Spells

The lamplight was dim.

It illuminated Wu Tao's face, his expression neither happy nor sad, devoid of desire, as if he stood apart from the world, like a great sage.

At this moment, this sage was engaged in a profound reflection:

"What is learned on paper is ultimately superficial; to truly know, one must practice."

"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!"

"Dozens of terabytes of learning materials, with the guidance of teachers like Youcai, Yihua, and Yongmei across the screen, are ultimately theoretical knowledge. Like Zhao Kuo, who fought on paper, only by entering true practice can one know the difference between theory and practice."

"Hmph!"

Reaching this point in his reflection, our sage couldn't help but let out a cold snort. This snort seemed to contain the unwillingness of an old general after a defeat on the battlefield.

"Zhang Li, I will definitely make you know my power in the future."

"However, speaking of which, in this life and the last, over fifty years, only today have I truly savored it. The exquisite beauty within is hard to describe."

"This is human nature, containing the heavenly dao. It cannot be discarded, nor can one be excessively greedy."

Wu Tao suddenly had a moment of enlightenment, and his state of mind ascended a level.

"I am Zhang Li's God. Things concerning principles like this must absolutely not be lost. Simply put, if I can spend money, I will never get involved with emotions."

He reflected further, his gaze becoming even clearer.

After his self-reflection, Wu Tao felt that he had lost three hundred million, fought for a long time, and exhausted his mind and spirit. It was time to rest. He immediately took a bath and went to bed.

The next day, Zhang Li moved.

Wu Tao bid her farewell, promising to visit her on Packhorse Street once he had Spirit Stones.

With Zhang Li gone, Wu Tao had no familiar acquaintances by his side. But he was a Cultivator, so he didn't feel lonely. The saying "The Great Dao is walked alone" was precisely this.

On the contrary, his life became even more orderly.

For his current goal—to purchase new artifact refining restrictions and Melee Spells—he needed a vast amount of Spirit Stones. The two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones from selling Filth Crystals were still not enough; he was short by one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

As long as he refined a few more Magic Robes this month, he could achieve his goal by the end of the month.

One day, Wu Tao returned from setting up a stall in the Market and saw that someone had moved in next door.

It was an old Daoist priest with a limp, wearing a tattered dark blue Daoist robe, his half-white hair somewhat disheveled. He was currently hobbling as he moved things into the house.

Encountering such a situation, as someone in a new world, whose kindness had not yet been extinguished by the Cultivation World, Wu Tao naturally wanted to help. However, upon seeing the old Daoist priest's face clearly, he abruptly extinguished the thought of helping.

The old Daoist priest saw him, first startled, then embarrassed and angry, and finally delighted. He chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist, it's you! What a coincidence. I remember when we were neighbors at adjacent stalls in the Market. Today, we are neighbors again. It is truly fate."

"This humble Daoist is Duocai, may I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?"

Duocai, Duocai also lives in New Virtue Alley?... Wu Tao inwardly grumbled, but looking at his lame leg, he asked, "You can call me Li Mo. Fellow Daoist Duocai, what happened to your leg?"

Seeing Wu Tao inquire about this, Daoist Duocai's face flashed with embarrassment. He said, "I was exploring the wilderness and was accidentally bitten by a demonic beast. I couldn't return in time for treatment, and it became like this."

"But it's not a big deal. For cultivators, once our cultivation is sufficient, we will naturally find a way to restore it completely."

Wu Tao didn't believe a single word Daoist Duocai said. Recalling his deceptive behavior in the market, he was more inclined to believe that his leg was broken by someone.

Being acquainted with such a swindler was a hassle. Therefore, Wu Tao didn't want to talk much with him. He cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Duocai, I have some matters to attend to. I'll be going back to my room."

"Alright, we're neighbors after all. As the saying goes, a near neighbor is better than a distant relative. Let's visit each other more often in the future," Daoist Duocai said with a smile.

Wu Tao gave a perfunctory reply, returned to his room, and closed the door.

Considering Daoist Duocai as just an ordinary neighbor, someone he'd greet when they met, Wu Tao's life was not affected by Daoist Duocai living next door.

