Stunning the Chrysanthemum Douluo

"I've finished examining the path of hidden weapons."

Su Chen tossed the broken arrow to the ground and turned toward the edge of the forest.

Yue Guan followed behind him, unusually quiet.

He had seen the entire battle just now—from Tang San firing the Sleeve Arrow, to the Purple Thunder Spirit Sword splitting into sword shadows, to Tang San's wrist being shattered in a single blow.

A Title Douluo's eyesight naturally surpassed Tang San's by far.

Precisely because he had seen it clearly, he found it even more unsettling.

When the Purple Thunder Spirit Sword flew out, it was as if an invisible thread were pulling it.

But that thread wasn't attached to the sword.

It was in Su Chen's heart.

Yue Guan stared at Su Chen's back for a long time.

"Your Highness."

"Mm?"

"What was that move called?"

"Light-Splitting Shadow Sweep."

"The first move of the Sword Control Art."

Yue Guan raised a brow.

"The first move?"

"I saw someone use hidden weapons and came up with it on the spot."

Yue Guan stopped walking.

"On the spot?"

Su Chen looked back.

"Elder Ju, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Old Ghost is the one who looks like a ghost."

Yue Guan retorted instinctively, then looked at the Purple Thunder Spirit Sword again.

"I want to ask—how did you make that sword fly out on its own?"

"I controlled it with spiritual energy."

"What's spiritual energy?"

"What remains after soul power is refined."

Yue Guan frowned.

"Soul power can be refined?"

"Why not?"

"Soul masters absorb soul power, store soul power, and use Soul Rings to turn soul power into soul skills. That's how everyone has cultivated for thousands of years."

"Just because it's been done that way for thousands of years doesn't mean it's necessarily right."

Su Chen stepped over a bloodstained blade of grass.

"Ordinary soul power is like unfiltered water, with all sorts of things mixed into it. Spiritual energy is filtered water—there's less of it, but it's more useful."

Yue Guan fell silent.

It was a straightforward explanation.

And a terrifying one.

Soul masters cultivated to the rank of Title Douluo through accumulation, Soul Rings, martial soul quality, talent, and resources.

But the path Su Chen walked clearly lay outside all of that.

From creating the Supreme Guidance Art, to tempering his sword with lightning, to condensing a thunder Soul Ring on his own—it had already been shocking enough. Now, after observing Tang San's hidden weapon techniques, he had created the Sword Control Art himself.

Yue Guan had thought this child merely possessed terrifying comprehension.

Only now did he understand that Su Chen wasn't learning.

He was redefining how power should be used.

"Your Highness, can this Sword Control Art of yours be taught to others?"

Su Chen stopped.

"A little of it can."

Yue Guan's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"But most people can't learn sword control."

"Why?"

"Because soul masters are used to throwing their power outward."

Su Chen raised two fingers.

The Purple Thunder Spirit Sword flew from his waist, spun once in midair, then came to a steady stop between them.

"Sword control isn't throwing a sword out."

"You first have to understand where the power comes from, where it passes through, and where it should finally land."

"If you're off by a little, the sword will fly astray. If you're off by more, the sword will cut you before anyone else."

Yue Guan stared at the floating sword, the corner of his eye twitching.

It sounded simple enough.

But actually accomplishing it would likely be harder than creating a soul skill.

A Title Douluo had sufficiently strong soul power and no weak spiritual power, either.

But Yue Guan asked himself honestly: if he sent out his Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum martial soul, could he change its direction repeatedly within a few breaths like Su Chen had, while simultaneously cutting down three high-speed Sleeve Arrows?

At the very least, he couldn't do it so steadily.

"Absolute control..."

Yue Guan murmured softly.

Su Chen heard him.

"More or less."

"Having lots of soul power isn't skill. If one portion of strength can solve something, but you insist on using ten, then even if you win, it's nothing to be proud of."

Yue Guan's lips twitched.

If those words had come from anyone else, they would only have sounded arrogant.

But after witnessing that sword strike firsthand, Yue Guan couldn't find any reason to refute him.

Tang San's hidden weapons could have been casually blocked even without Yue Guan using soul skills.

But Su Chen was different.

Su Chen hadn't merely blocked them.

