Han Su's Dominance? Su Chen's Public Humiliation

Han Su appeared.

The buzz of discussion that had just erupted by the sidelines instantly died down.

He did not walk quickly.

His grey-gold robe was pressed without a single wrinkle, his cuffs were buttoned tightly, and even the surface of his boots was excessively clean.

This man was like a blade hidden within its sheath.

The edge was unseen.

Yet, merely looking at him made one feel uncomfortable.

The Chief Instructor stepped forward to greet him first.

"Vice Hall Master."

Han Su did not respond.

He merely raised his eyes, looking first at the stage, then at the spear mark on the ground that had yet to be filled in.

Finally, his gaze landed on Su Chen.

"Holy Son."

His words were formal, but his tone was flat.

"The Suotuo City special recruitment assessment has certainly been made lively by you."

Xiao Wu stood at the edge of the stage, frowning the moment she heard this.

"What do you mean by 'made lively by him'?"

"It was clearly your people from Suotuo City who started the trouble first."

Only then did Han Su look at her.

His gaze was neither heavy nor light, as if he were looking at a child who had interrupted a conversation.

"You defeated Zhou Ling."

"Not bad."

"But winning one match does not mean you can break the rules of the Suotuo Branch Hall."

Xiao Wu wanted to snap back immediately.

However, Su Chen raised a hand first.

She huffed, but ultimately did not interrupt again.

Su Chen stood at the edge of the ring, looking down at Han Su from his vantage point.

"You didn't come here just to offer praise, did you?"

Han Su tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Of course not."

"I came to offer the Holy Son a reminder."

"This is Suotuo City, not Martial Soul City."

"You may observe the battle, and you may enter the ring."

"But you cannot change the assessment process at will, and you certainly cannot place personal victories above the rules of the Branch Hall."

The words were spoken with measured weight.

Yet, many by the sidelines understood the implication.

Han Su was trying to reclaim some face.

Zhou Ling had lost, and Lu Qingci had lost as well.

Since he dared not openly admit that the people of Suotuo City were incompetent, he shifted the narrative to claim that Su Chen had broken the rules.

Xiao Wu laughed at this.

"You were the ones who called us out and started the trouble, and now you want to talk about rules?"

"Are the rules of your Suotuo City made up on the spot after you lose?"

A few people by the sidelines couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.

Han Su's expression did not change.

Only his eyes grew a fraction colder.

"Little girl, a fast tongue is not a skill."

"Only standing until the end counts as a skill."

Xiao Wu lifted her chin.

"Then you should first make sure your own people can stand."

"Stop letting them roll off the ring."

As soon as these words were out.

The faces of the students from Suotuo City turned black.

Even Shen Zhi turned his head away, suppressing the corner of his mouth.

Han Su finally stopped looking at Xiao Wu.

He fixed his gaze back on Su Chen.

"Your Highness Holy Son, I have certainly witnessed how sharp-tongued your people are."

"Now, let's talk business."

"The special recruitment assessment originally consists of three rounds."

"The first round is individual duels."

"The second round is a comprehensive evaluation."

"The third round is soul power and combat record filing."

"You have only completed the first half so far."

"The rest must be conducted according to the regulations of the Suotuo Branch Hall."

Su Chen looked at him.

"Continue."

Han Su raised his hand, and a Deacon behind him immediately stepped forward holding a dossier.

"According to the rules, special recruits must have their levels re-verified before the Soul Testing Stone at the Branch Hall, register their martial soul orientation, and have their files archived for review."

"Furthermore."

He paused.

"If the participant has a special identity, it must be personally reviewed by the Vice Hall Master of the Branch Hall."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu couldn't help but laugh.

"After all that talk."

"It turns out you just want to interfere yourself."

Han Su said indifferently.

"I am merely acting according to the rules."

"Rules?"

Su Chen finally smiled.

"When Zhou Ling changed the first match on a whim, why didn't you talk about rules?"

"When Lu Qingci took the stage to swap opponents, why didn't you talk about rules?"

"Now that you've lost both matches, you suddenly remember the rules?"

Han Su's eyelids twitched.

"That was just an on-the-spot adjustment between students."

"The Branch Hall had no need to—"

"No."

Su Chen cut him off directly.

"It wasn't that you had no need."

"It was that you were happy to see it happen."

The sidelines went silent.

