Fang Ling was asleep, healing in a makeshift tent.
On the other side, Zhu Zhuqing stood atop a tree, gazing into the distance.
Everyone knew about the turmoil in her heart; no one found it strange.
But Fang Ling's sudden appearance made what had been a normal soul-hunting trip feel slightly unusual.
Especially for her.
She didn't know why it only lasted for a moment, but that brief soul resonance wasn't fake, it was clearly the prerequisite for a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
That same feeling… she had only experienced it once before, when she met Dai Mubai.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Technique…"
Zhu Zhuqing murmured those words to herself, gently pressing her lips together, her expression tinged with sorrow.
Her slender jade-like fingers twisted together, full of silent emotion.
Her clothing fluttered lightly in the breeze, as though voicing the turmoil within her.
Her silhouette looked lonely and bleak.
Now, there were two people with whom she could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
The most recent was the boy named Fang Ling.
He only had one leg, but his willpower was unshakable. He didn't complain about his wounds, nor did he despair over his broken martial soul.
He was merely a two-ring Grand Soul Master, yet when pursued by a thousand-year soul beast, he fought tooth and nail for that slim chance of survival.
There was no despair in his eyes, only an unyielding fire.
Even when facing death, he could still smile brightly.
His tenacity and open-heartedness truly revealed the brilliance of the human spirit to her.
The other person… was more complicated.
It was her fiancé, the third prince Dai Mubai.
He was in perfect health, extraordinarily gifted, more talented even than his older brother, the crown prince Dai Weisi.
If he had truly dedicated himself to cultivation, working together with her, it wasn't impossible for them to win and make him the new Crown Prince of Star Luo.
So why did he run?
Why did he leave her behind and go off alone?
Zhu Zhuqing felt a deep sorrow she couldn't quite put into words.
Why couldn't Dai Mubai have the same steadfastness as this boy?
Why did he leave her alone to face overwhelming pressure?
This had happened not long ago.
Zhu Zhuqing trembled, unable to accept it.
Her situation, being hunted with Fang Ling, was eerily similar. Her ability to endure this long without collapsing came entirely from sheer perseverance and a refusal to give in.
To meet someone with whom she shared a Martial Soul Fusion Technique… it did bring her some quiet joy, and even caused her cold lips to curl slightly upward.
But after that brief moment of happiness, her expression quickly returned to indifference.
She sighed.
It was pointless.
A Martial Soul Fusion Technique couldn't change the final outcome. As a royal fiancée, she represented the face of the Star Luo imperial family and the Duke of Spirit Cat.
To potentially share a Fusion Technique with a stranger? That would be like rubbing the royal family's dignity into the dirt.
Even the slightest rumor could result in Fang Ling dying a horrible death.
Maybe a stronger three-person fusion technique could be formed.
But leaving aside how compatible they actually were…
How well did his martial soul align with the White Tiger?
There was also a crucial issue, outsiders were not protected by the rules.
The longstanding rules of competition within the Star Luo imperial family could protect her and Dai Mubai.
But Fang Ling? As an outsider, he had no protection at all.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't believe for a second that the crown prince or her sister would tolerate the existence of a potential threat like a three-person Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
Among the group they were with, there were definitely people loyal to them.
If they noticed anything suspicious, Fang Ling might not even make it to Star Luo City alive.
At that thought, Zhu Zhuqing gently shook her head.
He isn't like me, bound by the laws of the empire or trapped in royal struggles. It's best he stays out of this mess.
Hopefully, he'll be smart and keep quiet.
Otherwise, this trace of a Fusion Technique could turn into his tombstone.
In the Star Dou Forest, killing a young soul master with no backing was laughably easy.
Even she, a duke's daughter and a prince's fiancée, might not be able to stop it.
"Miss, it's time to eat."
Someone quickly climbed up beside Zhu Zhuqing from the ground.
"Mm."
She sighed inwardly but kept her usual cold expression.
Once she slid down the tree, the group began to eat, nothing more than simple heated rations.
Even though there was a Soul Sage in the team, they didn't dare act recklessly.
Any excessive light or scent could attract terrifying soul beasts.
Fang Ling had planned to quietly eat his own dried meat, but they invited him over.
Unable to decline their hospitality, especially from someone who saved his life, he joined them.
Someone asked while chewing:
"Little brother, where are you from? Why are you hunting souls alone in the Star Dou Forest?"
Fang Ling hesitated, then became wary. After a moment's thought, he decided to be honest.
"I'm Fang Ling, from the Heaven Dou Empire, Silvis Kingdom, War King Intermediate Soul Master Academy."
"I came to hunt souls with my academy team, but a roar, sounded like that of a giant ape, triggered a minor beast tide. I got separated from them."
"How old are you?"
"Ten."
"Ten, and you've got this kind of willpower and endurance… What's your martial soul?"
"A long-handled battle scythe."
The questions were detailed, almost like a census.
The reason was obvious. They were impressed by his talent and likely wanted to recruit him.
Fang Ling's mind raced as he planned how to politely refuse.
His future plans were all based in the Heaven Dou Empire, and he needed the support of Dugu Bo. He had no interest in going to the unfamiliar Star Luo Empire.
Then, the black-clothed man who had saved him, the one who seemed to be the leader, asked:
"A ten-year-old Grand Soul Master… impressive. Were you born with level seven soul power? Level eight? Or maybe level six?"
"Uh…" Fang Ling paused, then relaxed slightly.
He remembered something from an earlier conversation with a team from the Angel Legion.
To turn them away, it would have to come down to innate soul power.
"Level one."
"Level one?!"
"Pfft! Cough cough!"
Someone choked on their food. Another inhaled water into their windpipe.
No one could believe it.
Level one innate soul power, yet a Grand Soul Master at ten years old?
Innate soul power determined the speed of cultivation, an unchanging truth of the world.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had only considered him a passerby so far, was surprised. She looked up, scrutinizing him.
Poor innate talent, yet still able to rise quickly? That only left one explanation: fallen soul master.
The black-cat soul master's face changed.
"You're not lying to us, are you? Everyone knows that a person with level one soul power needs at least ten years to reach level ten."
"I'm not lying."
Fang Ling replied, pulling out a certificate issued by Su Yuntao.
Such a meaningful keepsake, of course he had preserved it well.
He hadn't expected it to come in handy like this.
Level one…
The man took the document from Fang Ling and glanced over it. The words he was about to speak caught in his throat.
It was an official paper from the Spirit Hall, listing name, location, age, and date. Impossible to fake.
Something like that wasn't valuable enough to warrant forgery.
And that's what made it even stranger.
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