Wang Yan nodded. "That's right. The Martial Soul Fusion Skill. I'll let Xuan Heng explain this part."
Mu Xuanheng said, "That Soul Tool gave me a familiar, sickening feeling. It blocked all of Gu Yuena's and my attacks. In the end, we had no choice but to use our Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Xuan Zi blurted out at an inopportune moment, "When did you realize you could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
"During the competition." Mu Xuanheng thought it over. "Gu Yuena and I have very compatible Martial Souls. Back at the Treasure Appraisal Fair, when Ma Xiaotao appeared, we joked that we might have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Turns out we really did."
Gu Yuena added coldly, "You can go back and try it with Ma Xiaotao, too. See if you have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
The speaker might not have meant anything by it, but the listener certainly did. That meant you, Xuan Zi.
No one else knew, but he knew Mu Xuanheng's Martial Soul was Chaofeng, the son of a dragon and a phoenix. Maybe they really could have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. His face creased into a huge grin.
But Yan Shaozhe's smile was the brightest of all.
One look at Gu Yuena's expression made it clear that she'd only said that out of anger.
"Don't start. Our Martial Souls aren't compatible. There's no need to make things up." Mu Xuanheng had no desire to get tangled up with Ma Xiaotao.
"Teacher Wang, please continue. I don't know what happened after that."
Mu Xuanheng quickly crossed the room and caught Gu Yuena, who was trying to slip away again.
Then he paused, suddenly realizing how naturally he'd done it, without the slightest hesitation.
Whatever. He'd grabbed her first; that was what mattered.
Wang Yan continued, trying to hide his amusement. "The power of your Martial Soul Fusion Skill was astonishing. The Hongchen Siblings, Yuhao, and Wang Dong used four Martial Soul Fusion Skills, and all of them together couldn't compare to yours."
Wang Dong wasn't too happy to hear that. Their compatibility was a perfect hundred percent, after all.
Xiao Xiao said, "It's true, Wang Dong. Mu Ge and Na Jie's Martial Soul Fusion Skill first killed a Soul Engineer from the Sun Moon Empire who'd come to reinforce them, then knocked the Heavenly Fiend Douluo to his knees."
Not injured—knocked to his knees. Wang Dong immediately fell silent. They couldn't do that, not even with the same Soul Power Level.
Wang Yan said, "Who you injured isn't the point. The point is that you nearly demolished the entire arena. Seven people from the Sun Moon Empire were unconscious, but they still had three Soul Kings. By the rules, the competition should have continued. We would definitely have lost the individual matches and the two-two-three team event afterward. But you'd damaged the whole arena so badly that the matches couldn't continue, so the officials had no choice but to postpone them until the next day.
"Once you woke up, the Sun Moon Empire had no choice but to forfeit. No one could have beaten the two of you in this Soul Fighting competition. You're invincible in the individual matches."
Four rings, defeating opponents across a major gap in Soul Power Level and forcing them to concede. They were the first to pull that off.
Xuan Zi yawned. "Don't go out today. Once the Star Luo officials have repaired the arena, we'll attend the award ceremony and leave."
Mu Xuanheng asked, "Why is there an award ceremony?" He didn't remember anything like this from the original story. "Don't we just collect our rewards and leave?"
Normally, if there was an award ceremony, it would be held right after the competition. Who waited two days?
"We'd like to leave right away, but why don't you two go outside and take a look? Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, you should go with them."
They hadn't even made it out of the hotel before they came back.
The hotel entrance was completely blocked. People surrounded the building, packed shoulder to shoulder and sweating profusely.
"This is terrifying. It was just one match! Is all this really necessary?" Mu Xuanheng still found it strange. Nothing like this had happened in the original story.
Yan Shaozhe said, "You're still underestimating your influence. It's not just you, but Gu Yuena as well. You were both beyond anyone's expectations. Compared with you two, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's four Martial Soul Fusion Skills were entirely understandable."
