21 Chapter 21: The Integration of the Triplet Martial Soul?

Skydream Ice Silkworm said indifferently, "Idiot, of course. Haven't you thought about it? Even with Twin Martial Souls, it is impossible for one to withstand the pressure of a thousand-year soul ring at level 20, as you humans describe it. It is precisely because he has three Martial Souls, each improving his physique, that he can possess a thousand-year soul ring at level 20. The guy you're holding, to use human terms, is a super genius that appears only once in ten thousand years."

Huo Yuhao had never imagined that Wang Dong would have triplet Martial Souls. No wonder he had once said that in a one-on-one scenario, Xiao Xiao would be no match for him. No wonder he possessed such intense confidence. Although he was only at the two-ring level, he had never shown a look of admiration towards anyone. He had not expected Wang Dong's talent to be this extraordinary.

"Silly boy, what's there to be amazed about? In a sense, you also have triplet Martial Souls! Moreover, don't forget, your first soul ring is the unprecedented million-year Soul Ring. I am certain that there's not a second million-year soul beast on the entire Soul Land. Thus, although he is a peerless genius, you are truly one of a kind. Have some confidence in yourself. Just like now, with me, a wisdom Soul Ring without precedent, I will make sure you take the initiative during the Martial Soul Fusion. Relax your body and leave everything to me."

As he spoke, a cool sensation rapidly spread from the top of Huo Yuhao's head throughout his body. Within this coolness, his perception of his surroundings greatly enhanced.

It was like he had performed Spiritual Detection. Everything in the room took on a three-dimensional shape, with various colors changing. Huo Yuhao finally saw the color changes on Wang Dong's body. Gold, blue-gold, dark gold—these three colors alternated in flickering. Meanwhile, his own body displayed white, ice-blue, and gray, with the three colors continuously changing.

As Skydream Ice Silkworm had said, their Martial Souls were an incredibly good match. Whenever the color on Huo Yuhao's body turned white, the color on Wang Dong's body would turn gold, then ice-blue to blue-gold, and gray to dark gold.

The three pairs of colors coordinated with each other harmoniously.

However, when Skydream Ice Silkworm began to take action, Huo Yuhao's eyes quietly turned a light ice-blue color, different from the previous time when it had helped him resist Ma Xiaotao's terrifying Phoenix Flame. This time, Skydream Ice Silkworm merely infused a bit of strength into Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit without directly controlling his body, guiding the breath in Huo Yuhao to start undergoing various changes.

Gradually, it was noticeable that Huo Yuhao's aura began to strengthen quietly. In a Martial Soul Fusion process that was completely involuntary like this, a change in one party's aura would inevitably lead to a reaction in the other's.

Wang Dong's aura immediately strengthened in response, and at that moment, a strong spiritual fluctuation was released from Huo Yuhao's body. It simultaneously shook both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, and at almost the same moment, the two of them passed out and fell onto the bed laid with fur covers that Wang Dong had been on.

A sly chuckle from Skydream Ice Silkworm sounded, "Next, watch me work. There's a primary and secondary aspect in Martial Soul Fusion, and it's always good to take the initiative and benefit a little. Eh, this kid Wang Dong is actually… Since that's the case, I'll take it easy and not take too much advantage."

Strands of ice-blue threads began to slowly drift out from Huo Yuhao's ten fingers, swiftly enveloping both his and Wang Dong's bodies. Upon close observation, one would notice that these threads were all made of soul power, and definitely not Huo Yuhao's soul power. With his level of cultivation, the idea of materializing soul power was far beyond his reach.

Gradually, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, holding each other, had turned into a huge cocoon.

Skydream Ice Silkworm, being a silkworm, naturally had the innate ability to form cocoons. The aura of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong was immediately concentrated within the ice-blue cocoon, constantly traveling and transforming within their bodies.

A proud voice from Skydream Ice Silkworm transmitted, "Success, let them continue like this. A perfect fusion, one hundred percent. Triplet Martial Soul Fusion. I refuse to believe I can't force out that gray shy turtle. If you have the guts, break out of your shell and battle me for three hundred rounds. Hmph, hmph, hmph."

