https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-12-The-Grand-River-Market-Has-Its-Own-National-Character/12831351/
Chapter 13: Perfect Fireball Spell
Chapter 13: Perfect Fireball Spell
The hour of the hare.
Morning dew had turned to frost, and the evening mist was heavy.
Outside, it was still pitch black, but inside the small cottage by the stream, Luo Chen was already busy at work.
In his previous life, he had always been this kind of person.
Once he had a goal, he would persistently work towards it.
Even with the grueling 996 work schedule, where he had to attend WeChat meetings after work, he had never been late once.
Compared to the painful mornings of his past, at least now he could run the Eternal Spring Technique twice a day, which made waking up much easier.
The only limitation was that he couldn't practice more than three times a day, or his head would start to ache unbearably.
In that state, he couldn't even handle the basic tasks of processing herbs.
Today's workload was significant, but the tasks were few.
He needed to process the raw materials for the Fasting Pill and the Wonders Pill.
The Fasting Pill was something he knew inside and out, especially with his Master-level proficiency. Not only did it make the refining process smoother, but it also made the initial herb processing much more efficient.
The raw materials for the Wonders Pill were also processed faster than the last time.
Sometimes, when Luo Chen had some free time, he would study his system.
A plain attribute panel with only two functions: increasing proficiency and using achievement points to unlock techniques of the same realm.
The achievement points aside, he had come to understand the proficiency function more deeply.
It wasn't just about success; failing enough times could also increase proficiency.
Moreover, each time his proficiency broke through a new level, it seemed to bring him a new insight.
He was certain that the conventional "practice makes perfect" wasn't enough to explain these insights.
It was more like, once he reached a certain proficiency level, the system would fill in all the insights that belonged to that level.
As a result, he was more well-rounded in the same category of skills compared to others at the same level.
This was evident in his Master-level Fasting Pill, which had a stable output rate and guaranteed top-quality results.
If he could max out his Master-level proficiency, he was confident that the Fasting Pill would reach the highest quality!
But would it still be a Fasting Pill at that point? It would be a premium product, with high market saturation and many competitors, and clients consumed it slowly.
Even if it were of the highest quality, it wouldn't be very useful. The Wonders Pill, on the other hand, was a niche product with a blue ocean market, mild effects, and a high potential for repeat customers.
The only downside was the high cost, with five spirit stones per batch and a high failure rate.
Moreover, the blue ocean market itself wasn't very large.
Most of the scattered cultivators who persisted in the Great River Market were aiming to build their foundations.
Those who indulged in enjoyment were few.
But for now, the Wonders Pill was Luo Chen's only standout product!
So, expanding production was necessary, even if the current costs and returns didn't generate a profit.
Luo Chen had to keep pushing forward!
As long as he could increase his success rate, his future would be promising!
Lunch was still simmered beef rice.
With his Master-level proficiency in the Fasting Pill, his resource consumption was minimized.
He should have used up the frozen beef faster, but after switching to refining the Wonders Pill, the consumption rate slowed down.
Luo Chen even felt that the spiritual energy in the Yellow Ox Beast meat was leaking out too much.
So, recently, he had been cutting a thicker slice of meat when cooking.
After a delicious meal, Luo Chen let out a satisfied burp.
So fragrant!
Whether it was the Fasting Pill or the Wonders Pill, the raw materials needed to be processed over time.
Sitting by the stream, he set up a fishing rod and started to fish.
Luo Chen noticed that the number of fish and shrimp in this small stream, which originated from the Lancang River, had increased recently.
He planned to catch a few for a treat.
While fishing, he opened his attribute panel.
Name: Luo Chen
Lifespan: 27/75
Spirit Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth
Realm: Qi Practitioner Level 3: 76/100
Technique: Eternal Spring Technique Proficient: 257/300
Spells: Cleanse Spell Novice 52/100, Entangle Spell Proficient 176/200, Fireball Spell Perfect 315/500, Free Roaming Spell Proficient 102/200
Skills:
- First-Class Alchemist:
- Qi Fasting Powder: Master 510/1000
- Miracle Pill: Novice 13/100
Achievement Points:
- 1 point (usable for reaching the novice level in corresponding cultivation techniques, spells, or skills)
This time, the panel's display brought him great joy.
