Every day, he used [Hypnosis] to provoke Tang San, using Xiao Wuas a means to study the laws of dreams.
When his mental force was exhausted, he would practice Meditation, allowing Zhao Liuyun to live a comfortable and peaceful life.
Xiao Wu was naturally unharmed; it was just dreaming, which would not cause any damage to her body.
But Tang San suffered the consequences.
His emotions surged like a tide, distracting thoughts proliferated, pushing him almost to the brink of schizophrenia, with faint signs of inner demons breeding.
Even the orthodox Daoist technique, Mysterious Heaven Skill, could not suppress the turbulent sea of his heart.
The Grandmaster tried to find the reason and offer counsel and guidance.
However, if he couldn't even handle two people blinded by love, how could he be expected to untie the knot Zhao Liuyun had woven using Tang San's own emotions and thoughts as the catalyst?
Tang Hao, a straight-laced man of steel, was equally helpless.
This was clearly a psychological problem stemming from Tang San's heart.
Did they expect him, the father, to appear now and severely reprimand his son?
Was Tang San a mere child who couldn't cultivate alone without his father?
Tang Hao deeply loved Ah Yin, so how could he possibly ignore the crystallization of their love?
Tang San's personality was too precocious, constantly climbing mountains and practicing unknown things—did he truly believe that Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, was completely unaware?
Even if the Douluo Continent had no concept of 'body snatching,' the problem was still obvious.
It was simply the appearance of his twin spirits that ignited the hope of revenge, causing Tang Hao's attitude to suddenly change, choosing to ignore everything else.
Now, facing Tang San's psychological issues, direct interference from outsiders was the worst decision.
With his sworn sister Xiao Wu by his side, and his good friend Zhao Liuyun maneuvering from the sidelines, the situation wouldn't continue to deteriorate.
Tang Hao thought this way.
This was the truth.
Xiao Wu's companionship could slightly soothe Tang San's Spirit.
If not for Zhao Liuyun's floral fragrance helping, Tang San would struggle to maintain his daily cultivation.
But, well... don't worry about where this "difficulty" came from.
Moreover, it was called help, but it was actually suppression.
There would always be a spark that would trigger a volcanic eruption one day.
Yet, Tang San couldn't leave the floral fragrance now and could only let the magma pool continue to accumulate... This was the end of the second month after Spirit Hunting returned.
"Xiao Wu, didn't you promise me just last night that you would Meditate properly today and not waste your talent? Why are you sleeping again?"
Tang San's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of severity, startling the Work-Study Students who were Meditating nearby.
Under the moonlight, everyone stared blankly at the pair who usually joked and played around, and for a time, no one dared to speak.
Outsiders dared not interfere in a quarrel between two individuals with Innate Full Spirit Power.
Perhaps only Zhao Liuyun, who had a good relationship with both of them and treated them equally, had the right to speak.
Everyone unanimously turned their gaze toward Zhao Liuyun.
"Boom—"
In that instant, it was as if a celestial star had fallen near Zhao Liuyun's ear, or a tsunami was surging, causing his heart to swell.
The time had come!
After two months of lying low, several provocations followed by several suppressions, interspersed with occasional simple verbal reassurances, he finally waited for the right moment—
Tang San had crossed the line, saying harsh words to Xiao Wu, the "sister" he cared about and cherished the most.
It wasn't the words themselves, but the emotions that were gradually spiraling out of control.
This meant his control over himself had finally plummeted to rock bottom.
A chaotic mental state also signified the most vulnerable psychological defense.
He couldn't find a more suitable time to intervene than this.
"Little San, you're interrupting my sleep again! What exactly do you want?" Xiao Wu was startled awake from her sweet dream once more, her tone carrying a hint of grievance mixed with unconcealed annoyance.
This wasn't the first time.
"Xiao Wu, do you remember what you promised me last time?"
Tang San looked at the pouting, puffing, yet even more charming and naive Xiao Wu before him, and his heart softened, his previously tense emotions seeming to ease slightly.
No, is it necessary?
This won't do!
As the mastermind, Zhao Liuyun cursed under his breath, and [Hypnosis] subtly stirred Tang San's angry emotions.
