This Apprentice Cannot Be Kept

"Do you have any idea what a ninety percent Martial Soul Fusion Skill compatibility rate actually means? Even Dabai and Xiaobai, sisters who have been inseparable since childhood, don't reach ninety percent."

Leng Yaozhu picked up the celadon teacup from the table, preparing to have a serious talk with Na'er.

She took a sip of black tea and explained patiently, "The factors influencing Martial Soul Fusion Skill compatibility are incredibly complex, but if you trace them to their roots, they boil down to four core points."

"First, the martial souls must be of the same origin or complementary. This allows both parties to form a perfect soul power connection, providing an innate advantage. Second, bloodline bonds; close relatives often have higher compatibility. Third, a meeting of minds. Those who share a deep connection and resonance of the soul naturally have far higher compatibility than the average person. Fourth, long-term joint cultivation. By polishing their tacit understanding through years of living and training together, one can effectively improve their compatibility."

Leng Yaozhu took another sip of tea before continuing, "Looking across the entire Douluo Continent, the most classic Martial Soul Fusion Skill is undoubtedly the Hell White Tiger of the Dai and Zhu families of the Star Luo Empire."

"The two families have intermarried for generations, and their martial souls, the Evil Eye White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat, are innately complementary. They satisfy almost all four core criteria."

"Yet even so, the descendants of the Dai and Zhu families wouldn't dare dream of a ninety percent compatibility rate. Anyone who can successfully manifest the Hell White Tiger is immediately elevated to the core of the family."

She looked at Na'er, her tone becoming increasingly serious, "It is the same for Dabai and Xiaobai. Their Space Unicorn and Light Unicorn martial souls are innately of the same origin. As twins, they share a natural bond, and having spent the last twenty years living and training together, their tacit understanding is rarely matched."

"Even with such heaven-sent conditions, their compatibility is only around eighty percent. Do you see now how whimsical a ninety percent compatibility rate is?"

Na'er, however, remained confident and retorted, "Just because Sister Dabai and Sister Xiaobai can't do it doesn't mean I can't."

She boasted proudly, "I've already checked. The two people in the history of the Douluo Continent with the highest Martial Soul Fusion Skill compatibility were the founders of the Spirit Pagoda, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, and his beloved, Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong."

"They had a total of four Martial Soul Fusion Skills, and my goal is to surpass them!"

At these words, the corner of Leng Yaozhu's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

She didn't need to ask to know that Na'er had looked this up on the Soul Net encyclopedia.

Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect had stood on the continent for twenty thousand years, their influence deeply rooted, and their sycophants were everywhere. Anything they publicized could only be described as "those who know, know."

Take, for example, how Shrek portrayed Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi, molding him into a wise and dedicated mentor who recognized talent at a glance. They claimed he had favored Huo Yuhao from the very first day he enrolled, exhausting every resource to tilt the academy's favor toward him—a fated mentor for Huo Yuhao.

Setting aside the fact that a ninety-eight-level Super Douluo like Xuan Zi would be paying attention to a mere freshman, are the words "wise" and "dedicated" even applicable to him?

The "Death God" was hailed as the strongest Soul King in history, and even among the lawless evil soul masters, no one dared to challenge him—but who provided those records?

Those who knew the inside story found it all laughable.

Of course, it was true that Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong possessed four Martial Soul Fusion Skills.

But as a high-ranking member of the Spirit Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu knew the secrets behind it. She knew that the identity of Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong was highly suspect and that she was, in all likelihood, the daughter of the Sea God Tang San.

With a god intervening from the shadows, the compatibility between Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong held no reference value whatsoever.

Leng Yaozhu didn't explain these complex matters to Na'er, choosing instead to tease her, "When Spirit Ice Douluo first met Dragon Butterfly Douluo, who was then going by the name Wang Dong'er, at Shrek Academy, he was exactly eleven years old. You will be eleven in five years—what a coincidence! Good luck!"

After teasing her disciple, Leng Yaozhu couldn't help but think of another absurd aspect of Shrek Academy.

Shrek and the Tang Sect had actually used the Sun Moon Federation, which inherited the legacy of the Sun Moon Empire, to aggressively propagate the idea that the Sun Moon Empire were evil invaders, and that Huo Yuhao was the hero who led Shrek Academy and the three great empires to resist the Sun Moon Empire's aggression and maintain peace on the continent.

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed, and the more she agreed with the Spirit Pagoda's decision to split from Shrek Academy.

Then there was Qiangu Dongfeng. In all his years as the Pagoda Master, the most correct thing he ever did was to make a clean break with Shrek Academy and deliberately downplay the connection between the Spirit Pagoda and its founder, Huo Yuhao.

Otherwise, there was no telling when they might have been dragged down into the mud by Shrek and the Tang Sect.

Seeing that Leng Yaozhu was unmoved, Na'er ran out of options. She tugged on her sleeve and pleaded, "Teacher, please, just let me go to Shangling City. You're so busy and never have time to keep me company; it's so boring being alone at the Spirit Pagoda."

Leng Yaozhu frowned instinctively at these words.

Na'er wasn't wrong; she truly had no time to be by her side constantly. Letting Na'er train alone at the Spirit Pagoda was indeed less ideal than sending her to Shangling City to keep An Lan company.

"No."

The thought had barely surfaced before she suppressed it instantly.

Almost falling for Na'er's trap, Leng Yaozhu gave her a sharp look, "You are at the Spirit Pagoda to study and cultivate, not to play. Why would you need company?"

"Besides..." She picked up her teacup and took a sip of black tea, her frustration easing slightly, "Aren't Dabai and Xiaobai there? How are you without company?"

"Oh, right!"

Na'er's eyes lit up suddenly. Just as Leng Yaozhu thought she had finally abandoned the idea of going to Shangling City, the girl's next words left her completely stunned.

Na'er gripped Leng Yaozhu's sleeve tightly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Please, Teacher, let Sister Dabai and Sister Xiaobai go to Shangling City with me!"

Leng Yaozhu's crimson eyes widened, and she stared at her disciple in shock, momentarily unable to speak.

This little girl wasn't satisfied with just leaving herself; she wanted to take Dabai and Xiaobai along too.

She leaned back helplessly against the soft chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling that this disciple was beyond saving.

At that moment, she finally understood how Yun Ming must have felt when he was rejected yesterday.

In the end, Na'er got her wish and went to Shangling City with An Lan, accompanied by the twin sisters Bai Haoze and Bai Zhicen.

When Leng Qingning and Le Lingzhao heard the news, they were somewhat surprised but did not object.

After all, Na'er was Leng Yaozhu's direct disciple and counted as one of their own. Furthermore, finding a cultivation partner for An Lan was a good thing.