Wu Zhangkong fell silent for a moment, her gaze settling on that pair of strange Soul Rings. A rare tremor entered her cool voice as she slowly said,
"The symbiotic Soul Spirit of the Silver Wing Light Scale Dragon—you've drawn out more value from it than it ever had on its own."
"You didn't inherit its power. You used it to awaken the true form of your Martial Soul."
Bright light shimmered in Xie Xie's eyes. He was excited, but not arrogant.
"Now I have more Soul Skills, and every set can work together! Light Dragon Slash with Shadow Dragon Strike makes Nirvana Dragon Blade; Light Dragon Storm with Shadow Binding Chain makes Twin Dragon Soul-Locking Storm."
He paused, then looked at Wu Zhangkong, his tone earnest.
"Teacher Wu, I won't waste this talent."
"I'll grow stronger—strong enough to protect the people around me, strong enough to be worthy of everything you've taught me."
Looking at the clear-eyed boy, his fighting spirit brimming, Wu Zhangkong's usually impassive lips curved ever so slightly.
"Good."
Just one word, but it was the highest praise she could give.
"Starting today, in addition to your regular training, you'll put in extra practice synchronizing your light-and-shadow Soul Skills. I want you to reach the point where, with a single thought, both skills launch together and fuse instantly."
Xie Xie snapped to attention, his voice clear and strong, carrying the boyish edge and determination unique to his age.
"Yes, Teacher Wu!"
By the time Xie Xie returned to the dorm, it was nearly dinnertime. Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi weren't there, and Tang Wulin hadn't come back either.
Xie Xie wasn't planning to sit around. Tang Wulin was bringing dinner anyway, so he decided to work on improving Rasengan some more.
Rasengan had one fatal flaw: the moment it left his hand, it fell apart.
To fix that, he needed to do what Naruto did with Wind Style Rasengan and coat the rapidly spinning mass of Soul Power in a stable layer of elemental energy.
A wisp of finely concentrated light Soul Power gathered at Xie Xie's fingertips.
He lowered his head, pondering how to infuse Rasengan with the light attribute.
Only a Rasengan imbued with the light attribute could truly be thrown as a long-range weapon. Besides, Gu Yue had a whole range of attributes he could use.
Xie Xie was just about to raise his hand and give it a try—
Bang!
The dormitory door slammed open.
Xie Xie jolted in fright, and the half-formed Rasengan in his hand burst apart once again.
Just as he was about to point a finger and start swearing, beginning with "damn," he turned and saw Tang Wulin standing there with his head bowed.
Tang Wulin's shoulders drooped. His usually lively face was pale and desolate, and tear tracks still glistened at the corners of his eyes. Even his breathing came with suppressed sobs.
All the words of greeting caught in Xie Xie's throat.
He didn't need to ask. At this point in the story, Tang Wulin's adoptive parents had definitely left.
With his head lowered, Tang Wulin walked step by step toward Xie Xie.
Tang Wulin looked like a little beast someone had abandoned, with nowhere left to go. Before Xie Xie could say a word, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Xie Xie's waist, burying his face against his chest.
Tang Wulin's voice was muffled, thick with tears.
"Xie Xie... Mom and Dad... they, they left..."
"Because of me."
Xie Xie's back stiffened, and his heart softened all at once.
He could feel Tang Wulin trembling slightly. That heavy sadness and guilt pressed down like a stone, making it hard to breathe.
Xie Xie didn't answer right away.
He slowly raised a hand and awkwardly patted Tang Wulin's thin back.
"...There, don't cry." Xie Xie gently cupped Tang Wulin's soft cheeks, his thumbs applying just enough pressure to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.
Seeing Tang Wulin's reddened eyes, feeling the warmth of the moisture beneath his fingertips, made Xie Xie's heart clench again.
Xie Xie's breathing softened without him realizing it. The warmth of his palms gradually seeped into Tang Wulin's cool cheeks.
He had never seen Tang Wulin this vulnerable. The boy who could eat anything, endure anything, and always charge ahead now seemed like a tuft of fur soaked by the rain—so soft it made Xie Xie's heart tremble.
Xie Xie's thumb gently brushed the skin beneath Tang Wulin's eye again. His touch was almost tenderly lingering, and his voice grew soft.
"They left because of you, but it was because—they love you."
As he spoke, he leaned in slightly and rested his forehead against Tang Wulin's. Their noses nearly touched, their breaths mingling until warmth spread through Tang Wulin's heart.
Xie Xie looked into Tang Wulin's eyes, veiled in a thin sheen of tears, and spoke each word with a seriousness that was almost startling.
"And besides, even if they don't want you, I do."
Tang Wulin's lashes fluttered. His tearful gaze met Xie Xie's, and his grievance slowly melted away, replaced by a burning sense of dependence.
He instinctively curled closer into Xie Xie's arms, tightening his hold as if he wanted to burrow into Xie Xie's warmth.
The embrace made Xie Xie's heart go soft, so he wrapped his arms tightly around Tang Wulin in return.
He rested his chin lightly on Tang Wulin's head, breathing in his faint, sunlit scent.
The person in his arms shifted slightly. His voice still carried the remnants of a sob, soft as a feather yet steeped in unease. He rubbed gently against Xie Xie's chest and asked,
"Xie Xie, then... will you leave me?"
As the words fell, Tang Wulin's fingers tightened around the front of Xie Xie's shirt, his knuckles turning faintly white.
The words "I won't" nearly escaped Xie Xie's lips, but he forced them back.
He suddenly remembered Tang Wulin's unusual constitution, comparable to Wu Xie's. In the original story, Xie Xie, who had stayed by Tang Wulin's side longer than anyone, really had been hit hard by it.
After a few seconds of silence, Xie Xie spoke casually, with a teasing lilt that concealed the utmost certainty. "You're a bit cursed... but I'm wearing Nike! Yeah, that's right. You can't curse me to death."
It was only half a joke, but Tang Wulin's heart gave a violent thump.
Large, burning tears rolled down his cheeks again, but this time they weren't from sadness. They came from the sudden surge of reassurance and warmth welling up inside him, so full it was about to overflow.
"...Mm."
Buried against Xie Xie's chest, Tang Wulin nodded hard and gave a muffled "Mm."
It was as if he'd gotten hold of the most precious thing in the world, and he would never let go.
"So, come on, no more crying,"
Xie Xie coaxed softly, his fingers gently smoothing Tang Wulin's tousled hair. "You won't look as good if you cry."
As he comforted Tang Wulin, Xie Xie reached into his Soul Guidance Storage Device with his left hand, the arm still holding Tang Wulin, and pulled out his Soul Guidance Communication Browser. He tapped the search bar at the very top with his thumb.
With nimble fingers, he typed, "Nike clothing."
Hey, sure enough, after a couple of spins, a familiar logo popped up. Who would've thought this brand's clothes really existed?
Xie Xie immediately ordered two pieces in his size and even tapped the button to expedite shipping.
Unfortunately, the Nike on the Douluo Plane wasn't the genuine article from Blue Star, so it wasn't quite "Nike" enough. As a result, Xie Xie later nearly got "cursed" to death for real.
Luckily, he was wearing two extra pieces at the time, so he survived.
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