The three of them walked toward the dining hall, the atmosphere slightly more relaxed after the silence that had hung in the air earlier. Wang Feng was still thinking about what had just happened but chose not to bring it up any further. Even so, there was something different about Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong that he couldn't quite place, and it piqued his curiosity.
Upon arriving at the dining hall, they chose a table in the corner, away from the crowd. Wang Dong sat down first, followed by Huo Yuhao, while Wang Feng sat across from them.
"So, how was class while I was gone?" Wang Feng asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the lingering tension.
Wang Dong nervously pushed the rice on his plate, his spoon clinking lightly. "Ah, not much has changed. Teacher Zhou is still as strict as ever," he replied while avoiding eye contact.
Huo Yuhao offered a small smile, trying to ease the tension. "Yeah, not much has changed. Teacher Zhou is still the same—pretty harsh and firm. Maybe that's why class always feels intense."
Wang Feng nodded, feeling slightly relieved that their academic life had stayed the same. "In that case, you two are managing just fine, right?"
Wang Dong snorted proudly. "Of course! Who do you think I am?" He instinctively patted his chest, which had yet to develop. Then he suddenly froze as he realized something. His cheeks turned red, and he quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Huo Yuhao, noticing the movement, immediately choked on his drink. "A-ah, yeah! Wang Dong is the best in our class," he said quickly, trying to cover for his flustered friend.
Wang Feng watched them with bright eyes full of questions.
"In that case," Wang Feng said as he picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks, "did you two train together often while I was gone?"
"Y-yeah, we trained together sometimes," Wang Dong finally replied, trying to sound casual even though there was a clear hint of confusion.
Huo Yuhao, still a little shaken, decided to join the conversation. "We also learned from each other. Wang Dong sometimes helps me improve my combat techniques, and I try to give him a few tips too," he added with an awkward smile.
Wang Feng simply nodded slightly, offering a small smile at his two awkward friends. "You two always support each other. That's good."
Trying to change the subject, Huo Yuhao asked, "You've been talking about us since you got back. What about you? Why did it take you so long to return from the Great Star Dou Forest?"
Wang Feng stood up and lifted his plate casually. "Let's continue this in the room. It might take a while to explain. Besides, don't you two have class after lunch?"
"Today's a bit special. Our teacher said afternoon class is canceled," Huo Yuhao replied.
Both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood up and nodded. They understood that Wang Feng wanted to keep the conversation more private. With that, they left the dining hall and walked toward their room.
Once in their room, the atmosphere was more peaceful. They sat on the available beds and chairs, and Wang Feng began to speak.
"As you know, I went to the Great Star Dou Forest to find my third soul ring. But… more happened there than I initially told you."
Wang Feng began telling the story. The intense battle against the Titan Giant Ape to seize the Ascension Fruit, the terrifying encounter with the Voidroot Serpent, even the intervention of Di Tian—all were recounted with a tense voice.
Wang Feng took a sip of water to soothe his dry throat.
He set the glass down slowly, his eyes shimmering with meaning. "And that's why I came back late," he said, finishing his story.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Concerned, Huo Yuhao approached Wang Feng and gently placed his hand over Wang Feng's. "That all sounds really heavy and dangerous. I don't even know what to say… but I'm glad you're safe," he said softly.
Huo Yuhao seemed to have forgotten that he was currently presenting as male. Wang Feng could feel a soft hand pressing against his.
Wang Feng looked directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes, feeling that gentle touch, and for a moment, he fell silent. A few seconds later, Huo Yuhao realized what he was doing and quickly pulled his hand away, face flushed.
Wang Feng observed Huo Yuhao pulling away with reddened cheeks. There was something odd, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Forget it, maybe that was just something a friend would normally do," Wang Feng thought.
Wang Dong, who had been unusually quiet until now, finally spoke up. "Alright, can you two stop showing affection in front of me?" he said in a teasing tone, though there was a hint of irritation barely hidden in his voice.
"Huh? Why?" Wang Feng asked, a little confused. "We weren't doing anything."
Wang Dong crossed his arms, still looking awkward even as he tried to act casual. "You two are just... a little too close, and it's making me feel like a third wheel," he said, his eyes glancing away slightly, as if he didn't want to reveal more of what he felt.
Huo Yuhao lowered his head, his face flushing again at Wang Dong's words. "S-sorry, Wang Dong. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said, sounding awkward.
Wang Dong let out a small snort, but a faint smile formed on his lips. "I was just kidding," he said, though his voice sounded slightly lighter. "But seriously, you two should be more careful. Especially you, Yuhao. Don't show too much emotion in front of others. People might start weird rumors about you two."
Huo Yuhao nodded with an embarrassed smile. "We really should be more careful. Thanks for the reminder, Wang Dong." He knew Wang Dong's warning was mostly directed at him.
The atmosphere in the room slowly returned to a relaxed state as they moved on to lighter topics.
After the light-hearted conversation brought a calm mood to the room, Wang Feng suddenly had an interesting idea. He leaned back in his chair with an excited look, his eyes gleaming.
"Hey, how about we try something new?" he said, his fingers touching the edge of his lips in a meaningful smile.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged glances, looking slightly confused by Wang Feng's suggestion. "What do you mean?" Huo Yuhao asked, not quite sure what Wang Feng was implying.
"Martial Soul Fusion," Wang Feng replied, his voice full of certainty. "You know what that is, right? The three of us could try it."
Wang Feng had just remembered that with the evolution of his Martial Soul into the Ethereal Lotus, it granted him the ability to perform Martial Soul Fusion with people close to him. As long as the person had no ill will toward him, he could form a Martial Soul Fusion with them.
Wang Dong raised an eyebrow, looking interested yet skeptical. "Martial Soul Fusion? I know it's an extremely rare and powerful fusion technique... but isn't it only possible between two people whose soul compatibility is incredibly high?"
Huo Yuhao nodded, curiosity beginning to show on his face. "Yeah, I've read about it before. But no one really teaches how to do it. Even at Shrek Academy, it's very rarely used..."
Wang Feng nodded slowly, understanding their confusion. "You're right. It usually only happens between two people, and even that's rare. But I think... with the characteristics of my Martial Soul, we can make it work."
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao looked at each other again, and Huo Yuhao decided to ask, "What kind of characteristics does your Martial Soul have that make you so sure it can work with us?"
Wang Feng smiled, not hiding the truth that he could perform Martial Soul Fusion with almost anyone.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were shocked. They hadn't expected a Martial Soul to have such an ability.
Wang Feng stood up and walked to the center of the room. He raised his right hand, and in an instant, the Ethereal Lotus bloomed above his palm—its petals seemed to be made of glowing mist that drifted gently, radiating a sense of peace and unspoken power.
Wang Feng spoke softly. "My Martial Soul is harmonious in nature. It seeks synchronization, not dominance. That's why, as long as someone has no ill will toward me... we can form a soul connection through Martial Soul Fusion."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stared in awe.
"So… you can perform Martial Soul Fusion with anyone you trust?" Huo Yuhao asked, his tone filled with admiration.
"More or less," Wang Feng replied, slowly closing his hand and making the Ethereal Lotus fade away.
Wang Dong looked slightly nervous, then stood up. "Then... why do you want to try it now? Is it safe?"
"Don't worry," Wang Feng replied with a smile. "I'm not going to force anything. I just want to see if there's any reaction between the three of us."
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