Soul Secret Techniques

Luo Zhiyuan's campaign to punish evildoers lasted for more than ten days before it came to a halt. The overall level of Earth's martial artists was too low. Only around a hundred had reached the Planetary Level; the rest were all at the Apprentice Level.

After absorbing the combat experience of dozens of people, he realized that fighting Apprentice Level opponents could no longer help him grow. There were too few Planetary Level humans, and they all held high positions. If Luo Zhiyuan killed a few of them to fuse their souls, it could easily cause unrest, so he had no choice but to stop.

After more than ten days of hunting and soul fusion, Luo Zhiyuan had gained a good deal of combat experience, and his battle instincts had improved further. However, because he had used Soul Fusion secret techniques to gain that experience, he had inevitably been influenced by some of his targets. As a result, his fighting style had become truly unpredictable.

Whether it was a Martial Artist's close-range attacks or a Controller's long-range attacks, his efficiency at killing enemies was extremely high. After all, whether they were monsters or humans who had committed evil deeds, he had needed to achieve results in the shortest possible time. Their combat experience was therefore all highly effective and direct.

Babata had no more good combat methods to teach Luo Zhiyuan for the time being. He was still too weak to learn techniques of a higher level, while those at a similar level might not be as effective as the battle instincts he had developed himself.

Moreover, Babata was only an auxiliary intelligence on Luo Zhiyuan, and the information stored in it was limited. For now, Luo Zhiyuan could only cultivate his energy, practice Godly Evasion, raise his level as quickly as possible, and then continue studying Soul Secret Techniques.

Inside the gravity room, Luo Zhiyuan sat cross-legged, floating in midair. He had grown rather fond of this posture; it made him feel cool.

He was studying another Soul Secret Technique—Charm: using mental power to affect an opponent's consciousness and create cognitive distortions. The caster could guide these distortions into false memories. Once the target's will grew strong enough, they would realize that the memories created by the charm were false and wake up.

This secret technique was similar to Hypnosis. Both used Spiritual Force to influence an opponent's consciousness, but this time, rather than suppressing it, the technique deceived it.

After learning Hypnosis, Luo Zhiyuan had mastered Charm without much effort. However, there was a problem: he didn't have a suitable target to practice on, so he didn't know how effective it would be in reality.

Against Apprentice Level Martial Artists, their mental defenses were negligible to Luo Zhiyuan. He could suppress their consciousness effortlessly, so after using Hypnosis once during his campaign against evildoers, he never used it again. Even if he had, the results wouldn't have provided any useful reference.

But aside from Luo Feng, he knew only two Planetary Level people: Hong and Thunder God. He didn't feel comfortable asking either of them to spar, especially since both were preparing to break through to the Star Level.

Then, as he thought of them, Luo Zhiyuan suddenly remembered that Hong had three personal guards, all of them at the Planetary Level. He wondered if he could ask Hong to lend him one so he could test his Soul Secret Techniques. He might as well ask.

The next day, Luo Zhiyuan went in person to the place where Hong was meditating in seclusion. He didn't care what Hong was doing and simply disturbed him, calling him out. Hong both adored and worried over his second senior brother's son. The boy was usually sweet and well-behaved, but when it came to cultivation, he was a monster. Hong even felt a little inferior compared to him!

Hong considered himself a genius. During the Great Nirvana Period, he had become a Planetary Level Martial Artist in just three or four years. He had then been the first to comprehend a domain and reach the Domain Second Layer, and had remained Earth's strongest fighter ever since.

But what about this little monster? He had become a Planetary Level Spirit Reader at just over a year old. Now he was barely past two, yet he was already a Planetary Level Five Spirit Reader, with a Mental Power Amplitude of 22. His physical cultivation had also reached Planetary Level Four.

And his domain was nearly at the Second Layer, too. Though Hong had now reached Planetary Level Nine, he had no idea when he would break through to the Star Level. What if this little guy caught up to him by then? That would be humiliating. The pressure was immense.

Hong asked Luo Zhiyuan what he had come for. Luo Zhiyuan was a little embarrassed himself; he stammered for a moment before saying, "I heard you have three personal guards, Uncle Hong, and that they're all Planetary Level Martial Artists. I'm practicing Soul Secret Techniques and don't have a suitable opponent. Could I ask one of your guards to spare some time and help me practice?"

Only then did Hong understand why Luo Zhiyuan had come. He wanted to borrow someone to practice on. That made sense. None of the three brothers were suitable opponents for him. Hong and Thunder God were both Planetary Level Nine, and this kid's Spiritual Force probably couldn't shake their Consciousness Oceans. Luo Feng was a Planetary Level Eight Spirit Reader, and Luo Zhiyuan probably couldn't affect him either. It looked like he really would have to find a suitable practice partner for him. His three personal guards were the ones who would suffer.

"That's easy enough, but there's one thing I need to make clear first. You can practice your spiritual techniques, but don't push yourself too far and injure yourself or them. Soul damage is very difficult to recover from. If you agree, I'll find someone for you. Otherwise, go play by yourself!"

