My Arts Evolve When Perfected

After getting a portion of Flame Spirit Melting Fragrance from the resource depot, Jiang Qiu returned to his room in True Inheritance Apartment 18 that same day and began his medicated bath.

Drip... drip...

A small vial of Flame Spirit Melting Fragrance was added drop by drop into the steaming bathtub. With a SIZZLE, the surface of the water reacted as if it had been touched by a red-hot steel ball.

A steaming, scorching Fiery Flame Spirit Charm surged forth.

Jiang Qiu took a deep breath, drew his [Chuyuan] spear, and lowered himself into the water with a SPLASH. He instantly felt as if he were in a sea of fire; every muscle in his body tensed, and the spear shaft he gripped trembled slightly.

SLURP~ SLURP~

The tiny Dragon Spirit licked its lips, shot out with a WHOOSH, and began circling the bathtub, gulping down huge mouthfuls of the Fiery Flame Spirit Charm like a vacuum cleaner.

[Flame Spirit Fusion x1]

[Flame Spirit Fusion x1]

[Flame Spirit Fusion x1]

[...]

Jiang Qiu gritted his teeth, holding the searing hot [Chuyuan] aloft. In his mind, he repeatedly pictured himself unleashing [Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]. His heart pounded, and his [Dragon Eye] opened subconsciously. Fiery Flame Spirit Charm spilled from his vertical pupils, which were patterned with blood jade and gold markings.

The reflection of the Dragon Spirit within his eyes darted about. Its body had unknowingly elongated, its ink-black scales had taken shape, and its small horns were becoming more defined. Its head was now thicker than three thumbs put together.

[Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]

[471/1000]

"Hoo... haa..."

Jiang Qiu took a deep breath, watching as the Dragon Spirit breathed out a small puff of flame and slipped back into [Chuyuan] to rest with its eyes closed.

After just one medicated bath, the Dragon Spirit had grown by a good thirty percent. More of the massive amount of Fiery Flame Spirit Charm it contained had been converted, and his own physical strength had been tempered.

More importantly, a single portion of Flame Spirit Melting Fragrance had added 400 proficiency points to [Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]—a huge leap forward!

’Senior Brother Zhai Song said the top ten Spirit Body Martial Artists in the rookie competition can get Flame Spirit Melting Fragrance, and the higher the rank, the larger the quantity. Looks like I have to work even harder.’

Jiang Qiu casually retracted his [Chuyuan] spear, his eyes gleaming. ’It’s not just about [Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]. It would be even better if I could level up [Soaring Dragon Thrust] too.’

After resting for a while, he returned to the training room to hone his [Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven].

BOOM—

A blood-colored Azure Dragon shot out from the spear tip, slamming into the specially engraved ceiling with a BANG. The storm it carried within coalesced into a vortex of flame.

[Weapon Skill Fusion Practice x1]

’The Fiery Flame Spirit Charm that used to scatter when I unleashed [Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven] has now mostly condensed inside the dragon-shaped flame.’

Jiang Qiu’s gaze sharpened, and flames once again erupted from his spear tip.

[Weapon Skill Fusion Practice x1]

[Weapon Skill Fusion Practice x1]

[Weapon Skill Fusion Practice x1]

[...]

「Thirty days passed in the blink of an eye.」 Jiang Qiu spent an enormous amount of time in the training hall each day. Through his constant practice, his sweat evaporated into steam while the flames he wielded grew increasingly condensed and collapsed inward.

BOOM—

A cold light flashed. The sound of tearing air cut through the room as a Flaming Cyan Dragon burst from the tip of the [Chuyuan] spear, its roar shaking the thick, reinforced walls.

BANG!

In an instant, the dragon’s head slammed into the ceiling. The condensed flames within its body erupted outward, blooming like a Fire Lotus. A vast sheet of fire engulfed the entire ceiling, scorching the corners of the room black.

Drip.

Distorted by the heat waves, bead after bead of sweat rolled to the tip of Jiang Qiu’s chin before falling in a steady procession to the floor, where they splattered.

[Weapon Skill Fusion: Furious Dragon Ascending to Heaven]

[Fiery Flame Dragon Body]

[Soldier Cultivation Method: 2/3]

’The Dragon Spirit still isn’t big enough. After the explosion, it seems it was completely obscured by the dragon form made of flames...’

Jiang Qiu sighed softly and casually patted out a small flame that had ignited on his collar.

The Dragon Spirit materialized again at the tip of the [Chuyuan] spear. Its body, now as thick as an arm, coiled in the air. The outline of its head was fully formed, and a trace of draconic might brewed within its dark green, vertical pupils.

