Galaxy Xuanyuan

The world of meditation should have been silent.

Within Yun Zhiyu's sea of spirit, the Xuanyuan Sword lay across the void, while the Winged Dragon coiled beside it. Its violet-gold dragon eyes were half-open, half-closed, like some colossal beast that had slept for countless ages.

Ye Xinglan's Star God Sword Intent flowed like a silver-white stream, slowly merging into that vast expanse. It intertwined and entwined with the Xuanyuan Sword's sharp edge, forming a strange harmony.

The change occurred in an instant.

A faint glimmer rose from the depths of Ye Xinglan's spirit. At first, it was no more than a firefly-like speck, but within a breath, it expanded and burned, ultimately becoming a dazzling star suspended directly above the Xuanyuan Sword.

The star resonated with the great sword, letting out a clear, lingering cry. It was as if some ancient covenant had been awakened, or as if two rivers separated for years had finally flowed into the same sea.

"This is..." Yun Zhiyu's consciousness trembled.

Ye Xinglan felt it as well. Within her sea of spirit, that lonely star was suddenly no longer alone—a violet-gold greatsword descended from the heavens, and the Winged Dragon at its hilt opened its eyes. The majesty in its dragon eyes blended with the star's icy brilliance, becoming a vast yet warm force field unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Two stars and one greatsword slowly revolved in the void.

Their paths drew closer and closer until they finally collided—there was no explosion, no tearing apart, only a seamless union, like yin and yang converging, like the sun and moon shining together. Fine star patterns gradually appeared along the Xuanyuan Sword's blade, while a layer of violet-gold dragon breath tinged the starlight.

"Martial Soul Fusion..." Yun Zhiyu whispered in her mind.

She recalled the records from the original story. Ten thousand years ago, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao and Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong had possessed four Martial Soul Fusion Skills. They had been miracles of god-tier Martial Souls, gifts bestowed by the Eye of Destiny. Yet now, she and Ye Xinglan—the Xuanyuan Sword and the Stargod Sword—had triggered the very same opportunity.

Outside, in the clearing, a sudden change erupted.

The two girls, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, lit up at the same time.

Yun Zhiyu's violet-gold Soul Power surged out like a tide, gathering above her head into the phantom of a greatsword. Ye Xinglan's silver-white Soul Power transformed into starlight that filled the sky, slowly revolving around the greatsword. The two lights intertwined and fused, ultimately forming a dazzling curtain of light that enveloped them both.

"Big Sister!" Yun Zhishu was the first to cry out. The sugar painting in her hand fell to the ground with a slap.

Yuanen Yehui's pupils constricted sharply, shock appearing on her ash-gray face. She felt that pressure—it was not the fluctuation of a single kind of Soul Power, but a qualitative change produced by the perfect fusion of two Martial Souls. Its aura was ancient and majestic, like a deity opening its eyes from slumber, or the first ray of light at the birth of heaven and earth.

The smile froze on Xu Lizhi's chubby face. He instinctively stepped forward, only to be stopped by Yuan En. "Don't go over there! It's dangerous!"

Within the curtain of light, Yun Zhiyu and Ye Xinglan opened their eyes at the same time.

Their pupils had changed—silver-white star patterns slowly flowed within Yun Zhiyu's violet eyes, while the shadow of a violet-gold dragon flickered in Ye Xinglan's black eyes. Their gazes met, and without a word, a tacit understanding had already formed in the depths of their souls.

"Starflash..." Ye Xinglan spoke, her voice carrying a strange echo, as if two people were speaking at once.

"Xuanyuan Slash." Yun Zhiyu finished.

They rose simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, like mirror images, or like the left and right hands of one person. Yun Zhiyu formed a sword with her fingers, while Ye Xinglan held her slender sword horizontally before her chest. Two streams of Soul Power met in the air, and violet-gold sword qi fused with silver-white starlight, becoming an enormous blade of light suspended above them.

"First Form—Starflash Xuanyuan Slash!"

The light sword descended.

There was no howling wind, no explosive shockwave—only a nearly silent sharpness. Wherever the sword light passed, the air was severed in two. A trench three inches deep was carved into the bluestone ground, its edges smooth as mirrors, as though some force beyond the mundane had erased a portion of existence itself.

"Boom—"

The distant parasol tree snapped in response. Its crown slowly tilted before crashing to the ground with a bang, startling flocks of birds from the forest.

