After the Eye of Destiny went out of control, Xuan Zi suspended the Soul Power resonance experiment involving the three of them.
But the experiment being suspended did not mean everything came to a halt. The atmosphere between Dong'er and Qiu'er instead grew increasingly tense. The jealousy and defiance of the past had gained an unspoken layer of unease—both of them vaguely sensed that some force in the future was trying to push them in the same direction.
They both hated that feeling. Thus, the conflict between them finally erupted completely on the training ground.
That day, Huo Yuhao was organizing the Spirit Detection records when Dong'er came to find him for martial soul fusion training. She had barely opened her mouth when Qiu'er approached from the other side. "I want to train with him too."
Dong'er's voice turned cold. "Don't you have your own training schedule?"
"Training with him is more effective." Qiu'er spoke calmly, meeting Dong'er's gaze. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Afraid of you?" Dong'er's eyes sharpened. "You're getting close to my man."
The area around the training ground instantly fell silent. Wang Qiu'er stared at her for a moment before suddenly speaking.
"Then let's compete."
"Compete over what?"
"Who deserves to stand by his side more."
Wang Dong'er's gaze was as cold as ice. "Fine."
Huo Yuhao immediately stood up. "No." Both of them looked at him at the same time.
"This is between us," Wang Dong'er said.
"You don't need to stop us," Wang Qiu'er added.
Huo Yuhao said gravely, "Neither of you is emotionally stable right now. If you really start fighting, you'll lose control."
Dong'er's eyes reddened. "Then what am I supposed to do? Watch her get closer to you day by day, then force myself to be generous?"
Wang Qiu'er spoke bluntly. "I don't want to keep being stopped by her either."
Xuan Zi appeared at the edge of the field at some point. After taking a sip of wine, he said indifferently, "Let them fight. If they don't go through this, how will they accompany you in training properly?" Then he turned and quietly instructed, "Yuhao, control the field with your spiritual power. Don't let them truly hurt each other."
Huo Yuhao frowned, but in the end, he did not stop them again.
Dong'er was the first to step into the field. Her Light Goddess Butterfly martial soul abruptly spread open, and Soul Power surged like a tidal wave. Wang Qiu'er stood opposite her, golden light rising around her body as she tightly gripped the Golden Dragon Spear. The aura of an emperor was steady and domineering.
"Begin." As Xuan Zi's words fell, both of them moved at once.
Dong'er was incredibly fast. Her light wings sliced through the air, and her first strike went straight for Wang Qiu'er's side. Qiu'er neither dodged nor retreated, striking directly at Dong'er's neck. The Soul Power of the Light Goddess and the Emperor Auspicious Beast collided violently, sending fine cracks through the ground. Dong'er's attacks came in an unbroken stream; she had never been a weakling who needed protection. Qiu'er countered with an almost brutally simple style, every spear strike carrying the instinctive judgment of a Soul Beast as well as the mysterious protective power of an ancient martial soul. The two fought faster and faster.
The two fought faster and faster.
"Why do you insist on taking him from me?" Wang Dong'er demanded.
"Because I want him." Qiu'er swept aside the light wings with a thrust of her spear. Dong'er's movements faltered slightly, and Wang Qiu'er instantly closed in, golden Soul Power crashing down like a mountain. Huo Yuhao's expression changed drastically. "Dong'er!" Huo Yuhao rushed between them, using his spiritual power to deflect the attack. Ultimate Ice exploded beneath his feet, forcibly severing their Soul Power.
The training ground fell into a deathly silence.
Dong'er's face turned pale. "Yuhao!"
Wang Qiu'er also froze in place. The Dragon Spear had grazed Huo Yuhao's shoulder. Though the wound was not serious, it panicked them both.
Dong'er rushed forward. "Why did you step in?"
"I didn't mean to hurt her," Qiu'er said softly.
Dong'er bit her lip, and tears finally slid down her cheeks. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. "Don't use hurting each other to prove who matters more."
He looked first at Wang Dong'er. "Dong'er, you're important to me."
Then he turned to Wang Qiu'er. "Qiu'er, you're our companion too."
Xuan Zi sighed at the edge of the field. "Kid, you really handled that terribly."
Qiu'er suddenly looked at Dong'er. "Let's make another bet."
"Again?"
"Not now." Wang Qiu'er said calmly, "Later. We'll bet whether he'll choose only you in the end..."
Dong'er raised her head. There were still tears in her eyes, but they held the pride of someone unwilling to admit defeat. "Fine."
Huo Yuhao felt immense pressure. He had been pushed to the center of destiny by two people who refused to yield, and this wager had no true winner.
At least, not yet.
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