"But…"
Xie Yue opened his mouth, still wearing a look of concern in his eyes. "Nana, we've already killed so many soul beasts, especially that Wind Wolf King who had reached the Soul King level."
"I know you're prouder than anyone else deep down. You don't want to lose, and you want to prove your strength."
"But Dai Chengfeng is just a Soul Elder."
"Even if he has more tricks up his sleeve and is stronger than an ordinary Soul Elder, his limit should be taking down Soul Elders or newly Soul Ancestor-level soul beasts without any countermeasures."
"There's really no need to put yourself in such a dangerous situation just to compete with him over this."
Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's name, Hu Liena pursed her lips. Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists, her nails almost digging into her palms.
"No!"
She shook her head forcefully, her chestnut hair swaying slightly in the air. The flames of unwillingness burned fiercely in her eyes.
"I absolutely cannot lose!"
For Hu Liena, failure was a humiliation far worse than death—especially losing to someone like Dai Chengfeng, whose soul power was weaker than hers. It felt like a crushing blow to the confidence she had built up since childhood.
And for the sake of winning this bet…
Over the past ten-plus days, Hu Liena had spent countless nights meticulously rehearsing every detail in her mind, turning over each scenario again and again.
"Do you trust me?"
Hu Liena took a deep breath, straightened her back slightly, and spoke with unwavering determination. "I've calculated this plan countless times…"
"With the Beast Saliva Grass attracting the soul beasts, once they get close enough, our Spirit Fusion Technique Charming Demon will confuse their minds through its domain effect."
"And then, combined with Yan's flame attacks…"
As she spoke, Hu Liena narrowed her beautiful fox-like eyes, brimming with confidence. "Once the chaos begins, these soul beasts will inevitably turn on each other. At that point, all we need to do is sit back and reap the benefits."
"This plan is foolproof!"
"But can all these soul beasts really be bewitched? After all, there are so many different kinds…"
Xie Yue tried to reason further, but at that moment, Yan placed a large hand on Xie Yue's shoulder and subtly shook his head.
"Enough, Xie Yue. I believe in Nana!"
With that, Yan flashed what he thought was a charming smile, nodding lightly toward Hu Liena, his eyes filled with support.
However, Hu Liena didn't even glance at Yan's attempt to charm her. She simply turned her head away, her gaze once again fixed on the horde of soul beasts below.
"Uh…"
Yan's smile froze awkwardly on his face as he stood there, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Strange…
Dai Chengfeng smiled at Young Master Qian Renxue just like this, and suddenly her anger vanished, replaced with a smile in her eyes…
Why doesn't it work on me?
Yan stared at the unimpressed Hu Liena, his eyes full of confusion. Is there some hidden detail about Dai Chengfeng's charm that I haven't figured out yet?
Yan sank into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Xie Yue glanced at his sister, then at his brother Yan. Finally, he sighed helplessly.
He was still filled with worry because Xie Yue felt this plan wasn't entirely secure.
There were so many types of soul beasts below. What if…
I mean, what if one of them happens to specialize in spiritual abilities and resists the Charming Demon's effects?
But seeing his sister's determination and Yan's agreement, Xie Yue could only reluctantly nod in acceptance despite his concerns.
After all, he knew that once his sister made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.
If he, as her older brother, refused to cooperate, who knows what even riskier plans she might come up with.
---
While the group was conversing,
Below, the horde of soul beasts began to show clear signs of change.
The wandering soul beasts suddenly seemed drawn by an invisible scent. They all raised their heads, their eyes filled with fervor and restlessness, instinctively converging toward the same direction.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Their footsteps quickened, snapping twigs underfoot. The ground trembled slightly from their stampede.
Seeing this, Hu Liena's eyes sparkled with excitement. She lowered her voice, barely able to contain her thrill. "The bait is working…"
"Once they're fully gathered, we'll strike immediately."
"I'll make sure Dai Chengfeng sees who the real powerhouse is!"
Xie Yue and Yan exchanged glances, both nodding simultaneously. Their bodies leaned forward slightly, muscles tensed, ready to spring into action at any moment. The air grew thick with tension.
As time passed, roughly half an hour later, the fragrance of the Beast Saliva Grass reached its peak, and the soul beasts finally converged completely.
Hundreds upon hundreds of them filled the valley, their figures almost blotting out the entire space.
"Now!"
Hu Liena's eyes hardened as she gave the decisive order.
"Spirit Fusion Technique: Charming Demon!"
In an instant, Hu Liena and Xie Yue shouted simultaneously, their soul power erupting outward.
The next moment, their soul powers collided violently in midair, emitting a dazzling light. When the brilliance faded, a long-haired, androgynous figure appeared in their place.
This was their Spirit Fusion Technique—Charming Demon.
The moment it manifested, it unleashed a vast red mist domain centered around itself, nearly enveloping the entire canyon.
Within the red mist, the sensory perception of all soul beasts in the canyon was instantly reduced by fifty percent. Their soul power was suppressed, and their movements became sluggish.
More critically…
Only Hu Liena and Xie Yue, who had activated the Spirit Fusion Technique, could see clearly within the red mist. This plunged the already unintelligent soul beasts into utter chaos.
Seeing this, Hu Liena couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. She turned to Yan.
"Yan, attack!"
"Got it!"
Without hesitation, Yan summoned his spirit, the Flame Lord.
Four soul rings lit up beneath his feet, radiating brilliant light. Waves of heat spread outward from him.
"First Soul Skill: Hell Magma Surge! Fourth Soul Skill: Magma Rampage!"
Yan bellowed, pushing his hands forward with great force. His body leaned back slightly from the exertion.
Instantly, cracks split across the ground. Scorching magma erupted like fountains, carrying the acrid smell of sulfur, surging toward the soul beast horde.
At the same time, countless magma pillars rained down from the sky. The massive impact sent the already chaotic soul beasts into even greater panic.
In an instant, large groups of soul beasts fled in all directions to avoid the magma attacks. With their paths blocked, they instinctively collided with and attacked each other…
The scene in the canyon descended into complete chaos. The soul beasts' wails and roars echoed ceaselessly.
Watching this unfold, Hu Liena rejoiced inwardly, secretly pleased:
"Sure enough, everything is going exactly as I planned."
"Dai Chengfeng, this time I'll make you admit defeat wholeheartedly."
However, Hu Liena's joy didn't last long.
Suddenly, an unexpected twist occurred.
A small fox-like soul beast abruptly burst out from the chaotic mass of beasts.
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