Chapter 23 Decay in Splendor, Gold Path

On one side was Huo Yuhao with his eyes emitting a faint golden light;

on the other side stood Wang Dong, with dazzling double wings spread behind him, unleashing the Martial Soul of the Bright Goddess Butterfly.

As they embraced and each released their Martial Souls at the same time, the area within a diameter of ten meters around them lit up. A special radiance burst forth from their bodies.

This light was peculiar, displaying a shifting mix of blue, purple, and gold. Dominated by a rich light of brightness, it was also blended with many strange soul power fluctuations.

Behind Wang Dong, a huge shadow emerged, that of a complete, magnificent Bright Goddess Butterfly.

Behind Huo Yuhao, there appeared a massive vertical eye shadow, the entire eye a pale gold, but within the pupil, a faint purple hinted.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both regained consciousness after a brief moment of blankness, but they immediately discovered that their embracing bodies were surrounded by intense, strong light.

In the sky, the two great shadows slowly drew closer, and as they approached each other, they too began to change. The spirit eyes shadow of Huo Yuhao gradually became deeper, changing entirely to a blue-purple color, while the gold completely retracted.

Wang Dong's Bright Goddess Butterfly shadow, however, burst into fierce flames during its approach to the spirit eyes, the flames a blue-gold hue.

Finally, as though they had journeyed through time itself, the two massive Martial Soul shadows finally touched each other above Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's heads.

In an instant, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's bodies shuddered violently, as the Haodong Power merged within them erupted like a geyser, almost instantly exhausting all their strength.

The Bright Goddess Butterfly, amidst the flames, spread its dazzling wings, slowly embracing the spirit eyes shadow. In that instant, the figure of the Bright Goddess Butterfly disappeared, while the blue-purple spirit eyes shone brilliantly.

The dazzling blue-gold flames burst forth on the spirit eyes shadow, slowly descending to protect Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who were embraced in each other's arms.

The huge spirit eyes seemed so profound, and a careful look might give the impression of an endless world within. In the very next moment, a terrifying mix of blue, purple, and gold light shot out.

This light, resembling a fantastical color, shot forth in a straight line. Wherever it passed, all vegetation turned to nothingness. That instant's brilliance was as if from ancient eternity. The tri-color light left behind a bewildering distortion and brilliance.

However, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong didn't witness this scene. As the light burst forth, the Haodong Power within them was drained in an instant, the intense feeling of weakness causing them to fall to the ground and lose consciousness…

Soul Fusion techniques are always powerful, and it was their first attempt, which involved the merging of two different Soul Fusion Skills. The soul power and mental exhaustion were massive, and they were unaccustomed to such conditions, so it was not odd they fainted.

Remaining in an embrace, they fell straight down...

The night passed without a word...

The day gradually brightened...

When Wang Dong awoke from what he wasn't sure was unconsciousness or sleep, he really felt like dying.

Last night, at least they were in a bed, but today, just look—they were still holding each other tightly, yet covered in dust, grass clippings, and dew. They had just spent a night in the open. Was this what they called a 'dewy relationship'?

"Huo Yuhao, get up," Wang Dong struggled to climb out of Huo Yuhao's embrace, his expression almost hysterical.

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes drowsily to find the sky already bright. He was startled and sat up immediately, but the next moment he saw Wang Dong standing in front of him, staring down at him as if he might explode with rage any minute.

Wang Dong glared at him through gritted teeth, "Didn't you say yesterday that we wouldn't sleep hugging each other again?"

"Did I say that?" Huo Yuhao asked, stunned.

"You... I'm going to fight you," Wang Dong suddenly lunged forward, straddling Huo Yuhao, ready to pounce and beat him.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly caught his hands, his gaze dumbfounded as he turned to the side, "Look, look…"

"Look at what..." Wang Dong inadvertently glanced in the direction of Huo Yuhao's gaze as he spoke, and with one look, he couldn't pull his gaze back anymore.

Both stared in astonishment, seeing that at a 45-degree angle to their side, there appeared a bizarre trench.

The trench, about one and a half meter wide and a foot deep, stretched straight forward, extending over fifty meters before it quietly tapered off.

If it were just this trench, it wouldn't have surprised Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong so. After all, the Martial Soul Fusion technique they had jointly used had drained all their soul power, causing them to faint for a night, so great power was only natural.

