At some point, during the tournament, Li Tian attempted to use the Hypnotize function on Xue Liying.
Ding! Target: Xue Liying. Cultivation: 10th Layer of Qi Condensation. Hypnotize function can not be used.
Ding! Halting Hypnosis...
...
The tournament had concluded, and the victors had been decided. The dust settled, leaving behind a scene of exhausted bodies and broken weapons. A few disciples were being helped off the arena with wounds. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, blood, and burnt wood.
Unsurprisingly, Fairy Xue took first place.
Her strength was simply astonishing. Her Frozen Bloom Sword Art was unparalleled, the ice-like energy of her blade slicing through her opponents with ease.
She had even achieved Major Accomplishment with the Frozen Bloom Sword Art, a feat that astounded the elders and left the other disciples in awe.
...
After a while, Xue Liying began the selection process for three disciples who would accompany her to the Inner Court. She would conduct a private assessment for each candidate.
Most of the disciples in line had a cultivation base above the 6th Layer of Qi Condensation.
They were all confident and arrogant, certain of their own strength. There were a few lower-ranked disciples who had also decided to try their luck, hoping to get a chance at the opportunity of a lifetime.
Li Tian, however, stood out like a sore thumb.
He hadn't even achieved Qi Condensation, yet there he stood, waiting in line with the rest. It was obvious that he didn't fit in with the rest, making him an eyesore in the crowd.
"Hmph! Who does this trash think he is?" A nearby disciple sneered, his voice filled with disdain.
"Does he really think Fairy Xue will choose him? Pathetic!"
The other disciples snickered at his comment, completely agreeing with his statement.
They all glanced at him with contempt, clearly looking down at his lack of cultivation.
Li Tian, however, was focused on remembering the faces of these plebs.
...
An incense stick's worth of time passed, and it was Li Tian's turn. He stepped into Xue Liying's Outer Court residence and bowed his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips.
Time to collect another toy...
"Greetings, Fairy Xue," Li Tian said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Xue Liying's appearance was breathtaking, unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Her long, white hair flowed around her like a frozen waterfall, framing a face of ethereal beauty.
Her ice-blue eyes were piercing and bright, seeming to see right through him. She looked like delicate flower born to be eternally graceful.
...
╔═════════════╗
GENERAL STATUS
╠═════════════╣
NAME: Xue Liying
RACE: Human
AGE: 17
╠═════════════╣
CULTIVATION STATUS
╠═════════════╣
REALM: Qi Condensation
LEVEL: 10th Layer [█████████░] 92%
FOUNDATION: ★★★☆☆ [3/5 Stars]
╠═════════════╣
SPIRITUAL ROOT
╠═════════════╣
COMPOSITION: Ice (Mutated)
GRADE: Heaven
QUALITY: Low [████████░░] 83%
╠═════════════╣
POTENTIAL
╠═════════════╣
TALENT: ★★☆☆☆ [2/5]
PHYSIQUE: Serene Spirit Physique [+]
╚═════════════╝
...
'A Heaven Grade Spiritual Root? There were rumors that she had a high Earth Grade Spiritual Root. ' Li Tian thought with a cold smile.
And a Serene Spirit Physique? Well, well. The rumours of her being extremely talented did not even come close to portraying her true beauty.
Fairy Xue's cold gaze swept across Li Tian's body. His unremarkable appearance and lack of cultivation made her opinion of him plummet.
"Speak," her voice cut through the silence like a shard of ice, "What is your name, and what makes you think you qualify to accompany me to the Inner Court?"
Li Tian smirked. Time for a little upgrade. He knew he had to move quickly.
He had already tried to hypnotize Xue Liying after Bai Mei's death, but the system had rejected it.
Even though she's only at the Qi Condensation realm, her power is on a completely different level.
...
╔═════════════╗
ABSOLUTE HYPNOSIS SYSTEM
╠═════════════╣
HOST: Li Tian
AGE: 18
POINTS: 800
╠═════════════╣
CULTIVATION STATUS
╠═════════════╣
REALM: Mortal
LEVEL: [█████████░] 90%
FOUNDATION: ☆☆☆☆☆ [0/5]
╠═════════════╣
SPIRITUAL ROOT
╠═════════════╣
COMPOSITION: Water
GRADE: Mortal
QUALITY: Inferior [██░░░░░░] 200/1000
╠═════════════╣
POTENTIAL
╠═════════════╣
TALENT: ☆☆☆☆☆ [0/5]
PHYSIQUE: None
╠═════════════╣
SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
╠═════════════╣
1. HYPNOTIZE (Active)
* Targets: 0/1
! Warning: Effective only on targets up to one major realm above the host's current Qi cultivation level.
