Chapter 12: Talking Your Way Out Is a Skill, Too

“Beibei, although a single Pink Lady’s toxin isn’t very strong, you must be careful not to inhale too much.”

“I know, Mom!”

Jiang Beibei felt warm and familiar despite her mother Erlong’s endless nagging.

“Seductive Martial Soul, possess me!”

This was her first battle as a Soul Master, and facing an entire clan of soul beasts made her heart race with nervousness.

As she unleashed her Martial Soul, the three bone-like markings on her forehead and cheeks shimmered with golden light, amplified by the “Spirit Fox Seal.”

The air, once sullied and rotten from the Pink Ladies, began to dissolve like the melting snow of early spring.

Sensing an invader, the entire Pink Lady tribe, whether listless or poised to “rise again,” swiftly shifted into battle mode.

For a moment, the whole forest seemed engulfed in a cacophony of buzzing.

“Buzz!”

With a piercing scream from the leader Pink Lady, the entire soul beast clan’s sounds fell into a disciplined rhythm, their movements synchronized into what appeared to be a massive collective entity.

“As I suspected, these soul beasts individually lack consciousness, but together they form a collective mind akin to a beehive or ant colony,” Jiang Beibei recalled from her past life, where she observed such beasts in anime and noted their unique group behavior.

According to information from the Wind Spirit Fox, Xiaobai, she knew her soul skill was weak against group attacks.

Yet, this solid “iron plate” formation actually played to her advantage.

“Mom, I feel confident I can handle this alone. Please hold back for now!”

To test her hypothesis, she called back to her mother Erlong, who had hoped to let her daughter gain experience, feeling a sense of pride.

“First Soul Skill, Enchantment!”

With a surge of soul power, pink patterns rapidly expanded around Jiang Beibei’s pupils in the shape of a hexagram, making her eyes look eerily captivating.

As she shouted the skill’s name, she silently repeated its true name in her mind: “First Soul Skill, Sinking!”

Suddenly, a more vivid pink shockwave than that of the Pink Ladies surged forward.

But instead of colliding in a typical soul power clash, the pink wave dispersed like pollen upon touching the Pink Lady cluster, precisely attaching to each individual.

“Is this really Beibei’s first battle? Her control over the soul skill is incredible!”

Watching closely, Erlong instantly recognized the subtlety and marveled at her daughter’s extraordinary talent.

Most Soul Masters simply follow the release methods tied to the soul rings they absorb, while only a rare few with exceptional gifts can adapt their soul skills at will.

Such gifted Soul Masters are often labeled geniuses and highly sought after by great forces.

Among them, those with stronger talent and intellect can freely combine and alter soul skills, ultimately forging unique, personal abilities.

Soul skills created this way are immensely powerful, and if one can pass them down, founding a major sect becomes entirely possible.

Take the continent’s top sect, Haotian Sect, for instance; legend holds they possess a self-created soul skill that continuously amplifies their Haotian Hammer, alongside an astonishing number of title Douluos, securing their long-standing dominance.

Jiang Beibei had just acquired her first soul skill yet had already found her unique variation — such terrifying talent sparked hope in Erlong’s heart, seeing a star destined not to be buried.

Yet, Jiang Beibei herself was unaware.

Her clever move was not a self-created soul skill prototype but simply transforming the enchantment power into a conduit, leveraging the Pink Ladies’ unique nature to attempt a mental link with the Pink Lady Queen.

Had it been another soul beast, she wouldn’t dare attempt this; spiritual collisions are perilous and could leave one a lifelong vegetable.

“Xiaobai, assist me!”

“Woo~!”

Soon, in the spiritual realm, Jiang Beibei sensed a powerful consciousness — the combined spirit of the Pink Lady Queen.

Not daring to overreach, she immediately summoned the Wind Spirit Fox’s soul form into the spiritual world.

Together, person and fox launched an attack, and suddenly the Pink Lady Queen froze, her entire tribe controlled by her suspended midair.

“Good child, will you become my partner? The Sunset Forest is no place for you. Come with me to witness the starry seas!”

In her sinking state, the Pink Lady Queen’s tiny, densely packed eyes softened; she sensed the genuine kindness of this human who truly wished to befriend her.

“Buzz~!”

The initial “negotiation” was brief; with renewed buzzing, Jiang Beibei’s ruse failed.

The mental link severed, and a strong repulsive force pushed both sides back.

“Don’t like my current strength?”

After all, this Pink Lady Queen was a 3,300-year-old soul beast supported by her entire tribe — not so easily subdued by a level-twenty-something Soul Master.

“Beibei? Are you alright?”

Erlong, a fierce offensive Soul Master, was not well-versed in spiritual attacks but knew such battles were far more dangerous than conventional ones.

Seeing both sides retreat, she grew worried.

“Mom, I’m fine, just a bit underestimated, hehe.”

Jiang Beibei waved off her mother’s concern with a relaxed smile, momentarily halting Erlong’s urge to intervene.

Turning back, her eerie eyes grew serious.

“Xiaobai, show them our true strength!”

“Spirit Fox Seal, full amplification!”

Excited by her owner’s surging battle spirit, Xiaobai’s two external soul bones gleamed with a dazzling pale gold light, piercing the Pink Ladies’ eyes.

The once ironclad formation descended into chaos, with many “headless flies” scattering wildly.

“First Soul Skill, Enchantment!”

This time, a stronger pink shockwave surged straight into the soul beast cluster.

Unlike before, this was a genuine offensive strike.

The already struggling Pink Lady Queen suddenly realized she had lost control over her tribe; these “disobedient” members huddled together, shamelessly acting out in public.

“Don’t hesitate. How long do you think you can survive leading such a ragtag group? This life must be hard, right?”

Just as the Queen seethed, Jiang Beibei forcibly reconnected their consciousness, launching a new round of persuasion.

“Buzz…”

The tribe’s fragility and past humiliations hiding in the eastern Sunset Forest began to shatter the Queen’s will.