On one side, pale golden light emitted from Huo Yuhao's eyes.
On the other side, the dazzling wings of the Bright Goddess Butterfly unfurled behind Wang Dong.
At the instant that they released their Battle Spirits during their embrace, light filled the surrounding area of ten meters diameter. This special light seemed to be illuminating and blossoming out of their bodies.
It was a very strange kind of light; blue, purple, and gold colors transforming into a singular brilliance. It had a bright and rich quality, and emitted many exotic Spirit Power fluctuations.
Behind Wang Dong, a bright light shone and took the form of a complete and magnificent Bright Goddess Butterfly.
At Huo Yuhao's back, the ghostly image of a giant vertical eye appeared. Most of this image was a pale golden color, but the pupil was a faint purple.
After a short time, Huo Yuhao's and Wang Dong's bodies returned to normal, but they soon discovered that the area surrounding their bodies was full of that intense light.
In the air above, the two shadowy images slowly drew close to each other. During this process, the two images also began to change. Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye image gradually grew more profound. It has almost completely changed to the color of blue-violet; the gold color seemed to have been absorbed.
Wang Dong's Bright Goddess Butterfly light burned with a blue-gold flame as it got closer to the Spirit Eye.
Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, Huo Yuhao's and Wang Dong's Battle Spirit lights contacted each other over their heads.
Suddenly, the bodies of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong shook violently and their fused Hao Dong Power shot out, almost using up their entire strength.
The burning Bright Goddess Butterfly opened its dazzling pair of wings and slowly hugged the Spirit Eye image. Flash! The Bright Goddess Butterfly disappeared and the Spirit Eye, now huge, glowed with blue and purple light.
In that moment, a dazzling blue and golden light blossomed in the Spirit Eye's light shadow. The light slowly faded as the image hovered protectively over the still-embracing Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
The huge Spirit Eye looked very profound, as if the entire world was within its gaze. The next moment, a terrible blue, purple, and gold tri-colored light shot out.
This beam had a magical color and flew out straight, in its path, all vegetation turned to nothingness. That brilliant moment stretched to eternity. The tri-colored light trail left behind halos that did not disperse, and became a blur of dazzling color.
However, Huo Yuhao and Wang dong failed to see this scene. When that light burst, Hao Dong Power drained their energy. They felt so weak that they instantly fell to the ground, unconscious...
Battle Spirit Fusion Skills have always been very powerful, and this was their first attempt, they had to learn the process of fusing two Battle Spirits. The Spirit Power and mental power consumption was huge, and since they had never before experienced this situation, fainting was not strange.
Still holding and hugging onto each other, they just fell down flat…
A silent night…
An eventual dawn…
Without knowing when, Wang Dong awoke from this coma-like sleep, and felt in his heart the urge to die.
Bad enough that it was in bed the last time, but today, looking at it, they are still holding each other tight, but in a mess of dust, cut grass, and dew. They had directly fallen asleep in the field. Was this the legendary night stand?
"Huo Yuhao, you let me go." Wang Dong struggled to climb from Huo Yuhao's arms, his face holding a look of hysteria.
Huo Yuhao opened his hazy eyes and was shocked to find out the sky was already bright, he sat up to stand. But the next moment, he saw standing in front of him, and staring down at him, Wang Dong with a face like a storm might strike.
Wang Dong gnashed his teeth and glared at him, "Yesterday, you said we wouldn't fall asleep hugging like that?"
"I, I said that?" Huo Yuhao said blankly.
"You…, I'll fight you." Wang Dong shoved forward, then sat astride Huo Yuhao's body, hands striking at his face.
Huo Yuhao quickly caught his hands, eyes blankly looking to the side, "You, you see…"
"What are you looking…" words came out of Wang Dong's mouth as his eyes subconsciously glanced in the direction that Huo Yuhao was looking in. With this glance, he was also unable to take back his gaze.
They were stunned to see, in a 45-degree angle off to their side, there appeared a ditch. A very strange ditch.
This ditch was about five meters wide, a third of a meter deep, and extended straight for about fifty meters, and then it quietly disappeared.
