Hu Liena's Provocation

After Gui Mei and Yue Guan left with the Pope's Edict, the hall fell quiet.

Su Chen was just about to head back to bed when footsteps sounded outside.

Bibi Dong looked up.

"Come in."

A young girl walked into the hall.

She looked to be a little over ten, tall and slender, with a hint of defiance on her face. She first bowed to Bibi Dong, then let her gaze fall on Su Chen.

"Teacher."

Bibi Dong nodded faintly.

"Nana, it's late. What is it?"

Hu Liena pursed her lips.

"Your disciple heard that Teacher took on a personal disciple and even appointed him Holy Son."

"So?"

"Your disciple wanted to meet him."

Su Chen sat in his chair and looked her over.

Hu Liena.

The core of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, and its future Saintess. She was naturally gifted in Charm and mental attacks.

This senior sister of his was clearly unhappy.

Hu Liena looked at Su Chen.

"You're Su Chen?"

"And you're Hu Liena?"

"You know me?"

"Teacher mentioned you."

Bibi Dong's brows twitched.

She hadn't mentioned her.

Su Chen casually added, "I could tell from your expression. The only person who'd come straight to Papal Hall to give the Holy Son a hard time is one of Teacher's personal disciples."

Hu Liena's face stiffened.

"Who said I came to give you a hard time?"

"Then what did you come here for?"

"I just wanted to see what you're capable of, since Teacher made an exception and appointed you Holy Son."

Su Chen got to his feet.

"Seen enough?"

Hu Liena frowned.

"Not yet."

"Then keep looking."

His nonchalant attitude made Hu Liena even more uncomfortable.

Among Spirit Hall's younger generation, no one dared speak to her like that.

Xie Yue indulged her, and Yan practically wanted to put every good thing in front of her. Even the deacons and bishops treated her with respect.

Yet this six-year-old in front of her acted as though she didn't exist.

Hu Liena suppressed her irritation.

"Teacher, I'd like to spar with His Highness the Holy Son."

Bibi Dong didn't agree right away.

"You're older than Su Chen, and your Soul Power is higher. There's no point in sparring."

"Your disciple will suppress her Soul Power and won't use any Soul Skills. We'll only compare mental control."

Su Chen perked up at that.

"You're good at mental control?"

Hu Liena lifted her chin.

"My Martial Soul is the Demon Fox. Charm doesn't just make people space out. It can also disrupt the flow of Soul Power and affect their judgment. If you can't even withstand that much interference, you might not be able to hold on to the position of Holy Son."

If Yue Guan had been there to hear that, he'd probably have pinched his orchid fingers and scolded her for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth.

But Su Chen wasn't angry.

"Sure."

Bibi Dong looked at Su Chen.

"Are you certain?"

"Senior sister wants to try, so let's try. We can't have people thinking Spirit Hall's Holy Son can only write a few essays."

Hu Liena's eyes flickered.

His words sounded calm, but carried an unsettling confidence.

Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment.

"Don't go too far."

"Your disciple understands."

"I understand."

Hu Liena stepped back several paces, and Soul Power slowly surfaced around her.

Two Soul Rings lit up beneath her feet.

A faint pink glow spread from her eyes, and the air filled with a soothing sensation.

"Su Chen, look at me."

Her voice was soft and gentle.

An ordinary Soul Master would probably have looked up at her without thinking.

Su Chen did look up.

Hu Liena was delighted.

Charm didn't rely on overwhelming someone with Soul Power. Instead, it used one's gaze, voice, and emotions as a lure, slipping into the opponent's mind when their focus wavered.

Sometimes, the more confident a person was, the easier it was to catch them off guard.

"Don't be nervous. I won't hurt you."

"You've only just arrived at Papal Hall. You must still be getting used to it, right?"

"Teacher is usually strict, but she really cares about you."

"Just relax and listen to me."

One sentence after another.

A pink haze shimmered in Hu Liena's eyes.

Su Chen stood still, without summoning his Martial Soul or channeling his Soul Power.

Bibi Dong furrowed her brow slightly.

Hu Liena's Charm was already more than an ordinary First Soul Skill.

The girl had a remarkable talent for mental control. Even quite a few Soul Elders had fallen victim to it.

As Su Chen looked into those eyes, another scene appeared in his mind.

Hu Liena's mental power was like countless fine threads. First, her voice stirred the emotions. Then her gaze locked onto the mind. Finally, she slipped in through the gaps that appeared in a person's consciousness.

The method wasn't complicated.

The key was that people's thoughts were too chaotic.

As long as someone had fears, desires, or something they couldn't let go of, Charm could slip through the cracks.

And for those who cultivated, the state of the mind mattered most.

When the mind was unsettled, the will wavered.

When the will wavered, Soul Power scattered.

Su Chen closed his eyes.

[Ding!]

[Observed the Demon Fox's Charm technique and discerned the patterns of mental fluctuations]

[Combined it with the calming principles of the Supreme Guidance Art and achieved sudden enlightenment]

[Created the mental art Clear Mind Soul-Calming Mantra]

A formula surged into his mind.

A clear mind wasn't the same as having no feelings.

Calming the soul didn't mean forcing it into submission.

It meant first steadying one's own thoughts, then observing the intentions coming from outside. No matter how many temptations assailed him, a clear light remained within.

When Hu Liena saw Su Chen close his eyes, she relaxed.

"He's already under."

She was about to withdraw her Soul Power when Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze was calm.

There was no confusion, no struggle, and not the slightest trace of someone who had fallen under Charm.

Hu Liena froze.

"You..."

Su Chen let out a breath.

"Senior sister, that trick works pretty well on ordinary people."

"But you're telling me to relax while trying to force your way into my head. Who would believe you?"

Hu Liena's face warmed.

"You weren't affected?"

"Almost."

"Almost?"

"You didn't have enough mental power."

Hu Liena bit her lip.

"Don't just talk big."

Pink Soul Power surged out once again.

This time, Hu Liena said nothing. She fixed her eyes on Su Chen.

Her Second Soul Ring flashed.

Demon Fox Charm!

A mental attack shot straight toward Su Chen's mind.

Bibi Dong raised a hand, ready to stop them.

But Su Chen spoke first.

"Clear as water, my soul and spirit serene."

The words fell, yet no Soul Power erupted from Su Chen.

But Hu Liena's Charm had barely drawn near when it seemed to strike an invisible barrier.

The pink light scattered.

Hu Liena gave a muffled groan, her face paling.

"Impossible..."

Her Second Soul Skill had been blocked by a single sentence?

Su Chen looked at Hu Liena.

"Your Charm uses mental power to pull people into your rhythm."

"Then let me give it a try too."

A trace of unease suddenly rose in Hu Liena's heart.

The next moment, a wave of mental power surged from Su Chen.

It had no color, and there was no Soul Ring.

Yet the instant that power appeared, Hu Liena felt her mind go blank.

Su Chen still looked like a six-year-old child before her, but in her mental perception, he was like an ocean stretching beyond the horizon.

Her mental power rushed in, but couldn't even stir a ripple.

She tried to withdraw her Soul Skill.

But her mental power seemed pinned down by an invisible hand, unable to move.

"Senior sister, Charm doesn't make people lose their minds."

Su Chen's voice entered her consciousness.

"True mental control begins with controlling yourself."