"Special feeling?"
Dugu Yan's words made Qing Mu pause. He then turned his gaze toward Ye Lingling.
Seeing Qing Mu stare at her like that, Ye Lingling shyly lowered her head. Her heart raced like a startled deer, and one of her feet began shifting unnaturally.
"Why would Dugu Yan say that? Could Ye Lingling have some special feelings for me?" Qing Mu was filled with doubt as he looked at Ye Lingling.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand something. His eyes flickered as he thought, Could it be the Wood Spirit Seed? Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia is a top-tier plant-type Martial Soul. Perhaps she can sense the aura of the Mutated Wood Spirit Seed that I've been doing my best to conceal!
Just as Qing Mu suspected that the Wood Spirit Seed was at work, a strange sensation suddenly arose within him, making him instinctively feel a trace of closeness toward Ye Lingling.
"No, this sense of closeness is definitely not something as simple as the Wood Spirit Seed. Could it be a sign of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
Once that thought arose, it became like a surging river, impossible to suppress. Qing Mu's eyes filled with shock.
"Hmph, hmph!"
Watching Qing Mu's expression gradually change, Dugu Yan smiled smugly. Clearly, Qing Mu had noticed the feeling as well, though wasn't he a little too slow to catch on?
"Phew..."
After a moment, Qing Mu let out a deep breath and looked seriously at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling. "This isn't a convenient place to talk. Let's go somewhere else."
"Of course."
Dugu Yan nodded as well. The fewer people who knew about something like a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the better. After all, it could serve as a trump card at a critical moment.
At that moment, Ye Lingling suddenly spoke. "I know a rather secluded place. We can talk there."
Ye Lingling's voice was exceptionally ethereal, so rare and airy that Qing Mu could not help glancing at her again.
When Ye Lingling saw Qing Mu looking at her, a blush immediately appeared on her face. Still, she quickly walked ahead and took on the responsibility of leading the way.
About half an hour later, under Ye Lingling's guidance, Qing Mu and Bulbasaur arrived at a quiet little courtyard. Though it was not particularly large, its decorations were exquisitely refined, giving it the feeling of a painting.
"Miss, you've arrived!"
Not long after they entered the courtyard, a man who looked like a steward came forward and gave Ye Lingling a slight bow.
Ye Lingling nodded slightly and said in her ethereal voice, "Uncle Liu, I need to discuss something with two friends. Make the arrangements."
"Very well. Esteemed guests, please follow me."
Upon hearing that, Uncle Liu swept his eyes over Dugu Yan. After lingering briefly on Qing Mu, especially Bulbasaur, he smiled and led them deeper into the courtyard.
Dugu Yan curiously looked around and said to Ye Lingling with a smile, "Lingling, I didn't expect your family to have a property like this in Suotuo City. You never mentioned it before!"
Ye Lingling replied, "My mother bought it. I only learned about it after coming to Suotuo City myself, so I didn't know much about it before."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan nodded as if she felt the same way. "Exactly. My grandfather is the same. I have no idea how many properties he owns. Only when I arrive somewhere do the people managing his assets come looking for me."
"..."
Listening to their utterly ostentatious remarks, Qing Mu's mouth twitched slightly. Was this what the true upper class of this world was like? It seemed he had underestimated just how wealthy these people were.
Dugu Yan was the granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. As a Title Douluo standing at the pinnacle of this world, his wealth could no longer be measured in Gold Soul Coins.
Even if Dugu Bo had the weakest individual combat strength among Title Douluos, he was still a Title Douluo. The gifts he received every year alone might have amounted to an astronomical figure.
No wonder Dugu Bo had not cared much when Tang San took the Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Aside from not understanding their true value, he simply possessed too much wealth himself.
Therefore, unless something could increase Dugu Bo's strength or allow him to advance even further, it truly held little meaning for someone at Dugu Bo's level.
Before long, Uncle Liu led Qing Mu and the others into an antique-style room. After serving the three of them tea, he withdrew.
"Little Qing Mu, judging by your expression just now, you should know why we came to find you, right?"
Dugu Yan was an impatient person. As soon as Uncle Liu left, she got straight to the point.
Qing Mu nodded. "I can roughly guess, though I'm not completely sure. It should be about a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, right?"
"That's right!"
Dugu Yan said firmly, "The moment Lingling saw you, she sensed an unusual reaction from her Martial Soul. So the two of you should be able to perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. You should know what a Martial Soul Fusion Skill between Spirit Masters means, right?"
"Of course I know. But today is the first time we've met. What does Miss Ye think about this?"
As he said this, Qing Mu turned his gaze toward Ye Lingling, seemingly waiting for her answer.
To Qing Mu, a Martial Soul Fusion Skill was certainly good, but it was not indispensable. He had quite a few secrets, and a Martial Soul Fusion Skill required the merging of two souls. Unless it was someone he trusted deeply, he could not possibly perform one with them.
Besides, with the Bulbasaur Martial Soul, his own strength was already more than sufficient.
Without even taking Qing Mu himself into consideration, Bulbasaur in its Ivysaur form could now deal with an Advanced Soul Ancestor as easily as eating or drinking.
If it fully stacked Growth, then as long as it was not at a type disadvantage, it could even fight a Soul Emperor.
That was the intimidating power brought by more than a dozen moves!
One had to know that even a Title Douluo only possessed nine Soul Rings and nine soul skills.
Even with the aid of Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Rings and Soul Bones, the number of moves they could learn was only a little over a dozen, barely matching the current Bulbasaur at just over level thirty.
As its level increased, Bulbasaur would eventually learn even more moves. Qing Mu could also gain additional moves by adding Soul Rings and absorbing Soul Bones, endlessly making up for the shortcomings of being a Trainer.
By then, what would it matter if he did not have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Who in the world could possibly be his opponent?
After hearing Qing Mu's words, Ye Lingling took a deep breath and looked directly at him. "Mr. Qing Mu, could you give me a chance? Although we are still unfamiliar with each other, I believe that as we come to know one another better, we will eventually become partners who can entrust ourselves to each other!"
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