Martial Soul Upgrade, Scythe of Severance!

Although Li Qing's Secret Small Hamburgers were delicious, not everyone liked meat.

Xiao Wu was one such person—or rather, a Spirit Beast.

"Xiao Wu, you don't like them?" Tang San asked curiously as he looked at Xiao Wu's empty hands.

"I... I don't like meat..." Xiao Wu lowered her head with her hands behind her back, unable to meet Tang San's eyes.

"Here!"

Li Qing brought out a plate of fruit and vegetable salad. He had guessed that she might not like Li Qing's Secret Small Hamburgers, so he had prepared it in advance.

"Thank you!" Xiao Wu took the fruit salad and happily began eating.

As a chef, nothing made him happier than seeing others enjoy the food he made.

While the work-study students feasted, the other teachers and students nearby could only watch longingly. The teachers wanted some, but could not bring themselves to ask a junior for it, while the students wanted some but feared Li Qing would refuse.

Li Qing had already prepared a hamburger for every teacher and had Wang Sheng deliver them. He was more than happy to do something that earned the teachers' goodwill at virtually no cost.

As for the non-work-study students, the price was clearly listed: three Copper Soul Coins each.

All things considered, that price was not expensive for the students at all.

At first, no one came to buy any. Then Xiao Laoda and his lackeys took the lead, and soon people were lining up to buy Li Qing's Secret Small Hamburgers. Fortunately, one Magic Wolf provided plenty of meat, and Li Qing had made nearly six hundred hamburgers.

After one dinner, Li Qing had earned nine hundred Copper Soul Coins—nine gold coins! That income was enough for the entire Holy Soul Village to live without worry for three months.

After dinner, Li Qing brought Master two hamburgers of different flavors.

"Li Qing, you're here."

Master was seriously flipping through the mountain of books on his desk.

"Teacher, don't tell me you still haven't eaten?"

"Uh... is it already time to eat?"

Well, Master had been so absorbed in his research that he had forgotten the time. Li Qing had a feeling that if Master did not find the answer, he might never sleep or eat.

"Teacher, I brought you some hamburgers I made. They taste pretty good. Here!"

Master raised his weathered face. "You made these yourself?"

"Yes, Teacher. Hurry and try one!"

Master opened the greaseproof paper wrapping, took out a hamburger, and bit into it. Instantly, his eyes widened.

"I remember now! I remember now, Li Qing! I remember!"

Li Qing was completely confused. What had he remembered?

"Teacher, what are you talking about?"

Master finished a hamburger in just a few bites, then smiled at Li Qing. "I once traveled through the two great empires of Star Luo and Tian Dou Empire and heard many strange tales. One of them concerned your Spirit Bone!"

"What was it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, your Spirit Bone is a Martial Soul Bone—a Spirit Bone that can fuse with a Martial Soul!"

Li Qing was stunned. He had never expected such a Spirit Bone to exist. His luck was absurdly good.

"I thought it was only a legend. I never expected such a Spirit Bone to truly exist in this world. It is even rarer than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. After fusing with a Martial Soul, this kind of Spirit Bone can not only improve the quality of the Martial Soul, but also grant a Soul Master an additional skill. It is truly something seen once in ten thousand years!"

Li Qing was secretly ecstatic. His Scythe Martial Soul could be upgraded. Its current form was merely its initial state.

He had no idea what his Scythe Martial Soul would eventually become.

Would it become a god-tier Martial Soul like Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul? Everything remained unknown...

"Li Qing, since you discovered this Spirit Bone, it belongs to you. Go call Xiao San over. We'll stand guard for you while you absorb the Spirit Bone!"

"Yes!"

Li Qing found Tang San cultivating in the dormitory and brought him to Master's residence.

"Xiao San, take out the Spirit Bone. We'll stand guard for Li Qing!"

The blade-shaped Spirit Bone shimmered with a faint glow.

Li Qing accepted the Spirit Bone.

"Li Qing, I don't know how this kind of Spirit Bone is absorbed, so you can only rely on yourself. If anything unusual happens, Xiao San and I will immediately stop you. Do you understand?" Master said solemnly.

"Mm!"

"Remember, focus your mind on your Martial Soul and hold firm to your belief!"

Sitting cross-legged, Li Qing released his Scythe and began absorbing the Spirit Bone.

"Ding. A Martial Soul Bone has been detected. The Scythe Martial Soul can be upgraded. Absorb? (Yes/No)"

Li Qing was immediately delighted. His system had not said a word in ages, but at crucial moments, it was still quite reliable.

"Yes!"

"Spirit Bone fusion initiated."

The Great Saber Mantis's Spirit Bone began fusing with Li Qing's Scythe. Within Li Qing's soul, the spiritual remnant of that Great Saber Mantis appeared.

Li Qing understood that he needed to defeat it! He summoned his Scythe and engaged the Great Saber Mantis in a battle between souls. If Li Qing lost, his consciousness would suffer irreversible damage. If he won, the fusion would succeed.

Within the Spirit Sea, the Great Saber Mantis swung its forelimbs like a violent gale. Li Qing could not get anywhere near it. This time, Tang San was not there to control it. He could only rely on himself.

As the Great Saber Mantis swung its forelimbs, streaks of blade light slashed toward Li Qing. He hurriedly dodged, but there were too many of them. Several still struck his soul, and the pain was excruciating!

