Night.
Academy dormitory.
Lin Feng sat on his bed.
The room was quiet.
No interruptions.
But his focus—
Was entirely on his palm.
The flame.
Very weak.
Almost fading.
But—
Still there.
"How are you?"
Lin Feng asked softly.
No immediate response.
After a few seconds—
A faint voice appeared.
"…Still alive."
Lin Feng let out a breath.
"You almost disappeared just now."
The Fire Spirit paused.
Then replied coldly:
"I wouldn't."
"I wasn't at my limit yet."
Lin Feng: "…"
You were about to collapse.
Still stubborn.
He didn't argue.
He simply raised his hand.
Let the flame rest in his palm.
Quiet.
No longer aggressive.
No longer restless.
Instead—
It felt like settling.
At that moment—
A notification appeared.
[Skill Evolution Triggered][Fireball → Evolving]
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened.
It began.
The next second—
The flame trembled.
Not exploding.
But—
Contracting.
The fire compressed inward.
Shrinking.
Darkening.
From light red—
To deep red.
Then—
Almost dark.
Lin Feng's pupils shrank.
This—
Was similar to battle.
But now—
More stable.
More controlled.
Like reconstruction.
The Fire Spirit said nothing.
It didn't interfere.
It simply—
Let it happen.
Time passed.
The flame grew smaller.
Denser.
Until—
Only a point remained.
A core of fire.
Floating quietly.
Then—
"Crack."
A faint sound.
Something broke.
Then—
BOOM!!!
The flame burst!
Not chaotic.
But—
Reconstructed.
A new form appeared instantly.
No longer loose.
No longer ordinary.
A compressed fireball.
Small.
But darker.
Heavier.
Like a true core.
Lin Feng's breathing tightened.
"This is…"
The next moment—
Notifications flooded in!
[Skill Evolution Complete][New Skill Acquired: Burst Fireball]
Lin Feng's eyes widened.
It worked.
At that moment—
The Fire Spirit spoke again.
This time—
More stable.
Deeper.
"Finally…"
"Something worth using."
Lin Feng smiled.
"You've got high standards."
No response.
Only:
"Test it."
The next second—
The fireball trembled.
Then—
Vanished.
Whoosh!
Appeared on the other side instantly!
Lin Feng froze.
"That fast?"
Before he could react—
BOOM!!!
Explosion!
But this time—
Extremely small radius!
Almost a single point!
Yet—
The air shook violently!
The wall trembled slightly!
Lin Feng's pupils shrank.
This power—
Was completely different.
Not bigger.
But—
More concentrated.
More lethal.
"Acceptable."
The Fire Spirit said calmly.
Slightly satisfied.
Lin Feng said nothing.
He looked at his palm.
At that moment—
He understood.
The combat style—
Had changed.
No longer about quantity.
No longer about chaining.
But—
True burst.
At that moment—
The Fire Spirit spoke again.
Back to its usual tone.
"Not enough."
Lin Feng paused.
"You just evolved."
"Still not enough?"
"Not even close."
The Fire Spirit replied calmly.
"This is just the beginning."
Lin Feng stayed silent.
Then—
Smiled.
"Fine."
"Then we continue."