Chapter 160: Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling… Martial Soul Fusion?
"Brother, we've improved so much—why don't we test the power of 'Demon Charm' right now?"
"Perfect chance to check how well the heavenly curtain rewarded us!"
Hearing this, a spark of interest flashed in Xie Yue's eyes.
Only through real combat could they truly grasp their new strength.
He swept the training ground and finally locked on Yan, who was drenched in sweat, hammering a boulder with flame-veined fists.
"Yan!"
Xie Yue raised his voice.
Yan turned, wiping sweat. "What's up, Xie Yue? Done training?"
Before he finished, he caught the matching wicked smiles on Hu Liena and Xie Yue—and the far more synchronized Soul Power rolling off them.
He shuddered, instantly realizing what the siblings wanted, and backed away shaking his head like a rattle-drum.
"No way! Forget it! You're not using me as a punching bag!"
Not happening!
Hu Liena and Xie Yue were already the strongest of the Golden Generation; the heavenly curtain had just bumped them two Martial Soul Ranks higher.
Their Fusion skill "Demon Charm" had always been terrifying, and now the Curtain had boosted their compatibility and Demon Charm Domain… its power had multiplied several times over.
He had no desire to be the unlucky test dummy.
Even with his Flame Lord's defense greatly strengthened by Immortal Herb, he didn't want to face such an obviously over-leveled strike.
"Yan, don't be scared!"
Hu Liena smiled sweetly, her voice naturally charming.
But to Yan it sounded more like a devil's whisper.
"We'll use… ten percent power!"
"Really, just ten percent! We won't hurt you—we only want to see how the Fusion skill has changed and how well we can control it."
"Right, Yan, we're all partners—why would we hurt you?"
Even Xie Yue chimed in, though his expression stayed cool.
Though his expression stayed cool.
"Ten percent? Who knows what your ten percent equals?"
Yan's face was full of disbelief.
"Last time you said thirty percent and nearly shattered my Flame Armor!"
"After this reward, your ten percent is probably stronger than last time's thirty percent!"
"No way, no way!"
Hu Liena and Xie Yue exchanged helpless looks.
Yan was right—after the Fusion skill's power increased, it was hard to gauge exactly how much "ten percent" was.
But only the three of them were on the training ground.
In the end, after Hu Liena and Xie Yue promised repeatedly!
They even swore to use only the "newly grasped, most basic Fusion form—no powerful attack Martial Soul abilities attached."
Only when Yan could go all-out on defense did he reluctantly agree, still looking like he was marching to his death.
"Flame Lord, Possess!"
Yan roared; violent dark-red flames erupted, wrapping him completely.
They formed a thick, savage Flame Armor!
Runes flowed across the armor, radiating scorching heat and solid defense.
"Come on! Let me see how strong your Fusion skill has become!"
Yan growled, taking a full-defense stance.
Hu Liana and Xie Yue nodded at each other and said no more.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Demon Charm!"
Both shouted; Soul Power surged out like a bursting dam!
This time, the merging of their energies was several times smoother than before.
Pink Charm light and crimson sharpness!
Almost instantly wove together perfectly.
Forming a roiling pink mist Domain more than thirty meters across!
The instant the Domain formed!
The training ground's light seemed swallowed; everything turned dim and hazy.
Even at the edge, Yan's head spun slightly.
The scenery twisted; seductive whispers brushed his ears, and his own Soul Power stuttered!
"Such strong Domain interference—this is only the basic form?"
Yan was horrified; the Spiritual interference was far stronger than before!
What terrified him more… inside the mist, the blurred Demon Charm figure—half seductive, half razor-sharp—moved the instant the Domain formed!
No earth-shaking roar—only a streak of pink light so fast it left after-images.
Like a ghost it pierced space, straight for his chest!
"Flame Barrier!"
Yan dared not hesitate; his second and third Soul Rings flared, thick flame walls instantly forming before him.
At the same time, his Flame Armor blazed, pushing his defense to the limit.
However—
A soft tearing sound rang out.
The pink streak seemed to ignore the flame walls—or its sharpness had surpassed what flame energy could block.
The pink streak seemed to ignore the flame walls—or its sharpness had surpassed what flame energy could block.
It effortlessly pierced through every layer of defense!
In the end it tapped lightly on the thickest part of the Flame Armor on Yan's chest.
There was no violent explosion, no flames spraying everywhere.
