Half the Sky Blocked (Please Follow)

"Was that a Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now?"

Ma Xiaotao walked up to Xuanyuan Sheng with curiosity, reaching out to gently tug at Xiao Xiao's cheek.

It was her first time seeing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that could transform into something like that.

While such things were rare in the outside world, they still appeared during the annual freshman assessments at Shrek.

Usually, it was the Martial Soul itself that underwent a change; never had she seen a Soul Master turn directly into a soul skill.

"Stay calm, it's a small matter."

Xuanyuan Sheng shook Xiao Xiao's little head.

Seeing her mouth open, he tossed a Milk Pill that restored soul power and stamina directly into it.

Xuanyuan Sheng knew Ma Xiaotao had many questions she wanted to ask, but he signaled for her to hold off for now.

The effects of the Milk Pill circulated rapidly through Xiao Xiao's body.

Yet, the little loli had no intention of opening her eyes; she kept them tightly shut, her breathing growing slightly rapid.

System, am I surrounded by Xiao Sheng and the others?

Xiao Xiao's anxious voice echoed in her heart.

The Love System cooperated fully, pausing for a moment before replying.

[You are not surrounded by Xuanyuan Sheng.]

Just as Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, a wave of warmth covered her face.

This... what is this? Xiao Xiao had already guessed the answer, but she still couldn't bring herself to face it.

[This is evil, great evil.]

The teasing tone made Xiao Xiao lose all hope; she hadn't expected to be in the arms of that woman, Ma Xiaotao.

It was truly too humiliating.

[It's fine, you actually have more humiliating things to come, but seeing how sad you are, I won't tell you.]

Xiao Xiao was teary-eyed; what could be more humiliating than lying in Ma Xiaotao's arms?

Just say it, I can handle it, she replied in a voice of deathly silence.

[Xiao Xiao, you are the true Seven-Second Hero.]

Xuanyuan Sheng and Zhang Lexuan watched the shifting expressions on Xiao Xiao's face.

"Is this little girl really alright?"

Zhang Lexuan assumed Xiao Xiao's current state was a result of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Ma Xiaotao, holding Xiao Xiao, patted her chest first and said, "Of course she's fine. I checked her over as soon as I took her from Xiao Sheng. Her soul power was just drained in an instant, leaving her a bit weak."

With her movement, the softness also bounced against the little loli's face.

Xiao Xiao opened her eyes with a gloomy expression.

In her line of sight, there was only half the sky.

"Ah..."

She slapped it away with a burst of anger and stood up.

She looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, refusing to let the tears in the corners of her eyes fall.

Seven seconds.

She had left a bad impression in front of Xiao Sheng once again. She should have just let the Steel-Toothed Pig ram into her instead of experiencing a humiliation even greater than her first Martial Soul Fusion.

Why did she have to use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Why could she use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill all by herself...

Why could she only see half the sky...

Seeing this familiar scene, Xuanyuan Sheng didn't need to think to know that the little loli's pride had been triggered.

All day long, she only thought about using Martial Soul Fusion with him, without even looking at her own level.

"So, do I still need to undergo the trial?" he asked Zhang Lexuan, who was standing nearby.

After all, the Pig King was originally intended for him and Xiao Xiao to face together. He hadn't expected Xiao Xiao to be so brave as to face it alone.

Although, in the end, they still used a clever method, combining their strength to kill the Pig King.

This was clearly not the kind of trial Sister Lexuan had in mind.

"No need." Zhang Lexuan gently rubbed her brow; she hadn't expected her younger brother to provide such a big surprise.

She glanced at the two, who were in completely different states, and understood.

She placed her hand gently on Xiao Xiao's head and said softly, "I originally intended to specifically cultivate your awareness."

Looking at the Xuanyuan Sword that Xuanyuan Sheng hadn't put away yet, she paused. "But your performance, Xiao Sheng, has already exceeded my expectations. You're almost a Soul Emperor now, aren't you?"

She suppressed the joy in her heart at her Moon Martial Soul sensing the Xuanyuan Sword and whispered 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's soul power detection could perceive Xuanyuan Sheng himself, because that sword was protecting him.

However, one side of that sword's blade was uniquely engraved with the sun, moon, and stars.

It was precisely because of this that she could sense roughly how much soul power Xuanyuan Sheng possessed, though she usually wouldn't use this ability to pry.

Soul Emperor?

Ma Xiaotao and Xiao Xiao, standing to the side, were somewhat puzzled.

They both knew how doting Zhang Lexuan was toward her younger brother, and prior to this, she had never asked about Xuanyuan Sheng's cultivation at all.

Xiao Xiao understood this inside story even more clearly.

Back when she was chatting with Sister Lexuan and asking about Xiao Sheng.

She had said that she didn't want to restrict Xiao Sheng, and even his entry into Shrek was arranged through connections. Everyone, including herself, only knew that Xuanyuan Sheng's Martial Soul was called the Xuanyuan Sword, and she didn't care about anything else, focusing only on her own cultivation.

Listening to Zhang Lexuan's words back then, Xiao Xiao had felt like she was falling in love with her; what kind of angelic sister was this?

If she weren't currently obsessed solely with Xiao Sheng's looks, she would have absolutely hugged Sister Lexuan's long legs and shouted that plea to be kept.

"Is it Soul Ancestor?" Ma Xiaotao asked again.

She felt like she had misheard something just now; that must have been a slip of the tongue by Zhang Lexuan.

She herself was only a level 67 Soul Emperor, so please, don't make jokes like that.

"A Soul Emperor is already impressive enough. Like Xiao Xiao, who is just about to step into the realm of a three-ring Soul Master—in this same age group, Xiao Sheng is simply not on the same level as his peers."

"It really is a Soul Emperor."

Xiao Xiao knew that this senior seemed to have been hit hard, so she specifically leaned forward to repeat it to her once more.

Regardless, for her, the more powerful Xuanyuan Sheng was, the more pleasantly surprised she felt. She might have felt a little frustrated upon hearing it at first, but afterward, it was all pride radiating from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing the gloom on Ma Xiaotao's face, Xiao Xiao secretly gloated.

She had finally avenged the grudge of being covered by those "balls."

Night deepened.

The group lit a campfire here.

Because of the Soul Tool used to repel beasts, they didn't need to worry about the influence of any Soul Beasts being attracted by the firelight.

Sitting by the campfire, Zhang Lexuan took food that was still steaming from her specially crafted Soul Tool.

After distributing it one by one, she elegantly sat back in her original spot.

Taking a small sip of the hot soup, she began to arrange the night watch duties: "Tonight, Xiaotao and I will take the first half of the night, and Xiao Sheng and Xiao Xiao will take the second half together. How does that sound?"

Xiao Xiao was quite satisfied.

However, Ma Xiaotao immediately raised her hand with a spoon to raise a question: "Shouldn't the two of us be paired with them separately? Can those two handle it?"

What was the point of having the two highest combat power individuals in the group stay together?

Xiao Xiao enjoyed the delicious food made by Zhang Lexuan and wrinkled her little nose: "Xiao Sheng is almost a Soul Emperor, and the two of us together are definitely more reliable than Senior Xiaotao and Xiao Sheng."

With the mention of Ma Xiaotao's sore spot once again, she could only lower her head in frustration.

The night was desolate, and the wind whistled bleakly.