Yue Zhengyu said instead,
"Suppress yourself to the Soul Emperor level? Isn't that just handing us a freebie? Use your full strength. There are three of us, so even if you go all out, you couldn't beat us in a minute—"
Yue Zhengyu was cut off mid-sentence when Yun Ze grabbed him by the throat and covered his mouth, then whispered,
"Don't spout bullshit. He really can. If he goes all out, we'd be lucky to survive half a second."
Then Yun Ze looked up and said,
"Father, if you're going to play like this, I'll tell Mother on you."
Yun Ming smiled and said,
"Don't worry. I won't make the first move this round, and this is only to get a feel for your capabilities. The real test is the newly added team battle."
"I'm just gauging your physical limits right now—how hard I can hit you without killing you."
Yun Ze gave him a deadpan look.
"Isn't this just you refusing to play fair? If you don't want me to go, just say so. Do you really have to do this? Fight you—and that's only two rounds?"
"If I can actually pass your test, you might as well hand your position over to me."
"Forget you—who could possibly win against a Titled Douluo with one person at the three-ring level and two at the two-ring level?"
Yun Ming smiled and said,
"I'm personally testing you, so how could I only show up twice? I've always been fond of the number three, so I'll appear three times. I'll be the opponent in the eighth trial too."
There was a playful lilt to Yun Ming's words. Yun Ze was so exasperated he could barely lift his head. He lowered it and trudged forward a couple of steps.
Yun Ming narrowed his eyes. A moment later, he raised a finger and caught the sudden spear tip in front of him between his fingers.
Yun Ze had already switched into battle mode in an instant. He gripped the Heaven-Propping Spear and Heaven-Surpassing Spear in his hands. The weapon he'd just thrust at Yun Ming was the Heaven-Surpassing Spear.
"You little brat! You're using a dirty trick against your own father?"
Yun Ze swept the Heaven-Surpassing Spear toward Yun Ming's eyes. Yun Ming dodged by tilting his head and struck out with a palm.
Yun Ze crossed his two spears to take the force of the blow. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he was sent flying backward, opening some distance between them.
Yun Ze wiped the blood from his mouth and said,
"With your strength, even a trick ten times dirtier wouldn't hurt you in the slightest."
Yun Ming rolled his wrist and said,
"It's too late to butter me up now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Ming abruptly raised a hand, and a Heaven-Propping Spear appeared in it.
Yun Ming's Heaven-Propping Spear had been nurtured for years by Soul Power at the Limit Douluo level. Even after Yun Ming died later on, the spear had remained in the mortal world as a divine weapon.
Under the sharp aura of Yun Ming's Heaven-Propping Spear, the one in Yun Ze's hands began to tremble faintly.
Yun Ze tightened his grip on both spears, then struck them together in front of him.
At the clang of the weapons, Yun Ze stepped forward once more and thrust a spear at Yun Ming.
As he maneuvered both spears, Yun Ze was already giving it everything he had. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the repeated exertion.
Yun Ming held his spear in one hand, his other hand behind his back. His feet didn't move at all; with only a trace of Soul Power in his wrist, he turned the shaft to block Yun Ze's attacks.
It was a fight like an old man playing with a child. Yet with each successive attack, a hint of admiration appeared in Yun Ming's eyes.
Yun Ze wasn't a reckless fool who didn't know his own strength. Every thrust he made with his spears was measured against his capabilities.
There seemed to be a hint of insight in every move.
Yun Ming himself hadn't dared to swing his spear at opponents so much stronger than he was until he was fourteen.
Yun Ze was not yet ten, but already had that kind of resolve and courage. Yun Ming found it deeply admirable.
What surprised Yun Ming, however, was that with every thrust and every setback, Yun Ze seemed to be showing signs of something Yun Ming had been searching for all along.
Even as he blocked each of Yun Ze's attacks, a portion of his unfinished Demigod position seemed to be quietly taking shape.
Yun Ming couldn't help feeling astonished.
At the same time, he grew curious about what that undetectable quality within his son could be.
Yun Ze, too, was feeling something strange. At first, he'd only wanted to vent, swinging his spears at Yun Ming with all his might as a last, desperate struggle. But with every swing...
The Heaven-Propping Spear and the Heaven-Surpassing Spear seemed to be gradually merging. As they fought together again and again, their sharp edges worked together with ever-increasing harmony.
A peculiar sense of connection welled up in Yun Ze's heart.
The two Martial Souls were twin Martial Souls, and had always been linked to one another.
Now, that connection was growing ever clearer, as if something were about to break through its restraints.
Yun Ming noticed the strange look in Yun Ze's eyes and formed an idea about what was happening. He withdrew some of his Soul Power, then used an even more imposing aura to press down on Yun Ze's body, trying to force out whatever was on the verge of emerging.
Yun Ze understood what Yun Ming meant. He launched his attacks even more fiercely, swinging both spears in a continuous, surging torrent.
Just as Yun Ming used the shaft of his spear to knock Yun Ze flying, an unquenchable purple light blazed in Yun Ze's eyes as he hung in midair.
The soul imprints on his hands, representing the Heaven-Propping Spear and the Heaven-Surpassing Spear, flared violently.
Their dazzling light made the entire room brighter.
Yun Ming held his spear in one hand and looked up at Yun Ze in midair, waiting to see what he would do.
Yue Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui had long since retreated to a corner. Yun Ze's fight had already reached a level they could no longer take part in.
The Heaven-Propping Spear and the Heaven-Surpassing Spear now circled around Yun Ze. As he opened his eyes, they spun faster and faster, until their afterimages almost blurred together.
At last, it wasn't only their afterimages that merged. The two spears themselves pressed tightly together, their blades aligned side by side and pointing outward.
Their shafts fused into a purple handle. As Yun Ze reached out to grasp it, the two spears wrapped in purple light flashed.
Then their true form was revealed. The Heaven-Propping Spear and Heaven-Surpassing Spear were gone, replaced by a long halberd with blades on both sides.
Yun Ming was astonished. He hadn't expected Yun Ze to awaken a Self-Martial Soul Fusion Skill under such intense pressure.
And it was clearly an enhanced Martial Soul Fusion Skill that could be used for a period of time after merging—not a simple attack skill that appeared for only an instant...
Before you continue