"You two damn kids, aren't you going to quickly get your Iron Armor? Still holding hands and flirting?"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were startled, quickly let go of each other's hands, and ran like the wind back to the dormitory. At this moment, both of them were extremely agitated, their hearts pounding as if they would burst. Of course, this wasn't because of a romantic confession as Zhou Yi had suggested, but because of the strange mutation that occurred when their martial souls merged.
They returned to the dormitory, silently looking at each other, excitement flashing in their eyes. It had to be so; the situation just now was too strange. For the past few months, he had been cultivating and constantly acquiring knowledge, yet he had absolutely no idea what had just happened. Even someone as knowledgeable as Wang Dong was in the same boat. This proved that it had transcended the realm of ordinary knowledge.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but speak up:
"It seems our deep sleep last night wasn't in vain."
"Hmph…"
Wang Dong glared at him, but didn't object, raising his two slender, soft hands:
"Let's try it again."
Huo Yuhao also wanted to confirm everything. He raised his hands and took Wang Dong's hands.
As their four hands touched, their Soul Power immediately began to move. Their Soul Power was not at all alike. Huo Yuhao's Mysterious Heaven Skill leaned towards a peaceful, natural tranquility, while Wang Dong's Soul Power was sharp, domineering, and full of nobility.
If Huo Yuhao's Soul Power was like an honest and gentle youth, then Wang Dong's was like a noble aristocratic girl.
Two Soul Powers with completely opposite temperaments were able to merge perfectly, silently flowing between them as if they originated from the same source.
Huo Yuhao remained very calm; after all, his Mysterious Heaven Skill was inherently gentle and tranquil. But Wang Dong was different; his mood was extremely shocked. He knew his own Soul Power was incredibly domineering and powerful, so the fact that the two types of Soul Power could merge at this moment exceeded his imagination.
After a period of Soul Power fusion, it could freely circulate between their two bodies. Both felt incredibly refreshed, and their cultivation speed noticeably increased. Both of them now sensed that this was just the beginning; in the future, when their Soul Power completely merged, it would bring far more benefits than just this.
"Alright, let's go for our run. We'll continue our research tonight."
Huo Yuhao proactively let go of his hands and put on his Iron Armor.
As soon as Wang Dong heard the words "tonight," he immediately froze, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly. Last night, for some unknown reason, the two of them had slept embracing each other, which had given him a strange feeling. He stared blankly at Huo Yuhao for a moment, then followed with his Iron Armor.
After three months of running with the Iron Armor, everyone was well accustomed to it. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong ran together until the dismissal bell rang. Xiao Xiao arrived and called out to them, only then did they stop. It was then that they heard Xiao Xiao say that Teacher Zhou had returned long ago.
Huo Yuhao was covered in sweat. In contrast, Wang Dong, due to his higher cultivation and intentionally using Soul Power to control himself, didn't have a single drop of sweat.
"What's wrong? Did Teacher Zhou say anything?" Huo Yuhao asked Xiao Xiao, still panting.
Xiao Xiao shrugged:
"Nothing much, just told everyone to try and boost their morale, then analyze the opponents' situations. It seems the round-robin competition was just a test run. Our Shrek Academy has never lacked geniuses…"
Seeing Xiao Xiao's worried expression, Wang Dong asked in surprise:
"What's wrong? Can a great Soul Master genius with twin martial souls lose confidence like this?"
Xiao Xiao pouted:
"I'm not lacking in confidence, but there are many people with better innate talent than us. Teacher Zhou just mentioned that among the five teams that achieved a perfect record in the round-robin tournament, three teams have a Soul Venerate with three Soul Rings. Can you still be confident?"
"A Soul Venerate?"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exclaimed in surprise.
Xiao Xiao gave a bitter smile.
"Exactly. Otherwise, I wouldn't be this worried."
Huo Yuhao asked, "What was Teacher Zhou's analysis?"
Xiao Xiao said, "When Teacher Zhou talked about those three teams, he wasn't comfortable either. It seems he only recently learned the news. Those classes have never revealed information about their Soul Venerate disciples. They are just like you, all specially recruited students."
Hearing Xiao Xiao say this, Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao and chuckled softly.
"Look, you're both specially recruited students. Compare yourself to them..."
Huo Yuhao's face stiffened slightly.
"Talking too much is useless. The key is for us to find a way to counter them."
Xiao Xiao said, "What way is there now? We just have to try our best and then leave it to fate. Those three are all team leaders. What do you two think? At the age of twelve, to be able to break through the realm and acquire a third Soul Ring, how powerful must their Martial Soul be? They must have received full support from their families, and their Soul Rings have all reached their limits. Even if they aren't as abnormal as Wang Dong's thousand-year Soul Ring, they aren't far behind. I think Teacher Zhou doesn't think too highly of us either. Achieving fourth place would already be very good."
Wang Dong snorted lightly.
"So what if they have three Soul Rings? Does a Soul Venerate mean they can't be defeated? We also have our own advantages, not to mention your Twin Martial Souls, and I haven't fought with my full strength yet. Moreover, Huo Yuhao's Body Martial Soul is not bad at all. With the three of us working together, who do we have to fear?"
Xiao Xiao said, "Do you think I don't want to get first place? Only the top three teams get rewards; fourth place only gets to eat air. But our overall strength is not as good as theirs. You two think about it. If one person is a Soul Venerate, then their teammates are at least Great Soul Masters like us. Even if we have our own advantages, unless the class leader can break through to level twenty in time and gain another spiritual attribute Soul Skill, only then will we have hope."