The dormitory reverted to peace, with only the ice-blue giant cocoon shimmering in the strange light. Outside of the cocoon, not a single wave of soul power emerged, while the two people inside, slept very deeply, very deeply.

Time ticked away second by second, and this day was the only day Huo Yuhao did not sell grilled fish.

Xiao Xiao had waited for a long time for the two, but she hadn't seen them come out of the dormitory. And just like male students can't enter the girls' dormitory as they please, female students can't just walk into the boys' dormitory either! Left without a choice, she had to return to her own dormitory to rest.

Tang Ya, on the other hand, dragged Bei Bei to wait at Shrek Academy's gate to enjoy the grilled fish from Huo Yuhao. When Huo Yuhao didn't show up, they didn't find it too strange. After all, they had heard about the rules of the freshman assessment. The rules changed every year, and this year's were particularly tough! They even managed to find out about the condition of Huo Yuhao and his group during the assessment. Since Huo Yuhao hadn't set up his stall, they naturally assumed he was too exhausted from the assessment process, so they didn't think much of it and returned to their dormitory after waiting for a while.

The disappointment of not getting the grilled fish wasn't only theirs. Jiang Nannan had also arrived early to line up today. Sadly, she too had to leave disappointed in the end.

But none of them knew just how important this day was for Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. After three months as classmates, their relationship had undergone a substantial change within this single day.

...

At Sea God's Lake, on Lake Heart Island, by the lake.

Teacher Wang Yan, who had just been conducting the freshman assessment not long ago, was standing here. However, the expression on his face was one of utmost respect at this moment.

Not far ahead of him, a disheveled elder was sitting there, his appearance truly a mess. The clothes that should have been a white robe were now gray-brown and torn in many places; his hair was also unkempt. His unshod feet soaked in the cool waters of Sea God's Lake, his right hand holding a huge calabash.

The calabash was purplish-red, its material unknown. He occasionally lifted it for a drink, and a strong aroma of liquor would waft through the air. In his other hand, he grasped a roast chicken, not minding the grease, alternating between sips of wine and bites of meat as he ate and drank.

"Elder Xuan, that's how it is. Although these students are young and just freshmen, they are indeed noteworthy," said Wang Yan.

"Hmm..." The slovenly elder known as Elder Xuan swallowed a mouthful of chicken before turning to glance at Wang Yan. Surprisingly, for all his aged appearance, his eyes were exceptionally bright. However, they were a shocking crimson, giving off a heart-palpitating sensation. His gaze was scattered, though, and even a bit vacant, as if he hadn't really been listening to Wang Yan's words.

"Self martial soul, that is somewhat interesting," Elder Xuan murmured, his voice hoarse and aged.

Wang Yan asked, "Elder Xuan, does hair martial soul count as a self martial soul?"

While eating and drinking, Elder Xuan replied, "Sort of."

Wang Yan said, "If that's the case, the sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo should deserve your attention. These two young girls can also use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, so if it has something to do with a self martial soul, their potential for future development should be very strong."

Elder Xuan shook his head and said, "Hair? No good. You claim to be a researcher of theory, but how can you be so ignorant about self martial souls?"

Wang Yan gave a wry smile and said, "I really don't have any subjects to study! Information about self martial souls is rarer still. The Body Sect has always remained secluded from the world."

Elder Xuan chuckled and stood up, his wet feet stepping casually and comfortably on the grass. "Then let me teach you to be clever, to distinguish the strength of a self martial soul, one must look at the importance of this part of the Martial Soul to the body. The more important this part of the body is for the human body, the better the self martial soul. Thus, what truly caught my interest was that spirit eyes youth. Hair, if lost, can grow back, but what about eyes? Besides, he's of the spiritual attribute. That is to say, his Martial Soul is actually his eyes and brain. You're in luck to have seen the top-tier self martial soul in your lifetime. However, I believe that his self martial soul has not been fully awakened, otherwise, how could he have resorted to using a 10 year soul ring? Tell Xiaoning to reserve a spot for me during the newcomer assessment ranking competition. I will come and watch."

