Chapter 142: The Path of Gold (Part 2)
With that thought, Furina spoke up: "Since you feel it's possible, why not go give it a try right now? Find a quiet place where your martial souls can truly resonate once, and see if you can release it. That way, should you need it during this afternoon's assessment, you'll have some confidence and won't be caught fumbling."
Huo Yuhao thought this was reasonable and nodded. "Sister Furina is right—true knowledge comes from practice."
Wang Dong, however, hesitated. "Now? Here?"
Huo Yuhao looked at him, his tone gentle yet resolute. "Mm, let's do it now. It's perfect since everyone's here—they can help us see the effects and offer feedback."
"Uh..." A barely perceptible trace of embarrassment flickered across Wang Dong's face. Having to tightly embrace Huo Yuhao again in public was honestly a bit mortifying.
After all, he was a genuine girl. Even disguised in male attire, this psychological hurdle was still hard to overcome. Even if they really were two boys, such intimate contact would still be unavoidably awkward.
Xiao Xiao fanned the flames from the side, urging him on with a cheeky grin: "What's there to be scared of? It's not like you'll lose a piece of flesh! Martial soul fusion techniques are incredibly powerful—things others would beg for and never get! Wang Dong, don't tell me you don't want to get stronger? Or is it... that unleashing your fusion technique really requires doing something particularly embarrassing?"
Her big eyes sparkled with the light of pure gossip-seeking.
Huo Yuhao had no choice but to explain: "Actually... it's not that complicated. We just need to be in close proximity. Ideally... holding each other, so that our auras can fully intermingle and trigger the martial soul fusion."
"Pfft—hahaha!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao doubled over with laughter, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. "H-holding?! Two big men have to hug to use a fusion technique? Hahaha... Th-this is just too hilarious! If this were a boy and a girl, according to the storybooks, wouldn't that make them a fated husband-and-wife pair? Hahaha..." She laughed without a shred of decorum.
Even Furina at the side couldn't help covering her mouth and chuckling, her brows and eyes curving in amusement. She could especially appreciate the internal "collapse" Wang Dong must be experiencing right now—clearly a girl, yet having to endure such teasing because of her disguise.
Wang Dong's cheeks were flushed crimson from the laughter, both mortified and exasperated. In the end, he steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and said: "Laugh all you want! Fine, we'll try it! Sooner or later we have to figure this out anyway!"
Seeing his agreement, Huo Yuhao cast aside any further hesitation. "Here I come, then."
No sooner had he spoken than he took a step forward, reached out his arms, and gently yet firmly drew Wang Dong into his embrace.
The instant he was enfolded by Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong's body noticeably stiffened. Because of the running earlier, Huo Yuhao's body carried a faint sheen of sweat, along with that crisp, clean, masculine scent unique to a youth, washing over him. Wang Dong felt his brain go completely blank for a split second.
Huo Yuhao's sensations were similar to the previous night—Wang Dong's body was still unbelievably soft, and immensely comfortable to hold. But he had no time to savor it now. Even as he embraced him, he immediately focused his mind, calmed his spirit, and urged his soul power into motion. The Spirit Eyes martial soul quietly activated, and a faint, pale-golden luster swirled in the depths of his eyes.
Snapping out of his brief daze, Wang Dong hurriedly cooperated, circulating his own soul power. Behind him, the phantom silhouette of a pair of dazzling ice-blue wings slowly materialized and solidified—the Goddess of Light Butterfly martial soul, released.
At the very moment they simultaneously released their martial souls while locked in that embrace, a strange and wondrous sensation coursed through both their hearts. This felt entirely different from when only their soul powers had mingled before.
On one side: Huo Yuhao, his eyes emitting a pale-golden radiance, his bearing deep and composed.
On the other: Wang Dong, the dreamlike, ethereal ice-blue butterfly wings unfurled behind him, radiant and dazzling.
At the exact same instant they embraced and released their martial souls, the air within a roughly ten-meter diameter around the two seemed to tremble faintly. An indescribable, unique radiance—an intermingling of pale gold and ice blue—softly suffused the space, enveloping them within.
Immediately following, two enormous phantom images of light faintly materialized in the air, slowly drifting toward each other.
As they drew closer, the phantoms began to change. Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes phantom grew deeper and more restrained, its entire form shifting into a mysterious blue-violet. The outwardly visible golden radiance withdrew completely inward. Wang Dong's Goddess of Light Butterfly phantom, in contrast, grew ever more dazzling and resplendent. The patterns flowing across its wings pulsed with the very breath of life and light.
The moment the two phantoms finally made contact and overlapped—
Weng!
Both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt their bodies shudder violently! The fused soul power within them erupted like a dam bursting, instantly siphoning away nearly every ounce of their strength in a single breath.
In the air, the blazing phantom of the Goddess of Light Butterfly, wreathed in blue-golden flames, spread its magnificent wings wide—as if carrying boundless attachment and silent understanding—and slowly enfolded the deep, blue-violet Spirit Eyes phantom in an embrace.
