My Arts Evolve When Perfected

Dongqi Lake lay nestled deep within Dongqi Mountain, a great mirror reflecting white clouds and the red sun, its verdant landscapes a perfect match for the blue sky.

The surrounding mountains rose and fell. A rough stone road cut through dozens of miles of Iron Tree forests, and the RUMBLE of a speeding armored car echoed through the wilds.

SCREECH—

The heavy-duty tires carved a wild black arc on the concrete expanse in front of the development base. SLAM! Jiang Qiu threw open the door and leaped out, his brows knitted in a dark, indescribable expression.

’This mountain road is already steep, and she’s driving it like a race track.’

"Jiang Qiu, I’m a fast driver, aren’t I? Let’s go. We’re here to see Zhu Li’s soul."

Shangguan Yue hopped out of the driver’s seat, gently nudged Jiang Qiu’s left side with her right elbow, and beckoned for him to follow.

"..."

Remembering how Shangguan Yue had dangled her legs over the front of her seat, arms crossed, while using limbs manifested from her Spirit Charm to work the pedals and grip the steering wheel, Jiang Qiu sighed inwardly and silently followed.

’This mentor’s mastery over her Spirit Charm is simply celestial, but I should try my best to avoid riding in a car she’s driving from now on...’

"Greetings, Expert Shangguan!"

The non-commissioned officers and even the Martial Artists patrolling along the way stood ramrod straight and saluted. The head of the development base himself bowed his head and shook her hand. "Expert Shangguan, the sealing chamber for Zhu Li’s soul has been temporarily opened. You can swipe your ID card to enter directly."

"Alright. Thank you."

Shangguan Yue led Jiang Qiu, unimpeded, through the underground corridors of the development base until they reached the very end.

BEEP—

[Authentication Passed]

The alloy door slid open, revealing a fully sealed alloy chamber of over a hundred square meters. In the very center, a massive, cylindrical glass tank supported the ten-meter-high domed ceiling.

Two people were standing in front of the glass tank. One was Lin Wei. The moment he turned his head, his eyes met Jiang Qiu’s, and his pupils couldn’t help but widen.

The young man he had once competed with had now shot to fame in the college entrance exams, becoming the most dazzling new star in Gao Yuan City.

Although information about the top ten prodigies had been released, the person everyone was discussing most was the legend, Jiang Qiu, who had rescued hundreds of people while trapped in the Celestial Xin Hall.

Among this year’s students, no one in the entire Northwest Province could surpass him.

Lin Wei sighed to himself, then glanced down at Shangguan Yue, who was walking just ahead of Jiang Qiu. His eyebrows twitched twice.

The executive committee member beside him, Lin Xiao, greeted her with a smile. "Expert Shangguan, are you here to inspect Zhu Li’s remnant soul?"

Shangguan Yue led Jiang Qiu toward the glass tank. "Nope. I brought Jiang Qiu here for the Refinement of Zhu Li’s remnant soul."

Lin Xiao’s eyelid twitched. He took a deep breath, his gaze landing on Jiang Qiu. "The Refinement of Zhu Li’s remnant soul is no easy task. That fellow is still incredibly arrogant even after its demonic body was slain. It took me a great deal of effort just to bring Lin Wei here to borrow a bit of its spirituality for his Soldier Cultivator path."

’My own younger brother may have lost to Jiang Qiu once, and his exam scores were ’slightly’ inferior, but he is one of only two people in the entire province this year who genuinely possesses a Martial Arts Talent.’

’He’s a peerless prodigy who used the finest materials to successfully forge Seventh Rank Thunderous Jade Sinews, yet even he couldn’t borrow any spirituality from Zhu Li’s remnant soul. What makes you think Refinement is even possible?’

Lin Xiao shook his head inwardly and stepped aside with Lin Wei. "Expert Shangguan, why don’t you and Jiang Qiu give it a try first." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Following Shangguan Yue’s instructions, Jiang Qiu pressed his hand against a specific area on the glass tank. His heart thumped lightly in his chest as he focused his gaze.

He had felt a subtle resonance when he first stepped into the development base at the East Qi Lakefront, and the feeling had grown stronger and stronger since entering this room.

’It’s probably because my Dragon Eye is reacting with Zhu Li’s remnant soul.’

’I can’t wait to perform the Refinement on it and perfect myself...’

As his thoughts flowed, influenced by a current of Vast Water Spirit Charm, Jiang Qiu’s soul began to immerse itself, seeping inward.

HUMMM—

The glass tank began to vibrate slowly. Inside, the sky-blue Vast Water Spirit Charm swirled like a stream, coalescing into a great, coiling, black-scaled flood dragon.

