Chapter Thirty-Eight: Special Abilities
When Yang Haoran picked up the mirror and looked at himself again, he was stunned. It was from this moment that he believed he had become different from an ordinary person.
The Death God Seal still resided between his brows, but compared to before, it had undergone a transformation.
Previously, the Death God Seal was like a tattoo imprinted between his brows, possessing no other peculiarity save for its lifelike appearance. But now, the Death God Seal between his brows was emitting wisps of black smoke, clearly visible even without close inspection.
“These black wisps are. . . ? ”
“That is not black smoke; it is Spirit Power, condensed from Pure Yin Qi,” Jiang Dashi explained.
“Spirit Power? ” Yang Haoran licked his dry lips, his astonishment not diminishing but growing even more intense.
Before today, he had been an ordinary person, never having witnessed such wondrous things. These supernatural existences, once only seen in films or novels, were now manifesting within him. His shock was utterly unavoidable.
Jiang Dashi seemed unsurprised by Yang Haoran's astonishment. He continued, “The Death God Seal has been activated. Next, I will teach you how to freely manifest and conceal the Death God Seal. ”
Yang Haoran hadn't even had a chance to express his gratitude before Jiang Dashi began instructing him. He reined in his surprise, focusing intently, terrified of missing a single detail.
Concealing the Death God Seal, Yang Haoran looked at himself in the mirror once more. The black-smoke-emitting Death God Seal between his brows had vanished.
“Concealing the Death God Seal can prevent some unnecessary trouble. However, this method can only deceive the naked eye. Should you encounter someone who cultivates ocular techniques or is born with them, then this concealment method becomes utterly useless. ”
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran put down the mirror and asked, “Are ocular techniques like in movies, where people have special eyes? ”
Jiang Dashi nodded. “Precisely. ”
“Such people really exist? ” Yang Haoran asked, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
Seeing Yang Haoran's reaction, Jiang Dashi let out a wry chuckle. He said, “You've already seen ghosts, and you yourself now possess special abilities. What's so strange about ocular techniques existing in this world? ”
Yang Haoran considered this and conceded. There really wasn't anything strange about it. The reason he felt surprised, at its root, was that he hadn't yet fully adapted to his new role and was still viewing things from the perspective of an ordinary person.
“Ocular techniques must be really powerful, right? In movies, every character with ocular techniques is fiercer than the last. Especially in cartoons, they look like they're about to fly out of the screen and devour people – utterly vicious! ” Yang Haoran's tone betrayed a hint of envy.
“Ocular techniques vary widely, and different techniques possess different abilities. You needn't envy those people, for you now possess ocular techniques too,” Jiang Dashi stated.
“Ah? ” Yang Haoran's heart jolted. He hastily asked, “I do? ”
“Of course you do. But don't rush. I will introduce them to you one by one and teach you how to use them. ”
Yang Haoran's heart hammered an unruly rhythm in his chest, yet he refrained from pressing further. He suppressed his inner excitement to the utmost, then gave Jiang Dashi a solemn nod.
“Firstly, after activating the Death God Seal, Spirit Power will manifest within your body. Try to sense it: there should be a cool, chilly sensation, like a small fish, swimming throughout your being,” Jiang Dashi instructed.
Previously, Yang Haoran had been too agitated, and his attention hadn't been on this at all, so he hadn't noticed any abnormalities within his body. But now, hearing Jiang Dashi's words, he was surprised to discover that there truly was a cool sensation moving about inside him.
Yang Haoran gazed at Jiang Dashi in surprise, then nodded under the other man's smiling gaze.
“This cool sensation within you is Spirit Power. Try to control it. ”
“I can control it? ” Yang Haoran felt a flicker of uncertainty.
“Of course. ” Jiang Dashi gave an affirmative answer.
Yang Haoran didn't waste words. He nodded and, following Jiang Dashi's instructions, attempted to control the cool Spirit Power within him. What happened next astonished him: the moment he conceived the thought of controlling it, the freely moving Spirit Power instantly ceased its meandering within his body. Then, it began to move according to his will; if he directed it left, it wouldn't go backward, never once resisting.
From the expression of pleasant surprise on Yang Haoran's face, Jiang Dashi knew he could now control Spirit Power. He then continued, “Concentrate it in your right hand, like this. ”
As his words fell, Jiang Dashi raised his right hand. With a muffled rumble, dense black smoke surged from his entire right hand, as if a half-burnt fire poker had suddenly extinguished all its flames, thick smoke billowing forth.
The temperature in the room instantly plummeted with the appearance of the dense black smoke, and the entire space was filled with a chilling, Yin coldness.
However, Yang Haoran felt not the slightest chill now. In the past, he would undoubtedly have shivered uncontrollably from the cold.