If it was only the size of the ditch, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong would never have been so surprised. After all, they had used Battle Spirit Fusion, and even spent all of their Spirit Power, such that they had been unconscious all night, so powerful would be normal.
But the most terrifying thing was that in the trench that was supposed to be filled with mud, there was a shining layer of pale gold, exactly the same pale gold color as Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye Battle Spirit.
Not just the soil on the ground, because the path the ditch passed through contained a few trees, a tree close to the edge of the sweep had a semicircular depression cut into it, the surface of that depression also presented a pale gold color. On both sides of the trench, all vegetation that had just been grazed had been left with such a color.
At this moment, under the shining sun, a thin layer of brilliant pale gold color, like a golden road, was presented before Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Seeing this, how could they not be surprised?
"This, this was caused by your Bright Goddess Butterfly?" Huo Yuhao asked blankly.
Wang Dong, still astride him, subconsciously shook his head and said, "No, absolutely not. Although my Battle Spirit is gold, it is a bright gold or a blue and gold, not this pale gold. This, this looks like the same color as your Spirit Eye!"
Huo Yuhao patted his thigh and said, "Get down, we have to go look."
"Ok." Wang Dong, at the moment, was caught up in the golden road, and did not pay attention to Huo Yuhao patting close to his butt, but stood up and stepped away; Huo Yuhao also immediately stood up, and the two walked to the front of the gold road and squatted down.
Wang Dong reached out to touch it, but was grabbed by Huo Yuhao, "You said this is like my Spirit Eye color, so let me." Then his other hand probed into the ditch to touch the top of that gold color.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand as quick as lightning after a slight touch. He was shocked. When he came in contact with that golden color, he felt as if his mind turned chaotic. A powerful wave appeared in his sea of consciousness. That feeling was like being hit by Soul Assault.
"This, this is the result of our Spirit Fusion Skill? You try it." Huo Yuhao quickly turned toward Wang Dong.
Wang Dong was already extremely curious and quickly touched the golden trench.
His reaction was even greater than Huo Yuhao's. His entire body went lifeless and couldn't recover for quite a few moments.
They looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes.
"This, this is too fierce. This is only the remnant of our Spirit Fusion Skill, yet I felt as if I was hit by your Soul Assault ability. What would happen if someone were to be hit directly?" Wang Dong's voice shook with excitement. There isn't a single Spirit Master who doesn't hope to have such a powerful skill.
Huo Yuhao said, "Look, the range of this attack should be around fifty meters in a straight line. Right now, we still don't know if we can lock on to the opponent. The power really is humongous and should be both destructive and mental attribute. It probably raised our attack power by many times. To hit someone with this straight on, the power…"
Wang Dong nodded with excitement, "Also, the Spirit Fusion Skill's power will increase as our cultivation increases! Our Spirit Fusion Skill really is domineering. If we meet the net of those Lan Sisters again, we would definitely be able to break through!"
Huo Yuhao was just as excited but he appeared more calm, "Wang Dong, how do you think we should use our Battle Spirit Fusion Skill? I don't think a Spirit Elder can withstand this kind of power!"
Wang Dong's face stiffed, "That is a problem. For the power to be too big is difficult. Also, we can only use it once so we can't use it to scare people. We would faint after we use it."
Huo Yuhao responded, "The experience from this first experiment is not enough. We would probably expend less energy next time. But we would still only have enough for a single attack. A powerful skill like this is still a good thing. We can practice it a few times later and it will get better as we're more used to it."
Wang Dong said, "Next time Ma Xiaotao tries to bully us, we can use it on her. With her cultivation, it probably won't kill her so we can use it to show her our strength."
"Our powerful Spirit Fusion Skill should have a name. Since my error in judgment made you sleep in the wilderness for a night, I'll give you the honor of naming it."
Wang Dong accepted without hesitation, "Okay. What should I call it? How about Death Stare?"
Before Huo Yuhao could open his mouth, Wang Dong had already rejected it, "No, no. This is a Spirit Fusion Skill from both of us. How can we not include a trait from my Battle Spirit? Let's call it, Bright Goddess Glare. So cool."