Huo Yuhao looked at Xiao Xiao, then at Wang Dong, and said, "Don't be impatient, you two. Our individual strength might not be as good as theirs, but we absolutely cannot lose faith. Xiao Xiao, remember the last time we faced the two sisters Lan Susu? How difficult was it to deal with their Martial Soul Fusion Skill? But the final victory still belonged to us. Your two's Martial Soul Fusion Skill is no less powerful than a Soul Venerate-level Soul Skill, yet we could still withstand it. Other teams have their advantages, and we also have our own. The hidden strength behind my Spiritual Eye is still unknown to anyone. For this assessment, we have only one goal: Champion!"
Huo Yuhao had rekindled Xiao Xiao's confidence. She rubbed her face and said, "We have to go all out anyway. Let's work hard together!"
Huo Yuhao extended his right hand. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao also placed their hands on Huo Yuhao's.
"The championship is ours!"
Huo Yuhao continued, "Xiao Xiao, your grilled fish will have to wait a few more days. Our next match is extremely important. During these days, we must focus our minds on consolidating and strengthening our cultivation. Only then can our chances of winning increase."
Xiao Xiao giggled:
"Debts accrue interest, and class presidents should be generous. So, from now on, I won't have to pay when I eat your grilled fish, okay?"
Huo Yuhao laughed heartily:
"No problem, my grilled fish is always at your service."
Xiao Xiao said:
"Teacher Zhou said that tomorrow, as soon as the school bell rings, we are to gather at the assessment area. We're really lucky; Teacher Zhou said that teams with a perfect record in the previous round will receive special dispensation not to face each other. As long as we perform to our abilities, entering the top sixteen will definitely not be a problem. To advance further, we'll need to consider many more factors."
Huo Yuhao said:
"At least that's some good news. I'm drenched in sweat right now. I'll go shower first, then we can go eat together."
Xiao Xiao spoke up:
"I'm eating first; I won't wait for you two. See you tomorrow!"
With that, she waved goodbye to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, then turned and headed towards the dining hall.
Huo Yuhao frowned, looking at Wang Dong:
"It seems it won't be easy for us to achieve high results in this assessment. First, let's go back to the dormitory to shower and change. After dinner, we'll study the issue of Spirit Fusion a bit."
"Mm."
Wang Dong nodded, his face showing a dazed expression, as if his thoughts were elsewhere. When they returned to the dormitory, he sat alone on his bed, waiting for Huo Yuhao to shower.
With a thud, the door closed. Wang Dong turned to look at the door, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.
Because he was late that morning, he hadn't yet processed the fact that Huo Yuhao was sleeping in the same bed as him. Yet now, Huo Yuhao was acting as if nothing had happened, only Wang Dong himself felt strange.
"I... I slept in the same bed as him for another night, and even completed Spirit Fusion, and it wasn't just ordinary fusion."
Wang Dong couldn't understand his current feelings. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind in turmoil, unsure what to do.
Time passed quickly, and Huo Yuhao returned. He entered the room, bringing with him a cool breeze and the scent of soap. Wang Dong looked up, just in time to see Huo Yuhao's bright eyes.
Huo Yuhao still didn't notice the change in Wang Dong's mood. He waved his hand:
"Let's go eat quickly. When we come back, we can research Spirit Fusion. Perhaps our results will depend on this skill."
His entire focus at this moment was on the assessment.
Wang Dong seemed to find his purpose, his mind less flustered:
"Alright."
What he didn't want to happen had already happened; overthinking was useless. He would focus on the assessment first, and then talk about it later. After hearing Xiao Xiao talk about the Spirit Sages in the New Student class, Wang Dong's fighting spirit had been ignited.
He believed he was no less capable than the other Spirit Sages in the New Student class. It was just that he had been too lazy before and hadn't actively cultivated, so his level wasn't high. A higher rank wasn't everything; as long as he could defeat them, he could prove his exceptional talent.
After thinking it through, Wang Dong no longer worried. He and Huo Yuhao went to the dining hall and ate their fill. Because they went quite late, the dining hall was almost empty.
After returning to the dormitory, Huo Yuhao hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign outside the door, then locked the room to avoid being disturbed during cultivation. Every room had this sign; once hung, even a teacher wouldn't knock unless there was something important, allowing the students inside to cultivate.
However, Huo Yuhao's extremely normal action made Wang Dong feel a little embarrassed. While Huo Yuhao turned around, he shook his head vigorously to compose himself. By the time Huo Yuhao turned back, his expression had returned to normal.
"How should we begin?" Wang Dong asked Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao said, "Let's try cultivating for a while first. This will help the Soul Power between us fuse better. Then, we will form a Soul Skill using the fused Soul Power. Tonight, we'll go out and test our Martial Soul fusion skill."
Wang Dong pouted. "That's quite reasonable."
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "Don't forget, I'm the class monitor. Arranging things logically is my forte. Let's begin!"
As he spoke, he was about to sit on Wang Dong's bed.
"What... what do you want?" Wang Dong was startled and pushed him away.
Huo Yuhao was surprised. "Cultivation, of course. How can we cultivate if we don't sit cross-legged together?"
Wang Dong stood up and pointed to Huo Yuhao's bed. "Let's go cultivate on that bed."
Huo Yuhao was stunned, then grumbled sulkily, "If you're not afraid of getting your butt dirty, then go ahead. I don't mind."
Wang Dong noticed Huo Yuhao's expression was a little displeased. Indeed, Huo Yuhao was a bit unhappy. They had been friends for quite some time, yet Wang Dong was still calculating about his bed and his own. How stingy.