Hu Liena, Your Charm Doesn't Work Either

Having learned from Li Kai's lesson of being sent flying by a single staff strike during a frontal charge, Sun Chuantao didn't choose to force a close-range attack.

He raised an arm, and the Ringed Great Blade flew from his hand, carving a sharp arc through the air. With a piercing shriek that tore through the air, it spun toward Ye Han from the side.

At the same time, the great blade split into two midflight, then two became four. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into four afterimages that twisted toward him simultaneously from different directions.

This was Sun Chuantao's long-range attack method. Its speed was extremely fast and its angles tricky; one careless move, and vital points would be sliced open.

Ye Han's gaze sharpened. He held the Coiling Dragon Staff upright before him, both hands steadily gripping its center, as an imposing aura as heavy as a mountain spread from his body.

Third form of the Unyielding Staff Technique, Heaven and Earth!

This move emphasized a stable stance and the staff technique's unyielding force. The long staff danced around him, creating an impenetrable field of dark-gold afterimages that protected him like a wall of bronze and iron.

The Ringed Great Blade's afterimages struck the staff shadows one after another, producing a dense chorus of clanging metal. Sparks flew everywhere, yet not a single attack broke through his defense.

Sun Chuantao frowned deeply and poured in Soul Power. The four afterimages attacked even more fiercely, repeatedly cutting at him from all directions.

Yet no matter how he altered their angles, that field of dark-gold staff shadows remained as steady as a rock, never revealing even the slightest opening.

The relentless barrage drained a considerable amount of Sun Chuantao's Soul Power.

His assault stalled for a brief instant.

At that very moment, Ye Han moved.

His figure flashed, and the Coiling Dragon Staff swept upward from below. Carrying an unstoppable momentum, its dark-gold shaft shattered the remaining blade shadows and struck the Ringed Great Blade's true body with perfect precision.

Clang!

With a deafening crash, the great blade shuddered violently from the blow, let out a mournful cry, and flew backward.

Sun Chuantao reached out to catch it, but the immense force transmitted through the staff left his wrist numb. He staggered back several steps before barely steadying himself.

But Ye Han gave him no chance to catch his breath.

As he knocked the great blade away, Ye Han had already stepped forward and charged ahead. Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, he closed to within three feet of Sun Chuantao in an instant.

The Coiling Dragon Staff swept horizontally, its fierce wind carrying crushing force as it smashed straight toward Sun Chuantao.

Sun Chuantao's pupils contracted sharply. In his haste, he raised the Ringed Great Blade before himself and frantically unleashed Soul Power in an attempt to block it.

But that force was even more ferocious than he had expected.

With a dull boom, he was blasted away by the staff and crashed onto the ground dozens of meters away.

Silence fell over the arena once more.

If Li Kai's defeat by a single staff strike could still be blamed on his underestimating his opponent, then this battle proved otherwise. Facing Sun Chuantao's full-force assault at level forty-six, Ye Han still hadn't released his Spirit Rings, yet he had easily defeated him with nothing more than a long staff.

That was enough to prove his strength.

Ye Han put away the Coiling Dragon Staff, swept his gaze over the crowd again, and said calmly,

"Anyone else want to try?"

Two teammates had been defeated in succession, and Ye Han hadn't even released his Spirit Rings.

Yan was still somewhat unconvinced and had just prepared to step forward when Hu Liena beat him to it.

"Looks like your offense and defense are both very strong. I wonder how your spiritual power is?"

Hu Liena's voice was slightly husky, carrying a natural allure.

Her Martial Soul was the Demon Fox, making her a control-type Soul Master.

As Pope Bibi Dong's personal disciple, Hu Liena's talent and strength were considered among the best of her generation.

Having witnessed Ye Han's strength, Xie Yue had initially wanted to stop her.

But he also wanted to see whether Ye Han's spiritual power could withstand Hu Liena's control.

"Spiritual power? Give it a try."

Ye Han remained as calm as ever.

Hu Liena said nothing more and walked straight into the arena.

Soul Power surged from within her body, and the vague phantom of a Demon Fox appeared behind her.

As her Martial Soul possessed her, her hair turned fiery red, and a large fluffy tail grew from her back.

Her temperament changed abruptly as well. A faint, seductive charm veiled her brows and eyes, and every frown and smile could stir the heart.

Two yellow and two purple Spirit Rings rose beneath her feet.

"If I'm not mistaken, your Spirit Rings should also be the optimal configuration of two yellow and two purple. My Martial Soul is the Heavenly Fox, and my Soul Power is level forty-eight. Opponents at the same level are all restricted by my charm skills. Show your Spirit Rings. I don't want to win unfairly."

Ye Han shook his head.

"No need. Make your move."

Hu Liena's smile froze for an instant.

She was Pope Bibi Dong's personal disciple. Since childhood, she had never fallen behind among her peers. When had anyone ever looked down on her like this?

Even during sparring within the team, Yan and Xie Yue had to concentrate fully when facing her charm skills.

This boy wouldn't even reveal his Spirit Rings. Was he really so confident that he could withstand her spiritual attack?

A trace of displeasure at being slighted rose in Hu Liena's heart, and her gaze became sharper.

"Fine, then be careful."

The moment she spoke, her second Spirit Ring lit up.

Soul Power rippled outward, and an invisible force spread toward Ye Han.

Fox Charm.

A spiritual attack that forcibly stunned its target.

This was Hu Liena's signature skill.

Any opponent with slightly weaker spiritual power or insufficiently firm will would fall into a brief daze the moment they were hit. Even an opening of only one or two breaths was enough for her to secure victory.

But the instant that layer of Soul Power fluctuations touched Ye Han's surroundings, nothing happened.

Ye Han remained standing straight where he was, his eyes clear and his expression unchanged.

The Coiling Dragon Staff stood before him, its dark-gold body giving off a faint glow, as though an invisible barrier had blocked all the charming power outside.

Hu Liena's pupils narrowed slightly.

Unwilling to believe it, she immediately changed tactics.

Her third Spirit Ring lit up.

Rings of sound waves spread from her mouth.

The melody was winding and plaintive, like weeping and pleading, carrying a bewitching power that ensnared the heart.

Heavenly Fox Melody!

The sound waves covered a wider range, primarily infiltrating the spiritual level as they continuously battered Ye Han's will.

Yet Ye Han still didn't move an inch.

The Coiling Dragon Staff stood upright before him. Its dark-gold shaft trembled faintly and emitted a solemn aura that completely isolated all spiritual interference.

Hu Liena bit her lip, a flicker of stubbornness flashing in her eyes.

Her fourth Spirit Ring lit up.

Fallen Fox Nightmare!

This was currently her strongest spiritual control skill. It used her own Soul Power to create an emotional domain, plunging every opponent within its range into negative emotions such as fear, sorrow, and despair. Those with weaker wills would directly lose the will to fight.

Spiritual fluctuations spread outward, enveloping an area more than ten meters across.

When the domain reached Ye Han's surroundings, the dark-gold light on the Coiling Dragon Staff suddenly brightened. Faintly, a deep dragon's roar came from within the staff.

The sound wasn't loud, yet it carried a vast, righteous majesty.

The gloomy pink-purple aura rapidly faded beneath the dragon's roar.

"Don't waste your effort. Your charm-type skills are useless against me."

Ye Han hadn't moved a single step from beginning to end. He merely allowed the Coiling Dragon Staff to stand before him.

A Break Evil Dragon was sealed within the Coiling Dragon Staff.

Its powerful evil-breaking attribute completely dispelled Hu Liena's charming power.