Chapter 340: The Fourth Spirit Skill
After finally pulling off a successful bait-and-clone operation, Pururu had gone all out for him—first by sacrificing a spirit-consuming clone, then by using a massive burst of energy to Mist Flash them both into the battlefield for a surprise attack.
Now, Pururu's power was nearly drained, and its deep purple eyes had lost some of their luster. Qi Han knew he could not let its efforts go to waste.
So, when he swung that blade down—he went all in.
All three of his spirit rings lit up simultaneously.
It was his first time ever stacking all three skills in one go. He wouldn't have been able to do it with his earlier strength, even now, with his level-40 spirit power, this technique only had one use in it.
But this one slash was meant to kill.
A blaze of flaming blades spiraled through the air, merging into a single, searing golden-red arc of destruction. Thanks to his Refining Power to Silk control, the power condensed into one ultimate cut.
This was fire near its absolute limit. Even before it struck, the sheer heat distortion warped the air around it. Every ember that scattered from it could melt metal with ease.
Even the frigid air of the far northern snowfield—dozens of degrees below freezing—couldn't cool it in the slightest.
When the blade finally fell, the Snowfield Ice Pheasant had no time to react.
With one clean stroke, it was sliced clean in two.
The severed flesh blackened instantly—carbonized in a flash—then ignited. Flames surged upward as the carcass tumbled to the ground, the fire only dying out slowly under the relentless cold of the snow.
The pheasant was dead, and the energy of that flaming arc had hardly diminished.
It carved through the icy earth like a hot knife through butter, melting snow and ice in its path and leaving behind a 50-meter-long trench.
The snow didn't even have time to become water—it was instantly vaporized by the infernal heat.
Clouds of steam rose, caught in the swirling wind, where they re-crystallized into icy fog. Within this mist, microscopic ice crystals gathered and grew into delicate flakes—tiny frost blossoms blooming midair.
Caught by the wind and snow, these crystalline petals swirled and danced like willow catkins, filling the entire world with glimmering ice flowers.
But Qi Han had no time to admire the beauty.
He reached out, grabbed the bisected Snowfield Ice Pheasant, and immediately entered the system space.
That one slash had cost him seventy percent of his spirit power.
If another pheasant showed up now, he'd be toast.
Once inside, Qi Han took out two spirit power restoration pills—one for himself, one for Pururu.
As he felt his spirit power steadily returning, he finally let out a long breath of relief.
Last night, after completing the Dinghu Shangsu recipe, Qi Han had unlocked a new 3 Star dish: Jixi Yipin Pot, so the system space was still active.
"Submit quest."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the dead Snowfield Ice Pheasant vanished, and the task screen floated up before him with a brand-new update:
[Time-Limited Quest: Ingredient Acquisition IV (Completed)]
Reward: System Spirit Ring x1 (Available), 3 Star Dish Recipe: Furong Chicken Slices (Available)]
Qi Han claimed the Furong Chicken Slices recipe first, then—heart pounding—reached out and selected the System Spirit Ring.
His Chef's Knife Martial Spirit appeared once more, and the three spirit rings on the blade—black, purple, purple—gently pulsed in unison.
Then, faint white light began to swirl along the knife's body, circling once before coalescing behind the existing three spirit rings, forming a fourth halo.
At first it was pure white.
Then, almost instantly, it transformed to yellow… and under Qi Han's anxious gaze, it deepened further—until finally stabilizing into a rich purple hue.
Another thousand-year spirit skill, right from the start.
Which could only mean one thing, his fourth spirit ring corresponded to a culinary technique he had already mastered to a refined degree.
As the fourth spirit ring fully stabilized, Qi Han's spirit power barrier loosened instantly—
And he broke through to level 41.
Before he even needed to say a word, Ru Yi had already redeemed the rewards Qi Han hadn't claimed yet.
Warm currents of energy surged through his body, enhancing his spirit power even further.
He shot straight up to level 42.
He had finally reached four spirit rings!
Feeling the rush of potent spirit force flooding his body, Qi Han's expression turned visibly excited.
He looked over at Ru Yi, who was sitting with one leg crossed on the table, and smiled.
"Ru Yi, what's my fourth spirit skill?"
Ru Yi answered softly,
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Spirit-Linked Slash."
"It's linked to your ingredient deconstruction."
"'Ingredient Deconstruction' is the understanding of the internal structure of ingredients. Its levels are: Beginner, Skilled, Proficient, Perfect, and finally, Flawless."
So that's what it was.
Qi Han's face lit up with realization.
'Ingredient Deconstruction' might sound obscure or even a bit mystical, but in actual cooking, it's a skill used constantly.
Take a simple example:
Someone who doesn't often eat fish might find the fine bones impossible to predict—each bite a gamble, each mouthful potentially painful or dangerous. Frustrating and annoying.
But someone with a clear understanding of a fish's anatomical structure would know exactly where the bones lie—and could cleanly remove them without damaging the meat.
From cutting steak along the grain to separating tendons from muscle, this technique plays a role in nearly every food prep step.
It's a skill honed by experience.
Given how many ingredients he had worked with, it was completely natural for his Ingredient Deconstruction to have reached the "Proficient" tier.
In fact, Qi Han even felt he might qualify for "Perfect."
But Ru Yi saw through him in an instant and rolled her eyes playfully.
"You still haven't worked with enough types of ingredients," she said. "You'll need to process at least a thousand different kinds before you can call yourself perfect."
So that was it.
Yeah… he was still a bit short of that.
Qi Han nodded in understanding, then asked curiously:
"So, what exactly does Spirit-Linked Slash do?"
Ru Yi's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Spirit-Linked Slash is a state-type spirit skill. It can be maintained for long periods with minimal spirit power consumption," she explained. "As for its effect…"
"When active, it grants you insight into your opponent's weaknesses.
While under its influence, all attacks consume 30% more spirit power,
But every single hit deals double damage."
Qi Han's expression changed instantly.
This... this felt just like a video game skill!
Wasn't this basically critical hits on every swing?
And if the only cost was a 30% increase in spirit power usage, then with his current level 42 reserves, he could definitely stack all four of his spirit skills together for a single enhanced strike.
That last slash he used to kill the Snowfield Ice Pheasant—Sure, it was a bit impulsive. But even he had been shocked by how devastating it was.
If he doubled that power…
Qi Han suddenly felt that even a ten-thousand-year spirit beast might not survive.
And more than that—Whether intentional or not, it was becoming clear that all the System Spirit Rings seemed to work together without clashing.
They stacked seamlessly.
So… was the system trying to turn him into some kind of Saitama?
If Saitama was the One-Punch Man… Was he going to become the One-Slash Man?
And if this kept up—If he reached nine rings and combined all nine spirit skills into a single slash—
Qi Han sucked in a sharp breath.
He was starting to feel absurdly OP.
<+>
if you want to see more chapters of this story and don't mind playing $5 per month to see my latest update, please go to my Patreon[1]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed[2]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 405: How Embarrassing[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754