Lei Dong’s heart was also itching with anticipation, so he nodded in agreement. Then, with a serious expression, he asked, “Senior Brother, I wonder which spell would be best for me to learn first?” Chen Ge hesitated for a moment, a flicker of reluctance crossing his face, but then he gritted his teeth. He furtively pulled out something shiny and quickly shoved it into Tang Qian’s hand, whispering, “Senior Brother Tang, thank you so much for your assistance.” Tang Qian, who had been silent until now, swiftly tucked away the gleaming item, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he nodded repeatedly. “Junior Brother Chen, you are truly generous.

Junior Brother Lei’s matter is entirely on me.” Saying this, he reached into the deepest part of the cabinet and produced a jade slip, handing it to Lei Dong. “Junior Brother Lei, there are some spells here, but please choose as quickly as you can.” As he spoke, he glanced nervously toward the outside, as if guilty of some secret deed. Having lived two lives, Lei Dong naturally knew there was something fishy going on, and he dared not waste time. He settled his mind into the jade slip and began to browse swiftly.

Contrary to Chen Ge’s claim of hundreds of spell variations, there were actually only a scattered dozen or so. Chen Ge’s Nether Fire Bomb was conspicuously listed among them. Lei Dong’s mind cleared, and he examined them one by one. He was quite fond of most of the ten-odd spells, finding it hard to choose for a moment.

However, Tang Qian began urging him repeatedly. Lei Dong steeled his heart and selected a technique called the Ghost Control Art. According to the spell’s description, this was a powerful art capable of refining ghosts to serve the caster. Before his transmigration, Lei Dong, who enjoyed games, had always favored the Necromancer class.

Other classes had to fight desperately, throwing themselves into the fray. But a Necromancer could simply summon a swarm of skeletons, watch the horde of minions rush forward to hack away, while he sipped tea, read the news, cracked melon seeds, and collected loot on the sidelines. Once Lei Dong selected the Ghost Control Art, Tang Qian hastily retrieved a special jade slip recording it from under the cabinet, a smile gracing his face. “Congratulations, Junior Brother Lei!

This is the very last spell slip we have for the Ghost Control Art. Normally, even if we had stock to exchange, it would require thirty contribution points. Come, come, let’s finalize the paperwork.” After some time, Lei Dong left with Chen Ge. Only upon being invited into Chen Ge’s quarters did Lei Dong inquire about the previous charade.

He knew full well that even if he hadn’t brought it up, Chen Ge would have found an opportunity to curry favor with him. After all, the gleaming object he had just offered seemed quite valuable. Chen Ge laughed. “Junior Brother Lei, you are unaware.

Although according to the rules of the Yin Fiend Sect, every disciple who enters the sect and achieves the first layer of the Qi Refining stage is entitled to one free spell slip. However, unless he has powerful backing, the steward in charge of the spell slips can easily make some adjustments, preventing you from selecting superior spells. Even if someone directly requests a specific spell, the steward can always claim that the spell slip is genuinely out of stock. Junior Brother, if your elder brother hadn’t been present, you probably would have only been able to choose an ordinary spell.” Lei Dong feigned sudden understanding, his expression filled with gratitude.

“Thank you so much for your help, Senior Brother. That gleaming object I gave away earlier—was it quite valuable?” “That is called a Spirit Stone. It has many uses; not only can it aid in cultivation, but it can also be used to drive magical artifacts and formations. Sometimes it is even used in alchemy and talisman crafting.

Because of its wide utility, it is an indispensable resource in cultivation. Therefore, the cultivation world commonly uses Spirit Stones as currency to measure the value of things.” Chen Ge’s impression of Lei Dong was also excellent, and he patiently explained everything. Then, he sighed, “Though my family isn’t wealthy enough to rival a nation, we are certainly considered rich in our region. When my father learned I possessed spiritual roots, he liquidated most of the family fortune accumulated over generations and spent several years acquiring one hundred Spirit Stones for me, precisely so I could use them for smoothing things over after entering the sect and securing better treatment.” From Chen Ge’s tone, his family was indeed quite affluent.

Yet, dispersing the majority of their estate only yielded one hundred Spirit Stones. This made Lei Dong secretly click his tongue; the price of these Spirit Stones was far too steep. He wondered how many his own relatively comfortable family could acquire if they emptied their coffers. Seeing Chen Ge appear somewhat melancholy, he offered comfort.

