More than four months had passed again. The Grand Arena of Souls, Main Combat Arena.
A two-on-two life-or-death battle arena.
Under the bright lights, three figures faced off with grave expressions.
On one side stood a lone figure wielding an extraordinary-looking scythe, seemingly powerful, this was Fang Ling.
On the opposing side stood two people.
One of them was a burly man with a muscular build and thick arms like tree trunks. He wielded massive stone hammers, each swing accompanied by a howling wind.
The other was small and hunched, covered in hard carapace-like scales and black fur. His sharp gaze was filled with savagery and killing intent, locked firmly onto Fang Ling.
After a brief moment of observation, the battle began.
Fang Ling charged forward.
The burly man raised his giant hammer and brought it down with great force.
Fang Ling calmly observed the motion. As the hammer was about to strike, he swiftly sidestepped, his scythe slicing through the air with a piercing whistle.
The smaller opponent assisting the attack was forced to retreat by the scythe.
Boom!
The stone hammer slammed into the blood-soaked ground, bursting out a mist of blood.
Fang Ling had already moved past like the wind, effortlessly dodging the blow.
The small figure lunged from the side again, attempting a sneak attack with speed and claws.
Fang Ling sensed the danger. He spun around, the scythe drawing a graceful arc through the air as it turned with him.
The small figure quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the blade, directly blocked.
But Fang Ling moved even faster. He pressed forward and swung his scythe again, forcing the opponent to keep backing up.
The burly man lifted his stone hammer, trying to attack from behind.
But Fang Ling, as if he had eyes on his back, rolled away just in time.
His scythe slashed toward the back of the man's knee.
The big man reacted too slowly. The tendons in the back of his thigh were instantly severed.
Fang Ling pushed forward with the momentum, blood flowing freely.
"Die!"
With his knee giving out, the burly man dropped to one knee, letting out a thunderous roar of fury.
In pain, he swept his hammer horizontally in a desperate attempt to drive off his enemy.
Fang Ling leapt gracefully, flipped in mid-air off the man's back, and smoothly pulled the scythe back, slitting his throat and carotid artery before landing lightly on the ground.
The situation, once in favor of the two-man team, instantly reversed.
The main attacker, the burly man, was dead.
The agile-type Soul Master, originally providing support, abruptly stopped moving forward.
His expression changed several times, then he suddenly leaped off the stage at a speed even Fang Ling couldn't match.
If both of them couldn't win even together, and the opponent still had energy to spare, going solo was suicide. He wasn't about to die needlessly.
Fang Ling, holding his scythe, paused for a second, then withdrew his martial soul.
Good thing the guy knew when to run.
Otherwise, he'd have racked up another kill.
"Nice! Kill! Kill!"
"Throat-slicing Ling, invincible!"
"Invincible! Fang Ling is invincible!"
The arena was packed with spectators, all here for Fang Ling's reputation.
Seeing such a clean and decisive battle, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The announcer joined in with enthusiastic applause. "Let us congratulate 'Throat-Slicing Ling' for his final victory in this two-versus-one duel!"
"Soul Master Fang Ling, please proceed backstage to register and claim your monetary reward."
"Thank you." Fang Ling gave a slight nod and waved in response.
"Fang Ling! Over here" His teacher and teacher's wife greeted him with bright, joyful smiles.
Fang Ling smiled back, cleaned up, and walked over to them.
Then he took a soul tool from their hands, went to claim his reward, and returned to the academy surrounded by the two of them.
"When do you think you'll reach level twenty?" the teacher's wife asked softly, gently caressing the back of his head, her fingers brushing through his short hair with a hint of reluctance.
"I'll need a few days of cultivation," Fang Ling replied, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice to avoid stirring up sadness before parting ways.
Once he reached level twenty, he could obtain a soul ring.
And after that, he would need to choose a new academy.
He had only been here for less than a year.
Teacher Lin Tianyang let out a light sigh.
"A few months ago, when your cultivation speed slowed down, I honestly didn't think you'd make it to level twenty before this soul beast hunt."
"Heh, the potential of a person, or rather, the panel, is limitless." Fang Ling lifted his chin slightly with pride.
Over the past four months, his stats had changed significantly.
Martial Soul: Scythe (Lv3, 0%) [+]
(A common farming tool used for harvesting crops and cutting grass, now enhanced twice. Its durability and sharpness have seen moderate improvement. A super-upgraded farming scythe,nthe pinnacle of a low-level martial soul, on the verge of evolution.)
Soul Power: 15 (38%) → 19 (99%)
Soul Ring Points: 231 [+]
Talents:
- Sharpness Lv3 (An inherent martial soul talent. As a bladed metal tool, the scythe's sharpness, now enhanced twice, easily pierces standard leather armor.)
- Durability Lv3 (Another inherent martial soul talent. The scythe's metal and wooden components have seen moderate increases in hardness and toughness, reaching the peak of a low-level martial soul.)
- Warrior's Will Lv2 (A personal talent. Grants tenacious willpower in battle, allowing temporary resistance to pain's effects. The ability to endure solitude is a key part of a warrior's growth. Soul power circulation speed is passively increased by 10%.)
The most important growth was in his martial soul.
Spending twenty points, he had upgraded it from Lv2 to Lv3.
Its inherent talents evolved as a result.
He could now clash with mid-high-level martial souls like the Blackgold Sword without sustaining damage.
Upon reaching Lv3, the martial soul was described as "the pinnacle of low-level martial souls, on the verge of evolution."
The plus sign [+] next to it had changed too. Fang Ling tried clicking it mentally.
The big plus split into two smaller ones.
This time, it clearly indicated what each one would upgrade.
The first still upgraded the martial soul itself, its durability and sharpness, but now required thirty points.
Leveling from Lv3 to Lv4 would be an evolution, not just an enhancement.
This would be a transformation from a low-level martial soul to a mid-level one, with significant improvements in power and sharpness.
The second plus sign was for modifying the shape of the martial soul during evolution, based on his mental image. It couldn't deviate from the scythe form and was only usable during evolution.
However, if he was close enough to the required points, he could force a shape change early, as long as he added the remaining points in time.
His soul power had reached level 19 with 99% progress.
Saying he'd need a few more days wasn't a joke.
He had been at the academy for nine months, meditating whenever possible. Now, he was about to level up through pure effort.
He had saved two points.
Partly because he lacked enough, partly as an act of discipline.
Fang Ling had often thought: instead of meditating, why not rest, then go kill a few more people or soul beasts?
But he never followed through on those thoughts.
It meant he was trying. It meant he had a strong will, not just relying on the system. He wasn't some mindless killer who could only level up through bloodshed.
With renewed determination, his spirit became more focused.
Unexpectedly, his Warrior's Will talent also grew, reaching Level 2, increasing soul power flow speed to 10%.
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