Over the past month, it had refined a significant amount of the Fiery Flame Spirit Charm it had absorbed back at the Celestial Xin Hall, gradually growing larger and more well-defined.

"The harder I cultivate, the faster you can grow."

Jiang Qiu gently stroked the Dragon Spirit’s head. The intangible being felt like tangible water—soft and nimble. It even nudged his palm twice with a soft hum.

"Go on back."

As he murmured, he returned the [Chuyuan] spear to his Storage Ring, and the Dragon Spirit scattered on the wind.

RING RING RING—

Suddenly, his phone rang. Jiang Qiu pulled it from his pocket and saw the caller ID: Xue Zhang.

In just two days, he would be heading to the Northern Wilderness for the rookie competition. Realizing he still had much to prepare, he had consulted Xue Zhang, whose contact information he happened to have.

He had only asked this morning; he hadn’t expected a reply so soon.

BEEP.

"Jiang Divine, I’ve tracked down all the supplies you’ll need for the Northern Wilderness. Should I go ahead and buy them for you, or do you want to come take a look yourself?"

Jiang Qiu wiped the sweat from his face. "I’ll come take a look."

Xue Zhang had been knocking around Northwest Martial University for three years and knew the place inside and out. He usually went bargain hunting at the campus’s small market, reselling his finds to new students, so naturally, he knew all about the various sources for goods.

The items Jiang Qiu had asked him to prepare had been sourced from that very market. The checklist Xue Zhang provided was more comprehensive than anything found in an online search, and the estimated cost was a full thirty percent lower.

’It would be fine to just have him buy everything.’

’But I’ve been at Northwest Martial University for a month now, and I’ve already completed the [Weapon Skill Fusion] stage. It’s about time I checked out the small market for myself.’

...

In Northwest Martial University’s North Plaza, the staggered awnings of market stalls cast geometric shadows that segmented the light. A noisy crowd flowed slowly across the boundary between shadow and scorching sun, their shouts rising and falling in waves.

As Jiang Qiu strolled through the plaza, his nose twitched. A medley of strange odors assailed him: preserved High Tier Demon Beast Meat, the pungent aroma of Wusu Fragrance, the strong smell of machine oil...

"Hm?" Jiang Qiu suddenly stopped, his gaze drawn to a small stall piled high with cages and boxes. ’They even sell spiders here?’

Nearby, a tiny, purplish-black spider suddenly darted into a small pet box, its eight glistening green eyes peering out.

The stall also featured snakes, scorpions, and toads—creatures that had clearly undergone some sort of mutation. The mutations were minor, however, making them not very dangerous and mostly just interesting to look at.

The purplish-black spider that had just scurried into its box, for instance, had unique Red Flame markings on its body...

Jiang Qiu secretly activated his [Dragon Eye]. In the gray-and-white world of his vision, that area now glowed with a fiery light as faint as motes of dust, looking as though a single puff of wind could scatter it completely.

TAP TAP TAP.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps broke his concentration, and a voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Jiang Divine! I spotted you from way over there. Thinking of buying a little pet?"

He turned to see Xue Zhang striding toward him in casual attire. Brimming with confidence, Xue Zhang casually flicked his curly bangs out of his eyes. "Those are too plain. I can find you something much more interesting."

"No, I’m just looking," Jiang Qiu said, shaking his head. He was a bit confused. ’But what’s the point of selling these kinds of pets? It’s not like they’re the actual Spirit Pets you hear about...’

"Well," Xue Zhang said, glancing around and lowering his voice, "there are always freshmen who don’t know any better. Just tell them there’s a chance it could become a Spirit Pet, and someone’s bound to buy it. It’s not like the stuff is useful or expensive—whether you make a sale is all about the pitch..."

"So, are these pets caught by people from the Martial Arts Teams while they’re out on missions?"

Jiang Qiu was curious.

Even in the provincial capital, there were strict procedures for leaving the city. Most Northwest Martial Arts University Students only encountered creatures like Demon Beasts by joining a Martial Arts Team or a research group.

Things showing signs of mutation could only be found near Secret Realms.

Xue Zhang smiled and nodded. He made a sweeping gesture with his right hand and leaned in to whisper, "Yep. Most of the materials, pets, and even the junk in this little market are brought back from the Northern Wilderness by members of the Martial Arts Teams. And sometimes, you really can find a treasure."

"And I heard there was a huge anomaly in the Northern Wilderness about two months ago. You never know, a large-scale Secret Realm could pop up, or maybe someone will discover some great ruin filled with hidden treasures..."