If You Want Success, You Have to Spend Money

"How about it? You unwilling?" Huo Wu demanded angrily, her willow-leaf brows shooting up.

"..."

Jia Youcai opened his mouth, yet he truly did not know what to say. He could only respond with silence.

Huo Wu suddenly grabbed Jia Youcai's arm and stared intensely into his eyes. "Can you tell me what you're really thinking?"

Jia Youcai slowly closed his eyes and took a light breath, as if making some sort of decision. Then he slowly said, "Then... let's try again."

With that, Jia Youcai and Huo Wu exchanged a glance, then simultaneously summoned their Martial Souls.

In an instant, flames surged from Jia Youcai's body, scorching heat spreading like a raging tide. Flames also wrapped around Huo Wu. Their Soul Powers began to intertwine and collide, attempting to merge perfectly as they had during that accidental success.

However, things did not go as they wished. The moment their Soul Powers came into contact, a violent tremor erupted. The two flames repelled one another, producing a harsh sizzling sound.

Soon, a powerful shockwave spread outward from the two of them. The surrounding flowers and grass were blown askew, while several small stones rolled away from the impact.

Jia Youcai furrowed his brow, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He did everything he could to control his Soul Power and make it coexist harmoniously with Huo Wu's. Yet no matter how he adjusted it, the repulsive force remained stubbornly present—and only grew stronger.

Huo Wu was equally anxious. Gritting her teeth, she increased her Soul Power output, trying to forcibly fuse their powers together.

"No, it's still not working!" Jia Youcai shouted. His body involuntarily staggered back several steps. Huo Wu's face turned paper-white from the backlash of her Soul Power, and her body swayed.

Their attempt at a Martial Soul Fusion Skill ended in failure once again.

Huo Wu stomped her foot angrily, tears glimmering in her eyes as she cried out in grief and indignation, "Why? Why won't it work? We clearly succeeded once before!"

Jia Youcai stepped forward, wanting to comfort her, but countless words seemed lodged in his throat. He did not know what to say.

He gently patted Huo Wu's shoulder and said softly, "Don't be too upset. Maybe we just haven't found the right method yet. Give us some more time. We'll definitely succeed."

But Huo Wu suddenly shook off Jia Youcai's hand and shouted emotionally, "Time? Where are we supposed to find that much time? The people from the other academies are constantly getting stronger. If we can't even master a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, how are we supposed to achieve anything in the upcoming tournament?"

"Everyone else isn't that far ahead," Jia Youcai said quietly.

Huo Wu abruptly turned around, her back facing Jia Youcai. "Not far ahead? But that's nowhere near enough! Skywater Academy alone has someone who's already reached Soul King, do you know that? If we have to spar with them later, I panic just thinking about it. Our Martial Souls clearly have the potential to fuse, yet we keep getting stuck at this step. How am I supposed to feel at ease?"

"Do you know how the outside world ranks our Four Elements Academy?" Huo Wu's voice choked slightly. "Our Blazing Academy has always been at the bottom. Do you understand?"

Jia Youcai did not care about the so-called rankings. He was more curious about the claim that Skywater Academy actually had a student who had reached Soul King. That was simply impossible, wasn't it?

"They have someone at Soul King? I don't believe it," Jia Youcai asked tentatively.

He had seen their captain, Shui Bing'er, just that morning. Her Soul Power was only level forty-one. How could anyone among them have reached Soul King? That was absurd.

Huo Wu did not explain further. She quickly wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

"Where exactly are we falling short?" Huo Wu sighed, her eyes filled with intense unwillingness. "Could it be that we still don't understand each other's Martial Soul characteristics deeply enough? Maybe that success last time was just a coincidence. We never truly grasped the secret behind it."

Jia Youcai nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "That's possible. We know that both our Martial Souls are fire-attributed, but there are countless types of fire, each with vastly different characteristics. My flames are fierce and explosive; yours lean more toward endurance and warmth. If we can't reconcile those differences during fusion, it naturally won't be easy to succeed."

Huo Wu's eyes lit up, as though she had grasped the key. "That's right, that must be it! Then let's carefully study the characteristics of each other's Martial Souls, find where they match, and try again."

They immediately got to work. Sitting on the ground, the two began carefully analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each other's Martial Souls.

Huo Wu recalled the various changes in her flames during cultivation, as well as the different traits they displayed in different environments. Jia Youcai also shared without reservation the power of his flames when they erupted and the difficulties he faced maintaining that explosive state.

Time quietly slipped away amid their discussion. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and stars dotted the sky.

Yet neither of them noticed, still immersed in their discussion of Martial Soul characteristics.

"I think I've found a possible direction." Jia Youcai suddenly raised his head. "My flames have strong explosive power, but they can't sustain it. Your flames are long-lasting, but lack instantaneous explosive force. If, during fusion, we use your flames as the foundation to provide stable energy support, then bring in my flames at the crucial moment to create an instant burst, we might succeed."

Huo Wu's eyes brightened after hearing this. "That's a good idea! Then let's try again right now."

However, no matter how they practiced or researched it, they still could not succeed.

If they wanted to succeed, they either had to spend money or persist for ten years honing a single sword. There was absolutely no way to master it quickly.

"Failed again." Jia Youcai dropped onto the ground, not knowing how many times he had sighed today.

Huo Wu also collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion, a powerful sense of helplessness rising in her heart. She did not want to say anything or move at all.

Jia Youcai gazed at the night sky. After a long silence, he slowly said, "We've practiced for so long, and I suddenly thought that Spirit Fusion might not only depend on understanding our Martial Soul characteristics. Understanding each other's bodies might also be crucial."

Huo Wu froze slightly and turned toward him, confusion in her eyes. "Understanding each other's bodies? What do you mean?"

Jia Youcai sat up straight and said seriously, "Think about it. Martial Souls are powers attached to our bodies. When we release our Martial Souls and control Soul Power, our bodies are essentially what guide everything. We may understand each other's Martial Soul characteristics, but perhaps we know very little about the subtle changes our bodies undergo when releasing them."

Huo Wu nodded thoughtfully. "That makes some sense. Whenever I release my Martial Soul with full force, I can feel a current of heat surging through my body. But where exactly it rises from and what path it follows, I've never paid close attention to it."

Hearing that, Jia Youcai could not help turning to look at her. There were just some things that weren't convenient to say directly, so I phrased it more tactfully. Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not know? How could someone not understand their own body?

Some sayings lost their meaning when stated too plainly.