As they walked back along the path toward the academic building, Chen Junting broke into Ning Tian and Xiao Xiao's conversation.
"Xiao Xiao, this might be a bit forward—but I'm curious: how did you manage to use both of your martial souls at the same time earlier?"
"Use both martial souls simultaneously!?"
Ning Tian gasped in astonishment.
Twin martial souls were already exceedingly rare—but using them together?
She'd never even heard of such a thing.
"You didn't even tell me about this!"
She shot Chen Junting an exasperated look before turning eagerly to Xiao Xiao. The ability to wield twin martial souls concurrently held far greater potential than merely possessing them.
"Huh?" Xiao Xiao blinked, startled. She hadn't expected either of them to be so intrigued by this.
Seeing her hesitation, Chen Junting quickly added, "I'm just curious—no other intention. If it's uncomfortable to answer, you don't have to."
Ning Tian nodded in agreement.
"It's not uncomfortable at all," Xiao Xiao said, lifting her gaze to the sky, her eyes distant. "Honestly… I've never really thought about it. I just followed my instincts. I use the Nine Phoenix Flute to play melodies, and I control the Three Lives Soul-Sealing Cauldron with my mind. It drains a lot of soul power, but… I made it work."
"No sense of conflict between them?"
"None."
Chen Junting nodded slowly. Her answer confirmed his suspicion. "It seems your twin martial souls interfere with each other very little—perhaps because their attributes don't clash, or maybe they share some deeper connection. Combined with your high level of control, that's likely why you can activate them together."
His eyes gleamed with sudden insight. "Xiao Xiao… you might be able to attempt a self-fusion martial soul skill."
"A self-fusion skill!?" Ning Tian interjected, incredulous. "But that's impossible! Fusion skills require two people—how could one person possibly—" She stopped mid-sentence, her mind racing back through everything she knew about martial soul fusion techniques. Had she been blinded all along by convention?
"Xiao Tian… you've figured it out too, haven't you?" Chen Junting smiled faintly. Years of closeness meant they rarely needed words to understand each other.
"I remember clearly what Teacher Mujin taught us recently," he continued. "The key to fusion skills is compatibility. If two martial souls share commonalities—complementing and blending with each other—it's theoretically possible."
Ning Tian gave a thoughtful nod.
But Xiao Xiao still looked utterly bewildered.
Chen Junting explained further: "Think of all known fusion skills. Take the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo from the Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago—their souls were the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and Ghost Demon. On the surface, they seemed unrelated. But through years of teamwork and the interplay of yin-yang, life-death, light-darkness, their souls fused perfectly. Xiao Xiao… your situation fits this principle exactly."
(T/N: Ghost Douluo's name and martial soul are the same in Chinese, both being '鬼魅')
"You mean…"
Xiao Xiao's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"As unbelievable as it sounds—it's worth trying," Ning Tian said, now fully aligned with Chen Junting's reasoning. "You have twin martial souls, and you can already use them together. That proves they're inherently linked—and non-conflicting."
"Besides…" Chen Junting added, finishing her thought, "even the deepest understanding between two people can't compare to the unity within a single soul. You might truly be able to create a self-fusion martial soul skill."
"Self-fusion martial soul skill…"
Xiao Xiao wasn't naive—Chen Junting's words ignited a spark of burning ambition within her.
But just then—
"Ning Tian!"
Wu Feng burst onto the path, her voice sharp with urgency.
"Teacher Mujin wants us to take Xiao Xiao to Director Du's office—now."
…
"Don't worry. The academy will give you a proper resolution."
Inside the Dean of Discipline's office, Du Weilun's face was ashen, though he forced a strained smile for the students. Watching Xiao Xiao—now officially a member of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—walk out the door, his heart bled.
A genius with twin martial souls… lost.
The moment she left, Du Weilun's decades of composure shattered. He slammed his fist on the desk, roaring, "Zhou Yi! You deserve to die!"
Thankfully, the room was soundproof—though the walls still trembled from his fury.
For years, Zhou Yi's conduct had been a powder keg waiting to explode. Only because she was married to Fan Yu had Du Weilun reluctantly suppressed his complaints. But now—threatening to expel a prodigy like Xiao Xiao, regardless of her true intent—had lit the fuse.
What happened next, Chen Junting and the others never learned.
Du Weilun stormed straight to Headmaster Yan Shaozhe, presenting a detailed account of the incident along with a thick dossier documenting Zhou Yi's years of excessive disciplinary actions.
Yan Shaozhe's temper flared immediately—not out of anger at Zhou Yi herself, but at the loss. Shrek Academy wasn't just a school; it was a major power. Exceptionally talented students without strong external affiliations typically stayed after graduation, becoming the academy's backbone—or even its future pillars. Xiao Xiao could have been one of them.
And now…
She was gone.
But more pressing than regret was damage control.
Flipping through Du Weilun's dossier, Yan Shaozhe's brow furrowed. A few minor incidents could be buried—but years of accumulated grievances, now ignited by this scandal, threatened the academy's reputation and interests. If mishandled, the fallout could be severe.
To protect Shrek's standing, Zhou Yi's fate was sealed—regardless of her husband's status.
Yan Shaozhe immediately convened senior faculty from both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Engineering Department to deliberate Zhou Yi's punishment.
Even Fan Yu, upon learning the scale of the disaster Zhou Yi had caused, nearly collapsed under the weight of guilt. He'd long known her methods were extreme—beyond the bounds of proper teaching. But as her husband, he'd turned a blind eye, even enabled her.
Now, karma had arrived.
After intense deliberation, the academy announced its decision: Zhou Yi would be investigated and suspended pending review. Her actions had caused severe reputational harm, and the academy would publicly distance itself from her past conduct. An official statement declared:
"To uphold fairness and institutional integrity, Zhou Yi is hereby stripped of all duties. A special investigation committee has been formed. Should the allegations be confirmed, she will be permanently expelled from Shrek Academy and banned for life from setting foot in Shrek City."
In the meantime, the experienced instructor Wang Yan would temporarily take over Class One's curriculum to ensure students' education remained uninterrupted.
With that, the matter came to a close.
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