"Ahem..." Dugu Yan walked up behind the two and coughed softly.
Ling Yu and Ye Lingling paused at the same time. Their eyes briefly met before both turned toward Dugu Yan behind them, adding a barely perceptible subtlety to the quiet air.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but it's time for dinner." Dugu Yan deliberately lowered her voice so that only the two nearby could hear. A mischievous, teasing smile curled her lips, her expression full of playful mockery.
At Dugu Yan's teasing, both looked somewhat awkward and embarrassed. Neither said anything more. In unspoken agreement, they lowered their heads and quickly gathered the books, papers, and pens on the table, their movements tinged with panic. Even their breathing grew quieter, afraid of drawing anyone else's attention.
Since that day, Dugu Yan had often pulled Ye Lingling over to sit with Ling Yu during compulsory classes. The three gradually grew familiar with one another and occasionally went to the cafeteria together.
The cafeteria seethed with voices. Steam curled up from the food, mingling with the noisy conversations and kneading the clamor into a warm mist.
After ordering, the three waited for the server to bring their food. Ling Yu glanced at the two, seemingly recalling something, and asked casually, "Do you have time after dinner?"
Dugu Yan raised her eyes toward Ling Yu, her eyebrows lifting noticeably. Her tone was cheerful and frank, with a hint of surprise:
"Oh? You actually have something to ask us for? Let's hear it."
Ye Lingling gazed quietly at Ling Yu, her lips lightly pressed together as she listened attentively.
"Here's the thing. I have a talent for Ring Fusion that lets me accept other people's Soul Power or transfer mine to them. I'd like to try it, but I don't really have any friends close to my level. Would you two be willing?"
"There's a talent like that?" Both their pupils shifted. Everyone's Martial Soul was different, as was the nature of the Soul Power they cultivated. Even those with the same type of Martial Soul could not transfer Soul Power to one another because of differences in their Soul Rings. Forcibly accepting or transferring it was no different from asking for trouble, and in severe cases, it could even damage the meridians and internal organs.
"How do we do it?" Ye Lingling was the first to speak, her voice light and gentle.
Ling Yu looked at Dugu Yan and saw her nod slightly in agreement.
"Let's go to the training grounds after dinner. Could you each transfer Soul Power to me so I can test it?"
Both agreed. Just as their voices fell, the server approached with light steps and steadily placed the steaming dishes on the table one after another.
After dinner, the three headed to the training grounds together.
The breeze was fresh and the air clear along the way. Ye Lingling walked between them with slow, light steps, a faint air of serenity about her.
Before long, the spacious training grounds came into view. Paved with hard bluestone, the grounds were open and quiet, with a few indistinct figures sparring.
"I'll go first." Ye Lingling stepped forward and gently raised a hand, resting her palm firmly on Ling Yu's shoulder.
Her usually cool brows drew together slightly, and her eyelashes trembled. She was clearly struggling to hide her nervousness while forcing herself to remain calm, afraid that a mistake might hurt Ling Yu.
Ling Yu nodded, activated Martial Soul Possession, and closed his eyes, using Spiritual Detection at full strength.
When Ye Lingling's Soul Power entered Ling Yu's body, a strange discomfort welled up inside him. A sweet taste rose in his chest, as though he might cough up blood at any moment.
But his body soon began to adapt. The sensation that Soul Power gave him resembled what he had felt the first time he activated Ring Fusion.
The two different kinds of Soul Power were slowly becoming one, gradually establishing a connection.
Ye Lingling noticed that Ling Yu's condition was poor at first. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, she suddenly sensed that his body seemed to be adapting to her Soul Power little by little. His condition gradually improved, and an inexplicable feeling also rose within her.
It seemed that a wondrous connection had formed between her and Ling Yu. Even when she increased her Soul Power output, it still merged smoothly into his body.
He succeeded? Ye Lingling's heart stirred.
Sure enough, Ling Yu opened his eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted as he turned to look at Ye Lingling, his gaze seeming to say, It worked. Thank you.
Ye Lingling lowered her eyes slightly and withdrew her Soul Power.
"Sorry for the trouble, Dugu Yan," Ling Yu said softly.
"No big deal." As soon as Dugu Yan spoke, she placed her hand against Ling Yu and transferred her Soul Power.
With his first experience to draw on, Ling Yu quickly established a connection with Dugu Yan's Soul Power.
"What an amazing talent. Doesn't that mean that in the Soul Master Tournament, you could convert your Soul Power and give it to a Power Attack System teammate so he could keep attacking?" Dugu Yan gently withdrew her hand with a sigh of wonder, a trace of complex, indescribable emotion hidden in her voice.
"In theory, yes." Ling Yu nodded, though he did not reveal the most crucial part.
"Next, sorry to trouble you both to feed your Soul Power into me together. Slowly, and just a little will do." After speaking, Ling Yu activated the Heart Separation Control technique Ning Fengzhi had taught him. Although he had not even mastered the Three Aperture Governing Heart, it still helped somewhat with doing two things at once.
Both placed their palms against Ling Yu's back and slowly fed in their Soul Power. The two different kinds of Soul Power placed greater pressure on his body, seeming to clash within him.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but he made no sound. He even had room for a stray thought: Why don't support-type Soul Masters grab their opponents' hands during arena matches and inject Soul Power into them to hurt them?
Fortunately, his body soon adapted, allowing both their Soul Power to flow smoothly into him. As the amount increased, Ling Yu's first and second Soul Rings shone ever more brilliantly.
"First Soul Skill-Spiritual Detection!"
"Second Soul Skill-Spiritual Appraisal!"
In an instant, a wave of spiritual fluctuations surged outward from Ling Yu, and information immediately appeared in his mind-
"Traits: life, confinement. Age: sixteen years."
"Traits: corrosion, poisoning. Age: seventeen years."
"Traits: hardness, water. Age: nineteen years."
"Traits: wind. Age: nineteen years."
"Traits..."
Ling Yu's head felt as though it would split apart. He instantly severed the Soul Power connection and dropped to his knees. Ye Lingling immediately activated her Nine Heart Begonia, showering him with Light of Healing.
"Are you all right?" both asked urgently.
"I'm fine. It's a problem with my second Soul Skill. There was too much information, and it exploded in my head. It really hurt."
Ling Yu raised a hand and gently pressed his aching temple, his fingertips trembling slightly. A moment later, the two firmly caught his arms and supported him from either side as he slowly pushed himself to his feet.
"What Soul Skill is that dangerous?" Dugu Yan's delicate brows knitted slightly, her voice tinged with puzzlement.
"Spiritual Appraisal. It lets me appraise things like the age and attributes of items and Soul Beasts."
Both their gazes froze, and a flash of shock crossed their faces at the same time.
"Any Soul Beast?" Ye Lingling asked, her lips parting slightly.
"So far, I haven't encountered anything I couldn't appraise. But that might just be because I've seen too few," Ling Yu said slowly as his breathing gradually steadied.
"What a terrifying Soul Skill. With that ability of yours, all the knowledge about Soul Beasts that the great sects worked so hard to keep hidden would lose its meaning, and no one would die from their body bursting apart anymore." Dugu Yan gave a bitter smile, a trace of complex, indescribable emotion flashing through her eyes.