Upgrade: Scythe of Judgment!

"I wonder what kind of fortune you speak of, Senior?"

Whether he accepted it or not, Ling Qing decided to find out exactly what this fortune was before making his choice.

Ling Wu waved his hand. In the distance, the Golden Tree sapling flew into the air and landed directly in his hand.

Then, with a flash of golden light, the Golden Tree sapling continuously shrank, transforming back into the tiny branch it had originally been.

"This fortune is this branch from the Golden Tree's main body, and me."

"You?"

Ling Qing's eyes widened. He could hardly believe his ears.

Not only him—even Liu Lin, a rank seventy-nine Soul Sage, seriously suspected that he had accidentally damaged his ears during his breakthrough and was now hallucinating.

But in the next moment...

"That's right. It is the Golden Tree branch in my hand, as well as me, this remnant soul."

"Senior, you must be joking."

Ling Qing laughed awkwardly.

Liu Lin said, "Yes, Senior Ling Wu, please stop joking around."

"No, I am serious."

Ling Wu spoke with a solemn expression.

Ling Qing's smile also vanished. "Senior, why are you doing this?"

"Hehe, in the end, I simply cannot let go of this land."

Liu Lin scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Senior, can't you exist in soul form?"

Ling Wu smiled and shook his head. "No. The reason I can be summoned by you now is entirely because of this branch from the Golden Tree's main body.

I am only a soul body now. I cannot exist apart from the Golden Tree. If I maintain this form for too long, I will dissipate from this world.

Furthermore, after this incident, there is not much life energy left in the Golden Tree branch. I fear that if the seal is broken again, I will no longer be able to be summoned."

For a moment, both Ling Qing and Liu Lin fell silent.

In truth, even without Ling Wu's explanation, Liu Lin had already sensed the weakening of its energy from the fluctuations emitted by the Golden Tree branch.

He had thought that the life energy within the Golden Tree branch would recover after some time, but now...

Ling Qing looked at Ling Wu. "What do you intend to do, Senior?"

Ling Wu said, "Your martial soul is a scythe, a tool martial soul. The branch from the Golden Tree's main body in my hand possesses a very unusual ability: it can fuse with tool martial souls.

After fusing, it can greatly enhance that tool martial soul. As for the exact nature of the enhancement, even I do not know very well.

Secondly, I am a soul body. I can use my Book of the Dead martial soul to turn myself into the spirit of your scythe martial soul!

That way, I can still retain my consciousness and memories."

Ling Qing fell silent, and so did Liu Lin.

As things stood, it truly did not seem to bring Ling Qing any harm.

The responsibilities he had originally thought he would have to shoulder, and the dangers he would have to face, did not exist at all.

It was simply all benefits and no drawbacks.

But...

Was this really appropriate?

Ling Qing kept asking himself that question.

Was it truly appropriate to make such a great soul into the spirit of his weapon?

At that moment, Ling Qing suddenly saw the look in Ling Wu's eyes.

Those eyes were filled with pleading. Unknowingly, Ling Qing's heart was moved.

After seeing that look, he truly could not bear to refuse Ling Wu's proposal.

"Alright. I accept this fortune."

"Wonderful!"

A smile appeared on Ling Wu's face.

Liu Lin sighed. If he were Ling Qing, he would probably accept as well.

"Since you have accepted, then let us begin. If we wait any longer, I will dissipate."

"Alright." Ling Qing nodded and asked, "Senior, what should I do?"

"Summon your scythe martial soul. Leave the rest to me!"

"Alright."

Immediately, Ling Qing released the Scythe of Severance. Its sharp blade gleamed with a deep, chilling light.

Ling Wu tossed the Golden Tree branch high into the air. It then floated silently in midair, radiating dense life energy.

Ling Wu raised his right hand, and the Book of the Dead suddenly appeared in it.

Rustle...

The pages of the Book of the Dead turned without wind, and one glittering golden rune after another leaped out of its pages like lively little sprites.

The golden runes flew toward the Golden Tree branch, circling around it as they began to rotate.

Immediately afterward, the Golden Tree branch erupted with golden light. Within that dazzling radiance was a sacred aura.

Both Ling Qing and Liu Lin could not help but feel the urge to worship it.

"Go!"

Wrapped in golden runes, the Golden Tree branch flew directly before Ling Qing. The golden runes opened a gap, releasing a pulling force from within.

Ling Qing let go with his right hand, and the Scythe of Severance was immediately drawn over.

The gap closed.

Golden runes enveloped the Scythe of Severance and the Golden Tree branch, beginning to spin at extreme speed.

Gradually, the golden runes formed a thin wall.

Behind that wall, the originally pitch-black Scythe of Severance also began to glimmer with golden light.

It was unclear whether it reflected the Golden Tree's radiance or emitted the light itself.

Gradually, the Golden Tree branch and the Scythe of Severance overlapped...

As the master of the Scythe of Severance, Ling Qing immediately felt an incomparably warm energy ripple through his body and flow through his meridians.

As it flowed, that warm energy nourished his meridians and blood vessels again and again.

Ling Qing hurriedly sat cross-legged on the ground and began cultivating.

That was right—he was about to break through again.

A moment later.

With a hum, the Golden Tree branch and the Scythe of Severance finally fused together.

In an instant, intense golden light burst from the scythe, shining like a golden sun.

Ling Wu slowly let out a breath, but his expression had become extremely serious.

It was not over yet.

Ling Wu spread his arms, and the Scythe of Severance slowly floated toward him.

Ling Wu closed his eyes and directly absorbed the Scythe of Severance into his body.

Gradually, Ling Wu's body began to emit a bright white light. Within that white radiance, his body continuously became incorporeal and dissipated.

At the same time, the runes that had flown out from the Book of the Dead flew back into Ling Wu's body one after another, striking the Scythe of Severance.

Immediately afterward, those runes transformed into threads of golden light, gradually spreading along the patterns of the Slaughter Domain.

Ling Wu's body gradually vanished. He transformed into a ball of white light that tightly enveloped the Scythe of Severance.

The Scythe of Severance was still evolving.

An hour later...

Ling Qing opened his eyes, and a gleam flashed through them.

That was right. His breakthrough had succeeded.

At the same time, the white light around the Scythe of Severance faded away.

A brand-new scythe appeared.

Ling Qing reached out and retrieved the scythe, examining it carefully.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. Your first martial soul has successfully upgraded. It has evolved into the Scythe of Judgment!"