Rest and Plans to Hone New Martial Soul Fusion Skills (Over 5000 words, seeking advice on fusion skills)

From that night onward, Yan Hongchen relaxed and focused on recuperating, keeping a regular routine.

For the time being, he did not think about those tangled, complicated matters. He simply ate, slept, and took walks in the courtyard in peace.

The exhaustion left behind by the journey to the Extreme North gradually dissipated like a thin mist during his rest.

Some color returned to his face, and the dark circles beneath his eyes faded considerably.

Seizing the moment, Yi Hongchen took the Ice Bear right-arm soul bone and several rare metals and plunged straight into the cultivation chamber.

Before closing the door, he said only one thing: "At most half a month, and I'll break through to Rank 84." Then he began his closed-door cultivation.

Jing Hongchen had not been idle either. He dispatched several teams.

Some went to seek herbs that could replenish spiritual power, some searched for the whereabouts of the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife, and others headed straight for the outskirts of the Evil Forest to investigate the Evil Eye Tyrant's trail.

Mingde Hall's covert lines were cast out one after another, like fishing nets sinking into deep water as they waited quietly for a response.

Mingde Hall's affairs were already burdensome, and now he had to worry about all this as well. There seemed to be a few more white hairs at Jing Hongchen's temples, yet his eyes remained steady and strong.

On Liu Yueming's side, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen volunteered to care for her. The two took turns staying by their mother's side, serving tea and water and chatting with her to ease her boredom.

But Liu Yueming was not the sort of person who needed to be handled with excessive care. Reclining on the soft couch and watching her two children bustle about, the smile on her lips was both gentle and helpless.

"Enough." She reached out, caught Meng Hongchen by the wrist, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Mom isn't that fragile. Go find your little brother. You must have a lot you want to ask him, and he probably has a lot he wants to tell you too. Mom can take care of herself."

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen exchanged a glance. They still wanted to say something, but Liu Yueming stopped them with a look. The two had no choice but to give up and obediently leave the room.

When they found Yan Hongchen, he was sitting in a pavilion in the back garden. A cup of water rested on the table beside him. His eyes were closed, his face tilted toward the sunlight, like a plant photosynthesizing.

A huge pond had been built here. The water-attribute soul power was especially suited to nourishing him, and he was willing to stay here.

"Little bro!" Xiao Hongchen dropped onto the seat beside him, propped an elbow on the stone table, and leaned closer. "You finally have some free time. Hurry up and tell us—what exactly happened in the Extreme North?"

Meng Hongchen sat across from him, her hands folded atop the table as she watched Yan Hongchen intently.

Yan Hongchen set down his teacup, considered his wording, then began speaking slowly.

When they first entered the Extreme North, they followed the route planned in advance according to the map. They encountered the Ice Soul Mystic Hoof Beast and fought it, and the outcome was what Liu Yueming had described.

They did indeed find the hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus afterward, but Snow Empress arrived at the time as well, leaving them with almost no chance of escape. He had offered that ice-attribute treasure land in exchange for his family's lives.

He explained that he had only dreamed of that ice-attribute treasure land for the second time after arriving in the Extreme North. It happened to save their lives, and Snow Empress agreed and swore an oath.

During that time, they had also met Ice Empress, the Extreme North's Second Heavenly King, as well as a ferocious Ice Bear. Yi Hongchen later obtained soul rings and soul bones from its clan.

He himself had gained the soul rings of a soul beast suited to his dual attributes, as well as a healing-type clan close to the level of ferocious beasts, among other things.

"Looking back on all of it, I think Snow Empress was willing to give us a chance for several reasons." Yan Hongchen lightly tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers.

Then his gaze grew more serious. "But Mom also played a huge part. You don't know what happened when her spiritual sea was frozen. I only pieced together the full story later, after hearing it from Snow Empress and after Mom confessed it herself."

He looked at Meng Hongchen, then at Xiao Hongchen. "I've thought about why Snow Empress was willing to give us a chance. First, Mom earned the recognition of the local soul beasts in the Extreme North. That's very rare. Second... perhaps they pitied each other. Snow Empress herself has hidden troubles in her spiritual sea, so she could understand Mom's situation."

Xiao Hongchen was completely absorbed in the story. "Then why was she willing to make a deal with you?" he asked. "Just because you told her about that treasure land?"

Yan Hongchen shook his head. "That was only an admission ticket." His voice deepened. "Snow Empress first showed me goodwill by giving me a hundred-thousand-year head soul bone. Then she had a soul beast with both spiritual and water attributes sacrifice itself to me. That was a test."