Days passed one by one.

In the blink of an eye, another month went by.

He had been in this world for three months now. From being possessed by evil in the mine with only three months left to live, everything was progressing steadily.

Wu Tao opened his personal status to check his progress over the past month.

[Name: Wu Tao]

[Lifespan: 25/83]

[Realm: Second Level of Qi Refining]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yang Technique: Qi Refining Chapter (Second Layer): 62%]

[Spells: Fireball Technique Beginner (95%), Cleaning Spell Beginner (1%)]

[Divine Ability: None]

[Primary Profession: Artifact Refiner]: Mastered Restrictions: First-Order Level 1 Cooling Restriction, First-Order Level Two Wind-Speed Restriction. First-Grade Level Three Small Spirit Light Shield Restriction (90%)

[Secondary Profession: Body Cultivator]: Blank

The Three Yang Technique had reached 62% progress, and the Fireball Technique had advanced from beginner to 95% proficiency. It was no longer shaky; it could even smash a basketball-sized pit on the ground.

Of course, with Wu Tao's current Spiritual Power, he could only cast two fireballs before exhausting the Spiritual Power in his Dantian.

To conveniently clean his room, he had also pushed the Cleaning Spell to 1% proficiency. With this, he could now clean his room very thoroughly.

After spending a hundred Spirit Boards, the Small Spirit Light Shield Restriction had also reached 90% progress. With another three to five days of practice, he would fully master this restriction.

At that time, I will be able to refine a Tier 1, Level 3 magic robe, greatly increasing my income.

What made Wu Tao happiest was that he had saved enough money for the Melee Spell.

Closing his Personal Status, he took out his Spirit Stone Bag and poured out all the spirit stones. He counted them again: two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, one hundred and twenty-six Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and seventy-three Fragmented Spirit Stones.

Putting away the spirit stones, Wu Tao took his Iron Sword and went out.

He went directly to the Threefold Magic Pavilion. Wu Tao entered the display area and saw that the Melee Spell had not been bought by anyone. His heart immediately relaxed. He immediately called over a cultivator from the pavilion.

The cultivator looked at Wu Tao with confusion and said, "Fellow Daoist, you want to buy this spell?"

Wu Tao nodded, "That's right. Please help me get it."

The cultivator in the pavilion said, "Fellow Daoist, do you know the pros and cons of this Dragon Spear Technique? This Dragon Spear Technique is a incomplete spell, only recording three moves and a body-tempering method. Moreover, this is a spell for Body Cultivators, and it is no longer suitable for the times. It is extremely difficult to cultivate."

"If Fellow Daoist would take my advice, I have a copy of the Small Lingxu Sword Scripture here. Its sword techniques are ethereal and illusory, producing sword qi for ranged attacks, which is what we cultivators advocate. Moreover, it is only one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone more expensive than this Dragon Spear Technique, but its benefits are immeasurable."

Wu Tao's Secondary Profession was Body Cultivation, so cultivation techniques and spells for Body Cultivators were exactly what he wanted. It was just that this cultivator didn't know. However, this cultivator recommending the Small Lingxu Sword Scripture to him was partly sincere, and partly for the commission.

A price increase of one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones meant a higher commission for him.

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, as if he had an idea. He said, "Fellow Daoist, the way you put it, this Dragon Spear Technique sounds extremely bad. In that case, why don't you lower the price a bit? How about it?"

The cultivator's face immediately fell. He had shot himself in the foot. He said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. This Threefold Magic Pavilion was opened by Senior Brother Huo Sanlin of Five Spring Mountain. I am just a shopkeeper and do not have the authority to lower the price for you privately."

Wu Tao was just saying that. He knew the rules of Threefold Magic Pavilion, which never bargained. He said, "Please help me get it."

The cultivator sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist is indeed stubborn. If this Dragon Spear Technique can be mastered, it is naturally stronger than spells of the same level, but the difficulty is that it is very hard to master."

After saying that, he still opened the restriction, took out the Dragon Spear Technique, and handed it to Wu Tao.