Yet when he tried to feel it again carefully, he couldn't grasp it anymore.
Was it some kind of illusion caused by sheer exhaustion?
"An illusion..."
Due to their earlier contact and eye contact, Fang Ling's face still had a faint blush.
But that wasn't the main point. Xiao Wu was also cute, and he wasn't the kind of man who became infatuated with every pretty girl he saw.
The key lay in the soul's resonance.
As a Soul Master, anything related to a Martial Soul could never be taken lightly.
At the same time, there was another fact he had to consider.
As the second daughter of the Grand Duke of the Star Luo Spirit Cat family and the fiancée of the Third Prince Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing held an extraordinarily noble status.
Would someone like her easily approach a strange man, even touch him, and blush after making eye contact?
"What if it's because of my good looks?"
Fang Ling couldn't help but touch his own cheek.
Due to the blood oozing from his nose and mouth, his face was covered with crusted blood, feeling rough to the touch.
Alright, so maybe not.
He was very self-aware about his appearance.
He didn't look like some ethereal immortal descending to the mortal world.
Instead, with blood and grime all over his face, he looked like a bedraggled stray dog, pathetic and pitiful.
So the key lay in the Martial Soul.
Fang Ling had sensed a resonance in his Martial Soul, and he believed Zhu Zhuqing must have felt it too. That was the only explanation.
After all, Martial Soul fusion was a special phenomenon in this world.
But how was that possible?
Fang Ling was greatly surprised.
His Martial Soul was a long-handled war scythe, while Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul was the Nether Spirit Cat.
At least the White Tiger and the cat were both from the feline family, so it made sense they could fuse.
But a scythe and a cat? Was there any compatibility at all?
None that he could see...
And when he tried to sense it again, he couldn't feel anything special.
Fang Ling started to doubt himself. Was this really not just him being attracted to her beauty?
It didn't seem like it, but he couldn't be sure.
He was too exhausted, too worn out, covered in wounds, and his soul power was drained.
He had just woken up under someone else's healing. If his mind was a bit dazed, and he mistook a fleeting desire as a soul resonance, that was possible too.
He was still thinking.
The senior Soul Master who had saved him stood nearby with arms crossed, eyes filled with admiration as he asked, "Kid, how are you feeling?"
"Pretty good. Thanks for saving me, Senior!"
Fang Ling returned to his senses, ignored the pain, and quickly cupped his hands in gratitude toward the black-clad man who had just saved him.
Not only had someone saved him, but even a healing-type Soul King had helped him recover.
To do all that for a stranger, not something just anyone would do.
Of course, it was also possible that his weak two-ring cultivation posed no threat.
The black-clad man waved his hand.
"Don't thank me. I don't make the decisions. You should thank the young lady for her kindness."
"I only saved you because the young lady gave the order."
"Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu... That name sounds familiar. Could it be from the Star Luo Zhu clan, the hereditary noble house of the Grand Duke?"
Fang Ling pretended to look shocked, playing a bit slow on purpose.
"Indeed!" the black-clad man responded proudly.
"Oh~ then many thanks to Miss Zhuqing. I, Fang Ling, will never forget your life-saving grace and will repay it in full one day!"
Fang Ling solemnly promised the stunning young girl who had been secretly stealing glances at him from the side.
She thought she had been subtle, but Fang Ling, with his keen senses, had noticed it all.
Peeking like a curious cat, it was adorable.
Realizing her peeking had been noticed, her expression stiffened and she forced a straight face, saying:
"I only helped because I thought you looked pitiful. Your tenacity moved me a little, so I asked Uncle Li to save you."
"It wasn't much. I don't need your thanks."
"No, I will definitely repay your kindness one day," Fang Ling said sincerely.
These words were spoken from the heart.
Who could understand what it felt like to be at death's door, only to have someone suddenly reach out a hand?
Especially upon waking up and seeing a beautiful girl standing in front of him.
It was like a dream, a heavenly maiden descending with a light so warm it could heal all the wounds in the world.
Only those who had experienced it would truly understand.
A life-saving grace, and the potential for a Martial Soul fusion.
