"TITAN SNOW DEMON?!"
Xue Wu cried out in alarm.
"That's an extremely dangerous Soul Beast!"
Shui Yue'er's little face instantly went deathly pale.
"Th-then how did you and Teacher Liu escape danger?"
Shui Bing'er's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the silent figure not far away. Her eyes held a softness and admiration she herself hadn't even noticed.
She continued.
"Just when we thought certain death was inevitable, at that critical moment..."
"Lan... descended from the sky."
"He only struck once."
Shui Bing'er paused, as if reliving the astonishing scene.
"Two purple and four black Soul Rings lit up behind him. That ten-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon was killed with a single strike."
The entire lakeside fell silent.
It was as if the girls' minds had stopped working.
"S-so strong..."
Xue Wu murmured to herself, her eyes filled with shock.
Gu Qingbo was even trembling slightly, repeating over and over, "Two purple... four black... How is that possible... How old is he..."
Meanwhile, Yu Hairou and Qiu Ruoshui stared dreamily at Lan's back, their eyes practically turning into hearts.
The flush on Shui Yue'er's face hadn't completely faded. Now that she'd heard about Lan's incredible strength, the stir in her heart grew like wild grass.
She took a deep breath, as if she'd made up her mind, then abruptly stood and walked over to Lan.
Under everyone's astonished gazes, she bowed slightly and looked straight at him with her bright, wide eyes.
"Senior, should we... give it a try?"
"Yue'er!"
Shui Bing'er spoke up almost at once.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
The other girls exchanged glances, then all broke into knowing smiles and giggles.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Sister!"
Shui Yue'er hurriedly waved her hands, eager to explain.
She and Shui Bing'er were sisters, their hearts in sync. They could even perform a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill together. How could she not tell that her sister had also fallen for this handsome, powerful man?
"What I mean is..."
Shui Yue'er cleared her throat and spoke with a straight face.
"Brother Lan's Martial Soul is the Shadow Abyss Shark, which has a water attribute, right? My Martial Soul is the Lustrous Jade Dolphin. We're all from the sea, and our attributes are similar."
"If we spend more time alone together and grow closer, then practice harmonizing with each other, maybe... maybe we can form a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Shui Bing'er's expression grew increasingly dangerous.
But Shui Yue'er acted as if she hadn't noticed and continued excitedly.
"Then Sister can join us too! The three of us could form a three-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Just imagine how powerful that would be!"
After speaking, she lowered her head and muttered in a voice only she and the few girls beside her could hear.
"Of course... that'll have to wait until Brother Lan and I master a two-person Fusion Skill first..."
"Shui Yue'er!"
Shui Bing'er finally couldn't take it anymore.
Shui Yue'er's cheeks turned bright red.
Lan's expression hadn't changed from beginning to end, as if they were discussing something that had nothing to do with him.
He stood up and glanced at the sky.
"I'll head back first."
With that, he turned and walked toward the private courtyard prepared for him, leaving behind a group of girls with thoughts of their own.
That day.
Morning mist shrouded Skywater Lake, and the surface was as smooth as a mirror.
Lan was submerged deep in the lake, meditating with his eyes closed. Water elements obediently circled around him, as if worshipping their king.
Suddenly, he sensed two familiar presences coming from the shore.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were standing by the lake, seeming a little hesitant.
Shui Bing'er gently nudged her sister with her elbow, her eyes urging her on.
Shui Yue'er's pretty face flushed. She took a deep breath, as if she'd made up her mind, then called out brightly toward the lake.
"Captain!"
Ever since Lan had agreed to represent Skywater Academy, Shui Bing'er had strongly recommended him, and all the team members had unanimously approved. He had become the new captain of Skywater Team, while Shui Bing'er took on the role of vice-captain.
"What do you think... about Martial Soul Fusion Skills?"
A barely perceptible nervousness crept into Shui Yue'er's voice.
"Would you like to... practice with me and my sister?"
Splash—
Water rippled.
Lan slowly emerged from the lake, his bare upper body exposed to the faint light of dawn.
Water droplets slid down his well-defined chest and abs before vanishing beneath the surface. His strong, explosive physique left both sisters on the shore staring in a daze.
Shui Yue'er especially swallowed unconsciously, feeling her cheeks grow even hotter.
Lan shook the droplets from his hair and looked at them with calm, dark eyes.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
He began to consider it.
It was indeed powerful, and could prove decisive at a critical moment. Having another trump card was always a good thing.
But...
It was also troublesome.
Using a Martial Soul Fusion Skill required an extremely high degree of coordination between Soul Masters, even a meeting of souls. That meant investing a great deal of time and effort into building that connection.
For Lan, who was used to keeping to himself, it was undoubtedly a kind of restraint.
Seeing Lan lost in thought and not answering, a flicker of disappointment crossed Shui Bing'er's eyes.
She knew Lan didn't like getting too involved with others.
"Ahem."
Shui Bing'er cleared her throat and stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"Lan, there are a few other things I need to tell you."
She used a slightly more formal form of address.
"The Heaven Dou Royal Team heard that our team has a new captain, and that he's a man. They're very curious."
"They want to have a friendly match with us. It's scheduled for three days from now."
Lan gave a slight nod.
"Sure."
Seeing how readily he agreed, Shui Yue'er perked up again and waved a little fist.
"Captain, make sure you teach that Yu Tianheng a good lesson! He's so full of himself and always looks down on us female Soul Master academies!"
Shui Bing'er glanced at her sister helplessly. Then she remembered something and continued speaking to Lan.
"There's one more thing."
"I heard that the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, His Highness Xue Qinghe, will also attend the match in person."
Xue Qinghe...
At the name, a barely perceptible ripple finally stirred in Lan's calm gaze.
The fingers hanging at his side twitched almost imperceptibly.
Xue Qinghe.
Qian Renxue.
His... older sister.
Lan relaxed his fingers, which had moved ever so slightly, and his body beneath the water slowly eased.
His deep eyes returned to their calm, still-as-an-ancient-well tranquility.
He looked up at Shui Bing'er, his voice giving nothing away.
"I understand."
Before you continue