Han Li sighed lightly and looked at Guang Ling:
"Master, my hypothesis is based on my absolute control. Your ice element is manageable, but the problem is that your martial soul also has a significant light attribute. Do you think I can shake your soul power?"
"If there's a mistake, my little life could be at risk. That's why I chose Sister Yan. Why are you so anxious? Besides, even without a martial soul fusion skill, few people on the continent can match you."
"Oh, that's true."
Guang Ling, having been flattered, laughed heartily, as if he wasn't the one who had previously been staring at Han Li with resentment.
"And don't worry, once I experience the martial soul fusion skill, I might find a pattern. By then, you and Uncle Master might be able to create one too."
"It doesn't make sense that Douluo Chrysanthemum and Douluo Ghost can do it, but you and Uncle Master can't. Don't you think so?"
Han Li continued to paint an optimistic picture for his master.
Hearing this, Guang Ling's eyes lit up. He walked over to Han Li, put his arm around his shoulder, and patted him vigorously:
"As expected, Xiao Li, you have good ideas. I'll wait for your good news then."
Shui Bing'er, watching her Uncle Master Guang Ling being handled so easily by his disciple, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Who would have thought that one of the Worship in the Martial Soul Hall would have such a personality in private?
Then she glanced at Han Li, who was being embraced by Guang Ling, and her ears couldn't help but redden. She found it hard to refuse the idea of a martial soul fusion skill as a soul master.
"Alright, Bing'er, let's go get something to eat too."
Azure Luan, who had somehow appeared beside Shui Bing'er, softly reminded her, seeing her disciple's slightly reddened ears.
"Oh, okay, Master."
Shui Bing'er, feeling that her Master had seen through her thoughts, hurriedly put away her martial soul and, looking at the others who had already started walking out, said to her master:
"Master, let's hurry up too. I'm a bit hungry."
"Alright."
Azure Luan nodded gently, and the two master and apprentice followed the others.
Although dinner had turned into a late-night snack, Han Li still ate with great appetite.
Shui Bing'er also ate nearby, while the others chatted casually, occasionally joining Han Li and Shui Bing'er in conversation.
Everyone's spirits were quite high, except Han Li noticed that Sister Xiu'er, who had been smiling all along, had a hint of hidden sadness in her eyes.
After a moment of thought, he understood the issue and sped up his eating slightly.
"Alright, we've had a long day. Everyone should get some rest early. Sister Yan, I'm going back to my room to take a shower first. I'll come find you later."
Han Li stood up, stretched, and took the initiative to propose.
"Alright, that's fine. We can't help much anyway. Just do what you can. If it doesn't work out, give up. Being able to create one martial soul fusion skill is already quite lucky."
Seeing that he was about to slip away, Guang Ling still offered a reminder.
"Although I am looking forward to it, your safety is more important than the martial soul fusion skill."
"Yes, your master is right. Also, thank you, Xiao Li," Azure Luan nodded gently, expressing her gratitude and signaling that he could leave first.
"And you two?"
Han Li looked at the two women who were occasionally chatting with Shui Bing'er.
"Then I'll go back to my room to prepare. Bing'er, see you tomorrow," Dugu Yan stood up excitedly and greeted Shui Bing'er.
"I'll go back to cultivate as well," Xiu'er said with a smile.
"Alright, then Sister Xiu'er, come with me. I can't find a few pieces of clothing, maybe you can help me look," Han Li said somewhat sheepishly to Xiu'er.
"Okay," Xiu'er was momentarily stunned but quickly understood that Xiao Li probably had something to discuss with her.
She hadn't helped him organize his clothes for a while because his clothes were custom-made and handled by the maids in the residence.
"Even you can't find your things sometimes. Xiu'er, let's not help him and see if he dares to mock me again," Dugu Yan hugged Xiu'er and provocatively raised her eyebrows at Han Li.
"Well, everyone makes mistakes. And you're going back to your room not to prepare things in advance to avoid my teasing, right?"
Han Li looked at Dugu Yan with a distrustful gaze.
"What nonsense, I'll beat you up," Dugu Yan's face reddened as she let go of Xiu'er and lunged at Han Li.
"Looks like I guessed right. I'm off first. Sister Xiu'er, help me out," Han Li waved at them and made his escape.
Dugu Yan immediately chased after him, and Xiu'er nodded slightly to the others before following.