The instant the hidden weapons flew toward him, he understood Tang San's method of exerting force, their trajectories, and the changes in their mechanisms. Then, with a single sword, he displayed an even more exquisite level of control.

This was no longer talent.

It was something beyond comprehension.

Yue Guan suddenly smiled.

"I'm a little relieved now."

"Relieved about what?"

"Relieved that you belong to Spirit Hall."

Su Chen glanced at Yue Guan.

"Elder Ju, your mouth's pretty sweet today."

"My mouth's never been bad."

"Then buy me fruit tea when we get back."

"Fine. Drink as much as you want."

"I want it sweet."

"Got it, little ancestor."

By the time the two left the Spirit Hunting Forest, the sky had already darkened.

Su Chen hadn't suffered any real injuries. There was only some dirt on the hem of his clothes.

But Yue Guan thought about the Sword Control Art the entire way.

Only after entering Wuhun City did Yue Guan suppress the thoughts in his heart.

The most important thing now wasn't studying this technique.

It was reporting everything that had happened today to Her Holiness the Pope without omitting a single word.

Inside the Papal Hall.

Bibi Dong sat high above, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

Hu Liena stood beside her, glancing toward the hall doors every so often.

"Teacher, why isn't Su Chen back yet?"

"The Spirit Hunting Forest isn't close."

"But Elder Ju is a Title Douluo. He should be able to bring someone back quickly."

"Nana."

"This disciple won't ask anymore."

Hu Liena agreed with her words, but her gaze still didn't move away.

Until the hall doors were pushed open.

Su Chen walked in, and his first words were:

"Teacher, is there any dinner left?"

Bibi Dong's brows stirred slightly.

Hu Liena relaxed first, then immediately put on a stern face.

"You went to the Spirit Hunting Forest to fight, and the first thing you ask after returning is about food?"

"People have to eat to live."

"Were you hurt?"

"No."

"Really not?"

"Senior Sister, do you want to inspect me on the spot?"

Hu Liena's face heated up.

"Who wants to inspect you!"

Yue Guan followed them into the hall, smiling as he pinched his fingers in an orchid gesture.

"Miss Nana, His Highness truly wasn't injured. Someone else, however, was hurt quite badly."

Bibi Dong lifted her eyes.

"Who did you encounter?"

"Yu Xiaogang, and a child named Tang San."

Hu Liena froze.

"That Yu Xiaogang? The one who wrote the Ten Core Competencies?"

"That very Grandmaster."

Yue Guan enunciated the word "Grandmaster" very softly.

Bibi Dong's expression didn't change.

"Speak."

Yue Guan's smile faded as he recounted everything that had happened in the Spirit Hunting Forest from beginning to end.

Tang San had become dissatisfied over the soul beast matter.

Tang San had fired a Sleeve Arrow from behind.

Tang San had then used Iron Caltrops, Mysterious Jade Hand, and a strange footwork technique to continue attacking.

After observing the hidden weapons, Su Chen created the Sword Control Art, breaking arrows with one sword strike and shattering a wrist with another.

Yu Xiaogang released Luo Sanpao to stop him, only to be blasted away by thunder sword qi and frightened into wetting himself.

Tang San had ultimately dragged Yu Xiaogang away and fled the forest.

The hall fell silent.

Hu Liena's eyes widened as she listened.

"Tang San's only six, right?"

"About that."

"He fired poisoned arrows from behind at six years old?"

Su Chen sat down to one side and poured himself a cup of water.

"Being young doesn't mean his heart is."

Hu Liena wrinkled her nose angrily.

"Someone like that still dares to speak badly of Spirit Hall? He was clearly the one who wanted to kill someone first."

"So his wrist was broken."

"Good. He deserved it."

Bibi Dong looked at Su Chen.

"Why didn't you kill him?"

Su Chen looked up.

"Teacher thinks I should have?"

"I'm asking what you think."

"Tang San ambushed me once. Crippling one hand settles the score."

"Yu Xiaogang tried to stop me. One sword strike counts as a warning."

Su Chen paused.

"Besides, Yu Xiaogang has already embarrassed himself enough."

Yue Guan couldn't help it and turned away with a laugh.