Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

All the cultivators present knew Miao Kefa had perfected two forms of Magic: the Ice Blade Skill and the Flame Stream Arrow.

Having witnessed the finesse of the Ice Blade Skill, they were naturally eager to see the wonders of the Perfection-level Flame Stream Arrow for themselves.

Miao Kefa was well aware of this. Just as he prepared to begin the demonstration, he noticed Zhao Lin still standing on the high platform and teased him, "What’s this? You want to test this Magic with your own body, little friend?"

It was a clever pun, and the cultivators all chuckled.

Seeing that Miao Kefa wasn’t against the idea, Zhao Lin replied straightforwardly, "Precisely! Elder Miao, you’ve hit the nail on the head."

"Hahaha! You’ve got guts!"

Miao Kefa let out a hearty laugh and gave Zhao Lin a thumbs-up. "Since you want to give it a try, little friend, then stand further back. I’ll launch a Flame Stream Arrow, and we’ll see if you can dodge it."

A barely perceptible smile flashed in Zhao Lin’s eyes. He retreated about thirty-five yards as instructed, thinking, ’Even if I can dodge it, I’m not going to.’

Miao Kefa shook his head. "Too close. Go further."

Zhao Lin was already at the edge of the high platform. At Miao Kefa’s words, he leaped off and walked to a spot more than one hundred and eighty yards away before coming to a stop.

The nearby cultivators scrambled to get out of the way, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

"Flame Stream Arrow is actually the Fire Element branch of Spirit Arrow Skill. The Water Element version is called Water Arrow Skill. The Fire Element version gets its name because its burning tail makes it look like a shooting star, hence, Flame Stream Arrow."

"The Ice Blade Skill emphasizes agility and precision, while the Flame Stream Arrow focuses on dispersion and area-of-effect coverage."

"Both types of Magic have their own strengths and are used in different situations."

Before casting, Miao Kefa gave this brief introduction. Then, he formed a hand seal for the Spell and raised his hand, launching a fist-sized fireball toward Zhao Lin.

Just as he had described, the fireball trailed a long, fiery tail as it ascended.

When Zhao Lin saw the fireball hurtling toward him, he found he couldn’t predict its trajectory. He immediately activated his Body Technique, leaping and weaving through the open space.

As much as he wanted to be hit by the Magic, he couldn’t make it too obvious.

If he just stood there and waited to get hit, it would look incredibly fake. Worse, Miao Kefa might even cancel the Magic because of it.

"Shouldn’t Flame Stream Arrow be, well, an arrow? Why is it a fireball?"

One of the cultivators in the crowd who had practiced this very Magic couldn’t help but voice his confusion.

A cultivator beside him said, "Brother Jiang, your mastery of Flame Stream Arrow is at the Proficient level. Elder Miao is at Perfection. How can you even compare them?"

"Ah, you’re right. I’ve really learned something today..."

Zhao Lin moved relentlessly, but the fireball in the air adjusted its course to follow him, as if guided by a massive, unseen hand.

The fireball continued to swell, growing from the size of a fist to that of a watermelon.

Zhao Lin’s eyelids twitched at the sight. He executed the Cloud Flipping Skill, his body flashing so quickly that he left several afterimages in his wake.

"What an incredible Body Technique! I can barely even see him!"

"What kind of martial Cultivation Technique is that? It looks even more impressive than Brother Zhong’s Divine Movement Skill."

Most of the cultivators were seeing such a powerful martial art for the first time and were left utterly dumbfounded.

Even a few of the senior disciples from the Transmission Hall who practiced Wind Attribute Cultivation Techniques felt inadequate. In a straight-line sprint, they were confident they could keep up with Zhao Lin. But when it came to weaving and dodging within a confined space, their techniques were nowhere near as effective.

Some even began to think that with a Body Technique like that, Zhao Lin might actually be able to dodge the Flame Stream Skill entirely.

Miao Kefa, however, remained perfectly calm. He guided the fireball high into the air, then abruptly splayed his fingers.

At that exact moment, the fireball exploded in midair with a loud BANG.

It transformed into hundreds, even thousands, of fiery arrows that rained down!

They blotted out the sky, a swarm of arrows like fiery locusts!

Although "arrow" was in the name Flame Stream Arrow, the projectiles were shaped more like three-sided pyramids—just a tip with no shaft. But because they moved so fast, they looked just like real arrows.

The moment Zhao Lin saw the downpour, he knew he couldn’t possibly dodge. He quickly activated his Turtle Shell Force to protect his vital points and simultaneously released a pulse of Spiritual Power, hoping to minimize the damage.

Miao Kefa’s skill with Magic was superb; he was perfectly capable of controlling the spell’s power.

Still, Zhao Lin wasn’t one to willingly place his safety in another’s hands. But to obtain this Perfection-level Magic, he had to take the gamble.

THOK! THOK! THOK!

Three of the fiery arrowheads struck him. Zhao Lin felt as if he’d been shot three times. With a muffled grunt, he was thrown backward.

"Are you alright, little friend?"

Miao Kefa’s control over his Magic was exquisite. He had clearly held back, as the three flame arrows extinguished the moment they made contact, causing no significant harm.