Han Su had not expected Su Chen to be so blunt.

His voice deepened.

"Your Highness Holy Son, one must have evidence when speaking."

"Evidence?"

Su Chen slowly walked down from the arena.

His boot soles brushed against the edge of the Black Stone, making a faint sound.

"Zhou Ling is your man."

"Before Lu Qingci took the stage, your people had already cleared out the spectator area."

"The moment I arrived in Suotuo City, someone was already there to pass on a message for Zhou Ling."

"Are you telling me now that these are all coincidences?"

Han Su narrowed his eyes.

"Even if they were, so what?"

The moment those words left his mouth.

Many people on the sidelines had their expressions shift.

Even the Chief Instructor instinctively lowered his head.

This was tantamount to a partial admission.

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

"You actually dared to admit it."

Only then did Han Su realize he had made a slip of the tongue.

His face sank to the bottom.

"What I meant was, even if you think that, so what?"

"The Suotuo Branch Hall has its own way of doing things."

"As the Vice Hall Master, it is reasonable and appropriate for me to conduct a review of you all."

Su Chen had already walked to within three steps of him.

There was no obstruction between the two.

The wind blew through the center of the Training Ground, causing the hem of Han Su's robe to sway gently.

Su Chen looked at him, his tone calm to the point of being cold.

"I don't care who you review."

"But you had best not overstep your bounds."

Han Su let out a cold laugh.

"Is the Holy Son threatening me?"

"It is not a threat."

Su Chen raised his hand and withdrew a token from his sleeve.

It was purple-gold.

Under the light, the engravings were clear.

It was not an ordinary dispatch order.

It was the Pope Token Deputy Plate.

Han Su's pupils constricted violently.

A chorus of gasps erupted from all around.

The people of the Suotuo Branch Hall might not have seen the true Pope Token from Martial Soul City.

But they recognized this deputy plate.

To see the token was to see the Pope's decree.

Han Su's Adam's apple bobbed.

The composure on his face finally cracked.

Su Chen flipped the token over and pressed it down lightly.

"You wanted to conduct a review, didn't you?"

"Now, I will give you two choices."

"First."

"You follow the rules, finish the remaining soul testing and registration, and stop with the nonsense."

"Second."

"I will take over this special recruitment assessment for the Suotuo Branch Hall right now, and you can stand to the side and watch."

Han Su's face turned a shade of green.

This was not a choice.

This was roasting him over a fire.

If he took a step back, he would lose face in front of everyone.

If he pushed forward, he would be defying the Pope Token.

That wasn't seeking justice; it was seeking death.

Shen Zhi stood to the side, his eyelids twitching as he watched.

He had originally been worried that Han Su would use the rules to stir up trouble.

As it turned out, Su Chen hadn't given him any room to maneuver.

He had simply flipped the table.

Han Su remained silent for a full three breaths.

In the end, he slowly lowered his head.

"Naturally, we shall proceed according to the Holy Son's wishes."

Xiao Wu stood behind him, her eyes lighting up instantly.

She tilted her head to look at Su Chen, the corners of her mouth struggling to stay down.

"You really are..."

"Really what?"

"Really leave a person speechless."

Su Chen didn't reply, only watching Han Su.

"Then move aside."

Han Su stood motionless.

Su Chen's gaze dimmed slightly.

"Do I need to say it again?"

Han Su's jaw tightened.

In the end, he stepped half a pace to the side.

The movement was small.

Yet everyone present saw it clearly.

The Suotuo Branch Hall Vice Hall Master had yielded the path in public.

This moment was even more hair-raising than Lu Qingci admitting defeat just a moment ago.

The sidelines were deathly silent.

Even the sound of the wind flapping the banners seemed exceptionally loud.

Su Chen put away his token, his tone returning to normal.

"Chief Instructor."

The Chief Instructor jolted, immediately stepping forward.

"Present."

"Continue with the remaining procedures now."

"Yes, yes."

The Chief Instructor nodded hurriedly, turning to order his men to bring up the Soul Testing Stone and the Registration Ledger.

Shen Zhi approached at this moment, speaking in a low voice.

"With this move of yours, Suotuo City will remember today for a long time."

"Remembering is fine."

Su Chen said indifferently.

"It saves any stray cat or dog from daring to jump up in the future."

Xiao Wu listened from the side and couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're quite fluent when it comes to insulting people."

