My Arts Evolve When Perfected

In the very center of Kunlun City, the body of a spider so large it could pluck stars from the sky stood amidst a vast expanse of ruins. It opened its mouth to devour spring water teleported by special means, along with the prodigies of the Human Race, who were like Ginseng Fruits to it.

Suddenly, a dazzling Thunder Leopard erupted from a Spear Skill, aiming to blast its abdomen. But with a resonant PANG, the formless Gang Qi surrounding the creature’s body annihilated the desperate attack’s Spirit Charm, repelling it like a plucked zither string.

BOOM—

Caught off guard, Major General Gao Yang of Sanliang City raised his long spear to block. With a RIP, his deep blue uniform was torn apart by his bulging muscles as he was sent flying several hundred meters, gritting his teeth.

His heels dug into the road, carving trenches for over ten meters before he skidded to a halt. Lightning snaked across his body as his Vast Thunder Spirit Charm protected him. ’A pregnant Demon King... how can she be this powerful?!’

The Assessment Division had investigated the Demon King’s hundred-year pregnancy plan long ago and predicted this day would come.

Even Grand General Luo himself had rushed to the scene. Dozens of Vice Admirals had gathered in secret, determined to assault the potential lair of the Demon Race and shatter its century-long scheme in one fell swoop.

But even after seeing the Demon King’s True Form, finding the fabled Twelve Great Halls of the Demon Race, and anticipating the extraordinary plan for the birth...

...they had never expected the Demon King to be hidden beneath Kunlun City itself, rather than within the supposed Twelve Great Halls!

’Is it concealing its fate from the heavens? How can it be so good at hiding!’

Gao Yang’s heart pounded like thunder as he looked up, watching torrents of Spirit Charm techniques bombard the Demon King’s external Gang Qi, as futile as waves crashing against a cliff face.

As he watched peerless prodigies, some of whom he recognized, fall into its maw one after another, rage surged in his heart!

’But unless Grand General Luo arrives, no one can break this Demon King’s Gang Qi!’

BZZT—

His communication bracelet suddenly vibrated.

"General Gao, you just have to interrupt its birthing ritual! The Gang Qi will break on its own!"

Hearing the shout crackle through the static, Gao Yang’s weathered face twisted, spittle flying as he roared back, "The source of that damn birthing ritual is in the Twelve Great Halls! Only Grand General Luo and his forces can destroy it! I can’t intervene from here!"

The few remaining Vice Admirals in Kunlun City had already led their forces north to fight the Demon Army of [Cangyuan]. Now, the monumental task of stopping the Demon King from giving birth had fallen squarely on his shoulders, a mere Major General.

The Red Flame Spider Mother was the progenitor of the Northwest’s demons. The offspring she had spent a century preparing to birth was bound to be a new Demon King. If it was successfully born, the scales of power in the Northwest Province would tip irrevocably.

Countless prodigies were being devoured. There was a very real risk of losing an entire generation of talent!

The pressure was immense, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing. If he failed today, the Northwest Province would never know another day of peace!

Gao Yang’s eyes turned bloodshot. With a twist of his brow, his white hair whipped wildly in the wind. He focused all his Vast Thunder Spirit Charm into the tip of his spear. Behind him, a Dharma Aspect of a Thunder Leopard condensed from pure lightning, its form dazzling against the darkening sky.

"ROAR—"

Suddenly, an overwhelming roar erupted from the Red Flame Spider Mother’s mouth. The rage in it was boundless, a sound wave so powerful it stung the eardrums and sent the rubble at their feet scattering.

Gao Yang’s eyes shot open. He was stunned to see that the waterfall of fiery Spirit Charm descending from the thunderclouds had become pitifully thin. Furthermore, a wisp of an ancient aura seemed to slip from the Red Flame Spider Mother’s mouth, flowing back up against the torrent before disappearing completely.

At that moment, all the Dharma Martial Artists, Martial Arts Grandmasters, and Secret Realm Experts present paused their assault, frowning as they watched the sudden turn of events.

’The Fiery Flame Spirit Charm required for the Birth Technique has been intercepted! Could Grand General Luo’s forces have destroyed the source?’

Gao Yang’s eyebrows shot up, a flicker of joyous surprise in his cloudy eyes. According to the predictions from the experts who studied ancient records, a single missing step in the Demon King’s Birth Technique would lead to severe deformities, or could even twist the ritual into a powerful curse.

Sure enough, deprived of the Fiery Flame Spirit Charm, the Red Flame Spider Mother shrieked endlessly. Its abdomen pulsed like a massive heart; the fetus it carried could no longer achieve a complete Foundation Establishment. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

With its heaven-defying act a failure, the dense clouds in the sky intensified, transforming into a divine punishment of thunder that rained down upon the demon. It was like a Celestial Tribulation. The creature’s mountainous body, bathed in a sea of lightning, began to shrink.

The Human Race experts on the perimeter all retreated several thousand meters, their hearts pounding with lingering fear. ’What in the world is it giving birth to? To attract a Thunder Tribulation like this...’