He raised three fingers. "Lastly, she valued my support abilities. She believed I could help her. The reason she specifically named Mom's situation was because I could never avoid it—I wouldn't abandon Mom. That was why she and I were willing to make this deal with each other. It was a kind of mutual understanding, I suppose."

He lowered his hand and gave a bitter smile. "At the time, I could only agree. It was a bit like being forced into it, but there was no other way. I had to accept first. There would always be a solution somehow. If I hadn't agreed, whether we could even return would have been uncertain."

After hearing this, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen fell silent for a long while. Both felt an indescribable bitterness. They had missed far too much on that journey.

But then they thought about it again. If they had been there, they would only have distracted their parents and little brother further. Perhaps none of them would have made it back. Their presence would only have added to the burden.

"It's over now." Meng Hongchen spoke softly, as though comforting Yan Hongchen and herself at the same time.

Xiao Hongchen nodded hard, throwing those complicated feelings to the back of his mind. He slapped the table. "Alright, enough of that. Little bro, what's your strength now? Let us see."

Yan Hongchen did not refuse. He closed his eyes and activated his martial soul. The instant his martial soul transformed him, his skin took on a lustrous sheen like rippling water, and his eyes became Glazed Rainbow Eyes.

But the Phantom Water Spirit Toad did not appear. Yan Hongchen sensed it again and found that the little spirit toad was happily playing with the soul forms of the Gathering Source Crystal Crab and the Emeraldsong Rain Crane in his spiritual sea. It was unwilling to come out, so he did not force it.

Two black soul rings rose beneath his feet and slowly revolved around him, black as ink and deep as an abyss. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen both sucked in a sharp breath.

"Black... ten-thousand-year soul rings?" Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened round. He already knew, yet he was still shocked.

Meng Hongchen was stunned for a moment as well, but she cared about something else. "What rank are you now?"

"Rank 25," Yan Hongchen answered honestly. "Only two ranks higher than you." He could sense Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's cultivation levels.

"Only?!" Xiao Hongchen nearly sprang off the stone bench. "Do you know that the two of us worked ourselves to death for the past two months just to break through one rank? We only just reached Rank 23!"

Yan Hongchen raised a hand and pressed it downward, signaling for his brother to calm down. His gaze fell on the two black soul rings at his side. "Most of this soul power of mine was piled up all at once. I'll need time to fully integrate it and solidify my soul power before I can continue cultivating and advancing. Your pace is the normal one, alright?"

Xiao Hongchen opened his mouth, then closed it again. He could be a little chuunibyou at times, but he was not unreasonable. Yan Hongchen had a point. He was just a little jealous.

Meng Hongchen accepted the fact quickly. She leaned forward, curiosity in her eyes. "Then what are your soul skills? With two ten-thousand-year soul rings, their effects must be incredible, right?"

Yan Hongchen did not hide anything. "First soul skill: Source Gathering Reflux." He raised one finger. "Powered by spiritual power, it can convert excess energy into soul power to replenish myself or others through affinity with heaven and earth. If powered by soul power, it can forcefully recover half of the soul power consumed when the person receiving support uses an ability."

He raised a second finger. "Second soul skill: Spring Rain Brings Life. It's a healing skill that can work on both single targets and groups. But for now, I can only power it with soul power. I can't yet use spiritual power to activate it. After all, this soul ring has no spiritual attribute. I'll need to reverse-engineer it before I can achieve healing on the spiritual level."

As Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen listened, the expressions on their faces changed from curiosity to heartache. They looked at Yan Hongchen, their younger brother, who bore their mother's illness, Snow Empress's deal, and all those matters they could not help with in the slightest. He carried far too much.

He spoke very calmly, but Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen could both hear the weight behind his words.

"Little brother..." Meng Hongchen's voice softened. "You're carrying too much."

Yan Hongchen waved a hand. "Big sister, big brother, you can help me too." His tone was earnest. "And you're the only ones who can."

He looked at Xiao Hongchen, his expression turning serious. "Big brother, you must take up the inheritance of the Hongchen Family's soul engineer lineage. Your control over metal and your talent for soul tools are the strongest of our generation. This is your path, and it is also the foundation of our family."

Xiao Hongchen straightened his chest and nodded heavily. "Of course. Father and Grandpa entrusted this burden to me too. Since you say so as well, how could I possibly fail?"

