Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 278: Hidden Strength

“A tornado?!”

“What manner of Wind Affinity technique is this?!”

“Evade! Now!”

The six ambushers screamed in terror as the horizontal vortex roared toward them.

Three of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators. Possessing the agility inherent to their realm, they managed to scatter and evade the heart of the [Wind Pillar Technique].

The three Qi Condensation cultivators were not so fortunate.

Two were swallowed instantly by the gale. The violent wind blades shredded their protective qi and flesh alike, tearing them asunder in a gruesome spray of blood and bone. Their severed remains tumbled from the sky.

Only Ren Longhu survived the initial onslaught, a protective talisman on his chest flashing brilliantly to deflect the lethal wind.

“He is this strong?!” The leader of the ambushers, a Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, stared in shock.

A casual wave of the hand had unleashed a technique of such devastating power. Had he been a fraction slower, he would have been gravely injured.

“Attack together!”

The leader’s mind raced. He knew instantly that he could not suppress this opponent alone. He barked orders to his two remaining Foundation Establishment companions.

“Charge!”

“Kill him!”

The two Mid Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators obeyed without hesitation. They surged forward, activating their Magical Artifacts and firing beams of lethal energy toward Qin Lu.

But in a display of utter ruthlessness, the Late Stage leader did not join them.

The moment his subordinates charged, he spun around and fled.

He moved with desperate speed, abandoning his team without a second glance.

“Hmph.”

Qin Lu sneered, his eyes cold with disdain for such cowardice.

His body blurred. Utilizing the speed enhancement from his mastery of the [Phantom Mantra], he weaved through the incoming attacks with the grace of a phantom. The beams of light missed him by inches.

Whoosh!

Qin Lu vanished from his original position.

Moving at a velocity that the Mid Stage cultivators couldn’t even track, he closed the distance in a heartbeat. In the air, his trajectory was erratic and weightless, drifting like a falling leaf in a storm—impossible to predict, impossible to block.

He appeared between the two cultivators.

The [Silver Sand Sword] flashed, a cold line of silver light slicing through the air.

This was the [Falling Leaf Sword Art] he had practiced to perfection.

Shnk!

Shnk!

Two soft, wet sounds whispered on the wind.

In a single exchange, the two Mid Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were decapitated.

Their heads separated from their necks, and fountains of blood sprayed into the sky before their bodies plummeted earthward.

The scene froze the blood of Ren Longhu, who watched in horror from a distance.

Even Cao Mo and the others on the spirit boat were stunned into silence, their mouths agape. They knew their Sect Leader was strong, but they hadn’t realized he had become a monster capable of slaughtering cultivators of the same realm as easily as cutting grass.

Far ahead, the fleeing Late Stage cultivator felt a chill run down his spine.

Two Mid Stage cultivators… dead in one move?

Panic surged in his chest, mixed with a twisted sense of relief. If he hadn’t run, he would be a corpse falling through the clouds right now.

But Qin Lu had no intention of letting a loose end escape.

Whoosh!

Qin Lu’s figure flickered and vanished again, this time enveloped in a faint golden aura.

[Gold Escape Technique].

He burst forward with explosive acceleration, his body flashing through the air in a series of near-instantaneous leaps. It was a technique that touched upon the principles of spatial movement—perfect for pursuit.

As he closed in, Qin Lu glanced down at the paralyzed Ren Longhu.

His eyes narrowed. A surge of invisible mental energy erupted.

[Spirit Control Technique].

The psychic hammer slammed into Ren Longhu’s mind. The young master’s eyes rolled back, his consciousness shattering into a dazed stupor as he froze mid-air, defenseless.

Qin Lu didn’t stop. He pushed the [Gold Escape Technique] to its limit.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

He was a golden streak across the sky, rapidly eating away the distance between him and the fleeing leader.

“H-How is he so fast?!” The Late Stage cultivator glanced back, his face twisting in despair. He hadn’t expected Qin Lu to possess such terrifying speed.

Realizing he couldn’t outrun death, the cultivator gritted his teeth. He spun around, desperation fueling a vicious counterattack with his Magical Artifact.

“Good!” Qin Lu laughed coldly.

He didn’t even bother to block. The frantic attack was clumsy and telegraphed.

Qin Lu shifted, the [Phantom Mantra] allowing him to slip past the strike with ease. He stepped into the enemy’s guard, the [Silver Sand Sword] humming with lethal intent.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Squelch!

It took only a few exchanges.

The Late Stage cultivator’s defense collapsed. A silver arc flashed, and he was cut down, his life extinguished as easily as a candle flame.

Although they were technically in the same realm, the gap in their combat power was an abyss.

Qin Lu hovered over the falling corpse, a flicker of satisfaction in his heart.

It seems my strength is sufficient to crush ordinary cultivators of the same level. Even against a Foundation Establishment Perfection expert, I should hold the advantage.

Only a Pseudo-Golden Core might pose a genuine threat.

Having gauged his current limits, Qin Lu wasted no time. He swiftly looted the corpse, stripping the storage Magical Artifact and anything of value, before turning back toward the spirit boat.

However, as he arrived, a strange sight greeted him.

Gu Can was engaged in a fierce melee, his body glowing red and steaming with heat as he battled a shadowy entity.

“What is that shadow? When did it appear?” Qin Lu was startled.

He immediately activated the [Heavenly Eye Technique], scanning the battlefield.

Fortunately, Cao Mo and the spirit boat were unharmed.

Of the original four enemies blocking the front, three were dead. Only one remained.

But it wasn’t the Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was the mysterious black-robed youth from the auction—the one who had bid against him for the [Foundation Establishment Pill].

A mere Qi Condensation junior… how is he still alive? And what is that shadow protecting him?

Qin Lu didn’t waste time on questions. He dove into the fray to support Gu Can.

“Get back!”

Qin Lu raised a hand, and the air crackled with ozone.

[Lightning Strike Technique]—Max Level.

BOOM!

A thick bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens, slamming into the shadow.

The entity recoiled violently, blasted backward by the righteous thunder, creating space between itself and Gu Can.

“Elder Mo!” the black-robed youth screamed in panic.

“Elder Mo?” Qin Lu’s eyes narrowed. He landed beside Gu Can. “What is that thing?”

Gu Can was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. He shook his head. “I don’t know! That ghost just erupted from the kid’s ring! I’ve never seen anything like it… it’s getting stronger the longer we fight!”

“Ring?”

Qin Lu looked down at the youth.

Sure enough, on the boy’s finger sat a simple, pitch-black ring. Faint tendrils of smoke connected the artifact to the hovering shadow.

The pieces clicked into place.

A weak youth. A mysterious artifact. A powerful soul emerging to protect its host.

A cold, pragmatic realization struck Qin Lu.

Is this… a ring-bound elder?