Chapter 87: Original Entry-Level Spells

Wang Yu looked at the giant turtle, as large as a tabletop, and scanned it with his spiritual sense; he detected no aura fluctuation, as if it were nothing but an ordinary stone, and inwardly marveled—he immediately bowed to the turtle and tossed a spirit stone into the basin.

Upon seeing this, the giant turtle silently retreated back into the stone wall, clearing the corridor.

Only then did Wang Yu walk over and enter the nearest stone chamber at random.

Inside, rows of shelves were filled with all manner of books, scrolls, and even bamboo slips.

Wang Yu casually picked up a bamboo slip, opened it, and found it detailed the cultivation method for a crop called “Yellow Rice.”

He shook his head and put it down, then picked up a book with yellowed cover; upon opening it, he found it recorded techniques for raising oxen to make them work harder in the fields.

Wang Yu set this book aside, took a few more steps, and picked up an unremarkable scroll, slowly unrolling it to reveal a schematic of something resembling a waterwheel.

Wang Yu suddenly understood.

He continued examining more, and indeed, all were records related to agriculture, some dating back so far they had long been obsolete.

No wonder one spirit stone granted an hour’s viewing—these materials were useless to sect disciples, likely kept merely by the Four Symbols Sect to enrich their library and lend an air of prestige.

As Wang Yu pondered this, he left the chamber and entered the next one.

The adjacent chamber held roughly the same number of books, but all concerned mineral deposits—from identifying ores to mining and even refining.

This piqued Wang Yu’s interest; he lingered a while longer before moving to the next room.

The next chamber contained only poetry, lyrics, and musical scores, documenting all renowned classical compositions of Wu State over the past several centuries.

Wang Yu had no interest in such things and walked straight to the next room.

…

The gray-white giant turtle lay in a small pond behind the stone wall, half-open eyes fixed on an ancient mirror, half a person’s height.

Within the mirror, Wang Yu’s every movement was clearly reflected.

“Interesting. In all these years, I’ve never seen a disciple show interest in mortal texts. Hui Zi, want to make a wager? I bet this kid won’t stay here a full hour.”

“If you win, I’ll give you three Blood Essence Pills; if you lose, hand over three of the scales you shed last time—how about it?” A withered voice suddenly echoed above the pond.

The gray turtle paused, glanced at Wang Yu in the bronze mirror, who was intently flipping through a blackened bamboo slip, then let out a low, resonant growl in response.

“Then it’s settled. Heh, Hui Zi, you’ve lost. In all my years here in the Scripture Hall, I’ve never seen a disciple stay even half an hour in the mortal text archive.” The old man chuckled, confident as ever.

More than half an hour later, the pond’s surface erupted with the old man’s furious curses and the turtle’s contented growls.

At this point, Wang Yu had reached the corridor marked with the character “Fa,” and stepped inside.

At the corridor’s end stood a massive bronze door.

Before the door lay a reclining chair and a stone tripod half a person’s height; a gray-robed old man lay upon the chair, eyes half-closed, as if dozing lightly.

Wang Yu approached, bowed slightly to speak, when the old man’s irritable voice cut in.

“Go pick your own spells and techniques. Don’t bother me.”

Wang Yu hesitated, then bowed again, stepped past the old man, and reached the bronze door, giving it a gentle push.

The door opened easily.

Wang Yu stepped inside and found a white light barrier blocking the way; he paused, then pulled out his inner-disciple token and waved it before the barrier.

The white barrier showed no reaction.

“Idiot, just pour your spiritual power into it. Without mid-Qi Refining level power, you can’t break this seal.” The old man’s impatient voice echoed in his ear.

“Thank you for your guidance, Elder.”

Wang Yu, slightly annoyed, turned and bowed toward the door.

He stepped forward two paces, pressed both palms against the barrier, and rapidly channeled all his spiritual power into it.

The white barrier flickered, grew hazy, then with a soft *pop*, split open a hole large enough for a person to pass through.

Wang Yu slipped through.

Moments later, the white barrier restored itself to its original state.

Before Wang Yu stood a stone hall, lined with forty or fifty stone pedestals, each bearing something beneath a translucent light barrier.

Behind these pedestals lay another layer of misty white light.

Wang Yu turned his gaze back and walked to a random pedestal; within its barrier lay a white jade slip. He pressed his palm against the barrier, and instantly, information flooded his mind.

Entry-Level Spell: “Spring Revival Technique,” seven-spirit-mark wood-attribute spell, rapidly heals general internal and external injuries, cost: one hundred spirit stones.

How convenient!

Wang Yu marveled and walked along the pedestals, touching each one in turn; a stream of information flooded his mind.

Entry-Level Spell: “Fireball Technique,” eight-spirit-mark fire-attribute spell, causes explosive damage at long range over a small area, cost: one hundred twenty spirit stones.

Entry-Level Spell: “Earth Submersion Technique,” seven-spirit-mark earth-attribute spell, allows Dunzou through soil, cost: one hundred thirty spirit stones.

Entry-Level Spell: “Wind Wall Technique,” ten-spirit-mark water-attribute spell, forms a wind barrier before the user, cost: two hundred ten spirit stones.

…

“Hss”

Why are entry-level spells so expensive? And the more spirit marks, the absurdly higher the price.

He remembered clearly: in Guangyuan Market, entry-level spells cost only forty to fifty spirit stones.

As Wang Yu browsed, he sucked in his breath.

Soon he reached the last two rows of pedestals.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Golden Needle Technique,” eleven-spirit-mark metal-attribute spell, condenses metal into needle-like projectiles for close-range firing, cost: seventy spirit stones.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Thorn Vines Technique,” ten-spirit-mark wood-attribute spell, summons vast thorny plants from the ground to entangle enemies, cost: eighty spirit stones.

Two “low-price” entries suddenly appeared, causing Wang Yu to halt and stare at the objects within their barriers.

One was a golden, half-curved horn; the other, a pale yellow, hoof-shaped object.

Indeed, these were the talismanic items recording original spells.

Wang Yu’s heart stirred slightly, and he continued scanning.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Quicksand Technique,” twelve-spirit-mark earth-attribute spell, manipulates large-scale sand and gravel, cost: sixty spirit stones.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Ice Spear Technique,” eleven-spirit-mark ice-attribute spell, condenses freezing power into a spear, cost: seventy spirit stones.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Flame Shield,” twelve-spirit-mark fire-attribute spell, forms a high-temperature fire barrier, cost: sixty spirit stones.

Original Entry-Level Spell: “Floating Rock Shield,” eleven-spirit-mark earth-attribute spell, controls rocks to encircle the user, cost: seventy spirit stones.

Seeing the prices of these final two original spells, Wang Yu, though prepared, was startled by their absurdly low cost.

Twelve-spirit-mark entry-level spells, this cheap?

He was no longer a beginner—he knew well that, whether for trick spells or entry-level spells, the number of spirit marks directly reflected the complexity of the spell imprint.

Generally, the more complex the imprint, the greater the power.

His gaze swept to the last two barriers: on their pedestals lay a palm-sized crimson scale and a yellow, egg-sized orb.