2. STATUS INSIGHT (Passive)
3. ADVANCEMENT MODULE (Active):
* Spiritual Root Refinement
* Technique Comprehension
* Cultivation Breakthrough
╚═════════════╝
...
'System, upgrade my cultivation to the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation,' he thought, his mind already moving on to his next objective.
Ding! Cultivation Breakthrough initiated... Mortal → Qi Condensation, 1st Layer. -10 Points
A ripple went through the air. Xue Liying's senses sharpened, a dangerous glint entering her eyes.
Xue Liying felt the subtle shift in his energy, a warning that he was not what he seemed. She was already moving, her hand going for her sword as she felt a growing sense of unease.
At the same time, Li Tian sent another command: 'Bind Xue Liying to the system.'
Ding! Target: Xue Liying. Cultivation: 10th Layer of Qi Condensation. Hypnotize function can be used.
Ding! Commencing Hypnosis...
Instantly, Xue Liying was under Li Tian's control, but, at the same time, she still had to take commands from him.
So, Xue Liying's lithe body was still moving towards Li Tian, her sword almost reached Li Tian's neck, not having the intent to kill him. It was fast, a white light could be seen.
"Stop!" Li Tian commanded, a flicker of fear passing through him.
Li Tian needed to test the limit of his control. He knew that if he had even hesitated for a moment, she may have been able to harm him.
Li Tian felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. The blade was almost touching his skin.
'What… what just happened?' Xue Liying thought, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. She stopped moving, her body refusing to follow her will.
"You… what did you do to me?" she asked, her voice laced with a fear that was both surprising and satisfying to Li Tian.
Confusion could be seen on Xue Liying's pretty face as she was staring at Li Tian.
Li Tian smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a way that showed how much he was enjoying the situation. "You are mine now. You are not allowed to harm me in any way. If you dare even think about it, you will slap yourself. However, I will allow you to have free thoughts, for now."
He had grown bored of Bai Mei, therefore, he wanted to try something different.
Knowing that Xue Liying was now at his command was an exhilarating thought.
However, Li Tian felt that he was still too weak.
'System, use all my Points on cultivation,' Li Tian instructed.
Ding! Cultivation Breakthrough initiated... Qi Condensation, 1st Layer → Qi Condensation, 2nd Layer. -200 Points
Ding! Cultivation Breakthrough initiated... Qi Condensation, 2nd Layer → Qi Condensation, 3rd Layer. -300 Points
...
╔═════════════╗
ABSOLUTE HYPNOSIS SYSTEM
╠═════════════╣
HOST: Li Tian
AGE: 18
POINTS: 290
╠═════════════╣
CULTIVATION STATUS
╠═════════════╣
REALM: Mortal
LEVEL: 3rd Layer [░░░░░░░░░░] 0%
FOUNDATION: ☆☆☆☆☆ [0/5]
╠═════════════╣
SPIRITUAL ROOT
╠═════════════╣
COMPOSITION: Water
GRADE: Mortal
QUALITY: Inferior [██░░░░░░] 200/1000
╠═════════════╣
POTENTIAL
╠═════════════╣
TALENT: ☆☆☆☆☆ [0/5]
PHYSIQUE: None
╠═════════════╣
SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
╠═════════════╣
1. HYPNOTIZE (Active)
* Targets: 1/1 (Limit Reached)
! Warning: Effective only on targets up to one major realm above the host's current Qi cultivation level.
2. STATUS INSIGHT (Passive)
3. ADVANCEMENT MODULE (Active):
* Spiritual Root Refinement
* Technique Comprehension
* Cultivation Breakthrough
╚═════════════╝
...
'Hmm, it seems like my foundation is still at zero stars. System, is there a way for me to upgrade my cultivation foundation?' Li Tian asked.