Luo Zhiyuan was delighted. "I agree, I agree! No problem! The techniques I'm practicing right now aren't harmful, so they definitely won't cause any soul damage."

Hearing that, Hong felt reassured. He asked around and found that only Iceberg was free, so he called him over and said, "This is Luo Feng's son, Luo Zhiyuan. He's already a Planetary Level Five Spirit Reader, from the Illusionist school. He's practicing Soul Secret Techniques right now, so help him out and serve as his practice partner. Be careful, and don't let him damage your soul!"

Iceberg, who wore a metal mask, agreed without the slightest hesitation. He followed Luo Zhiyuan back to the gravity room at the Luo Family's residence, ready to serve as his practice target.

Inside the gravity room, Luo Zhiyuan first asked Iceberg about his cultivation level. Iceberg answered coolly, "Planetary Level Two. Martial Artist."

Luo Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows. Iceberg really was as his name suggested. Smiling at him, he said, "Uncle Iceberg, the technique I'm about to practice is a mental illusion called Charm. It might implant some false memories and instructions in your mind. Once we're done, I'll help you remove them."

"Wait until you succeed before saying that. Begin."

Luo Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows again. He liked people who were so straightforward. "I'm starting. You can focus your consciousness and try to resist."

Iceberg frowned behind his mask. Suddenly, he felt his mind grow hazy. Realizing that Luo Zhiyuan had activated a Soul Secret Technique, he concentrated as hard as he could, refusing to let his consciousness sink into a daze and doing everything in his power to stay alert.

Luo Zhiyuan used the Charm technique, sending out a strand of mental power formed from ten units of Spiritual Force. When it reached Iceberg's Consciousness Ocean, it circled rapidly around the soul at its core, spinning faster and faster. Luo Zhiyuan then split off another strand of Spiritual Force from his own Consciousness Ocean. Inside Iceberg's ocean, it produced a series of vibrations, transmitting a message that only the soul could sense: "When walking, only step with your right leg!"

With Luo Zhiyuan's Planetary Level Five Spirit Reader mental power, Iceberg, a Planetary Level Two Martial Artist, couldn't resist the Charm for more than a few minutes. He was successfully charmed, but didn't realize it. So when his mind cleared, he asked Luo Zhiyuan, "Did the technique fail? I don't feel any different."

Luo Zhiyuan smiled mysteriously, then pretended to be just as puzzled. "I don't know either. I was trying to make you forget how to walk. Try walking and see if it worked."

Iceberg didn't question him. He walked forward a few steps, then stopped and looked coolly at Luo Zhiyuan. "You failed. I can still walk."

"Haha, yes, you can still walk, but I succeeded! Go walk in front of that mirror."

Iceberg tilted his head in confusion, then walked toward the full-length mirror nearby. To his shock, he saw himself stepping only with his right leg, while his left leg dragged along behind it. Iceberg could no longer maintain his cool. "Th-this... What's going on? What's wrong with my legs? Did I really forget how to walk?"

"No, no. I tricked you just now. What I actually charmed you into doing was walking with only your right leg. But if I'd told you that directly, you might have noticed and corrected yourself without thinking, so I had you discover it in the mirror."

"That proves I succeeded. Great! Haha, I'll remove the Charm right away." Luo Zhiyuan snapped his fingers, but Iceberg didn't feel anything change. Luo Zhiyuan shrugged to show that he had already lifted the Charm.

Iceberg didn't relax just because Luo Zhiyuan told him the Charm had been removed. Instead, he walked back and forth in front of the mirror several times. Only after confirming that he could walk normally again did he regain some composure. But when he looked at Luo Zhiyuan, his eyes were full of wariness.

This strange mental illusion was too bizarre. He had fallen for it without even realizing, and aside from the initial haziness, there had been no warning signs. It was terrifying!

Iceberg couldn't help asking Luo Zhiyuan, "At first, I felt dizzy. Was that a sign that you were activating the technique?"

"Oh? You felt dizzy at first? Let me try again." This time, Luo Zhiyuan's Spiritual Force reached Iceberg's mind in an instant. It began spinning rapidly inside his Consciousness Ocean, and a second strand of Spiritual Force immediately transmitted another thought.

"Wait a—"

Before Iceberg could finish speaking, Luo Zhiyuan snapped his fingers again, then smiled at him. "Try walking again."

Iceberg didn't feel the slightest discomfort, so he asked, "Are you sure you used the technique? I didn't feel anything." Then he began walking in front of the mirror.

Luo Zhiyuan watched with a smile and said nothing. Iceberg soon realized he was walking by stepping only with his left leg... Iceberg whipped around and stared at Luo Zhiyuan. Luo Zhiyuan smiled and snapped his fingers again. "There, I removed it. I guess your dizziness at first was because I wasn't very practiced. This time, you didn't even notice, did you?"

Iceberg didn't say anything for a long time. He simply stared at Luo Zhiyuan, quietly edging backward. This child was terrifying! He could silently change someone's will. If he made Iceberg assassinate someone close to him, none of his friends or family would be safe—and he might not even know what had happened!