But the most terrifying part was that where there should have been soil inside the trench, it all exhibited a layer of the same pale gold color, identical to Huo Yuhao's light when he deployed his Spiritual Eyes Martial Soul.

Not just the ground soil, but several trees that the trench passed through exhibited the same phenomena. One tree, skimmed along the edge, had a semi-circular indentation with a cut surface that also displayed the pale gold color. On the sides of the trench, the lightly brushed vegetation bore the same tint.

At this moment, under the sunrise, that pale gold shimmered subtly, like a Gold Path laid out before Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. No wonder they were so astonished to see it.

"Did your Bright Goddess Butterfly cause this?" Huo Yuhao asked, dumbfounded.

Wang Dong, still straddling him, subconsciously shook his head and said, "No, definitely not. Although my Martial Soul has gold in it, it's either bright gold or blue-gold, never this pale gold. This, this looks just like the color of your spirit eyes!"

Huo Yuhao slapped his thigh and said, "Get down, let's go take a look."

"Okay." Wang Dong was also attracted by the Gold Path and didn't notice that Huo Yuhao's slap was close to his butt. He flipped over, stood up, and Huo Yuhao quickly followed, as they both hurried to the Gold Path and crouched down.

Just as Wang Dong was about to reach out and touch it, Huo Yuhao grabbed him, "You said it looks like the color of my spirit eyes, let me do it." With that, his other hand reached into the trench and touched the gold.

That touch was startling; Huo Yuhao immediately withdrew his hand, his face filled with shock. For the instant he touched the gold, he felt as if his brain had gone haywire. His Sea of Spirit violently fluctuated, and the feeling was as if he had been hit by a Soul Shock.

"This, this is just the residual of our Martial Soul Fusion Skill? You try it," Huo Yuhao quickly said to Wang Dong beside him.

Wang Dong, who was already dying of curiosity, eagerly reached out and touched the golden trench.

His reaction was much greater than Huo Yuhao's, and he was momentarily stupefied before eventually coming back to his senses.

The two of them exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

"This, this is too intense. This is just the residual of our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and I felt like I was hit by a full-force attack from your spirit eyes. If someone were to take our strike head-on, what would be the extent of it?" Wang Dong's voice trembled with excitement. No Soul Master would not wish for a powerful soul skill.

Huo Yuhao said, "Look, our soul skill's attack range should be fifty meters, in a straight line. We still don't know if it can lock on to the opponent. The power is indeed incredible, it seems to be of both destructive and spiritual dual property. It just multiplied our attack power by I don't know how many times. If it hits directly..."

Wang Dong nodded excitedly, "Plus, the power of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is bound to increase as our cultivation improves! Our Martial Soul Fusion Skill is truly domineering. If we run into that net of the Lan Sisters again, we could definitely break through it in an instant!"

Huo Yuhao was equally excited, but he was calmer than Wang Dong, "Wang Dong, do you think we can use our Martial Soul Fusion Skill in the assessment? With such power, I don't think a Soul Venerable could withstand it!"

Wang Dong's face stiffened, "That's a problem. Having too much power can be troublesome. Besides, we only have the strength for one strike, not even enough to scare anyone. We'll faint before they do."

Huo Yuhao said, "It was our first time, we lacked experience. It should not be so draining next time. But it's true that we only have the power for one strike. Having such a strong ability is always good. Let's practice it a few more times when we get back; we should get much better with practice."

Wang Dong said, "If Ma Xiaotao tries to bully us again, we'll give her a taste. With her cultivation, she shouldn't be killed, letting her know how formidable we are."

Huo Yuhao said, "Our powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill should have a name; since it was my mistake that led to you sleeping outdoors, I'll give you the chance to name it."

Wang Dong took up the offer without hesitation, "Good, at least you're sensible. What to call it? How about Death Gaze, what do you think?"

Before Yuhao could speak, Wang Dong rejected his own idea first, "No, no. This is a Martial Soul Fusion Skill initiated by both of us, how could it lack the characteristics of my Martial Soul? How about calling it 'Gaze of the Bright Goddess?' Sounds cool, right?"

Yuhao looked at him speechlessly, "Your Bright Goddess Butterfly is the Bright Goddess? That implies a butterfly bringing light, as beautiful as a goddess. Let's not even discuss whether there's a Bright Goddess or not, even if there is, what does she have to do with you?"

