Still, reminders had to be given when necessary!
As a healer, she absolutely couldn't stand by and watch her patient disregard his own health.
Tianyin Douluo spoke earnestly to Jiang Shengyu:
"Shengyu, we still don't know exactly what's going on with your body. You can't keep being so reckless…"
Seeing she was about to launch into a lecture again, Jiang Shengyu quickly put his palms together and apologized,
"I'm sorry! I was wrong! I'll behave—I promise! Today was really just an accident, it won't happen again!"
He cut her off just in time.
Tianyin Douluo stared at him in silence for a moment, then sighed and turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, come. Let me check your body too…"
"Me? That's… not necessary, right? I feel fine," Huo Yuhao replied, a little bewildered.
"Be good and do as I say."
She needed to stay busy—otherwise, she'd end up stewing in frustration over Jiang Shengyu.
Watching her weary expression, Jiang Shengyu chuckled and nudged Huo Yuhao,
"Come on, come on. She's the only healing-type Titled Douluo in our entire Sun Moon Empire! With her around, you're practically immune to illness!"
"You little rascal…" Tianyin Douluo muttered under her breath.
---
At Shrek Academy – Sea God's Pavilion
Nearly all the available elders had gathered here, surrounding Jiang Qingtong.
Elder Zhuang Yusen was examining her body while Ma Xiaotao asked anxiously,
"Elder Zhuang, is Qingtong alright? When I held her earlier, her body was so cold—she felt like a block of ice."
"Like ice?"
Everyone present frowned at that.
Elder Song added, "If it's a problem with her martial soul, then it doesn't make sense. One's a spiritual-type, and the other is fire-type—where's the cold coming from?"
"No… during her assessment earlier, when she simulated ten-thousand-year spirit rings, she did release some icy aura," Yan Shaozhe interjected.
"Ten-thousand-year spirit rings? What do you mean?" Elder Song turned to Yan Shaozhe, brows furrowed.
Yan Shaozhe described the earlier events in detail. After he finished, Elder Zhuang said,
"Could it be that she couldn't handle the aura of a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? But that's strange—it was just a simulation. How could it affect her physically?"
"Unless the ice aura… wasn't simulated at all," Elder Song hypothesized.
She then asked, "Elder Zhuang, what's her physical condition?"
Elder Zhuang withdrew the green healing light from Jiang Qingtong's body.
"Her body appears perfectly fine. Which makes this even stranger—suddenly fainting, yet with no detectable anomalies."
Even a healing-type Super Douluo like Elder Zhuang couldn't determine the cause, which left the Pavilion elders stumped.
This prodigy from the Sun Moon Empire had already brought more puzzles than answers since arriving at Shrek. Despite their status as leaders in the soul master world, these veterans were feeling out of their depth.
As the room puzzled over what had happened, Elder Mu suddenly spoke from where he sat silently in the corner:
"Hasn't anyone considered this possibility? That this child might have more than two martial souls?"
"More than two?"
Everyone turned in shock to look at Elder Mu.
Elder Cai frowned. "Elder Mu, you can't just say things like that… She already has twin martial souls. How could she possibly have a third?"
Elder Mu slowly shook his head. "You're all making the same assumption—that humans can only have two martial souls. But who says that's the limit? Didn't Elder Song just suggest that her icy aura may not have been simulated?"
"But in all recorded history, there's never been a soul master with three martial souls," Yan Shaozhe argued, frowning. He'd considered the idea himself earlier but dismissed it as impossible.
"And before Sea God Tang San and Bibi Dong of the Spirit Hall rose to prominence ten thousand years ago, there were no twin martial soul soul masters either," Elder Mu countered.
"Perhaps triple martial souls have existed before—just overlooked and buried by time, much like twin martial souls once were."
Everyone fell into deep thought. The reasoning made sense.
"Moreover," Elder Mu continued, "her sudden collapse might be linked to the awakening of a third martial soul. She may not have known it existed. Perhaps the aura she released during the assessment stimulated its emergence."
His analysis was methodical and convincing. Gradually, the others began nodding, acknowledging the theory's plausibility.
As their gazes turned back to Jiang Qingtong, their expressions varied—shock, excitement, and complex emotion. Especially from Elder Song, whose expression darkened slightly.
After all, the stronger Jiang Qingtong was… the stronger the Sun Moon Empire became.
Seeing her expression, Elder Zhuang said gently,
"Elder Song, the girl is still young. Best not to entangle her in the continent's conflicts."
Elder Song shook her head. "With her talent, she won't be able to avoid them."
Elder Mu added,
"That's why she must stay at the Academy. With her here, Shrek will stand strong for the next three centuries!"
"But is that even possible? She's a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire," Elder Song asked.
Elder Mu waved his hand. "I have a plan."
Just then, Jiang Qingtong stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open and she rubbed her forehead. A trace of icy aura still lingered around her right hand.
She had been chatting away with the Snow Emperor just moments ago—nearly forgetting her real body was unconscious here.
Seeing her awaken, Elder Zhuang immediately stepped forward, asking,
"Child, how do you feel? Any discomfort?"
Jiang Qingtong shook her head. "Not really. I just…"
Before she could finish, Yan Shaozhe stepped up and asked directly,
"Qingtong, do you have a third martial soul?"
Jiang Qingtong froze.
They suspected it from that brief hint of icy aura alone? Didn't they consider it might've been a special effect from her soul tool?
Before she could answer, Elder Mu stepped in from behind:
"Shaozhe, don't scare her. She's just regained consciousness."
Yan Shaozhe glanced back and nodded, stepping aside.
Elder Mu approached with a gentle smile and soft voice.
"Qingtong, how are you feeling? No pain or discomfort?"
"I'm fine," she replied, nodding.
He continued,
"Do you know why you fainted?"
Jiang Qingtong blinked. She knew full well what happened, but kept her expression blank as she shook her head.
"No idea."
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