Hu Liena

With the Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament fast approaching, it is best not to invite unnecessary trouble.

The Shrek party stepped into Martial Soul City without a hint of fear.

They headed straight for the exclusive lodging arranged by the tournament organizing committee.

Everyone was conserving their strength, preparing to face the life-or-death battles to come.

In the central district of Martial Soul City, inside the Holy Son's residence just a few steps away from the Pope Palace.

In the spacious and bright council hall, several thick Coiling Dragon Pillars supported the vaulted ceiling.

Gu Qing leaned back casually in the large chair at the head of the room.

His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest carved from premium sandalwood.

The crisp tapping sound drifted back and forth through the empty hall.

The air was permeated with a faint scent of sandalwood.

On the white jade steps outside the door, a series of heavy, undisguised footsteps approached.

Three young people dressed in the high-ranking ceremonial robes of Martial Soul Hall strode into the hall.

They were the pinnacle of Martial Soul Hall's younger generation.

The Golden Generation, in whom Pope Bibi Dong placed high hopes.

Yan, walking on the left, had a head of red hair that looked like burning flames.

His rugged face was etched with unruliness.

Xie Yue, in the center, stood tall and straight, with a sharp blade aura faintly radiating from his body.

Hu Liena, on the right, wore a form-fitting light pink combat suit.

It outlined her perfect figure to the fullest.

Her short, golden hair made her look sharp and capable.

Yet, her alluring eyes held a hint of scrutiny and pickiness.

The three arrived at the center of the hall and stood still, not bowing or saluting like other subordinates.

They simply stood there, straight and tall.

They looked at Gu Qing on the high platform with a condescending posture.

The atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became somewhat oppressive.

Gu Qing stopped tapping the armrest.

His gaze swept calmly over the three self-important geniuses before him.

"So you are the Golden Generation that Her Holiness the Pope is so proud of?"

His flat voice spread through the hall, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Yan let out a scoff.

He stepped forward half a pace, his chin held extremely high.

"Since you know we are the Golden Generation, who are you putting on this high-and-mighty act for?"

"Don't think that just because Her Holiness the Pope appointed you Holy Son on a whim,"

"that you can really consider yourself the master of Martial Soul Hall."

"A pretty boy who climbed to the top by clinging to a woman, do you really think you're qualified to stand there and summon us?"

Yan's words were grating.

He did not leave the slightest bit of face for this newly appointed Holy Son.

In his eyes, Gu Qing was nothing more than someone who had crawled to this position by currying favor with Bibi Dong.

Someone who hadn't even publicly displayed a single decent battle record in Martial Soul City.

He was simply unworthy of the Golden Generation's respect.

Although Xie Yue did not speak, his posture with his arms crossed said it all.

Hu Liena lightly covered her red lips, letting out a series of silver-bell-like laughter.

Her charming gaze lingered on Gu Qing's moon-white robes.

"Your Highness the Holy Son, Yan is just a straight shooter."

"Please, don't take it to heart."

"However, the spirit master world has always been about strength."

"With the grand finals approaching, we are busy with our cultivation."

"If there is nothing urgent, we won't waste any more of your time here."

These words were ostensibly meant to smooth things over.

In reality, every single syllable was a jab at Gu Qing, who sat in the seat of honor.

The arrogance and contempt of the three had reached a point where they no longer bothered to hide it.

After listening to this barrage of mockery and sarcasm, the expression on Gu Qing's face remained without a ripple.

He did not even shift his posture.

He simply locked his gaze onto Yan, who was the most restless of the three.

"So, you believe in letting strength do the talking?"

"That statement is not false."

"It is only a pity that your understanding of strength is far too shallow."

The moment his voice fell.

The soul power within Gu Qing erupted without the slightest warning.

There was no need to summon his Life-Type Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

That vast, abyssal pressure alone crashed down upon the three in the center of the hall like Mount Tai.

Yan, who had been wearing a look of unbridled defiance, bore the brunt of it.

His face turned deathly pale in an instant.

He felt as if two massive mountains had been placed upon his shoulders.

His knees let out a brittle, agonizing crack.

"You dare strike!"

Yan gritted his teeth and roared.

His Flame Lord martial soul possessed him instantly.

Blazing, dark red flames surged into the sky, attempting to force a path through the pressure with his formidable fire-attribute soul power.

Yet, these flames, capable of melting steel, were extinguished as quickly as if they had encountered a natural predator the moment they touched the aura radiating from Gu Qing.

Gu Qing raised his right hand.

He pressed down casually into the void.

With a dull thud, a muffled sound echoed.

Yan did not even have room to resist.

His entire body was slammed flat against the ground.

The hard granite floor tiles cracked inch by inch.

The immense force pressed his cheek into the rubble, and no matter how he struggled, he could not move a single inch.