Yan Hongchen did not mention metal forging yet. After all, he did not have an Ice Extremity Divine Crystal containing an ice spirit with him, so bringing it up now would be pointless. In his plans, it might be a path to greatness for Xiao Hongchen, but it might also offend the imperial family. He would wait until next time, when he obtained an Ice Extremity Divine Crystal from the Snow Empress.

He turned to Meng Hongchen again. "Big sister, you can find a better balance between soul tools and being a soul master. You're the kind of person who can move between the two and bring both powers to their fullest potential. The two of you will definitely shine in the Soul Master Tournament."

Meng Hongchen's eyes brightened slightly before she frowned. "What about you? Aren't you participating?"

"Of course I am." Yan Hongchen's lips curved faintly. "But I'll only be twelve by then. I'll be indispensable, but I'll probably only show the strength of someone who has just entered the Soul Ancestor realm."

He paused, his gaze moving back and forth between Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. "As for you two, you could reach the Soul King realm. But if your soul power is unstable, you'll need more time to temper it."

In the original work, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen had indeed reached that level of cultivation. He was not making empty claims.

Upon hearing this, the weight in Xiao Hongchen's heart lifted halfway. Soul Ancestor was actually enough. With Yan Hongchen's support abilities, combined with their combat strength, they might not be unable to make a name for themselves at the Soul Master Tournament.

"Oh, right." Meng Hongchen suddenly recalled something. "A few days ago, you mentioned some 'trump card.' What exactly is it? Can we see it now?"

Yan Hongchen did not answer directly. He closed his eyes and activated another ability of his head soul bone.

Two black soul rings slowly revolved around him, their colors beginning to change—black faded away, revealing yellow; the second black ring faded, revealing purple.

One yellow, one purple.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen froze at the same time. "What is this?" Meng Hongchen's voice carried a trace of uncertainty.

Yan Hongchen opened his eyes. The colors of the two entirely new soul rings reflected in his Glazed Rainbow Eyes. "This is one of the soul bone skills: Simulation. It can alter the colors and arrangement of soul rings. It fits my illusion attribute very well. If I study it deeply enough, it should even be able to achieve invisibility."

He paused, his gaze becoming serious. "I have a question for you. If, when I attend school in the future, I display this kind of soul ring configuration and say that my second soul ring came from directly absorbing a thousand-year Snow Lotus—a plant-type healing soul beast without intelligence—would that sound believable?"

Meng Hongchen did not answer immediately. She was thinking, while Xiao Hongchen asked first, "What soul beast did this soul bone come from, exactly? Spiritual Sharing and Simulation are both good, but it still feels like... something is missing."

Yan Hongchen told the truth. "It came from a hundred-thousand-year Ice Silkworm." He lowered his voice. "The Snow Empress said that Ice Silkworm had been a toy for the Ice Empress. Later, it was killed, and this pure spiritual-attribute head soul bone dropped from it."

There was another half of the truth he did not say aloud: the Snow Empress might have long been preparing to reincarnate as a human.

The Simulation soul bone skill, combined with her own spiritual power, would have been enough to deceive the senses of most humans. Even Ultimate Douluo might not have been able to see through her disguise, allowing her to safely pass through her maturation period.

As for the other soul bone skill the Snow Empress would obtain, he guessed it was Spiritual Detection. His own version of that ability had directly merged into the Glazed Rainbow Eyes of his martial soul's beast form, becoming an innate skill.

Of course, it was also possible that the skill had developed from his powerful spiritual power. But he used it without the slightest burden, as if it came naturally.

"What big brother feels is still missing..." Yan Hongchen suddenly smiled. "Is this."

He activated Spiritual Sharing and Spiritual Detection at the same time. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen only felt their consciousness gently lifted by a warm force, and then they "saw" everything within a thirty-meter radius.

They did not see it with their eyes, but from a higher-dimensional, all-knowing perspective. Every leaf in the garden, the swimming paths of every koi in the pond, every grain in the pavilion's wooden pillars—all of it appeared clearly within their minds.

"This is..." Xiao Hongchen's voice trembled slightly.

"Spiritual Sharing, combined with the innate detection ability of my martial soul's beast form. Two into one," Yan Hongchen explained. "As my spiritual power grows stronger, the range can expand further."

The pavilion fell silent for a moment.

Then Xiao Hongchen abruptly stood up, bracing both hands against the stone table and leaning forward, his eyes shining like stars.

