyes burning with resentment.

“Hahaha!”

A loud, arrogant laugh rang out from the front group.

“It really is you!” Gu Can snarled, recognizing the face immediately.

The laughter belonged to Ren Longhu, the Young Master of the Ren family.

“Hmph! You offend me, Ren Longhu, and think you can just waltz out of the Ten Thousand Treasures Market? Keep dreaming!” Ren Longhu’s disdainful voice echoed through the sky.

“What do you want?” Gu Can sneered, spinning his spear.

“What do I want? Hahaha!”

Ren Longhu’s expression twisted into a vicious scowl. “I want to capture you, peel your skin, and torture you until you beg for death!”

He slashed his hand downward.

“Get them!”

“Kill!”

“Charge!”

“Capture them alive!”

Killing intent surged like a tide. The two groups charged simultaneously from the front and back.

“Come on!”

Gu Can roared, his battle blood igniting. He leveled his spear and prepared to launch himself straight at Ren Longhu.

But before he could move, a hand clamped onto his shoulder.

Qin Lu grabbed him and physically threw him toward the rear of the formation.

“Little Can, you handle the ones behind us!”

Qin Lu had analyzed the threat distribution perfectly. The group to the rear consisted of one Early Foundation Establishment cultivator and several Qi Condensation lackeys. It was a perfect warm-up for Gu Can.

Qin Lu himself would take the main force.

Facing the 6 incoming attackers led by Ren Longhu, Qin Lu’s eyes went cold.

Come. Let’s test my new power.

He drew his right arm back, coiling tension into his shoulder like a compressed spring. Spiritual energy flooded his meridian channels, gathering at his fist.

He punched.

BOOM!

A spiraling vortex of wind erupted from his fist, expanding instantly into a violent, horizontal tornado. The gale screamed like a banshee, tearing through the air with terrifying pressure as it crashed directly toward the 6 charging enemies.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

The wind howled, striking fear into hearts.