Huo Yuhao cried out in protest, "I didn't do anything!"
The instant Wang Dong scooped Huo Yuhao up, both of them felt something strange.
It was as though something had slipped out of the other's body and into their own.
Wang Dong had no time to think about it. In that moment of distraction, Yuan Xiaozhao had nearly flown right into her face.
But Huo Yuhao had time to examine the sensation closely. It turned out to be the flow of Soul Power.
In theory, every Soul Master was a separate individual, and their Soul Power flowed only within their own body. Yet Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao distinctly felt their Soul Power forming a circuit between them.
Although she had no idea why this was happening, Wang Dong could clearly feel that her Soul Power was recovering at least twice as fast.
Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, was a little more sensitive to the change.
He discovered that, with the same amount of Soul Power, his Spiritual Detection's range had expanded directly from thirty meters in diameter to fifty.
In terms of area, it had grown to roughly three times its original size!
Through Spiritual Sharing, Wang Dong also noticed this enormous improvement. The change was so dramatic that neither of them quite knew how to adjust.
Wang Dong shuddered as she hauled Huo Yuhao along, nearly dropping straight out of the sky.
With Yuan Xiaozhao ahead, the Luo Brothers behind, and their own unstable condition working against them, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were in extreme danger.
Yet Huo Yuhao maintained astonishing composure. "Wang Dong, climb!"
Wang Dong's face flushed with exertion. "Do you know how exhausting it is to fly while carrying you?"
Despite her words, she never stopped moving. Several bursts of Butterfly God's Light erupted directly from her butterfly wings, propelling her upward.
The elimination rounds prohibited flying higher than ten meters. In fact, that limit left plenty of room. Most flight-capable Martial Souls that weren't top-tier might not even display the ability to fly at the two-ring stage.
The Luo Brothers' Gale Mantis, for instance, performed more like a glider.
Although Yuan Xiaozhao's Blue-and-Cyan Petrel could fly, climbing ten meters was still somewhat difficult. Besides, Wang Dong was watching like a tiger from above, ready to fire a blast of Butterfly God's Light down at any moment.
This was the overwhelming advantage of a top-tier Martial Soul, with every card laid bare!
Seeing that they couldn't do anything about Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong for the moment, Yuan Xiaozhao made a snap decision. "Switch targets!"
Naturally, the only other person left on the field was Qi Xuan.
At that moment, Nanmen Yun'er was relying on her speed to keep Qi Xuan occupied. Although she was mentally exhausted, she felt a little exhilarated. Under the pressure of fighting Qi Xuan, her Soul Power bottleneck seemed to be loosening.
Having escaped danger for the moment, the pair finally had time to examine the energy circulating through their bodies.
"This power seems to strengthen Soul Skills. My Spiritual Detection's range has increased to fifty meters. Why don't you try it too?" Huo Yuhao suggested.
Wang Dong hesitated. She had already used Butterfly God's Light once to climb higher. Normally, she couldn't use it repeatedly; she simply couldn't keep up with the drain.
But she discovered that her Soul Power was recovering at incredible speed with every completed circuit.
And so...
Butterfly God's Light-full power!
Gold, blue, and pink flowed across the Light Goddess Butterfly's wings, gathering into balls of light that burst with unprecedented brilliance. Even Wang Dong herself had never pushed Butterfly God's Light this far.
Wang Dong's face contorted. She was almost unable to control this immense energy herself, and the hand gripping Huo Yuhao had begun to tremble slightly.
An icy chill washed over her.
Wang Dong's mind instantly cleared a little.
Huo Yuhao's steady voice reached her. "Focus. I'll guide it for you."
Within the three-dimensional field formed by Spiritual Detection in Wang Dong's mind, Huo Yuhao had already locked onto their enemies with his spiritual power, marking out constantly shifting trajectories for her.
Huo Yuhao's face also grew pale. These continuous calculations and corrections consumed a great deal of spiritual power. At least Wang Dong's Soul Power was recovering; his spiritual power had no way to replenish itself!
Wang Dong could barely contain the charged Butterfly God's Light any longer. With a shout, she fired every ball of light behind her along the trajectories Huo Yuhao had plotted.
Whoosh! The frenzied sound of air being torn apart echoed across the arena. Vast amounts of light energy, compressed into balls the size of a human head, hurtled viciously toward Yuan Xiaozhao and the Luo Brothers.
The three glanced back at Butterfly God's Light and nearly had their souls scared out of them.
Was this something a two-ring Soul Master could produce? Even a three-ring Soul Elder might not possess this much destructive power.
They were so terrified that they didn't even manage to surrender in time.
Fortunately, the referee had been keeping an eye on them. In the blink of an eye, he landed in front of the three and opened an enormous umbrella, blocking the attack for them.
Under the rules, once the referee intervened, they were disqualified.
The Light Goddess Butterfly gently beat its wings as Wang Dong carried Huo Yuhao slowly down to the ground. That last attack had nearly drained every ounce of strength and spirit from them. Although they had eliminated three opponents in one stroke, they were actually incapable of fighting any further.
Still, they didn't leave the arena. Farther away, another one-on-one fight had yet to be decided.
The instant the referee intervened, Nanmen Yun'er knew that the match now hinged on her. Qi Xuan's attacks were heavy and powerful, but he wasn't as fast as she was. With her advantage in speed, she could still...
"What are you thinking about?" Qi Xuan's fist suddenly appeared in front of Nanmen Yun'er. She changed direction at lightning speed, barely dodging the blow.
"You..." Nanmen Yun'er was both angry and alarmed. She hadn't even caught Qi Xuan's movement just now. He had easily surpassed her top speed.
"Did you really think I couldn't keep up with you?" Qi Xuan said, exasperated. "If I hadn't been waiting for those two, I'd have taken you all out with one punch each ages ago."
Only then did Nanmen Yun'er realize with a jolt that wind wasn't the only attribute that excelled at speed.
There was electricity, too.
Qi Xuan vanished in an instant, then immediately reappeared before her.
One punch.
Although winning the quarterfinals was certainly worth celebrating, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had only one thought on their minds: figuring out exactly what had happened between them.
Even Xiao Xiao, off the arena, noticed that something was off about the pair.
They all tried hugging one another, confirming that this power appeared only when Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were in direct physical contact.
After a brief experiment, they discovered that this power had three main effects: accelerating cultivation, improving Soul Power recovery, and strengthening Soul Skills.
Although everything had gone just as Qi Xuan expected, he still played dumb and claimed he knew nothing.
So they went to consult Wang Yan.
Wang Yan's expression changed in shock. "You're saying your Martial Souls are completely compatible?"
"What does completely compatible mean?" Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were baffled.
Wang Yan lost his usual breezy composure, his brows knitting together. "What did you think of Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo's Heavenly Net?"
"It was really strong," Huo Yuhao answered instantly. It had held Brother Xuan for a full three minutes.
"That's what makes a Martial Soul Fusion Skill so powerful. It can unleash strength far beyond the Soul Masters' own level."
Wang Yan paused.
"And the prerequisite for a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is compatibility between Martial Souls."
Before you continue