Even as Qin Yu stepped away from the circle, the residual energy from the spirit awakening clung to him like smoke. The other children whispered behind him—some in awe, most in unease.
"Did you see that?"
"It turned black…"
"I thought it was stone. It looked like a demon."
He ignored them.
His arms still buzzed faintly where the Voidborne Body had partially formed. The sensation wasn't pain—it was density. Like every cell in that form wanted to fall inward, collapsing space itself.
Qin Yu ducked behind a tree at the edge of the square, finding shadow, breathing shallow.
> [Status: Spirit Awakening complete.]
[Detected manifestation: 18% of Voidborne Body exposed.]
[Adaptive Type: Full-body spirit – Bound to host physiology.]
[Function: Reactive evolution. Absorbs properties of defeated enemies. Expands form and traits with each ring.]
His eyes narrowed.
He had theories about full-body spirits. Rare even in Douluo Dalu. Most were elemental—lightning armor, crystal body, sometimes beastly mutations. But this?
This was something ancient.
> [System Addendum: Voidborne Body currently masked as "Obsidian Stone-Hide" martial spirit. Visual camouflage active. Signature suppressed.]
That was the save. If not for the system's interference, the full form would have emerged—limb by limb, mirrored like obsidian water, with no visible joints. A walking void.
He would have been marked on Spirit Hall's high-risk prodigy list immediately. Investigated. Controlled. Or worse—erased.
He focused on the interface again. A diagram showed a stylized version of himself—limbs darkened, pulsing faintly.
Only 18% revealed. The rest, sealed for now. But he could feel it.
Waiting.
It's alive in some way, he thought. Not conscious… but reactive.
> [Passive Acquired: Minor Void Density (Rank F)]
Increases physical resistance by 12%. Reduces body temperature trace. Absorbs minor kinetic impact.
That alone would make him tankier than most children a decade older. He smiled, faint but real.
System, open ring compatibility.
> [Recommended Ring Types (Rank 1–10):]
– Space-warping beasts
– Density manipulators
– Phase-shifting or ghost-type spirits
– Silent predators (stealth passives prioritized)
His pulse ticked up slightly.
He remembered the canon options. Some were in the Star Dou Forest. Others—he'd have to manipulate timelines to find.
Qin Yu's eyes drifted to the Spirit Hall observer again.
Still there. Still silent. Not taking notes. Just… watching.
> [Scan module available.]
> [Target: Liang Fei – Spirit Hall Junior Examiner. Rank 36. Spirit: Raven Eye. Specialty: Observation and Memory Sealing. Psychological Profile: Suspicious. Prefers to confirm facts personally.]
Qin Yu inhaled through his nose.
Raven Eye. A spirit that could replay memory fragments. He was already recorded.
There was no escaping this completely. But maybe… misdirection would be enough.
He selected Copy/Steal, hovered it near Liang Fei's interface. No—too risky. Might trigger spiritual recoil. Rank difference too high.
Instead, he returned to passive planning. He'd survived this with minimal exposure.
But he needed to think three steps ahead now.
The Voidborne Body was no minor spirit.
It was a god-killer in training.
And the world just got its first glimpse of it—dressed in stone.
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