Like Mu Xuanheng, Gu Yuena didn't understand. "Why?"
"Probably because your Martial Soul Fusion Skill was visible to the entire city of Xingluo." Wang Yan took out a sketchpad and casually drew a very rough picture.
"This is what your Martial Soul Fusion Skill looked like." A giant dragon circled above the entire arena, its claws pinning down three Titled Douluo. Its head was held high, and it shone brilliantly. Black and white swirled around it, giving it an aura both sacred and dark.
"Your popularity among ordinary people is beyond description. A story about four rings defeating a six-ring opponent—about the weak overcoming the strong—fits people's taste for dramatic tales perfectly. And you two are both very good-looking."
Yan Shaozhe said, "Those are just ordinary people. There are plenty of Soul Masters who want to know your secrets, too. How can you have a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring with only four rings? I'd like to know that myself, though you don't have to tell us. And then there's Xuan Heng's orange Soul Ring, which defies everything we know."
He Caitou chimed in, "The Soul Engineers also want to know what's going on with the armor you're wearing." He opened the window, and a wave of cheers poured in. "What a lively crowd."
"Setting aside your influence," he said, pointing at a group of people, "those are people from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. They've been waiting around. They've also asked to negotiate more than once, but we turned them down every time."
The two of them had rested for only one night, but the crowds outside were still going strong.
Xiao Xiao twisted the knife. "There are also people shipping you two as a couple. We can't even leave the hotel now. If the Star Luo officials hadn't ordered the hotel to keep people away, there'd be a crowd on our floor."
The surrounding crowds made the place as tightly sealed as a Heavenly Net.
They even had to have someone bring them their meals.
The award ceremony was supposedly for giving them their prizes, but it was really just a way to get them out of the hotel.
After all, even the most ardent fans couldn't block them from going to collect their awards. The officials could use it as an excuse to clear a passage and let them out.
When the time came, Dai Hao led a large group of soldiers to open a path.
"Everyone, this way, please."
Even with the soldiers holding the crowd back, the people outside were still brimming with enthusiasm.
Support signs waved, and the cheering went on without end.
Dai Hao said, "You're certainly popular. No wonder His Majesty sent me to clear the way for you."
Wang Yan said, "Sorry for the trouble, Duke."
"Protecting the competitors is our duty."
Soon they arrived at the arena. After two days of repairs, it had been restored to something close to its original state.
Cheers for the champions echoed through the arena.
Someone from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy suddenly approached. "Elder Xuan, do you remember that we still have an exchange student arrangement with your academy? Why don't we make the exchange today? We'll leave the Hongchen Siblings with you and take Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena."
"Bullshit—" Xuan Zi started, but Yan Shaozhe pulled him aside before he could finish. Xuan Zi couldn't be trusted with diplomatic matters.
"The exchange still needs to be discussed. After all, you can't make decisions on behalf of Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen's grandchildren, can you?"
As soon as Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, Jing Hongchen appeared. "Dean Yan, rest assured. I came here for this very matter. If you're concerned, I can give them the Level 9 Soul Tool, Hongchen Protection."
The Sun Moon Empire was extremely eager to make the exchange. Even Jing Hongchen had come in person, and he was willing to hand over a Level 9 Soul Tool.
Mu Xuanheng and Gu Yuena absolutely would not go to the Sun Moon Empire.
The Sun Moon Empire was far too dangerous right now, and the two of them were far too important.
Wang Yan returned after selecting the Soul Bones, and they decided to leave.
"Although you don't trust us, we trust everyone from Shrek. Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, come here." Jing Hongchen brought the two youngsters over, intending to have Xuan Zi take them along.
Mu Xuanheng was very confused. Why were they in such a hurry? Why couldn't they even wait? They wanted to send them over right away?
"Mr. Jing Hongchen, isn't this a little inappropriate?"
"No, it's entirely appropriate. Elder Xuan, Dean Yan, please make sure to take them with you."
And so, two more people joined them on their flight back to Shrek.
Before you continue