"Xiao Xiao, release your martial soul first. Let us take a look."
Wang Yan spoke gently to Xiao Xiao. She nodded, then raised her left hand.
At once, a short jade-green flute appeared in her hand.
Unlike the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute Huo Yuhao had seen the first time, this short flute had no phoenix decorations. Instead, it looked like a simple emerald-green flute.
Compared with the previous Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute, this emerald-green flute looked rather plain and unremarkable.
Just as Wang Yan frowned and was about to blurt out that this was a detrimental mutation, shock flashed through his eyes.
A green silhouette suddenly materialized behind Xiao Xiao. Its enormous wings spread wide, casting a shadow that engulfed Wang Yan.
It was an enormous Jade-Green Phoenix, as though nine little phoenixes had fused together. Not only did it float behind Xiao Xiao, but as its wings beat, it gradually took on a physical form.
Its eyes also gained a measure of intelligence.
The instant this Jade-Green Phoenix appeared, even Huo Yuhao retreated half a step and settled into a fighting stance.
This phoenix was clearly more than a mere phantom of a beast martial soul. It was a being with a consciousness of its own.
If he had to compare it to something, it was rather like that so-called Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's Luo Sanpao.
Only it looked far more imposing than Luo Sanpao. The phoenix hovered quietly behind Xiao Xiao, its eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao and Wang Yan, while Xiao Xiao began to speak.
"After I woke up, I felt that something was off with my martial soul. When I summoned the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute again, it had become like this... It seems that the phoenix behind me is controlled by the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute in my hand.
"But right now, I can only use the flute's music to make it perform simple lunges, advances, and retreats. I can't make it produce any soul skills of its own."
"You haven't even absorbed a soul ring yet, and it already has combat power. That's already way beyond the norm."
Huo Yuhao was the first to relax, chuckling from the side.
Xiao Xiao smiled at Huo Yuhao, then said to him,
"Besides that, this phoenix is also very good at sensing things around it.
"For example, in its perception, you're much more dangerous than Teacher Wang, Yuhao. Most of its wariness is directed at you."
At Xiao Xiao's words, Wang Yan immediately looked a little embarrassed.
Of course he knew he could not beat Ma Xiaotao, and Ma Xiaotao could not take down Huo Yuhao, so his combat strength definitely ranked below Huo Yuhao's.
Still, having a student like Xiao Xiao point it out left him feeling uncomfortable.
Huo Yuhao smiled. Since he still needed Wang Yan to help analyze matters concerning martial souls, he stepped in to smooth things over.
"That's perfectly normal. After all, Teacher Wu has a tool martial soul, while mine is a mutation of a tiger and naturally carries a vicious aura. Its presence is different from Teacher Wang's tool martial soul, so it's perfectly normal for that to affect your phoenix martial soul's judgment."
Wang Yan nodded, taking the offered slope to climb down gracefully.
"Yes. Generally speaking, the presence a beast martial soul can project is stronger than that of a tool martial soul. Only battle soul masters with exceptionally sharp martial souls, such as sword or saber martial souls, can rival beast martial souls in that regard."
Huo Yuhao took the opportunity to change the subject.
"By the way, Teacher Wang, in Xiao Xiao's current situation, would her martial soul count as a beast martial soul or a tool martial soul?"
Wang Yan adjusted his glasses. After a brief silence, the corners of his mouth lifted as he said,
"Yuhao, as my student, you'll be getting an extra lesson from me today. When it comes to martial souls, you must broaden your thinking rather than confine yourself to the existing framework.
"By that existing framework, yours is also a martial soul that has never appeared before."
Huo Yuhao silently cursed. You bastard, you're still giving this kind of preamble at a time like this? You really do love playing the teacher. You've certainly found your favorite profession.
Wang Yan remained completely unaware of Huo Yuhao's silent cursing. He merely adjusted his glasses again with an air of self-importance, crossed his legs, and declared smugly,
"This should count as a new martial soul variant: a Semi-Detached Martial Soul."
At the words "Semi-Detached Martial Soul," Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao both stared at Wang Yan like primitive humans discovering fire, waiting for him to continue.
Wang Yan pointed at the phoenix's form.
"This isn't the phantom a beast martial soul should have. Rather, it's something with a physical form."
As he spoke, Wang Yan reached out and plucked a feather from the phoenix's chest, only to receive a vicious peck on the head. Rubbing his head, he said dizzily,
"Ouch, this one has quite a temper! Look, you can pluck feathers from it, and it has a physical body and emotions of its own. Those aren't things a beast martial soul's phantom can possess. It's clearly a detached martial soul."
Then Wang Yan pointed at the Jade Flute in Xiao Xiao's hand.
"But look, Xiao Xiao still has a Jade Flute in her hand, and she can control this phoenix directly through it. So it isn't a purely detached martial soul either. It still has the characteristics of a tool martial soul."
Xiao Xiao nodded, but at that moment, another conjecture occurred to Huo Yuhao.
To be precise, it was not a conjecture he had reached himself, but guidance from Electrolux.
"Other than telling you to broaden your thinking, this teacher's abilities are truly abysmal. Though I haven't studied the martial soul system much, I can sense that the energy of these two things has already separated into two completely distinct masses. They're merely linked together by some sort of rule."
Huo Yuhao asked Electrolux within his Sea of Consciousness,
"What do you mean by linked together through some sort of rule?"
Electrolux continued,
"Do you know of something called a kite? They should have those on the Douluo Continent too, shouldn't they? It can ride the wind up into the sky, while a person on the ground uses a string to control the direction it flies."
Huo Yuhao nodded. Of course he knew what a kite was, and the moment Electrolux mentioned one, he understood what he meant. He immediately said,
"You mean the flute is the person, and the phoenix is the kite? They're two completely different things, but there's a connection between them?"
"This youngster can indeed be taught."
Huo Yuhao thought, I'm really fucking fated to run afoul of teachers today. Every last one of them wants to teach me a lesson. He did not let that feeling show, however. Instead, after leaving Wang Yan's office, he said to Xiao Xiao,
"Xiao Xiao, try seeing whether these two martial souls can be fitted back together later. I keep feeling that this isn't so simple. Yours probably isn't merely a Semi-Detached Martial Soul."
Although Xiao Xiao was a little puzzled, she still nodded and said to Huo Yuhao,
"Then why wait? There's still some time before noon. Let's find a more private training room and test it out..."
Before you continue