Wang Dong's face was lined with frustration as he said, "Can't you say something nice? Should we call it 'Butterfly's Gaze?' Wouldn't that sound even worse?"

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, "I've got it. Why do we have to include both of our Martial Souls in our Martial Soul Fusion Skill name? That would be too plain. With such dazzling gold, plus the brilliance that our Martial Soul Fusion Skill exuded at that moment, why not call it: 'Brilliance Amidst Withering—Gold Path?' What do you think?"

Yuhao's eyes widened slightly, "That name is indeed great, but isn't it a bit too long?"

Wang Dong said proudly, "The longer it is, the more impressive we seem. Just abbreviate it to 'Gold Path.' It's not like others will know what it means anyway. Later we'll call Teacher Zhou out, have her help us evaluate the might and effects of 'Brilliance Amidst Withering—Gold Path,' so we can have a clear idea in our minds."

When Wang Dong mentioned Teacher Zhou, Yuhao suddenly shivered and turned to glance at the rising sun.

Reminded by his movement, Wang Dong also remembered something. The two exchanged glances and then screamed in unison, immediately bolting away.

They were going to be late again... and during the elimination round, they were going to be late again...

In order to reach Shrek Academy at the fastest speed, they had to run hand in hand at full speed, using the Haodong Power, which not only reduced their consumption but also allowed them to reach maximum velocity on average.

Fortunately, they hadn't run too far, so it didn't take them long to get back, but they were still late.

Outside the assessment area, a row of academy teachers stood, almost thirty in total, among them was Old Lady Zhou.

Her gaze was unfriendly at the moment, sweeping over the nearly two hundred students below, but she couldn't find the one she was looking for.

Xiao Xiao had arrived early, waiting anxiously. The roll call had already started. Moreover, it started with their class, but Yuhao and Wang Dong had yet to arrive. If they didn't show up by the end of the roll call, they would be disqualified. Not to mention how regrettable missing this opportunity would be, they couldn't endure Old Lady Zhou's fury either! Xiao Xiao herself probably wouldn't escape unscathed as a member of the same team.

What were those two doing? They were late yesterday, and now again today?

Class One of the new students had the most participating, so the roll call took the longest. When it came to Xiao Xiao's group, besides her response, Yuhao and Wang Dong's names met with silence. This shocked not only all the new students but even the teachers were taken aback.

In the history of Shrek Academy, although this was not the first time, it was certainly an extremely rare occurrence. Even if they had passed the freshmen assessment, not showing up for the elimination round would definitely be seen as a contempt for the academy and would leave a bad impression with all the teachers.

The teacher calling the roll paused briefly before continuing with the other classes. It wasn't until Class Six of the new students that Yuhao and Wang Dong arrived, late.

The two of them hurried along, spent another night in the wilderness, and didn't even have time to wash up in the morning. They were as disheveled as one could be, their clothes untidy, marked with traces of soil and dew mixed together on their bodies.

However, given the circumstances, they had no choice but to tough it out. They couldn't truly forfeit the competition!

"Reporting," Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong ran to the space between the teachers and students and shouted loudly together.

The teacher who was calling the roll immediately stopped. This teacher was about fifty years old, tall and sturdy, with a dark face and no beard, his expression stern and unyielding.

"Which class are you two from? What's going on?"

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both recognized him. This teacher's name was Du Weilun, the dean of the Outer courtyard Martial Soul Department at Shrek Academy, a man of great authority.

Huo Yuhao spoke loudly, "Report, Teacher Du, newcomers from the first-year class, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. We are late due to overexertion during cultivation."

Dean Du Weilun's face darkened, "You're late for the assessment? Have you lost all sense of time? As punishment, after today's match, you two will clean all the floors of the corridors in the freshman teaching building. Return to your team."

"Yes," Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong quickly responded, breathing a sigh of relief. As long as they weren't punished by losing their qualifications for the assessment, it was alright. The two quickly jogged back and joined Xiao Xiao in the first-year class team.

Dean Du Weilun glanced at Zhou Yi, who stood not too far away, before continuing with the roll call. With his temperament, if it had been any other student, they might have been directly disqualified from the assessment. After all, they had passed the freshman assessment. But what made Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong special was their outstanding performance in the round-robin competition, having achieved a record of all victories, which was why the stern-faced dean gave them a break.

In Shrek Academy, although it wasn't an institution that solely favored performance, those with strong abilities and good results would definitely receive some preferential treatment. This was the case in any academy.