Huo Yuhao looked at him speechless, "Your Bright Goddess Butterfly is a bright goddess? That was supposed to describe a butterfly as pretty as a goddess that can bring light. Before questioning the existence of a bright goddess, even if there is, it still doesn't have anything to do with you."
Wang Dong's face darkened, "Why can't you say something nice? Do you want it to be called Butterfly Glare? Doesn't that sound even worse?"
Suddenly, his eyes brightened, "Oh right, even though it is a Spirit Fusion Skill, why do we have to include our Battle Spirit? That is too boring. For such a gorgeous golden color, and the radiance produced with our Battle Spirit Fusion, why don't we call it: Fading in Radiance, Road of Gold. How about that?"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened, "That name sounds good, but isn't it too long?"
Wang Dong proudly said, "The longer length shows our power. We can simplify it to Golden Road. Not like other people will know what it is. Later, we can call Teacher Zhou here and have her help us judge the power and effect of this Fading in Radiance, Road of Gold. This way, we can have a more accurate expectation for when we use it."
When Wang Dong said the words "Teacher Zhou" Huo Yuhao suddenly felt chills going down his spine. He turned his head to look at the rising sun.
Wang Dong was also reminded by this sudden movement and also thought of something. They looked at each other and screamed at the same time before breaking out in a run.
Going to be late again…., and this time, it is for an elimination match, to be late again….
In order to return to Shrek Academy with the greatest speed, they held hands to use HaoDong Power. Not only was their energy expenditure low, it also let them have a higher average speed.
Fortunately, they weren't too far and it didn't take them very long to get back. But they were still late.
Outside of the examination area stood a row of the academy's teachers. Around thirty people, including old lady Zhou Yi.
Her gaze right now was not friendly. Even after looking through nearly two hundred students standing below her, she still couldn't find the people she was looking for.
Xiao Xiao had arrived early and waited in frustration. Registration had already begun. And it started with Class One. However, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were not there. If they still have not arrived by the end of the registration period, then it will count as a forfeit. Not only would it be missing a great opportunity but they would also have to endure the fury from Teacher Zhou! For someone like their teacher, Xiao Xiao would probably end up suffering as well.
What are those two guys doing? They were late yesterday, now they're doing it again today?
Class One had the greatest number of participating students so their roll call time was also the longest. When it reached Xiao Xiao's group, other than Xiao Xiao answering, neither Huo Yuhao nor Wang Dong answered. When this happened, not only was the entire freshman student body shocked, but even the teachers were just as shocked.
In Shrek Academy's history, this was not the first, but it was still a very rare event. Even if they had passed the Freshman Examination, if they don't appear for the elimination contest, they would be considered to be defying the academy and leave a bad impression on all the teachers.
The roll call teacher paused a moment before continuing calling out names from other classes. It wasn't until Class Six that Huo YUhao and Wang Dong appeared.
The two were in a hurry, and also slept in the wilderness, so they didn't get a chance to wash up in the morning. They looked as embarrassing as possible with an untidy appearance and hints of dirt and dew on their clothes.
However, since things have already progressed to this point, they could only bite the bullet. It's not like they can actually forfeit!
"Reporting in." Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong yelled out after running in front of the teachers.
The roll call teacher immediately stopped. This teacher was around fifty, had a large frame, with a dark, hairless face and showed a stern appearance.
"Which class do you two belong to? What happened?"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both recognized this teacher. He was called Du Weilun. The director of the Outer School Battle Spirit Department. He had the greatest power in the outer school.
Huo Yuhao loudly responded, "Teacher Du, Class One Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, late because of over-practicing."
Du Weilun's face darkened, "To be late for the examination. Do you still have any sense of time? I will give you two the punishment of cleaning every hallway in the Freshman Academic Building after the matches today. Return to your group."
"Yes." Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong quickly responded as they let go of a breath within their hearts. It was good as long as they didn't lose their rights to compete. They quietly ran back to Class One's group and stood with Xiao Xiao.
Du Weilun looked at Zhou Yi standing nearby before continuing on his list of names. With his temper, if it were any other student, they would have immediately been stripped of their rights to compete. However, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong performed exceptionally well in the round robin matches and obtained a complete victory. Only this feat allowed this iron faced director give them some leniency.