"Is there a way to defend against this Soul Secret Technique?"

"Of course there is. As long as your will is strong, you won't be charmed by me. And even if you are, the effect is only temporary. Once your will grows strong enough, you might break free of the Charm on your own."

There was, of course, a way to defend against Soul Secret Techniques outright, but it involved the Yunmo Star Lineage's inheritance, and Luo Zhiyuan couldn't tell Iceberg about that. So he brushed him off with this answer. It wasn't wrong, but resisting Charm through sheer will required considerable strength of will. And if you were charmed, breaking free afterward wouldn't be much use anyway.

The Yunmo Star Lineage had a Core Inheritance secret technique called the Void Tower, which specialized in soul defense. However, one had to completely transform one's Spiritual Force into the Yunmo Star Lineage's distinctive type of mental power before cultivating it. Luo Zhiyuan hadn't completed that step yet, so he couldn't practice it for now.

Next, Luo Zhiyuan asked Iceberg to wait a moment while he continued practicing the next Soul Secret Technique—Fear: using Spiritual Force to affect an opponent's will, instilling fear that arose from the soul and causing the opponent to lose focus, which disrupted their control over their body and Spiritual Force.

Fear differed from Charm and was somewhat similar to Hypnosis. It also suppressed the opponent's Spiritual Force, but the method was different. Hypnosis suppressed the opponent's Spiritual Force into a state of sleep, while Fear required precise control over the degree of suppression. It not only suppressed Spiritual Force, but also triggered violent waves of terror in the soul.

That was why Luo Zhiyuan had only started practicing it after mastering Hypnosis and Charm. The techniques were related to some extent, so this order was a gradual progression. Once Luo Zhiyuan understood and mastered how to use Spiritual Force for Fear, he told Iceberg to get ready for the test.

Iceberg once again walked silently to the full-length mirror and stood sideways to it. Then he told Luo Zhiyuan, "Begin."

This time, Luo Zhiyuan took a deep breath and calmed himself. He was afraid that he might hurt Iceberg's soul by using too much force in this first test, so he decided to reduce the amount of Spiritual Force he used.

He gathered five units of Spiritual Force into a strand and sent it crashing toward Iceberg's Consciousness Ocean. Once inside, it spread out and enveloped Iceberg's soul, steadily drawing closer and suppressing it. As it did, one strand of Spiritual Force changed its properties, forming dozens of needles that repeatedly jabbed at Iceberg's soul.

Iceberg had been concentrating his will, ready to resist any mental disturbance. But suddenly, he felt a chill in his heart, as if some terrifying presence had set its sights on him. It had locked onto him from afar and was about to attack.

Following his instincts, he looked in that direction, only to see Luo Zhiyuan's eyes. They were so bright that he couldn't bear to look directly at them. After one glance, he couldn't bring himself to look again, and quickly averted his gaze, as though he had encountered his natural nemesis.

Luo Zhiyuan asked softly, "Do you feel anything strange?"

But to Iceberg, Luo Zhiyuan's voice sounded as terrifying as the Swallowing Beast had once been. He wanted to speak but couldn't open his mouth; cold sweat streamed down his head.

Luo Zhiyuan saw that Iceberg's face had gone pale but that he was still conscious, so he knew Iceberg hadn't reached his limit. He increased the strand to ten units of Spiritual Force and sent it into Iceberg's Consciousness Ocean. Then he drove the needle-shaped Spiritual Force halfway into his soul in one fierce thrust.

Iceberg's face suddenly turned deathly pale. His eyes went blank, and sweat poured from his body like rain. He could no longer move at all.

Seeing this, Luo Zhiyuan quickly withdrew his Spiritual Force. He didn't want to risk actually damaging Iceberg's soul. About five minutes later, Iceberg suddenly gasped for breath and collapsed to the floor, his chest heaving. His eyes were unfocused as he slowly raised his head to look at Luo Zhiyuan. Only after a long pause could he manage to get out a few words. "Wh-what... just... happened?"

Luo Zhiyuan bowed apologetically to Iceberg. "I'm sorry, Uncle Iceberg! I was using a Soul Secret Technique called Fear. It can intimidate an opponent's soul, making them temporarily lose focus and lose control of their body and Spiritual Force. But it was my first time using it on someone, and I didn't control its strength properly. I frightened you. I'm really sorry."

After learning that this was Luo Zhiyuan's Soul Secret Technique, Iceberg gradually calmed down. But he could no longer act cool in front of Luo Zhiyuan. Even now, he was still shaken. "Are all you Illusionists... this terrifying?"

Luo Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then answered with a smile, "Illusionists with an inheritance can master many Soul Secret Techniques, so they really are terrifying." He didn't tell Iceberg that an ordinary Illusionist of the same level, even with Soul Secret Techniques, wouldn't be nearly as terrifying as him. After all, he had fused with so many souls that his soul's strength should already have reached the Star Level. The stronger an Illusionist's soul, the more powerful their techniques!