Though he felt no cold, he was startled by the sudden sight. Fortunately, he was gradually adapting to his new role, so he quickly recovered.
Following Jiang Dashi's lead, he too raised his right hand, then channeled the Spirit Power within his body towards it.
A faint sound emanated from his right hand. Dense black smoke also rose from his hand, though not as exaggerated as Jiang Dashi's; the black smoke released from his right hand only covered the area below his wrist.
Seeing Yang Haoran's strong learning ability, Jiang Dashi nodded with satisfaction. He said, “This black smoke is the external manifestation of Spirit Power. You have only just had the Seal implanted, so your Spirit Power is still weak. Thus, it can only temporarily cover your entire palm. After you undergo Soul Qi infusion, the Spirit Power within your body will be enhanced. The stronger your Spirit Power, the larger the area it will cover when manifested externally. ”
Yang Haoran also emulated Jiang Dashi, dissipating the Spirit Power from his hand. He had intended to ask what Soul Qi was, but before he could, Jiang Dashi spoke again.
“Regardless of its strength, the Spirit Power within your body will eventually deplete. Once exhausted, it requires rest to recover, so you needn't worry about it ceasing to exist after depletion. ”
Yang Haoran nodded, indicating his understanding. However, Jiang Dashi seemed to have no intention of letting Yang Haoran speak. He continued, “After activating the Death God Seal, possessing Spirit Power is just one ability. In addition, your sensory perception will also be enhanced. As we belong to the Underworld Office, our sensitivity to Yin Qi is particularly accurate. This ability will grow as your Spirit Power strengthens, expanding your sensory range. However, in your current state, you can only perceive an area of about one li. If it exceeds this range, you won't be able to sense it unless the Yin Qi is extremely potent. ”
The ability Jiang Dashi referred to was precisely what Yang Haoran had called Sense Yin, though previously Yang Haoran's Sense Yin ability had been nothing but a bluff. Now, however, he truly possessed this power.
There was nothing much to teach about the ability to Sense Yin. It was as simple as seeing with one's eyes or eating with one's hands. As long as Yin Qi appeared within his sensory range, he would naturally perceive it.
“All right, now let's discuss the third ability, the ocular technique you envy the most. ”
At Jiang Dashi's words, Yang Haoran's eyes lit up.
“All of us in the Underworld Office know how to use this ocular technique. This technique is the Ghost Eye,” Jiang Dashi declared.
“Ghost Eye? ” Yang Haoran looked puzzled.
Jiang Dashi nodded, then explained, “Under normal circumstances, mortal eyes cannot perceive wandering spirits – I've mentioned this to you before. However, once you activate the Ghost Eye, even the lowest-level wandering spirits cannot escape your sight. ”
Yang Haoran, who had been full of anticipation, felt a twinge of disappointment despite his expression remaining neutral upon hearing Jiang Dashi's words.
“Ghost Eye”—the name sounded quite impressive. Could its only ability truly be this?
As it turned out, Yang Haoran's disappointment was premature. Jiang Dashi continued, “The Ghost Eye can not only see wandering spirits, but it can also perceive the past of the deceased. Whether it's a wandering spirit, an Evil Spirit, or even a true Evil Spirit, as long as it is deceased and exists as a Spirit Body, the Ghost Eye can glimpse its past. This is a right bestowed upon us by the Underworld Office. ”
“Furthermore, as an ocular technique, the Ghost Eye can perceive things that ordinary people cannot. Wandering spirits are merely one example. As for everything else it can see, I can only tell you it's a lot. How much is 'a lot'? That you'll have to discover for yourself; I can't list it all at once. In any case, anything invisible to the naked eye, you can try activating your Ghost Eye to see. ”
Hearing Jiang Dashi's explanation, Yang Haoran's interest was piqued. While this Ghost Eye wasn't as overbearing as those in movies, it still sounded quite promising.
“How do I activate this Ghost Eye? ” Yang Haoran asked.
“Heh heh, it's quite simple. Control the Spirit Power within your body to flow into your eyes, then look in the mirror,” Jiang Dashi chuckled.
Yang Haoran nodded, then picked up the mirror and aimed it at himself again. Immediately, he channeled the Spirit Power within his body to converge in his eyes.
Under Yang Haoran's gaze, his eyes rapidly began to blacken. In the blink of an eye, a pair of normal eyes turned ink-black, devoid of any white, as if two black gemstones were set into his eye sockets. Wisps of black smoke ascended from these gemstone-like eyes.
These were eerie eyes; a single glance gave one a terrifying feeling. Even Yang Haoran, their owner, couldn't help but be startled upon seeing them for the first time.
Indeed, these were Ghost Eyes, living up to their name. Like the eyes of specters in horror films, they exuded a chilling Ghost Qi, instilling a sense of creeping dread with just a glance.
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