Xie Yue, standing to the side, was struck with terror at the sight.

He had never expected this seemingly refined Holy Son to be so domineering in his actions.

Two blood-red Moon Blades appeared in his hands in an instant.

His figure transformed into a blur as he slashed directly toward Gu Qing's position.

The sharp blade-light tore through the air, whistling shrilly as it bore down on Gu Qing's face.

This was a full-force strike from a Soul King.

Xie Yue held nothing back.

Facing this fierce offensive.

Gu Qing remained seated steadily in his chair, not even blinking an eyelid.

He merely extended his right index and middle fingers.

With absolute precision, he caught the descending Moon Blade between them.

The massive impact was like a clay ox entering the sea before those two fair fingers.

It did not stir a single ripple.

Xie Yue's eyes widened.

He gripped the hilt with both hands, trying to pull it back.

Yet, he found that the Moon Blade was as immovable as if it had grown into Gu Qing's fingers.

"Too slow, too weak, and riddled with openings."

Gu Qing spat out the twelve words indifferently.

He exerted a slight force with his fingertips.

A violent, rebounding force surged through the Moon Blade and directly into Xie Yue's arms.

Xie Yue let out a muffled groan as the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split, blood spraying into the air.

His entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

He slammed heavily into the Coiling Dragon Pillar of the great hall.

By the time he slid to the floor, he could barely even stand.

In just a single exchange, two of the main pillars of the Golden Generation had been utterly defeated.

Everything had happened too quickly.

Hu Liena, standing where she was, hadn't even had time to activate her Martial Soul.

Seeing her two companions instantly decimated, her pupils contracted violently, and her breathing turned ragged.

She finally realized that the seemingly gentle and refined young man before her was a monster whose strength was terrifying to the extreme.

Her survival instinct kicked in, and she instantly activated her Heavenly Fox Martial Soul.

A furry tail swayed behind her.

Rings of pink light rippled outward from her body.

She attempted to use her most proficient skill, Charm, to seize control of Gu Qing's mind.

Her alluring eyes shimmered with an strange luster, staring straight at the seat of honor.

"Playing with mental power in front of me? You court death."

Gu Qing let out a cold snort.

A vast surge of mental power poured out like a bursting dam.

The pink halo shattered instantly in the face of this mental storm.

Hu Liena felt a sharp, stabbing pain erupt in her mind.

Her sea of consciousness had been violently assaulted.

Her Martial Soul Possession was forcibly interrupted.

Everything went black before her eyes, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the cold floor.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through her pink combat suit.

She gasped for air, her eyes filled with profound terror.

The great hall returned to a deathly silence.

Only Yan remained on the ground, struggling with difficulty, emitting weak, ragged breaths.

Gu Qing slowly retracted his unleashed pressure.

He rose from his chair and walked down the steps, one pace at a time.

To the three of them, the crisp sound of his footsteps was like the death knell of the Grim Reaper.

"Now, do you still think I climbed to this position by relying on women?"

Gu Qing looked down from above at the collapsed Golden Generation, his tone laced with undisguised mockery.

Xie Yue clutched his chest, enduring the intense pain as he forced himself up from the floor.

He decisively knelt on one knee.

Always arrogant and proud, all that remained in his eyes now was awe for an absolute powerhouse.

"The Holy Son's strength is unfathomable; Xie Yue is convinced and submits!"

Yan also stopped struggling.

He turned over with great difficulty and lowered the head he had always held so high.

In the world of Spirit Masters, only strength is the absolute truth.

The terrifying cultivation Gu Qing had just displayed had shattered their laughable pride.

Hu Liena tilted her head, looking at Gu Qing's tall, upright figure.

The fear in her eyes was gradually replaced by a fanatical worship.

She was, by nature, a woman who admired the strong.

At this moment, the domineering aura Gu Qing displayed—crushing everything with a mere gesture—deeply shook her heart.

"We admit defeat."

"Many thanks to the Holy Son for showing mercy."

Hu Liena bit her red lip, her voice soft as she offered her apology.

Seeing the three of them yield, Gu Qing nodded in satisfaction.

To bring these three proud chess pieces under his control, he had to beat them into submission using the most violent means possible.

"Get up."

Gu Qing walked to the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"Your talents are indeed top-tier among the younger generation."

"But your understanding of your Martial Souls is an absolute mess."

"Yan, your Flame Lord is a top-grade dual-attribute Fire and Earth Martial Soul."

"Yet when you fight, you only know how to use fire to scorch, completely ignoring the weight and defense provided by the earth attribute."

"Fire borrows the momentum of earth, and earth births the might of fire."

"Only by fusing the two can you unleash multiplied power, rather than crashing about like a headless chicken as you did just now."

With just a few casual words of guidance, Gu Qing struck at the fatal blind spot in Yan's cultivation.

