Chapter 512 318: Illusion Technique

"Yeah, exactly!" Jiao Tengda said with a nod. "The small woods north of the Martial Arts Hall—that's the place you and Wei often go to practice calligraphy. It's usually empty and really quiet. How about we build a bonfire there?

The weather's great today—no wind or snow. We can bring some snacks, play a few games, and just chat."

The scene Jiao Tengda painted sounded wonderful. Rong Taotao nodded. "Sure, I'm in."

Jiao Tengda chuckled. "It's not enough for you to just show up. The two of us came looking for you mainly because we want you to tell some stories."

Rong Taotao said, "I'm not much of a storyteller..."

Jiao Tengda said, "Just tell us about your personal experiences. Talk about the Outer League and the National Tournament. That'll be great motivation for the rest of us students.

The others and I have already talked it over. We want to use this opportunity to encourage Sun Xingyu.

I think communication is key. There are some topics that everyone is usually reluctant to touch on, but if you approach them in a different way, things can work out well."

Rong Taotao thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Of course I'll help a classmate, that's a good thing. It's thoughtful of you to arrange this."

Jiao Tengda chuckled. "So, 7 PM tonight?"

"No problem."

Jiao Tengda asked, "Should I invite Coach Si and Coach Yang too? They work so hard watching over us here every day."

Rong Taotao blinked. "Of course, that'd be great."

"Alright, see you tonight," Jiao Tengda said, then left with Fan Lihua.

A faint smile touched Gao Lingwei's lips. "So now Jiao Tengda has to get your approval for everything he wants to do?"

Rong Taotao paused, taken aback. "Hey, I'm not bullying him. He probably just asked me as a courtesy since he was already asking me to tell stories."

"He seems to see you as the team captain," Gao Lingwei said, glancing at Rong Taotao. "Is it because of your strength?"

Strength was, indeed, the fundamental factor in having a say—an immutable truth throughout the ages.

Whether in terms of achievements or pure strength, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were unquestionably top-tier, the two individuals at the very peak of the pyramid.

In their year and a half of academic life, the people and matters Rong Taotao had dealt with—from the school's principal and teachers to figures in the military—had clearly placed him on a completely different level than the other students in his class.

This was a fact, and there was nothing to argue about.

Or perhaps... Jiao Tengda saw things clearly and had already identified the 'soul of the team' in his mind. He knew who would lead them all forward after graduation.

Rong Taotao, however, just pursed his lips. "The way you put it... couldn't it just be my charming personality?"

"Heh."

"There you two are." Yang Chunxi's voice came from the doorway. "I've been looking all over for you. What's this, don't want to leave after class is over?"

The classroom was empty, with only the two of them left in the back row.

Rong Taotao quickly picked up a book. "I was just reviewing some key concepts~"

Yang Chunxi walked in, stood before them, and placed three small brocade pouches on the desk. "Your brother had these sent over. They're your New Year's gifts."

"Ooh?" Rong Taotao's eyes lit up. Looking at the three pouches—two black and one white—he casually picked up the white one, opened it, and peered inside. "What kind of Soul Pearls?"

Yang Chunxi said with a smile, "The Snow Burning Army really spared no expense this time. The credit you earned for leading the team to capture Feng Zi, Mi Tu, and the Red-clothed Merchant was immense."

"Mhm, mhm." Rong Taotao was thrilled. 'The more his sister-in-law talks it up, the more powerful these Soul Pearls must be!'

Yang Chunxi said, "That white pouch contains a forehead Soul Pearl your brother specially requested for you. After all, you two brothers need to embed the same type of Soul Pearl for it to work."

"Oh." Rong Taotao casually tipped the tiny Soul Pearl out of the pouch.

"Soul Pearl discovered: Snow Realm: Songxue Zhisou (Master-rank, Potential Value: -)

Soul Pearl's Soul Skill:

1. Pine Snow's Silence: Use Ice and Snow Attribute Soul Power to stimulate the head, emitting a special Spiritual Ability to form a mental link with a target. (Master-rank, Potential Value: -)"

Rong Taotao was quite familiar with this Soul Skill. After all, it was the same one he and Rong Yang had used to link their minds before, except that one had been Elite-rank.

It might seem like it only had a single "mental link" effect, and for others, it might just be a simple telepathic sensor for squad communication. But when used between siblings, the hidden benefits were astonishingly powerful!