Guang Ling watched them playfully and couldn't help but shake his head, "So full of energy. Well, I'll be going too. See you tomorrow, you two can chat at your leisure," he waved goodbye and left.
Shui Bing'er, still eating, thought about the others' behavior and seemed to be in deep thought.
...
After some playful banter with Dugu Yan, Han Li, having calmed her down, led Xiu'er to his room.
Once they were inside, Xiu'er looked at him, "Xiao Li, do you have something to tell me?"
Han Li glanced back at Xiu'er, who was now slightly shorter than him and pulled her to sit down.
"Sister Xiu'er, you didn't think you could hide it from me, did you? But the thing with martial soul fusion skills is, I need to figure out the pattern first before we can try it together. This is my first time dealing with it too."
Xiu'er couldn't help but blush. She thought she had hidden it well, but Xiao Li had seen through her.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xiu'er said, "Yes, I know, Xiao Li, it's just that I..."
"Alright, Sister Xiu'er, it's nothing. Just make sure to tell me directly in the future, no more hiding things from me, okay?"
Han Li interrupted her. There was no need for formality between them.
"Okay, Sister Xiu'er, I'm going to take a bath now. Do you want to stay and help me?"
Seeing that Xiu'er was about to say something, Han Li cut her off forcefully.
"Ah, I'll head back first. Sister Yan is still waiting for you."
Leaving a somewhat stern remark, Xiu'er fled with a red face.
Watching her slightly embarrassed retreat, Han Li quickly washed up and headed to Dugu Yan's room.
Knock, enter, all in one motion.
Han Li pretended to scrutinize Dugu Yan's room, which earned him another round of her playful chiding.
"Alright, Sister Yan, let's get started."
The two of them stood facing each other in the open space of the room.
"What should I do?"
Dugu Yan asked excitedly.
"First, activate your martial soul. Try to use your martial soul to absorb the fire element energy I convert from my soul power."
Han Li decided to replicate Shui Bing'er's process and see if it would work.
"By the way, if you notice anything unusual, stop immediately. Your martial soul's fire element isn't that strong."
Han Li gave a serious reminder. He didn't want his experiment to hinder her cultivation.
"Don't worry, I know. I won't force it," Dugu Yan replied earnestly, then summoned her martial soul.
Seeing that she understood, Han Li cautiously guided a thread of fire elements toward her martial soul.
"Ugh!"
As Dugu Yan tried to use her martial soul to absorb Han Li's fire element, she couldn't help but make a sound after just swallowing a wisp.
"Hmm, unable to absorb it?"
Despite not seeing any pain on Dugu Yan's face, Han Li still stopped.
"No, I can absorb it."
Dugu Yan shook her head, also stopping the absorption, and unconsciously touched her lower abdomen.
"Well, how should I put it? After absorbing with my martial soul, the feeling it transmitted gave me a sense of fullness. It's like it's tasty but hard to digest."
"I have a feeling that even if I do digest it, it won't help increase the strength of my martial soul in the short term. If my feeling is correct, to notice a significant change, it would take at least years."
Dugu Yan faithfully described her feelings.
"Just treating my energy as high-quality food? Unable to achieve a qualitative change in a short time?"
Han Li summarized thoughtfully.
"Yes, that's pretty much it," Dugu Yan agreed, nodding in approval at his description.
"Alright, in any case, it's useful. Let's save this for now. Shall we try the next method?"
Han Li looked back at Dugu Yan, seeking her opinion.
"Sure, let's continue."
Having gained insights from the first method, though not immediate feedback, was enough to excite her. Dugu Yan looked forward to the next method even more.
"You don't mind if I make contact with your martial soul and body, do you?"
Han Li asked, blinking at her slightly thin clothing.
"Didn't you think it might be inappropriate to find me at night before asking that question?"
Dugu Yan's face flashed with a hint of charm as she leaned closer to him.
"I'm still young, I reject all improper temptations."
Despite his words, Han Li unhesitatingly embraced Dugu Yan's body and began trying to connect her soul power with the converted single-attribute soul power.
Seeing him start the experiment, Dugu Yan also stopped teasing and fully cooperated with him.
"As for the body, it's similar to directly absorbing the aura, at most adding a bit of a simulated environment effect."
After a while, Han Li, carefully observing the changes, looked up and spoke to Dugu Yan.
"Alright, let's try directly contacting the martial soul."
