Bibi Dong had suddenly taken on a disciple, so the Worship Hall naturally decided to investigate.
Golden Crocodile Douluo had originally assumed Xiao Chen was merely a genius with Twin Martial Souls. But after hearing his subordinate's report, he realized he had underestimated Xiao Chen.
For the past three days, Xiao Chen had been competing in the Great Soul Arena in Spirit City. He had worn a mask, but that was hardly enough to evade the Worship Hall's investigation.
The Worship Hall had uncovered both his identities: Mystic Spear and Absolute String.
"My lord, Xiao Chen's second Martial Soul is a Long Spear, and it has two white Spirit Rings!" the man in black continued.
"Hmm? You mean Xiao Chen has successfully added Spirit Rings to his second Martial Soul?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, surprised.
The man in black answered at once, "That's right. Over the past three days, Xiao Chen has entered three matches in the Great Soul Arena under the alias 'Mystic Spear,' using his Long Spear Martial Soul. His Spirit Rings were indeed white!"
"He also teamed up with the Holy Maiden as 'Absolute String,' using his Bow Martial Soul, to compete in a Soul Ancestor-level doubles match. But he didn't reveal the colors of his Spirit Rings during the fight!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo stroked his beard. "So this child managed to give both Martial Souls Spirit Rings without relying on anyone. No wonder Bibi Dong took him as her disciple!"
"How did he do?" Golden Crocodile Douluo continued.
The man in black replied, "He won all three of his solo matches and all three of his doubles matches. In this subordinate's estimation, Xiao Chen could hold his own against a Soul Elder using only his Long Spear Martial Soul. As for his Bow Martial Soul, its attack power may be even greater than that of his Long Spear Martial Soul!"
As he spoke, the man in black took out a Recording Crystal and projected footage of one of Xiao Chen's solo matches and one of his doubles matches.
After watching the two fights, Golden Crocodile Douluo looked astonished.
"The first two Spirit Rings on both Martial Souls are white, yet he can fight opponents of a higher rank. Are his Spirit Rings really white?" Even Golden Crocodile Douluo found it hard to believe.
The man in black immediately replied, "Absolutely. Xiao Chen was brought back by Chrysanthemum Douluo. Before meeting him, he had entered Star Dou Forest with students from Fabia Academy. They saw Xiao Chen kill a ten-year-old Four-Eyed Cat Owl and absorb its Spirit Ring right in front of them!"
"That is strange. Twin Martial Souls are rare, and having four Spirit Rings at Level 20 certainly gives him a major advantage. But that alone shouldn't raise his strength so much, especially when his Spirit Rings are white!" Golden Crocodile Douluo said, puzzled.
"This subordinate finds it strange as well. Xiao Chen's Spirit Ring Configuration and combat strength simply defy common sense. He must have other secrets!" the man in black said.
He paused, then continued, "Shall I bring the child to you?"
"No need." Golden Crocodile Douluo waved a hand.
Though he was deeply curious about the secrets Xiao Chen was hiding, he knew that when it came to the mysteries of Twin Martial Souls, no one in the world could match Bibi Dong.
Besides, Xiao Chen had already joined Spirit Hall. There would be plenty of time to uncover his secrets later.
"Keep this to yourself. Don't mention it to anyone, and don't investigate the child any further," Golden Crocodile Douluo ordered.
In Pope's Hall, Xiao Chen, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan had just received the training tasks and goals Bibi Dong had assigned them.
Along with their daily physical training, Bibi Dong required Xiao Chen to compete as Mystic Spear and raise his Soul Fighting Badge to the Purple Gold level before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament began.
For solo matches, Hu Liena and the others had to raise their Soul Fighting Badges to the Gold Soul Fighting level.
The String Fox Duo—Xiao Chen and Hu Liena—also had to raise their Soul Fighting Badges to the Gold Soul Fighting level.
Yan and Xie Yue's doubles team had the same goal.
As for the four of them competing as a team, they had to reach at least the Silver Soul Fighting level.
They weren't limited to competing in Spirit City's Great Soul Arena.
Once the four of them had trained together enough, Chrysanthemum Douluo would take them to the major cities throughout the two empires that had Soul Fighting Arenas, where they would compete and gain experience.
They would also face a number of life-or-death battles along the way.
By using Gold Soul Coins or treasures as bait to draw in wicked, greedy Soul Masters, Chrysanthemum Douluo would give Xiao Chen and the others a chance to hone their combat skills in deadly situations and temper their resolve.
The four of them quickly learned to work together.
Hu Liena and the others were already prodigies carefully cultivated by Spirit Hall. They had solid foundations, exceptional insight, and a far keener sense of the battlefield than their peers.
Xiao Chen had the system's help, and he already knew Hu Liena and the others very well, so they naturally worked in perfect harmony.
They practiced tactics, sparred, and familiarized themselves with one another's Martial Soul traits, the rhythm of their Spirit Skills, and their fighting habits.
At first, their teamwork was still a little awkward. But gradually, they began to understand one another instinctively, coordinating every advance and retreat.
In just ten days, the four of them had shed the awkwardness of their first meeting, reaching an exceptionally high level of combat synergy.
They no longer needed to say much. A glance or the slightest shift in stance was enough to convey their intentions. Their offense and defense flowed seamlessly, their strengths and weaknesses complemented one another, and they had become a battle-hardened, elite team.
During this time, the system gave Xiao Chen another surprise.
On the ninth day, Xiao Chen and Hu Liena faced an exceptionally powerful duo in a doubles match.
Both were Level 48 Soul Ancestors.
One was an Agility Attack System Soul Master with a Shadow Spirit Cat Martial Soul; the other was a Control System Soul Master with an Illusory Vine Martial Soul.
The enormous gap in Soul Power put Xiao Chen and Hu Liena on the defensive from the very start.
Hu Liena immediately unleashed her Fourth Spirit Skill, spreading Mental Interference over the arena, but she couldn't fully control the opponents.
The Agility Attack System Soul Master was so fast that Xiao Chen had no chance to fire an arrow.
Xiao Chen could only rely on Shadow Step Dash to keep dodging around the arena. Hu Liena's Third Spirit Skill—Fox Transformation—also boosted her speed. They wouldn't lose right away, but the longer the fight went on, the worse things became for them.
Things were especially bad once the Control System Soul Master activated the Illusory Vine's Fourth Spirit Skill, Mist Haze, which slowed Xiao Chen down.
If he hadn't had sharp eyes and the ability to sense danger, the opponent would have controlled him long ago.
Hu Liena was powerful, and her area-wide Mental Interference made both opponents struggle. Unfortunately, Xiao Chen's speed was restricted, and the arena was too small. With the other Soul Master chasing him, he could only fire an arrow now and then, and those shots posed no real threat.
There was no helping it. Xiao Chen's Soul Power Level was simply too low.
And he couldn't use his second Martial Soul. Against a duo who could withstand Hu Liena's Mental Interference, Xiao Chen was nothing but dead weight.
Xiao Chen exchanged a glance with Hu Liena, and they were about to concede when the system's voice rang in his mind.
System: "Host, your teamwork with Hu Liena is already excellent. It's time to use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
"???"
Xiao Chen's face was a picture of confusion. He had never imagined he could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with anyone.
"Host, why are you so surprised? Your Martial Soul was modified by this system. As long as your teamwork with someone meets the required standard, you can use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with anyone," the system explained.
Xiao Chen had never expected the modified Martial Soul to come with a perk like this. He silently gave the system a thumbs-up. "That's awesome!"
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