"Yes."

...

Night gradually fell, and the ice-blue halo in the dorm room of Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao continued to shimmer quietly.

Evening deepened into night, and time passed silently, while the aura of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong underwent subtle yet miraculous changes. The colors of their aura intertwined and fused even more. Even their soul power began to enter each other's bodies, forming a bizarre circulation, traveling along different paths with every change of the colored aura.

If it were anyone else entering a state of Martial Soul Fusion, the fusion would take at least three days and nights. But with the help of the Skydream Ice Silkworm, they saved much time as it guided the flow of their soul power during the fusion based on the induction of their auras.

The night passed without words, and it gradually dawned.

The ice-blue cocoon slowly faded, revealing the situation inside. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were still hugging each other tightly, the changing colors of their aura had disappeared, and they lay face to face, their breaths audible to each other, sleeping very soundly.

This was the first time Huo Yuhao had not gotten up early for cultivation since coming to Shrek Academy, and also the first time he had not gone for breakfast.

Soon, the outdoors of the dorm became lively, with other students already up and busily washing up.

The bustling sounds gradually disturbed the two deeply sleeping individuals, with Wang Dong being the first to move.

"Hmm," Wang Dong murmured lazily with a hint of delicate tenderness. When he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with Huo Yuhao.

He was first stunned, and then he moved his body, only to realize that he was being held tightly by Huo Yuhao, their chests and bellies fully pressed together, and from time to time, a warm sensation came from Huo Yuhao.

Wang Dong felt that he had slept for a very long time, a feeling he had never experienced before. Aside from a trace of peculiarity, he felt an even greater sense of panic.

"Huo Yuhao, wake up," he struggled gently, trying to free himself from Huo Yuhao's grasp around his waist, but perhaps because they had maintained this pose for too long, both their bodies were somewhat stiff, making it difficult to withdraw his hand, let alone Huo Yuhao's.

"Huh?" Huo Yuhao finally woke up from his sleep and also saw Wang Dong in front of him. Their distance was extremely close; it was only by Wang Dong deliberately tilting his head back that their noses were finally not touching. But when Wang Dong blinked, Huo Yuhao felt like those long eyelashes of his brushed against his face.

"Why are you so close to me?" Huo Yuhao said instinctively, his breath hitting Wang Dong's face as he spoke.

"You..." Wang Dong was furious, abruptly struggling to pull back his arms, his hands grabbing Huo Yuhao's shoulders and pulling backwards as he lifted his supple long legs and wedged them between himself and Huo Yuhao, creating a distance.

As soon as Yuhao woke up, he subconsciously released the arms that were hugging Wang Dong. Now separated by Wang Dong's leg, he finally fully awoke from his slumber. However, what Wang Dong did next made him even more alert...

In the dormitory, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had single beds. Wang Dong exerted force in his separating leg and, in an instant, Huo Yuhao was kicked off, landing on the ground with a "thud".

"Ouch, Wang Dong, what are you doing?" Huo Yuhao, completely unprepared, was thrown solidly to the floor and was instantly in great pain, his face filled with anger.

Wang Dong, slightly panting, sat up on his bed and straightened out his disheveled clothes before angrily retorting, "What do you mean, what am I doing? Why did you sleep on my bed last night?"

"Uh..." Huo Yuhao now realized that he had been kicked off Wang Dong's bed. Speechless for a moment, he thought to himself, Brother Heavenly Dream, oh Brother Heavenly Dream, you've really done me in. Didn't you know this guy is a clean freak? Why did you let me fall asleep?

Although that was what he was thinking, he retorted, "You can't blame me for this, look, didn't you also fall asleep?"

Wang Dong snorted angrily, about to say something more when suddenly, a piercing bell rang, startling them both.

"It's time for class, this is bad, we're late. Let's go." Huo Yuhao immediately leaped up from the ground, pulled Wang Dong, and dashed out.

