Steadily Upgrading Everything!
Chapter 32: I can’t win this fight!

Chapter 32: I can’t win this fight!

The Next Morning

Golden rays of morning sunlight spilled across the cobbled streets of Nine Sky City as John walked into the Eastern Market, hands in his sleeves, stomach growling quietly.

He yawned and stretched his arms overhead. "Let’s start the day with something good, maybe some fried spirit buns and rice porridge," he murmured, his mouth already watering.

But as he turned the corner and stepped into the market street, his eyes widened in disbelief.

The entire marketplace was overflowing with people.

Every food stall had lines trailing back for dozens of meters.

Even the smallest corner vendors, usually quiet and overlooked, had customers huddled around them like bees on honey.

Clamor filled the air, shouting merchants, clinking bowls, and the chaotic shuffle of eager cultivators.

John blinked and stared.

"Even the dumpling cart has a line?" he muttered. "It’s barely dawn!"

A sigh escaped his lips as he turned away.

"It’s all because of the exam. Everyone’s either training, preparing, or just stuffing their faces to calm their nerves."

He placed a hand on his rumbling stomach. "Well, I’m not waiting an hour for cold buns."

After a moment’s pause, he chuckled and shook his head.

"Looks like I need to hunt and cook like old times." His tone was nostalgic, but there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.

Without another word, his figure blurred into motion.

In a flash, he disappeared from the crowded streets, leaping across rooftops like a wraith as he headed toward the deep shadows of the Havoc Wilderness.

Edge of the Wilderness

The air was fresher out here.

Wild.

Untamed.

Spirit grasses rustled beneath his boots as he stood at the edge of the massive forest, a dark green expanse stretching toward the horizon.

Tall trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves whispering like old ghosts.

Distant beast cries echoed across the terrain, and the earthy scent of moss, wood, and qi-rich soil surrounded him like an old friend.

John took a deep breath, letting it settle in his lungs.

A slow smile curved across his face.

"What if..." he murmured, eyes narrowing as a sudden thought struck him.

"What if I spend the next nine days here?"

He glanced back in the direction of the city, now just a distant memory behind the tall grass and trees.

"There’s food here, spirit beasts to train against, no crowd, no distractions. And if I use this time well, I might improve faster than I would just sitting in an inn."

His heart raced a little.

The idea was solid, and exhilarating.

He opened his system panel with a thought, watching as the glowing blue interface materialized in the air before him.

---

[System Panel — Updated]

Name: John Coral

Age: 25

Cultivation: Spirit Seed Realm (1151/3200)

Upgrade Slot: Empty

Skills:

Meditation (Level 6 – Max)

Breathing (Level 5 – Max)

Spatial Awareness (Level 5)

Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 10 – Max)

Double Face Lizard Technique (Level 7 – Max)

Basic Flame Control (Level 3)

Alchemy (Level 5)

Twelve Circle Slashes (Level 3)

---

John smiled, already forming a plan in his mind.

"Alright. Add Twelve Circle Slashes to the auto upgrade panel," he instructed mentally, "and set the upgrade cap to level four."

The panel blinked.

The upgrade slot updated instantly.

---

[System Panel — Updated]

Name: John Coral

Age: 25

Cultivation: Spirit Seed Realm (1151/3200)

Upgrade Slot: Twelve Circle Slashes (Level 3) → (1/800)

Upgrading at one point per eight minutes

Skills:

Meditation (Level 6 – Max)

Breathing (Level 5 – Max)

Spatial Awareness (Level 5)

Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 10 – Max)

Double Face Lizard Technique (Level 7 – Max)

Basic Flame Control (Level 3)

Alchemy (Level 5)

Twelve Circle Slashes (Level 3)

---

John scratched his chin as he did the math. "Let’s see... one point every eight minutes means one hundred points every thirteen hours or so... so about five days should be enough for it to reach level four."

He clenched his fists, excitement blooming in his chest.

"Perfect. With my alchemy at level five and combat technique rising, I’ll be ready to face whatever the combat test throws at me."

The forest beckoned, shadows swaying and whispers echoing between ancient trees.

John took a final look back toward the city, and then stepped into the wilderness.

Dense vines curled around the forest floor like serpents.

Shafts of sunlight occasionally pierced through the thick canopy above, speckling the undergrowth in gold.

John moved with practiced ease, avoiding snapping twigs and stepping lightly on mossy stones.

The wilderness hummed with qi-rich life.

The deeper he went, the wilder it became.

Spirit beasts lurked behind the trees, small ones at first.

