Faced with Su Tong's question, Huo Yuhao answered truthfully.
Huo Yuhao had always been grateful for Su Tong's reminder back in the Heaven Soul Library, so he held nothing back.
He said, "Sister Su Tong, that's because I converted all those resources into power that stimulated my body to grow stronger."
"The reason I'm doing this now," Huo Yuhao took out his written insights on ultimate ice, "is to let my body adapt to the stimulation of that ultimate power in advance."
According to Mu En, this manual contained insights that belonged solely to Huo Yuhao, and he had the right to decide what to do with it.
Thus, showing it to Su Tong would not violate Huo Yuhao's agreement with Mu En.
Su Tong's clear eyes flickered slightly.
She did not accept Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Secret Manual.
Su Tong fell silent for a while, then sighed softly. "I see. It seems I was being presumptuous this time."
"Before, this was what I thought..."
She had assumed that the Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul's slow progress was a matter of soul power accumulation.
To that end, Su Tong had desperately compressed her soul power, trying all sorts of methods to improve its quality and force a breakthrough.
After hearing Su Tong out, Huo Yuhao comforted her. "Sister Su Tong, it's not too late to adjust now."
Su Tong gently shook her head.
Silvery moonlight shone on the side of her face, as though veiling it in a soft, hazy glow.
Quiet and distant.
She tucked back the strands of hair the wind had tousled beside her ear and said firmly, "This is the fruit of your hard work. I can't take it for nothing."
Huo Yuhao chuckled.
"Sister Su Tong, you really don't need to do this."
"Your reminder at the Heaven Soul Library helped me enormously and saved me a lot of time."
"So after hearing you'd come to Di'ao, I'd already planned to give these insights to you."
Su Tong still shook her head.
"Those are separate matters. This favor of yours is worth far more than my reminder."
Then she raised a finger, gathering a wisp of pure icy mist at its tip, and slowly traced a diagram of the human meridians in midair.
"My martial soul is the Heavenly Snow Woman, so I have a natural affinity with the ice element."
"This is the cultivation route I've worked out myself over the years. It allows me to absorb the cold energy of heaven and earth more efficiently and improve the quality of my soul power."
"Now I'm giving it to you. Even if it isn't as valuable as your insights, it'll still be of some help."
Su Tong had always been this way: cool and distant, yet never without principles.
"Also, during this time," she said after some thought, "I'll suppress Ma Xiaotao's evil fire for you."
"Just focus on cultivating in the Body Sect."
"The Body Sect and Shrek don't seem to get along. I'll control her progress so she won't threaten your growth in the Body Sect."
Afterward, they began discussing and exchanging their insights into ultimate ice.
Lurking beneath Heavenly Heart Lake, Hong Yue relayed Huo Yuhao and Su Tong's conversation word for word to Jin Peng and Xue Xin beside her.
She had been teaching Vina, but when she heard Jin Peng say that Huo Yuhao was coming to Di'ao Academy to see Su Tong, she had immediately told Vina to cultivate on her own and followed Jin Peng here.
She had long since had enough of the dull days spent watching over a bunch of old bachelors in the Body Sect.
As Hong Yue relayed the conversation, Jin Peng and Xue Xin exchanged a glance.
Then, in unison, they broke into strange grins that stretched from ear to ear.
Little Yuhao, you absolutely must act on impulse. Try to bring Su Tong into Di'ao Academy.
It was not just them. Even Electrolux in the Sea of Consciousness was smiling as he watched Huo Yuhao and Su Tong.
"This is what youth feels like."
A thousand feelings stirred in his heart. Whatever Yuhao did to pique Su Tong's curiosity, it looks... good.
Immersed in their exchange of ideas, Huo Yuhao had no idea that they had an audience.
He focused on sharing insights with Su Tong, each checking their understanding against the other's.
Their discussion grew deeper and deeper, until they even began testing whether their two ultimate martial souls could resonate.
Huo Yuhao released his Azure Sky Profound Ice Dragon, his entire bearing looking noble and majestic.
Su Tong, meanwhile, seemed to merge with the ice element between heaven and earth, her presence becoming ethereal and elusive.
The auras of two sources of ultimate ice rose, and terrifying cold instantly surged through the Pure Heart Retreat, turning it into a frozen world no less frigid than the Far North.
Huo Yuhao could clearly sense that the connection between Su Tong's Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul and his Azure Sky Profound Ice Dragon went beyond mere similarity in attributes.
