Wang Feng closed the dormitory door gently, his face showing an unusually serious expression. The dim moonlight illuminated half of his profile, casting a dramatic shadow on the wall of the room.
"Before we train," he said, sitting on the edge of his bed, arms crossed in front of his chest, "there's something important I want to talk to you both about."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged a meaningful glance before focusing their attention on Wang Feng.
"I've been wondering," Wang Feng continued in a low voice, "have your Martial Souls changed since we started doing Fusion Martial Soul more often?"
He took a deep breath before continuing, "After seeing how my Ethereal Lotus energy affected Senior Ma Xiaotao, I started to wonder... what kind of influence it might be having on you two, who are even more frequently in contact with my Martial Soul?"
Huo Yuhao lowered his head for a moment, his soft sigh audible before he finally looked up. "You're right," he said quietly as he activated his Spirit Eyes. "There's... a change I've noticed too."
The golden glow that usually radiated from his pupils now looked different. Wang Feng narrowed his eyes, then without thinking, moved his face closer—just a hand's breadth away.
"Wait—" Huo Yuhao protested, his cheeks flushing red. But Wang Feng had already gently grasped his chin, turning his face toward the moonlight streaming through the window.
"Don't move," Wang Feng whispered, his gaze intensely focused. In the depths of those golden pupils, he saw faint lotus petals spinning slowly, as if something alive resided within.
Wang Dong, watching from his bed, bit his lip. His hand unconsciously clenched the blanket as he saw Wang Feng's fingers naturally brush against Huo Yuhao's skin.
He turned his face away for a moment, as if trying to escape the scene that made his chest feel tight. But curiosity overpowered everything else. He looked back again, eyes locked onto the two—too close, too familiar.
"There's… a lotus pattern," Wang Feng murmured softly, almost inaudible. "Spinning slowly. As if it's fused with your Spirit Eyes."
Huo Yuhao held his breath, his heart pounding loudly. The warmth of Wang Feng's fingers on his chin felt so real, as if burning into his skin. "I-I didn't notice it before," he said, voice trembling slightly.
Wang Feng slowly let go, though his eyes remained sharp. "This is interesting..." he muttered, then suddenly turned to Wang Dong. "What about you?"
Wang Dong flinched, as if snapped out of a daze. "W-What?"
"Your Martial Soul," Wang Feng said as he stepped closer. "I want to check it too."
Wang Dong exhaled, his face flushing. He didn't respond immediately, as if unsure. But finally, he nodded slowly. "Alright."
With a graceful motion, he activated his Bright Goddess Butterfly. Beautiful wings in shimmering blue and gold unfolded behind him, reflecting the moonlight. Wang Feng examined them closely, his eyes scanning every detail.
"Something's different…" he whispered.
He reached out and touched the edge of Wang Dong's wing gently. The moment his fingers made contact, the wing trembled slightly, as if responding to his touch. Wang Dong bit his lip, eyes blinking rapidly.
His wings, which usually glowed with golden hues and delicate butterfly patterns, now displayed a transparent lotus-like structure that radiated a glittering aura.
"Why didn't I notice this change during the exam? With Huo Yuhao's eyes, I can understand—it needed close observation. But you're different, Wang Dong. It should've been obvious if there was a change in your wings back then."
"I didn't mean to hide it," Wang Dong replied calmly. "My wings only reveal their true form when I'm near you. I don't even know why."
Wang Feng fell silent for a moment, his eyes studying Wang Dong's wings, which still emitted a mysterious lotus aura.
Maybe something was blocking it… or protecting it. Something from within Wang Dong himself.
"Alright," he finally said. "I just wanted to make sure. If there are any other changes, let me know. Now, let's start training together."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao nodded in unison. That night, the three of them trained nonstop until the morning sun rose. Thanks to their cultivation meditation replacing sleep, their bodies remained refreshed despite the all-night practice.
As the morning sunlight slipped through the window curtains, the three young men slowly opened their eyes. Wang Feng was the first to be fully awake, followed by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who were still sitting cross-legged beside him.
