Wu Sheng wasn't too worried while using his Innate Secret Art, "Mind Control." The process was strenuous, but there was no real danger.
Besides, the "Soul Control" brand was domineering, much like a Soul Attack: either it worked, or it didn't.
But once the "Mind Control" brand took hold, his soul and Leo's would be tightly linked. If Leo's soul was too powerful, Wu Sheng would suffer a backlash from his own Innate Secret Art.
At worst, the tables could turn, and Leo could instantly Mind Control him instead.
"Damn, this guy's Life Core can also resist Soul Arts to some extent!"
Wu Sheng's expression changed. He hadn't expected to run into a roadblock before the backlash he'd been worried about even happened.
Kadi's soul defense had been so fragile because, aside from his weak will, he was just an ordinary Prison Clan Member. His soul was practically exposed, protected only by a Soul Suppressing Bell formed from soul power through a Soul Art.
But the Thunder Wing Giant Clan possessed Innate Life Cores, and their souls were concealed within them. That meant they had an innate, powerful layer of protection over their souls that Kadi and the others lacked.
Combined with and reinforced by Soul Arts, this layer of soul defense was enough to give even Wu Sheng a serious headache.
"Damn it, how did I overlook that? The Thunder Wing Giant Clan's Innate Life Core might not compare to the Golden-Horned Giant Beast's Original Core, but it's still a major obstacle!"
Mind Confusion, Wind Sound Disturbance!
Wu Sheng gritted his teeth and kept using other Combined Illusions on the Thunder Wing Giant, making sure he couldn't regain consciousness.
With the Combined Illusions disrupting him, Leo couldn't activate his Thunder Domain for the time being. That gave Wu Sheng at least a little confidence.
The others stared blankly at what was happening. From their perspective, Leo was simply standing there, dazed, while streaks of blood-red light from Wu Sheng's eyes swept over him. He couldn't even bring out his Thunder Domain.
"Li Long, hurry up! I can hold this big guy down for a few more seconds at most! He's too strong. His soul power is incredible, and I can't even get near that Innate Life Core. The best I can do is affect him!"
Wu Sheng shouted every time he applied a Combined Illusion, afraid nobody would realize how hard a time he was having.
Only then did the others show a glimmer of understanding.
The Thunder Wing Giant Clan was renowned for its powerful innate talents. Even so, it was impressive that someone at Earth Grade, Ninth Order could hold Leo off, even temporarily.
Wu Sheng talked a big game, but he had a different thought in mind.
Heh. If I didn't say this, and just stood around all leisurely in front of everyone while waiting for Leo to fall under my control, not just Li Long and the others—even the other trial-takers would probably notice something was up!
Under normal circumstances, most of these trial-takers didn't even know about Body Possession or Soul Slavery. But for Li Long and Cang Ge, those weren't exactly secrets.
The problem was that after Body Possession, if the soul and body weren't in perfect harmony, the body would feel incredibly unnatural, making it easy to spot.
As for Soul Slavery, setting aside whether someone at Wu Sheng's low level could use it on someone as powerful as Leo, the entire process demanded complete concentration and a considerable amount of preparation. The lower one's level, the longer the preparation took. There was no way Wu Sheng could use a Soul Illusion and then start shouting like this.
So Li Long and Cang Ge kept a close eye on Wu Sheng even as they fought.
There was no other choice. They might not believe Wu Sheng could kill Leo, but when it came to a clash involving souls, they had to stay alert.
Once they saw that Wu Sheng really was just using Soul Illusions to try to hold Leo down, they both let out a long breath of relief and attacked with even greater ferocity.
But they'd overlooked one thing: a Special Lifeform named Wu Sheng had secretly slipped into their Blood Trial.
And this Special Lifeform's Innate Secret Art was "Mind Control," a rare art that lay somewhere between Body Possession and Soul Slavery. In terms of its level, it was even more sophisticated than most methods of Soul Slavery.
"Mm, the brand worked!" Wu Sheng's eyes lit up.
His Innate Secret Art was indeed more powerful than ordinary Soul Arts. It had overcome the obstacle of Leo's Innate Life Core and successfully branded his soul.
But right after that—
"Gah, what a powerful backlash!"
Wu Sheng clutched his head, feeling an immense force of soul power surge through his mind (this is just a comparison to make it easier to picture; don't take it too literally. Wu Sheng's actual soul was inside his Innate Life Core too). It tried to merge with his soul and take control of him.
"Hmph! Ninefold Heavenly Splendor, Innate Life Core—guard me!"
"Mindset and will, reinforce me!"
"Psychic Amplification, explode!"
Wu Sheng desperately channeled all his strength, forcibly resisting the backlash. Only then did he let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Good thing this guy hasn't activated his Domain, and his Thunder Domain was temporarily interrupted by my Soul Illusions."
"Otherwise, with the Thunder Domain boosting him, I wouldn't have been able to brand him in the first place. Even if I had succeeded, with the backlash, who'd control whom would've been anyone's guess!"
"A Thunder Wing Giant is still a Thunder Wing Giant!"
Wu Sheng shook his head with a sigh, but he was thrilled inside.
He'd really managed to swallow an elephant. With such a powerful fighter following his orders, he could kill anyone he wanted!
"Mm, how did that song from A Chinese Odyssey go again?"
Only you... Don't blame your master for muttering. Put on the tightening hoop, don't be afraid to die, don't tremble...
Wahaha! I'll take the spoils, you'll take the blame. Give it your all for all living things—even sacrifice yourself if you have to!
The more Wu Sheng thought about it, the more it made sense! His "Mind Control" brand was far more powerful than the tightening hoop on Sun Wukong's head. If there was ever something he couldn't handle himself, he could just send Leo.
A natural favorite of the two Source Laws, wind and thunder; a Life Gene four times greater than normal; an enormous body; an Innate Life Core; and three Innate Secret Arts!
With the support of Thunder Star Mountain behind him, Leo could at least make it to Realm Lord. His prospects were far better than Wu Sheng's.
"Too bad Leo can't use his Thunder Domain right now!"
Wu Sheng frowned, feeling somewhat helpless.
Even suppressing Leo's backlash at his current strength was no easy task.
If Leo activated his Thunder Domain and got its boost, he might instantly turn the "Mind Control" brand around and make Wu Sheng suffer the backlash instead.
"Looks like I'll have to find a chance to comprehend the Wind Domain too. If others can comprehend a Domain at Planet Grade, then as a Special Lifeform, I should be even more likely to do it."
Wu Sheng's will was unlikely to improve significantly in the short term. But whether it was dealing with the Trial Ground or fully controlling Leo, he needed to become stronger.
The Time-Space Shop still hadn't opened, so he couldn't advance to Star Grade ahead of time. That meant he'd have to work hard in other areas.
The Wind Domain was his best option.
"Mm, first, let's see what's in Leo's Space Ring!"
With that thought, Wu Sheng used his control over Leo to open the Space Ring hidden inside his body.
"Th-this... Hahaha, we're rich!"