"What's going on? Before the break, Yu'er told me she was going to ask a teacher from the Martial Soul Department to help her get her Second Soul Ring. It's been a whole month—why hasn't she come back yet?" Wang Dong'er asked Lin Shuo anxiously.
Lin Shuo shook his head. "Don't worry. Yu'er spent some time with me after the break started, then told me she wanted to go to the Far North to get a Soul Ring. The Far North is a long way away, so it's perfectly normal for the trip to take a little longer."
"And she went with a teacher, so there's no need to worry."
"All right, then. I'm relieved. But come clean—what have you two been getting up to behind my back?" Wang Dong'er let out a sigh of relief and patted her slightly heaving chest, then asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Come on, let's go eat." Lin Shuo stood up and headed for the door.
Wang Dong'er froze. "But Yu'er..."
"People need food to live. Worrying here won't help. Besides—" Lin Shuo glanced back, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Yu'er's already back. She's right outside the dormitory."
Lin Shuo had sensed Huo Yu'er outside the dormitory with his Spiritual Power just moments ago. But seeing Wang Dong'er's expression, he'd found it amusing and decided to tease her.
Wang Dong'er was just about to ask how he knew when Lin Shuo waved his hand. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were outside the dormitory.
When she saw Huo Yu'er outside, Wang Dong'er excitedly threw her arms around her. "Yu'er, you scared me to death! I thought you weren't coming back."
Huo Yu'er hugged Wang Dong'er, amused, then turned her head and looked warmly at Lin Shuo. "Brother Lin, I'm back."
Lin Shuo nodded and sensed Huo Yu'er's aura. She'd gained a great deal during the break: not only had she acquired the Water Dragon King as her Second Martial Soul, she'd also absorbed a 60,000-Year Ice Dragon Torso Bone and a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. She was now a level 25 Soul Grandmaster.
After hugging Huo Yu'er for a few seconds, Wang Dong'er let go and stepped back half a pace, looking her up and down with her pink-and-blue eyes. "Yu'er, you've changed so much."
Huo Yu'er had grown taller, and her frame was no longer as thin and frail as before. Her long, deep-blue hair made her features look all the more delicate and gentle. But what truly surprised Wang Dong'er was the change in Huo Yu'er's bearing. Her timid, cautious gaze had become calm and resolute. Every now and then, a hint of purple flashed in her already-bright Spirit Eyes, which seemed to hold an unfathomable power beneath the surface.
She stood there quietly, and the air around her seemed to turn cool without anyone noticing. She was like a freshly drawn sword: still sheathed, yet already gleaming with a faint edge.
Huo Yu'er felt a little embarrassed by Wang Dong'er's scrutiny. She pressed her lips together in a smile. "I had a bit of an adventure during the break. I awakened a Second Martial Soul, and my Soul Power rose by a few levels, too."
"What do you mean—" Wang Dong'er was about to cry out in surprise when Lin Shuo, who'd been ready for it, covered her mouth. He leaned close and whispered, "All right, don't talk about it outside the dormitory. There are people around."
Wang Dong'er immediately stopped, then shot Lin Shuo a look to show him she understood.
Lin Shuo let go. "Come on, let's go outside the academy and have Yu'er grill some fish. We can talk while we eat."
The three strolled through Shrek Academy as the setting sun set the horizon ablaze with a gentle orange glow. In the distance, the surface of Sea God Lake shimmered with flecks of gold.
Wang Dong'er walked ahead with her arm linked through Huo Yu'er's, showing off her Third Soul Skill. Every now and then, she turned to look at Lin Shuo, who followed behind them.
Lin Shuo ambled along unhurriedly, his hands in his pockets. His gaze occasionally settled on the two girls before shifting to the sun sinking toward the horizon.
The three passed through the east gate and followed the familiar street. When they reached their usual spot for grilling fish, Huo Yu'er began preparing the black carp they'd just bought, her movements practiced and deft. Wang Dong'er and Lin Shuo sat nearby and set up the firewood.
Wang Dong'er watched eagerly as Huo Yu'er placed the skewered fish over the fire. Before long, the skin began to sizzle, and its rich aroma drifted away on the breeze.
"All right, all right, can we talk now?" Wang Dong'er sat cross-legged on the grass, her chin propped in her hands. Her pink-and-blue eyes glittered in the firelight. "Yu'er, what kind of adventure did you have? What's your Second Martial Soul?"
Huo Yu'er turned the fish in her hands, the firelight flickering across her delicate features. She slowly recited the explanation she and Lin Shuo had agreed on. "After the break started, Brother Lin and I left the academy. At first, he wanted to help me get a Second Soul Ring."
"But on the way, I felt a strong pull toward Brother Lin's Martial Soul. At the time, I had no idea why. When I woke up the next day, my Second Martial Soul had awakened."
"That's it?"
"Mm. That's it."
Wang Dong'er stared at them, dazed. What did she mean, she'd woken up one day and her Second Martial Soul had awakened?
There had never been any record on Douluo Continent of someone awakening a Second Martial Soul later in life, much less in such a casual way.
"Brother Lin thinks I may have been born with Twin Martial Souls, but because I was malnourished as a child, the second one never awakened. Over the past year, my body recovered, and when I sensed the aura of Brother Lin's Seven-Colored Dragon King Martial Soul, it triggered my late awakening." Seeing Wang Dong'er's confusion, Huo Yu'er continued explaining.
"Why did sensing Lin Shuo's aura trigger it?" Wang Dong'er asked, looking even more puzzled.
"Because my Second Martial Soul is called the Water Dragon King."
Wang Dong'er suddenly understood. Lin Shuo's Martial Soul was called the Seven-Colored Dragon King. She'd never heard of it before, but its name alone made its power clear. And she knew Lin Shuo could control all seven elements. The Water Dragon King sounded weaker than his Martial Soul.
"Then it must have been drawn out by the aura of a superior Martial Soul." Wang Dong'er looked as if she'd figured it all out.
Huo Yu'er nodded lightly. Before this, she'd known only that Brother Lin's Martial Soul was powerful, but she'd never understood just how powerful.
That was, until she obtained her Second Martial Soul and felt the pressure of Brother Lin's bloodline. According to Sister Tian Meng, her Second Martial Soul was even stronger than Snow Empress and Ice Empress, the two of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts. Yet she'd still felt an urge to submit to Brother Lin on the spot.
When she'd gone to the Far North to obtain her Second Soul Ring, even many low-year Soul Beasts had fled as soon as they sensed her aura.
While Lin Shuo lowered his head to take a bite of grilled fish, she stole a glance at his handsome face.
Wang Dong'er took a huge bite of fish and mumbled through her mouthful, "What happened after that? Once your Water Dragon King Martial Soul awakened, where did you go? Lin Shuo said you went to the Far North?"
"After that, I went to get my Second Soul Ring." Huo Yu'er gathered up the last of the bamboo skewers and spoke softly. "Brother Lin's older sister took me. It went smoothly, and my Soul Power increased a little, too."