The Bird That Fears Death

"Mind Confusion!"

Red light erupted from the eyes of Wu Sheng. The three figures ahead, including the black monster resembling a Triceratops, were struck by the crimson glow and immediately stood rooted to the spot, looking foolish.

Wu Sheng ignored the trio, however, and quickly retreated backward.

With several flashes of cyan light, he arrived before the Woodborn Clan member who had been trailing behind.

The Woodborn Clan member was both shocked and delighted by this turn of events. He was shocked that his opponent was a terrifying illusionist capable of trapping all three of his companions in a trance with a single move. He was delighted that this fellow had not attacked his companions, but instead chose to engage in close-quarters combat.

An illusionist engaging in melee combat with a Planet Grade 8th Rank warrior?

How could the Woodborn Clan member not be delighted!

"Haha, die!"

He swung his Third-Grade Low-Rank Primal Force weapon, "Dragonwood," down with a ferocious strike.

But he swung at empty air; it was merely a residual image of his opponent.

Before he could lock onto his target's trail again, he felt a sharp pain in his throat, and his entire body slowly collapsed to the ground.

"Impossible... my combat suit is also Third-Grade Low-Rank. How could a Planet Grade fellow like him easily pierce its defense? Could that have been an illusion too..."

In that moment, he finally understood. The instant he fell into the opponent's illusion, he lost the Primal Force support for his combat suit. Without the suit's assistance, killing him was far too easy for his opponent.

Thud!

Wu Sheng kicked the lifeless Woodborn Clan member into the air, sending him straight into the net of his Telekinetic Weapon. He then looked toward the White Bird in the sky, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

"Quack, run away, quack!"

The White Bird felt a chill in its heart—a terror originating from the depths of its soul. Without another thought, it flapped its wings with all its might, desperate to flee.

But how could Wu Sheng let it go? With a thought, a pair of cyan Wind Wheels appeared at his feet. He exerted force and shot straight into the sky.

Before the White Bird could fly far, Wu Sheng transformed into a streak of cyan light and caught up. He flipped in mid-air, followed through with his right foot, and kicked it down. With a loud "boom," it slammed heavily into the ground.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

The White Bird covered its head with its wings, lying in the half-foot-deep crater it had created, shivering.

Wu Sheng landed slowly on his Wind Wheels, finding the creature's cowardice somewhat laughable.

His Telekinetic Weapon was focused on movement, so its offensive power was mediocre at best, yet even that little bit of force had the White Bird crying for its parents...

It seemed the old saying, "The forest is large, so there are all kinds of birds," was truly fitting.

"Stay here obediently. If you dare to move, I'll slaughter you right now!" Wu Sheng said fiercely before heading toward the three who were still under the illusion, intending to finish them off first.

"I wouldn't dare! I'll stay put!"

The White Bird kept its eyes covered, daring only to reply in a whisper, not moving an inch.

Back at the scene, Wu Sheng looked at the three figures, frowning slightly. After a moment of thought, he took action and eliminated the other two, leaving only the one resembling a Triceratops standing foolishly in place.

He then shot two beams of red light from his eyes, which drilled directly into the creature's eyes, beginning to establish a mental connection.

Innate Secret Art... "Soul Control"!

Red light radiated from Wu Sheng's body. Within his Inner World, a massive surge of blood-colored energy erupted from the eye of the giant tornado, passed through the soul formed by his eight miniature planets, and finally, through the connection between his eyes, drilled into the eyes of the "Triceratops."

"Wooo... Roar!"

The "Triceratops" immediately began to writhe in pain, rolling and charging wildly, quickly turning the surrounding land into a mess of deep pits and mounds.

Wu Sheng was not having an easy time either. This was his first time using this Innate Secret Art, and the burden on his soul was immense. Although his soul power and willpower far exceeded his opponent's, it was not enough to suppress it easily. Furthermore, this battle of enslavement was taking place within the opponent's sea of consciousness, which indirectly diminished his advantage.

This was only possible because the target had already fallen for his illusion; otherwise, Wu Sheng's attempt at soul control would have ended in failure long ago.

Wu Sheng stared intently at the "Triceratops." If it showed any signs of breaking free from the illusion, he would kill it without hesitation.

Fortunately, things were moving in a positive direction. The frenzied "Triceratops" finally gasped for air and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise again.

Wu Sheng's eyes lit up, for he had successfully established a mental connection with the creature. Looking at the Triceratops lying on the ground, he had an idea...

He saw its eyelids twitch slightly, as if it wanted to open its eyes, but for a moment, it couldn't even manage that simple action.

After waiting for a long while, it finally grew accustomed to its body. It not only opened its eyes but even used its four limbs to stand up.

But as soon as it tried to take a step, its front legs stiffened while its hind legs kicked out, causing it to fall flat on its face once more.

Seeing this, Wu Sheng's mouth twitched. He felt his Innate Secret Art was far too infuriating.

This was a far cry from the legendary soul slavery. A true soul slave was not only loyal to its master but possessed a certain degree of autonomy, and its strength remained completely unaffected.

Some highly gifted soul slaves could even continue to grow.

But his version was truly just a puppet. Although it didn't occupy a quota for slaves and could be replaced if it died without affecting him, a puppet was still a puppet. Everything had to be controlled by him, and since he was a humanoid Special Lifeform, trying to control a quadrupedal creature was, for the time being, quite difficult!

"Forget it, I've already taken it, so I'll use it for now. I'll change it when I have better options later."

Wu Sheng could only console himself with that thought.

"I should ask that bird. They look like they were part of a squad; perhaps they are linked to some faction. I've been cultivating alone lately and know far too little about what's happening outside!"

He sighed. He was not some Special Elite, nor did he come from a major faction. To become one of those super-geniuses who could kill a million in the Trial Ground single-handedly was nothing but a pipe dream.

Following the crowd and developing under the banner of some faction was the only way to go. As for how far he could get, he really couldn't say.

"You can come out now!"

Wu Sheng arrived before the large crater and couldn't help but find it amusing to see the White Bird still covering its eyes.

Yet, this could be considered a way of survival; when one's strength is inferior to the opponent's, simply bowing one's head and losing a bit of face to stay alive was a decent choice.

"I dare not, I dare not! Your strength is so formidable that you have no need for someone like me. The combat suit, weapons, and treasures are all on Boss Man Gu; I have nothing on me. Please, just pretend I don't exist and let me go!"

The White Bird cowered in the deep crater, trembling, not daring to emerge at all.

He had already sensed Wu Sheng's power. That pair of Telekinetic Weapons was definitely Third-Grade Mid-Rank, which meant this Green-Robed Youth before him was likely an Elite Trial Taker who was also proficient in illusion techniques. He knew he couldn't escape even if he tried, so he could only beg for mercy in a low voice, hoping the other party would spare his miserable life.

"I told you to come out because I have things to ask you. If you waste any more of my time, I might as well just send you on your way!"

Wu Sheng frowned, looking somewhat displeased.

"I'll try, then!"

The White Bird slowly moved its wings away and stared with its large eyes, but when it saw its companions lying motionless in the distance, it couldn't help but shrink its neck again.