A Red-Furred Claw Hare leapt at him from behind a bush, but he sidestepped and snapped its neck with a swift twist.

Later, a Spear-Beaked Ground Finch dove from above, but a single flick of his qi-infused finger shot it out of the air like a stone from a sling.

These were all Bone Refinement or weak Blood Refinement beasts.

Nothing too dangerous.

The sun dipped low beyond the forest canopy, its fading light casting long golden rays through gaps in the leaves.

John leaned over his makeshift fire pit, turning a skewer of sizzling meat.

The savory aroma of roasted hare filled the clearing, mixing with the earthy scent of moss and pine.

A sense of calm settled around him.

But then...

The wind stopped.

The trees stilled.

The birds fell silent.

John’s eyes narrowed.

He rose to his feet slowly, every instinct in his body screaming a warning.

He turned his head toward the trees, but before he could speak, an enormous pressure descended like a mountain crashing down.

Then came the sound...

Crack! Snap! Boom!

Trees shattered like twigs as something massive tore through the forest toward him.

Then the beast emerged.

It was a tiger... but monstrous.

Its fur was pitch-black, glinting with faint silver streaks like night stars.

Its body was muscular, larger than a war elephant.

From its back flicked ten thick tails, each one lined with jagged spikes of bone.

Red eyes glowed with malice, and every step it took sent tremors through the ground.

John’s heart skipped a beat.

"Spirit Bud Realm..." he whispered in horror. "It’s one whole realm higher than me..."

The beast let out a furious ROOOAAARR!, its breath shaking the treetops.

Without another thought...

John turned and ran.

He launched himself through the trees, Qi surging through his legs.

Leaves whipped past his face.

Behind him, the beast gave chase, its steps thunderous, its tails lashing violently.

Crash!

A tail slammed into a tree beside him.

The thick trunk exploded into splinters.

John ducked and rolled, shards slicing his arm.

"Tch!" He grimaced, blood dripping from the wound.

He leaped onto a boulder and kicked off, flipping over a fallen log.

Another tail came flying in, a blur of black and bone.

He twisted mid-air...

Whoosh!

The tail missed his chest by inches.

"One hit from that and I’m meat paste," he gritted, sweat pouring down his face.

Suddenly, the tiger appeared to his side, so fast!

It pounced.

Its claws descended with a sound like ripping steel.

"Slow Toad Breathing Skill, Activate!"

John’s body sank low unnaturally fast, ducking under the claw swipe, and he rolled across the mossy ground, skidding on his side.

Boom!

The ground where he stood was turned into a crater.

He darted between trees now, using Double Face Lizard Technique to twist and turn, faking movements to trick the beast.

He felt one tail rip through the air over his head again.

He ducked, but the tip grazed his back, tearing through fabric and skin.

"ARGH!" Pain surged, but he kept running.

He dashed up a slope, then suddenly leapt backward, mid-run, using his Spatial Awareness to sense a tail coming from behind.

The tail whooshed past under his feet, crashing into a boulder.

"That was too close..."

But the tiger wasn’t done.

It lunged again, jaws wide open, its fangs larger than swords.

John spun and slashed with his saber—Twelve Circle Slashes, Level 3!

One. Two. Three! Three spiraling arcs of Qi shot out, colliding with the beast’s face.

BOOM!

The tiger stumbled, stunned, but not hurt.

John turned and dashed again, his legs like blurs.

But then, a tail came from above.

He sensed it too late.

Crack!

It smashed down onto his shoulder, sending him tumbling across the forest floor like a ragdoll.

He hit the ground hard, stones digging into his side, breath knocked out.

Blood filled his mouth.

"Shit... I can’t win this fight..."

The tiger walked toward him slowly now, savouring its prey.

John looked around, then he saw it.

A ravine, barely visible through the trees, mist curling at its edges.

Without another thought...

He pulled all his Qi to his legs, jumped to his feet, and ran full speed toward the edge.

The tiger roared and pounced.

"This is it—!"

As the beast lunged with open jaws and crashing tails, John threw himself over the edge of the cliff.

The world blurred.

He was falling, branches snapping past, wind howling in his ears.

Then, darkness.

At the Bottom

John groaned.

He lay beside a moss-covered rock in a shallow creek.

His robes were tattered, his body bruised and bloody.

But he was alive.

Above, far above, the angry roar of the tiger echoed faintly.

He lay there for a long time, letting the stream cool his wounds.

He had escaped.

"Still alive..." he murmured.

Then a faint grin twisted his lips, even through the pain. "And that bastard didn’t get to eat me."