Even though achievements don't count for everything at Shrek Academy, having a good potential with good grades will still gain better treatment. This is the same at any academy.
"What were you two doing? Just wait until after the matches and old lady Zhou will fix you guys up. Look at her eyes. They look like daggers. If a look could kill then you guys would have been sliced into a thousand pieces," said Xiao Xiao angrily.
Wang Dong said in frustration, "Stop your jibber-jabber. It is all Huo Yuhao's fault. If he didn't drag me out to practice and misjudge the time, how could we have been late?"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had decided on the road that they will keep their Spirit Fusion Skill a secret for now. No matter what, they still don't plan to use it during the Freshman Examination. They decided that as long as they tell this good news to Teacher Zhou, it will settle her thunderous fury. At the same time, she can help them practice. After they get more familiar with it, they can use it in subsequent rounds of the examination.
Very soon, the Outer School Battle Spirit Department Director, Du Weilun had finished the roll call. Next is the lottery. Since this was only the Freshman Examination, it didn't involve too many complex rituals. Huo Yuhao represented his team and obtained a ballot. The sixty four groups of students will be separated to thirty two areas for their matches.
The students had a day of rest yesterday while the Examination District was rearranged. The partition walls were shifted to make up sixteen areas. This time, each area's space was many times bigger. The students participating in the elimination competition will have a larger space.
The rules for the elimination rounds are very simple. One match in the morning, one in the afternoon. The groups that are eliminated will go directly back for lessons while the winning teams will continue competing. It will take a total of three days to determine the top three.
After the lottery, the sixty four groups will immediately begin at the same time to determine the top thirty two. This way, the examination time can be shortened and give winning students more time to rest for their matches in the afternoon.
This time, Huo Yuhao's team was assigned to Area Fifteen. The proctor also changed. It was a thirty year old female teacher, who looked very good natured.
When they were drawing lots, they didn't know what kind of opponent they would meet. When they arrived for the first match, they saw that it was a group from their own class. This elimination contest became an inner battle.
Huo Yuhao knew all three of their opponents. There was one that even tried to fight Wang Dong, but was beaten up by him in private.
Since Huo Yuhao was Zhou Yi's chosen team from Class One, their power was unmatchable by other groups. Even though their opponents had great tenacity, under Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's fighting with Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection and Sharing support, the fight was over before ten minutes. They smoothly entered into the top thirty two.
However, when the Huo Yuhao trio walked out of the Examination Area, their celebratory air suddenly disappeared. In front of the Examination Area waited Old Lady Zhou.
"Xiao Xiao, you go back first to rest. You two, come with me." Finishing this sentence, Zhou Yi gave a cold snort and turned to walk away.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt chills on their backs. Good thing they were already prepared. After a glance at each other, they followed Zhou Yi. Xiao Xiao could only give them a glance showing she could only wish for her own happiness.
This time, Zhou Yi brought them to her own office. As Class One's homeroom teacher, her office was in the Teaching District, north of the Dormitory and behind the black and purple upper class academic buildings. The office building only had one floor and only she was working there just then.
As they followed Zhou Yi into the office, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were surprised.
This cold-hearted and strict Teacher Zhou had an elegant office. All the walls of the office were painted in a pale pink. The desk was made of a special kind of reddish wood. There was also a bright red sofa for visitors and other decorations. Inside, there was a little door that lead to a resting area. It has to be said that Shreak Academy treated their teachers well. Even a Freshman class homeroom teacher had her own, independent office.
Huo Yuhao was the last one in and closed the door carefully. Zhou Yi was already sitting on the bright red sofa for guests with her arms crossed in front. She coldly said, "Start talking. What is wrong with you two? So good! Late two days in a row. Is it because you guys passed the Freshman Examination, hardened your wings, and now I can't control you guys? Let me tell you. If I want to expel you from the academy, it will only take me a single sentence. This world has never lacked geniuses. Most of the people expelled by me were geniuses with only one problem. They didn't have the temperament to become strong. Give me a reason to not expel you two."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong glanced at each other. Wang Dong bumped him, signaling him to explain.