Yan's eyes lit up fiercely as he listened.

He stood rooted to the spot, as if waking from a long dream.

The bottleneck that had plagued him for so long had been pierced through by a single sentence from Gu Qing.

"Xie Yue."

Gu Qing turned his head to look at the white-haired youth standing to the side.

"Your Moon Blade pursues extreme sharpness and speed, but your footwork is far too heavy."

"You fail to exert force from your waist when striking, which leads to a lack of follow-through."

"As long as someone blocks your first strike, your openings will be exposed."

"Focus your soul power into the soles of your feet; let your body lead the blade, rather than letting the blade lead your body."

Xie Yue trembled all over upon hearing this.

He immediately closed his eyes, frantically simulating the force-exertion techniques Gu Qing had described within his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more profound and miraculous it seemed.

The admiration in his heart surged like a torrential river.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Holy Son! This subordinate will certainly keep it in mind!"

Xie Yue and Yan knelt on one knee simultaneously.

Their tones were filled with unprecedented respect.

This time, they were truly convinced and submissive.

Gu Qing waved his hand dismissively.

He signaled for the two to withdraw.

"The finals are about to begin; go back and properly contemplate what I said today."

"If you cannot even handle those brats from Shrek,"

"Then you are not fit to remain in this Martial Soul City."

Xie Yue and Yan dared not show the slightest negligence.

After bowing respectfully, they quickly retreated from the hall.

They were anxious to return and go into seclusion to digest the precious experience they had gained today.

Soon, only Gu Qing and Hu Liena, who was still slumped on the ground, remained in the hall.

The atmosphere in the air became somewhat subtle.

Hu Liena did not rush to leave like the other two.

She slowly stood up from the floor.

She reached out to brush the dust from her clothes.

Her fox-like eyes shimmered with a watery luster.

She stared unblinkingly at Gu Qing's profile.

The strength that had crushed everything just moments ago, combined with the vision that could transform a person with a mere casual pointer, Caused the defenses in Hu Liena's heart to collapse.

A strong desire for conquest and a sense of submission were intertwined within her.

This man was the only existence truly worthy of her following, and even giving everything to.

Hu Liena swayed her slender waist, her lotus steps moving lightly.

She slowly approached Gu Qing.

As the distance between them closed, the natural, alluring fragrance unique to her Heavenly Fox Martial Soul became increasingly rich.

This was not a soul skill she was deliberately casting.

Rather, it was the instinctive aura radiating from her body after she had developed genuine feelings.

"Your Highness Holy Son just offered guidance to those two, so why have you forgotten about Liena?"

Hu Liena's voice was bewitchingly seductive to the bone.

The tail end of her words lifted slightly, carrying an undisguised hint of provocation.

She stopped less than half a foot away from Gu Qing.

She tilted her head back slightly.

Her fair neck and delicate collarbones were laid bare for all to see.

Her full chest rose and fell gently with her breathing.

She was so close that the warm air from her breath could be clearly felt against Gu Qing's chin.

She extended a slender, jade-like finger.

Emboldened, she reached out to touch the moon-white lapels of Gu Qing's robe.

Her gaze was thick with longing, her watery eyes filled with a submissive, seductive invitation to be taken.

She possessed absolute confidence in her beauty and charm.

Throughout all of Martial Soul City, and indeed the entire continent.

There was no telling how many young talents were willing to prostrate themselves at her feet.

As long as Gu Qing was a normal man, he would be absolutely unable to resist her proactive overtures at this moment.

However, the instant Hu Liena's fingertip was about to touch Gu Qing's clothing.

A powerful hand suddenly clamped onto her wrist.

The force was immense.

It forcibly held her body, which had been leaning in, at arm's length.

Hu Liena was slightly stunned.

She looked up to meet Gu Qing's eyes, which were devoid of any warmth.

There was no desire, no infatuation, not even a shred of appreciation to be found.

It was as if he were looking at a worthless ornament.

"Put away these low-grade tricks of yours."

Gu Qing flung Hu Liena's wrist aside without a hint of mercy.

His tone was extremely flat.

"Your Charm talent might be a trump card in the eyes of ordinary people."

"But in my view, it is nothing more than a method a fox uses to mask its own weakness when in heat."

"If you only intend to rely on this skin to establish yourself in the world of spirit masters."

"Then you are only fit to be a plaything for the rest of your life."

Gu Qing's words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight through Hu Liena's self-esteem.

He reduced the charm she took such pride in to something worthless.

Hu Liena's face flushed bright red in an instant.

A flash of hurt and resentment crossed her eyes.

Biting her lip in defiance, she tried to take another step forward.

"Does Your Highness Holy Son truly have no feelings for me at all?"

"As long as you are willing, Liena will be yours from this day forward."

"No matter what you ask of me, I am willing to do it."