My Arts Evolve When Perfected

SWOOSH—

As always, Jiang Qiu attacked the instant the match began. A black light flashed. His opponent, a late-stage Dao Entry Realm expert, stared wide-eyed as a terrifying premonition of death washed over him.

He could clearly see the attack—it was a spear. But he couldn’t dodge it!

The instant-kill technique that had piqued everyone’s curiosity was now revealed before his very eyes. There was a flicker of excitement, but it was immediately swallowed by unparalleled terror. ’Who the hell could imagine that a spear thrown by hand could have such insane killing power?!’

’It was just a casually thrown spear!’

’He just threw the spear with his hand, and it’s already faster than my body can react. What kind of physical strength does it take to do that?’

’No... To have this kind of physical strength, his Realm couldn’t possibly be just the first level of the Spirit Body Realm...’

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as his head exploded. Watching the bloody mist bloom in the air, Jiang Qiu retrieved his spear with a swoosh and stored it in his Dragon Spirit Secret Realm Space, muttering, ’He reacted fast. I almost missed hitting him right between the eyes.’

As his winning streak grew, his opponents became stronger and stronger. They went from being unable to see his attack trajectory to attempting to dodge it; their skill level was clearly rising.

Honestly, he was pleasantly surprised to have reached a forty-win streak. His Token had turned a brilliant, translucent Diamond color, and it looked incredibly cool.

But the pressure from here on out would likely be immense. He might have to start using powers other than just his physical strength.

’Whatever, I’ll just queue up. I’ll win as many matches as I can. As long as it’s not a Fusion Realm opponent, I stand a fighting chance.’ He paused, his eyes narrowing. ’Even against a Fusion Realm opponent, I still have a fighting chance.’

His Dragon Body, having undergone two transformations, was comparable to that of an adult of the Dragon Race. The physical strength it granted was nothing short of celestial. Furthermore, his body had been partially formed through the Refinement of a True Dragon’s remains, so its power went without saying.

It had probably already surpassed the level of a Half-Step Fusion Realm and could compare to the Early Stage of Fusion Realm.

Besides, with his two great Daos having reached the Half-Step Fusion Realm, the power he wielded was immeasurable. Why not pit his own Realm against those of his opponents?

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Qiu queued up again. It took a minute to find an opponent, whom he instantly killed. The next time, it took five minutes to find a match, and he killed them instantly. Then the wait times grew: half an hour, two hours, three hours...

The next day arrived. Watching the matchmaking timer, which had already passed five hours and was still climbing, Jiang Qiu’s mouth twitched. "I’m already at a forty-nine-win streak. Are these promotion matches always this slow?"

What he didn’t know was that the live comments were going wild. The officials of the Celestial Star Arena were going wild. Even [Celestial Star] himself had been alerted once again.

"Holy shit! He went from a forty-win streak to forty-nine in a single night! Did the Fusion Realm masters just hand him a nine-win streak?"

"This has to be a fucking record! The fastest forty-nine-win streak ever, and all of them were instant kills!"

"He’s unbeatable! Unstoppable! The Celestial Star Arena is going to be even more popular now. We might even see another fifty-win-streak Xingyao fighter emerge!"

"He’s a monster among monsters! So damn badass!"

Jiang Qiu’s follower count was skyrocketing, now reaching the tens of millions. This level of attention was approaching the highest ever seen in the Celestial Star Arena, making him arguably the most popular fighter at the moment.

After all, there were currently no active fighters with a fifty-win streak in the Celestial Star Arena; those were figures of the past. He was the active challenger with the highest winning streak, and the crucial point was that his Realm was only the first level of the Spirit Body Realm!

CRACK—

[Celestial Star] appeared before Jiang Qiu once again, the excitement on his face unconcealed. "You are now just one step away from a fifty-win streak. However, it seems no fighters between the Initial Tier and High Tier of the Fusion Realm are willing to accept a match right now."

"If I were to arrange a match for you against a Peak of Fusion Realm fighter, what are your chances of winning?"