Wang Dong also realized they were in trouble and, putting his anger aside, had no choice but to follow Huo Yuhao and run out as well.

Both of them had not only missed breakfast but didn't even have time to wash up, running at top speed to the classroom building. They knew all too well what kind of temper Teacher Zhou had; being late for class was no different from suicide.

Their appearance was indeed a bit disheveled, Wang Dong somewhat less so since he had tidied up his clothes when he had kicked Huo Yuhao to the floor. Huo Yuhao, however, was much more unkempt; half of his shirt was tucked into his pants while the other half hung outside, and not to mention his hair was a mess. Moreover, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing a patch of bronzed chest. As he ran, his clothes fluttered in the wind.

However, right now, neither of them could care less about their appearance; they just wanted to get to the classroom as quickly as possible, doing their best to prevent Teacher Zhou from getting angry. They were already late after all!

Within a minute, they had arrived at the door of the first-year class.

"Reporting." Huo Yuhao called out robustly.

"Reporting." Wang Dong's voice was somewhat softer, almost feeble. Sneaking a glance at Huo Yuhao in front of him, his expression was clearly complex. He fiercely lifted his hand and gave Huo Yuhao a twist on his waist.

Huo Yuhao's face suddenly changed, but as he was already in the doorway and saw Teacher Zhou approaching them, he swallowed back the scream that was on the tip of his tongue.

All the other students had already arrived, and Zhou Yi's eyes actually flashed with a hint of a smile when she saw Huo Yuhao's disheveled appearance, but Huo Yuhao, tormented by back pain, was so detail-oriented that he failed to notice.

"You two, what's going on? Get inside," Zhou Yi beckoned to them.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong hurried into the classroom. Wang Dong, being considerate, even closed the door behind them.

Xiao Xiao had arrived early and couldn't help but widen her eyes at their bedraggled state. She moved her lips at them without making a sound. By reading her lips, it seemed she was asking: Good heavens! What did you two do last night?

Every eye in the class was focused on them, especially on their disheveled class president.

Zhou Yi asked in her usual icy voice, "My dear Class President, tell me, what is this all about?"

"Eh... Sorry, Teacher Zhou, we overslept," Huo Yuhao said with an embarrassed face. Now he could only admit his mistake, whatever punishment Zhou Yi gave, they would have to accept it.

"Who slept with whom? You actually overslept?" Zhou Yi seldom joked.

Huo Yuhao was taken aback, and Wang Dong's face turned red instantly. They had hit the nail on the head...

The class continued in silence, but this time, it lasted only three seconds before everyone erupted into laughter.

Wang Dong, his head lowered, wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into. This was so embarrassing. It was also at this moment that he noticed Huo Yuhao's unkempt state and truly wished he could slap him to death! That damn fool, making me lose all face.

Zhou Yi actually laughed too, and although her aged face looked uglier when she smiled than cried, Huo Yuhao was sure that she was indeed smiling.

Zhou Yi raised her hand—her authority as a superior teacher was undeniable—as the laughter immediately quieted down, but the amusement in the eyes of the first-year students was something even Teacher Zhou couldn't control.

"Alright, back to your seats," Zhou Yi waved her hand, showing an unusual generosity by letting them off the hook.

"Huh?" Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both instinctively raised their heads, thinking they had heard wrong.

Zhou Yi glared, "What? You slept so deeply that you can't even understand human speech now?"

It was then that Huo Yuhao realized, he tugged at Wang Dong's sleeve, and the two of them sheepishly returned to their seats. Yet, feeling the teasing gazes around them, they found it hard to lift their heads.

Fortunately, this was a class of freshmen. All the students were eleven or twelve years old, and their only thoughts on who slept with whom were that it seemed amusing, without any deeper implications. Had this happened in the senior classes of the outer courtyard and been embellished by a few fujoshi, it would have caused even greater uproar.

Zhou Yi returned to the lectern and said indifferently, "After three days, the freshman assessment has come to an end. The final results came out last night."

At these words, all the first-class students immediately perked up, not every group had the absolute confidence to pass the assessment like Huo Yuhao's group did.

