Su Ming roared furiously in his heart.
No one knew how much time had passed. Then, with a soul-deep rumble that only Su Ming could hear, the Soul Bone completely transformed into a streak of light and fused into his skull.
Whoosh!
Su Ming abruptly opened his eyes.
Feeling the spiritual power within him, now several times stronger, Su Ming's lips curled up slightly.
He had successfully fused with a ten-thousand-year Head Soul Bone!
Su Ming closed his eyes and sensed the information about the skill flooding into his mind. A cold glint flashed through his eyes.
Wisdom Skull Skill: Infinite Nightmare!
Skill effect: a mental control technique that forcibly twisted the target's perception according to spiritual rules.
Once a target was locked on, the user could instantly turn his ultimate evil intent into an invisible, formless mental toxin. It ignored most of the target's mental defenses and directly took root deep within their sea of consciousness.
Its most terrifying aspect was that anyone infected would instantly fall into the illusion of Infinite Nightmare.
All the negative emotions in their heart—fear, jealousy, greed, and more—would be magnified without limit, leaving them utterly incapable of fighting.
Not only could Su Ming detonate the mental toxin to directly destroy the target's sea of consciousness, inflicting fatal brain death, he could even forcibly control their body for a short time, like a puppet, and make them turn against their own side!
"Infinite Nightmare, huh..."
Su Ming gave a cold laugh and strode out of the secret chamber.
His fourth Soul Skill could forcibly strip away Soul Rings, while his Soul Bone Skill could forcibly control both mind and body.
He had now taken the phrase "dimensional superiority" to its absolute extreme.
The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament... was Spirit Hall ready to pass judgment on them?
Su Ming emerged from the secret chamber.
Outside, he found Hu Liena waiting anxiously.
She had changed into an elegant white dress. Her delicate face was lightly made up, softening her imposing aura as a Saintess and bringing out a girl's natural charm.
"Is something wrong?" Su Ming asked, still wearing his usual cool, expressionless look.
"Didn't I say I'd come find you in a bit? Why did you go into seclusion as soon as you got back? Come on, I'm taking you somewhere. Follow me!"
Without giving him a chance to refuse, Hu Liena grabbed Su Ming's hand and led him toward a hill behind Spirit City.
A little over ten minutes later, they passed through a dense grove of purple bamboo, and the view before them suddenly opened wide.
A flat outcropping jutted from the sheer cliffside.
From there, the ground as far as the eye could see was covered in nameless star-shaped grass that glimmered faintly, like a sea of stars fallen into the mortal world.
The evening breeze swept over it, sending waves through the grass and carrying a refreshing fragrance.
From this high vantage point, the towering city of Spirit City looked like a giant luminous pearl, radiating a dreamlike glow in the night.
Standing amid such beautiful scenery, even a Soul Master untouched by worldly concerns couldn't help feeling refreshed and at ease. The tension that had built up over the past few days melted away in an instant.
"What do you think? Pretty, right?" Hu Liena turned to Su Ming, her bright eyes sparkling.
A rare look of surprise flickered in Su Ming's eyes.
He had been in Spirit Hall for so long, yet he had never known that such a breathtaking paradise was hidden deep in the hills behind Pope Palace.
"You didn't know about this place before, did you?"
Hu Liena lifted her chin with a hint of pride. "I stumbled across it by accident while wandering around alone. My cultivation pressure was getting to me, and I was in a bad mood. Besides me, you're the second person to come here."
Su Ming stood there for a while, then looked away from the Fluorescent Grass Sea.
He turned to Hu Liena and said something utterly ruinous to the mood. "So you dragged me out here in the middle of the night just to show me this?"
At his completely unromantic response, Hu Liena's lips twitched. She couldn't help shooting him an irritated look.
"What a block of wood. You have no sense of romance!"
She gave a little huff, walked over to the grass, and sat down cross-legged. Then she took a bamboo basket out of her Soul Tool.
She lifted the cloth covering it. Inside lay several neatly arranged, delicate pastries. Their shapes were a little crooked, but they still gave off a faint, sweet fragrance.
"Try one. I made them myself." Hu Liena picked one up and offered it to Su Ming, her eyes betraying a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
Su Ming looked at the pastry, then at Hu Liena. He took it, popped it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed.
"How does it taste?" Hu Liena hurriedly asked.
Su Ming paused for a second, then gave his objective assessment. "So-so. There's a bit too much sugar, the texture's a little coarse, it looks a little ugly, and the fragrance is a bit cloying..."
"Enough! Stop right there!"
Hu Liena's eyes flew wide, and she hurriedly cut him off!
"I asked you to rate it, not pick it apart."
Hu Liena rolled her eyes at him and said in exasperation, "Su Ming! Can't you say something that'll make a girl happy?"
Su Ming remained impassive and spread his hands. "I can't. I'm just telling the truth."
"Then you'd better learn!"
Hu Liena poked him in the arm, exasperation written all over her face. "You're only twelve, and you're already this stiff. If you don't learn to be a little smooth-tongued, no girl will like you when you grow up!"
"I don't care. I don't need one."
Su Ming replied calmly, then brushed the dust off his clothes and stood up. "I've seen the scenery and eaten the food. Anything else? I'm going back to meditate."
With that, he turned around and started to head back.
"Hey, wait!"
Seeing that Su Ming was really leaving, Hu Liena panicked.
She quickly sprang up from the grass and grabbed Su Ming's hand.
Her palm was soft and warm, trembling ever so slightly. Her bright eyes were full of entreaty. "Don't go. Stay with me a little longer, just a little while. Please?"
Looking at Hu Liena's almost coquettish expression and feeling the warmth in his palm that he couldn't shake off, Su Ming sighed helplessly.
In the end, he didn't force himself free. He sat back down in the grass.
"Hehe, I knew you were the best to me." Hu Liena beamed, her mood changing faster than the turn of a page.
They sat side by side, taking in the scenery.
Neither said a word. The silence between them felt peaceful and just right.
After a while, night deepened, and a bright Full Moon slowly rose from behind the mountains.
The enormous silver moon seemed close enough to touch. Its clear light draped over the entire Fluorescent Grass Sea like a veil, making the scenery all around them seem even more dreamlike.
Countless glimmers danced around them like fireflies. The sight was breathtaking.
As Hu Liena gazed at the Full Moon, she slowly brought her hands together. Then she closed her eyes, her expression turning utterly devout.
She bowed her head slightly and murmured so softly that only she could hear:
"I hope Mom and Dad are happy up in heaven... And I hope I can break through smoothly in the new year. Also... I hope everyone by my side stays safe and sound..."