Time is an odd phenomenon.
Sometimes it drags like a stubborn ox, every moment stretched unbearably thin.
Other times, it slips away like a dream.
Just like that one-minute snooze on a morning alarm.
You close your eyes for a breath, and when you open them again, two hours have passed.
And so, three months had gone by.
Spirit Hall , Elder's Pavilion
It was a grand chamber, vaulted ceilings painted with golden celestial murals, floor polished like a mirror, and wide windows that bathed the room in golden light. The chamber had been positioned deliberately, offering an unobstructed view of the Spirit Hall's core grounds, including the training plazas and assembly gardens.
From here, one could observe the movements of nearly every important figure within the organization.
A delicate tea set rested atop a carved jade table, beside a slice of fruit-laced cake untouched on a porcelain plate.
Seated beside it was a girl in soft white robes, her long golden hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of sunlight. Her fingers gently cradled a teacup as she brought it to her lips, savoring the warmth.
Her name was Qian Renxue.
And at that moment, she whispered to no one in particular:
"The power of the Spectator… is 90% digested."
She set the cup down with care, her gaze drifting beyond the window.
Below, the powerful elders of Spirit Hall, men and women renowned across the continent moved about in their routines.
She was like an audience watching everyone performing a show.
She murmured again, this time with the faintest smile:
"Observing the daily lives of the so-called strongest in Douluo Continent… is the perfect method for digestion."
Her spiritual sea had expanded further in the last month, growing smoother, clearer—like a lake unbroken by ripples. Her understanding of the Spectator's faculties had evolved rapidly.
But today, her mind had moved on.
"Now… I need to hunt the next soul ring."
She leaned back in her seat, letting her eyes rest as thoughts turned inward.
Her first soul ring had given her Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing—remarkable abilities by any standard. When she had revealed them to Qian Daoliu, he had praised her, calling them:
"Excellent auxiliary skills. With your next ring, we should aim for a strong offensive soul skill."
A common view, a logical one.
But…
Qian Renxue disagreed.
She had never explained to her grandfather that she now walked a path beyond soul masters. That she had become something else.
A Beyonder.
To others, her skills were merely support.
To her—they were keystones in a grander system.
"They think auxiliary soul skills are 'non-combat'… But when paired with the abilities of the Spectator, they're not just powerful… they're transcendent. The right combination is more than 1 + 1 = 2. It becomes greater than 11."
Her eyes glowed faintly, a flicker of gold hidden beneath layers of purple.
"The path of the Beyonder… it's not about strength at the start. It's about understanding. About preparing to twist the rules of the world itself."
She was still in the early sequences. Weak, compared to Titled Douluos and Spirit Halls' old monsters. But she had time.
And she knew how this path worked.
In the beginning, you are like a frail bird.
But if you survive… you grow wings that pierce the firmament.
Her fingers tapped gently on the porcelain teacup.
'No one can hurt me here in the Elder's Hall.'
Qian Renxue's smile lingered as she gazed down at the Spirit Hall compound, her fingers idly brushing the rim of her teacup.
But then her expression darkened, a frown drawing her brows together.
'Well… no one except Bibi Dong.'
Her eyes narrowed.
'That woman might be bound by the current level of a Soul Saint, but madness is a strength of its own. She's unpredictable and dangerous being the inheritor of Raksahasa Goddess . The cherry on the top is she hates me.'
Of course, Grandfather could protect her.
But it irked her depending on others for her safety. Even someone as mighty as Qian Daoliu, who is her Grandfather.
'Leaving my life to the whim of a lunatic... even if Grandfather is watching—'
She clenched her fist.
'—it's no better than being a pawn on someone else's chessboard.'
And at that thought… her gaze turned cold.
She remembered the so-called Gods.
Those who sat high above, preaching about balance and rules. Preaching about non-interference.
And yet—
They broke those rules the moment it suited their narrative.
"Resurrecting Tang San…"
She spat mentally.
'So the rules only exist until your chosen one dies, huh? Shameless hypocrites.'
The moment that bitter thought flickered through her, a familiar voice gently broke through the silence of her mind.
"How are you, Little Renxue?"
Qian Renxue blinked.
A smile, this time genuine, blossomed across her lips.
She closed her eyes, and in the next breath, her consciousness plunged into her spiritual sea.
There, within the crystalline clarity of her mental world, a serene figure awaited—tall, robed in spectral gray, his eyes gentle yet ancient. A scholar of the eternal, scarred by time but unwavering.
Electrolux.
"You're awake?" Her voice carried joy and relief.
"Mm," he nodded, though his expression was a little tired. "Just long enough to check the seal. I'll need to rest again soon."
Together, their eyes turned toward the distant edge of the sea—where a storm of immense power was bound by a glowing seal of Ice and Fire, held together by sacred runes and reinforced by Electrolux's remaining spiritual strength.
The aura of that sealed force was vast… divine… but maddening.
Even here, in the heart of her spiritual domain, its presence twisted the air subtly. The whispers of ancient madness still echoed faintly around it—traces of the God Almighty she had partially fused with.
Qian Renxue exhaled slowly.
Her spiritual form crossed her arms.
"Sigh… I feel like a time bomb."
All the pride she had felt—after digesting nearly all of Spectator Sequence 9—now felt hollow. Her hard-earned stability seemed fragile in the shadow of that terrifying divine seed.
Electrolux's gaze softened.
"Don't worry. You've done well. I'd even say better than I hoped. The seal is holding. For now, that's enough."
He looked at her with the kindness of a teacher, the steadiness of a guide.
But then he shifted the subject, gently nudging her mood.
"According to your cultivation system, you're now due for your second soul ring."
He smiled faintly, his voice laced with curiosity.
"So… what soul beast have you decided on?"