’He didn’t know when he had started to think so impulsively. A powerhouse at the Fusion Realm could slaughter Cultivators below that Realm as easily as killing dogs. And now he was even considering pitting Jiang Qiu against a Peak of Fusion Realm expert? Asking him if he was confident he could take one on?’

Jiang Qiu was no fool. He knew there was a massive gap between himself and the Fusion Realm. After all, an opponent at the Peak of Fusion Realm would have mastered the Space-Time Law; dodging his physical attacks would be child’s play for them.

He absolutely could not be arrogant.

"Fighting a Peak of Fusion Realm expert is still too difficult. Normal matchmaking is fine."

Jiang Qiu politely declined the offer to fight an opponent at the Peak of Fusion Realm, and [Celestial Star] felt a tinge of regret. Fusion Realm-level battles in the Celestial Star Arena were huge draws that required significant preparation. Most fighters were unwilling to face Jiang Qiu, with the exception of one other monster who also had a win streak in the forties.

Of course, that monster was incredibly strong. If not for being countered and losing one match, he might have already achieved a fifty-win streak by now. His Talent was astonishing, and he was currently the most popular active fighter in the Celestial Star Arena.

’But there’s no rush. The Celestial Star Arena has a good number of Fusion Realm fighters. If I do a little ’persuading,’ maybe I can find a match in ten days or half a month?’

With this in mind, [Celestial Star] chatted with Jiang Qiu for a while longer, touching upon topics like signing contracts and joining major factions. Unfortunately, Jiang Qiu politely declined all such offers.

He couldn’t help but feel curious. "Jiang Qiu, a fighter with your heaven-defying Talent could surely reach Unity in the future if nurtured by a top-tier faction. Why do you refuse?"

"To be frank, most people who come to the Celestial Star Arena to fight in the challenge matches do so to build their reputation and attract the attention of top-tier factions, hoping for a meteoric rise."

"The Celestial Star Arena serves as a launchpad, giving peerless geniuses a chance to showcase their abilities. Whether or not they can catch the eye of a major faction all depends on their performance."

Someone like Jiang Qiu would undoubtedly be sought after by all the top-tier factions. In fact, many people had already approached him to inquire about Jiang Qiu’s intentions, which was why he was asking now.

In the countless worlds, geniuses weren’t rare, but a monster among monsters was.

To put it bluntly, instantly killing a Peak of Dao Entry Realm expert while ostensibly at the first level of the Spirit Body Realm—such a feat was unheard of in this era. At least, in his experience, he had never heard of anything so outrageous. Even if such a thing had happened, it would have been due to a combination of coincidences.

For instance, having a powerful backer, using an overpowered weapon, or facing a near-dead opponent—none of those were the same as this kind of open and brazen instant kill.

Jiang Qiu was exactly that kind of monster, yet he had no desire to join a major faction. It was truly strange.

’A person chasing a long winning streak should be someone who desires status and fame. How could he not want the olive branches extended by the major factions?’

"Senior, the real reason I’ve won so many matches is that I want to take someone away from here..."

Jiang Qiu confessed his true intentions. He knew the time was right.

[Celestial Star]’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Take who away?"

"Zhu Weiyi. He is my elder. He was sold here as a slave by accident, and I hope to take him with me. But I felt my reputation wasn’t great enough, so I chose the path of a long winning streak."

After hearing Jiang Qiu’s explanation, understanding dawned on [Celestial Star]. He raised an eyebrow. "Is your elder at the Fusion Realm?"

Slaves at the Fusion Realm were few and far between, and incredibly valuable. If he really wanted to take someone of that Realm, it would indeed require a significant trade. However, given Jiang Qiu’s current popularity, it wasn’t out of the question. He could probably secure the person’s release by strategically arranging a few more high-profile battles.

But Jiang Qiu shook his head. "Dao Entry Realm."

"Hiss..." [Celestial Star] drew a sharp breath, stunned. "So you just wanted to take away a Dao Entry Realm slave?"

What was this even about? They could have negotiated this when he hit his forty-win streak. No, a thirty-win streak would have been enough! What was a Dao Entry Realm slave compared to a genius who could instantly kill Dao Entry Realm experts!