"Little brother!" His voice was filled with irrepressible excitement. "With this, if you and I join forces, we'll stand at the pinnacle of soul tools on this continent!"

He spoke faster and faster. "Whether it's engraving soul tool formations or remote design, this is exactly what I've dreamed of! If this is your trump card, then even if your cultivation is low, we'd have to worship you!"

Meng Hongchen was not as excited as Xiao Hongchen, but she was secretly astonished as well.

If she possessed this ability, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, whether for a control-type soul master directing the overall battle or for crafting soul tools.

But she quickly calmed down. This was the effect of Yan Hongchen's martial soul beast form. Although the two of them had somewhat similar martial soul types, she estimated that she could not replicate it.

Still, this soul bone's compatibility with Yan Hongchen was indeed extraordinarily high—practically perfect.

Yan Hongchen did not reveal the external soul bone either. Those external wings were better kept hidden for now. They were far too eye-catching.

After much effort, Xiao Hongchen finally calmed down. He sat back onto the stone bench, lifted his teacup, and took a huge gulp before remembering the important matter.

"Oh, right, little brother." He put down the cup and wiped his mouth. "The martial soul fusion skill my sister and I developed—we plan to name it Mortal Longing."

Yan Hongchen's heart stirred. Just as expected.

"When we spar in a few days, we'll let you see its power!" Xiao Hongchen raised his brows high, his tone carrying a few traces of swagger. "This time, we have to at least deal some damage to Father!"

Yan Hongchen glanced at him, the corners of his lips rising slightly, though his smile carried a hint of pity at having to burst his bubble.

"Forget it." He lifted his teacup and slowly took a sip. "If I'm not mistaken, Father's eighth soul ring came from the sacrifice of an eighty-five-thousand-year Ice Bear soul beast. With that and his right arm bone, he's probably at level eighty-three, and likely not far from the next level."

"And Father said he wants to break through to level eighty-four. His martial soul can consume metal too—the kind that absorbs energy—so that probably won't be a problem."

He set down his teacup and looked calmly at Xiao Hongchen. "If you and big sister join forces, the power will probably only reach the Soul Ancestor level. My current abilities can only help you reduce soul power consumption, so you won't be exhausted when using your martial soul fusion skill. But if you want to hurt Father... you're still far from it."

This bucket of cold water completely cooled Xiao Hongchen down. He wanted to say something to salvage his pride, but after thinking it over, Yan Hongchen was indeed telling the truth.

He could only mutter an "Oh," reining in his swagger and sitting obediently. Then he remembered something else.

"Little brother, why did you tell Father that he must break through within three years? Is there something you can't tell us?"

Yan Hongchen shook his head. "I can only tell you after next year's Soul Master Tournament ends."

His tone was very serious. "I learned some lessons from that trip to the Far North. Some things can't be rushed, and they can't be said too early either. Let's wait a little longer."

Xiao Hongchen stared at him for quite a while, then suddenly sighed. "You dreamed about something again, didn't you?" There was a hint of helplessness in his voice, along with a trace of envy.

"To be honest, little brother, I used to think my talent was pretty good. But compared to you, it's nothing."

He reached out and gave Yan Hongchen's shoulder a heavy pat, hard enough to make Yan Hongchen's body tilt sideways.

"But I'm not discouraged." Xiao Hongchen grinned, his smile carrying both a young man's stubbornness and an older brother's pride in his little brother. "My future won't be bad either. I'll stand by your side."

Meng Hongchen nodded softly as well. She said nothing, but the meaning in her gaze was perfectly clear—she naturally would not fall behind.

Yan Hongchen looked at them, warmth filling his heart. Xiao Hongchen was not someone who would admit defeat because of talent. Although he had gone to extremes later in the original story, it was not because Xiao Hongchen lacked talent—it was because Huo Yuhao had far too many cheats.

"Then let's discuss how we can coordinate." Yan Hongchen straightened up again, his tone turning serious. "We should show off some of our strength, at least. We can't let Dad look down on us."

Xiao Hongchen's eyes lit up. "You have an idea?"

Yan Hongchen lightly tapped the table twice with his fingers, his gaze deepening. "The three of us can try developing a new martial soul fusion skill." He lowered his voice, unable to hide his eager excitement.

"If we have more than one, we can catch them off guard and be more versatile. Let's see whether we can create a new martial soul fusion skill."

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time. It really was a viable method. They were three siblings, after all—the odds of success should not be low.

The two spoke in unison. "Alright, let's give it a try."