Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 360 Azure Phoenix

Xiao Xiao was unaware of Gula's gains and was so excited that her heart was pounding.

She tried flapping the wings of light on her back, and her body instantly rose lightly into the air, the emerald green light drawing a graceful trajectory in the night sky.

She could even feel the joy of the plants in the air, as if she were the darling of the forest. She landed back on the ground, her feather-covered hands gently resting on a small tree beside her.

hum!
The sapling seemed to have been infused with the essence of life, visibly growing taller and its branches and leaves becoming more lush and verdant.

“Beast Martial Soul…a true top-tier beast martial soul…the Azure Phoenix!” Xiao Xiao murmured to herself, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of happiness.

The biggest problem that had been troubling her—that her weapon spirit had limited effect on physical enhancement and could not withstand high-age spirit rings—was solved.

With such a powerful beast spirit attached to her, her physical attributes will undergo a qualitative leap, making it possible for her to add a ten-thousand-year or even a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring to her second spirit in the future.

The reason she added a soul ring to her second martial soul was because she understood that not everyone could cultivate twin martial souls like the Sea God, especially since all of her martial souls were weapon-type, which would inevitably limit her future physical strength.

But now that ceiling has been broken!
Excitement, gratitude, and some other indescribable emotion instantly overwhelmed the girl's defenses.

"Gula." She could no longer hold back and threw herself into Gula's arms like a swallow returning to its nest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and burying her burning face in his chest.

The next second, she suddenly raised her head, and with reckless courage and burning passion, she stood on tiptoe and clumsily but firmly pressed her soft, red lips onto Gula's lips, amidst Gula's slightly surprised gaze.

It was warm, fragrant, and carried the unique naivety and passion of a young girl, instantly spreading throughout Gula's body like an electric current.

He paused for a moment, then a knowing smile flashed across his eyes. Looking at the girl in his arms with her eyes closed and her eyelashes trembling slightly, and feeling her awkward yet unreserved kiss, even Gula's calm heart was stirred.

He was not made of wood or stone. Xiao Xiao's purity, dependence, and undisguised affection softened his heart, especially since he had already tasted flesh before, and he had no intention of pushing her away.

He was no longer passive. He put one arm around Xiao Xiao's slender yet vibrant waist and gently supported the back of her head with the other. He lowered his head and took the initiative to deepen the kiss.

Their lips intertwined, their breaths mingling.

Under the moonlight, the emerald green phoenix wings fluttered unconsciously, scattering dreamlike specks of light.

Only the increasingly rapid breathing and heartbeats of the two remained in the woods.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Xiao felt like she was suffocating. She let out a soft moan and pushed Gula away, her face flushed.

She took a step back, lowered her head, and nervously twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands. Even her crystal earlobes were stained with a blush. She dared not look into Gula's eyes again.

Her boldness just now seemed to have exhausted all her courage.

Gula looked at the shy girl in front of him, who was as frightened as a startled fawn, and chuckled. He reached out and ruffled her soft, dark green hair. "Alright, your martial soul has just undergone a transformation and needs time to adapt and consolidate. Go back now."

"Hmm..." Xiao Xiao responded in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. With a thought, the phoenix wings on her back and the emerald feather patterns on her body quietly disappeared, returning her to her normal appearance. However, the blush on her cheeks lingered for a long time.

The next day, Shrek Academy, classroom of freshman class one.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the classroom with the usual morning hustle and bustle. However, when Gula and Xiao Xiao entered the classroom one after the other, the atmosphere instantly became somewhat subtle.

The shyness from last night was no longer visible on Xiao Xiao's face; instead, she radiated an unprecedented brightness, and her steps were light and quick.

As usual, she went straight to her seat—the one right next to Gura. But this time, instead of deliberately keeping her distance as she had in the past, she sat down very naturally next to Gura, her arm almost touching his.

"Gula, about the theory about soul power compression that Teacher Wang talked about yesterday, I think..."

Xiao Xiao turned to the side, tilted her little face up, and began to talk to Gula very naturally, so close that they could see the downy hair on each other's faces.

Her large eyes shone with focus and trust, as if the beautiful scene from last night had never happened, or as if... it had become a matter of course in her daily life.

Looking at the bright smile on the girl's face so close to him, Gula could clearly feel the life force and auspicious power emanating from her that had become increasingly rich and pure due to the awakening of the Azure Phoenix Martial Soul.

He knew perfectly well that this girl had completely "clinged" to him, and she made no attempt to hide it.

He wasn't opposed to it, but he found it a little funny, and also a little...responsible? After all, he was the one who had personally "awakened" this blue phoenix.

"Yes, the core of that theory lies in the construction of the rudimentary soul core..."

Gula remained calm and, following her lead, began to explain in a low voice. His voice was even, as if he were discussing a purely academic issue.

The interaction between the two was interpreted in a completely different way by the other students.

"Wow... why is Xiao Xiao standing so close today?" a girl whispered.

"Didn't you notice? The way she looks at Gula is different now, it's frighteningly bright!"

"Tsk tsk, everything was fine after the match yesterday, what happened overnight?"

"What else could happen? Gura is so handsome, and his strength is insanely powerful... If it were me, I would too..."

Wang Dong sat not far away, watching Xiao Xiao practically cling to Gula to talk, and pursed his lips, muttering to Huo Yuhao beside him:
"Hmph, you infatuated girl, blinded by her good looks." She said disdainfully, but she felt inexplicably uncomfortable, especially when she saw Gula's nonchalant and even smug expression.

Huo Yuhao scratched his head, looking at Gula with a hint of envy.

To be so relied upon and close to by such an outstanding and lovely girl like Xiao Xiao... it's truly enviable.

He glanced at Wang Dong's delicate profile subconsciously, then quickly shook his head.

In the back row of the classroom, Dai Huabin, who was also assigned to Class One, swept his gloomy gaze over Gula and Xiao Xiao, and finally fixed it on Huo Yuhao.

Yesterday's humiliation and Huo Yuhao's mockery were like venomous snakes gnawing at his heart.

He dared not provoke Gula; the warning in her eyes sent shivers down his spine. But Huo Yuhao… this lowly commoner must pay the price!

"Just wait, Huo Yuhao..." Dai Huabin clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, his eyes flashing with resentment and killing intent, "Soon...soon you'll get what's coming to you, I'll let you know the consequences of offending the White Tiger Duke's Mansion!"

Although Gula seemed to be explaining the theory of soul power to Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin's almost tangible malice was like a lighthouse in the dark, clearly reflected in his perception.

His peripheral vision swept over Dai Huabin's face, which was twisted with jealousy, and a barely perceptible, playful smile appeared on his lips.

(End of this chapter)