This was a resonance on some deeper level.
On the Douluo Continent, there was a specific term for two different martial souls reaching such a degree of resonance.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Su Tong also noticed the anomaly, astonishment written all over her face.
"Is this a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
She murmured, "The Heavenly Snow Woman can actually resonate with the Azure Sky Profound Ice Dragon to this extent?"
Huo Yuhao did not answer, instead carefully sensing the mingling of the two sources of ultimate ice.
The Azure Sky Profound Ice Dragon's domineering ice intertwined with the Heavenly Snow Woman's ethereal ice, forming a glittering, crystalline domain around him and Su Tong that seemed capable of freezing even time.
"That's not all," Huo Yuhao said, looking somewhat shocked. "This is only ordinary resonance between our martial souls."
"I can feel that depending on whether you or I take the lead, it'll produce Martial Soul Fusion Skills with different effects."
Martial Soul Fusion Skills were already rare, and the most famous was the Hell White Tiger of the White Tiger Family and the Netherworld Family.
Ten thousand years ago, before becoming gods, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had nearly been capable of wounding gods with their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger.
Now, with two ultimate martial souls fusing, just what kind of power would erupt?
Beneath Heavenly Heart Lake, Xue Xin could no longer imagine it.
At that moment, he desperately wanted to rush into the Pure Heart Retreat and have Su Tong join Di'ao Academy.
Yet he had barely moved before Jin Peng and Hong Yue pinned him down, leaving him unable to budge.
An icy-blue vortex of soul power flowed between Huo Yuhao and Su Tong.
"If Sister Su Tong takes the lead, perhaps this domain will evolve into an area attack skill."
"If you take the lead," Su Tong continued where Huo Yuhao left off, "it could condense into an extremely powerful single-target attack."
Then she dispersed her soul power, and the blizzard filling the air began to slowly fade.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill requires exceptional coordination," she said. "We need to get used to the characteristics of each other's martial souls first."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Then he said something that nearly drove Xue Xin wild:
"Then... Sister Su Tong, how about joining Di'ao Academy?"
Su Tong froze.
"Join Di'ao..."
She softly repeated Huo Yuhao's words, a trace of hesitation in her voice.
After a moment, Su Tong hesitantly asked, "Yuhao, do you know why I've always kept to myself and refused to join any faction?"
With that, she sighed softly and looked through the window at the bright moon in the sky.
"When I was little, I once hurt the people around me because I couldn't control my power."
"I still remember the blizzard during my Martial Soul Awakening."
"If my parents hadn't risked their lives to protect everyone, I'm afraid the entire village would have died to my martial soul."
"The village was safe afterward, but my parents left me forever."
Su Tong lowered her head, her fingertips paling and trembling slightly, as though she had returned to that day of despair.
"The villagers didn't really shun me, but I couldn't accept myself."
Perhaps tonight's breeze was vexing, or perhaps the moonlight looked too much like the snow that day.
For some reason, Su Tong found herself trusting Huo Yuhao, trusting someone she had only met three brief times.
Perhaps the feelings in her heart had been pent up for too long.
Or perhaps the understanding revealed in Huo Yuhao's clear eyes had given Su Tong a sense of peace for the first time.
She felt the urge to confide in him.
"Later..."
In any case, Su Tong opened her heart and slowly told Huo Yuhao about the events of those years.
Huo Yuhao listened quietly.
The moon climbed higher and higher.
Its faint glow spilled down, stretching their shadows long, as though they were intertwining in a wondrous way.
"Ever since then, I haven't dared get too close to anyone."
"I'm afraid I'll hurt someone again."
Su Tong's voice was very soft, like the pale snow, trembling slightly whenever the wind passed.
Huo Yuhao fell silent for a moment, then said, "Sister Su Tong, I understand how you feel."
He lowered his gaze, remembering his days in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
As Huo Yuhao spoke, Su Tong's expression changed again and again.
Perhaps women were naturally sensitive, and Su Tong had never opened her heart to someone who did the same for her.
She pressed her lips together, opening her mouth several times with a hesitant murmur, only to say nothing.
Noticing Su Tong's expression, Huo Yuhao smiled. "Sister Su Tong, you don't have to look at me like that."
"We can't change anything in the past, but at least now, we can find ways to make the future better."
"It's true that people live for themselves, but some sights still need to be seen with others."
He held out his hand. "Join Di'ao. You can already control your abilities now."
