Qian Renxue sat cross-legged in meditation, the cold air of the chamber still tinged with the scent of blood. The soul ring, gleaming faintly with lingering light, hovered just before her.
But before beginning the absorption, she sank inward, her consciousness diving into the familiar depths of her spirit sea.
Within that mental plane, a soft mist curled like clouds over a vast ocean of spiritual energy. The ice-and-fire seal pulsed faintly in the distance, still containing the terrifying power of the God Almighty.
Floating above the waters like a ghostly figure, the grey silhouette of Electrolux rested peacefully.
Qian Renxue didn't bother with gentleness.
"OLD MAN ELECTROLUX! WAKE UP!" she shouted, voice echoing across the spiritual expanse.
Electrolux jolted upright, startled from his rest.
"What happened?! Is the seal breaking?"
Qian Renxue crossed her arms, face calm.
"No. I'm about to absorb my second soul ring. I need you to monitor the seal, and also observe if there are any… unexpected developments during the absorption."
Electrolux narrowed his eyes slightly, then nodded.
"Understood. I'll stay alert."
She then turned to the plump, floating form of Tianmeng Silkworm, who was pretending to look more important than usual.
"You too, Tianmeng. Be ready to inject your energy when I give the signal."
The ancient silkworm puffed out his chest or tried to.
"Heh! Leave it to me, Xiao Xue! Watch me work my magic."
Returning to the real world, Qian Renxue let out a slow breath.
This was the moment.
The light-yellow soul ring hovering above the corpse of the Brain Devouring Orangutan trembled, sensing her will. As if pulled by fate, it drifted toward her, spinning slightly, then descended upon her body.
Soul ring absorption had started.
Immediately, her body stiffened, the ring of energy merging with her soul framework. At that precise moment, inside her spirit sea, Tianmeng Silkworm narrowed his eyes and let out a grunt.
"Now!" he shouted.
An immense wave of soul power surged forth from Tianmeng, flowing along the ethereal connection between them, rushing directly into the soul ring that was merging with her.
The changes began immediately.
Electrolux monitored the ice-and-fire seal closely.
The gentle yellow of the soul ring darkened, taking on a richer hue dark yellow at first, then shimmering faintly as the color shifted toward purple.
The ring turned dark purple, then took on an even deeper shade, crackling faintly with energy as it shifted to black, the sign of a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
But Tianmeng didn't stop.
The soul ring gleamed with vibrant life, trembling in place before the color deepened to an ominous crimson—the mark of the rare and terrifying hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Still… Tianmeng kept pushing.
Electrolux raised an eyebrow as the ring continued to evolve.
"This soul ring is going evolve beyond natural limits…"
Golden lines, faint at first, then began to shimmer and streak through the blood-red soul ring.
One. Two. Three…
The lines pulsed like divine threads being woven through the ring. Each one brought with it a slight shake to the space around her.
"Four. Five. Six…"
"Seven. Eight…"
Tianmeng's body sagged, transparent sweat dripping from his chubby face.
"Nine… Ten!"
The final golden stripe seared across the ring like a divine brand.
The soul ring now changed from a blood-red ring to a radiant golden soul ring fully hovered over Qian Renxue's body.
However, just as the soul ring reached the million-year mark, and everything seemed to be going smoothly, something changed.
Behind Qian Renxue, a majestic phantom manifested. It was her Martial Soul, the twelve-winged Angel.
Its form was still indistinct, a silhouette wreathed in divine light, as if mortal eyes were unworthy to behold its complete majesty.
The first million-year soul ring already rested behind the Angel's head like a halo, brilliant and radiant.
And now, the second soul ring, freshly formed and glowing with gold, was inexplicably pulled toward it. In a flash of divine resonance, it rotated into position, forming a second concentric halo, orbiting parallel with the first.
The sight was awe-inspiring.
But then,the murmurs began.
They did not come from the ice-and-fire seal. They did not emerge from the power of God Almighty, nor did they ripple from the spiritual realms Qian Renxue had known.
They came from within.
Like an ocean of whispers rising from her deepest subconscious, voices rippled with cryptic tongues and impossible harmonies, carrying meaning not meant for human comprehension.
W̷h̷a̷.̶.̴ ̵k̶i̸.̷.̶d̴ ̷o̶f̴ ̴D̶.̷e̸.̶.̵m̶ ̶c̷a̴.̵.̵.̶ ̴y̸o̸ ̶w̷.̷.̶i̶.̶a̸.̶.̶e̴.̶ ̶W̶.̸.̶t̴.̶.̵r̶ ̷.̶.̶f̸ ̸.̵.̶m̷.̸.̸n̶,̷?̸
Qian Renxue's pupils trembled, but her will remained iron.
She had already experienced this once before during absorption of her first soul ring. She had fallen prey to the divine murmurs then, nearly consumed by the chaotic tides.
Not this time.
She clenched her mind and tried to anchored herself like a lighthouse in a storm.
Across the spirit sea, Tianmeng Silkworm had collapsed onto the surface, shivering violently.
"Xiao Xue, w-where is that sound coming from?!" he cried, hugging himself .
Even Electrolux looked grim. He scanned the air and frowned.
"It's not from the seal. This isn't divine… this is... chaos. These murmurs… feel like they are everywhere."
He clenched his spectral fists but could do nothing but observe.
Time passed ,maybe seconds, maybe hours, inside that mental storm.
Then, as suddenly as they came, the whispers ceased.
As if a curtain was drawn shut on a stage of madness.
Qian Renxue's breathing returned to normal.
And—
Her eyes opened.
Her beautiful purple eyes which had just become golden for a split second, became purple again.
She had succeeded.
Her soul power surged, settling at level 26, a full leap into the Soul Grandmaster realm. A trace of extra spiritual power still flowed in her body, a remnant of Tianmeng's overabundant energy.
More importantly—
Something had changed.
There was a new stillness in her mind, and also a new depth.
If before her thoughts were like flowing water, now they were like a vast lake, still, reflective, and impossibly deep.
Qian Renxue sat in silence for a moment, then whispered with calm clarity:
"Sequence 8… Telepathist."
Her Beyonder Pathway had advanced again.