Zhou Yi's aged face broke into a less-than-pleasing smile for the second time that day, "I must say, you've all worked hard and made me proud. All twenty-two groups from our class who participated in the assessment passed the freshman test. I'm gratified."

"Boom—" The entire freshman class one erupted in cheers, and this time, Zhou Yi didn't stop them, but instead watched with a smile as the kids cheered and jumped for joy.

They truly had the right to cheer! All the judging teachers and the homeroom teachers of the ten freshman classes had gathered last night to summarize the results.

Almost all the judging teachers commended the students from class one, acknowledging their resilience compared to students from other classes. During the intensive assessment competitions, they demonstrated remarkable willpower and combat power, achieving the most turnarounds from defeat to victory. Most notably, the students from class one won almost every evenly matched contest.

Zhou Yi, since becoming a teacher at Shrek Academy, received public praise from the academy for the first time. Although class one initially had the fewest students, after the round-robin matches, half of the freshmen participating in the assessments were eliminated, making class one the class with the most students among the ten freshman classes.

No matter how strict Zhou Yi was, today was a great day, which is why Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were let off the hook despite their tardiness.

"Quiet down," Zhou Yi allowed the celebrations to continue for quite a while before signaling for silence again.

"Passing the assessment only ensures that you can stay in the academy, at least until the end of the first grade without being easily eliminated. But that's just the first grade. If you slack off in the future, I'm afraid I won't be able to see you all in the second grade. And keep in mind, it's just passing the freshman assessment. There's nothing too exciting about it. Out of the twenty-two groups from our class, fourteen have not finished their assessments because they have entered the top sixty-four and must compete in the upcoming knockout matches. The knockout matches are where you'll truly prove your excellence."

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong finally raised their heads in surprise. All twenty-two competing groups from their first-year class had passed the assessment, and fourteen had even made it into the top sixty-four. This meant their class had taken up one-fifth of the top sixty-four spots, about twice as many as the other classes combined. Such results were indeed something to be proud of!

Zhou Yi continued, "In the round-robin matches of this freshman assessment, six groups achieved perfect victories. In our class, there was only one group. I had intended to give them some class rewards, but unfortunately, they were late to today's class. Therefore, with merits offsetting faults, there will be neither reward nor punishment."

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong became the focus of the class once again, each filled with frustration. They exchanged a look, and upon doing so, both were stunned.

As they looked towards each other, they could clearly sense their own soul power fluctuating subtly, an indescribable sense of kinship spontaneously emerging, even pulling them toward wanting to embrace each other again.

At that moment, they both simultaneously remembered the cause of last night's embrace and consequently sleeping together in Wang Dong's bed.

Wang Dong whispered, "Could it be that we actually succeeded?"

Huo Yuhao felt much more certain about the answer in his heart than he had let on, because he had the Skydream Ice Silkworm to communicate with after all! He couldn't appear too confident, yet his eyes couldn't help but betray his eager anticipation.

"Maybe. Shall we try it after class ends?"

"Mhm."

The two almost nodded in unison, and that indescribable sense of tacit understanding sprouted between them. Even without Shared Spiritual Detection, they seemed to sense what the other was about to do—similar to the connection between twins. This feeling was both wonderful and oddly special.

"Boom—" A loud noise jolted Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong from their tacit understanding. They looked up simultaneously, only to see Teacher Zhou with an angry expression on her face.

Uh... They were caught daydreaming in class.

"You two, get out and run laps wearing metal shirts, and don't you stop until the class bell rings. Getting a little accomplished and you're already complacent."

Injustice! Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong silently cried out in their hearts, but they knew when Teacher Zhou made a decision, she wouldn't change her mind. With no other choice, they dejectedly left the classroom to get their metal shirts from the dormitory.

Watching the two leave with dejected faces, Teacher Zhou snorted and said, "Remember this, no matter how much you achieve, you must maintain a humble and cautious heart. Arrogance not only leads to regression but could also cost you your lives. The elimination round starts tomorrow, let me briefly tell you what to look out for."

