Qian Renxue opened her eyes slowly, and for a moment, her purple pupils shimmered with waves like a deep whirpool.
The first thing she noticed that her martial soul has become clearer, only it's face and chest felt blurry. She blinked, slightly surprised.
"…It has become clearer?" she murmured to herself.
Her soul power had reached the Soul Ancestor level, and her Sequence had advanced as well. She was now a Sequence 6—Hypnotist.
There were no drastic changes in her martial soul's appearance beyond its clarified form. After confirming this, she withdrew it and turned her attention inward, toward the abilities as a Beyonder.
She smiled, a touch of satisfaction flickering across her features as she sorted through the information flooding into her mind:
Psychological Invisibility:
With a Hypnotist's mastery over the Body of Heart and Mind, they could slide into the blind spot of a target's consciousness, rendering themselves imperceptible even while standing directly in front of someone.
Even when holding attention-drawing objects, such as glowing incense or flickering candles, they could remain unseen, provided they focused their entire mind. The environment and interactions would be perceived by the target, but the Hypnotist themselves would be ignored.
However, if their actions grew too conspicuous or broke the natural logic of the scene, the invisibility would inevitably collapse.
Hypnosis:
Her former Psychological Cue ability had undergone a qualitative leap. Now, with just her voice, gaze, or even body language, she could cast powerful hypnotic suggestions deep into a target's psyche, commanding thoughts, sensations, even memories.
Dragon Scales:
A shimmering defense had now become accessible. She could manifest a thin layer of Dragon Scales across her skin, deflecting blades, arrows, and even some physical attacks.
Qian Renxue clenched her fist, feeling the sturdiness of her body, the elasticity of her mind, and the newfound confidence of her heart.
"I've become much stronger," she whispered. "I can now easily defeat 10 of previous me."
But she wasn't done yet. She directed her spiritual senses toward her fourth soul ring, the one she'd obtained from the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear.
Then the soul ring pulsed, and two distinct abilities surfaced.
Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear Roar:
A terrifying mixture of sonic and spiritual force. This roar would shake the minds of those who heard it, crumbling their concentration, confidence, and composure. An area-of-effect technique that could leave a group stunned or fleeing.
"If I use this while cloaked in Psychological Invisibility," she thought, "the enemy will fall before they even realize I'm there."
Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear Claw:
A high-powered slashing attack that tore through everything. It seemed to carry the intent of space-rending force.
Qian Renxue frowned slightly.
"The soul power cost is… heavy," she noted, "but the destructive potential… is immense."
Then, she noticed something else.
She even felt her mental power had increased significantly. Her thoughts were sharper, clearer, like a mirror wiped clean. Her perception extended farther, deeper, and her spiritual sea churned with energy and clarity she had never known before.
But just as Qian Renxue allowed herself a moment of contentment, a wave of burning agony surged through her arms.
"Agh—!" she gasped, staggering forward as a searing heat engulfed both her wrists. It wasn't just pain, it felt as though red-hot chains were branding her bones from the inside out. Her veins bulged, her skin flushed crimson, and her fingers curled involuntarily from the intensity.
The pain was sharp, primal, and unforgiving. As if molten metal was being poured directly into her forearms, melting muscle, nerve, and bone alike, reshaping her from within.
'What… is this?!' she clenched her teeth, trying not to scream. Her knees buckled, and she barely managed to stay upright by propping herself against the cave wall.
Then she remembered—external soul bones. Unlike spirit rings, they physically integrated into the body, and their fusion was always a painful process. But even within the records of Douluo Dalu, there was never any mention of someone receiving two external soul bones at once.
'Both hands…? Am I that lucky…?'
Beads of sweat trickled down her face, dripping onto the ground in a slow, steady rhythm. Her muscles trembled, every inch of her body taut with tension. First spiritual torment from advancing to Sequence 6… and now this. The world around her swam in and out of focus, and she found herself in a haze of heat, sweat, and stabbing pain.
Only after what felt like an eternity did the fire within her wrists begin to subside. Her breathing slowed from panicked gasps to ragged breaths.
With trembling hands, she lifted them before her, feeling something new within her bones, waiting to be called. So, she released them.
Shhhh-click!
From the tips of her fingers, five gleaming, dark-golden blade-like claws extended on each hand. They shimmered ominously under the faint light of her room, gleaming like curved sabers forged from a predator's will.
Each claw was razor-sharp, curved with brutal elegance, like the talons of a god of war. Even a casual swing through the air left a faint hiss, the displacement of air nearly audible. She gently scraped them against a nearby rock slab. The stone split apart with no resistance, cut cleanly like tofu.
She felt the abilities of the soul bone. Both the external soul bones in her wrist had the same abilities. With a swing of her hands , she can create several meter long projections of blade like claw that slash through the air.
Qian Renxue smiled and thought 'What if I my soul bone skill is used in conjuction with my 4th soul skill Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear Claw?'
She retracted the soul bone and clenched her fists, flexing her fingers. The blades vanished seamlessly back into her wrists, as though they had never existed.
'I think… I can go toe-to-toe with a Soul Doulou in raw strength now and can even defeat a Soul Sage very easily,' Qian renxue thought, feeling the power thrumming within her limbs with the advancement this time.
Today had been exhausting for her . First her Beyonder advancement and its spiritual trials, then the grueling physical torture of soul bone fusion. Her robes were damp with sweat, and her hair clung to her forehead.
But despite her fatigue, there was a faint light in her eyes.
She had grown stronger, much stronger.