A familiar voice rang out in his mind.
"Was that a god's aura just now?" Even the Ice Empress could not help speaking up.
"It only lasted an instant, but that was definitely a god's aura," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm exclaimed.
"Correct. And I believe you both know him," Gu Qingnian said mildly, without the slightest surprise on his face.
"Master, you know who he is?" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked curiously.
"Do you remember those scenes from ten thousand years ago?" Gu Qingnian asked.
"You mean him!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm could no longer keep his voice steady and practically shouted.
"How could this girl have a god's aura... Could she have been acknowledged as the inheritor!?" The Ice Empress was equally incredulous, even somewhat horrified.
"Heh..." Gu Qingnian gave a faint smile and said nothing more. He merely tightened his arms, drawing the three of them closer together.
"Young people these days really are incredible." The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm shook his head, taking that silence as confirmation.
"But Master, did you already know she was a girl?" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked with a lewd expression.
"The light goddess butterfly only appears in girls."
"As expected of our learned and talented Master!" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm praised.
That made the Ice Empress instinctively move farther away from him, barely able to suppress the disgust on her face.
"There's an even more terrifying presence here." Gu Qingnian's spiritual body appeared as he spoke.
At those words, all three turned toward the little gray sphere in the corner.
"This fellow's origins are a complete mystery. He might be terribly weak right now, but no matter what I try, I can't devour him. He's actually become a strange kind of martial soul, too.
"Even with my million years of experience, I can't figure him out. He doesn't seem able to acquire soul rings, but his own soul power is so terrifying that even I'm frightened. I have no idea what he actually is. If he really becomes your martial soul someday, I can't imagine what that will look like. Yet this martial soul that can barely even be called one can actually suppress a god's aura.
"I originally thought those two people perfectly fusing their two auras was already almost impossible. Who knew you were the real miracle? You forced a perfect fusion with others through your own power alone-and a perfect fusion at that. This is an opportunity that couldn't be better."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's tongue-clicking continued to echo.
Gu Qingnian paused, then shook his head.
"A god's imprint. What a wondrous thing..." the Ice Empress sighed, carefully studying Wang Dong in Gu Qingnian's arms.
"We've gotten up close to a god's aura," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm added.
"Let's leave this matter here. Little Ice, keep an eye on Tian Meng. Don't let him get up to anything. I'm heading out first." With those instructions, Gu Qingnian left.
He left behind a miserable-looking Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and a disgusted Ice Empress.
The three people's martial souls began to harmonize. First, Huo Yuhao's two auras alternated with Wang Dong's first two auras, flickering in coordination. Then Huo Yuhao's two auras coordinated with Gu Qingnian's, followed by Wang Dong's three auras doing the same.
Finally, Gu Qingnian took command at the center, with the other two's auras gathering around him and working together.
Watching all these changes, he recalled how Huo Yuhao's three auras had perfectly fused with Wang Dong's in the original story. He had thought his own presence would not create any connection with them.
Instead, all three joined forces and forcibly coordinated. This perfect fusion was incredible! It genuinely took him by surprise.
At that moment, Gu Qingnian's eyes quietly turned ice blue, and his aura grew stronger. Huo Yuhao's and Wang Dong's auras immediately strengthened along with it. Just then, a powerful wave of mental energy burst from Gu Qingnian, and the other two lost consciousness almost simultaneously.
Both slumped into Gu Qingnian's arms. After a brief moment of surprise, he realized who had done it. He did not resist, either. His hand twitched, his head tilted, and his body slumped. I'm sleeping too!
As Gu Qingnian fell asleep, A Wu crawled out from beneath his covers and climbed onto his chest. She pushed Wang Dong's hand aside and burrowed into his clothes.
"Tsk, she's practically gained human cunning... Incredible. Even soul beasts know how to fight over someone's affection these days." The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice rang out again, accompanied by snickering.
"And what about you?" the Ice Empress casually delivered her soul-piercing question.
"...Mine is pure love!" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm declared righteously.
"Hehe, Master really has figured out how to take the lead in martial soul fusion. Still, we have to take a little advantage of this. That little Wang Dong, tsk, tsk, tsk." He immediately changed his tune. If his appearance could have been seen now, it would have been as sleazy as could be.