Huo Yuhao could only harden his will and say, "Sorry Teacher Zhou. It is our fault." In the past three months, they had become accustomed to Zhou Yi's temper. Arguing won't give them any benefits and would only make Old Lady Zhou more angry. So they kept a good manner for the possibility of receiving a lesser punishment.
"Sorry is not going to cut it. Do you think that being late is not a big deal? However, I have to tell you that being late can represent laziness. At your age, that is a huge deal. Just with that one reason, I can expel you two. Come on, give me a more logical reason."
Huo Yuhao then said with respect, "Teacher Zhou, please don't get mad. Do you remember the twins, Lan Shushu and Lan Luoluo, in Huang Chutian's team?"
"Yes," Zhou Yi acknowledged.
Huo Yuhao then continued: "During that battle we almost lost because of the Lan sisters' Battle Spirit Fusion Skill. It was only when the three of us worked together, were we barely able to win the battle and received all wins for the competition."
"After we got back, both Wang Dong and I were envious of how powerful their Battle Spirit Fusion Skill was, so we decided to give it a try and see whether our Battle Spirits can be fused. Because the school does not have a specific course for it, we decided to try for ourselves. Surprisingly, after the first try, our Battle Spirits seem to have almost fused together. However, during the time of fusion, we both fainted on Wang Dong's bed. When we woke up, we were already late for class and that was the reason for yesterday's lateness."
During Huo Yuhao's explanation, he felt Wang Dong's two fingers lightly pinched the flesh on the back of his waist and twisted one hundred and eighty degrees. He felt the pain but was afraid to show it. The muscles on his face became tense.
"Battle Spirit Fusion?" Zhou Yi was a bit startled. She was not expecting such a reason. Unintentionally she asked: "Was it successful?"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and said: "Yesterday, we didn't know if it was successful. So when you told us to go run laps, we tried it again and it seemed to have worked. Last night, we ran outside of the academy to try a Battle Spirit Fusion Skill. Unexpectedly, it actually worked. And its attack power was relatively strong. But, we overexpended our Spirit Power after using the skill and fainted. By the time we woke up, we were late again. Teacher Zhou, we really were late because we were practicing. It was only an accident and we promise that it will never happen again."
Huo Yuhao sneakily raised his head and peeked at Zhou Yi to see a blank face.
"You, you're saying that you two wanted to try Spirit Fusion. And succeeded?" Zhou Yi's voice obviously raised to a higher pitch. She stood up at the same time with a face full of shock and joy.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong nodded at the same time.
Zhou Yi excitedly said, "Hurry. Let me see what your Battle Spirit Fusion Skill is?"
Huo Yuhao responded, "Teacher Zhou, we still have a match this afternoon. When we use the ability, it will greatly expend our Spirit Power."
Zhou Yi replied angrily, "Your first use would expend the most. Afterwards, it wouldn't be as much. If you fainted every time you used a Battle Spirit Fusion, then wouldn't that be the same as suicide? Hurry up. I will help you guys recover Spirit Power. It won't affect your match this afternoon. Come, direct it towards me."
Since Zhou Yi had already said so much, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong couldn't reject her. They faced each other and Huo Yuhao naturally opened his arms to hug Wang Dong. Even though Wang Dong was a bit stiff, he didn't resist but closed his eyes and opened his arms to hug Huo Yuhao back.
When their bodies touched, they also released their Battle Spirits.
Spirit Power immediately connected and started circulating within them. They gained the feeling that their bodies were fused together.
One second, two seconds, three seconds….
Zhou Yi's office was so silent that even a needle falling on the ground could be heard. But other than the Spirit Power fluctuation from Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Battle Spirit release, there was no other movement.
Zhou Yi looked at them with wide eyes. She had already prepared her defenses but after Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong hugged, nothing happened. The muscle next to the corner of her eye started twitching.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong also felt that something was wrong. Based on what happened last night, their Spirit Power should be have been quickly sucked out! Then it should explode and fade in radiance to express a true power's great attack. But now, nothing happened.
"Are you two joking?" Zhou Yi's cold voice seemed to have been squeezed through her teeth. As the sounds reached Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's ears, they unconsciously shivered and released their arms. Their face also showed a look of astonishment.
