Inside the Hell Road, although Tianlin pierced both the bat king and Hu Liena with one sword, only Hu Liena died, due to the bat king's regeneration.
He did not need to kill the bat king. His million-year soul bone skill was far superior to Hu Liena's brief charm skill—his mind control could last much longer.
Perfect—he could use the bat king as his enforcer through the Hell Road. With it, he didn't need the narrow road or to fly by sword—he could just ride the bat king across.
After clearing the first stage, there was a circular platform for rest. Tianlin had the bat king set him down, along with Hu Liena's corpse.
Looking at her body, Tianlin's face was calm. After so many killings in Slaughter City, even a beauty like Hu Liena didn't stir him—especially as she had tried to kill him first.
But in fact, he'd never really intended to kill her here. Just as she had planned against him, he had long planned how to deal with her—the deadly move just now was to further his plan.
Ning Fengzhi's advice echoed in his mind: "Xiao Tian, to achieve great things, strength alone isn't enough; you need wisdom too. Every step you take, see three or four steps ahead. Remember, caution is not a flaw!"
"One step, see three steps?" Tianlin thought quickly.
He knew Hu Liena's death would have huge consequences. Bibi Dong saw her as a daughter. If Hu Liena died, Bibi Dong would investigate to the end. As a Deathgod, she could freely enter Slaughter City and use soul skills here; she'd quickly find out that Tianlin and Hu Liena had entered together. He'd immediately be on her kill list.
Moreover, Bibi Dong's sanity was wearing thin. If Hu Liena died, she'd lose all her attachments and be consumed by hatred, perhaps advancing the inheritance of the Rakshasa God. That would be disastrous for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Holy Spirit Pearl!" Tianlin put away his sword and summoned the Holy Spirit Pearl.
Although twin martial souls can't be used at the same time, domain-type skills aren't restricted by this. So even if he put away his sword, he could still use his Demon-suppressing Domain.
The platinum ring of the Holy Spirit Pearl appeared.
"Breath of Rebirth!" Tianlin decisively revived Hu Liena. Without Ning Rongrong's support, reviving someone costs a lot of soul power.
Fortunately, Hu Liena was much weaker than Tianlin; in the end, he only lost one level reviving her.
In two years at Slaughter City, he'd barely had time to cultivate soul power. Meditation was too dangerous here. But absorbing resentful energy with his sword, he'd still advanced three levels to sixty-eight. Now, after revival, he dropped to sixty-seven.
"Soul Reading, Eternal Mind Control!"
Hu Liena's soul was too strong; he couldn't invade her mind while she was alive. But just after the resurrection, she was at her weakest. Tianlin took the opportunity to edit her memories—making her believe the bat king killed her, not him.
Eternal Mind Control, as he'd used before, branded her heart with undying loyalty to Tianlin—only this time, even more overpowering.
He turned Hu Liena into his puppet to monitor Spirit Hall.
Otherwise, everything else about her remained the same—still caring for her brother, revering her teacher, proud and charming as ever.
This move almost exhausted Tianlin's soul power. With the bat king standing guard, he meditated for an hour, recovering a third of his strength.
But it was worth it. He considered the future: first, Hu Liena was alive, so Bibi Dong wouldn't go mad, buying time for his plans.
Second, since his future-predicting skill was on cooldown, he needed another way to learn about the Soul Hunting Operation. With Hu Liena's status, she could easily get inside information.
Third, for Qian Renxue. According to the plot, after Hu Liena returned from Slaughter City, she'd be named Spirit Hall's Saintess—the Pope's first heir.
The Worship Hall always backed Qian Renxue, but the current Pope was Bibi Dong. Most people didn't even know about the Worship Hall—they just followed the Pope.
So, even if Bibi Dong stepped down, her heir would be Hu Liena. If Qian Renxue wanted the throne, it would be like usurpation, and the smaller factions would never accept her.
Even revealing Qian Renxue as the daughter of the previous Pope wouldn't help, since the Pope's seat wasn't hereditary.
So, the best plan was for Hu Liena to succeed Bibi Dong, and then voluntarily abdicate to Qian Renxue, making her the rightful heir.
"My beloved Xue, I've worked so hard for you. Don't let me down!" Tianlin murmured. He had no wish to rule the continent but hoped for unity and peace, so he'd leave it all to Qian Renxue.
At that moment, Hu Liena slowly woke up. Seeing Tianlin, she knelt on one knee, "Greetings, my lord. I've offended you in the past; please forgive me."
The Eternal Mind Control had taken effect—as expected of a million-year soul skill.
"Stand up. Remember, outside, you should act as if you still hate me—don't reveal a hint of loyalty. And don't call me lord. My name is Jun Tianlin." He commanded.
"Yes, my—no, Lord Tianlin!" Hu Liena stood, concerned. "Lord Tianlin, reviving me cost you too much mental and soul power. That puts us at a disadvantage. Also, how long can you control the bat king? If it turns, it'll be a huge threat. Should we kill it now?"
As a puppet, Hu Liena was deeply loyal, always thinking of his safety.
"Drop the 'lord' too. Don't worry, the control should last half an hour. No need to kill it. We'll rush through the Hell Road now." Tianlin continued forward with Hu Liena, now finally able to cooperate fully.