Twin Martial Souls

On Sea God Island, in a quaint little courtyard, flowers bloomed in profusion and birds sang in the trees, making it seem like a place where phoenixes came to roost.

"Swallowing the Evil Fire caused a Soul Ring mutation... Hmm, that's not impossible, but this Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Silkworm?"

Inside the courtyard, a white-haired elder was studying Lin Feng thoughtfully. He was the teacher Ma Xiaotao had mentioned—the dean of the Martial Soul Department, Bright Phoenix Douluo Yan Shaozhe.

"As far as I know, low-level ice-attribute Soul Beasts like this usually appear only in the Far North, and it's extremely difficult for them to cultivate to the ten-thousand-year level. How did it end up in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Yan Shaozhe's voice was mild, but he fired off question after question. Clearly, he had doubts about Lin Feng's story.

Lin Feng's heart tightened, but he kept his expression calm and followed the other man's line of reasoning. "Maybe the Scarlet King captured it as a supplement, but it escaped by accident."

"Mm, that makes sense." Yan Shaozhe nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. "It seems the Scarlet King's sudden appearance at the forest's outskirts wasn't originally aimed at Xiaotao, but at this Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Silkworm."

Hearing Yan Shaozhe reach the conclusion on his own, Lin Feng secretly let out a breath of relief. His half-true, half-false story, combined with his Simulation Soul Skill, had just barely gotten him through.

But just then, Yan Shaozhe suddenly changed tack. His gaze sharpened as he looked at Lin Feng and threw out a bombshell of a question. "Xiao Feng, do you know that you have Twin Martial Souls?"

"Twin Martial Souls?!" Lin Feng and Ma Xiaotao cried out almost in unison.

"From what I observed when I released my Martial Soul just now, your Second Martial Soul should be a rare Body Martial Soul—in other words, your own body. Otherwise, there's no way to explain how you managed to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring beyond your level. Without a sufficiently powerful physique, you absolutely couldn't withstand that kind of energy."

"Dean, is that true? Don't lie to me—I haven't read much, and I only got both Soul Rings by sheer luck." Lin Feng played dumb.

"I'm almost certain." Yan Shaozhe's tone was firm. Then his expression softened with approval. "Xiaotao is already my personal disciple. Xiao Feng, would you be willing to become my apprentice too, as my second personal disciple?"

The more Yan Shaozhe looked at Lin Feng, the more pleased he became. Lin Feng was exceptionally talented and steady by nature. And with that indescribable relationship between him and his eldest disciple, Ma Xiaotao, perhaps one day he could truly cultivate them into "two peerless prodigies."

"Dean, this..." Lin Feng quickly changed his tune. "I'm honored by your regard, Teacher. Your disciple, Lin Feng, is willing." His voice was steady, his gaze resolute.

If he hesitated for even one more second, he'd regret it. After all, the resources this teacher could offer him were no ordinary matter.

"Good. Then let's make it official." Yan Shaozhe smiled warmly. "I don't like making people kneel to pay their respects. Just use tea in place of wine. Drink this cup, and you'll be my disciple."

Lin Feng bowed three times of his own accord, then raised the teacup in both hands and drained it in one go. Yan Shaozhe nodded with satisfaction.

"Hehe, that's wonderful!"

Ma Xiaotao, standing nearby, couldn't help clapping and laughing softly. Her face was full of joy—she was even happier than when she'd become his disciple herself.

She leaned close to Lin Feng and whispered, "If anyone bullies you at the academy, just give them my name!"

Yan Shaozhe gave his impulsive disciple a helpless look, then turned to Lin Feng and said solemnly, "Now that you've joined my school, you must stay true to yourself and work hard at your cultivation. The academy's resources will be directed toward you, but how far you go will ultimately depend on you."

"This disciple understands. I won't disappoint you, Teacher." Yan Shaozhe nodded, then took a seemingly ordinary white jade token from his robes. It held a faint, distinctive fluctuation of Soul Power, and he handed it to Lin Feng.

"This is my token. With it, you can freely enter most areas of Sea God Island, including my library and cultivation room. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, you can come find me here at any time."

"Thank you, Teacher." Lin Feng accepted it solemnly.

