Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill

He greeted Yan Shaozhe, turned, and headed his own way with light steps, soon boarding a boat leaving Sea God Island.

Gu Xingyue arrived at the outer court and walked along a path, ignoring the various looks cast his way.

He turned straight toward the Soul Tool Department, his pace a little quicker than usual.

After all, during that week of deep meditation, he had paid no attention at all to Huo Yutong's situation and had no idea how she was doing now.

He asked for directions at the Soul Tool Department's faculty office, but the answer gave him a slight start: Huo Yutong was currently at the outer court library, still studying soul tool theory.

"A queen of the grind?" Gu Xingyue's mouth twitched. "No wonder Mu En called her a top student."

He turned and headed toward the library.

The instant he pushed open the heavy wooden door, sunlight streamed in at an angle through the high windows.

It cast clear, bright shafts of light between the bookshelves and tables.

He soon spotted her in a corner by the window.

Huo Yutong had her head lowered over a thick book spread open before her, her right hand moving slowly across its pages.

From time to time, she stopped to jot a few notes in the notebook beside her, her expression so focused that she seemed completely immersed in a world of knowledge.

Gu Xingyue softened his footsteps as he approached, then pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.

The chair legs made a faint sound against the floor. Huo Yutong's pen paused, and she instinctively looked up.

The moment she saw him, the concentration in her eyes instantly turned into sparkling delight. "Big Brother Gu!"

Gu Xingyue raised a finger and gently wagged it, lowering his voice. "Wrong. What should you call me?"

Huo Yutong blinked, then curved her lips and softly corrected herself. "Xingyue."

"Mm, that's more like it." Gu Xingyue nodded in satisfaction.

"Xingyue... did you need something from me?" Huo Yutong kept her voice very soft. This was a library, after all, and she kept her volume just loud enough for the person opposite her to hear.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gu Xingyue smiled. "I'm here to report to the outer court's freshman class. Who else would I come looking for?"

Huo Yutong maintained a calm expression, but her gaze wavered slightly. "But... I heard you were admitted directly to the inner court. Sister Bei Bei said an elder of the Sea God Pavilion took you as his disciple."

Her voice was steady, but a storm seemed to have risen in her heart.

The person before her was simply too outstanding-talent, opportunities, everything seemed to be chasing after him, gifts heaven insisted on stuffing into his hands.

And what about her?

She was merely a nobody who had almost failed to cross even Shrek's threshold.

Only through his connections and help had she barely managed to secure a place as an auditing student.

Sometimes, she could not help wondering whether she truly deserved to stand beside him.

Fortunately, that goofball Tianmeng popped up now and then to tease her a little. Otherwise, she feared her own inferiority really would have crushed her until she could hardly breathe.

Gu Xingyue seemed not to notice all those twists and turns in her heart, saying casually, "I just finished cultivating, and you're the first person I came to find in the outer court. We know each other best. Who else would I look for?"

The tips of Huo Yutong's ears quietly reddened. She lowered her head and pretended to turn a page, but her fingers unconsciously rubbed back and forth over the corner of the book.

Just then, a notification chimed in Gu Xingyue's mind-

[Congratulations, host. Huo Yutong's accumulated affection has reached seventy points.

Critical reward triggered: Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill comprehension unlocked.

Martial soul compatibility increased to ninety percent. High probability of comprehending the power of destruction and creation; low probability of comprehending the power of creation.]

Gu Xingyue's eyes suddenly went wide.

He nearly slapped the table and leaped to his feet on the spot.

Fortunately, reason restrained his hand in time. His fingers merely tightened slightly, and he barely managed to keep his expression composed, though fireworks were already bursting in his heart.

A Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill!

The people on the entire Douluo Continent who could use a Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill could be counted on one hand.

Other people needed two partners working in perfect harmony to perform a martial soul fusion skill. He could do it alone. That was downright diabolical.

He had one more trump card than everyone else, and it was a goddamn pair of jokers!

Martial soul fusion skills held much the same position on the Douluo Continent as domains did on the neighboring Dou Nuo Continent.

They were standard equipment for powerhouses, killing moves that could turn heaven and earth around at a crucial moment and slay enemies above one's rank.

His own ultimate attributes could already overwhelm opponents across cultivation realms.

With a Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill on top of that, wouldn't he be stepping on his right foot with his left and spiraling straight into the heavens?

Without exaggeration, once he mastered this move, he would dare test a Titled Douluo's mettle with only six rings.

Couldn't beat them?

Just whip one up and blow it up.

Practically a Dayun truck.

And that was before even considering what raising his martial soul compatibility to ninety percent meant.

The two martial souls within him, the Thunderclap Infernal Prison Vine and the Evergreen Life Vine, embodied destruction and creation respectively, their attributes so extreme they could tear into each other.

Once his cultivation reached higher realms, he would have to cultivate with extreme care, afraid the two martial souls might start fighting inside him.

Now that their compatibility had reached this level, never mind using them simultaneously-he might even have a chance to touch upon life amid destruction and comprehend the legendary power of creation.

The power of creation!

In the legends of the Divine Realm, it was a power that only the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life could wield together.

If he truly reached that threshold, surely he could entertain the thought of becoming a Supreme God King?

Gu Xingyue drew a deep breath, then looked at Huo Yutong with an almost burning gaze and said sincerely, "Yutong, you really are my lucky star."

"Huh?!" Huo Yutong was utterly bewildered by his sudden enthusiasm, her face covered in a look that said, "What happened?" But when she saw Gu Xingyue smiling so broadly that his eyes curved, she could not help lifting the corners of her own mouth.

Although she did not know why he was so happy, as long as he was happy, she was happy too.

Gu Xingyue was already frantically showering the system with praise in his heart. System, you really are my best bro! Give me more! Get me a set of battle armor! A Ditian-brand space battleship! A transcendent divine artifact! Set me up with a Supreme God King position too!

The system remained silent for a long time, unable to resist turning into a silent system.

Gu Xingyue did not mind, his face still brimming with a smile he could not hide.

He reached out and gently closed the thick book before Huo Yutong, his voice carrying a cheerfulness that left little room for refusal. "Come on, enough grinding. Let's eat. My treat."

As Gu Xingyue closed the book, Huo Yutong instinctively reached out to stop him, but withdrew her hand halfway.

She looked at the thick book that had been closed on the table, then looked up at Gu Xingyue's face, which plainly said, "Stop studying and come with me." After a moment's hesitation, she put her notebook and pen into her bag.

"Where are we eating?" she asked quietly as she stood.

"The outer court cafeteria. I haven't tried it yet." Gu Xingyue stepped aside to clear the aisle, waiting until Huo Yutong came out before walking beside her toward the exit.

When they pushed open the library's wooden door, the afternoon sunlight poured down over them, settling warmly on their shoulders.

"How about we buy some ingredients at the cafeteria, and I do the cooking?" Huo Yutong looked at Gu Xingyue with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Gu Xingyue considered it briefly, then nodded. "Sure. It's been so long since I had your grilled fish that I've started craving it."