Already Treated as One of Their Own

Before long, half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

During his time studying at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Ouyang Ling got along very well with Yu Tianheng and the other six. Their relationship gradually became more familiar as well.

Just as Yu Tianheng had said after that battle, he was only half a step away from breaking through to Soul Elder. Not long afterward, he left the academy and returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. By the time he came back, he had already advanced to Heaven Grade Class One, effectively "leaving" the team.

Of course, at his level of cultivation, the academy's classes were no longer important to Yu Tianheng.

Aside from practical combat classes, he spent most of his time at the Mimetic Cultivation grounds, occasionally dropping by Heavenly Grade Class One. Not much had changed from before he left.

During this period, Ouyang Ling also devoted most of his energy to cultivating soul power. It had to be said that cultivating at the Mimetic Cultivation grounds was indeed much faster than cultivating outside.

As for combat, he had more than enough friends to spar with. Either Yu Tianheng suppressed his third soul ring, or the Shi brothers fought him together. Sometimes, Yu Feng and Oslo, those two living treasures, were forcibly pushed onto the stage by the others and got beaten senseless every time.

As for Dugu Yan...

In her words, men were fighting, so women should stay off the stage, lest they hold back the fight.

But Ouyang Ling knew perfectly well that the woman was sly as a fox. Her first two soul skills simply lacked strong offensive power. Even with an advantage in soul power, she would not be his match, so she only fanned the flames from below the stage.

It was not until the end of the semester drew near that—

Winter arrived, snow fell thick and fast, and Dugu Yan successfully broke through to level thirty. Only then did she come before Ouyang Ling to challenge him, saying she would fight him after obtaining her third soul ring.

Ouyang Ling readily agreed.

Yet a month had already passed, and she still had not returned. Time had reached the eve of the holiday.

In the Soul Fighting Area, atop the Soul Fighting Platform, even the snow covering the stage could not dampen the heat of battle.

Crack—

As turtle shells scattered through the air before swiftly gathering again, a dull sound followed.

"Shield Transformation."

Shi Mo held a turtle-shell shield and firmly blocked Ouyang Ling's incoming attack. Though the shell appeared covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering, it remained unyielding. Seizing the moment when the shells came together, he used the gap between them to clamp down tightly on the ice blade.

"Nicely done."

Seeing Shi Mo's move while his right hand was locked down, Ouyang Ling's eyes lit up, and he voiced his praise.

The next second, Shi Mo's figure suddenly leaped up from behind Shi Mo, crashing down like an earthen-yellow meteor! Layer after layer of earthen-yellow ripples spread outward!

Boom—

Ouyang Ling did not look up, yet it was as though he had eyes on the back of his head. He raised his left arm, and as water ripples covered the entire limb, an ice shield formed in an instant above him.

Clang— The collision between the turtle-shell shield and the ice shield caused the latter to crack apart under the soul skill's vibrations. Yet because the water ripples beneath it gently dispersed the force, Ouyang Ling's arm did not suffer much damage.

On the contrary,

the immense impact broke the ice blade on Ouyang Ling's armguard free from its restraint and aided his counterattack.

Crack—

Ouyang Ling swung his left hand, and a frigid current surged forth.

Shi Mo had intended to use the newly scattered turtle shells to deal Ouyang Ling a heavy blow, but he was frozen in solid ice midair by Ouyang Ling's sudden move.

This unexpected change made Shi Mo's expression shift slightly.

With his combat experience growing ever richer, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He grabbed his younger brother's left leg, while Shi Mo tacitly dismissed the "Shield Transformation" soul skill, allowing the turtle shells to wrap around his body once more.

At that moment,

"Diamond Ice Dust Fist!"

Ouyang Ling controlled the ice diamonds and threw a punch!

Seeing the attack carrying a "giant dragon" toward him, Shi Mo used Shi Mo as a meteor hammer. He spun fiercely, then released him with explosive force, colliding head-on with Ouyang Ling's Diamond Ice Dust Fist!

Boom—

Amid the ice crystals raging through the sky, Ouyang Ling's figure suddenly leaped out. Along with him came Shi Mo, who had briefly passed out and been thrown aside by him, as well as the incomparably sharp Ice Dragon Claw.

