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 Dou Grade One Class, effectively "leaving" the team.
Of course, at his level of cultivation, the academy's classes were no longer important to Yu Tianheng.
Other than practical combat classes, he spent most of his time at the Mimetic Cultivation grounds, or occasionally dropped by Heavenly Grade Class One. It was not much different from before he left.
During this time, Ouyang Ling also devoted most of his energy to cultivating his soul power. He had to admit 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 held back his third Soul Ring, or the Shi Family brothers came at him together. Sometimes, Yu Feng and Oslo, those two living treasures, would be forcibly shoved onto the stage by the others and beaten black and blue every time.
As for Dugu Yan...
In her words, men were fighting, so women should stay off the stage lest they have to hold back.
But Ouyang Ling knew full well that this woman was sly as a fox. It was clearly because her first two soul skills lacked strong offensive power, and even with an advantage in soul power, she would not be his match. That was why she only "fanned the flames" from below the stage.
Until the end of the semester drew near,
When winter arrived and snow fell thickly, Dugu Yan successfully broke through to level 30. Only then did she come before Ouyang Ling to provoke him, saying she would fight him after obtaining her third Soul Ring.
Ouyang Ling readily agreed.
But now, a month had already passed and she still had not returned. The eve of the holiday had arrived.
At the Spirit Duel District, atop the Spirit Arena, even though the platform was already covered in snow, it could not cool 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 to be covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering, it was still as solid as ever. Seizing the right moment, he used the instant the shells came together to clamp the ice blade tightly within the gap.
"Nice move."
Seeing Shi Mo's technique despite having his right hand locked down, Ouyang Ling's eyes lit up as he praised him.
The next second, Shi Mo's figure suddenly leaped from behind Shi Mo, crashing down like an earthen-yellow meteor! Layer upon layer of earthen-yellow ripples spread outward!
Tremor—
Ouyang Ling did not look up, yet it was as though he had eyes on the top of his head. He raised his left arm, water ripples covering it entirely as an ice shield formed in an instant above him.
Clang— The collision between the turtle-shell shield and the ice shield shattered the latter beneath the soul skill's vibrations. Yet because the water ripples below gently dispersed the force, Ouyang Ling's arm suffered little damage.
On the contrary,
The tremendous force broke the ice blade on Ouyang Ling's armguard free from its confinement and aided his counterattack.
Crack—
Ouyang Ling swept his left hand, and an icy current surged forth.
Shi Mo had originally intended to use the newly scattered turtle shells to deal Ouyang Ling a heavy blow, but before he could land, Ouyang Ling's sudden move froze him inside solid ice.
This unexpected development made Shi Mo's expression change slightly.
With his battle experience growing ever richer, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He grabbed his younger brother's left leg, while Shi Mo tacitly dispelled the soul skill "Shield Transformation," 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 arrive wrapped around a "giant dragon," Shi Mo used Shi Mo as a meteor hammer. He spun fiercely, then hurled him out with explosive force, meeting Ouyang Ling's Diamond Ice Dust Fist head-on!
Boom—
Amid the ice crystals raging through the sky, Ouyang Ling suddenly leaped out. Appearing alongside him were Shi Mo, who had briefly fallen unconscious and been thrown aside by him, as well as the incomparably sharp Ice Dragon Claw.
At this moment, the outcome had been decided!
"The coordination between you brothers is getting better and better."
After the battle ended, Ouyang Ling reviewed the fight and gave them a fairly generous compliment.
"It was always there..."
"...We had the foundation."
Shi Mo spoke half the sentence, and Shi Mo immediately finished it.
Ouyang Ling: "..."
It was my fault, but that still hurt to hear.
"Could you two speak normally?"
Shi Mo and Shi Mo exchanged a glance.
"No problem."
Shi Mo spoke again, while Shi Mo said nothing more.
"That's much better." Ouyang Ling sighed, 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's group of seven, Ouyang Ling saw the Shi Family brothers fighting together and proposed an idea:
If the Shi Family brothers became increasingly coordinated, could they make their soul powers merge? Could they use that to develop a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?
After all, few people in the world had conditions like theirs. First, they were twins with a faint telepathic connection. Second, both of their martial souls were Black Tortoises, though they had subtle differences that could complement each other.
While the others merely thought it made sense, the Shi Family brothers were men of action. They immediately went to try it.
In their words, even if it failed, it could improve the coordination between the two brothers. But if it succeeded...
Then they would truly hit the jackpot!
"Still a little short." Shi Mo spoke in a deep voice, giving his judgment. "But I think it's working."
"As long as it's working."
At that moment, Ouyang Ling happened to pull a medical kit from his Ruyi Hundred-Treasure Pouch and found a roll of bandages. Tossing it toward Shi Mo, he 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 develop a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Shi Mo, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.
"That's good, then."
Ouyang Ling said nothing more.
He had initially thought of Chrysanthemum-Ghost Douluo upon seeing the Shi Family brothers, as well as Shui Bing'er and another Tianshui Academy student, and the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of the Peerless Dragon Snake... That was why he had proposed it to the two of them with a research-minded attitude.
Their martial souls were clearly not identical, at most merely compatible, yet they all possessed the ability to use Martial Soul Fusion Skills. There was no reason the more compatible Shi Family brothers would not have one.
Martial souls truly were too wondrous!
"Oh, right."
As he reminisced, Shi Mo wrapped his bandages and proactively changed the subject. "The boss lady is back from hunting soul beasts. She asked whether we should go out for dinner tonight."
"Tonight?"
Ouyang Ling came back to his senses and did not continue the previous subject. 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 at home, and it was arranged beforehand."
"I see."
Shi Mo nodded.
"Then we can get together another day. The holiday is long enough, and everyone can make time."
Shi Mo, who had not spoken the entire time, smoothly picked up the conversation. "Brother thinks it wouldn't be good if you were missing. Of course, everyone feels the same."
The corners of Ouyang Ling's lips lifted slightly, and he suddenly felt rather good. "Then once I finish what I need to do, I'll cook for you myself as an apology."
"Alright."
"..."
As for whether Ouyang Ling could actually cook, neither of them asked. Perhaps they had forgotten, or perhaps they simply had great confidence in him.
After that, the Shi Family brothers fell silent again like corked gourds, and Ouyang Ling had grown used to it.
If it were not just the three of them here, those two brothers would probably speak even less, perhaps becoming so quiet that people would overlook them entirely.
Before long, after simply tending to their injuries, they left the Spirit Duel District and went their separate ways.
The Shi Family brothers went to find Ye Lingling for treatment, while the nearly uninjured Ouyang Ling followed a small path down to the foot of the mountain.
The moment he stepped beyond the grounds of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, a figure of extraordinary nobility appeared before him. Seeing her, he quickened his pace.
"Brother Xue."
Though Ouyang Ling addressed her that way aloud, his lips moved again afterward, forming silent words.
—Sister Xue'er.
That gesture made Qian Renxue smile brightly.
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