It opened its two dark-green, vertical pupils and looked down, its voice dripping with arrogance. "You slew my body, killed my subordinates, and occupied my territory, and now you want me to weaken my soul to lend you spirituality? A bunch of despicable bottom-feeders!"

Its cold snort was like a hailstorm, making Jiang Qiu’s soul tremble. In an instant, hot blood surged in his chest, and his entire circulatory system flared to life, like ants in boiling water.

His dark pupils constricted, turning blood-red as golden patterns emerged. A trace of ancient, primordial aura emanated from the Fiery Flame Spirit Charm radiating from him...

At that exact moment, Zhu Li’s gaze met his. Its pupils contracted violently. The hereditary shackles deep within its soul snapped shut, as if a small flood dragon frolicking in the shallows had looked up to glimpse a True Dragon soaring through the nine heavens.

’Is that the Bloodline Talent I awakened when I was alive?’

’Why does it feel even more ancient, more primevally ancestral!’

A thought like a bolt of Thunder shot through Zhu Li’s soul. Its brow furrowed, its nostrils flared, and its body slammed violently against the glass tank. "You bastard! You have my Essence Blood flowing inside you, and you even fucking awakened a Bloodline Legacy more awesome than mine! You deserve to die!"

Watching Zhu Li’s remnant soul frantically smash against the glass tank, hearing only the buzzing vibrations, Lin Xiao didn’t know what had infuriated it, but he still sighed with regret. "The more enraged Zhu Li becomes, the harder it is to borrow its spirituality, let alone perform Refinement."

"Borrowing spirituality" referred to taking the spirituality from a Great Demon at or above the Spirit Communication Realm and integrating that spirituality into one’s own Spirit Charm, making it easier to forge a Lifebound Weapon.

This was the Soldier Cultivator path Lin Wei was about to embark on: [Weapon Forging and Spirit Fusion].

Given Zhu Li’s violent temper and the pride of a peerless prodigy of the Demon Race, it had refused to lend any spirituality to Lin Wei no matter what. Even trying to force it yielded nothing.

Zhu Li was far more furious now than it had been before. Jiang Qiu would most likely leave empty-handed as well...

Meanwhile, Lin Wei, standing to the side, squinted at the spiritual body rampaging inside the glass tank and quietly clenched his sweaty fists.

’When I faced Zhu Li’s soul just now, it made me feel as helpless as a caterpillar facing a rooster before it even got angry. It felt like one wrong move and I’d be buried in the depths of the ocean.’

’Even offering to nourish its soul with Treasures of Heaven and Earth couldn’t persuade it. I just got cursed out instead.’

’The killing intent in its eyes now looks like it could pierce the glass. I’m afraid the pressure Jiang Qiu is facing at this moment is more than ten times what I felt!’

Lin Wei sucked in a shallow breath of cool air and turned his gaze to Jiang Qiu’s profile. His sharply defined eyes were like pieces of Jade resting at the bottom of a lake, completely unflustered.

’He’s not even fazed by this?’

’His willpower is so much stronger than mine. It’s clear now that I lost to him for more reasons than just his Spear Skill...’

[Dragon Eye]

[Feature One: Azure Dragon’s Eye, Glimpse All Phenomena]

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

[Feature Three: Dragon Soul Origin, Transform Tribulation into True Spirit]

The information flashed through Jiang Qiu’s mind. He frowned and glared at Zhu Li. The tiny Dragon Spirit, long dormant within his eyes, slowly emerged. It looked like a small, colorless tadpole.

"Holy shit, a Dragon Spirit?!"

Zhu Li’s eyes went wide. Its body, which had been violently ramming the glass, froze instantly. It recoiled, its back hitting the glass with a THUD. Unable to break through with its soul, it tilted its head back and screamed, "Stay away! I’m willing to lend you my spirituality! Take it! Go practice your great Soldier Cultivator path! Just don’t mess with me!"

"No. My Dragon Spirit is lacking a soul. I think you’ll be a perfect fit."

The corners of Jiang Qiu’s mouth lifted. The Fiery Flame Spirit Charm erupted from his eyes, transforming into a great firestorm that bored into the glass tank, instantly enveloping Zhu Li’s coiled, ten-meter-tall body.

In a single SWOOSH, it condensed Zhu Li’s remnant soul into a stream, drew it into his pupil, and merged it with the Dragon Spirit’s formless body.

[Refinement of a Great Demon’s Soul: 1]

[Dragon Spirit Awakened—Zhu Li]