In the next instant, the Goddess of Light Butterfly's phantom gradually faded and dispersed, while the Spirit Eyes phantom abruptly blazed with blinding intensity.
Dazzling, sacred blue-golden flames erupted brilliantly across the Spirit Eyes phantom. As if possessing life itself, the phantom slowly descended, gently sheltering Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong—still tightly locked in each other's arms on the ground—within the very heart of its radiance.
That colossal phantom eye appeared immeasurably profound. Gazing into it closely, it seemed to contain boundless worlds and endless stars within its depths. And then, a beam of tricolored light—terrifyingly powerful yet breathtakingly beautiful, a mix of blue, violet, and gold intertwined, like a dreamlike aurora—burst forth from the center of the phantom eye.
The beam shot straight into the depths of the small forest. Everywhere it passed, the air hissed with a faint hum. The weeds, the low shrubs, even the scattered pebbles on the ground—all, the instant they came into contact with that light, silently and soundlessly disintegrated into the finest motes of dust. It left behind a perfectly straight, unnaturally smooth, bizarre path that faintly shimmered with a metallic luster—like a "Path of Gold" abruptly laid out across the void!
The might of a martial soul fusion technique was immense, but its cost was equally staggering—especially for the two of them attempting it for the very first time, still completely unadapted. The dual overdraft of soul power and mental energy caused Wang Dong, who had always consumed more, to see his vision go black. His body swayed limply backward.
Huo Yuhao's soul power, physical resilience, and spiritual power all far surpassed Wang Dong's. Though he also felt a wave of profound weakness, he could still barely hold on. He hurriedly reached out and caught the fainting Wang Dong, asking anxiously: "Wang Dong! What's wrong with him?!"
Furina stepped forward, examined Wang Dong's condition, and exhaled in relief as she explained: "It's nothing serious. It's just his first time executing a martial soul fusion technique. The drain was excessive, and his body and spirit couldn't adjust in time, so he passed out. After a few more practice sessions, as he gradually adapts, he'll be fine. The reason you didn't faint is that your constitution is stronger than his, your soul power is deeper, and your foundation in every respect is more solid."
Only now did Xiao Xiao finally snap out of the daze induced by that shocking yet beautiful scene moments before. She gazed at that eye-catching, bizarre "Path of Gold" cutting through the forest, her eyes filled with pure wonder. "S-so... so powerful! And so stunningly beautiful! With this move, our chances of winning the championship—or at least runner-up—just got so much higher!"
She turned excitedly to Huo Yuhao. "Have you given this fusion technique a name yet? Wang Dong's out cold—why don't you think of one on his behalf for now?"
Huo Yuhao studied that gleaming path and murmured thoughtfully, "Mm... how about 'Withering Amidst Radiance—Path of Gold'? What do you two think?"
Xiao Xiao and Furina, upon hearing this, simultaneously revealed somewhat peculiar expressions.
Furina, especially, held her forehead inwardly, instantly recalling from the original story Huo Yuhao's series of names: "Fervor Amidst Absolute Frost—Heavenly Emperor's Hammer," "Spiritual Storm Amidst the Void—Soulstorm," "Solo Dance Amidst the Frost—Raiment of Light"... and so on—all excessively long and dripping with adolescent grandiosity. Indeed, some things, like aesthetic sensibility, were at times quite difficult to change.
Xiao Xiao directly voiced her opinion: "Too... too long! And a bit of a tongue-twister."
Furina nodded in agreement and offered her suggestion: "Simpler is better. In my view, just calling it 'Path of Gold' is perfect—direct and imposing. The preceding embellishment... can be omitted."
Xiao Xiao immediately seconded: "Yes! Just 'Path of Gold'—simple and straightforward. How great is that? Why complicate things?"
Seeing both his companions so insistent, Huo Yuhao readily accepted their advice and nodded, smiling a bit sheepishly: "Fine, then we'll go with your suggestion. Path of Gold it is. Once Wang Dong wakes up, I'll let him know."
"Mm, it's settled then," Xiao Xiao said happily.
Afterward, Huo Yuhao hefted the still-unconscious Wang Dong onto his back and carried him back to the dormitory to rest.
Once Wang Dong was comfortably settled, Huo Yuhao sought out Furina alone and recounted to her in full detail everything that had transpired during last night's martial soul fusion—especially how Electrolux had detected and expelled the foreign strand of divine sense, and how the God of Destruction's divine seal had manifested its might.
After listening, the last lingering trace of worry in Furina's heart finally dissolved. She affirmed Huo Yuhao's judgment and handling of the situation, and urged him not to fret overly about whatever petty schemes Tang San might attempt. With Electrolux present, his spiritual defenses were more than adequately secured.
At the same time, she also encouraged Huo Yuhao—alongside his studies in necromantic magic under Electrolux—to seek this learned teacher's guidance on whether it might be possible to explore certain more cutting-edge research topics... for example, the possibility of artificial soul rings.
The golden rays of the setting sun spilled across the pathways of Shrek Academy, stretching the shadows of the two figures long. The curtain on the freshman assessment was about to rise—and they, for their part, now carried even greater confidence and a stronger hand to face whatever lay ahead.