The golden soul ring slowly rose from the Scepter of Destruction. Like a river awakened and freed from the constraints of its banks, it began to circle Gu Linyuan at a leisurely pace.
Its glow was warm and weighty, fine golden patterns flowing along its edges. With every revolution, an almost imperceptible hum rippled through the air.
The sound was faint, like the subtle tremor of an ancient bell beneath a frozen lake, leaving behind only a transparent lingering resonance by the time it reached the surface.
Gu Linyuan's breathing was slow and deep.
With every turn of the soul ring, tiny golden motes flaked off its surface and seeped into his shoulders, neck, arms, and back. Drawn by some unseen force, they merged inch by inch into the depths of his skin.
His brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed again.
The process of those motes entering his body was far from gentle.
He could feel an immense power slowly advancing along his meridians, like a broad river pouring into a narrow channel. The current was not swift, yet every place it passed widened the riverbanks a little further.
His body was slowly being reshaped by the soul ring's energy.
Ah Yin crouched several steps away, her hands folded over her knees, saying nothing.
She watched the faint crease between Gu Linyuan's brows appear and fade. She watched the golden radiance flow evenly over his skin. She watched his fingertips twitch ever so slightly from time to time before returning to stillness.
Her gaze remained fixed on his face, as though she were scrutinizing every expression frame by frame, confirming whether those minute changes remained within a normal range.
Only when his brow had completely smoothed and his breathing became even and deep once more—as if his body had adapted to