Chapter 5, First Soul Skill: Laser Eyes! An unexpected encounter with Huo Yuhao!
A valley of jumbled rocks, in front of a cave.
A faint smell of blood filled the air, and the broken corpse of the three-eyed wolf lay quietly to one side.
Liu Yuan sat cross-legged in front of the corpse, his eyes closed, his breathing steady and deep.
Above his head, the deep yellow century-old soul ring pulsed, transforming into strands of pure energy that flowed continuously into his body through his pores and meridians.
During the absorption process, the resentment left by the three-eyed wolf condensed into a final mental shock, attempting to stir up trouble in Liu Yuan's mental sea.
It was a miniature ghost wolf, baring its fangs and claws, trying to tear Liu Yuan's consciousness apart.
"Hmph, I could kill you with a single glare when you were alive, and you think you can turn the world upside down after you're dead?"
Within his spiritual sea of consciousness, Liu Yuan's mind let out a cold snort.
In the void, a pair of enormous double pupils slowly opened, exuding supreme majesty and indifference. With just a single glance, the arrogant vengeful wolf spirit vanished without a trace, like snow melting in hot water.
"Give it to me... to refine!"
With the resentment suppressed, the absorption of the remaining soul power became a natural process.
I don't know how much time passed.
"call--"
Liu Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air, which formed a white ribbon in the air that lingered for a long time.
He slowly opened his eyes.
A faint, eerie light now flickered within his originally deep, double pupils, making him appear even more mysterious and unpredictable.
"It's a success."
Liu Yuan stood up, feeling the surging soul power within his body, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
That feeling of being filled with power is intoxicating.
"His soul power level has directly broken through the level 20 barrier, reaching level 21!"
"Next, let's take a look at this soul skill."
With a thought, Liu Yuan calmed his mind and began to sense the newly added yellow mark in his mind.
"First Soul Skill... Mental Ray?"
Based on the feedback in my mind, the activation method of this soul skill is very simple:
They compress and fuse their spiritual and soul power in their eyes, and then release it in the form of rays through the unique structure of their double pupils.
This is a mixed damage.
It encompasses both the physical destructiveness of soul power and the penetrating and intimidating power of mental power.
"This...this is just like Cyclops!"
Liu Yuan couldn't help but make a comment.
"Whether it looks like it or not, let's test its power first."
Liu Yuan turned around and fixed his gaze on a hard granite rock that was about half a person tall.
He took a deep breath, mobilized the twenty-first level of soul power that had just been promoted within his body, and concentrated his mind at the same time.
"First Soul Skill, Mental Ray!"
Buzz!
With a soft buzzing sound, Liu Yuan's originally dark pupils suddenly lit up.
The next second.
laugh--!!!
Two beams of red light, only as thick as a finger but extremely condensed, burst forth from his double pupils in an instant!
The beam of light struck the granite instantly.
There was no explosion, and no flying debris.
The red beam of light sliced through the rock without any resistance, just like a hot knife cutting through butter.
As Liu Yuan turned his head, his gaze shifted horizontally.
hiss hiss hiss...
A smooth, mirror-like cut appeared instantly on the hard granite.
"Break!"
The light in Liu Yuan's eyes vanished.
Click.
The granite slab, about half the height of a person, slowly slid down and crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Its cut surface was so smooth that it could even reflect light!
"hiss..."
Looking at the masterpiece before him, even Liu Yuan himself couldn't help but gasp.
"Such powerful force!"
"This isn't just a physical cut; the instant the rays made contact, I could feel the material structure in that small area being destroyed. If it were hitting a person..."
Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes.
No matter how high your physical defense is, it probably can't stop this penetrating attack that combines mental attributes.
Moreover, the intimidating effect that comes with mental power will cause the enemy to freeze the moment they are hit, making it impossible for them to make any further reaction.
Most importantly—
Liu Yuan closed his eyes and sensed the energy depletion within his body.
"Minimal consumption!"
The shot that lasted for about two seconds only consumed a tiny bit of soul power and mental energy!
What does this mean?
This means that this "mental ray" can be used as a regular basic attack!
In contrast, the "distortion" and "insight" that come with double pupils consume an astonishing amount of energy.
Especially "Twisting," a full-force attack can drain most of his mana bar, and it also has a considerable casting delay.
The "Mental Ray" is instantaneous, deals continuous damage, has low cost, and has a long range.