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Miao. I’m fine!"

Zhao Lin quickly got to his feet, brushed the dust off his clothes, and replied with a calm expression.

The three spots where the arrows had hit throbbed with a searing pain, but thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities, the feeling faded within a few breaths.

"Good!"

Miao Kefa nodded with a smile, though he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first time he had ever used a live person for a magical demonstration.

When Zhao Lin returned to the group of disciples, Li Sancai sidled up to him. "Senior Brother Zhao, you’ve got some serious nerve!"

"It’s Perfection-level Magic. The control is flawless. There was nothing to be afraid of."

Zhao Lin said this with a casual air, but the fist hidden inside his sleeve clenched tightly.

’The second Perfection-level Magic is mine!’

...

When the lecture concluded, the cultivators were still buzzing with excitement, breaking into small groups to discuss everything they had seen and heard.

Zhao Lin didn’t linger in the plaza for a second, heading straight back to his residence.

In his Spirit Cultivation Map, four slots were now occupied.

Rock Armor Skill, four petals (Expert).

Qi Observation Skill, five petals (Master).

Ice Blade Skill, six petals (Perfection).

Flame Stream Skill, six petals (Perfection).

’I only planned on absorbing one Perfection-level Magic, but I ended up with three.’

’It’s a good problem to have, I guess, but I don’t have enough Spirit Stones to upgrade them all!’

Zhao Lin’s tone was troubled, but he couldn’t keep a smile off his face.

The Ice Blade Skill was for single-target attacks, while the Flame Stream Arrow was for area-of-effect. The two forms of Magic complemented each other perfectly.

As a grandmaster of Magic, Miao Kefa’s eye for choosing complementary skills was first-class.

He still had seventy-five Spirit Stones in his box. The original plan was to use sixty-four of them to analyze the Ice Blade Skill up to the fourth level, Expert.

If he did that, the remaining eleven Spirit Stones would only be enough to analyze the Qi Observation Skill and Flame Stream Arrow to the second level, Skilled.

’That would make me too specialized...’

There was another problem. His cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. Even if he analyzed the Ice Blade Skill to the Expert level, he wouldn’t have enough Mana. At best, he could only cast it at a Minor Achievement level, and it would be a struggle even then.

’Should I advance all four types of Magic at an even pace, or should I specialize in one or two?’

Zhao Lin hesitated, unable to make a decision.

Just then, a soft CLICK came from outside his door.

Zhao Lin stood up at once. Instead of opening the door, he walked to the window and peered outside.

The courtyard was empty, but a paper crane lay on the ground.

’Who’s looking for me?’

Zhao Lin opened the door and picked up the paper crane.

The paper crane was only half the size of his palm. Each of its wings was imprinted with a talismanic symbol.

It was a messenger paper crane. Its flight range was limited, and it could only be used once. It was a simplified form of a Communication Talisman, mainly used for short-range messages.

Zhao Lin unfolded the crane. A few words were written inside: *Come to the Transmission Hall.*

It was signed with a single character: "Wu."

’What does Elder Wu want with me?’

Zhao Lin frowned. He pulled the door shut, left his courtyard, and began walking briskly up the mountain path.

"Your actions today were a bit reckless."

These were the first words Elder Wu said the moment Zhao Lin walked into the Transmission Hall.

"Elder Miao is a master of Magic and a humble man, so there shouldn’t have been any problems. But we are talking about combat arts. The slightest mistake carries the risk of serious injury or even death."

"I have stressed during my lessons on Magic that safety is the number one priority."

"Elder, I was wrong."

Zhao Lin quickly admitted his mistake. He knew his behavior today had been out of line.

Elder Wu just grunted, not dwelling on the matter. His tone softened. "You know about sect missions, don’t you?"

Zhao Lin paused for a moment, then nodded.

The Chenghua Sect’s territory was vast and its cultivators numerous, so countless tasks and duties arose every day.

Some of these tasks could only be completed by individuals with a certain level of cultivation or mastery of special Magic and arts.

Since the sect couldn’t possibly coordinate and assign cultivators to every single task, the system of sect missions was created.

The sect posted missions that came with rewards like Spirit Stones, medicinal pills, and merit points.

Cultivators who completed these missions would receive the corresponding rewards.

"Normally, disciples in their first year at the Spirit Dao Institute are expected to focus on their studies and are not permitted to take on any missions."

"Only in the second year, after you have learned a marketable skill, are you allowed to take on tasks within the local commandery to earn Spirit Stones and merit points. Most of those missions are confined to the commandery as well."

Zhao Lin found it strange that Elder Wu was providing so much background without getting to the point. ’What kind of mission is this?’ he wondered.

Elder Wu glanced at Zhao Lin before continuing, "However, the mission the sect just posted is special. The directive requires us to inform every Martial Cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm. That is why I have summoned you."

This piqued Zhao Lin’s curiosity even more. What kind of mission could only be undertaken by Martial Cultivators, and what’s more, only those in the Qi Refining Realm?

"Elder, please tell me."

Elder Wu said slowly, "You are to hunt down a rogue cultivator."