A moment later, Shui Qingrou arrived at the ruins with Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo. The three of them looked at the devastated training ground before them, then at Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er standing amid the wreckage, smiles still lingering at the corners of their mouths. Their expressions were all different.
Shui Qingrou froze at first. Then her gaze fell on the hands Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er were still holding. When she saw the ice shards scattered across the ground and the deep crater, her pupils suddenly contracted.
"You... used a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
Bing Yekong nodded, beaming. "Aunt Shui, Bing'er and I accidentally triggered a Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now. As for its power..." He pointed at the ground beneath his feet. "You can see it for yourself."
Shui Qingrou took a deep breath. After a long while, she let out a sigh filled with both shock and relief.
Her daughter had truly chosen the right person.
Yang Wudi circled the crater twice, crouched down to touch the ice coating its walls, then looked up at the destroyed wall opposite him. Clicking his tongue, he said, "This old man has seen quite a few Martial Soul Fusion Skills, but I've never seen one unleash this kind of power on its first try. Just how high does your compatibility have to be to achieve something like this?"
Dugu Bo stood at the edge of the ruins with his hands behind his back, squinting at the two young people standing side by side. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Did you two truly feel that strike just now?"
Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er both turned to look at him.
"This old man may not specialize in the ice attribute, but a Titled Douluo's eyesight is still sharp." Dugu Bo lifted his chin toward the crater. "That strike only hit the training dummy because it happened to crash into the target. Its true power hadn't even fully erupted before it had already leveled the training ground. If it struck a living creature..." He paused. "Even a Soul Saint probably wouldn't be able to take it."
As soon as he said this, everyone present fell silent.
Bing Yekong lowered his head and looked at the Tianshuang Sword in his hand. The blade still emitted a faint chill, and the sensation from that strike lingered in his heart. When he and Shui Bing'er had fused into one, it had felt as though their souls had merged together. Everything about each of them had been laid bare before the other—no secrets, no barriers.
He turned his head to glance at Shui Bing'er. She was looking at him too, moonlight outlining her profile in soft, clear lines. Their gazes met in the air. There was no avoidance, no shyness—only a tacit understanding neither needed to put into words.
Yang Wudi brushed the ice chips from his hands, rose to his feet, and laughed heartily. "Alright, alright. So the training ground's destroyed—it's destroyed. The Shui Family head can have it repaired later. You two youngsters caused such a huge commotion today. You should be happy!"
Shui Qingrou also came back to her senses. She sighed helplessly, but the smile in her eyes could not be hidden. "Destroyed is destroyed. I'll have someone rebuild it tomorrow. You two should go back and rest tonight. Don't get so excited that you can't sleep."
Bing Yekong rubbed his nose, somewhat embarrassed. "Aunt Shui, sorry. We really made quite a mess."
Shui Qingrou waved him off. "Alright, alright. Stop standing here in the wind. Go back and get some rest. Senior Yang, Senior Dugu, please return as well."
Everyone went their separate ways. Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er walked side by side on the way back to the courtyard, the moonlight stretching their shadows long across the ground. Every now and then, the shadows overlapped, making it impossible to tell whose was whose.
When they reached the courtyard gate, Shui Bing'er stopped and turned to look at him. Softly, she asked, "Do you still remember... that feeling just now?"
Bing Yekong nodded. "I remember. It was strange. It felt like we became one person."
Shui Bing'er lowered her head. Moonlight fell across her profile, casting a faint golden sheen over her eyelashes. She was silent for a while before speaking softly. "If it's becoming one person with you... I don't think I'd be afraid."
Bing Yekong looked at her profile, and something seemed to gently strike his chest. It was warm, leaving him slightly numb.
He did not say much. He merely gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "Get some rest early. Tomorrow night, let's try again."
Shui Bing'er raised her head and met his smiling gaze. Her cheeks flushed faintly again, but this time she did not look away. She only gave a soft "Mm."
Then they each returned to their rooms.
Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Bing Yekong woke up.
He lay in bed staring at the ceiling, his mind filled with the image of last night's Ice Phoenix Strike.
The seamless sensation of the Tianshuang Sword merging with the Ice Phoenix had kept him from sleeping well all night. He tossed and turned, reliving every detail.
He rolled over and sat up, washed up quickly, and pushed open his door just in time to see Shui Bing'er emerge from the room next door. They exchanged a glance in the courtyard. Neither said anything, yet they both smiled at the same time.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Shui Bing'er asked.
Bing Yekong nodded. "I was thinking about something else."
Shui Bing'er blinked, then quickly understood what he meant. Her memory had always been excellent. She remembered every word Bing Yekong had said last night with perfect clarity, especially that one sentence: "Both of my Martial Souls can fuse with yours."
After realizing that he could perform Martial Soul Fusion with Shui Bing'er, Bing Yekong had taken the initiative to reveal that he possessed Twin Martial Souls.
After their surprise, Shui Qingrou and Shui Bing'er were more pleased for Bing Yekong than anything else.
"You want to try the Ice Dragon King?"
Bing Yekong looked into her eyes and nodded seriously. "The Tianshuang Sword and your Ice Phoenix created a single strike. But what if we use the Ice Dragon King instead? The Ice Dragon King possesses the supreme bloodline among dragon-type Martial Souls, while your Ice Phoenix has evolved into Ultimate Ice. If dragon and phoenix come together..."
He did not finish the sentence, but Shui Bing'er already understood what he meant.
The union of dragon and phoenix had always been one of the most compatible combinations for Martial Soul Fusion. If the Ice Dragon King and Ice Phoenix served as the foundation, the resulting Martial Soul Fusion Skill would likely be even more powerful than the Tianshuang Sword.
"But..." Shui Bing'er hesitated. "Your Ice Dragon King Martial Soul doesn't have any Soul Rings yet. Is the Martial Soul's own power alone enough?"
Bing Yekong pondered for a moment before saying, "The essence of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is that two Martial Souls undergo a qualitative change through Soul Power resonance when their compatibility is high enough. The number of Soul Rings affects the upper limit of its power, but it doesn't determine whether the fusion can succeed. The Tianshuang Sword and Ice Phoenix fused last night, so the Ice Dragon King and Ice Phoenix should be able to fuse today as well."
He paused, a heated glint flashing through his eyes. "Besides, I have a feeling that the Ice Dragon King and Ice Phoenix might be even more compatible than the Tianshuang Sword."
Shui Bing'er did not ask any further questions. She had always trusted Bing Yekong's judgment. Since he said they could try it, she would try it with him.
After getting ready, the two headed straight for another training ground of the Shui Family. This one was a circle smaller than the one from last night, but it had likewise been reinforced with Soul Power. It was usually used by the family's lower-level disciples for practice and could barely withstand the aftermath of a Soul Emperor-level battle.
As for whether it could withstand what was about to happen, Bing Yekong had no idea. But they would only know if they tried.
Before you continue