Dugu Yan shrunk her martial soul to her palm and extended her hand to him.
"Okay, be ready to retract your martial soul at any time."
Han Li's expression became much more serious.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Compared to Han Li, she was extremely relaxed and incredibly trusting.
"Let's go to the bed. Direct contact with the martial soul will cause changes in your body as well."
Han Li remembered the unusual reactions Shui Bing'er had when he suppressed her out-of-control martial soul and added this explanation.
"I knew you had bad intentions."
"Come on, little brother, I'm ready. Just don't be too rough, okay?"
Dugu Yan teased him as she walked over to the bed and lay down.
Han Li remained unfazed. Having spent considerable time with Dugu Yan, he knew well enough that she was all talk, and taking her seriously would be a mistake.
With a few quick steps, he reached the bed and refocused his mind, extending his hand towards the now-miniaturized martial soul.
"Mm."
At just the slightest touch, Dugu Yan's face flushed, her lips parted slightly, and she let out an incredibly seductive sound.
Realizing the sound she made, she quickly bit her lip and closed her eyes.
Han Li paused slightly, noticing her eyes were shut and she had fully let down her guard. He then redirected his attention to her martial soul.
With his absolute control over the fire element, Han Li easily penetrated the fire element shield enveloping the Flame Wing Serpent, making first contact with the semi-real serpent's core.
It felt cool and slippery to the touch, a stark contrast to the fiery and explosive aura it usually exuded.
What he didn't notice was that as soon as he touched the martial soul's core, Dugu Yan involuntarily shifted her body on the bed.
Cautiously, Han Li used his soul power and mental strength to make contact with the martial soul's core. Finding no resistance, he released his martial soul aura and slowly approached it.
The moment their auras touched, Han Li felt a sudden blur, as if he had turned into a mass of energy merging with something, bringing an indescribable pleasure from deep within his soul, making him want to succumb to it.
He didn't know how long it lasted—perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity—but he eventually regained his senses and called out, "Sister Yan? How are you?"
"I'm fine. What happened?"
Dugu Yan's voice was still a bit dazed, clearly just regaining consciousness as well.
Strangely, Han Li noticed that Dugu Yan's voice seemed to come from the same place as his own.
Han Li calmed down and continued, "I'm not sure. Can you sense the outside world?"
"Hmm? Let me try."
Dugu Yan's voice sounded, and then both of them saw it—the unfamiliar ceiling.
"I'm still lying on the bed, but where did you go?"
As Han Li's perspective shifted, he realized they had somehow succeeded. It seemed he had merged into Dugu Yan's body, similar to Hu Liena and her brother, but the control of their fusion appeared to be in Dugu Yan's hands.
"In any case, it looks like we've succeeded and completed the martial soul fusion technique. Now, stand up and check yourself in the mirror."
Han Li thought for a moment and then took the initiative to instruct.
"Okay."
As soon as she moved, Dugu Yan noticed something was off even without Han Li saying anything. The hand she extended wasn't hers—it was slightly larger.
She quickly got out of bed and went to the mirror.
Her height had increased significantly, and her facial features seemed to be a combination of both of theirs, giving her a heroic look without distinct male or female characteristics. There was a striking vermilion flame mark at the center of her forehead.
Her previously dark red hair had turned vermilion and had become much shorter, standing straight up like ignited flames rather than falling naturally.
Moreover, faint flame patterns appeared on her arms, pulsing as if breathing, which looked quite peculiar.
The wings had changed only in color, now also vermilion. The reflection in the mirror resembled a fire spirit, marked entirely by fire elements from head to toe.
"Have my snake attributes been completely covered? This doesn't feel like a martial soul fusion technique. Where are the skills?"
The figure in the mirror spoke, but the voice wasn't like either of theirs.
"I..."
The figure in the mirror was about to speak again when a burst of red light flashed, and the figure vanished. Both of them reappeared in their original forms, looking at each other, bewildered.
"Should we try again?"
After a moment, Han Li suggested to Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan nodded and summoned her martial soul again, extending her hand towards Han Li.
For the next half hour, no matter how they tried to replicate their earlier actions, the figure from before didn't reappear.
Eventually, Dugu Yan's mental strength began to wane, and they couldn't achieve a second success.
Han Li couldn't help but silently complain, "Damn, can martial soul fusion techniques also evolve incorrectly? What is this, Digimon?"