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were destined not to hear Teacher Zhou's explanation, but fortunately, Xiao Xiao was there. Teacher Zhou didn't say it explicitly, but the implication was that Xiao Xiao was to relay the message to them.

"It's all your fault." As soon as they left the teaching building, Wang Dong exploded, angrily accusing Huo Yuhao.

With an aggrieved expression, Huo Yuhao replied, "How can this be my fault? It was you who insisted on me carrying you yesterday."

"What did you say?" Wang Dong's eyes glinted with cold light as he glared at Huo Yuhao through clenched teeth.

"Er... We're a team; we should stick together," Huo Yuhao earnestly said, looking at Wang Dong's clenched fists.

"Stick together my foot, you got me punished, now you tell me what we should do." Wang Dong said with a face full of anger, "And what about you sleeping in my bed last night? What about that?"

Huo Yuhao patted his shoulder, then wrapped an arm around his neck, "Come on, we're brothers. Are we really going to hold a grudge over something so trivial? Let's better hurry up and finish Teacher Zhou's task to avoid her wrath."

The moment Huo Yuhao wrapped his arm around him, Wang Dong was momentarily taken aback, and Huo Yuhao's voice grew quieter. When he finished that sentence, both of them stopped in their tracks, and Huo Yuhao instinctively looked at his hand, as did Wang Dong.

"How could this be?" they exclaimed in unison.

Indeed, a strange phenomenon had occurred to both of them. When Huo Yuhao's hand wrapped around Wang Dong's neck, it was as if their bodies were connected, and Huo Yuhao's Soul Power naturally flowed into Wang Dong's body, and Wang Dong's Soul Power slowly flowed back. It was as if they had become one entity. Although the connection was only between Wang Dong's neck and Huo Yuhao's arm, the sensation was very clear.

"No, let's try again."

Huo Yuhao withdrew the arm around Wang Dong and grabbed his hands instead.

Wang Dong's hands were surprisingly soft and smooth, very comfortable to hold. However, Huo Yuhao wasn't in the mood to enjoy it at the moment.

The instant their hands clasped together, the soul power from Huo Yuhao's Mystic Sky Method surged forth, moving swiftly from his right hand into Wang Dong's left, then his left hand seemed to have a pulling force, drawing Wang Dong's Soul Power into his body. The soul power circulation between the two quickened, at least doubling the speed of Huo Yuhao's previous cultivation.

Being a genius himself, Wang Dong immediately realized what was happening, "Try controlling it and inject into your body." While speaking, he withdrew his left hand from Huo Yuhao's grasp, so only his soul power flowed into Huo Yuhao.

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao felt his soul power increasing at an astonishing rate, a sense of power he had never felt before pervading his body.

His meridians, having been transformed by the Profound Water Pill and nourished by the Mystic Sky Method, had reached the peak of what others his age could endure. Although there was a great influx of soul power, he didn't feel overwhelmed.

The two shared an unspoken understanding. Huo Yuhao immediately employed his Shared Spiritual Detection, enveloping Wang Dong within it.

Wang Dong closed his eyes, allowing himself to embrace this oddity, and suddenly, he noticed the scope of Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection expanding rapidly.

Already, Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection had surpassed a diameter of sixty meters, and he was capable of approximately a hundred meters in a straight-line detection. But now, with Wang Dong's soul power supplementing him, the range swiftly reached beyond a diameter of one hundred meters in a very short time.

With their eyes wide open in shock, Huo Yuhao asked with a trembling voice, "Wang Dong, have you ever heard of two soul masters who can perform Martial Soul Fusion Skills being able to infuse each other with their soul power for temporary use?"

Wang Dong shook his head in bewilderment, murmuring, "How is this possible? Could it be that our attempt yesterday really succeeded?"

Huo Yuhao said eagerly, "Shall we find a place to try it out?"

Just then, from a window of the nearby teaching building, an angry roar erupted, "What are you two doing holding hands and romancing each other for? Hurry up and put on those metal shirts and start running!"