"Was that a Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now?"
Ma Xiaotao curiously came over to Xuanyuan Sheng and reached out to pinch Xiao Xiao's cheek.
It was the first time she had seen a Martial Soul Fusion Skill transform into something like that.
Though they were rare in the outside world, such things still appeared every year during Shrek's new student assessments.
Usually, the Martial Souls changed. She'd never heard of a Soul Master turning directly into a Soul Skill.
"Easy now. It's nothing."
Xuanyuan Sheng shook Xiao Xiao's little head.
When he saw her mouth open, he tossed a Milk Pill into it, restoring her Soul Power and stamina.
Xuanyuan Sheng knew Ma Xiaotao had plenty of questions, but she could wait a moment before asking.
The Milk Pill's effects quickly spread through Xiao Xiao's body.
But the little girl showed no sign of opening her eyes. She kept them tightly shut, her breathing a little rapid.
"System, am I surrounded by Xiao Sheng and the others?"
Xiao Xiao's anxious voice echoed in her mind.
The Love System played along, pondering for a moment before replying.
[You are not surrounded by Xuanyuan Sheng.]
Just as Xiao Xiao began to relax, something warm covered her face.
"W-What is this?" Xiao Xiao had already guessed the answer, but still couldn't bring herself to face it.
[This is evil. Utterly evil.]
The teasing voice made Xiao Xiao give up all hope. She couldn't believe she was in that woman Ma Xiaotao's arms.
It was simply too humiliating.
[Don't worry. There's something even more humiliating, but you look so upset that I'll spare you the details.]
Xiao Xiao was in tears. What could be more humiliating than lying in Ma Xiaotao's arms?
"Just tell me. I can take it." Her voice was utterly lifeless.
[Xiao Xiao, you're the real seven-second hero.]
Xuanyuan Sheng and Zhang Lexuan watched Xiao Xiao's expression shift through several different emotions.
"Is the little girl really all right?"
Zhang Lexuan had thought the Martial Soul Fusion Skill had left Xiao Xiao in this state.
Holding Xiao Xiao, Ma Xiaotao patted her chest and said, "Of course she's fine. I checked when I took her from Xiao Sheng. Her Soul Power was just drained in an instant, so she's a little weak."
With each pat, her softness bounced against the little girl's face.
Xiao Xiao opened her eyes, her face dark with resentment.
All she could see was half the sky.
"Ah..."
She slapped at it in frustration and pushed it aside before sitting up.
She gazed at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, refusing to let the tears at the corners of her eyes fall.
Seven seconds.
She had once again made a bad impression on Xiao Sheng. She should've let the Steel-Toothed Pig send her flying instead of suffering a humiliation even worse than the first time she'd used Martial Soul Fusion.
Why had she used a Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Why could she use one by herself...
Why could she only see half the sky...
Seeing the familiar scene, Xuanyuan Sheng knew without asking that the little girl's pride had taken a hit.
All she ever thought about was using Martial Soul Fusion with him, without even considering her own level.
"Do I still need to go through the test?" he asked Zhang Lexuan.
After all, the Pig King had initially meant for him and Xiao Xiao to face it together. He hadn't expected Xiao Xiao to be so brave as to take it on alone.
Though in the end, they had still killed the Pig King by using the strength of two people in a clever way.
That clearly wasn't the kind of test Sister Lexuan had in mind.
"No need." Zhang Lexuan rubbed her brow. She hadn't expected her little brother's performance to be such a surprise.
She glanced at the two of them, whose moods were polar opposites, and understood.
She gently placed a hand on Xiao Xiao's head and said softly, "I'd originally planned to help you develop your awareness."
She looked at the Xuanyuan Sword still in Xuanyuan Sheng's hand and paused. "But Xiao Sheng, your performance has already exceeded my expectations. You're almost a Soul Emperor now, right?"
Suppressing the joy her Moon Martial Soul felt at the sight of the Xuanyuan Sword, she quietly revealed information that no one else could detect.
Zhang Lexuan had always known that she and Xuanyuan Sheng possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Normally, no one could sense Xuanyuan Sheng's Soul Power, because that sword protected him.
But one side of the sword was engraved with the sun, moon, and stars.
That was why she could sense roughly how much Soul Power Xuanyuan Sheng had. She simply didn't use that ability to pry into him under normal circumstances.
A Soul Emperor?
Ma Xiaotao and Xiao Xiao looked confused.
They both knew how much Zhang Lexuan doted on her little brother. Until now, she hadn't asked a thing about Xuanyuan Sheng's cultivation.
Xiao Xiao knew the inside story even better.
Back when she'd chatted with Sister Lexuan and tried to find out more about Xiao Sheng, Zhang Lexuan had said she didn't want to hold him back. She'd even arranged his entry into Shrek through her connections. Everyone, including Zhang Lexuan herself, only knew that Xuanyuan Sheng's Martial Soul was called the Xuanyuan Sword. She left everything else alone so he could focus on cultivation.
Listening to Zhang Lexuan back then, Xiao Xiao had almost fallen for her. What a perfect big sister.
If she weren't only interested in Xiao Sheng's looks right now, she'd definitely have clung to Sister Lexuan's long legs and begged her to keep her.
"Do you mean he's a Soul Ancestor?" Ma Xiaotao asked again.
She thought she must've heard wrong. Zhang Lexuan had probably just misspoken.
She was only a level-sixty-seven Soul Emperor herself. Surely Zhang Lexuan wasn't making a joke like that.
"Even a Soul Emperor is already incredible. Xiao Xiao is only just about to reach the three-ring Soul Master stage. Among people their age, Xiao Sheng is in a completely different league."
"He really is a Soul Emperor."
Xiao Xiao knew this senior seemed to have taken a hit, so she made a point of leaning over and repeating it.
As far as she was concerned, the more powerful Xuanyuan Sheng was, the more delighted she felt. At first, she might've been a little discouraged, but the pride she felt afterward came straight from the heart.
Seeing the gloom on Ma Xiaotao's face, Xiao Xiao secretly rejoiced.
At last, she had gotten revenge for the time Ma Xiaotao had smothered her face with her chest.
Night fell.
They lit a campfire where they were.
Since they had a Soul Tool to drive away Soul Beasts, they didn't have to worry about the flames attracting any.
Seated by the fire, Zhang Lexuan took food that was still steaming from her specially made Soul Tool.
After handing it out, she gracefully sat back down.
She took a small sip of hot soup, then began assigning the night watch. "Xiaotao and I will take the first half of the night. Xiao Sheng and Xiao Xiao can take the second half. How does that sound?"
Xiao Xiao was quite satisfied with the arrangement.
But Ma Xiaotao immediately raised her hand, spoon in it, and asked, "Shouldn't we split into pairs, with one of us alongside each of them? Can those two handle it?"
What was the point of putting the two strongest people there together?
Enjoying Zhang Lexuan's cooking, Xiao Xiao scrunched up her little nose. "Xiao Sheng is almost a Soul Emperor, and the two of us together are definitely more reliable than you and Xiao Sheng, Senior Xiaotao."
Bringing up Ma Xiaotao's sore spot again, she could only lower her head gloomily.
The night was still, and the wind sighed through the trees.
Before you continue