They both felt death in teacher Zhou's aura. This old lady was obviously close to exploding.
Huo Yuhao said hurriedly: "Teacher Zhou, that's how we succeeded yesterday night at releasing our skill. We don't know what happened."
Zhou Yi said coldly: "You two hugging in my office. Are you trying to brag about your gay love? Today, I'm going to take good care of you two…"
Huo Yuhao acted quickly before Zhou Yi was able to finish her sentence. He grabbed Wang Dong's hand and simultaneously shared his Mental Detection with Zhou Yi.
"Huh?" Zhou Yi's anger was just going to explode when her surrounding suddenly became extremely clear. The clarity expanded and within a blink of an eye, everything within 150 of meters in diameter all showed up in 3D within her mind.
When did the area became this huge? Zhou Yi remembered clearly that it was only 36 meters when Huo Yuhao showed it to her last time. This time it became 150 of meters! This increase was way too big.
Seeing Zhou Yi was a bit stunned, Huo Yuhao hurriedly explained, "Teacher Zhou, do you remember? I said before that my Mental Detection would increase as my cultivation increases. After your patient guidance in these last three months, my Mental Detection can already reach a diameter of around 75 meters. I also figured out a way to focus it toward a single direction. That way, the detection range would be even bigger. What you are feeling now is around a diameter of a 150 meters. But, it is not all my own effort. After Wang Dong and I performed Battle Spirit Fusion, our Spirit Power also fused. It is only with his help that my spirit ability could gain such a big advancement. The new range increased by more than two times the old range. Similarly, my Spirit Power can also improve his spirit abilities. Isn't this enough to prove that we succeeded in Battle Spirit Fusion? We really did figure out a Battle Spirit Fusion Skill yesterday. If you don't believe us, we can take you to the place we experimented. There should still be marks left."
Hearing this, Zhou Yi gradually calmed down. She knew that she was too impulsive.
In the last three months, she saw everything that Huo Yuhao did in the academy. In her memories, there has never been a single student as hardworking as he is. Also, Huo Yuhao was more steady than people his age and had some degree of maturity. Even if he were to lie, he wouldn't use such an easily seen-through one.
Even though Zhou Yi was Shrek Academy's teacher, she didn't know very much about Battle Spirit Fusion Skills. No matter what, there were too few people who could achieve it. Hearing Huo Yuhao's explanation, she had already started believing them and her anger also quickly receded.
She waved her hands and said, "Enough. Retract your ability. I will believe you guys. But, if your Battle Spirit Fusion Skill works sometimes and not others, then there must be something wrong. You two wait for a bit in my office. I will go find a teacher who is more familiar with Battle Spirit Fusion Skills and have him give you an explanation."
Old Lady Zhou had always moved like thunder. She left quickly after finishing her sentence.
After she left, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong let go of their breaths and fell backward on the sofa. Huo Yuhao raised his hand and wiped away the cold sweat on his head. Wang Dong also wanted to wipe away his sweat but found his hand still being held by Huo Yuhao.
"Let go." Wang Dong said as he pulled back and glared at him. "It's all your fault. If you didn't go out to experiment, then we wouldn't have been caught by Old Lady Zhou. Now we don't have much of a secret."
Huo Yuhao laid back on the sofa and laughed, "If you want to blame me then blame me. But, this isn't such a bad thing. With a teacher's guidance, a lot of time will be saved from training. When will you change your complaining attitude. It's only me who can endure it."
Wang Dong snorted and said, "That is with you. If it was with anyone else, I would be too lazy to even complain. However, it was worth it today just seeing Old Lady Zhou's shocked expression. Do you think she would still teach us after we finish our elimination contest?"
Huo Yuhao responded, "Hard to say. Teacher Zhou has a very broad expertise but still has certain specialties. But our class grade is low and our cultivation weak. It is not enough for Teacher Zhou to show what her real expertise is in, yet. Anyway, we will know after we get assigned to new classes after the elimination contest. I hope we can keep learning from her. Even though she is very strict, that isn't a bad thing for us. At least it would motivate us to cultivate and learn."