At that moment, victory and defeat had been decided!

"The coordination between you brothers is getting better and better."

After the battle ended, Ouyang Ling reviewed the fight just now and offered them fairly high praise.

"We already had..."

"...the foundation."

Shi Mo said half a sentence, and Shi Mo immediately finished it.

Ouyang Ling: "..."

Even if it was my fault, that still sounds awful.

"Can you two speak normally?"

Shi Mo and Shi Mo exchanged a glance.

"No problem."

Shi Mo spoke again, while Shi Mo did not say another word.

"That's much better." Ouyang Ling remarked, then asked, "How do you feel now? Can your soul power merge with each other?"

It turned out that midway through the semester, after getting along well with Yu Tianheng and the others, Ouyang Ling had watched the Shi brothers fight together and proposed an idea:

If the two Shi brothers became increasingly coordinated, could they make their soul powers merge? Could they develop a martial soul fusion skill from that?

After all, few people in the world possessed conditions like theirs. First, they were twins and shared a faint telepathic connection. Second, both their martial souls were Black Tortoises, yet their subtle differences allowed them to complement each other.

While the others were still considering whether it made sense, the Shi brothers were men of action and immediately went to try it.

In their words, even if it failed, it would still improve the coordination between the two brothers. But if it succeeded...

Then they would truly strike it rich!

"Still a little short." Shi Mo said in a low voice, giving his assessment. "But I think it's working."

"As long as it's working."

At that moment, Ouyang Ling took a medical kit from his Ruyi Hundred-Treasure Pouch and found a roll of bandages. He tossed it toward Shi Mo and said, "Catch," then continued after Shi Mo caught it, "I was worried I might be holding you two back."

"Not at all." Shi Mo answered without hesitation.

"We should be thanking you. Otherwise, we brothers would never have had the chance to obtain a martial soul fusion skill."

Shi Mo, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.

"That's good, then."

Ouyang Ling did not say anything more.

At first, after seeing the Shi brothers, he had thought of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, as well as Shui Bing'er and another Tianshui Academy student, along with the martial soul fusion skill of the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent... That was why, with a researcher's mindset, he had made the suggestion to the two of them.

Their martial souls were clearly not identical, merely compatible, yet they still possessed martial soul fusion skills. There was no reason the Shi brothers, whose martial souls were even more suited to each other, would not have one.

Martial souls truly were far too wondrous!

"Right."

As he reminisced, Shi Mo wrapped bandages around himself and proactively changed the subject. "The boss lady is back from hunting soul beasts. She asked whether you want to go out for dinner tonight."

"Tonight?"

Ouyang Ling came back to his senses and did not continue the previous topic. Instead, he took out a bottle of medicine for bruises and sprains and tossed it to Shi Mo. "I'm afraid I can't make it. There's something going on at home. It was arranged in advance."

"I see."

Shi Mo nodded.

"Then we can get together another day. The holiday is long enough. Everyone can make time."

Shi Mo, who had remained silent until now, smoothly took over. "Brother thinks it wouldn't be good if you were missing. Of course, everyone else thinks so too."

The corners of Ouyang Ling's lips lifted slightly, and he suddenly felt rather happy. "Then once I finish handling things, I'll cook for you all myself as an apology."

"Alright."

"..."

As for whether Ouyang Ling could actually cook, neither of them asked. Whether they had forgotten or simply had great confidence in him, no one knew.

After that, the Shi brothers fell silent again like two sealed jars, and Ouyang Ling was already used to it.

If not for the fact that only the three of them were present, the brothers would probably have spoken even less, perhaps enough to make people overlook them entirely.

Soon, after simply dressing their injuries, they left the Soul Fighting Area and went their separate ways.

The Shi brothers went to find Ye Lingling for treatment, while Ouyang Ling, who was practically uninjured, followed a path to the foot of the mountain.

The moment he stepped outside Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's grounds, a figure overflowing with noble bearing appeared before him. Seeing this, he quickened his pace.

"Brother Xue."

Though Ouyang Ling addressed her that way, his lips moved again afterward, silently forming the words.

—Sister Xue'er.

This action made Qian Renxue smile brightly.