Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances for a moment, then slowly reached out to grasp Wang Feng's hand. As their three hands connected, the room grew even quieter, with only the sound of their breathing audible.
They all closed their eyes, began regulating their breathing, and slowly circulated their soul power.
Immediately, a gentle aura enveloped all three of them. Wang Feng's, Huo Yuhao's, and Wang Dong's soul powers resonated with each other, merging into one harmonious flow. A warm and comfortable feeling spread throughout their bodies.
They began to cultivate in this state. The three of them were shocked to realize that their cultivation speed had drastically increased. To use an analogy, normally in one hour, Huo Yuhao would only increase his strength by about 1.2, Wang Dong by about 1.5, and Wang Feng by about 3.3. However, when cultivating together, their soul power increased by a total of 6 within the same time frame.
Moreover, because Wang Feng was leading the process of merging their soul powers, the energy generated was naturally compressed, producing extraordinary effects for Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. As a result, their physical abilities improved significantly. Although their bodies might not yet match Wang Feng's, among peers of their level, their physiques would now be among the strongest and toughest.
Beyond that, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong also sensed another significant change. With much more stable and condensed reserves of soul power, they could now use soul skills that normally consumed a lot of energy repeatedly without tiring as quickly.
Of course, under normal circumstances, they shouldn't have been able to withstand Wang Feng's energy. However, after Wang Feng repeatedly weakened it, they were able to absorb it. Furthermore, the harmonious aura of Wang Feng's Ethereal Lotus greatly aided them in absorbing the compressed soul power.
Time passed without them realizing it. In their deep meditative state, their bodies emitted a faint light. From the outside, their lights formed a small vortex, slowly spinning yet stable, as if the world around them was being drawn into the rhythm of their breathing.
Wang Feng continued leading the flow of energy calmly. He ensured that the soul power he released had been compressed and adjusted to the tolerance limits of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. The Ethereal Lotus within his body radiated a pure harmonious aura, making the entire cultivation process remarkably stable. Even the innate potentials of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were gradually being awakened, as if their bodies were beginning to adapt to evolve faster and stronger than before.
Tianmeng, feeling the improvements in Huo Yuhao's body, murmured to himself, "There's actually an advantage to that kid being the dominant one in their Martial Soul Fusion."
Not only were their soul powers developing, but their martial souls also began to show slight changes. In the core of their power, a faint silhouette of the Ethereal Lotus gleamed, forming a subtle connection binding the three of them together in an extremely tight energy relationship.
On the foreheads of Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, a faint shadow of the Ethereal Lotus appeared. However, neither Tianmeng nor the mysterious entity residing within Wang Dong's body noticed it at all.
After several hours passed, the three of them slowly opened their eyes. Their breathing was synchronized, deep and stable, as if they had just undergone a cleansing of body and soul.
Huo Yuhao, who was usually a bit slower in cultivation, now felt his body as light as a feather, and his mind far clearer. He clenched his fists in disbelief.
"I... I really feel like my strength has increased a lot," Huo Yuhao murmured, his eyes sparkling.
Wang Dong was no different. He moved his body lightly and was amazed by the newfound flexibility and strength within him. "This... is incredible. I even feel like my body is much sturdier than before."
"Do you guys want to name the new soul power formed after our Martial Soul Fusion?" Wang Feng asked them both.
Huo Yuhao suggested, "How about taking one character from each of our names? Like HuoDongFeng, FengDongHuo, or DongHuoFeng."
Wang Dong chuckled and said, "FengDongHao... that sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?" He smiled, amused by Huo Yuhao's idea, but also agreeing with its simplicity.
Wang Feng smiled faintly at their conversation, then slowly stood up. He stretched for a moment before gazing at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong with calm yet spirited eyes.
"You can feel it, right? Our soul powers are much more connected now," Wang Feng said softly. "Because of that, maybe it's time we try something even further."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong immediately caught the meaning of his words. They glanced at each other, their faces showing a mix of tension and curiosity.
"You mean... a Martial Soul Fusion skill?" Wang Dong asked, his voice trembling slightly with anticipation.
Wang Feng nodded. "Yeah. With our resonance being almost perfect, we should be able to pull it off now."
Wang Dong said excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it right now!"
Wang Feng chuckled at Wang Dong's enthusiasm. "Patience. If we're going to test out our Martial Soul Fusion skill, it's better to do it outside. Plus, we can see if this new energy boosts the power of our soul skills too."
That night, under the starry sky, Wang Feng, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong walked toward a small forest near the dormitory building.
They walked with steady steps, the surroundings quiet except for the sound of their footsteps. The cool night air carried a deep sense of tranquility, and the stars above seemed to witness their strong determination. When they reached an open clearing in the middle of the forest, they stopped and exchanged glances.
"This is a good spot for the trial," Wang Feng said after surveying the area and nodding. "Now, let's see if we can activate our Martial Soul Fusion skill."
He spread his arms wide and said, "Come on."
Wang Dong froze, immediately becoming cautious. "What are you doing?"
Wang Feng replied matter-of-factly, "You two, hug me."
Wang Dong instantly blushed, his face turning bright red all the way to his ears. "What?! Hugging—here? Are you crazy?!" His voice rose sharply in protest.
Huo Yuhao, who was listening, also felt embarrassed. But strangely, the feeling of rejection in his heart was much weaker this time. In his mind, the thought quietly emerged that if it was Wang Feng... it might be okay.
Wang Feng remained calm, his arms still open. "If we don't hug, we won't be able to activate our Martial Soul Fusion skill."
Wang Dong grumbled, "But—"
"But what?" Wang Feng cut him off. "We were already holding hands for hours back in the room. This is just a step further."
Huo Yuhao, usually the shy one, was actually the first to move. With his face burning red, he stepped forward and threw himself into Wang Feng's embrace. "For... the sake of our cultivation," he mumbled, barely audible.
Wang Dong still hesitated, but after seeing the determination in Huo Yuhao's eyes, he finally gave in. Blushing fiercely, he slowly stepped forward and joined in Wang Feng's hug.
The two bodies pressed against Wang Feng felt soft and comfortable, making Wang Feng momentarily dazed. Why hadn't he noticed this yesterday?
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had already activated their soul power and Martial Souls, but nothing happened yet. They quickly realized it was because Wang Feng hadn't activated his own soul power and Martial Soul.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and focus!" Wang Dong said, extremely embarrassed.
Snapping out of it, Wang Feng could only smile awkwardly before quickly releasing his own soul power.
The full physical contact caused the soul power within their bodies to rapidly merge into the FengDongHuo energy.
They then mobilized the FengDongHuo energy to perform their soul skill.
As the FengDongHuo energy activated, the three of them were enveloped in a golden light, transforming into a single 'sphere' of light.
When the 'sphere' of light faded, a figure appeared within it.
(To be continued)