"This is what they call a superior replacement..."
Liu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "With this move, my combat system is now basically complete."
I kite my opponent from a distance with psychic rays, and when they get close, I use "Insight" to dodge and then create distance again...
Hmm, not bad.
...
After absorbing the spirit ring and cleaning up the scene, Liu Yuan did not rush to leave the Star Dou Great Forest.
Since he was already here and had reached level twenty-one, he decided to acquire his second soul skill as well.
"A truly powerful Soul Master cannot have any weaknesses."
Liu Yuan sat on a branch of a large tree, resting while contemplating the choice of his second soul ring.
"Now I have both attack methods and reconnaissance methods."
But what is my biggest weakness?
"It's about survivability. In other words, the tolerance for mistakes."
In this dangerous Douluo Continent, getting injured is commonplace.
Moreover, given his current setup, if he were to suffer a serious injury in battle, he would be finished.
Unless he can find a consistent healing-type Soul Master to team up with, but that's impossible.
"I remember that in other worldviews, when the double pupils are cultivated to the extreme, they can even release life essence and possess the heaven-defying power of 'bringing the dead back to life and healing flesh and bones'."
Liu Yuan stroked his chin. "Although I am still a long way from that level, I can simulate the process through soul rings."
"As long as the second spirit ring can provide me with a skill that allows me to recover or absorb life force, my ability to sustain combat will increase exponentially."
If you can't win, you can run away; if you can't run away, you can wear them down; if you get hurt, you can heal yourself.
This is the perfect combat logic.
"Target identified: Spiritual attribute soul beasts with healing abilities or strong vitality."
"However, the only soul beasts I can think of right now are things like the Fairy Flower and the Soul Butterfly..."
"These soul beasts are extremely rare..."
"We can only try our luck."
Liu Yuan embarked on his journey once again.
However.
It seems that my luck has truly run out this time.
For the next two weeks.
Liu Yuan wandered around the boundary between the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest and the mixed zone countless times.
But he has yet to find his target spirit beast.
The evening of the fifteenth day.
Somewhat irritated, Liu Yuan pushed aside the bushes in front of him, his level-one soul tool short sword stained with the green blood of an unknown soul beast.
"This is so hard to find."
Just as he was about to find a place to start a fire and cook.
Sudden.
"Slurp..."
Liu Yuan's nose twitched slightly.
An extremely enticing fragrance drifted into his nostrils on the evening breeze.
It was a complex aroma that blended the scents of burnt oil, cumin, perilla, and some special seasoning.
That is...
The smell of grilled fish!
"Gurgle."
Liu Yuan's stomach let out a disapproving growl.
After eating dry rations and bland roasted meat for more than a month, this smell was an irresistible temptation for him.
But the next second, Liu Yuan's eyes suddenly turned sharp.
"How can there be such professional grilled fish in the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"unless..."
A sudden thought flashed through Liu Yuan's mind, and he instantly thought of a person, or rather, a plot point.
"Grilled fish...Star Dou Great Forest...Huo Yuhao?"
"Could it be Huo Yuhao?"
"Let's go take a look."
Without hesitation, he immediately lowered his body and crept towards the direction from which the fragrance was coming.
With his double pupils activated, his "insight" ability was pushed to its limit, allowing him to blend almost seamlessly into his surroundings without making a sound.
We walked through a dense thicket of bushes.
A clear stream appeared ahead.
As dusk approached, a bonfire was lit by the stream, its orange-red flames dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Liu Yuan hid behind a large tree and peered over there through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
Three people were sitting around the campfire.
The one on the left is a boy who looks to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. He is tall and slender with a handsome face. His short, dark blue hair looks particularly refined in the firelight. He is smiling and saying something.
The one on the right is a girl dressed in a light purple outfit, with a ponytail, snow-white skin, and a pair of bright, lively eyes. At this moment, she is staring at the food on the fire with no regard for her image, drooling.
Between the two, the one in charge of grilling the fish was a boy who looked to be only eleven or twelve years old.
He was dressed simply, even somewhat shabby, and was thin, but this did not affect his skillful flipping and grilling movements.
At this moment, he is focused on sprinkling seasonings onto the grilled fish in his hand, and that's where the enticing aroma comes from.
Look at this iconic trio.
Liu Yuan's lips curled slightly upward, and he silently uttered three names:
"It really was them..."
(End of chapter)