"Tsk..." The Ice Empress shook her head in disgust, then turned away to sleep. For some reason, seeing Gu Qingnian like this made her inexplicably uncomfortable.
And he did not even refuse...
Still, to be honest, the Ice Empress rarely used the word "sleazy" to describe a woman.
"What's wrong with the Ice Empress? Forget it. Let's keep going." Seeing her disgusted expression, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt like crying but had no tears. Soon, however, his own thoughts drew his attention away.
Outside.
Fine ice-blue threads slowly drifted from all ten fingers of Gu Qingnian's hands, swiftly enveloping his body and Wang Dong's.
Before long, all three were enclosed in a huge cocoon.
Elsewhere-
Huo Yuhao's barbecue stall.
A group of people lingered there, seemingly waiting for someone.
"Where's Qingnian? And where are Yuhao and Wang Dong? Didn't we agree to come for grilled fish? Those two must have dragged Qingnian away. They actually stood me up..." Xiao Xiao puffed out her cheeks unhappily.
Bei Bei said gently, "Qingnian and the others haven't come yet. They're probably exhausted from the assessment."
Tang Ya stood to one side with her head lowered, not saying a word.
"Xiao Ya? Are you all right? Shall we head back?" Bei Bei noticed her condition and grew worried. She seemed to have been like this ever since Gu Qingnian returned, looking weighed down by worries every day.
Did something happen between them? But they haven't even met. I'll find a chance to ask.
"Huh? I'm fine. All right..." Tang Ya came back to herself at his voice and nodded with a forced smile.
She could not help wondering why Gu Qingnian had not come here lately. He had not attended their meals together, either... Is it because of me? But I was only joking.
But if it isn't because of me, why hasn't he come? Is he busy? Her thoughts were tangled like a skein of thread.
Another graceful figure standing in front of the barbecue stall looked similarly troubled.
Regret showed on Jiang Nannan's face. Gu Qingnian isn't coming? I've queued for so long, and I haven't even gotten any grilled fish... After finally waiting all this time...
No, what does his absence have to do with me? I'm leaving, I'm leaving... But is he definitely not coming?
Suddenly, a wild howl startled everyone.
"Huo Yuhao, get out here! I can't stomach a meal without your grilled fish!"
"Xu Sanshi, keep your voice down! Don't scare Xiao Ya!" Bei Bei snapped.
"Ah, hehe... Nannan, I didn't scare you, did I?" Xu Sanshi smiled awkwardly, then approached Jiang Nannan, rubbing his hands with a lovestruck leer.
Jiang Nannan could not help comparing him with Gu Qingnian. Then she sighed helplessly, turned, and left.
Having no idea what he had done wrong, Xu Sanshi could only turn helplessly to Bei Bei. He was met with disdain again and ultimately had to leave all alone.
Sea God Lake-Heart of the Lake Island.
"Xuan Zi, that's what happened."
Wang Yan bowed respectfully as he reported to an elderly man.
The elderly man looked utterly slovenly. He was greasy all over, his hair was a tangled mess, and his clothes were torn in several places. What should originally have been a white robe had turned grayish brown and was riddled with tears.
Looking quite interested, he raised the purplish-red gourd in his left hand and took a drink. The fragrance of wine immediately wafted out. With his other hand, he held a chicken drumstick and took a bite.
His reply came out muffled. "Two body martial souls, both with the mental attribute. One has six eyes, the other spirit eyes. One breaks the usual soul ring configuration with a ten-thousand-year second ring, while the other has a hundred-year first ring... Interesting!"
His voice was hoarse and aged, and his manner seemed rather absentminded. It was as though he had not heard Wang Yan clearly at all and was merely muttering to himself.
But when he spoke of Gu Qingnian's information, a careful observer would have noticed a gleam flash through his unusually bright eyes.
Wang Yan raised his head slightly and asked again, "Xuan Zi, the Lan sisters' martial souls are their hair. Should we pay more attention to them as well?"
The elderly man addressed as Xuan Zi finished the drumstick in one bite. Ignoring the scraps around his mouth, he stood, stretched leisurely, and gave a contented yawn before saying:
"Hair? Is your understanding really that poor?"
Wang Yan's scalp prickled. He gave a wry smile. "I'm sorry... There are simply too few subjects to study!"
Xuan Zi chuckled, casually straightened his back, and shook out his clothes. "Then I'll teach you a method."