Fang Ling felt like he might actually be falling for her.
Dai Mubai, that weak, promiscuous, irresponsible deserter, was not worthy of her.
As for helping Dugu Bo with the poison, that was simple. Fang Ling would definitely go to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and would likely gain it from Dugu Bo.
Without the celestial herbs, could Tang San and the others still level up quickly?
Absolutely not.
Then how could they possibly defeat the Star Luo Royal Academy?
They would definitely lose!
Given the Star Luo royal family's usual methods, Zhu Zhuqing would either be locked away or killed.
That would mean her original destiny would be completely altered.
Not to mention becoming a god like in the original timeline, even just surviving would be difficult.
That could not be allowed to happen!
He had to intercept her fate.
Fang Ling made up his mind. He couldn't pass up a potential Martial Soul fusion.
It involved talent, stats, even if he had to offend the Star Luo royal family, it would be worth it.
At this stage, he could use Dugu Bo as a shield.
If the Star Luo royals were willing to offend a top-ranking Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo just for Zhu Zhuqing, a girl who was guaranteed to fail in becoming Crown Princess , that was their loss.
Later, he could leverage Xue Qinghe's influence and maybe even tap into the power of the Spirit Hall.
In the long run, Fang Ling himself would become a powerhouse. Why fear a small Star Luo Empire?
This had real potential!
Of course, he'd have to pick the right moment to take Zhu Zhuqing away.
He couldn't just charge into the Zhu family's base and abduct her.
The best time would be when Shrek Academy started.
He'd get the spirit bone first, then circle around to meet her.
And during that time, Zhu Zhuqing would get to see Dai Mubai's usual lecherous behavior firsthand.
By then, who knew what level Fang Ling's cultivation would be?
The rough plan already looked good. He'd refine it later.
"Alright, kid, you're clearly in no shape to talk much. Just rest. If you want to express gratitude, do it after you've recovered."
Seeing that the boy, covered in injuries, still wanted to speak, the black-clad man raised a hand to stop him.
Fang Ling nodded and obediently stopped talking, quietly enjoying the healing from the Soul King.
With his eyes closed, his mind kept going over the Martial Soul fusion.
As he thought more and more, his heart gave a sudden thump.
He finally confirmed, the earlier resonance wasn't an illusion.
There was a similar case of apparently unrelated Martial Souls achieving fusion.
Eyes, butterflies, hammers, and the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion...
Ten thousand years later, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er!
Besides the million-year spirit beast Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's spiritual guidance, the key was the Sea God Tang San's divine influence from the shadows.
It was divine power that allowed multiple unrelated Martial Souls to achieve 100% fusion.
He didn't have a divine inheritance, or divine power, or a million-year spirit beast manipulating events behind the scenes.
But this example helped him identify the core idea, some sort of higher power was silently working in the background.
And coincidentally, his system panel had a special talent: "In the Process of Fusion", those three words were especially intriguing.
When thinking this through, he could only guess that was the reason.
Nether Spirit Cat, why was it called _Nether_ Spirit Cat?
Netherworld, underworld , such terms were often related to death. Could this be death-related?
Was the power he was fusing actually death?
Fang Ling naturally began to suspect that.
But thinking about the original timeline, the Nether Spirit Cat never displayed any death-related abilities.
It was just an ordinary agility-type Martial Soul that ultimately became the God of Speed. So he wasn't sure.
After all, he was a transmigrator, perhaps destiny itself treated him differently.
Once he reached Soul Elder level, he'd probably know more.
Please add to your favorites and continue reading!
Some readers said the emotional development felt awkward. But really, there isn't much romance here.
The blush was just because her sneaky action was discovered, she felt embarrassed.
Isn't that how normal people and kids react?
It's simply because of the soul resonance, the potential for Martial Soul fusion lowered their emotional defenses.
In Douluo Dalu, Martial Soul fusion is a special thing.
Fang Ling was the second person Zhu Zhuqing ever felt this with.
That's the real reason.
The same goes for Fang Ling.
The system panel is crucial, the special talents matter, and the life-saving grace makes forming a good impression completely natural.
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