Chapter 13: Perfect-Grade Fireball

Mao hour.

White dew turns to frost; the evening mist hangs heavy.

Outside the cottage, it is still pitch black, but inside the small house by the stream, Luo Chen is already busy.

In his past life, this was simply his nature.

As long as he had a goal, he would persevere until it was done.

The 996 work schedule was exhausting, and even after getting off work, he would still have to attend meetings on WeChat, yet he had never been late once.

Compared to the painful struggle of waking up every day back then, at least now, practicing the Changchun Gong once in the morning and once in the evening provides him with a very comfortable experience, making it much less difficult to get out of bed.

The only catch is that he cannot practice more than three times a day, or his head will ache unbearably.

In that state, he can’t even handle the basic work of processing medicinal herbs.

The workload today is heavy, but there aren't actually many different tasks.

He needs to process the raw materials for Bigu Pills and Zhongmiao Pills.

He is already intimately familiar with the Bigu Pills; his Grandmaster-level proficiency not only makes the refining process effortless but also makes the initial herb processing much smoother.

Processing the raw materials for the Zhongmiao Pills is also faster than it was last time.

Sometimes, when Luo Chen is idle, he studies his system.

It is a plain, unremarkable attribute panel. Its only two functions are the increase of proficiency and the ability to use Achievement Points to reach the introductory level of cultivation techniques of the same realm.

Setting aside the Achievement Points, he is gaining a deeper understanding of the proficiency function.

It is not limited to success; failing enough times actually grants proficiency as well.

Moreover, every time his proficiency breaks through to a new realm, it seems to grant him an additional insight.

He is certain that the conventional idea of "practice makes perfect" is insufficient to explain that kind of insight.

It is more like, once he reaches a certain level of proficiency, the system fills in all the insights belonging to that level for him.

Therefore, in the same category of skills, he is relatively more comprehensive than others at the same level.

This comprehensiveness is reflected in his Grandmaster-level Bigu Pills: the yield is stable, and the quality is guaranteed to be superior.

If his Grandmaster-level proficiency were maxed out, he doesn't know if there is anything beyond that, but he imagines that by then, the grade of the Bigu Pills would be enough to reach the "Supreme" grade!

Supreme-grade Bigu Pills... wait, is that even a Bigu Pill anymore!

They are common goods; the market is saturated, there are many competitors, and customers consume them slowly.

Even if they were Supreme-grade, it would be useless. The Zhongmiao Pills are better.

They are a small niche, a blue ocean market, with gentle medicinal effects; one can imagine there will be quite a few repeat customers.

The downside is that the cost is too high—five spirit stones per batch—and the failure rate is also high.

Furthermore, the so-called blue ocean market isn't actually that large.

Most of the rogue cultivators still persisting in the Dahe Market are those with aspirations to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

There aren't actually many who indulge in luxury.

However, for now, this is the only "fist product" Luo Chen has to offer!

Therefore, expanding production is a must, even if the current input costs and recovered profits don't yet generate a net profit.

But Luo Chen must persist!

As long as he can grind up the success rate, his future will be promising!

Lunch is still beef rice.

Because his proficiency in Bigu Pills has reached the Grandmaster level, his waste has been reduced to a minimum.

He should have consumed that frozen beef faster, but after switching to refining Zhongmiao Pills, the consumption rate has actually slowed down.

Luo Chen even feels that too much spiritual energy is leaking out of the yellow ox monster meat.

So, recently, whenever he cooks, he simply cuts off an extra finger-thick slice of meat.

After finishing a satisfying meal, Luo Chen lets out a burp.

It tastes milky!

Both the Bigu Pill and Zhongmiao Pill materials require time as the final step of processing.

He sits by the stream, sets up a fishing rod, and does some fishing.

Luo Chen has noticed that recently, the fish and shrimp in this stream, which originates from the Lancang River, have become more abundant.

He plans to catch a few to treat himself.

While fishing, he opens his attribute panel.

