As the echo of Liang Zhao's departing footsteps faded into the corridor, the silence of the private chamber returned. Qian Renxue leaned back into her seat, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Then—
Crack!
She felt it clearly. An imaginary barrier shattered—a weight she hadn't noticed until it was gone. A lightness spread through her entire being.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
'Finally… I have completely digested the power of the Hypnotist.'
She slowly opened her eyes. They gleamed with a depth and sharpness that was not there before.
This was the eighth Soul Douluo she had hypnotized in just one week.
'Normally, digestion would have taken weeks,if I was outside. But in Spirit Hall it is done in one week.'
She let out a soft chuckle, remembering how she had reported it to her grandfather.
"Grandfather, some Soul Douluos are suffering from dissatisfaction—it is nothing but a temporary mental imbalance due to sudden punishment. With my understanding of psychiatry, I can stabilize their hearts."
Qian Daoliu, had agreed immediately as he knew about her work from the Angel Corps. To the outside world, these were just psychiatry sessions—harmless consultations for troubled Spirit Hall members.
But in truth, Qian Renxue had been steadily reshaping their convictions, removing resentment and planting loyalty in its place. This was only possible for people whose mental strength is much lower than Qian Renxue.
She tapped her fingers on the armrest.
'Now I am directly touching the backbone of Spirit Hall. As Grandfather is working hard for restructuring of the personnel in Spirit Hall.'
Her expression darkened slightly, her eyes narrowing as her thoughts shifted.
'The Twilight Hermit Order… soon, its members will be indistinguishable from Spirit Hall itself. A hidden layer beneath the surface, breathing life into every corner of this organization.'
She exhaled softly, letting the ambition burn within her.
'This is only the first step. The true goal is not Spirit Hall alone—but the entire continent.'
At that moment, her focus shifted inward. She felt the circulation of her soul power slow, then gather, coiling in her dantian like a restless vortex.
The whirlpool of soul power spun making her expression somber.
'At that time, I had ingested two immortal herbs to accelerate my cultivation…'
Qian Renxue's thoughts drifted back to that calculated gamble.
' My soul power surged forward, breaking through bottlenecks with ease. But at the same time, it left behind this… vortex.'
In her dantian, the spiral of soul power rotated endlessly, sucking in every thread of soul power she cultivated and compressing it into a denser, heavier state. It wasn't a malignant presence. In fact, she knew what it was: the preliminary form of a soul core.
Normally, in this era only Soul Douluo at Level 90, standing at the very peak of the Douluo Continent's pyramid, had the chance to form such a core. But here it was, appearing in her body when she was only at the Soul Ancestor realm.
The corner of her lips twitched slightly.
It was a blessing… and a curse.
The vortex stabilized her soul power, strengthening each wave of energy that passed through it. Her reserves were already swelling beyond what was normal for someone of her rank.
Yet the price was steep—the soul power required to advance had multiplied several times over. Each step forward would be harder, each breakthrough slower.
(Author's Note: The fact that this vortex had formed at all meant Qian Renxue's foundation was already monstrous. Even though she was only a Soul King, her soul energy reserves were comparable to a Soul Sage and quality of Soul energy as a Titled Douluo)
Qian Renxue exhaled slowly, forcing her turbulent soul power to settle. She shook her head, strands of golden-blonde hair swaying lightly.
'No… this is not the time to worry about the distant future. The soul core will form when it must. What I need now is the next breakthrough.'
Her gaze hardened, and she turned sharply.
"Wu Meng," her voice rang out.
The maid, who had been waiting quietly like a shadow, immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, Young Master?"
"Call Uncle She Long and Uncle Ci Xue," Qian Renxue ordered without hesitation. "We're going to the Angel Corps Headquarters."
Wu Meng blinked once, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes, but she bowed again without question. "At once."
As Wu Meng left the room swiftly, Qian Renxue walked to the window, parting the white curtains slightly.
The golden roofs of Spirit City gleamed under the sun, brilliant and holy in appearance " It's time to advance."
----
Angel Corps headquarters
The solemn silence of the Angel Corps headquarters was broken only by the faint sound of footsteps echoing through the corridors. Within her spirit sea, Qian Renxue felt a familiar ripple, Tianmeng Silkworm's voice, resounded in her mind.
"Renxue, are you absolutely certain about this choice? From the description you've given me, this soul beast is purely auxiliary in nature. Didn't you say before that your fifth soul skill had to be offensive?"
Qian Renxue's expression remained calm, though her steps did not falter. "Yes. At first, I intended to secure an offensive soul skill for my fifth ring. But… there was a moment when I stood before someone gravely injured. Despite all my strength, I couldn't do anything. That helplessness… it reminded me that I must not overlook healing."
Tianmeng's tone grew sharper, tinged with incredulity. "Don't tell me—this sudden change of heart is because of that boy… Lu Ping. You saw him wounded, didn't you? And from that moment you decided your arsenal must include healing?"
(Author notes: Here it comes , but this time the advancement will be a little different. Because this breakthrough is a shed which will make Qian Renxue truly terrifying)