"According to the schedule," Wang Feng said while tidying his uniform, "today is the final day of the freshman examination. With your strength, I'm confident you have a high chance of winning the championship. Especially since you have a trump card: your Martial Soul Fusion. Even though it's not as strong as when the three of us use it together, it's more than enough."
"Are you going to see Senior Ma Xiaotao again today?" Wang Dong asked, trying to mask the concern in his voice.
"Senior Ma Xiaotao won't be at ease without me," Wang Feng answered briefly. "But don't worry, I've already asked for permission to return early. I'll watch your final match later." His eyes shifted to Huo Yuhao. "Make sure you make it to the afternoon round."
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly, his gaze full of determination. "We won't let you down."
After a quick breakfast and gathering their equipment, the three of them left the dorm. Wang Feng headed straight to Ma Xiaotao's residence, while Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong made their way to the arena.
That day, the crowd was much larger than the previous days. Cheers echoed around them as they approached, proving the students' excitement for the final battles.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong met up with their teammate, Xiao Xiao.
Even Dean Yan Shaozhe appeared in person to draw lots for the matchups. The semifinals were to be held in the morning, with the finals scheduled for the afternoon.
"Team Huo Yuhao drew number two!"
"Next, Team Dai Huabin, please come forward!"
A blond young man stepped onto the platform. Upon hearing the name "Dai Huabin," Huo Yuhao was instantly filled with killing intent. Dai Huabin was his half-brother who had bullied both him and his mother during childhood, even contributing to his mother's death.
Though three years had passed, Huo Yuhao could not forget the look and voice of Dai Huabin as he tormented them. His eyes turned red as he stared at the distinct pupils of the Duke's Mansion bloodline—those of his cruel half-brother, the Duchess's younger son.
Dai Huabin remained calm and arrogant, even in front of Dean Yan Shaozhe. Only his clenched fists betrayed his unease. He clearly did not recognize Huo Yuhao, as he had never once seen him or his mother as significant.
"Team Dai Huabin, number one." After Du Weilun's announcement, Dai Huabin returned to his team. Huo Yuhao was still trembling, needing Wang Dong's support to remain standing.
"Yuhao, Yuhao, calm down. What's wrong with you?" Wang Dong whispered, trying to comfort him.
The drawing continued, and no one seemed to notice the change in Huo Yuhao's expression until all teams had drawn their numbers. Huo Yuhao straightened up again, but Wang Dong could still feel his body trembling. It was the tremble of emotions pushed to the limit!
"Are you still able to compete?" Wang Dong asked with concern. Now wasn't the time to ask questions—the semifinals were about to begin.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, trying to calm his heartache, then nodded slightly and asked, "What number did Dai Huabin draw?"
Wang Dong frowned. He hadn't even heard that clearly—his emotions had been too unsettled.
"He drew number one. If both our teams win our matches, we'll face them in the finals. I just overheard someone say that he's the last Three-Ringed Soul Master left in the freshman assessment."
"A Three-Ringed Soul Master?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"Yeah, with his family backing him, it's no surprise he already has three soul rings. Come on, let's head to our match."
Huo Yuhao suppressed his hatred.
In the semifinals, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong faced off against students from Freshman Class 10—three powerful soul masters with unusual Martial Souls.
To stand out among so many freshmen and reach this stage, even without having a Three-Ringed Soul Master, meant they were by no means weak.
The three freshmen from Class 10 were all male and strikingly handsome.
"Freshman Class 10, Zhou Sichen, a powerful assault-type soul master."
"Freshman Class 10, Long Xiangyue, an agile assault-type expert."
"Freshman Class 10, Cao Jinxuan, a control-type specialist."
Their loud and confident voices showed no sign of fear in the face of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
"Begin the match!" With the referee's announcement, the semifinal officially began.
Though their opponents were formidable, Huo Yuhao's team emerged victorious thanks to the power of Hao Dong (their Martial Soul Fusion), and Xiao Xiao's precise coordination control.
I didn't write the semifinal battle (feeling a bit lazy, haha). Sorry about that!🥺👉👈😭🙏🥺👉👈😭🙏🥺👉👈😭🙏
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