Chapter 7: Practicing Spells with Cunning, Trading in the Forging Hall for Spirit Stones
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
As dusk approached, Yu Xian dragged his exhausted body out of the mine tunnel.
He carefully wrapped and hid four blazing sun essence stones inside his clothes—no one would notice.
All around him, other mining disciples emerged too—some with joy on their faces, others looking dejected or furious.
Some gathered in small groups, familiar with each other.
Others, like Yu Xian, were alone.
Some disciples headed straight to the steward’s residence to exchange their findings for spirit stones.
Others returned silently to their quarters.
Yu Xian, too, silently returned to his residence.
He had mined blazing sun essence stones, but he couldn’t submit them today!
On his first day in a supposedly abandoned mine, he’d unearthed four high-quality blazing sun essence stones.
That would definitely raise suspicions!
No one could learn about the jade pendant—if even one person found out, it could spell his doom.
He didn’t have a storage pouch yet, something only Foundation Establishment disciples in the inner sect were given.
So even with the jade pendant’s guidance, he couldn’t mine too many stones.
With nowhere to store them, others would soon notice.
He understood the old saying: “A child with gold in a busy marketplace will attract trouble.”
Back in his room, Yu Xian cleaned off the dust, then sat cross-legged on his bed to cultivate.
Among the beginner-level spells, he had fully mastered Fireball Technique, whose power would increase as his cultivation base and Qi Sea grew deeper.
Next, he focused on learning Earthen Shield Technique.
If one had offensive skills, then naturally, one also needed defensive ones.
“Rise!”
Half a month passed. Yu Xian hadn’t even stepped outside his door—he focused solely on mastering the Earthen Shield Technique.
With a low shout, he lifted his hand. Earth elemental energy gathered out of thin air, and in a blink, formed a thin earth shield in front of him.
Though only half an inch thick, the shield’s defense was quite decent.
Yu Xian struck it with full force using a short blade, barely managing to pierce and shatter it.
His eyes lit up with joy. With a wave of his hand, the earth shield dispersed.
He had now fully mastered the Earthen Shield Technique.
He had offense and defense.
Next up: healing.
Minor Water Healing Technique.
Another half-month passed.
Inside the room, Yu Xian formed a hand seal. A ripple of water energy flowed across his body, though he had no external or internal injuries, so the ripple simply faded after a while.
He had now mastered the Minor Water Healing Technique as well.
“Yu Xian!”
Suddenly, a harsh voice called from outside.
Yu Xian’s heart stirred. He knew this moment would come.
He got out of bed and opened the door.
Standing outside was Old Third, who looked at Yu Xian with a cold expression. “It’s been a month. Where’s your blazing sun essence stone? If you can’t hand one over, then…”
He trailed off.
Because Yu Xian had already raised a hand, presenting a blazing sun essence stone respectfully before him. “Disciple did not fail the task. I managed to mine one.”
Old Third looked suspiciously at the stone, then at Yu Xian, then back at the stone. “You got this… from that abandoned mine? Shaft T-18?”
“Yes.” Yu Xian nodded. “I worked hard for a month to find this one. Elder, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but that mine… may be fully depleted.”
“Depleted or not, that’s not for you to say. We’ll survey it ourselves.”
Old Third grabbed the stone and said coldly, “Keep mining. If you manage three in three months, we may consider transferring you.”
He turned and left.
Yu Xian closed the door silently, watching the man walk away.
Monthly submission of essence stones? With the jade pendant, Yu Xian wasn’t worried about that.
But he couldn’t just stay here forever!
The jade pendant’s guidance was far too miraculous—almost heaven-defying.
If he didn’t use it wisely and only relied on it to fulfill monthly quotas, he’d be more foolish than a fool.
Still, he couldn’t act too hastily. If anyone realized he could mine faster or more efficiently, the steward at the late Qi Condensation stage, and the mid-stage elders, would grow greedy. They’d do anything to learn his secret.
Yu Xian’s eyes flickered. He thought silently for a moment before calming down and beginning to learn the Wind Blade Technique.
Even though he had offense, defense, and healing now—
He needed more attack methods!
Half a month passed.
In his room, Yu Xian pointed with one finger. Wind gathered and sliced forward like a blade, cutting a thick wooden plank clean in two.
The Wind Blade Technique—mastered.
Exhaling slowly, Yu Xian calculated the date, then walked out of his room toward the residence of the steward and elders.
He had learned their names during this time.
The steward was Zhao Mulin.
The three elders: Sun Qingfeng, Liu Xue, and the third—this very Old Third—was named Zhang Laosan.
The steward and elders didn’t mine. They collected materials and exchanged them for spirit stones.
At the end of the month, a chief steward and hall master from Hundred Mines Hall would review their contributions.
Their homes were much more luxurious than those of the mining disciples.
Standing before the door, Yu Xian knocked and said, “Disciple Yu Xian requests to see the steward.”
“Yu Xian? What is it?”
Zhao Mulin’s voice called from inside.
