The Gate of Martial Soul Fusion

When facing Xu Sanshi in the Arena, Mu Chen could unleash his power without reservation, as Xu Sanshi was a thirty-eighth-level Soul Elder with enough cultivation to withstand it.

But in the classroom, facing a group of students only at the tenth level, he had to hold back.

Wang Dong fell silent for a few seconds, then lowered her head to continue eating.

"At least you still have a conscience," she muttered, her voice so soft it was barely audible.

Mu Chen heard her, but he didn't respond. He simply finished his meal in silence, then waited for Wang Dong to finish so they could return to the dormitory together.

The night grew deeper.

Only one desk lamp was lit in the dormitory, its soft glow casting a warm halo over the two beds.

In the distance, the lights in the teaching buildings flickered out one by one, and the entire Shrek Academy was immersed in the tranquil night.

Mu Chen and Wang Dong sat cross-legged on their respective beds, facing each other with less than an arm's length between them.

After a full night of practice yesterday, the two were no longer so awkward with this cultivation posture.

Although Wang Dong still habitually turned her face away every time she reached out her hand, at least she no longer hesitated for several minutes before pressing her palm against his.

"Ready?" Mu Chen asked.

Wang Dong nodded, took a deep breath, and extended her hands.

Mu Chen also reached out, pressing his palms against hers.

The touch was warm and soft. Wang Dong's hands were smaller than Mu Chen had imagined, with slender fingers and delicate skin.

Both of them released their soul power simultaneously.

The deep blue soul power of the Ocean Martial Soul surged from Mu Chen's body, carrying the profoundness and vastness unique to the sea.

The golden-blue soul power of the Radiant Goddess Butterfly rose from Wang Dong's body, carrying the warmth and sanctity of the light attribute.

The two streams of soul power met in the air; they did not repel each other, but instead intertwined naturally, like old friends reunited after a long separation.

The blue-gold fused soul power formed a perfect cycle between the two. Starting from Mu Chen's dantian, it flowed through his meridians to his palms, passed through the point of contact into Wang Dong's body, completed a major circulation through her meridians, and then flowed back into Mu Chen.

With every cycle, this fused soul power became a fraction more refined.

The rich heaven and earth energy in the air was drawn in, forming an invisible vortex of energy around them.

The butterfly wings behind Wang Dong fluttered slowly with her breathing, each beat absorbing a massive amount of heaven and earth energy, converting it into soul power to merge into the cycle.

Mu Chen closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on the circulation of soul power.

He could clearly perceive every detail of the soul power flowing within Wang Dong—the width of her meridians, the density of her soul power, and the capacity of her dantian.

This perception was not an intentional probe, but a natural connection brought about by the fusion of soul power. In this state of fusion, their soul power seemed to have become the upstream and downstream of the same river, connected and inseparable.

Through this deep, fused perception, Mu Chen gained a more precise grasp of his own soul power.

Subtle issues he usually wouldn't notice during cultivation—a stagnation of soul power at a certain acupoint, or a sluggish flow in a particular meridian—were magnified and revealed during this fused practice.

It was like using a mirror to observe one's own cultivation; flaws that were usually unclear were now laid bare.

Wang Dong clearly felt similar benefits. Her breathing gradually became long and steady, her brow smoothed, and she became immersed in a state of deep cultivation.

Her Radiant Goddess Butterfly martial soul became increasingly dazzling under the nourishment of the fused soul power, the golden patterns on the wings shining several times brighter than usual.

Time passed second by second.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Chen suddenly felt an unusual fluctuation.

At the very moment their soul power was most tightly fused, he vaguely touched a wondrous boundary—like a tightly shut door, or perhaps a thin, transparent membrane.

The sensation was extremely faint and fleeting, but Mu Chen was certain it wasn't an illusion. Behind that door hid some kind of powerful force, emitting an aura that was both heart-palpitating and inexplicably alluring.

He tried to guide the fused soul power to touch the door.

Once, twice, three times.

Each time it touched, the door would tremble slightly, but there was never any sign of it opening.

Mu Chen could feel that the power behind the door was responding to their call, but it was as if something was blocking it, preventing it from truly manifesting.

Wang Dong's body trembled slightly. Fine beads of sweat seeped onto her forehead, and her breathing became somewhat rapid.

Clearly, she also felt the existence of that door and was instinctively trying to push it open.

The circulation speed of the fused soul power between them suddenly accelerated, like a rushing river searching for a breakthrough.

The blue-gold light became even more dazzling, illuminating the entire dormitory as if it were broad daylight.

The butterfly wings behind Wang Dong fluttered violently, each beat stirring up a faint current of air.

Mu Chen steadied his mind, controlling the rhythm of the fused soul power. He did not rush to strike the door as Wang Dong had; instead, he patiently guided the fused soul power to circulate, condense, and circulate again within their bodies.

Haste makes waste. He had said these words to Wang Dong last night, and now he would not make the same mistake himself.

A Martial Soul Fusion Skill could not be triggered by brute force alone.

It required complete tacit understanding and compatibility between the two martial souls, required both parties to reach a certain standard in the quality and quantity of their soul power, and, most importantly, required the right opportunity. Just like a lock and a key, they had to fit perfectly to open that door.

After a long while, Wang Dong's rapid breathing gradually calmed down.

She seemed to realize she had been too impatient, and began to follow Mu Chen's lead, shifting her focus from "pushing the door" back to the basic cycle.

The mysterious door gradually receded, once again submerging into the depths of the circulating soul power.

But this time, both of them could clearly remember its location. It was like a lighthouse spotted from afar in the darkness; although they could not reach it for the moment, as long as the direction was correct, they would eventually arrive one day.

More than an hour later, both of them ended their cultivation at the same time.

The fused soul power slowly dissipated, and their joined palms parted. The moment they separated, Mu Chen's fingers inadvertently brushed against Wang Dong's palm, and Wang Dong jerked his hand back, moving as quickly as if he had been scalded.

"Y-you, what are you doing?" Wang Dong's voice rose a few notches, tinged with a hint of panic.

Mu Chen looked at him, feeling somewhat bewildered: "I didn't do anything, I was just withdrawing my hand normally."

Wang Dong opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. He hid his hands behind his back and turned his face away, his ears turning so red they looked almost translucent under the glow of the desk lamp.

Mu Chen did not press the matter further, climbing off the bed to stretch his slightly numb shoulders.