His cultivation level, which had been stagnant for a long while, had finally increased from 75 to 76—a whole point!
Breaking through to the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation stage was now within reach!
As for the other entries, there were no major surprises. Both the Eternal Spring Technique and the Qi Fasting Powder and Miracle Pill were progressing as expected, yielding positive feedback.
However, the Fireball Spell and Free Roaming Technique in the spells section caught his attention.
The Free Roaming Technique had jumped from the novice level to the proficient level, significantly enhancing his speed.
All that running on the plains every day was finally paying off.
The Perfect-level Fireball Spell, on the other hand, was something he hadn't had the chance to test yet.
Every time he lit a fire for cooking, it just felt more intuitive.
Half an hour later, the water pit he had dug was still empty—no fish at all!
"How could I be so engrossed in leisure? It's time to practice my defensive techniques!"
Luo Chen cast aside his fishing rod and aimed at the deepest part of the stream, launching a Fireball.
Boom!
The tranquil stream exploded into a massive splash, and scalding steam spread in all directions.
Burned fish carcasses fell onto the pebbles at the bottom of the stream, slowly floating up with the water flowing from upstream.
Luo Chen looked at the results of his Fireball Spell with satisfaction.
One fiery blast, and all the fish were charred!
Truly, the Perfect-level Fireball Spell was impressive!
He briefly assessed the consumption of his internal spiritual energy and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, in the past, one Fireball would cost me one-tenth of my spiritual energy, but this time it only used up less than half that!"
"So, I can now launch twenty Fireballs in a row?"
That was a significant improvement!
Not only the efficiency, but the speed seemed to have doubled as well.
Before, he would carefully form the hand seals and incant the spell to avoid overloading the stove, using only a tiny bit of spiritual energy.
But just now, he had no such concerns and simply threw out a Fireball.
He realized then that the speed was incomparably faster.
Ordinary cultivators would take three breaths to cast a Fireball, but when he was proficient, it took only two breaths. Now, at the Perfect level, it took just one breath.
"Even a Fireball Scroll can't release a Fireball any faster than this!"
Activating a scroll still required a process: injecting spiritual energy, channeling the internal energy, and aiming at the target.
This process often required experienced hands to execute smoothly and quickly.
After all, scrolls were external tools.
To avoid any illusions, Luo Chen decided to test it again by casting three more Fireballs into the stream.
No mistake!
Three more Fireballs, plus the first one, only consumed two-tenths of his spiritual energy.
The speed was also much faster, comparable to activating a Fireball Scroll.
Pleased with the results, Luo Chen couldn't help but smile.
He practiced the Eternal Spring Technique every day, absorbing and converting a small amount of spiritual energy. Even when he exerted himself to the limit, it only restored one-fifth of his energy.
This meant he couldn't practice spells extensively, fearing that a lack of spiritual energy would leave him vulnerable in dangerous situations.
But now that the Fireball Spell consumed less energy, he could double his practice time each day.
And the best part was yet to come.
"Speed comparable to a Fireball Scroll means I can catch enemies off guard in a surprise attack."
"Finally, I have a reliable combat skill!"
For a long time, Luo Chen had lacked effective combat skills, which was why he remained unnoticed and insignificant.
But being unnoticed and having combat skills were two different things.
His anxious mind calmed slightly, and he almost wanted to let out a triumphant roar.
But after some thought, he decided to remain low-key.
He would celebrate when he broke through to the Mid-Qi Cultivation stage and became a powerful cultivator!
Picking up a fish that had been stunned by the steam, he thought about having a better meal tomorrow.
"Yep, I caught a fish today. Fishing skill proficiency increased by one!"
(End of Chapter)
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