The Light Dragon Blade and Shadow Dragon Blade inside Xie Xie suddenly let out a clear, soft dragon's cry.
The wisps of Soul Spirit energy that had been hovering around him abruptly surged faster, rushing toward the two Martial Souls like rivers flowing into the sea. They fused and gathered without pause.
Wu Zhangkong's brow lifted almost imperceptibly.
She quietly channeled Soul Power to her fingertips, focusing all her attention on protecting the induction process. Her cool eyes held only the boy's figure, wrapped in the halo, and nothing else.
Gradually, a tiny Soul Spirit phantom took shape in the center of the halo.
The energy halo slowly drew in, no longer dazzling. Instead, it became soft and warm, gently lowering the boy and Soul Spirit onto the pedestal.
The tiny Soul Spirit phantom solidified completely, transforming into an orb that floated quietly in front of Xie Xie. Streams of light and shadow swirled around it, its form incredibly nimble.
Wu Zhangkong studied the Soul Spirit closely, but wasn't surprised.
The Soul Spirit matched to Xie Xie was an exceedingly rare light-and-shadow dual-attribute symbiotic Soul Spirit—the Silver Wing Light Scale Dragon.
Though it was a hundred-year Soul Spirit, its dual-attribute symbiotic nature, combined with its rarity, made it a match for an ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Spirit, even across the entire continent.
She didn't immediately have Xie Xie absorb the Soul Spirit. Instead, she said in a tone that brooked no argument:
"This Soul Spirit's nature is highly compatible with your Martial Soul, and its quality is excellent. It even surpasses some ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Spirits. First, take it into your body and nourish it there. We'll discuss the rest after we return to Eastsea Academy."
After all, they were on the Spirit Pagoda's turf, where walls had ears. It never hurt to be extra cautious.
Xie Xie had just opened his eyes. Hearing her, he hurriedly nodded.
Wu Zhangkong raised a hand and gave a gentle wave. A stream of Soul Power enveloped the tiny Soul Spirit and slowly guided it into Xie Xie's body.
The Soul Spirit didn't resist at all. It obediently sank into his Martial Soul Sea and settled there in silence.
Xie Xie felt a warm, full sensation spread through his body.
He subconsciously touched his chest, then followed Wu Zhangkong toward the Adaptation Room's exit.
The steward was already standing by the door. He bowed slightly, a suitably cordial smile on his face, and asked respectfully, "Teacher Wu, Young Master Xie, did the induction go smoothly?"
Wu Zhangkong's gaze swept over him.
Her eyes were calm, but seemed to see right through him. The steward's heart tightened, and his breathing briefly caught.
"Everything went well."
Wu Zhangkong's voice was as cool as ever. She said no more than necessary, offering only the most ordinary farewell:
"We'll take our leave."
As she spoke, she casually raised a hand and ruffled Xie Xie's hair.
Then, messing up his head, she strode toward the exit.
"Of course. I'll escort you both downstairs." The steward hurriedly stepped aside to lead the way, seeing them all the way to the Spirit Pagoda's ground-floor lobby.
At the lobby entrance, sunlight streamed through the lofty dome and fell across the white jade steps, making the tower's silver-and-blue crest gleam even brighter.
Under the steward's watch, the two left the Spirit Pagoda side by side.
The moment they were outside, Xie Xie couldn't help grabbing Wu Zhangkong's hand, which had been wreaking havoc on his head, and glaring up at her.
"Teacher Wu!"
Wu Zhangkong glanced sideways at him.
A trace of a smile, faint as a wisp, passed through her cool eyes. Then she withdrew her hand and replied indifferently:
"Hmm?"
"During the Martial Soul adaptation, I felt like someone was watching from the shadows."
As he tidied his mussed hair, Xie Xie muttered under his breath, "Did they notice something?"
Wu Zhangkong paused, her voice lowered, but firm and certain:
"Don't worry."
"They can't tell."
The two walked one ahead of the other, and their figures soon vanished at the far end of Eastsea City's streets.
The steward remained standing at the Spirit Pagoda entrance.
Watching them disappear into the distance, he let his smile fade slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
Then he straightened his collar, turned, and hurried through corridor after corridor, heading straight for the Chief's Chamber deep within the Spirit Pagoda branch.
The heavy metal door, engraved with the Spirit Pagoda's distinctive patterns, stood ajar.
Inside sat a man in a Spirit Pagoda robe trimmed with dark silver. His presence was steady and restrained. He was Su Xuan, the head of the Spirit Pagoda branch in Eastsea City.
Su Xuan looked up at the steward hurrying toward him and asked in an even tone, "Was everything taken care of?"
"Reporting to the Pagoda Master, everything went smoothly."
The steward bowed respectfully. "Young Master Xie has completed the Soul Spirit induction and adaptation. The entire process was steady, without a single irregularity."
Su Xuan gave a slight nod and tapped his fingertips against the desk.
"And what kind of Soul Spirit was matched to that child?"
The steward answered truthfully, "Reporting to the Pagoda Master, it was an exceedingly rare light-and-shadow dual-attribute symbiotic Soul Spirit, a hundred-year Silver Wing Light Scale Dragon. It's highly compatible with Young Master Xie's Twin Martial Souls."
"The boost it provides after fusion even rivals that of some ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Spirits."
"However..."
He paused, then cautiously added, "Teacher Wu Zhangkong was extremely guarded. She personally oversaw the entire process and didn't let this subordinate approach even once."
"After the induction, the two didn't linger. They left the Spirit Pagoda at once."
A glimmer passed through Su Xuan's eyes. He didn't ask anything further, only saying calmly:
"I understand."
"Wu Zhangkong came from that place, after all. Her mind is as fine as a strand of hair. No one can easily learn what she doesn't want to reveal."
"Keep an eye on things according to the original plan. There's no need to pry, lest we upset that child. After all, our cooperation with the Xie Family has only just begun."
"Yes, this subordinate understands!" The steward answered quickly, not daring to say another word.
Silence settled over the Chief's Chamber.
Su Xuan gazed out at the bustling streets of Eastsea City. His tapping fingers slowly came to a stop, and an exasperated, helpless look flickered in his eyes as he muttered to himself:
"Old Xie, you never take care of the kid. Plenty of other people will."
When he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair, his fingertips absently rubbing the rim of his cup.
The branch's atmosphere was as steady as iron, but there was a faint sorrow hidden in his eyes.
"Xie Xie..."
Eastsea Academy, teachers' dormitory.
As soon as Wu Zhangkong entered the dormitory, she raised a hand and set up a barrier that blocked out Soul Power, sealing the entire room so that not a trace of energy could escape.
Only after she had done this did she turn to Xie Xie.
"Let's begin."
Xie Xie nodded firmly and sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed.
He took a deep breath, followed Wu Zhangkong's earlier instructions, slowly closed his eyes, and sank his mind into his Spirit Sea.
Wu Zhangkong stood one step in front of him, her cool gaze fixed on him. Her Soul Power quietly stirred, ready to deal with any sudden change.
Before long, a faint halo of interwoven light and shadow appeared around Xie Xie.
The halo didn't flare up all at once. Instead, it ebbed and flowed like the tide, alternating between pale gold and black-red across his skin in a strange rhythm.
Light Cub and Shadow Cub stirred restlessly inside him, each opening its own domain and greedily absorbing the pure energy spilling from the Silver Wing Light Scale Dragon.
Light Cub—the Soul Spirit nurtured by the Light Dragon Blade—was the first to begin Devouring.
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