The newly formed golden soul ring aligned itself, joining the two others already present behind her martial soul. The three rings glowed with resonant brilliance, forming a trinity of divine.
The third million-year soul ring shimmered as it locked into place, aligning behind Qian Renxue's martial soul. Now, three rings spun slowly in perfect harmony. They hovered, concentric and glowing, around the hazy shadow of her twelve-winged martial soul.
And then, as expected, the whispers began.
They were faint at first, just static scratching the edges of her consciousness. But Qian Renxue had experienced them before. She was prepared.
Tianmeng tensed in her spiritual sea. The first time he had felt these murmurs, they nearly shredded his mind. Now, fortified by experience and will, he braced himself. "It's starting again," he muttered. "These things... I still don't know where they come from."
But before he could continue, Electrolux, standing nearby like a holy specter, tilted his head slightly. His ancient eyes, now faintly tinged with a golden hue, narrowed.
"It's just some little murmurs," he said, voice calm, almost casual.
Tianmeng blinked. "Just…? You're kidding, right?"
Electrolux did not elaborate, his golden eyes merely watching in silence.
Meanwhile, the whispers were fully upon Qian Renxue now, insidious, seductive, curling around the edges of her awareness like smoke under a door.
They slithered through her mind, their voices layered and indistinct, yet oddly alluring:
"W̷.̵.̴a̴t̶ ̵k̸.̷.̴... ̸o̶f̶ ̵d̴.̸.̵.̸a̸.̷.̵.̷ ̸d̸.̵.̷ ̷y̶.̶.̷u̵ ̵w̵.̷n̶.̵.̶t̷o̸ ̷w̷.̸.̷.̷v̶.̷.…̷?̷ ̷R̷.̶e̴.̷.̸.̴r̸ ̶o̷f̵ ̶M̵e̶.̵.̴o̷.̵.̴i̶e̵.̵.̷.̶"̴
The words reverberated in her soul sea, echoing off invisible walls. Yet Qian Renxue sat unmoved. Her breathing remained calm. Her purple eyes remained closed.
Her will was unwavering.
Her consciousness held steady like a blade in the storm, and the murmurs, failing to find purchase, slowly began to retreat.
One last whisper curled around her ear before vanishing:
And then there was silence.
Qian Renxue opened her eyes. The haze lifted from her mind like mist under sunlight. Her entire spirit felt sharpened, as though someone had cleaned a foggy mirror inside her head.
'I see things more clearly now,' she thought. 'My spiritual sea… it's expanded again.'
The sea within her consciousness had indeed grown, vast and luminous.
She gazed at her martial soul hovering behind her, its silhouette clearer than before. The twelve wings spread faintly, no longer just a blur of divine light, but still a mystery.
As the golden glow of the soul ring faded and her martial soul went back, Qian Renxue sat in silence.
But the stillness was fleeting, within moments, a tide of information poured into her mind. It was as if her very spirit was being etched with truths long forgotten by the world.
....
Soul Skill Abilities:
Illusion (Active):
She could now weave illusions directly using mental energy around her. With a mere thought, she could alter the perception of others, change the color of her soul rings, mask her presence, project false images or misleading auras.
Disguise (Passive):
This, however, went deeper. It can physically alter her.
Change skin tone, eye color, even height and musculature or even suppress her soul power. It was molecular camouflage.
And the best part? It didn't require her martial soul to be released.
'Disguise is a pretty nasty ability if used properly…'
Qian Renxue thought with satisfaction.
'The only reason it's this potent is because the soul ring is a million years old.'
And that was only half of the gain.
The abilities she gained due to advancement of her Beyonder Path was
Sequence 7—Psychiatrist.
New Abilities:
Frenzy:
She could now stir emotions within others to a dangerous edge. With a whisper or a glance, she could tip someone into a spiral of rage, panic, or despair. Their emotions would consume them, rendering them mentally vulnerable and spiritually broken.
Telepathy:
It was not just mind-reading anymore. With the right medium like a candlelight, incense she could pull someone's consciousness into a semi-hypnotic state, gaining access to their deepest memories, traumas, and secrets.
Psychological Cue:
This ability was more insidious. With specific phrases, gestures, or even objects, she could implant behavioral triggers deep into a person's psyche. They'd never notice, but from that point on, they'd obey without resistance.
It wasn't mind control.
Awe (Dragon's Might, Mass Chaos):
A burst of mental pressure that could blanket a battlefield.
Those with weak wills would freeze. Others would collapse in fear or chaos, seeing dragons where none existed. Only those with strong mental will could resist it.
Placate (Psychoanalysis):
This power gave her the reverse ability, healing minds.
Those at the brink of collapse, those about to lose themselves to madness or rage she could pull them back with just a few well-placed words.
She could awaken memories, bring peace to broken psyches… or selectively remove what needed to be forgotten.
Physical Enhancements:
Her sight had evolved beyond the mundane, night vision, micro-detail recognition, were now visible to her.
Her body too was faster, stronger, more resilient.
And her nose… her sense of smell was much more sharper than before.
Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes.
'Mid-sequence truly stands on a different level.'
'I feel as if I can take on a Soul Sage head on and if they take me lightly, I even have a chance in defeat them.'