Yan only felt a force that blended extreme sharpness with a bizarre vibration surge into his body; he let out a muffled grunt.
He staggered back seven or eight steps, unable to steady himself.
Every step left a deep, charred footprint on the hard training-ground floor.
The Flame Armor on his chest visibly dimmed, a hair-thin crack appeared, and the vital energy inside him churned nonstop!
After that single strike, the pink stream of light retreated lightly back into the mist.
The next moment, the mist rapidly contracted!
Hu Liena and Xie Yue's figures re-emerged; both looked unruffled.
Only a faint sheen of sweat on their foreheads showed that the seemingly effortless strike had actually demanded extremely fine control and heavy expenditure.
"Ahem… cough-cough!"
Yan steadied himself and rubbed his aching chest.
Seeing the crack in his armor, he stared in shock at the brother-sister pair as they withdrew their power.
"You… you call that ten percent power?"
"That hit was almost on par with your previous fifty percent!"
"And the speed, the penetrative force, and that damn Domain interference—everything's gotten way stronger!"
Hu Liena and Xie Yue were likewise pleasantly surprised; they exchanged a look and saw amazement in each other's eyes.
"Big brother, our Martial Soul Fusion Technique really seems to have undergone a qualitative change."
Hu Liena felt the vigorous, perfectly harmonized Soul Power still circulating inside her.
"Not only is the power much greater, but it's also easier to control, and the Soul Power consumption seems lower."
Xie Yue nodded, watching the moon-blade in his hand hum softly. "The boost in compatibility brings all-round benefits; Demon Charm's potential is probably even bigger than we imagined."
Yan walked over with a wry smile. "Find someone else to test your moves on next time; these old bones of mine can't take this torment."
"Still—congratulations on getting stronger."
Hu Liena gave a radiant smile. "Thanks, Yan—and thanks for helping us verify it."
As the three were talking, hurried footsteps came from outside the training ground; a Spirit Hall deacon rushed in and bowed respectfully.
"Holy Maiden, Lord Xie Yue, Lord Yan. His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff summons you; please proceed to the Supreme Pontiff Palace at once."
The trio's expressions turned grave—they knew it had to be about the rankings.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue's eyes flashed with confidence!
After this verification, they were even more confident in their strength and the future of their Fusion technique… Big Dipper Academy.
Unlike nearly everyone outside, Lu Xiao was not staring fixedly at the heavenly curtain as each new Rank was revealed.
He was mostly observing—analyzing!
Trying to decipher the complex evaluation logic behind the heavenly curtain's "Martial Soul Fusion Technique Rankings."
"Hell White Tiger, tenth."
"Ice and Snow Drifting, ninth."
"Dragon-Snake Combined Strike, eighth."
"Demon Charm, seventh…"
Lu Xiao's fingers drummed unconsciously on the table while his mind raced.
"Dragon-Snake Combined Strike can threaten a Titled Douluo, so it looks strongest, yet it Ranks close to Ice and Snow Drifting and Demon Charm!"
"That clearly shows raw destructive power isn't the main criterion."
His gaze swept past the window and landed on two girls discussing the list in low voices nearby.
Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling.
Ning Rongrong—Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the number-one support system Tool Spirit under heaven.
Ye Lingling—Nine Heart Begonia, who, with the heavenly curtain's help, broke through the shackles of her Martial Soul!
Even more crucially, through a certain Opportunity and long-term rapport, the two girls' Martial Souls had unexpectedly birthed an extremely special, almost unheard-of support-type Martial Soul Fusion Technique!
Its effect was neither attack nor defense!
In terms of direct killing power, it was practically zero!
Yet in certain situations its strategic value might far exceed ten offensive Fusion techniques combined.
"Rongrong and Lingling's Fusion technique probably wouldn't even qualify for the list if judged purely on destructive power,"
Lu Xiao mused. "But the curtain hasn't announced their names yet, and their Fusion technique can't possibly lack the qualifications to Rank!"
"Therefore, the only explanation is that the curtain's evaluation system gives extremely high weight to Martial Soul quality, Soul Master potential, Fusion rarity, and strategic value."
…"Bzz-bzz-bzz!"
At this very moment, atop the heavenly curtain,
milky radiance began to surge even more violently!
A grander, more arcane aura than before started to spread,
heralding that the Rank about to be revealed would be even more astonishing!
Sixth place was imminent!
Everyone's curiosity soared to its peak!
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