Zhou Yi watched as cries of "Make Wang Dong class monitor!" rose one after another throughout the classroom. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she finally sighed and waved a hand.
"All right, all right. Wang Dong will be class monitor, then. But I'm warning you-don't cause trouble for me."
Wang Dong answered with a bright smile, "Don't worry, teacher. I'll lead by example."
Zhou Yi shot him an exasperated glare, then turned and began the lesson proper. "Next, let's discuss what a martial soul is. A martial soul is the source of a soul master's power, a gift bestowed upon humanity by heaven and earth..."
Wang Dong sat in his seat, listening to Zhou Yi lecture endlessly at the front about the basics of martial souls, and began to zone out.
Sure enough, the first day for new students offered nothing of substance. It was either school rules or basic knowledge, all of which he already knew by heart.
Bored out of his mind, he twirled his pen, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward Huo Yuhao beside him.
Huo Yuhao, however, listened with complete concentration. He sat perfectly straight, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the front, occasionally lowering his head to jot things down in his notebook. He looked exactly like the most well-behaved model student in class.
Watching him, Wang Dong suddenly found it rather amusing. This boy had the lowest soul power, yet took things more seriously than anyone else.
He studied Huo Yuhao's profile for a while, watching his long eyelashes tremble slightly in the sunlight and the tiny flecks of light resting on the tip of his small nose. An inexplicable tenderness suddenly welled up in his heart.
Huo Yuhao seemed to sense his gaze. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he turned his head awkwardly, asking in a quiet voice, "...Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Because you're good-looking," Wang Dong blurted out.
Huo Yuhao blushed even harder and lowered his head, pink spreading all the way to his ears. Just as he was about to say something, a faint rumble suddenly came from his stomach.
He froze, his face instantly turning scarlet. He hurriedly pressed a hand against his stomach and kept his head down, not daring to look at Wang Dong.
Wang Dong smiled instead and pointed at the two steamed buns he had given him earlier. "Hungry? Have something to tide you over."
Huo Yuhao hesitated, then whispered, "But... this is your breakfast..."
"I already ate. I saved these for you." Without allowing any argument, Wang Dong pushed the oilpaper packet into his hands. "Go on, eat. Don't let anyone see."
Huo Yuhao bit his lip, but finally picked up a bun carefully and began taking tiny bites.
He ate very slowly, like a little hamster, his cheeks puffed out as he glanced warily around, afraid the teacher would notice. The sight made Wang Dong's heart itch, leaving him desperate to reach out and poke his cheek.
"You should have some too," Huo Yuhao whispered, holding the other bun out to him.
Looking into his bright, sparkling eyes, Wang Dong's heart softened. He accepted the bun and took a bite.
The two of them secretly shared the buns beneath their desks, looking just like a young couple sneaking snacks during class.
Dai Huabin, however, saw the whole thing.
Sitting diagonally behind them, he watched how close Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were, his face turning green.
Of course, he had no interest in Huo Yuhao. He simply couldn't stand Wang Dong's smug expression. His eyes shifted, and he suddenly gave a deliberate cough-not too loud or too soft, but just enough to catch Zhou Yi's attention.
Zhou Yi's gaze swept toward the sound, catching Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao whispering beneath their desks, each happily munching on a bun.
Her expression darkened, and the pointer in her hand struck the lectern with a crack.
"So you love eating that much, do you? You two, get out and eat! Spend an hour eating before you come back!"
Quiet laughter rippled through the classroom. Wang Dong's face instantly darkened. He slowly turned his head and fixed Dai Huabin with a hard stare, a cold smile curling his lips as he silently mouthed:
Just you wait!!!
That look sent a chill through Dai Huabin, but he forced himself to maintain a smug expression.
Wang Dong took a deep breath, stood up, and pulled Huo Yuhao outside by the wrist. Huo Yuhao followed his tug, still holding half a bun, his face scarlet and his head lowered as he avoided everyone's stares.
The two were punished by being made to stand beneath a large tree outside the classroom. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in its leaves, scattering dappled patches of light and shadow across the ground.
Huo Yuhao kept his head down, clutching his half-eaten bun. A trace of guilt colored his voice. "I'm sorry... it's all my fault. If I hadn't been hungry, you wouldn't have been punished..."
"What are you talking about?" Wang Dong leaned against the trunk with his arms folded, his tone relaxed. "It has nothing to do with you. Dai Huabin stirred things up on purpose. I've marked that debt down. Sooner or later, I'll settle it with him."
Huo Yuhao raised his head and looked at Wang Dong's unconcerned face, but that only made him feel worse. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked softly, "Wang Dong... why are you so good to me?"
Wang Dong paused.
Huo Yuhao lowered his head, his voice growing quieter and quieter. "You're so strong. You have twin martial souls, and you're the class monitor... I'm so weak. My soul power is only rank eleven. I might get expelled any day. Why do you take such good care of me? I... I can't help you with anything..."
A trace of insecurity and unease threaded through his voice. Watching his faintly trembling shoulders, Wang Dong suddenly felt an ache rise in his heart.
He knew Huo Yuhao's past. He knew how he had suffered endless bullying at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion since childhood, and how much bitterness and hatred he carried inside.
He had been starved of love, starved of the feeling that someone cared about him. That was why even this small kindness from Wang Dong meant so much to him.
After a moment of silence, Wang Dong suddenly spoke. "Yuhao, do you trust me?"
Huo Yuhao raised his head and met his clear blue eyes.
"Your soul power really is low, but that's only temporary." Wang Dong looked at him, his tone earnest. "Trust me. Soon, you'll become very strong-so strong that everyone will have to look up to you."
Huo Yuhao froze. Looking into Wang Dong's earnest eyes, he felt something deep inside him suddenly stir. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, only to find that no words would come.
Wang Dong, however, had already begun thinking. Huo Yuhao's soul power really was far too low. Rank eleven-not even enough to count as a one-ring soul master.
But Wang Dong knew that he had the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Million-Year Soul Ring within him. Once he broke through to two rings, he could go to the Far North and awaken the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul. His strength would then undergo a qualitative leap. The question was, how could he help him reach two rings as quickly as possible?
He thought for a long time before suddenly settling on an approach: martial soul fusion.
In the original story, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. By joining forces, they could unleash power far beyond their own ranks.
The problem was that his current situation differed from the original story. His martial soul had changed from the light goddess butterfly to the soft bone rabbit, while his sea god martial soul had become the Golden Dragon King bloodline. Could martial soul fusion still succeed?
Wang Dong felt a little apprehensive. He glanced at Huo Yuhao beside him, then sensed the Golden Dragon King bloodline and soft bone rabbit martial soul within his own body, his brows drawing together slightly.
In theory, martial soul fusion required sufficient compatibility between two martial souls. In the original story, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao could fuse because there was a special resonance between the light goddess butterfly and Spirit Eyes.
But now, his martial soul had changed completely. He had no idea whether it could still resonate with Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes.
Still, no matter what, he had to try.
Before you continue