Ding! Each cultivation level-up automatically resets your foundation to ☆☆☆☆☆ [0/5]. To improve your foundation, upgrade the Advancement Module. This will raise your base foundation to ★☆☆☆☆ [1/5].
Ding! Upgrading the Advancement Module also allows for further refinement of your Spiritual Root and techniques, increases foundation stability, and unlocks additional hidden features. Upgrade cost: 5,000 Points.
Li Tian's eyes lit up as he thought, 'It seems like If I have the Points, I can improve everything from my status panel!'
Kekeke...
Li Tian chuckled darkly as he reached out and touched Xue Liying's breasts, running his hand across their soft shape.
"Hmm… they are the perfect size for my hands. Your face is also perfect. It seems like you've taken good care of yourself for me," Li Tian said, his words laced with a blatant, disrespectful desire.
Li Tian could tell his words were having a huge impact on her.
Xue Liying flushed with a mix of fury and a shocking wave of embarrassment. She glared at him, her face ice cold.
"G-get your hands off me, disgusting pig!" she spat, her voice dripping with hatred. But she knew it wouldn't matter. She was at his mercy.
Li Tian, however, seemed completely unfazed. He even grinned a bit, enjoying her frustration.
"Y-you… are you not afraid of the repercussions of your actions? What if the Truthful Sword Sect elders find out you are a spy?" Xue Liying challenged, her eyes blazing with a controlled rage.
Li Tian paused. 'A spy?' he thought, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"What are you talking about? I'm not a spy," Li Tian said out loud.
'Maybe the previous owner of my body was a spy? I don't know, I don't have his memories.' Li Tian thought.
Xue Liying was stunned by his blatant denial. He was so shameless. Not only was he physically assaulting her, but he was also denying his true identity.
She said mockingly, "If someone who has hidden his cultivation base, won't even tell me his name, and then uses some sort of devilish technique to subdue me isn't a spy, then what are you?"
Li Tian instantly understood that it was merely a misunderstanding, and that the sudden surge in cultivation may have made her confused. "I guess you are right. You are not as stupid as you look."
Li Tian's words stunned Xue Liying.
Me? Stupid? I have the Serene Spirit Physique, this Heaven Grade Physique. My comprehension is unparalleled!
While thinking of this, she clenched her tiny fists. She couldn't help but feel a strange surge of pride and anger as he had said that she was not as stupid as she looked.
A weird, sarcastic smile spread across her face as she heard his words.
"Hmph! You're finally admitting to being a spy," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. She still couldn't control her body, but it didn't matter anymore.
Seeing how calm Li Tian was, Xue Liying was terrified. "What's your true cultivation base?" she asked.
"Spirit Severing," Li Tian said shamelessly, a smirk playing on his lips.
Xue Liying wanted to spit on him, but she couldn't. Xue Liying felt as though she, this genius, had never been so humiliated in her life.
Now, Li Tian even had the audacity to mock her. She knew he was lying, but she had no way of knowing the truth.
"Whatever…" Xue Liying rolled her eyes in exasperation, her mind already working on a plan.
An idea suddenly appeared in her mind. Xue Liying knew that he must have used a strange method to stiffen her body. If she could just play along… she could find a way to escape.
Xue Liying asked him shyly, "How about you release me, so that we can have more fun?"
"Not a chance," Li Tian said dismissively.
Xue Liying rolled her eyes again, completely dejected, "Tsk… well, at least I tried."
Xue Liying thought of all of her options to escape this situation, even thinking of screaming as loud as she could, but then she remembered the Silent Barrier Formation placed on her walls, which made all sounds inside the room disappear, making all of her attempts useless.
Li Tian smirked slightly, "Alright, I will let you move."
Instantly, Xue Liying's body was no longer frozen, and she quickly grabbed her sword from the floor, attempting to behead Li Tian.
But...
In the next moment, she found herself dropping her sword and slapping herself hard across her face.
Slap!
The sound echoed loudly in the room, as her hand stung on her right cheek.
"T-this…" Xue Liying said in utter terror.
She was truly trapped!
Xue Liying remembered how Li Tian had said that whenever she dared to entertain thoughts of harming him, she will slap her own face.
'If I am completely honest with myself... I quite enjoy her squirming like a worm.' Li Tian smirked as he thought about it.
(Author's Note: Hello! Thank you for reading this degenerate webnovel ^_^)