BOOM—

The final bolt of Thunder landed. The Red Flame Spider Mother, now shrunk to just over ten meters high, was panting heavily. Its shell was charred and brittle, and it was weakened to an extreme degree.

However, the vast amount of Spirit Charm it had devoured was being tempered within its body, growing ever purer. It seemed to be fusing and undergoing Refinement, nurturing a burgeoning life force.

With a sickening RIP, the eyes of the watching experts widened in shock. A single claw tore through the Red Flame Spider Mother’s abdomen from the inside. A second claw joined it, ripping the skin open and tearing the mother’s body in two. From within the pitch-black viscera, two points of crimson light shone out, as cold as the abyss.

The life force of the Demon King Red Flame Spider Mother plummeted, absorbed by the newborn Great Demon and undergoing Refinement in a mere instant.

SNAP. The great spider’s corpse split apart and fell through the air. As it tumbled, its eight green, moon-like eyes gazed one last time toward the ever more distant sky. Reflected in their dimming pupils was the solitary figure of a young man. Green blood trickled from the corners of its eyes, tracing paths down its hideous cheeks.

The humanoid Great Demon, born with the appearance of a young man, hovered in the air. It had small Antlers on its head and its limbs were covered in fish scales. Its claws were like an eagle’s, its palms like a Tiger’s, and its tail resembled that of a goldfish. Its blood-red eyes were etched with patterns of Gold. Green amniotic fluid dripped from its fingers and toes as eight streams of different-colored Spirit Charm flowed around its body.

He stood naked beneath the thunderclouds, his crimson eyes fixed on a single point. When he spoke, his voice was immense, shaking the sea of clouds. "To steal my Origin and ruin my grand plan... to think the last generation of the Human Race could produce such a prodigy. You are my tribulation."

As soon as he finished speaking, great Dharma Aspects began to rise one after another. His gaze shifted, and he looked down upon the hundreds of Human Race experts preparing to strike. He made a grasping motion with his claws as his head took on the appearance of a dragon’s, and he looked down upon them all with disdain. "My plan is not yet fully realized. By the standards of your Human Race, I have only just entered the Ancestral Return Realm. However, my Demon Marshal, [Cangyuan], already leads his army here. None of you can stop me.

Do you still dare to fight?"

....

[Stolen: One Wisp of Ancient Origin]

[Pupil-Bearing Dragon Spirit has been nurtured]

[Acquired: Dragon Eye]

[Feature 1: Eye of the Azure Dragon, capable of perceiving all things.]

[Feature 2: Pupil-Bearing Dragon Spirit, Casting Tendons to Summon.]

[Feature 3: Dragon Soul Origin, refining tribulation into a true spirit.]

One system panel after another flashed before Jiang Qiu’s eyes. He lay on his back on the rooftop, drenched in a cold sweat as if he’d been submerged in water. His chest, which felt like it had been forged with molten True Gold and Flame, rose and fell violently. ’Fin... finally... I’m at the Spirit Body Realm. I haven’t even started at Northwest Martial University, and I’ve already stepped through the gates of a Martial Artist.’

[Fiery Flame Dragon Body]

[Feature: Can condense a Dragon Form and wield Flame to incinerate foes.]

[Advancement Magic Technique: Awaiting Selection]

His Ninth Rank Jade Sinews had forged the [Fiery Flame Dragon Body], the hallmark of a Martial Artist. The vast quantity of Fiery Flame Spirit Charm had hatched the [Dragon Eye]. And the wisp of Ancient Origin stolen via his [Reincarnated Medium] ability had fused with the Spirit Charm-filled [Dragon Eye], giving birth to a tiny Dragon Spirit that now slumbered deep within his soul.

’The Demon King Red Flame Spider Mother is dead. That humanoid Great Demon possessed such an oppressive aura the moment it was born. It must be the new Demon King.’

Jiang Qiu lifted his searingly hot left hand. The Pebble he had been clutching in his palm crumbled to ash, trickling through his fingers. With it, a familiar connection was severed.

A fiery gleam shone from his pupils as he whispered to himself, ’I stole its Origin and ruined its grand plan... It’s already marked me...’

’A newborn Demon King... it sacrificed thousands of exam candidates from my year, including countless top prodigies. It established its Foundation with eight different Spirit Charms, all at the Ninth Rank. It started as a Great Demon in the Ancestral Return Realm and was even born with the innate authority to command the entire Demon Race.’

’I’ve never faced such a powerful opponent.’

’Never!’

RUMBLE—

In the far distance, the collision of Spirit Charms sounded like exploding missiles. A massive shockwave rolled over the city, scattering the dense clouds and allowing the daylight to gradually break through.

Jiang Qiu sat up. His hair whipped wildly in the wind, and his eyes reflected the distant battle where domineering and varied Dharma Aspects were laying siege. He clenched his fists, blood pumping hotly through his chest. "I, Jiang Qiu, will kill you one day!"

He screamed himself hoarse, his voice echoing for kilometers.

An immense voice echoed in reply. "My name is [Chen]. When the time comes for the Human Race’s destruction, I hope you are able to stand before me."