Then Huo Yuhao's eyes shifted, and he grinned slyly. "Most importantly, Ma Xiaotao is at Di'ao Academy now."
"Didn't you say you'd suppress her evil fire for me?"
"If you don't join Di'ao Academy, how can you legitimately 'take care of' her for me?"
Huo Yuhao's words made Su Tong laugh. "You're so young, but you certainly have a whole string of arguments ready."
"All right," she said firmly, tucking back the hair beside her ear. "Then I'll join Di'ao Academy."
"Besides, didn't you just say you're the Heavenly Body Ring Deputy Commander and command the Azure Dragon Guard?"
Then Su Tong held out her hand to Huo Yuhao. "Heavenly Snow Woman Su Tong, requesting to join the Azure Dragon Guard."
A gentle breeze swept past, and wisps of mist rose from the lake, hazing everything over.
"Welcome aboard, Sister Su Tong."
Meanwhile, beneath Heavenly Heart Lake.
Pinned firmly underwater by the two Super Douluo, Jin Peng and Hong Yue, Xue Xin's face was nearly blue from holding his breath.
He struggled desperately, but to no avail.
"You two... glug, glug..."
"Hurry up and let me go... glug... I can't take it anymore..."
Jin Peng held his arm down firmly. "Stop moving! Do you want to scare Su Tong away?"
Hong Yue nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. If you suddenly pop out, they'll think we're being indecent, spying on the young couple."
Xue Xin's eyes widened. "I'm suffocating! You sealed my soul power!"
It was hard to imagine that a dignified rank eighty-nine Peak Soul Douluo and Powerful Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had nearly been drowned alive by Super Douluo from the Protector Sect.
Only then did Jin Peng and Hong Yue realize.
They had been afraid Xue Xin would act impulsively, so they had sealed his soul power, leaving him unable to use it to keep the lake water away.
They hurriedly let go and furtively hauled Xue Xin ashore.
Xue Xin gasped for breath, his waist-length hair plastered wetly against his body. He was utterly bedraggled, without a trace of the gentle nobility he displayed before the students.
"You..."
He wiped the water from his face and said through gritted teeth, "You actually dared to murder a prince!"
Jin Peng gave a couple of dry laughs. "We were just afraid you'd act impulsively."
Xue Xin opened his mouth and shouted aggrievedly, "I'm going to lodge a complaint against you with my imperial brother!"
Hong Yue coughed twice. "We'll transfer an elder from the Body Sect to help you give the Di'ao team special training."
Xue Xin pouted aggrievedly and said in a small voice, "I'm going to lodge a complaint against you with my imperial brother."
Jin Peng held up two fingers. "Two."
Xue Xin chuckled, his expression turning exceedingly mercenary. "Thank you, Uncle Jin Peng. Thank you, Auntie Hong Yue."
Then he used his soul power to evaporate the lake water from his body and walked unhurriedly back to the tower with a gentle smile.
Jin Peng and Hong Yue exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly.
"That brat certainly puts on an act of being as gentle and refined as jade in front of the students."
In an inconspicuous corner of Heaven Dou City.
After sensing Yan Shaozhe's summons, Ma Xiaotao secretly slipped out of Di'ao Academy.
She followed the address he had given her and arrived here.
"Teacher, why did you come to Heaven Dou City so secretly?"
Ma Xiaotao was puzzled.
She was Shrek's exchange student. Even if Yan Shaozhe wanted to see her, surely he did not need to be so furtive.
Yan Shaozhe removed his hood, revealing an exceptionally haggard face.
Ma Xiaotao was alarmed. "Teacher, you... what happened to you?"
Yan Shaozhe sighed. "Xiaotao, Mu En has been unconscious for almost all of these past two months and more. The burden on your shoulders is growing heavier."
Then he gave Ma Xiaotao a detailed account of Shrek Academy's situation over the past two months and more.
As Yan Shaozhe spoke, Ma Xiaotao's expression changed again and again, until she was utterly furious.
"Why should I!"
Yan Shaozhe used the bright phoenix's Soul Power to soothe the agitated Ma Xiaotao. "Elder Song thought you shouldn't be told about these things."
"But I believe that, as my disciple and the future standard-bearer of Shrek's younger generation, you need to know about these things."
"Xiaotao, the burden on your shoulders is heavy. Your Evil Fire problem can't wait any longer."
Ma Xiaotao fell silent, then nodded firmly. "Teacher, I understand."