Practicing Spells

More than half a year had passed since their last monster hunt, yet Xu Lei had not contacted them to hunt Monster Beasts.

With no work and no other skills to fall back on, they naturally had no income.

Shen Long was better off. Alone, he only needed to feed himself; but after more than half a year without income, Qin Qing was becoming anxious.

Qin Qing possessed Four Spirit Roots and had only reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer after cultivating for over seventy years. His Dao Path held no hope. Qin Tianhe possessed Three Spirit Roots, so Qin Qing hoped to earn more Spirit Stones to buy cultivation resources for Qin Tianhe, allowing him to travel farther on the immortal path.

"I'm not sure. Fellow Daoist Xu hasn't contacted me either. He's probably still in seclusion!"

Shen Long answered truthfully.

Qin Qing sighed softly. Since Xu Lei had not contacted them, he was most likely still in seclusion.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you've advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Congratulations!"

Qin Tianhe offered his congratulations, his face full of envy.

Only then did Qin Qing notice that Shen Long's aura had grown considerably stronger, and he hurriedly congratulated Shen Long as well.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, we have matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave first."

After saying this, Qin Qing left with Qin Tianhe.

A while later, the door of the Stone Chamber engraved with the character "Earth" opened, and a burly man in red emerged. A terrifying scar from a blade ran across the red-robed man's face.

When the red-robed man saw Shen Long, he smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Shen, you've advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Congratulations!"

"So it's Fellow Daoist Sun. Fellow Daoist Xu still hasn't emerged from seclusion?"

Shen Long asked.

The red-robed man was Sun Yang, vice-captain of Shen Long's Monster Hunting Team. He had a very close relationship with Xu Lei.

"Not yet. He's in seclusion to break through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. If there's any action, we'll notify you."

Sun Yang said.

Shen Long nodded. After chatting for a few moments, Sun Yang left.

Shen Long entered the Stone Chamber and used the Thousand Bamboo Token to close the door.

Inside was a sandpit a hundred zhang wide. It bore scorch marks, and the stone walls were reddened. It seemed Sun Yang had just been practicing fire-element spells.

Shen Long muttered an incantation, and cyan light lit up in his right hand. With a sweep toward the sandpit, a streak of cyan light shot out and sank into the sand. A Cyan Vine as thick as an adult's arm burrowed out from the sandpit.

He had already cultivated the Entanglement Technique to major mastery, just one step away from Great Perfection.

Shen Long raised his right hand, and a Crimson Fireball as large as a water vat shot forth, smashing into the Cyan Vine.

With a thunderous boom, the Crimson Fireball exploded into surging flames that engulfed the Cyan Vine.

The Fireball Technique was at Great Perfection, an instant-cast spell.

When the flames dissipated, the Cyan Vine had vanished.

Shen Long began muttering another incantation. Cyan light flared in his right hand, and with a sweep toward the sandpit, a streak of cyan light flew out and sank into the sand.

A thick Cyan Vine burrowed out from the sandpit, its surface covered in sharp thorns.

Two hours later, Shen Long's face was pale, and the sandpit was covered in Cyan Vines.

With a flick of his sleeve, an enormous Crimson Fireball flew out and smashed into the Cyan Vines, burning them to ash.

After clearing away the traces of his spell practice, he began muttering an incantation.

Before long, a mass of white light emerged in his right palm. He waved his hand, sending out a streak of white light that transformed into a white ice spike over two feet long and pierced into the sandpit.

Ice Spike Technique!

He had used the Fireball Technique to burn away the Cyan Vines, then used the Ice Spike Technique to attack the sandpit.

This way, even if another cultivator entered this Stone Chamber to practice spells, they would not suspect that Shen Long had been practicing the Entanglement Technique.

One must never lack the heart to guard against others!

Shen Long rested for a quarter of an hour before opening the door and walking out.

After leaving the Martial Practice Garden, he headed down the mountain.

Before long, Shen Long appeared on a broad, clean street bustling with people, most of them Qi Refining Cultivators.

Buildings of varying sizes lined both sides of the street. There were cyan stone houses over a zhang tall and Cyan Pavilions over ten zhang tall, with many cultivators entering and leaving.

As he passed a side street, a white-skirted girl in the bloom of youth and a tall golden-robed youth approached from the opposite direction.

The white-skirted girl had delicate features, willow-leaf brows, and almond eyes shimmering like water. She wore no makeup. The golden-robed youth had handsome features and held a golden folding fan, looking every bit the elegant young gentleman.

Spirit Beast Bags hung from both their waists, and both possessed cultivation at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Shen Long naturally recognized them. The white-skirted girl was Li Ruxue, a core member of the Li Family, while the golden-robed youth was Han Yixin, the only son of the Han Clan's patriarch.

"Ruxue, Daoist Chen is holding a gathering. I heard quite a few fellow Daoists will be attending. Since we have nothing else to do, let's go together!"

Han Yixin said enthusiastically.

"You go ahead first! I'll head over after I finish handling what I have on hand."

Li Ruxue said in a sweet voice.

"Alright. You must come. Green Gourd Master's descendant will be attending too."

Han Yixin reminded her.

Green Gourd Master was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and an alchemist with considerable renown in Thousand Bamboo Valley.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely go."

Li Ruxue agreed, and the two parted ways.

Shen Long brushed past them and continued into the distance.

The three of them were about the same age. Their cultivation was higher than Shen Long's, they raised Spirit Beasts, and they attended gatherings with fellow cultivators to expand their circles. Meanwhile, Shen Long was still thinking about how to earn more Spirit Stones.

Half a quarter hour later, Shen Long arrived at a vast Bluestone Square. Many small stalls had been set up there, their owners all Qi Refining Cultivators. The goods on display were a dazzling array: ores, Monster Beast Materials, spirit herbs, and Spirit Wood, among many other things.

Shen Long walked as he looked around. Whenever he saw something strange or curious, he would approach the stall owner and ask about its origins and uses, broadening his knowledge.

After a while, he stopped before a small stall. Its owner was a girl with features as picturesque as a painting. She wore a yellow moonlight dress, her cloudlike hair pinned diagonally, three thousand strands of black hair falling behind her back. She wore no makeup, and a Spirit Beast Bag hung from her waist.

More than a dozen wine jugs sat on the stall, their fragrance wafting through the air.

"Fairy Huang, is the Green Peach Brew still the same price?"

Shen Long asked.

The Yellow-Skirted Girl was Huang Xiuyun, a winemaker who depended on her grandmother, Chen Li, for survival. The two knew how to brew several kinds of first-tier Spirit Wine and made their living selling it.

Unlike Qin Qing and his grandson, Chen Li and Huang Xiuyun lived relatively comfortable lives. Huang Xiuyun even raised a Spirit Beast, showing that mastering a skill was indeed quite worthwhile.

"That's right. Fellow Daoist Shen, would you like to buy a jug?"

Huang Xiuyun asked with a smile, two adorable dimples appearing on her face.

Green Peach Brew was a first-tier Spirit Wine that could improve one's magic power. A jug cost fifteen Spirit Stones at Huang Xiuyun's stall. The Spirit Wine Shop sold similar first-tier Spirit Wine, but at slightly higher prices.

Shen Long nodded, took out fifteen Spirit Stones, and handed them to Huang Xiuyun.

Huang Xiuyun picked up a cyan wine jug and handed it to Shen Long.

Shen Long lifted the lid, and a faint fragrance of wine drifted out. The jug contained some cyan liquid.

He nodded, replaced the lid, stored the wine jug in his Storage Bag, and rose to leave.

He circled the square once but failed to find any overlooked treasure, then left the square.