Vol 2 Chapter 5: Supre Beast Fire
Hidden Dragon City, night as dark as ink.
Lin Jing, holding the Fire Carp ditation Staff, stepped into an inconspicuous corner and summoned the Pine Leaf Mouse.
After breaking Fang Shilin's winning streak, Lin Jing wandered around Hidden Dragon City, checking the rates at several inns. Ultimately... he opted to let the Pine Leaf Mouse construct a wooden hut to make do for the night.
“Zhi…” With a flurry of woodwork techniques, the hut was completed. The Pine Leaf Mouse sighed, feeling that Lin Jing’s lifestyle while traveling was surprisingly convenient.
It could build a house and grow crops, while the Fire Carp could provide fire for lighting—the division of labor was exceptionally clear.
“Good...bye!” After finishing its task, the Pine Leaf Mouse stamred out a simple phrase before burrowing back into the Suspended Gourd. Although it had never formally studied human speech, it had picked up enough from listening to manage a word or two.
“Take good care of the Void Herb!” Lin Jing instructed as he glanced at the gourd.
Currently, there were two new plants inside: the Bloodsucking Vine and the Void Herb. The forr was easy to care for, but the Void Herb was much trickier and required the Pine Leaf Mouse’s careful nurturing with the Everlasting Emperor’s Longevity Art.
Lin Jing figured that even without his instructions, the Pine Leaf Mouse’s obsession with spatial attributes ant it would prioritize the Void Herb over anything else. Even if the Fire Carp were to die, it might not upset the Pine Leaf Mouse as much as losing the Void Herb.
“You should rest too,” Lin Jing said to the Fire Carp while seated cross-legged on a bed made of layered leaves.
Not that it made a difference—the Fire Carp was already asleep within the ditation Staff.
“Not bad. Looks like I’ll be able to master the Hidden Dragon Arts tonight.”
Seated on the bed, Lin Jing looked at the back of his hand, where a design of a young dragon, faintly glowing and seemingly starving, had almost fully lit up—ninety percent of its intricate lines were now bright.
Thanks to the buzz surrounding the Beast Taming Sect’s closure and the hype from a Foundation Establishnt cultivator fighting a Qi Refinent opponent, Lin Jing’s previous battle had already beco a hot topic across Hidden Dragon City, further amplified by its dazzling illusionary effects.
As soone from an era of information explosions, Lin Jing wouldn’t claim to be an expert in trending tactics, but having witnessed countless examples, he felt his performance in that battle was ticulously crafted.
"If only I’d taken journalism as an elective back in college," he mused.
Buzz!
Just as Lin Jing was staring at the Hidden Dragon design, the last dim section suddenly lit up. The white, faintly blue-tinted young dragon etched on the back of his hand seed to co alive, shimring with vitality.
Simultaneously, a flood of information surged into Lin Jing’s mind.
The Hidden Dragon Arts!
Divided into four tiers, like the Everlasting Emperor’s Longevity Art: Initiation, Proficiency, Mastery, and Perfection.
Currently, Lin Jing had reached the Initiation stage.
The progress at this stage was marked by the dragon’s color: starting with white, then progressing to green, blue, and finally gold. Achieving the golden stage would signify Proficiency in the Hidden Dragon Arts!
Upon reaching Initiation, the Hidden Dragon Arts granted three remarkable effects:
Spell Evolution.
By consuming Hidden Dragon Fortune, practitioners could temporarily enhance their comprehension and elevate their techniques to higher levels.
Potential Awakening.
By using Hidden Dragon Fortune, practitioners could help others unlock hidden potential or awaken dormant abilities. This effect was particularly potent for dragon-blooded beasts, not only activating potential but also purifying their dragon blood.
Crisis Foresight.
Subtle warnings of imminent danger.
Automatically consuming Hidden Dragon Fortune allows for premonitions of fatal crises re seconds before they occur!
"These abilities are all quite practical," Lin Jing thought to himself.
With the initiation of the Hidden Dragon Arts, Lin Jing imdiately gained insight into its various applications. Whether it was Spell Evolution or Potential Awakening, both were abilities he greatly needed.
However, there was one downside—using the Hidden Dragon Arts consud accumulated Hidden Dragon Fortune. To continually train with the technique, his fa would have to remain prominent in the outside world.
A fleeting mont of renown wouldn't be enough to sustain the Hidden Dragon Arts for long.