Yun Zhiyu and Ye Xinglan staggered at the same time. That strike had consumed nearly half their Soul Power, leaving their bodies drained, their limbs weak, and their vision dark. Yet that strange resonance continued, their spiritual power entwining and urging them to raise their swords once more.

"We can... do it one more time..." Yun Zhiyu gritted her teeth.

Ye Xinglan did not answer. She merely gripped her slender sword tighter. Her face was as pale as paper, but her dark eyes shone with startling brightness, like a dying star erupting with its most dazzling light in its final moment.

"Starflash Xuanyuan Slash!"

The second sword descended.

This time, the sword light was brighter and its range wider. Violet-gold starlight surged forward like a tide, slicing away a section of the stone railing at the edge of the clearing. Before the broken stones could hit the ground, the heat within the sword qi melted them into crimson magma, which dripped onto the earth with sizzling sounds.

"Puh—"

Yun Zhiyu spat out a mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee. Ye Xinglan could no longer hold on either; her slender sword clanged to the ground as she pitched forward. Their Soul Power was completely exhausted, and the resonance in their seas of spirit receded like a tide. The phantoms of the star and greatsword gradually faded, revealing their originally empty seas of consciousness.

The curtain of light shattered.

"Big Sister!" Yun Zhishu screamed as she rushed over, but a white figure got there first.

Ya Li.

At some point, she had already appeared in the clearing. Her Wish Angel Martial Soul was released at full power, six wings spread wide as holy light surged like a tide toward the two girls.

Yun Zhiyu felt a gentle force flow into her meridians, like spring rain falling upon parched earth. Her overdrawn Soul Power slowly recovered under the nourishment of the holy light, while her torn meridians healed at a visible rate.

"Mom..." she said weakly.

"Don't talk!" Ya Li's voice carried a sob. Her usually gentle eyes were red. "You two, were you trying to get yourselves killed?!"

She wrapped one arm around Yun Zhiyu and pulled Ye Xinglan into her embrace with the other. The Wish Angel's holy light split into two streams, nourishing the two exhausted girls at once. Ye Xinglan's complexion gradually regained a hint of color, and her breathing steadied, though she remained unconscious.

"Ya Li, how are they?"

Yun Ming's voice came from behind them. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Long Yeyue, his black robes snapping in the turbulent Soul Power. His normally steady face carried rare gravity. He had sensed the power of those two strikes even from deep within Sea God's Pavilion—that aura reminded him of a certain legend from Shrek Academy ten thousand years ago.

"Their Soul Power is overdrawn, and their meridians are damaged." Ya Li's voice trembled. "But... their lives aren't in danger. My Wish Angel is repairing them. It will take some time."

Long Yeyue's cane struck the ground with a thud. A sharp light burst from her clouded eyes as she approached the two girls. She lowered her head to inspect their pale faces, then looked at the two shocking sword marks on the ground and the fallen parasol tree in the distance. Only after a long while did she let out a sigh.

"A god-tier Martial Soul Fusion Skill." Her voice was hoarse and distant, as if it had traveled from ancient times. "In nearly two hundred years of life, this old woman has heard of it only once. Ten thousand years ago, Spirit Ice Douluo and Dragon Butterfly Douluo... I never imagined it would reappear in Shrek today."

Yun Ming's pupils shrank sharply.

Of course, he knew that legend. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong, with their four Martial Soul Fusion Skills, had changed the continent's landscape and written a chapter in the history of the God Realm. And now, his daughter and that girl from the Star God's Sword Clan had triggered the same miracle.

"Elder Long," he asked in a deep voice, "what does this mean?"

"It means their destinies are bound together." Long Yeyue slowly shook her head. "It means Shrek will once again welcome a new era."

She paused, her gaze settling on Yun Zhiyu with a complicated scrutiny. "It also means that this girl's path will be more difficult than I imagined. A god-tier Martial Soul Fusion Skill is both a gift and a shackle. If one of them falls in the future, then the other..."

She did not continue, but Yun Ming understood.

Ya Li's hand trembled, and the holy light nearly went out of control. She hugged both girls tighter, as if she wished to knead them into her bones and blood, never allowing anyone to harm them again.

"No." Her voice was hoarse from crying. "I won't let that happen. No one is allowed to take my daughters away. No one."

In her mother's embrace, Yun Zhiyu gradually regained consciousness. She felt Ya Li trembling and sensed the almost obsessive desire to protect her contained within the holy light. A bittersweet warmth rose in her heart. She forced her eyes open and saw that Ye Xinglan had awakened as well. She was looking blankly around, her dark eyes still dazed from surviving the ordeal.