“Senior Brother, there is no need to be upset. With your aptitude, you are bound to achieve success in your cultivation, and then you will not have disappointed your father’s painstaking efforts.” “That is right. If I have the chance to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, my family will reach an unprecedented height because of me; perhaps then we shall truly be rich enough to rival a nation.” Chen Ge, buoyed by his encouragement, felt his morale surge, his spirit shining brightly. His gratitude toward Lei Dong naturally increased.

Throwing an arm around his shoulder affectionately, he said, “Come, come, let me show you my Nether Fire Bomb.” With that, he summoned a sturdy servant to bring over several humanoid targets. Chen Ge’s expression turned solemn; he held his breath and concentrated, beginning to make strange gestures while mumbling incantations under his breath. The entire process lasted for several seconds. A fist-sized Nether Fire Bomb, trailing a spectral blue flame, shot out with a swoosh and struck the humanoid target.

Crack! The humanoid target instantly shattered into pieces. Not only that, but the scattered wooden fragments were already coated with an eerie blue firelight, continuing to burn until they turned to ash after landing. However, after casting the Nether Fire Bomb, Chen Ge wore a satisfied smile, yet he was drenched in sweat and his face was slightly pale.

“Junior Brother, please don't laugh. The Nether Fire Bomb is a relatively powerful spell in the Qi Refining stage. I have been practicing it for too short a time, and my cultivation realm is too low; it is already quite a feat that I managed to cast it successfully.” Lei Dong also drew a sharp breath. Indeed, as Chen Ge said, the casting was too slow due to lack of proficiency.

But he had to admit, the power of this thing was quite formidable. When the servant was carrying the humanoid targets earlier, Lei Dong had paid slight attention. He noticed that the wooden structure of the target seemed quite heavy. His own home had similar wooden furniture; it was likely made of rosewood, which was quite expensive in the mortal world.

Yet, such a target was blown to smithereens by Chen Ge’s Nether Fire Bomb. This destructive power rivaled a small-caliber cannon. This was merely a spell cast by Chen Ge at the first layer of Qi Refining; if someone like the Ancestor of Myriad Ghosts were to use it, Lei Dong could hardly imagine its terrifying might… Seeing Lei Dong’s expression and complexion, Chen Ge was clearly quite satisfied. “Junior Brother, don’t be jealous.

Your Ghost Control Art is also a rare and formidable spell. When cultivated to its extreme, with myriad ghosts unleashed, even Immortals would find it hard to resist. Our Old Ancestor, I hear, was particularly fond of the Ghost Control Art back in the day.” “I owe this entirely to Senior Brother’s help.” After witnessing the Nether Fire Bomb, even with the composure of two lifetimes, Lei Dong found his emotions stirring, eager to study the Ghost Control Art immediately to see if it truly possessed infinite power as described. “We are brothers, no need to be overly polite.

Junior Brother, hurry back and immerse yourself in contemplating the Ghost Control Art. Once you achieve a small success, we will go undertake missions.” As he spoke, Chen Ge pulled out two more Spirit Stones, only the size of walnuts, crystal clear and translucent, and pressed them into Lei Dong’s hand. His expression grew solemn. “Please take good care of these two Spirit Stones, Junior Brother.

Holding them in your hand while cultivating can accelerate your progress. Although the effect may not be as swift as a Minor Vitality Pill, its benefit lies in its longevity. Given our current realms, these two Spirit Stones should last until you advance to the second layer.” Feeling the warm, soothing sensation transmitted from the Spirit Stones in his hand, Lei Dong certainly didn't refuse. After chatting with Chen Ge for a few more moments, he headed straight back to his own quarters.

Impatiently, he took out the jade slip inscribed with the Ghost Control Art and entered seclusion in the cultivation room to study it. Any sect that specialized in cultivation, both to maintain exclusivity over their spell secrets and to prevent cross-pollination between different techniques, would imprint an unbreakable restriction on their spell slips. For instance, the jade slip registered under Lei Dong’s name required his vital blood to inscribe a brand; from then on, only Lei Dong could use it. Otherwise, Lei Dong and Chen Ge could have simply exchanged slips to learn more techniques.