1: Chapter 1 Going to work? Even a dog wouldn't go.

"A certain master proved through practice that there are no useless Soul Masters, only useless Martial Souls."

"But I am the exact opposite. I want to prove that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters!"

"Da Chun, I'm giving you a chance to become a Soul Master right now. Do you want it?"

In the back kitchen of Niu Ers Food Stall, the smell of cooking fumes and dish soap mixed together.

Lin Mo stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, striking the pose of a confident, renowned master.

"You just need to say the word, and I'll give you the method to become a Soul Master immediately!"

Niu Dachun, who was burying his head in washing dishes by the sink, glanced sideways at his deskmate and best friend upon hearing this, his hands not stopping:

"Brother, stop messing around. If you really had that ability, how come your Soul Power has been stuck at level three for months without moving?"

After saying this, he continued to lower his head and wrestle with the greasy plates.

"Hey, no, that really stings, brother!"

Lin Mo looked aggrieved, "And here I've been spending all these days looking for ways to increase your Soul Power."

Niu Dachun remained silent, just scrubbing the bowls with his head down.

Foam dripped down his wrists onto the oil-stained floor.

"Brother, have you forgotten your dream?"

Lin Mo stepped forward, his tone a mix of urgency and frustration, "Are you really content to spend your whole life stuck in this back kitchen washing dishes?"

Facing Lin Mo's patient persuasion, Niu Dachun only sped up his movements and advised in a muffled voice:

"Brother Mo, you should hurry back to work. My dad went through so much trouble to find you that job. You skip work every other day; what will you do if you get fired?"

"Work? Even dogs wouldn't do it..." Lin Mo curled his lips, then waved his hand, "Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Go ask your dad to make me some fried rice and put it on your tab. I'm hungry."

He rubbed his rumbling stomach.

"Oh..." Niu Dachun wiped the water off his hands and was just about to get up.

But Lin Mo suddenly changed his mind, "Forget it, never mind. Just lend me a hundred yuan first. I'll go out and grab a bite so I don't get scolded by your parents later."

Niu Dachun didn't say anything, reached into his pocket and dug around for a long time, pulling out a handful of crumpled small change. He counted it, "Only eighteen yuan."

Lin Mo didn't mind, grabbed it, stuffed it into his pocket, and didn't forget to remind him, "Fine, eighteen is eighteen. You still owe me eighty-two. Remember to give it to me tomorrow."

Niu Dachun scratched his head, feeling like something was wrong but unable to figure out where the problem lay. In the end, he could only mumble:

"Oh, okay. I'll pay you back when my dad pays me tomorrow."

"Good brother! Don't worry, when I make it big in the future, I'll definitely take you with me!" Lin Mo patted Niu Dachun's shoulder, quite hard.

He turned to leave but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He saw a middle-aged woman standing behind him with her arms crossed, though he didn't know when she had arrived.

She was looking at him with a gaze that was both mocking and helpless.

The smug look on Lin Mo's face vanished instantly, and he immediately squeezed out an ingratiating smile, "What a coincidence, beautiful lady, you're back?"

The middle-aged woman was none other than Niu Dachun's mother, Auntie Lan.

She glared at Lin Mo and pinched his arm, "Stop sweet-talking me! You little brat, you're here to scam our Da Chun for money again, right?"

"Our Da Chun must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to know a friend like you."

Lin Mo winced in pain and quickly begged for mercy, "Hiss, Auntie Lan, let go! How is this scamming? It's borrowing! Borrowing! I'm going to pay it back!"

"Pay back? What are you going to pay it back with!"

Auntie Lan put her hands on her hips, her voice suddenly rising, "Da Chun's dad pulled strings to get you a job at the pharmaceutical factory, and you? You're lazy and skip work all the time! They even called the factory to complain about you!"

The more she spoke, the angrier she got, pointing at the mountain of plates piled up in the back kitchen.

"Look at Da Chun! Even if he doesn't have a chance to become a Soul Master, he still knows how to work hard. And look at you! You clearly have Soul Power, but instead of working hard to cultivate and strive for the college entrance exam, you spend all day idling around!"

Lin Mo hung his head, not daring to talk back, and occasionally flattered her:

"Yes, yes, yes, Auntie Lan is right..."

Seeing this, Niu Dachun quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Mom, stop it. Brother Mo is smart; he just likes reading books and researching strange things. The assembly line at the factory really isn't suitable for him."

"Can reading books put food on the table?" Auntie Lan glared at her son, then softened her tone.

She took a crumpled fifty-yuan bill from her apron pocket and stuffed it into Lin Mo's hand, "Take this, and stop talking to Da Chun about becoming a Soul Master."

"Da Chun only awakened an F-grade Frying Pan Martial Soul, and his innate Soul Power isn't even level one. There's absolutely no possibility of him becoming a Soul Master. Giving him hope will only make him overthink things."

"Also, if you don't want to take the martial arts academy exam, go to work at the factory tomorrow. If you dare to skip work again, I'll have your uncle go to your house and flip your table!"

Lin Mo looked at the heavy fifty yuan in his hand, feeling moved.

He had transmigrated to this Blue Star, where everyone has a Martial Soul, over ten years ago, and grew up in an orphanage without parents.

Only after becoming friends with Da Chun did he feel a glimmer of family affection.

"Auntie Lan, I..."

"Enough nonsense! I've already paid your rent for you. Now get out of here!"

Auntie Lan waved her hand, turned around, and glared at Niu Dachun again, "What are you still standing there for? Are the dishes done?"

Niu Dachun nodded quickly, turned around, and continued to bury his head in washing dishes.

Lin Mo clutched the fifty yuan and stood still.

The exhaust fan in the back kitchen hummed, and Niu's dad was busy tossing the wok.

Niu's mom was washing vegetables, and Niu Dachun's movements as he washed the dishes remained silent and diligent.

He suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

"Auntie Lan."

He suddenly spoke up, "I really can help activate Da Chun's Martial Soul."

Auntie Lan's vegetable washing paused, and she didn't turn back, "Fine, if you can make Da Chun's Soul Power break through to level one, I'll let Da Chun listen to you."

Lin Mo clenched his fists, "You just wait."

He turned and rushed out of the back kitchen, the sunlight blinding him.

The fifty-eight yuan in his hand was burning hot from his grip. He didn't go to buy food; instead, he headed straight for the largest library in Linjiang Base City.

"So what if it's a Frying Pan?" Lin Mo walked, gritting his teeth and muttering to himself, "A Frying Pan can both attack and defend. Why can't it become a top-tier Martial Soul?"

He remembered how Niu Dachun would silently lower his head every time his classmates mocked his "useless Martial Soul."

He thought of his own F-grade support-type Medicine Cauldron Martial Spirit, and his frustration when his Soul Power was always stuck at level three, unable to progress.

Lin Mo became even more desperate to prove it.

Perhaps others would say he was delusional.

But only he knew he wasn't lying.

Because he had a secret: the golden finger that had transmigrated with him—a quantum artificial intelligence.