"Your Soul Master rank is too low right now. But in the future, perhaps you really will be able to completely devour Xiaotao's Evil Fire and help her achieve Ultimate Fire."

"Yes, Teacher. Sister Xiaotao, I'll work hard." Lin Feng answered with conviction. He was quite confident that he could use the Burning Technique to resolve Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire problem.

"If there's nothing else, you two may leave." Yan Shaozhe lifted his teacup, his tone casual.

"Yes, goodbye, Teacher." Lin Feng and Ma Xiaotao replied in unison, turning to leave.

"Wait." Yan Shaozhe seemed to have suddenly remembered something and called them back. "Xiaotao, stay a little longer. I have a few things to tell you. Xiao Feng, wait outside for a moment."

Ma Xiaotao walked back to her teacher, puzzled, only to see a barely concealed smile flicker in Yan Shaozhe's eyes. His tone turned teasing. "Xiaotao, your teacher has to remind you of something. Xiao Feng is only twelve. Some things shouldn't be rushed... Even if you're willing to wait, you should at least wait until he's fourteen. Otherwise, I'm afraid his body won't be able to take it."

"Teacher! What—what kind of person do you take me for?" Ma Xiaotao's cheeks instantly grew hot with embarrassment and indignation.

Yan Shaozhe chuckled and lowered his voice. "I speak from experience. If you really become cultivation partners with Xiao Feng someday, then within ten years, you'll surely... Hehe, never mind. I'll say no more. This rare opportunity, one that comes but can't be sought, is yours to seize."

"Goodbye, Teacher!" Ma Xiaotao's ears turned scarlet. Daring not look Yan Shaozhe in the eye, she spun around and hurried out.

Lin Feng stood outside and heard every word of their conversation. Yan Shaozhe had clearly left the Soul Power barrier down on purpose, so Lin Feng could hear them.

As soon as Ma Xiaotao came out, Lin Feng put on a completely clueless expression and asked with concern, "Sister Xiaotao, why is your face so red?"

"N-nothing!" Ma Xiaotao's eyes darted about as she tried to keep calm. "Teacher just insisted on playing matchmaker. What nonsense!"

A glimmer of amusement passed through Lin Feng's eyes, but he feigned surprise and pressed her. "Oh? What genius could possibly have caught our teacher's eye enough for him to play matchmaker?"

"Someone with the surname Mu. Mu as in a block of wood. Figure it out yourself."

"I just got to the academy. How would I know?"

"Hmph, if you can't figure it out, forget it!"

Ma Xiaotao gave a soft huff and turned her face away, but she still gripped Lin Feng's little hand tightly. As a young woman who had never been in a relationship, she couldn't handle this kind of teasing. She usually devoted herself to Soul Master cultivation and rarely gave men and women's affairs a thought.

Lin Feng's arrival had seemed like snow delivered in a blizzard—no, more accurately, like snow delivered into a pile of charcoal.

The effect of Lin Feng's treatment on her Phoenix Evil Fire had delighted her beyond belief. It was almost a thousand times better than Xu Sanshi's.

Xu Sanshi's turtle power was as useless against her Phoenix Evil Fire as splashing cold water on it. Every time, she beat him until his face was black and blue.

Ma Xiaotao's thoughts drifted. She even forgot to control her direction in flight and, without realizing it, circled a huge loop over Sea God Lake.

Only when the sun sank in the west and the lake shimmered with scattered gold did she suddenly come back to her senses.

"Oh no, it's almost dark!" she exclaimed, a hint of panic crossing her face. It was hard to tell whether she was worried about delaying what they had to do or afraid someone might see through her thoughts.

"We'd better hurry and register you." She turned to Lin Feng, trying to sound composed. "If we're any later, the Academic Affairs Office will close."

Lin Feng strongly suspected that Ma Xiaotao had gotten lost on purpose. The two of them soon reached the Academic Affairs Office and managed to finish his registration just before closing time.

"There's no time to arrange a dormitory for you. Just stay at my place for the night."

"Huh? Sister Xiaotao, wouldn't that be inappropriate...?"

"Stop talking. Come with me!"

Lin Feng was sure she had gotten lost on purpose.