“Defeating Fang Shilin of Everlasting Spring Valley earlier today might give a small reputation here in Hidden Dragon City and the academy, but this fa will fade quickly as ti passes, eventually vanishing altogether.”
“While it’s rare for soone at the Qi Refinent stage to defeat a Foundation Establishnt cultivator, it’s not unheard of. And Everlasting Spring Valley isn’t a particularly powerful sect. Beating Fang Shilin isn’t much of an accomplishnt.”
“If he were truly formidable, he wouldn’t have resorted to setting up challenges just to gain so recognition. Most likely, he’s at the academy’s bottom tier.”
“I need to defeat even more outstanding talents…”
Lin Jing wasn’t sentintal about his current Hidden Dragon Fortune. He was eager to experience the miraculous effects of the Hidden Dragon Arts right away.
Spell Evolution? He didn’t seem to have any pressing need for that at the mont.
His gaze fell on the sleeping Fire Carp, snoring peacefully. Lin Jing reached out and shook it awake.
“Bloop!” The Fire Carp opened its round eyes, startled, and stared at Lin Jing.
“I’ll grant you a great fortune!”
The dragon pattern on the back of Lin Jing’s hand glimred as he stroked the carp’s head.
Secret Technique: Potential Awakening!
Generally, 99% of Hidden Dragon Arts practitioners use the technique to enhance their own abilities through Spell Evolution, as personal strength is the foundation of cultivation.
A small number of practitioners might use it to awaken potential in others, usually children or disciples—after all, Hidden Dragon Fortune was hard-earned.
It was exceedingly rare for students at the academy to use the technique to cultivate their spirit beasts. After all, even if a spirit beast grew stronger, its benefits to the practitioner were often indirect and less significant than investing in one’s descendants.
Only soone like Lin Jing, capable of forming a bloodline contract with a dragon-blooded beast in the future, could justify using the Hidden Dragon Arts to cultivate his pet.
“Bloop!” The Fire Carp’s wide eyes glead as it suddenly felt its bloodline surging. Flas ignited in its pupils.
Its head felt itchy…
Its mind beca hazy, as though it had accidentally consud one of Lin Jing’s Bewitching Pills.
In its daze, the Fire Carp thought it saw an awe-inspiring divine beast engulfed in flas, striding majestically.
This creature had a deer’s head, dragon’s horns, a bull’s hooves, a horse’s tail, and was covered in fiery scales radiating an imposing aura.
For a brief mont, the Fire Carp felt an intimate connection with the creature. Flas erupted across its body, taking on the form of scales imbued with the might of a dragon. The transformation was nothing short of miraculous!
In the outside world, Lin Jing wasn’t privy to the Fire Carp’s visions. But he was stunned as a terrifying blaze erupted from the carp’s body after its potential was awakened. Its aura surged, nearing the ninth level of Qi Refinent.
No way!
Was the Hidden Dragon Arts really this powerful?
“What is this?!” Lin Jing exclaid as he observed the carp’s transformation.
“That’s beast fire! Supre beast fire!” A familiar voice suddenly rang in Lin Jing’s ears.
Shen Song appeared, saying, “I’ve always suspected that this Fire Carp of yours had an extraordinary bloodline. I didn’t expect it to have inherited the ‘Fire Qilin’ bloodline from its ancestors.”
“This carp’s original fla was just ordinary spirit fire, slightly superior to mundane fire. Over three months of potential awakening and the Longevity Blood Baptism have endowed it with astonishing strength and Ghostfire, but its fla bloodline itself had not changed—until now.”
“Though its fla hadn’t changed initially, the foundation it gained was imnsely strong. It was already a rare mutated bloodline, and now, with the reinforcent of the Hidden Dragon Arts, you’ve finally helped it take that crucial step forward. You unlocked the shackles in its bloodline mory, transforming its spirit fire into beast fire!”
“This is Dragonfla, specifically Kirin Dragonfla, an absolutely supre form of beast fire. It’s leagues stronger than spirit fire. If this little guy were to fight that squirrel without external aid, the outco would be unpredictable now.”
After Shen Song finished speaking, Lin Jing froze in shock. Fire Qilin bloodline?
Legends say that the Yinglong gave rise to the Jianma, the Jianma birthed the Kirin, and the Kirin gave birth to myriad beasts. It made sense that the Kirin carried dragon blood.
Looking at the Fire Carp, which was now squinting contentedly, Lin Jing couldn’t suppress his delight.
Reviews
All reviews (0)