"Give it a try?"
Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned by the sudden suggestion. "Try what exactly?" He did not quite understand the intent behind the request. Wang Dong's words had come out of nowhere, leaving him feeling momentarily confused by the shift in the conversation.
Wang Dong gazed at him, her large pinkish-blue eyes filled with an intense seriousness. "I have always gone out of my way to hide my true abilities and my aura. You might not have been able to sense it before, but... whenever you manifest your Spirit, I can feel an incredibly close and familiar aura coming from you. It is an indescribable resonance, as if something deep within us is quietly connecting." She looked directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes, searching for a reaction. "Do you know what this means?"
How could Huo Yuhao not know? This sensation meant they likely possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Spirit Masters who share such a bond can often sense a natural pull toward one another. While ordinary Spirit Masters might not be aware of this phenomenon, it was common knowledge among the major powers of the continent. That faint resonance and the vague sense of closeness were the definitive signs of a potential Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
In truth, because he carried the memories of the history from ten thousand years in the future, he already knew that he and Wang Dong possessed an unprecedented four Martial Soul Fusion Skills. Furthermore, for every single one of those skills, their fusion rate was a perfect one hundred percent. Yet, during their time together in this life, he truly had not felt anything special from Wang Dong. He had even doubted for a time whether the events recorded in the history books were merely fabricated stories created by historians.
Now that Wang Dong had finally spoken up, he understood the truth of the situation. It wasn't that his senses were wrong; it was simply that Wang Dong had been hiding her aura and her abilities since the day they met. The resonance that should have naturally existed between them had been deliberately suppressed by her own power.
Huo Yuhao remained silent, choosing to say nothing for the moment. Seeing his lack of a verbal reaction, Wang Dong assumed he was simply unaware of how Martial Soul Fusion Skills worked. She took the initiative to explain the concept to him. "This means that a Martial Soul Fusion Skill might exist between the two of us!" There was a clear hint of excitement and nervous anticipation in her voice as she continued. "So what I mean is... should we give it a try? We should see if we can really achieve a state of Fusion."
After she finished speaking, she stared straight at Huo Yuhao, waiting anxiously for his answer. "Sure, let's give it a try then," Huo Yuhao agreed cleanly and decisively, without showing the slightest bit of hesitation. He stood up from his spot and opened his arms wide, looking as if he wanted a hug. His posture was very natural, as if he were suggesting an ordinary, trivial matter rather than an intimate soul connection.
The current version of himself was no longer the innocent young boy found in the original history. Although he had not yet completed a man's transformation in the way someone like Xu Sanshi had, he had spent years under Leng Yaozhu's tutelage. She had ensured he developed his own sophisticated understanding of the emotions that exist between men and women. The Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, in the process of raising him since he was a child, had instilled several unique insights into his mind.
"As a man, there is nothing wrong with being a bit of a philanthropist with your love," she would tell him. "As long as you treat everyone with sincerity, you haven't failed them. There are so many beautiful things in this world, so why must you be confined to just one?"
Huo Yuhao had heard these words since his childhood. He had been influenced by these ideas for so long that they were ingrained in his very marrow. Because of this, even though he knew he had a compatible wife ten thousand years ago, he still maintained an ambiguous relationship with Gu Yue ten thousand years in the future. That faint sentiment and their unspoken mutual understanding were always present. Of course, he was not the kind of scumbag who toyed with emotions for sport. In the words Leng Yaozhu used to teach him, this was called universal love. One who loves universally has a broad heart that can accommodate all things. To every person they treat with sincerity, they give their true heart. This isn't being a scumbag; this is simply having a grand perspective on life.
So at this moment, knowing full well that Wang Dong was actually a girl, he opened his arms without hesitation. Seeing the deep flush of red appearing on Wang Dong's face, he chuckled inwardly. Wang Dong was the one who had suggested giving it a try, yet now she was the one getting shy about it.
Wang Dong stood there, looking at Huo Yuhao's open arms as the blush on her face deepened. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides and she bit her lip, appearing to be engaged in a difficult mental struggle. She was the one who had made the proposal in the first place. Wouldn't backing down now make her a laughingstock in his eyes? She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision. Then, she took a hesitant step forward and fell into Huo Yuhao's embrace.
Huo Yuhao naturally brought his hands back, gently hugging Wang Dong's slender frame. Her waist was so slim he could almost wrap his hands all the way around it, and it felt even softer than he had imagined. A faint fragrance reached his nose—not the heavy, artificial scent of makeup, but the unique sweetness of a young girl. It was light yet exceptionally pleasant. He marveled inwardly; as expected of a girl, she really was comfortable to hold.
Wang Dong's reaction, however, was nowhere near as calm as his. The moment Huo Yuhao hugged her, her body couldn't help but tremble. Her hands, which were already somewhat stiff, were now so rigid she didn't even know where to put them. She bit her lip hard, her face becoming so red it looked like it might actually bleed. After a moment of hesitation, she mechanically brought her hands back and placed them on Huo Yuhao's waist.
Sensing her extreme nervous state, the corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled up into a slight smile. He leaned in, and his voice sounded directly in Wang Dong's ear. "Circulate your spirit power, otherwise how am I supposed to sense the resonance?"
"Ah? Oh!" Wang Dong finally snapped out of her daze, her blush deepening even further at the proximity. She quickly composed herself and began to circulate her spirit power through her body, sensing the changes in the aura on Huo Yuhao's body.
Gradually, both of them felt an indescribable sense of comfort wash over them. It felt like being on a warm beach, with the sun lazily shining down and a gentle sea breeze brushing against their faces. The whole world became soft and peaceful in their minds. All of their defenses, all of their alertness, and all of their internal tension were quietly let down at this moment. Wang Dong involuntarily immersed herself in the feeling. Her eyes slowly closed, her breathing became steady and long, and she felt as if she were about to fall asleep in this warm, spiritual ocean.
Just then, a voice broke the silence. "The auras have fused perfectly." Huo Yuhao's voice sounded in her ear, pulling her back from that dazed state. "We really do possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Wang Dong snapped her eyes open, instantly becoming much more alert. Only then did she realize she had almost fallen asleep in Huo Yuhao's arms just now. That feeling of comfort had been far too enticing, making her almost forget where she was and everything else around her. She hurriedly pushed Huo Yuhao away, her movements appearing frantic and rushed.
Then, she lowered her head, no longer daring to look him in the eye. On that exquisite face, the blush had spread from her cheeks to the very tips of her ears, and even her neck was stained with a faint layer of pink. After a moment, she spoke, her voice as small as a mosquito's hum. "I'm sleepy, so I am going to sleep first. Let's study the details of this Martial Soul Fusion Skill tomorrow."
Without waiting for Huo Yuhao to give a response, she flopped onto her bed, pulled up the covers, and wrapped herself up tightly. She lay on her side with her back turned to Huo Yuhao, looking as if she really were going to sleep. But that violent, pounding heartbeat, those burning cheeks, and that breathing that could not be calmed... all were silently telling a different story. Huo Yuhao stood where he was, looking at the figure wrapped like a silkworm cocoon on the bed, and the smile on his lips deepened.
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