"What on earth did you two do? Just wait for Old Lady Zhou to deal with you after today's match. Look at her eyes, sharp as knives. If looks could kill, you two would be sliced to pieces." Xiao Xiao spoke irritably.

Wang Dong said with a gloomy face, "Stop nagging. It's all Huo Yuhao's fault. If he hadn't insisted on taking me out to spar, we wouldn't be late if we had calculated the time properly."

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had already discussed on their way back: they would keep the fact they could use the Martial Soul Fusion Technique a secret for the time being as they were not planning to use it in the freshmen assessment. They decided to only tell Teacher Zhou the good news to appease her Thunderous Rage and also to receive guidance during cultivation. They would wait until they were proficient in its use before displaying it in future assessments.

Soon, Dean Du Weilun of the Outer courtyard Martial Soul Department completed the roll call and it was time for the draw. It was a mere freshman assessment, with no complicated ceremonies. Huo Yuhao represented his team and drew their lot. The sixty-four participating teams would be divided into thirty-two matches for a head-to-head contest.

The competitors had a day to rest yesterday, and the assessment area had also been improved. They only needed to change the positions of the partitions. Sixteen areas were reorganized, and this time, each area was several times larger, providing a much broader space for the participants in the knockout competition.

During the knockout rounds, the rules were simple: one match in the morning and one in the afternoon. The teams that were eliminated would go back to class, while the winning teams remained to continue competing. The top three would be determined over the course of three days.

After the drawing was complete, the sixty-four-to-thirty-two competition began immediately, with thirty-two matches taking place simultaneously. This arrangement minimized the duration of the assessment and gave the victorious students ample rest time for the afternoon competition.

Yuhao and the others were assigned to Section Fifteen this time, with a new invigilator who was a woman in her thirties and looked very amiable.

During the draw, they only had numbers and didn't know whom they would face. Upon arriving at the venue, they felt somewhat helpless as they drew their own classmates from Class One of the freshmen in the first round, which turned the knockout round into an internal battle.

The three students they faced were all known to Huo Yuhao's team, one of whom had even tried to compete with Wang Dong. According to Wang Dong, the guy had been sorted out privately and had behaved himself since then.

Zhou Yi's judgment was extremely accurate; since she had identified Huo Yuhao's group as the seed team of Class One, they naturally had strength that other teams couldn't compare with. The match didn't last long, and although the opponents were tenacious, with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao striking together and Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection assisting, they resolved the battle in less than ten minutes and advanced to the top thirty-two.

However, as the trio walked out of the assessment area, the joy of their victory instantly vanished. Because at the entrance to the assessment area stood Old Lady Zhou with a gloomy face waiting for them.

"Xiao Xiao, go back and rest first. You two, come with me," Zhou Yi said, then with a cold snort, she turned and left.

Yuhao and Wang Dong both felt a chill run down their spines, but fortunately, they were prepared. After exchanging a glance, they followed Zhou Yi. Xiao Xiao could only offer them a look that meant 'I hope you're lucky.'

This time, Zhou Yi actually took them directly back to her office. As the headteacher of Class One, her office was also in the north of the dormitory area, behind the black and purple senior teaching buildings of the outer courtyard, located on the first floor and solely used by her.

Following Zhou Yi into the office, Yuhao and Wang Dong couldn't help but be surprised.

The office of this strict and stern teacher was decorated quite elegantly. The entire office wall was painted a light pink, the desk was made of a special light red wood, and there was a big red sofa for guests along with other decorations. There was also a small door that seemed to lead to a resting room meant for relaxation. It had to be said that Shrek Academy treated its teachers very well. Even the head of a freshman class had their own independent office.

Yuhao was the last to enter, carefully closing the door behind him, while Zhou Yi was already seated on the big red sofa, arms crossed in front of her, coldly saying, "Tell me, what exactly is going on with you two? Impressive, isn't it? Two days of lateness in a row, do you think just because you passed the freshmen assessments, your wings have grown and I can't control you anymore? Let me tell you, if I want to, expelling you from the academy is as easy as saying a word. In this world, there is never a shortage of geniuses, I've expelled plenty of them, and there's only one reason: their character doesn't suit being a strong person. Give me one reason not to discipline you two."

Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged a look, and Wang Dong nudged him, signaling him to explain.

