Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

"Why? Why does this Jing Shaoyu have a Fusion Skill with that girl named Xu too? And how can he use two Fusion Skills in such a short time? How can his body even endure it?" Zhang Leipeng asked in a strained tone, his face complicated with disbelief. Though he had mentally prepared for the loss, it was still painful to accept when it finally happened.

"Hah! You're asking me? I want to know too!" Long Huan shook his head with a forced smile, his tone hinting at jealousy.

"I get it now. This Jing Shaoyu is truly a monster!" Xu Yue sighed. "People like him are rare, maybe one in a thousand years. East Sea City really lucked out with this one."

"Right," Xie Xueyun chuckled, "But what I'd really like to know is how this kid manages to juggle relationships with two girls, both with whom he shares a Fusion Skill. Without some kind of bond between all three of them, once they grow up, one relationship is bound to fall apart!"

"Come on, Old Xie, you're too nosy. What does that have to do with us?" Xu Yue rolled his eyes. "We'd better think about how to balance things against East Sea Academy in the next Tianhai Federation Tournament!"

That question left Xie Xueyun silent, while Long Huan and Zhang Leipeng exchanged glances, using the distraction to ease their own tensions over the situation.

Meanwhile, down by the ring, East Sea Academy's Head Instructor, Long Hengxu, looked utterly astonished. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide with excitement as he muttered, "My goodness, Wu Zhangkong really kept this hidden! Class Zero is truly unstoppable this time!"

In the audience, Xu Xiaoyu stood frozen, her gaze locked on Xu Xiaoyan and Jing Shaoyu on the platform, a mix of exasperation and frustration on her face as she thought, "This girl Xiaoyan—she actually has a Fusion Skill with Jing Shaoyu? She kept that hidden even from me! When we get back, I'll be telling Father; she's in for a lecture.

And that Jing Shaoyu—having a Fusion Skill with both her and Gu Yue? Is he trying to play both sides? I can't allow that. He'll need to make things clear with Gu Yue, or I'll have to stop Xiaoyan from getting too close to him.

After all, a daughter of the Xu family can't share a man with some girl of unknown origins!"

"Senior Brother, this Jing Shaoyu—he actually has Fusion Skills with two different Soul Masters and can activate them back-to-back…that's nearly unheard of!" Shen Yi, standing next to Wu Zhangkong, struggled to contain her shock and excitement. "Senior Brother, you must bring them back to the Academy once the tournament ends! With their talent, they'll receive the highest training. And the elders—they'll surely forgive you."

"No." Wu Zhangkong's face was impassive as he refused, "I'll take them to the Academy, but not yet."

"Why are you always like this?" Shen Yi's frustration broke through as she heard his refusal, her eyes filling with tears. She fell against him, fists clenched as she hit him softly.

Wu Zhangkong silently endured, his gaze clouded with a deep, conflicted sorrow.

Beneath the stage, Zhou Tian'er and Zhou Hanyou walked towards Wang Dongqi and the others with downcast expressions, defeated and reluctant.

"Come on, girls, chin up!" Wang Dongqi hurried forward, hugging the sisters. She forced a smile, trying to lift their spirits. "Hanyou, Tian'er, this is just a small setback. If you let this get you down, how can you hope to be the strongest sisters on the continent? Stay strong; we need you for the seven-man match tonight!"

"You're right!" Zhou Hanyou's eyes brightened as she heard this, a determined look settling on her face. "This is just a minor setback! Tian'er, we're aiming to be the continent's strongest sister duo. We can't let one little loss stop us. Let's do this!"

"Yes!" Under her sister's encouragement, Zhou Tian'er's spirit returned, her downcast mood lifting instantly. In reality, her disappointment had been an act; her personality wouldn't let her stay down over one defeat. Her reason was simple.

Zhao Ya and Dongfang Ningjing watched Zhou Tian'er's sudden change and couldn't help but giggle. Tian'er was still Tian'er.

Seeing this, Wang Dongqi raised a fist and shouted, "Alright! Let's go back and rest up. We need to be ready for tonight's seven-man match!"

"Yes!" The others joined in, raising their fists and shouting in agreement.

As Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan stepped off the platform, Long Hengxu quickly came forward with Tang Wulin and Xie Xie in tow. The head instructor was clearly in high spirits, practically strutting, full of confidence—a feeling he hadn't had in ages, especially given East Sea Academy's recent track record. Finally, the Academy could hold its head high again.

"Congratulations, and thank you!" Long Hengxu said sincerely. "Thank you for bringing honor to the Academy. I'll be sure to report to the headmaster and board of directors for a reward fitting the recognition you've won."

"Thank you, Instructor," Jing Shaoyu replied with a slight smile. "But for now, can we just head back to the hotel? I'd like a bit of rest."

"Of course! By all means!" Long Hengxu's face was lit with joy, nodding quickly as he noticed Jing Shaoyu's pale complexion.

With one last major event left in the junior division, the awards ceremony was scheduled for the day after the finals. The rewards for the individual champion, three-man champion, five-man champion, and seven-man champion would be presented together.

Back at the hotel, Jing Shaoyu slept until dinnertime, finally feeling fully recovered.

In the hotel lounge, Xie Xie lay back on the sofa with a wide grin as he recounted the day's events. "Man, it's finally over. The Tianhai Tournament wasn't as hard as I thought. Guess we're just that good!" he laughed.

"Correction—me and Big Brother Shaoyu are that good." Xu Xiaoyan sat beside Jing Shaoyu on a single-seater, hugging his arm with a smug smile.

"Oh, come on, Xiaoyan." Xie Xie rolled his eyes. "You only had one match in the entire tournament. We were the ones carrying the team in the first few rounds!"

"Hmmph, that's still Big Brother Shaoyu's doing!" Xu Xiaoyan stuck out her tongue, making a playful face.

"Everyone contributed," Jing Shaoyu chuckled, patting Xu Xiaoyan's shoulder. "It was a team effort. We're all champions here, so let's not argue over credit."

"Captain always knows the right thing to say!" Xie Xie grinned.

Xu Xiaoyan scrunched her nose. "Fine."

"Got any plans tonight?" Tang Wulin asked.

"Why? You got somewhere to be?" Xie Xie asked curiously.

"Heh," Tang Wulin scratched his head sheepishly. "Since I won the forging contest, the Blacksmith Association is hosting a little celebration for me."

"Oh, that makes sense," Jing Shaoyu said with a nod, smiling. "Go ahead, Wulin. We'll save our own celebration for when we're back in East Sea City."

"Alright!" Tang Wulin beamed. "I'll catch you guys later, then!"

As Tang Wulin dashed off, Xu Xiaoyan turned to Jing Shaoyu, her face bright. "Big Brother Shaoyu, what should we do next?"

"Train," Gu Yue responded flatly from his other side.

"Ugh, no way!" Xu Xiaoyan made a face at Gu Yue's suggestion, clinging to Jing Shaoyu's arm. "Big Brother Shaoyu, can we just not listen to her this time? Let's go out and have fun!"

"Cough!" Xie Xie coughed loudly, clearly feeling like a third wheel as he stood up. "Uh… I think I'll go find Wulin before he leaves. Maybe I can score a free meal, haha…"

He laughed awkwardly, quickly making his escape.

With only Jing Shaoyu, Xu Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue left in the room, an oddly familiar tension filled the air.

Jing Shaoyu enjoyed Xu Xiaoyan's affectionate insistence, smiling warmly. When he glanced over at Gu Yue, he caught her watching Xu Xiaoyan intently, as if she were studying how to act playful herself. Upon noticing his gaze, her cheeks flushed, and she turned away, feigning nonchalance.

"Alright, let's go out for a bit," Jing Shaoyu laughed, finally agreeing to Xu Xiaoyan's request.

"Yes!" Xu Xiaoyan jumped up in excitement, grabbing both of Jing Shaoyu's hands. "Let's catch the sunset at Tianya Haijiao!"

Tianya Haijiao was a famous scenic spot in Tianhai City, renowned for its sunsets, considered one of the Ten Great Wonders of Douluo Continent.

"Alright, let's go." Jing Shaoyu rose with her, pulling Gu Yue up as well.

Xu Xiaoyan pretended not to notice, while Gu Yue's face remained impassive, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

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