"Hehe." Xiao Wu chuckled naively, quickly shaking Tang San's arm, trying to charm her way out of trouble.
"I forgot... I don't want to Meditate, it's too tiring."
As a Spirit Beast who had taken human form, she naturally accumulated profound cultivation; she only needed to slowly absorb and convert it, and her level would naturally rise, eliminating the need for arduous Meditation like ordinary people.
But Tang San didn't know that.
"No! You Meditate lazily during the day and sleep in at night; you are completely wasting your talent!"
He was heartbroken and exasperated, his tone becoming increasingly severe, looking like someone deeply disappointed in a failure.
Zhao Liuyun continued to fan the flames, applying [Hypnosis] to Xiao Wu as well.
Xiao Wu finally couldn't hold back, her voice filled with anger: "I haven't delayed my cultivation! My daily sleeping achieves the same spirit power level as your diligent Meditation!"
Tang San was stunned.
The suppressed powder keg was finally ignited at this moment.
It's my turn to act!
Zhao Liuyun sighed deeply, finally jumping off the bed and slowly approaching the two.
"Stop arguing, both of you!"
"Tang San, you really haven't been quite right lately. Want to go outside and talk?"
Tang San glanced at him but remained silent.
Zhao Liuyun didn't mind, gave Xiao Wu a slight smile, and forcefully steered Tang San outside.
They walked from the dormitory all the way to the Academy's garden.
Naturally, the teachers didn't dare interfere with two genius Spirit Masters.
The night was like water, moonlight spilled down, and flower shadows swayed in the garden, so quiet that only the rustling sound of wind brushing the leaves remained.
Zhao Liuyun and Tang San sat side-by-side on the stone stools.
"Tang San, are we friends?"
Zhao Liuyun didn't jump straight into the main topic.
He knew that no one liked being lectured; it would only provoke resistance deep in the other party's heart.
"Yes..." Tang San seemed to have been sunk by Xiao Wu's single sentence, his expression slightly dazed.
"Do you know? I was an abandoned baby." Zhao Liuyun looked up at the bright moon on the horizon, narrating his background in a calm tone.
Tang San listened quietly.
"Like the flowing clouds in the sky, I didn't know where I came from or where I was going... until I was picked up by an old man."
"The old man's surname was Zhao, so I took his surname, and my name became Liuyun."
"He wasn't a good person. He was an old, destitute Thief who couldn't afford food, and he wanted to pass on his craft before he died."
This was a lie. The Old Thief's skills were superb; he was adept at stealing.
When training Zhao Liuyun, the food he was given was much better than the pig feed given to the Work-Study Students.
"The old man believed in remembering through the body. Every day involved beatings or scolding. If I was slightly careless, I'd end up bruised and swollen, or even whipped until my skin was split open by extremely thin bamboo strips."
In fact, there were never any beatings or scoldings. Zhao Liuyun worked diligently, and the old man was very kind.
But if he didn't make the story sound miserable, how could he gain Tang San's sympathy?
Sure enough, he took the bait.
Tang San suddenly recalled when he first entered the Academy and realized, "So... as a support system Spirit Master, that's why you had such skills when you enrolled?"
"That's right, but I didn't want to steal things. That's wrong." Zhao Liuyun said righteously.
"You did the right thing." Tang San, who considered himself a Tang SectHero, naturally disdained the actions of a Thief.
A hint of approval shone in his eyes for Zhao Liuyun.
"I went to the Medical Hall and became an Apprentice."
After the Old Thief died when Zhao Liuyun was five, he frequently went to the Medical Hall.
Relying on his status as a friend, even a one-sided account had high credibility.
Especially when it was nine truths and one lie, with a slight temporal displacement?
At that time, Tang San was still in Saint Spirit Village; how could he know anything!
Zhao Liuyun's expression changed from melancholy to hopeful:
"After my Spirit awakened, I measured Innate Level 5 spirit power, so I asked Grandmaster Su Yuntao for a Work-Study Student slot and came to Nuoding Academy."
"You know the rest of the story."
Tang San nodded slightly.