Yuhao braced himself and said, "We're sorry, Teacher Zhou, we were wrong." After more than three months, they were quite familiar with Zhou Yi's temper, and being stubborn would bring no benefit; it would only further enrage Old Lady Zhou. The nicer they were, the lesser the punishment they might receive.

"That's it, just one 'we were wrong' and it's over? Do you think lateness isn't a big deal? But what I want to tell you is that being late equates to slackness, and at your age, that's a serious issue. I can kick you two out for just that one reason. Now, give me a logical explanation."

Yuhao then respectfully said, "Teacher Zhou, please don't be angry. Here's what happened, do you remember? The day before yesterday, when our team encountered Huang Chutian's team, there was a pair of twin sisters named Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo."

"Mm," Zhou Yi grunted in acknowledgement.

Yuhao continued, "In that match, we almost lost because Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo could execute a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. It was only through our combined efforts that we barely withstood their powerful ability, ultimately securing victory and finishing the round-robin matches undefeated."

"After that, Wang Dong and I both admired the power of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, so we decided to try and see if our Martial Souls could also fuse. Since the academy doesn't offer courses specifically on cultivating Martial Soul Fusion Skills, we could only try it ourselves. To our surprise, during our first attempt, our Martial Souls seemed to have successfully fused. During the fusion process, both of us passed out on Wang Dong's bed. By the time we woke up, it was already past class time; that's why we were late yesterday."

Huo Yuhao felt Wang Dong quietly pinch the soft flesh around his waist with two fingers, and then twist it a hundred and eighty degrees while he was explaining.

His body was in pain, yet he dared not show it, and his facial expression suddenly became somewhat stiff.

"Martial Soul Fusion?" Zhou Yi was taken aback, she hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to come up with such a reason. She asked subconsciously, "Did you succeed?"

Huo Yuhao scratched his head and said, "Yesterday, we didn't know if we succeeded, so when you told us to run laps, we tried it out, and it seemed like there might really be something to it. Then at night, we went outside the academy to try the Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Unexpectedly, when we tried it, it really worked. And the attack power seems to be quite strong. But, since it was our first time using the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, it resulted in soul power overexertion. After using that skill, we both passed out in the wilderness, and by the time we woke up, we were late again today. Teacher Zhou, we were really only late because we were diligently cultivating, it was just an accident, we promise it won't happen again."

Having said this, Huo Yuhao quietly raised his head and stole a glance at Zhou Yi, only to see her staring dumbfounded.

"You, you mean to say, you two tried the Martial Soul Fusion Skill and actually succeeded?" Zhou Yi's voice rose an octave as she also stood up from the sofa, her face full of shock and excitement.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both nodded at the same time.

Zhou Yi said excitedly, "Come on, let me see, what is your Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Huo Yuhao said, "Teacher Zhou, we still have a match this afternoon. Using this skill will deplete our soul power."

Zhou Yi replied irritably, "The first time you use it, the consumption is the greatest. It won't be as much the next time. If the Martial Soul Fusion Skill makes you faint every time you use it, wouldn't it be a suicidal skill? Hurry up. I'll help you recover your soul power; it won't delay your match this afternoon. Come on, use it directly on me."

Now that Zhou Yi had said so, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong naturally couldn't refuse. The two of them faced each other, and Huo Yuhao naturally opened his arms towards Wang Dong. Although Wang Dong's movements were still a bit stiff, he didn't reject the embrace and closed his eyes and opened his arms, embracing Huo Yuhao.

As their bodies touched, they also released their respective Martial Souls.

Their soul power merged instantly, turning into the Haodong Power that circulated within their bodies, and while embracing, they both felt as if their bodies were merging into one.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

The office of Teacher Zhou was as quiet as could be, but aside from the soul power fluctuations produced by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's release of their Martial Souls, no other movement occurred.

Zhou Yi's eyes widened as she watched them, she even readied herself to defend, but there was nothing more than Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong embracing each other; her eye muscles were starting to twitch.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong also felt that something was wrong. Based on last night's situation, their soul power should have been rapidly drained by now! Then they would unleash the radiant and decaying power of the Gold Path's strong attack in one direction. But now, nothing happened.

"Are you two messing around?" Zhou Yi's cold voice seemed to be squeezed out through clenched teeth. Hearing this, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong shivered involuntarily and subconsciously released their embrace, their faces filled with shock.