"Xinglan," she called hoarsely.

Ye Xinglan turned toward her, and their eyes met. That strange resonance emerged again, though it was much gentler than before, like the peace of two swords returned to their sheaths, like the silence after stars fell to earth.

"We..." Ye Xinglan said, her voice dry. "Did we do it?"

"We did." Yun Zhiyu curved her lips into a smile, though her face remained pale as paper. "A god-tier Martial Soul Fusion Skill. From now on... we'll practice together and grow stronger together."

"Together..."

Ye Xinglan murmured the word, and suddenly felt her eyes grow hot.

She remembered her lonely childhood, the cold faces within her clan, and the pride and bitterness she had never had anyone to share whenever she drew her sword. But now, someone was telling her, "Together." Someone shared the same miracle with her, someone entrusted their back to her and pointed their sword toward the same direction.

"Mm!" In the end, she only answered softly, but her hand quietly clenched into a fist.

Yun Ming and Long Yeyue exchanged a look, each seeing gravity and expectation in the other's eyes. Yun Ming stepped forward and gathered his wife and daughters into his arms. His black robes spread like wings, sheltering them all in shadow.

"Today's matter," he said gravely, "must not be spread outside. Zhiyu, Xinglan, unless it is a critical moment, you must not use your Martial Soul Fusion Skill lightly in the future."

"Why?" Yun Zhishu poked her head out from behind Ya Li. Tear tracks still marked her amber-gold eyes, but they could not hide her curiosity. "Big Sister's sword was so powerful!"

"Because powerful things attract covetous eyes." Yun Ming's voice carried a father's sternness. "Zhiyu and Xinglan are still young. They cannot protect themselves. Only once they have grown up and become strong enough can they let the whole world know."

He looked toward Ye Xinglan, apology in his gaze. "Xinglan, I will inform your family about what happened today. But don't worry. Shrek will protect you until you have the ability to protect yourselves."

Ye Xinglan froze for a moment, then lowered her head in salute. "Thank you, Uncle Yun."

Ya Li's holy light continued to shine. The girls had recovered thirty to forty percent of their Soul Power, and color had gradually returned to their faces. Leaning against her mother's embrace, Yun Zhiyu felt that warmth and suddenly recalled the nine forms of sword technique that had appeared during the Martial Soul fusion in her sea of spirit.

Star River Xuanyuan: Myriad Swords Suppress the Firmament.

They had already used the first form, Starflash Xuanyuan Slash. Its power was astonishing, but so was its consumption. With their current Soul Power, even if they gave everything they had, they could only use it twice before becoming completely exhausted. As for the remaining eight forms, from Sword Fixes the Star River to One Sword Fixes the Primordial Wilderness, every form required greater Soul Power, stronger coordination, and deeper resonance between their souls.

The road ahead is still long, she thought.

Ye Xinglan seemed to sense her thoughts and turned to look at her. The same determination shone in her dark eyes. They smiled at each other, needing no words; a promise had already been forged in the depths of their souls.

The sun slanted westward, and the sword marks across the clearing glimmered with faint violet-gold light in the dusk, like ancient inscriptions recording the miracle that had happened that autumn afternoon. The broken parasol tree lay nearby, its leaves still rustling in the autumn wind, as though playing the first accompaniment for two swords that had just begun to sing.

Yun Zhishu picked up the half-melted sugar painting from the ground and carefully held it before her sister. "Big Sister, the sugar painting melted..."

Yun Zhiyu accepted the sticky mass of sugar, looked at the vaguely discernible dragon-shaped outline within it, and suddenly smiled. She broke off half and handed it to Ye Xinglan. "It doesn't matter if it melted. It's just as sweet."

Ye Xinglan paused, then accepted the piece of sugar and put it into her mouth. Sweetness spread over her tongue, carrying the mellow fragrance of malt sugar and a faint warmth that belonged to autumn.

"Sweet," she said, the corner of her lips lifting in a rare curve.

Yuan En and Xu Lizhi stood to one side, watching the scene. Gentle expressions appeared on both the ash-gray face and the chubby one. They did not understand god-tier Martial Soul Fusion Skills, nor did they understand Myriad Swords Suppress the Firmament, but they knew that from this day onward, a bond had formed between the two girls that no one could intrude upon.

And that bond would become the strongest anchor through every storm to come.