The Marvelous Uses of Mental Power

A week had passed since Qin Ming finished absorbing the Whale Rubber. During that time, Charlton had also delivered the Iron Soul Fighting Badge Qin Ming wanted.

However, Qin Ming did not immediately head to the Great Soul Arena. Instead, he spent the week gradually familiarizing himself with the surge of power brought by the Whale Rubber.

Early in the morning, within a secluded courtyard of the Main Hall, Qin Ming stood bare-chested as he performed simple physical training.

He threw punch after punch. His muscles seemed forged from steel, their lines sharply defined, every inch appearing to contain explosive force. His fists tore through the air, making it howl from the friction.

Feeling the abundant power within his body, Qin Ming estimated that, while in Martial Soul Possession, he could now directly engage in hand-to-hand combat with Soul Beasts that had eight or nine hundred years of cultivation.

In terms of physical fitness alone, calling him a humanoid Soul Beast would not be an exaggeration.

Qin Ming exhaled and ended his training. After a week of adjustment, he had completely mastered this sudden increase in strength.

Yet that was not his greatest gain over the past week. During this time, he had already gained a preliminary grasp of how to use Mental Power.

The first use was naturally the astonishing perception granted by powerful Mental Power. When he released it, even with his eyes closed, he could form a small three-dimensional map in his mind with a radius of around ten meters.

This was exceptionally useful when scouting certain special terrains.

As for the second use...

Qin Ming looked toward an Ornamental Tree planted in the courtyard. A White Feather Bird was perched upon one of its branches.

Qin Ming picked up a small stone from the ground, pinched it between three fingers, and flicked his wrist. The stone shot through the air toward the White Feather Bird.

Chirp, chirp! Startled, the White Feather Bird hurriedly spread its wings and took to the air.

Qin Ming stared at the bird flying overhead, focusing his mind as a golden ripple flickered in his eyes.

The next moment, the bird, already in midair, suddenly stiffened. As if its soul had been pulled away, it fell straight to the ground.

Qin Ming walked over and fiddled with the White Feather Bird a few times.

The bird staggered to its feet. Its sunflower-seed-sized brain could not understand what had just happened to it. Its vision had suddenly gone dark, and it had lost all awareness.

Seeing a giant creature like Qin Ming nearby, the White Feather Bird flapped its wings and flew away again.

Qin Ming shook his head with a smile. This was the second use of Mental Power he had developed: using his own Mental Power to interfere with the perception of other living creatures.

Just as the White Feather Bird took flight, Qin Ming had applied a tiny portion of his Mental Power to it.

This was one application of Spiritual Pressure—using Mental Power far beyond that of another to impose a suppression akin to one of life level, causing distortions in the target's perception.

Qin Ming actually wanted to see whether he could, like Tang San's Purple Demon Eye or Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Shock, directly damage an enemy's Sea of Consciousness.

But he had yet to succeed. Over the past few days, he had also experimented on several small animals and found that applying Mental Power to them only produced effects similar to what had happened to the White Feather Bird.

In other words, it could only leave them stunned for a moment.

Although this effect would still be an enormous advantage in battles between Spirit Masters and could catch an opponent off guard, it was still incomparable to an actual Spiritual Attack.

Was he using the wrong method?

Since he could not figure it out himself, he might as well ask someone.

With that thought, Qin Ming got dressed and went to knock on Charlton's door.

Although there were several Soul Emperors in the entire Main Hall, Charlton undoubtedly possessed the broadest knowledge, and Qin Ming was also most familiar with him.

"What? You said your Soul Power has broken through to level fourteen?"

In the study, Charlton looked at Qin Ming in astonishment. Even his voice trembled slightly as he spoke. Qin Ming had only just obtained his First Soul Ring, yet he was now saying that he had risen three levels in less than half a month?

"Yes, Grandpa Charlton. My Soul Power Level is fourteen. I am absolutely not joking!"

There was no need for Qin Ming to hide his Soul Power Level. After all, if he went to the Soul Fighting Arena to fight in the future, his abnormal Soul Power Level would certainly be exposed. It was better to say it outright.

Charlton took out an Advanced Soul Power Testing Crystal Ball. Qin Ming placed his hand on it, and after testing, it confirmed that Qin Ming's Soul Power Level had indeed reached fourteen.

"What exactly is going on?" Charlton frowned. Such a rate of improvement in Soul Power was clearly abnormal. He feared that Qin Ming had used some forbidden and evil method.

Qin Ming had long prepared an excuse for his increase in Soul Power.

Simply put, Qin Ming had encountered an old man running a street stall while out for a walk. At that stall was a crimson Vermilion Fruit that exerted an extremely strong attraction on Qin Ming's Inferno Grey Wolf martial soul, as though even his soul craved it.

The old man said it was a good item his ancestors had obtained from the Star Dou Forest. Only because his family had fallen on hard times was he selling it. Qin Ming had then bought it for five Gold Soul Coins.

After eating the Vermilion Fruit, Qin Ming's Soul Power had not only risen by three levels, but his physical fitness had also improved tremendously.

As for why Qin Ming did not simply confess the effects of the Whale Rubber, it was because he could not explain why he knew Whale Rubber could allow Spirit Masters to absorb Soul Rings beyond their limits.

After all, Qin Ming's entire life up to this point had been far too transparent!

Anyone could dig up his background with the slightest investigation.

As a poor boy born in an ordinary village, the place where Qin Ming had encountered the most books and records was the library of the Martial Soul Main Hall.

Would Spirit Hall not know whether its own library contained records regarding Whale Rubber and the like?

Charlton nodded. Though it was somewhat unbelievable, it was entirely possible upon reflection.

Martial souls could indeed actively sense heavenly treasures that would greatly benefit a Spirit Master, or treasures capable of triggering Martial Soul Evolution.

That Vermilion Fruit should have belonged to the first category.

And the Star Dou Forest truly was the place with the greatest density of heavenly treasures on the entire continent.

"You're very lucky. You must have stumbled upon a heavenly treasure, though I don't know what variety it was." Charlton tapped his fingers on the table and spoke in a grave tone, indicating that he accepted Qin Ming's explanation.

"Grandpa Charlton, there is one more thing. After consuming that fruit, a special space appeared inside my mind."

"Whenever I stare at certain small animals, they fall into a faint-like state."

"Child, you have awakened your Sea of Consciousness."

"Sea of Consciousness?" Qin Ming scratched his head and pretended to ponder bitterly for a while.

"Is it the Sea of Consciousness located at the glabella, mentioned in the library records on hidden Spirit Masters?"

"That's right. Other than Spirit Masters with spiritual attributes, ordinary people generally only develop a stable Sea of Consciousness during the Soul Ancestor stage."

"That Vermilion Fruit must have helped stabilize your Sea of Consciousness ahead of time. Coupled with the fact that you also cultivate the Angel Meditation Method, that is why your Sea of Consciousness manifested while you were still a Spirit Master."

"This shows that the Vermilion Fruit was indeed exceptionally compatible with your martial soul." After analyzing the matter, Charlton gave what he believed to be the most reasonable explanation.

But in truth, the main reason Qin Ming could awaken his Sea of Consciousness during the Spirit Master stage was his soul, which had lived through two lifetimes.