"That doesn't count as an insult."

"Then what does it count as?"

"Categorization."

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment, then laughed until her shoulders shook.

At this time, Lu Qingci had not yet walked far.

She gripped the Wind-Splitting Spear and looked back at Su Chen.

That gaze was even more complex than before.

It wasn't a lack of submission.

It was the silence that emerged after finally seeing the gap between them.

Han Su noticed her gaze, and his expression turned even uglier.

"Qingci, come here."

Lu Qingci didn't move immediately.

After two seconds, she finally carried her spear and walked over.

Han Su's voice was kept very low, yet the irritation was still audible.

"You spoke too much today."

Lu Qingci remained expressionless.

"If one loses, one must naturally admit it."

"You—"

"Vice Hall Master."

Lu Qingci raised her eyes to look at him.

"If we don't even dare to admit a loss, Suotuo City will look even worse."

The flesh on Han Su's face twitched slightly.

In the end, he said nothing more.

The Soul Testing Stone was quickly brought up.

It was a gray-white stone pillar half the height of a person, its base embedded in an iron frame, with fine patterns carved into its surface.

Beside it were two Registration Ledgers, an ink brush, and a fresh box of stamp ink.

The Chief Instructor wiped the sweat from his palms, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"According to the procedure, test the soul first, then register."

"First, Xiao Wu."

Xiao Wu stepped forward, then turned back to look at Su Chen.

The meaning was clear.

Should I go up now?

Su Chen nodded.

"Go."

Xiao Wu flicked her Scorpion Braid behind her and pressed her hand directly onto the Soul Testing Stone.

The stone pillar dimmed for a moment.

The next second, the scale inside shot straight up.

Level ten.

Level fifteen.

Level twenty.

Level twenty-five.

Finally, it stopped steadily.

It even gave a little tremor upward.

The Chief Instructor stared at the scale, his voice changing.

"Level twenty-seven."

A sudden uproar broke out on the sidelines.

"Level twenty-seven?"

"Didn't she just finish fighting Zhou Ling?"

"At this age, level twenty-seven? How are others supposed to live?"

Xiao Wu herself was stunned.

She knew she wasn't weak.

But she usually cultivated loosely and had never seriously calculated exactly where she was stuck.

Now that it was actually measured, even she was taken aback.

Su Chen looked at her and nodded.

"A bit higher than I thought."

Xiao Wu immediately turned her head.

"Are you complimenting me?"

"You could say that."

"Then compliment me a few more times."

"Finish the procedure first."

Xiao Wu huffed, but her eyes were already curved into crescents.

The Chief Instructor hurriedly recorded the name and level in the Registration Ledger.

Han Su stood to the side, his expression growing increasingly dark.

Level twenty-seven.

This was no longer just a simple matter of winning a match.

This was crushing that entire batch of self-important seedlings from Suotuo City.

The Chief Instructor took a breath and turned toward Su Chen.

"Second, Su Chen."

As soon as these four words were spoken.

The noise on the sidelines grew even quieter than before.

Everyone was staring at Su Chen.

He had already gone two rounds without manifesting his Martial Soul or revealing his Spirit Rings, which was exaggerated enough.

Now, everyone wanted to know exactly what level he was at.

Xiao Wu stopped smiling, too.

She watched Su Chen, her eyes filled with a brilliant light.

"Go on."

Let me see just how much you've been hiding.

Su Chen walked up to the Soul Testing Stone.

He didn't rush to raise his hand.

He simply glanced at the stone pillar first.

The Chief Instructor felt inexplicably nervous.

"Your Highness the Holy Son, this Soul Testing Stone is a specialized branch—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Su Chen had already pressed his hand against it.

The next instant.

The markings inside the Soul Testing Stone were forced upward as if by some irresistible power, surging wildly.

Level 20.

Level 25.

Level 30.

Level 35.

It still hadn't stopped.

People on the sidelines were already standing up instinctively.

The Chief Instructor's lips turned pale.

"It's still rising?"

Han Su stared at the rising line, his eyelids twitching violently.

Thirty-six.

Thirty-seven.

A muffled sound of unbearable strain suddenly erupted from within the stone pillar.

Fine cracks burst open from the top, crawling madly down the length of the stone body.

Crack!

The entire Soul Testing Stone shattered on the spot.