【Name: Luo Chen】

【Lifespan: 27/75】

【Spirit Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth】

【Realm: Qi Refining Stage 3: 76/100】

【Cultivation Technique: Changchun Gong (Proficient): 257/300】

【Spells: Cleaning Spell (Introductory) 52/100, Entanglement Spell (Skilled) 176/200, Fireball Spell (Perfect) 315/500, Xiaoyao Travel (Skilled) 102/200】

【Skills: First-tier Alchemist: Bigu Powder (Grandmaster) 510/1000, Zhongmiao Pill (Introductory) 13/100】

【Achievement Points: 1 (Can be used for introductory level of corresponding realm cultivation techniques, spells, or skills)】

This time, the panel display makes him very happy.

His realm, which hadn't moved for a long time, has gone from 75 to 76—a full point increase!

Breaking through to the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage is just around the corner!

There are no surprises in the other items; whether it's the Changchun Gong or the Bigu Powder and Zhongmiao Pills, they are all receiving positive feedback according to their existing progress.

Only the Fireball Spell and Xiaoyao Travel in the spells column catch his eye for a few extra moments.

Xiaoyao Travel has leaped from the introductory level to the skilled level, and the change it brings him is that his speed is getting faster and faster.

It wasn't in vain that he spent every day running wildly across the plains.

As for the perfect-level Fireball Spell, he hasn't had the chance to test it yet.

Every day when he lights the fire to cook, he only feels that it is more effortless.

Half an hour later, there isn't a single fish in the water pit he dug!

"How could I be so addicted to comfort? It's time to practice defensive arts!"

Luo Chen tosses aside the fishing rod and fires a fireball at the deepest part of the stream.

Boom!

The calm stream suddenly explodes with a huge splash, and scalding steam spreads in all directions.

Charred fish carcasses fall onto the pebbles at the bottom of the stream, slowly floating up again with the water rolling in from upstream.

Luo Chen looks at the results of this Fireball Spell with satisfaction.

One fire burns the stream, all fish sink!

It is worthy of being a perfect-level Fireball Spell!

Sensing the consumption of spiritual energy in his body, Luo Chen can't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Huh? Previously, one Fireball Spell would consume ten percent of my spiritual power, but this time it only consumed less than five percent!"

"Does this mean I can cast twenty Fireball Spells in one go?"

It has doubled!

This is an absolute qualitative change!

And the speed seems to have doubled as well?

Before, when lighting the fire to cook, he would follow the steps of chanting and hand seals, fearing he would blow up the stove, so the spiritual power he injected was very small.

Just now, without that concern, he threw out a fireball casually.

Only then did he realize that the speed of the two is incomparable.

A normal cultivator takes three breaths; when Luo Chen was at the proficient level, it was shortened to two breaths, and now at the perfect level, it has broken through to one breath.

"One breath—releasing a Fireball Talisman is probably no faster than this!"

The activation of a talisman also has a process: injecting spiritual power, guiding the spiritual energy within, and aiming at the enemy.

This process often requires an experienced veteran to activate it calmly and quickly.

After all, it is an external object.

Feelings are often prone to illusions.

To avoid illusions, Luo Chen simply fires three more Fireball Spells at the stream, *swish, swish, swish*.

No mistake!

Three Fireball Spells, plus the first one, only consumed twenty percent.

The speed is also much faster than before, comparable to activating a Fireball Talisman.

Having obtained the experimental results, Luo Chen can't help but show a happy smile.

The spiritual energy he absorbs and converts every day by practicing the Changchun Gong is very small; even if he uses all his strength, he only recovers one-fifth.

This has led to him being unable to study spells in large quantities, fearing that his spiritual power would be empty and he would have no ability to escape if he encountered danger.

But now that the consumption of the Fireball Spell has decreased, it means he can grind twice as much proficiency every day.

And what makes Luo Chen happiest is not even this.

"With an activation speed comparable to a talisman, I can completely catch an enemy off guard in a surprise situation."

"I finally have a combat method I can show off!"

For a long time, Luo Chen has lacked effective combat means; it was just that he was as humble as dust, and no one cared about him.

But being ignored and having the ability to fight are two different things.

His anxious state of mind eases slightly, and Luo Chen almost wants to look up and roar at the sky.

But after thinking about it carefully, he decides against it—better to keep a low profile.

Next time he breaks through his realm and becomes a great cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refining, then he will roar at the sky!

He picks up a fish from the shore that was stunned by the steam; he can have an extra meal tomorrow.

"Hmm, caught a fish today, fishing skill proficiency plus one!"

(End of chapter)