Teacher Zhou emanated a murderous aura, and this was the same sensation they experienced when they looked at Zhou Yi again. It was clear that Old Lady Zhou was on the verge of an explosion.

Huo Yuhao hastily said, "Teacher Zhou, it was precisely like this that we managed to successfully use our abilities last night! We too are clueless about how it happened."

Zhou Yi said coldly, "You two are embracing in my office, is this some sort of bromance you're trying to show off to me? If I don't properly deal with you two today, I will..."

Before Zhou Yi could finish her fierce words, Huo Yuhao immediately took action. He grabbed Wang Dong's hand and instantly used his Spiritual Detection, sharing it with Zhou Yi.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yi, who was on the brink of an outburst due to her explosive anger, suddenly experienced a transformation where everything around her turned crystal clear. Her thoughts rapidly extended outward, and in the blink of an eye, everything within a hundred-meter diameter was vividly mapped out in three dimensions inside her mind.

How has the range increased so much? Zhou Yi vividly remembered that the last time Huo Yuhao shared his Spiritual Detection, it only covered an area of about thirty meters in diameter, yet now it had increased to a hundred meters in diameter. The magnitude of this improvement was too great.

Seeing Zhou Yi slightly dumbfounded, Huo Yuhao quickly explained, "Teacher Zhou, do you remember? I once said that my Spiritual Detection would evolve as my cultivation level increased. Thanks to your meticulous guidance over these past three months, my Spiritual Detection can now reach around fifty meters in diameter. Moreover, I've figured out how to focus my detection in one direction to increase its range. But the hundred-meter diameter detection you are experiencing now is not just my own achievement. It's the result of the Martial Soul Fusion with Wang Dong. Our Soul Powers have merged, and it is his Auxiliary support that greatly enhances my soul skill, doubling the detection range. My Soul Power can also amplify his soul skills in return. Doesn't this prove that we have achieved Martial Soul Fusion? We really did experiment with the Soul Fusion Technique last night. If you don't believe us, we can take you to see the place where we succeeded. There are still traces left there."

Listening to Huo Yuhao's words, Zhou Yi gradually calmed down. She realized that she might have been a bit too impulsive.

Over the past three months, Zhou Yi had observed all of Huo Yuhao's performance at Shrek Academy. In her memory, there had never been a student who could match Huo Yuhao's diligence. Compared to his peers, Huo Yuhao was a bit more mature and poised, with an air of maturity beyond his years. It was unlikely for him to attempt to deceive her with such an easily refutable lie.

Each to their trade, and while Zhou Yi was a Shrek Academy teacher, she didn't have extensive knowledge about the Martial Soul Fusion Skill; after all, such an ability was quite niche. Having heard Huo Yuhao's explanation, she now believed their words, and her anger quickly subsided.

Waving her hand, Zhou Yi said, "Alright, retract your skills. I believe you. However, the inconsistency of your Martial Soul Fusion Skill is definitely not a good sign. Wait here in my office. I'm going to find a teacher familiar with Martial Soul Fusion to sort out your issues."

Old Lady Zhou was always decisive in her actions, and no sooner had she spoken than she was already out the door, striding away quickly.

As she left, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief; both of them collapsed onto the sofa. Huo Yuhao raised his left hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and Wang Dong attempted to do the same, only to realize his hand was still being held by Huo Yuhao.

"Let go," Wang Dong said grudgingly, pulling his hand away and glaring at him, "It's all your fault. If you hadn't insisted on testing out our abilities, could Old Lady Zhou have caught us red-handed? Now there aren't any secrets left, are there?"

Huo Yuhao leaned on the sofa and chuckled, "Blame me if you will. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. With a teacher's guidance in our cultivation, we can avoid a lot of detours. When will you change your habit of constant complaining? Only I can put up with you."

Wang Dong snorted and said, "That's with you. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even bother complaining. But seeing Old Lady Zhou's shocked face today was worth it. Do you think Old Lady Zhou will still teach us after we finish the elimination rounds?"

Huo Yuhao replied, "Hard to say. Teacher Zhou's instruction is very comprehensive but seems to have her focus as well. We are still young and our cultivation levels too weak for Teacher Zhou to show her true specialty in teaching. Anyway, we'll find out after we get re-classified following the elimination rounds. I hope we'll still be under Teacher Zhou; her strictness is not a bad thing for us. It will at least continue to motivate us to diligently practice and study."