Junior, You Wouldn't Want...

"Senior, that's enough, isn't it? Get down already!" Jiang Lan caught his breath and said with a displeased expression.

"Just as expected of the little man I picked out. Senior likes you even more now."

Xue Wu's gaze at Jiang Lan grew increasingly satisfied.

To say something narcissistic, with her figure and looks, the men pursuing her could line up from Skywater City all the way to Heaven Dou City.

All she had to do was crook a finger, and she could leave some men completely infatuated with her.

Yet in the face of her active seduction, he could still reject her so firmly. Junior truly was a fine match.

Sure enough, men were best when carefully chosen by one's best friend.

"Senior..." Jiang Lan frowned. Just as he was about to say something, Xue Wu suddenly extended a finger and pressed it against his lips, making him swallow all the words that followed. Looking at Jiang Lan's tightly furrowed brows, she said with a hint of amusement:

"Junior, from the moment Bing'er and I sensed our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, it was destined that the two of us would be inseparable. That includes our future lover. Even if Bing'er finds out, she probably won't mind. She might even be happy about it."

"Besides, because Bing'er completely takes the lead in our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, changes in her emotions will subtly influence me. In other words, as long as Bing'er and I keep cultivating or using our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, sooner or later, I'll come to like you under Bing'er's influence."

"Since I'm bound to like you sooner or later, why can't I make a move on you early?" Xue Wu giggled, speaking as though it were only natural.

"Moreover, as an auxiliary-system soul master, I can only choose a battle soul master as my future partner. But among all the soul masters on the continent, which battle soul master has greater talent than you? It seems I have no reason not to choose you, does it?" Xue Wu said bluntly.

"Junior, I'm not here to break you two up. I'm here to join you."

Jiang Lan: "..."

Her reasoning was sound. He couldn't refute it.

As for the effects of Martial Soul Fusion Skills on soul masters, there were related descriptions in the original Douluo Continent work.

For example, Zhu Zhuqing, Liu Erlong, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei.

Before the martial soul fusion, Zhu Zhuqing's attitude toward Dai Mubai had been as terrible as it could get.

After the martial soul fusion, Zhu Zhuqing's attitude toward Dai Mubai clearly softened. Her entire heart was even hung up on Dai Mubai.

Liu Erlong was the same. The reason she could tolerate a useless loser like Gangzi so much, even forgiving him no matter what he did, was not only because she was love-struck, but also because of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

As for Yue Guan and Gui Mei, those two gay-as-hell fellows, their Martial Soul Fusion Skill was probably at work too.

The psychological defense Jiang Lan had worked so hard to build collapsed in an instant.

If Senior Bing'er and Senior Yue'er didn't mind, what was he resisting for?

"In that case, why are you being so sneaky about it, Senior?"

"Junior, don't you think doing it secretly like this is even more exciting?" Xue Wu rested her head on Jiang Lan's shoulder, gently poked his cheek with a fingertip, and smiled.

Jiang Lan: "..."

"Junior, from now on, you have to obediently listen to Senior. You can't reject Senior, okay? After all, you wouldn't want Bing'er to find out about what happened today, would you?" Xue Wu reached out, pulled Jiang Lan's head into her embrace, and whispered into his ear.

No, seriously, sis.

Did you go study abroad on that island nation where people live rather well?

Hearing that incomparably familiar phrasing, Jiang Lan truly couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Senior, I'm going to sleep! You should rest early too. Good night!" Jiang Lan hurriedly broke free from Xue Wu's embrace and said in a fluster.

The tip of his nose still seemed to be lingering with her faint body fragrance and that soft, water-like touch.

"Pfft!" Seeing Jiang Lan's slightly flustered expression, Xue Wu immediately burst into laughter and did not continue teasing him.

She also understood that excess was as bad as deficiency. If she kept teasing him, it might backfire instead.

Soon, the tent fell quiet, leaving only the gentle sounds of several people breathing.

Nothing happened throughout the night, and in the blink of an eye, morning arrived.

In his sleep, Jiang Lan suddenly felt tightness in his chest and shortness of breath, as though something heavy were pressing down on him.

Sleep paralysis?!

Jiang Lan struggled to open his eyes. When he turned his head, he saw Shui Yue'er tightly hugging his neck, with nearly half her body weight pressed onto him.

Jiang Lan: "..."

This girl really had terrible sleeping habits.

Jiang Lan turned to look to his right. Although Xue Wu was not pressing half her body onto him like Shui Yue'er, she was practically nestled in his arms, using his arm as a pillow and sleeping very sweetly.

Jiang Lan carefully got up, corrected Shui Yue'er's sleeping position, then glanced at the peaceful sleeping faces of Shui Bing'er and the tomboy senior. His mood improved considerably.

Still, the three of them were all squeezed together, while Shui Bing'er alone occupied an enormous space by herself.

When he walked out of the tent, Shui Qinghan, who had stood watch all night, was tending the campfire before her. Seeing Jiang Lan emerge from the tent, she asked in surprise, "Lan'er, why are you awake so early?"

"Senior Yue'er's sleeping habits are a little bad. She pressed me awake," Jiang Lan replied with a smile.

"Hehe~" Shui Qinghan chuckled, then said, "Since you're awake, today's breakfast is up to you."

"No problem." Jiang Lan smiled and immediately took out pots, bowls, and utensils from the storage bracelet on his wrist, intending to show off his skills.

However, when Jiang Lan saw Shui Qinghan's bare, empty wrist, he immediately realized something. He took off the storage bracelet from his own wrist and handed it to Shui Qinghan. "Teacher, this storage bracelet should be returned to its rightful owner."

"No need." Shui Qinghan waved a hand and said calmly, "I was already planning to give this Starlight Blue Jewel Bracelet to you. Just accept it without worry. Consider it a belated gift for becoming my disciple."

"One must not refuse a gift from an elder. Then this disciple will shamelessly accept it." Jiang Lan did not decline and accepted it directly.

The Starlight Blue Jewel Bracelet was ice-blue in appearance, set with ten round pale-blue gemstones. Specks of starlight flickered within them.

Moreover, the space inside these sapphires was enormous. Though each was only the size of a fingernail, every one of them contained a full ten cubic meters of storage space!

Ten sapphires meant one hundred cubic meters of space.

Could these sapphires be the Starlight Sapphires from Douluo Continent II? Jiang Lan stroked his chin and thought to himself.

However, Jiang Lan quickly cast this minor matter aside and put the Starlight Blue Jewel Bracelet back on his wrist.

After all, Douluo Continent's Soul Tool technology had already suffered a break in inheritance. Even if he knew what material it was, it would be useless.

"Mm, salted egg, shiitake, and beef congee, then." Looking at the remaining supplies, Jiang Lan pondered briefly before deciding.

On a cold morning, nothing was more comfortable than a bowl of hot congee.