It allowed for communication that ignored distance and could even cross dimensions. You could see what the other saw and hear what the other heard... When necessary, you could even control each other's bodies. It was practically a game-breaking ability.

For someone like Rong Taotao, who possessed a Supreme Treasure and was coveted by many, this Soul Pearl essentially made Rong Yang his "Guardian God."

Yang Chunxi continued, "As for the other two pouches... Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon. Ever heard of it?"

Rong Taotao's breath caught in his throat.

'Snow Realm Soul Skill: Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon?'

'How could I not have heard of it? Isn't that my sister-in-law's famous Eye Illusion Soul Skill?'

'The Divine Skill that can drag someone into another world, arbitrarily change its rules, and even control the flow of time within that Illusion World?'

Yang Chunxi gestured to the two black pouches. "Although Rong Yang sent Master-rank Snow Moon Snake Demon Soul Pearls, for a beast as fierce as the Snow Moon Snake Demon, that's still considered a relatively low level.

I don't need to tell you how rare they are, do I?"

Rong Taotao stared dumbly at the two black pouches. "Are both of them for that?"

"Mhm," Yang Chunxi said. "One for you, and one for Ling Wei. You both have open Eye Soul Slots, don't you?"

Holy cow!

Rong Taotao hurriedly put down the white pouch, picked up one of the black ones, and tipped out the Soul Pearl inside.

Instantly, another message appeared in his Inner Soul Map:

"Soul Pearl discovered: Snow Realm·Snow Moon Snake Demon (Master-rank, Potential Value: -)

Soul Pearl's Soul Skill:

1. Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon: Consume a large amount of Ice and Snow Attribute Soul Power to stimulate the eyes, constructing a special Spiritual World. Upon making eye contact, drag the target's spirit into the world of 'Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon'.

Within the world of Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon, the Caster has immense control over the world's various elements, including but not limited to time, environment, and biological forms.

The physical and mental suffering the enemy experiences within the Illusion World will be realistically reflected in the real world. (Master-rank, Potential Value: -)

Absorb?"

Whoa!

'Absorb it? Of course I'll absorb it!'

Rong Taotao stared at the Snow Moon Snake Demon Soul Pearl in his hand, his face a picture of eagerness.

Gao Lingwei, however, was exceptionally calm. "Should I still embed it?" she asked.

Rong Taotao was taken aback for a second. "Why not?"

Gao Lingwei explained, "If we both embed the same Soul Skill, it will be easy for opponents to counter us. Besides, my current Eye Soul Skill is from a Snow Grudge Spirit, and its effects are already very good."

Yang Chunxi suddenly interjected, "Don't think this Soul Skill is without its drawbacks. It consumes an enormous amount of Soul Power and mental energy. With the help of the Lotus Petal, you have enough Soul Power.

But as for mental energy... that's difficult to increase and hard to replenish. The most effective way to recover it is through sleep."

Rong Taotao repeated, "Sleep?"

"Yes." Yang Chunxi nodded in confirmation. "Soul Martial Artists are still human, after all. Sleep is a highly effective and utterly indispensable form of rest."

"Oh, right!" Yang Chunxi seemed to recall something and continued, "This is just the reward from the Snow Burning Army. You can think of it as a prize for your placement in the tournament, or as a reward for capturing the Poachers.

Either way, even if we combine both accomplishments into one, a reward of this magnitude is more than generous.

The two of you are already a set pair. Whether on the battlefield or in the arena, having a diversity of Soul Skills is definitely beneficial for the team's performance and makes you harder to counter.

You could wait a little while, see what the reward from Songjiang Soul Martial University is, and then see what the reward from the Soul Martial General Association for the National Tournament is, before making a final decision."

Seeing the look of anticipation on Rong Taotao's face, Gao Lingwei's heart softened. "Actually... it would be very difficult for us to find a better quality Eye Soul Pearl than this.

Taotao can absorb it. Afterward, I can just adjust my own Soul Skill setup to complement his."

Hearing this, Yang Chunxi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She leaned forward, curled a finger, and gently tapped Gao Lingwei on the forehead. "You just love to spoil him, don't you?" she said with a smile.

Gao Lingwei didn't flinch or cover her head; she simply smiled nonchalantly.

'Spoil him?'

'All this time, hasn't he been the one spoiling me?'

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