Rank 2 Soul Tool Master

"Run!"

The man in black had no intention of continuing the fight. Facing a bona fide Soul King, he did not stand the slightest chance.

"Trying to leave?"

Qian Xue smiled disdainfully. Her First Spirit Ring lit up, and her figure vanished instantly. She appeared in front of the man in black as though by Teleportation, raised her clenched right hand, and golden flames flared over her small, fair fist. Before his horrified eyes, she punched straight through his chest!

"You—"

The man in black shuddered, feeling his life force rapidly draining away as intense regret surged within him.

Had he known this would happen, he never would have rashly made a move while Liu Xinghan had a companion by his side. Otherwise, he would not have lost his life here.

Bang!

The man in black's corpse collapsed limply to the ground.

Qian Xue let out a breath and said, "Xiao Han, come see if you recognize him."

Liu Xinghan hurried over and pulled down the cloth covering his face. A middle-aged man's face immediately came into view.

At first glance, Liu Xinghan vaguely felt that the man looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

After thinking carefully, he remembered. Wasn't this the Spirit Hall Spirit Master who had helped register his identity?

How did he know Liu Xinghan had a Soul Bone?

Could it be that he had noticed Liu Xinghan had reached Level 14 Soul Power only days after awakening his martial soul, suspected that he possessed a Soul Bone, and decided to attack him?

That explained everything.

"Do you know him?" Qian Xue asked.

"I do. He's the Spirit Hall Spirit Master who registered my identity," Liu Xinghan said.

"He said you had a Soul Bone. Did he come after you because of it?" Qian Xue asked, staring at Liu Xinghan.

"Probably." Liu Xinghan nodded helplessly.

A Soul Bone truly was a treasure capable of making people lose their minds.

Qian Xue asked suspiciously, "Do you really have a Soul Bone?"

It was no wonder she doubted him. As one of the greatest treasures in the world of Spirit Masters, Soul Bones were worth a fortune. Even an ordinary Soul Bone was worth more than a million Gold Soul Coins, and among ten thousand Spirit Masters, not even one might possess one.

Liu Xinghan looked at Qian Xue and nodded. "I do."

Liu Xinghan's honesty took Qian Xue somewhat by surprise.

After all, any Spirit Master who possessed a Soul Bone would desperately deny it in front of others unless they were powerful enough not to fear someone trying to steal it.

And Liu Xinghan clearly did not have that strength.

Qian Xue smiled faintly. "You're not afraid I'll rob you?"

Liu Xinghan immediately grinned. "Nope. Sister Qian Xue is so beautiful. You don't look like that kind of person!"

After observing her over the past two days, he had gotten a rough sense of Qian Xue's character, so he was not worried.

Liu Xinghan's trust warmed Qian Xue's heart. So this was what it felt like to be trusted?

A gentle smile appeared on her face as Qian Xue said, "You should still be more careful in the future. The fewer people who know about your Soul Bone, the better. Otherwise, things like what happened today will be unavoidable."

Liu Xinghan nodded. "I know!"

After that, Liu Xinghan's academy life returned to normal once more.

Besides theory classes in the morning, studying Soul Tools in the afternoon, and cultivating at night, Liu Xinghan also made time to challenge freshmen of the same year to spirit duels.

After all, winning three times a day earned him thirty Points.

He won battle after battle, always defeating his opponents in a single move. With one swipe of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's claw, no one could avoid being sent flying.

Within just a few days, word of his strength spread throughout the First Year. The freshmen feared him like a tiger and ran far away whenever they saw him, leaving Liu Xinghan extremely helpless.

To complete the quest, he had no choice but to set his sights on Second Year students.

The Second Year students were all Two-Ring Great Spirit Masters. Normally, First Year freshmen would never challenge Second Year seniors, not even students from the Elite Class.

After all, the gap of one Spirit Ring was enormous.

Yet after challenge after challenge, what left everyone dumbfounded was that Liu Xinghan continued his winning streak even against Second Year seniors. It was simply unbelievable!

On the fifteenth day after school began, Liu Xinghan gathered one thousand Points and drew another lottery reward.

This time, he drew a prescription containing a medicinal bath. Soaking in it once a day could refine the body.

Moreover, this body-refining prescription was far better than the Body Refining Pill.

Although the medicinal effect of a single use was weaker than that of a Body Refining Pill, this prescription was for external use and was less likely to cause drug resistance. In other words, he could soak in it year after year, continuously improving his physique.

Liu Xinghan was not short on money now, so he arranged it that very night.

Just like that, his physical condition began improving once again.

Life at the academy was peaceful. Aside from his daily routine, Liu Xinghan would occasionally go sightseeing in Spirit City with Qian Xue. As they spent more time together, their relationship grew increasingly close. On one occasion, Liu Xinghan gave Qian Xue the body-refining prescription for free as a gift.

As for where the prescription had come from, it was still the old grandpa who had given it to him...

Qian Xue could not help but smile at that explanation.

One month after school began.

In Liu Xinghan's courtyard.

"Success!"

Liu Xinghan looked at the assembled Soul Tool, a smile appearing on his face.

This was a Rank 2 Soul Tool he had completed with his own hands. It looked like an ordinary silver necklace, but it was actually a defensive Soul Tool.

It could store Soul Power within it. When danger arose, activating it would instantly release a protective barrier capable of blocking a full-force strike from a Two-Ring Great Spirit Master.

"Ding! Soul Tool Side Quest Two: Become a Rank 2 Soul Tool Master has been completed. Host, please select your reward."

"The rewards are also three Soul Tools: a Soul Tool Handgun, a pair of Soul Tool Shoes, and a palm-sized Heart Protection Mirror. All are Rank 3 Soul Tools, representing the three functions of attack, speed, and defense respectively."

After thinking it over, Liu Xinghan chose the Soul Tool Handgun.

This compact handgun was powered by Soul Power. The Soul Power beam it fired possessed enough power to kill a Three-Ring Spirit Elder when used unexpectedly.

His combat strength lay entirely in summoning, while his own fighting ability was not strong. With this handgun, even if an opponent avoided the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and charged toward him, he would have nothing to fear!

After making his choice, the Soul Tool Side Quest updated once again.

This time, the reward somewhat surprised him. He had thought that becoming a Rank 3 Soul Tool Master would only reward him with a Rank 4 Soul Tool.

But in reality, there was an additional reward called the Intermediate Soul Master Compendium.

The Beginner Soul Master Compendium he had obtained from the lottery contained extensive knowledge of Rank 1 to Rank 3 Soul Tools. It was the key reason Liu Xinghan had become a Rank 2 Soul Tool Master so quickly.

He had originally thought that after becoming a Rank 3 Soul Tool Master, it would be very difficult to become a Rank 4 Soul Tool Master, since the Beginner Soul Master Compendium could no longer help him.

But with the Intermediate Soul Master Compendium, that problem was perfectly solved.

"I need to hurry up and raise my Soul Power cultivation as well," Liu Xinghan thought to himself.

Crafting Soul Tools also required Soul Power. With his current Soul Power Level, creating a Rank 2 Soul Tool would consume more than half the Soul Power in his body.

That was only because he cultivated the Immeasurable True Scripture, making his Soul Power exceptionally pure and comparable to that of a Two-Ring Great Spirit Master. An ordinary One-Ring Spirit Master simply would not have enough Soul Power to support the creation of a Rank 2 Soul Tool.

"After a month of hard cultivation, my Soul Power Level is almost about to break through Level 15. This speed isn't bad either!" Liu Xinghan thought to himself.