This Great Saber Mantis was on a completely different level from the previous one. This was destined to be a prolonged battle.

Li Qing waited. He waited for the Great Saber Mantis to reveal an opening.

The Great Saber Mantis kept swinging, while Li Qing kept dodging. Although the wounds on his body grew more numerous, they were only minor injuries. Meanwhile, the distance between them gradually shrank.

"First Spirit Skill, Severance!"

Li Qing finally counterattacked. A dark green blade light slashed at the Great Saber Mantis's forelimb, but it blocked the attack.

Because the Great Saber Mantis's massive forelimb had shielded its head, it temporarily lost sight of Li Qing.

Li Qing would not waste such an opportunity. With a flash, he arrived at its side.

"Severance!"

He swung his Scythe again. This time, the blade light struck the Great Saber Mantis's abdomen, leaving a deep wound.

"Roar—"

The pain in its abdomen enraged the Great Saber Mantis. It became faster, and its slashes grew much more powerful. The wounds on Li Qing's body instantly multiplied and became deeper.

"Damn it, can't I even beat a remnant soul?" Li Qing cursed as he retreated.

In truth, the Great Saber Mantis's remnant soul was far stronger than the one they had encountered before. In its remnant state, it would never run out of Soul Power or become fatigued. It had only one thought: tear apart the enemy before it.

"Whatever. Sharingan, activate!"

Tang San and Master, who were standing guard, immediately sensed an unusual fluctuation.

"This is?" Master's mouth fell open as he stared at Li Qing's opened eyes. "Li Qing's second Martial Soul!"

Tang San was equally shocked. Those were not eyes a normal human could possess.

Within the Spirit Sea, Li Qing activated the Sharingan. He could see the Great Saber Mantis's blade lights far more clearly, and no new wounds appeared on his body.

"Watch me chop you to pieces."

Li Qing seized the right moment and cleaved off one of the Great Saber Mantis's hind legs with a single swing. It instantly staggered. Li Qing followed with another strike, cutting off one of its forelimbs.

A Great Saber Mantis missing one forelimb was like a tiger without fangs.

Two minutes later, Li Qing ended the battle and withdrew his Sharingan.

His Scythe Martial Soul was slowly changing bit by bit.

When the next day's sun rose in the east, Li Qing had completed the absorption of the Spirit Bone.

"Teacher, Xiao San, thank you."

Seeing the bloodshot eyes of Xiao San and Master, Li Qing was deeply moved.

"Mm, it's nothing. But Li Qing, your second Martial Soul... I remember it did not look like this when you first released it." Master picked up a sheet of paper from the table. Drawn on it was Li Qing's Single Tomoe Sharingan.

Faced with Master's doubts, Li Qing directly released his Martial Soul again. What appeared in his right hand was still that crystalline eye, but Li Qing's own eyes turned into the Sharingan.

"So that's how it is..." Master suddenly understood. "Can you tell me about the characteristics of this Martial Soul?" Faced with a brand-new Martial Soul, Master was full of interest.

"Teacher, these eyes of mine can see through simple illusions and enhance my reaction speed."

And they can be upgraded... Li Qing only said that to himself.

"Seeing through illusions and enhancing reaction speed." Master stroked the stubble on his chin. "Logically speaking, your Mental Power should also improve. Can you feel it?"

"Mental Power?" Li Qing had never paid attention to that before. However, he brought up his character panel.

Character: Li Qing

Level: 13

Mental Power: Soul Grandmaster level

Martial Soul: Scythe of Severance (Upgradeable)

Second Martial Soul: God Eye

Acquired: Single Tomoe Sharingan (Upgradeable)

Note: Due to the lack of measurement methods and classification standards for Mental Power, the system cannot accurately represent it numerically.

Well, this Mental Power had not appeared before.

However, Li Qing discovered that his Scythe Martial Soul had become the Severing Scythe. His Mental Power had surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level, and his Soul Power had increased again. When he had tested at Spirit Hall yesterday, he had only been level eleven. Now, he was already level thirteen.

"Teacher, I don't know what a Soul Grandmaster's Mental Power is like, but I can feel that my Mental Power has reached the level of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster, aside from those who specialize in Mental Power," Li Qing replied.

Master nodded. "Then I'll apply mental pressure to you now. Use your own Mental Power to resist it."

"Yes!"

Then Master's Mental Power, gentle as river water, gradually pressed down on him. Li Qing also activated his own Mental Power to resist it. Master steadily increased the intensity, and Li Qing increased his resistance bit by bit as well.

"Alright, pull it back," Master said as he began reducing the pressure.

Li Qing did not know whether Master had used his full strength, but he himself had not. He still had strength left to resist.

"Mm, Li Qing, your Mental Power has indeed reached the realm of a Soul Grandmaster—and an advanced Soul Grandmaster at that."

Tang San observed Li Qing for a moment. "Teacher, could you test mine as well? I also want to know how far my Mental Power has reached."

"Xiao San, helping Li Qing test just now has already tired me a little. Why don't the two of you spar with each other instead? That way, I can also see your strengths and weaknesses!"

"Alright, Teacher!" Li Qing said happily. He had also wanted to test his own strength.

"Come on, let's go to the Back Mountain!"