Wang Dong pulled Huo Yuhao toward the classroom. Only after taking two steps did he realize he was still holding her hand. He hastily let go, gave a dry cough, and showed a rare trace of embarrassment:
"Um... things were urgent just now. I didn't mean to."
Huo Yuhao lowered her head, her ears so red they looked ready to drip blood. Her voice was almost inaudible. "I-it's okay..."
When the two returned to the classroom door, Zhou Yi was already waiting there. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, wearing an expression that said, "You two had better give me a reasonable explanation." "Well? What happened?"
Wang Dong took a deep breath and looked at her with complete seriousness. "Teacher, we really were researching Martial Soul Fusion."
"Martial Soul Fusion?" Zhou Yi scoffed. "Who are you trying to fool? Don't you know how low the odds of Martial Soul Fusion are? Even in all of Shrek Academy, a hundred years might pass without a single compatible pair appearing. You two have only known each other for a day, and you've already achieved Martial Soul Fusion?"
"It's true!" Wang Dong looked utterly sincere. "If you don't believe us, you can test it!"
Zhou Yi stared at him for a long while. Seeing how open and unashamed he looked, without any sign of lying, she hesitated before finally sighing:
"Fine. I'll find someone to test you. If you two are lying to me, you're running three hundred laps around the field today. Not one lap less."
With that, she turned and left. Before long, she returned with a middle-aged man.
The man looked to be in his thirties. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a lean face, with the refined air of a scholar. At a glance, he was clearly the sort of learned man whose belly brimmed with books.
Wang Dong recognized him immediately: Wang Yan, Shrek Academy's Martial Soul research expert.
This fellow genuinely knew his stuff. He deserved the title of Grandmaster more than that so-called "Grandmaster," Yu Xiaogang, from the Douluo I era.
He had researched Martial Soul Fusion for years and was the academy's authority on the subject, though he kept a relatively low profile.
Wang Yan entered the classroom, swept his gaze over Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, and adjusted his glasses. "You two, then? Come, demonstrate your Martial Soul Fusion for me."
Wang Dong nodded and turned to Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, work with me."
Huo Yuhao nodded, her face red. They stood facing each other. Wang Dong extended his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, Huo Yuhao extended hers as well. Their hands gently clasped together.
Wang Dong closed his eyes and circulated his Soul Power. Huo Yuhao cooperated, relaxing her mind, and their Soul Power mingled once again, forming a continuously circulating loop.
A soft glow rose from between their clasped palms. Though it was not intense, it carried a peculiar rhythm.
Wang Dong sensed the changes within his body and felt a surge of delight. "My Soul Power cultivation speed... has almost doubled."
Wang Yan's expression changed instantly. He strode forward, crouched down, and carefully examined the light flowing between their palms. Then he reached out and gently touched it, his brow tightly furrowed. Only after a long while did he slowly speak:
"This is Martial Soul Fusion... and not ordinary Martial Soul Fusion, either."
He raised his head and looked at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, a trace of excitement impossible to conceal in his voice:
"This is one hundred percent Martial Soul Fusion. The compatibility between your Martial Souls has reached perfection. In all my years of researching Martial Souls, this is the first time I've witnessed Martial Soul Fusion of this level with my own eyes."
Zhou Yi froze. "One hundred percent Martial Soul Fusion?"
"That's right." Wang Yan nodded, looking at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao as though they were two peerless treasures.
"This kind of Martial Soul Fusion is extremely rare. Once you mature, its power will be immeasurable. You two must study this fusion carefully. You might even develop a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
"Try to perform this Martial Soul Fusion every day... it will also greatly benefit your cultivation."
Wang Dong agreed at once. "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll definitely study it carefully!"
Huo Yuhao's face, however, grew even redder. Study it carefully... wouldn't that mean holding hands all the time?
She stole a glance at Wang Dong, then quickly lowered her head again, her thoughts in a jumble.
Standing to one side, Zhou Yi felt somewhat unable to save face. Just moments ago, she had declared with absolute certainty that they were trying to fool her. Now it had actually been proven to be Martial Soul Fusion-and perfect fusion, the kind rarely seen in a hundred years, at that.
She gave a dry cough, her tone somewhat stiff. "...Since it's true, I misunderstood you earlier. You two... study it carefully."
Wang Dong was magnanimous, smiling as he waved a hand. "It's fine, it's fine. You were only doing your duty, Teacher."
Of course he would not fall out with Zhou Yi. There was no need, and he remembered that Huo Yuhao's future talent with Soul Tools would still require guidance from Zhou Yi's husband, Fan Yu.
Souring their relationship now would make things difficult later.
After all that commotion, the end of the school day soon arrived. As soon as the bell rang, everyone in the classroom began packing up and heading out.
Wang Dong was about to invite Huo Yuhao to the dining hall when he saw her pack away her books and head straight out of the classroom. She did not seem to be going toward the dining hall.
Wang Dong paused, then followed her. "Yuhao, where are you going?"
Huo Yuhao turned back and smiled a little sheepishly. "I'm going outside the academy... to set up a stall and sell grilled fish."
"Grilled fish?" Wang Dong raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm pretty good at grilling fish." Huo Yuhao nodded, a trace of stubbornness in her voice. "I want to earn some money... I can't keep spending yours."
Looking at her serious expression, Wang Dong sighed inwardly. He had intended to stop her, but after another thought, he gave up on the idea.
First, he really did want to eat Huo Yuhao's grilled fish. Second, he knew she was proud to her very bones and could not spend someone else's money with an easy conscience. Rather than stopping her, he might as well let her do it.
"All right, I'll come with you." Wang Dong followed her. "It'll be a good chance to try your cooking."
Huo Yuhao paused, then broke into a happy smile. "Okay!"
The two arrived at the academy gates together. Huo Yuhao deftly set up a small stall, lit a fire, put up a grill, and skewered the fish, her movements nimble and practiced.
She really was good at grilling fish. Before long, a tempting aroma wafted through the air, drawing passing students to a halt.
Wang Dong sat on a small folding stool nearby, watching Huo Yuhao bustle about, but his mind was occupied with something else.
Huo Yuhao's Soul Power was too low right now. She had to break through to the second ring as soon as possible to gain Shrek Academy's attention.
Once the academy valued her, she would no longer have to worry about money. As a transmigrator, he had no intention of playing the pig to devour the tiger. What he wanted was a rapid push-momentum!
With that thought, he stood up and called to Huo Yuhao. "Keep at it. I'm heading back for a bit."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Okay, go ahead."
Wang Dong returned to the dormitory, took a sheet of writing paper from inside his clothes, picked up a pen, and began writing a letter. After some thought, he replaced it with another sheet and started over.
"Big Dad, Second Dad, let these words be as meeting me in person. All is well with me at Shrek Academy, so don't worry... however, I've recently hit a bottleneck in my cultivation and urgently need some resources to help. I heard there are Mystic Water Pills and Soul Ascension Pills in our family storeroom... I want some... and money... I want that too..."
Before you continue