“Disciple just mined a blazing sun essence stone and wishes to exchange it for spirit stones.”
The door opened abruptly.
Zhao Mulin sat cross-legged inside, eyeing Yu Xian suspiciously. “Another one? From Shaft T-18?”
“Yes, steward. I guess I’m lucky.” Yu Xian smiled sheepishly and respectfully handed over the stone.
Zhao Mulin narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and the essence stone flew into his palm.
A month and a half, two stones—not a lot in total, but that was from an abandoned mine.
He had planned to kick this kid out of Yunyun Sect on Senior Huang’s suggestion.
Yet now he was mining essence stones from a depleted shaft?
Just luck?
Zhao Mulin flipped his hand, making the essence stone vanish.
With a half-smile, he said, “You really are lucky. But if you exchange it now and find nothing the rest of the month… do you know what’ll happen? Why not consider this an early submission?”
Yu Xian calmly replied, “I believe I can still find another. Besides, I urgently need spirit stones to cultivate. I ask the steward to allow the exchange.”
Zhao Mulin paused, eyes chilling slightly. “Fine. I’ll be watching your luck.”
He waved a hand, and ten low-grade spirit stones dropped to the floor.
Spirit stones—currency of the cultivation world. Essential for any cultivator.
Yu Xian had never seen one before.
These ten low-grade stones glowed with a soft blue-green light, each fist-sized and brimming with rich spiritual energy, sealed tightly inside.
Yu Xian remained expressionless, bowed, picked them up, wrapped them in cloth, and respectfully took his leave.
“Foolish brat…” Zhao Mulin muttered coldly, waving his hand to shut the door.
Yu Xian carried his pouch of spirit stones past a few envious gazes and returned to his room.
Half a month between each essence stone—Zhao Mulin didn’t suspect a thing.
But at the end of the month, if he brought out another one, they’d grow suspicious.
That mine had supposedly been thoroughly tested and declared exhausted.
Now, with ten spirit stones in hand, Yu Xian had more options.
He peeked through a crack in the door, eyes locked on the distant teleportation array.
No mine would stop a disciple from using it to return to the sect.
But a round trip cost four spirit stones.
Unless something was truly urgent, no one would waste that much.
They needed every stone for cultivation.
But Yu Xian… could afford it.
The value of a blazing sun essence stone in the Forging Hall would surely be much higher than what Zhao Mulin gave—and no one there knew his identity.
Closing his eyes, Yu Xian sat cross-legged and held two spirit stones—one in each hand—to cultivate.
Even low-grade stones offered pure and potent energy for someone at early Qi Condensation.
Under the spiritual influx, his Qi Sea surged and expanded, beginning to thicken and condense like mist turning to liquid.
Eventually, the two spirit stones crumbled into ordinary rocks, completely drained.
Yu Xian opened his eyes.
Without delay, he picked up his mining blade and entered Shaft T-18 once more under the cover of night.
Three hours later, just before dawn, he emerged, exhausted but eyes gleaming.
He didn’t even return to his room—he walked straight to the teleportation array, placed two spirit stones, and vanished.
A moment later, he arrived at the same grand hall where he’d first entered the teleportation array.
Though quieter than during the day, the hall still bustled with disciples.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who preferred to trade elsewhere.
Only the value of their stones could determine if the four-stone travel cost was worth it.
Yu Xian exited the hall and headed straight for the Forging Hall.
In the past month, he hadn’t only been cultivating—he’d also read nearly all of The Hundred Mines Record and Miscellaneous Notes on the Spiritual World.
The latter included maps and layouts of Yunyun Sect.
The Forging Hall lay on the west side of the main peak, above a fire vein, and served the inner sect by producing materials for weapon refining and crafting treasures.
It took him over half an hour to reach the Forging Hall from the Hundred Mines Hall.
Due to the fire vein, the temperature was significantly higher here. Many disciples bustled about, either buying materials or selling minerals.
Yu Xian entered the main hall and made his way straight to the item exchange section.
While the six outer sect halls served the inner sect, they still allowed outer sect disciples to trade—though always at a cost.
Yu Xian entered, scanned the room, and walked up to a middle-aged man behind a counter.
The man had just finished a transaction with another disciple—three pieces of golden marrow ore in exchange for eighteen spirit stones.
He glanced at Yu Xian and asked indifferently, “What ore are you selling?”
Yu Xian’s clothing gave away his identity as an outer disciple—each mining hall had subtle differences in robes.
Calmly, Yu Xian asked, “How many spirit stones for one blazing sun essence stone?”
The man glanced at him, noting his youth. A flash of cunning passed through his eyes as he said, “One for fifteen spirit stones.”
Yu Xian knew he was being shorted—but compared to Zhao Mulin’s rate, it was still a huge profit.
So he nodded. “Deal.”
Reaching into his chest, he pulled out a pouch that had slightly puffed out his robes.
The man’s eyes twitched—then lit up.
Inside the pouch were fifteen blazing sun essence stones, glowing like lightbulbs, illuminating the entire counter.
