Jiang Qingtong rushed home and bolted the doors and windows. Jiang Shengyu brought her a glass of water to steady her nerves.
She patted her chest and murmured, "That almost killed me. The aura from a peak-level Limit Douluo is terrifying!"
Jiang Shengyu, still shaken, patted her back gently to calm her—worrying their shared spirit might collapse from shock.
After some time, Shengyu spoke: "With that scare, we have to be extra careful in the capital. We don't want to get kidnapped by the Holy Spirit Sect and pulled apart."
Qingtong paced in the living room, muttering: "Should we just go to Shrek Academy? At least Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui won't tread there. Even if they do, with Mu En protecting us, the Sect's people aren't a problem."
Shengyu shook his head: "No, going to Shrek is safe, but we can't study non-ring cultivation methods there. Under their nose, no go. Plus, the Soul Hall's affairs would lose control."
She stopped pacing. "Staying here and we'll be threatened by the Holy Spirit Sect."
"And going to Shrek we can't continue our plans!"
"Ugh, this is so frustrating!"
They clutched their heads, tousling their silver hair until it tangled messily. They looked at each other, then laughed, flicking stray hair from their faces.
"How pathetic—we're time-travelers reduced to this…"
"At least time to pull a card!"
In unison, they decided.
Shengyu stepped into the living room and summoned his Martial Soul. Rippling moonlight from "Water in the Moon" floated; two soul rings—purple and black—hovered before him. From the black ring a second black ring slowly formed.
They stood within the moonlight, which reflected across their faces. Qingtong's eyes shone: "This moon is much prettier than Crystal Flower. Let's see what element I pull."
Shengyu placed the third ring forward, inhaled deeply, and shouted, "My turn—draw!"
The third ring glowed darkly. A frigid blade of pure sword energy sliced from the moonlight, followed by an explosion of ice-blue radiance shooting past them. A crisp sound echoed as the sword lodged in the ground, gleaming in cold light.
In Shengyu's spirit realm the name of his third soul technique appeared: Piercing Ten Thousand Rivers (Zhao Che Wan Chuan)!
Shengyu grinned: "Six! This fits my crescent moon perfectly."
Qingtong eyed the glittering "Tanhua Sword" embedded in ice and teased, "I thought two Phoenix fires from Xiao Yan would do it—but who is your anime general?" She laughed. "Oh—wait. I am that 'general.' Never mind."
Shengyu pulled the sword from the ground; its icy aura swirled around him. Neither sibling was affected—despite its chill.
He twirled the weapon and remarked, "To go from a fire skill to ice—what a crazy clash of elements!"
Qingtong considered: "Maybe it's because I imprinted Extreme Ice. After all, Mirror Flower and Water Moon are two halves of the same Martial Soul. I wonder if imprinting ice would affect Moon's draws."
Indeed, her and Shengyu's souls are split spirits. Their Martial Souls can fuse into the full Mirror‑Flower Water‑Moon—a fusion they discovered together.
The appearance of "Piercing Ten Thousand Rivers" surprised them both. It showed Water Moon could manifest more than fire-based soul techniques—the possibilities were vast, depending on the draw.
Laughing, Qingtong teased, "We cross timelines but still play gacha. We're nuts."
They informed Kong Deming of Shengyu's new ice Soul Technique. Hearing that it was ice, not fire, he dropped his research on a Level‑10 Soul Power Device and summoned senior Douluo healers to verify Shengyu's condition.
Qingtong objected, "Teacher, I told you—my brother's fine."
Kong shook his head. "Still need to check. Martial Soul attributes rarely change—but you two are anomalies!"
After a meticulous exam, the Douluo healers confirmed Shengyu was healthy. Kong Deming breathed easy.
A senior healer said cautiously: "He's fine now, but he's too important to the Empire. Better let me observe him for another month and a half."
Shengyu and Qingtong exclaimed together, "That's unnecessary!"
The healer nodded solemnly: "Shengyu, you understand your value to the Empire? Besides, we're your elders—we can't ignore the risk of spiritual chaos."
Feeling the care behind her words, Shengyu sighed: "Alright, whatever you say."
Qingtong, rubbing her temples, turned to Kong Deming: "Teacher, I'll leave tomorrow for Shrek Academy. Please take care while I'm gone."
Kong smiled: "Don't worry. I'll live to see you two lead the Empire to greatness."
She nearly said "You probably will," but felt it'd sound like a curse, and held back.
The healer escorted Shengyu away for observation. Qingtong packed her things. Jing Hongchen personally accompanied her to Shrek Academy.
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