Chapter 116: You Are Strong, But Not Strong Enough!
Xia Feng's hollow black pupils ignited with golden fragments as Mu Qingtong's ethereal spirit suddenly rushed toward his face, twisting violently as if about to be sucked into his eyes.
Yet Mu Qingtong refused to yield so easily. Her spirit writhed, collapsed, and then abruptly reformed, stubbornly resisting absorption.
Though her spirit form rendered her cheeks translucent and faint, her expression remained vivid—her pupils burned with rare humiliation and fury.
Xia Feng, though visibly fatigued, gazed calmly at the woman's delicate features mere inches away. Slowly, the corners of his lips curled upward, his eyes brimming with arrogance.
"Miss Mu, I'll admit you're strong," he declared, "but not strong enough!"
Mu Qingtong's pale golden pupils dilated, then contracted. His taunting words struck like a deafening hammer, rattling her composure.
Her breath hitched—this man truly knew how to provoke her!
But did he think he'd already won?
Suppressing the urge to dominate him, she steadied herself. She understood him, sought to defeat him, to control him. Obstacles were inevitable.
No matter. Sooner or later, Mr. Xia, you'll submit to me.
Her eyes darkened as she mustered every ounce of resistance against the strange space's pull.
Ignoring her defiance, Xia Feng hoisted her limp body from his legs and cradled her in his arms.
Her silver-white hair framed a cold, doll-like face. The haughty gaze behind her gold-rimmed glasses was now vacant, her delicate features utterly pliant.
A wicked smirk played on Xia Feng's lips as he patted her soft cheek—no reaction.
"What are you doing?!"
The spirit of the black-clad woman glared at him, her voice sharp.
Xia Feng glanced up, amused. Deliberately taunting, he pressed a finger against her lower lip.
Mu Qingtong: "!!!"
He pinched her jaw, forcing her mouth open.
"Miss Mu, care to guess what I'll do next?" His tone dripped with mockery.
"..."
Unwanted images flashed through her mind. "Xia Feng! You wouldn't dare—"
Her protest cut short as he shoved a blueberry-like fruit past her lips.
A Soul-Infusing Fruit.
Xia Feng smirked. "What were you imagining just now, Miss Mu?"
Mu Qingtong: "..."
I want to punch him. Desperately.
"Why feed me this?" she snapped. "I told you I don't need it."
Compared to her, armed with a spirit weapon, Xia Feng needed the fruit far more.
"You don't need it?" He narrowed his eyes. "You couldn't even beat me. What right do you have to refuse?"
"!!!!"
Clenching fists. "The fight isn't over yet. Just wait."
"Mm." Xia Feng hummed dismissively, shifting his attention to her physical body.
The azure fruit lingered between her lips, unabsorbed.
Frowning, he prodded it deeper. Instantly, it dissolved into a warm surge of energy, melting into her.
[Mu Qingtong consumed a Soul-Infusing Fruit. Perfect absorption. Your mental power increased by 3 Soc.]
[Current mental power: (26+3) 29]
[Vermilion Bird Armor Blessing: Temporary third-stage activation. +10 Soc. Temporary total: 39 Soc.]
Typically, mental power rises marginally with spiritual pressure and spikes upon breakthroughs.
Imperial records state: Average individuals and trainee spiritualists range between 1–5 Soc.
For first-level spiritualists, mental power typically ranges between 10 to 20 Soc.
Second-level spiritualists range between 20 to 30 Soc.
Third-level spiritualists range between 30 to 40 Soc.
Upon reaching the fourth stage, a life-level evolution occurs, and mental power surges dramatically—generally fluctuating between 40 to 300 Soc.
Fifth-level spiritualists possess mental power ranging from 300 to 1000 Soc.
After consuming the Soul-Infusing Fruit and benefiting from the Vermilion Bird Armor's enhancement, Xia Feng's mental power now stood at 39 Soc—teetering on the edge of the fourth stage.
Yet even this wasn't enough to resist Mu Qingtong's spiritual control. He estimated that even if he reached the fourth stage, her third-level spiritual pressure would still dominate him for a few critical seconds.
That vulnerability was unacceptable.
From his experience, alpha-level spirit weapons possessed three skills in their Spiritual Solution stage. So far, Mu Qingtong had only revealed two—hypnosis and manipulation. The third remained unknown.
And beyond the Spiritual Solution lay the Holy Solution stage, which also harbored three skills.
Achieving the Holy Solution, however, was notoriously difficult. Xia Feng still had no clue how to attain it, and he suspected Mu Qingtong hadn't either.
But to prepare for the worst—to avoid being outmaneuvered by this cunning woman in the future—Xia Feng knew one thing was imperative: entering the Evil Dragon Space to bolster his mental power.
The second stage of the Evil Demon Heart's magic, Touch of the Malevolent Spirit, allowed him to convert absorbed evil spirit liquid into mental power.
Compared to scouring for rare Soul-Infusing Fruits, devouring the spirit liquid from the Evil Dragon's body was far more efficient.
As he strategized, the black-clad woman draped over his thighs suddenly emitted a violet glow from her brow. Countless faceted crystals floated out, scattering prismatic light.
The moment the light spread, Xia Feng gritted his teeth. His spiritual pressure was instantly sealed—trapped within his soul, unable to dissipate or even sustain his spirit weapon.
Whoosh!
Mu Qingtong's struggling spirit abruptly retreated into her body, her lifeless expression snapping back to vivid awareness.
Her golden eyes burned with irritation as she bit down—hard.
Xia Feng hissed as blood welled from his fingertips. He jerked his hand free, then flipped her onto her back, pinning her wrist beneath him.
The amethyst crystal on Mu Qingtong's brow had unleashed a silencing field, sealing all spiritual pressure within its radius—including her own.
Xia Feng's mind raced. What is this thing? It could both supply her with immense spiritual pressure and suppress it entirely.
A realization struck him. "Miss Mu," he said slowly, "these experiments of yours… Is this amethyst the result?"
Beneath him, the silver-haired woman lay with her damp hair fanned across the ground like frostbloom. Her sweat-sheened face tilted up, calm yet calculating. Then—
In a flash, she hooked her legs around his knees and wrenched their positions, flipping him onto his back with startling strength!
Xia Feng's eyes widened. He tried to twist free, but Mu Qingtong trapped his lower body in an unorthodox lock, his wrists pinned above his head.
Mu Qingtong leaned over, her beautiful face only half an inch away from Xia Feng. Her lips hovered a hair's breadth from his. No longer hiding her arrogance, she murmured, "Win against me… and I'll tell you."
(End of Chapter)