Naked Sword Art-Chapter 389: Harmless Joke

Back in their own house, and not long after they finished their dual cultivation session, Xiao Fang gave Xiao Hei a light pat on the butt, silently telling her to go wash up. Instead, she wriggled her hips in defiance, burying herself deeper into the bed.

Xiao Fang chuckled under his breath and let her be, heading off to clean himself up.

He had barely stepped out, toweling off his hair, when a knock sounded at the door.

"Elder," Xiao Fang greeted calmly, his voice smooth as ever.

Seeing the way his robes hung loosely off his frame, barely tied, with his hair still dripping wet, Luo Biya couldn't help but laugh softly into her sleeve.

"It seems I have a habit of catching you when you're still wet," she teased, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Xiao Fang smiled handsomely then replied,

"The next time you get wet, let me know so I can even the score."

"Oh ho, speaking to an Elder that way, you Dual Cultivators really are brazen.

Unexpectedly, a wisp of a soul emerged from her body. In the next moment, Luo Yue appeared with a flushed face.

"Eww eww eww, how could you say that to my grandmother, aren't you ashamed," she stomped angrily.

"Oh, don't be like that Yue'r. It was merely a harmless joke. Come now, we should begin training soon," Luo Biya said before walking away.

Watching her walk away, Luo Yue, turned to look at Xiao Fang one more time trying to act mad, but Xiao Fang patter her on the head as he walked past her and said,

"Just a harmless joke."

"You—"

"Anyways, how did you do that thing with your grandmother just now?" Xiao Fang asked.

"Shut it, I'm mad at you, hmph," Luo Yue replied as she walked ahead of him, catching up to her grandmother.

"That was the [ Soul Merge ] technique. She's been practicing it for some time now. There are two steps to the technique: Hosting a soul and Entangling into one. The former is usually easier, since Yue'r has already learned how to host one. She'll be practicing entanglement, while you learn to host."

"I've already learned the technique to some degree, so try not to slow me down too much, you got that?" Luo Yue said to Xiao Fang.

"Don't worry, the thought of being inside of you is enough motivation to learn it quickly."

Luo Biya tried her best not to laugh as Luo Yue's face twisted into a strange expression between embarrassment and anger.

"Y—You try anything and I'll crush you, you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear."

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The moonlight filtered in through the tall windows of the training hall, casting pale silver lines across the polished floor. The soft, rhythmic hum of soul energy filled the space, pulsing like a heartbeat between two seated figures.

Xiao Fang sat in his usual stillness, his breathing calm and even, the faint glow of soul mist swirling around his body like a second skin. Luo Yue sat opposite him, her posture straight, hands resting in her lap, her aura pulsing in practiced sync with his—though hers flickered slightly from time to time.

Luo Biya stood between them, hands clasped behind her back, her tone calm but commanding.

"Before we begin, Fang, I need to warn you that you will experience complications as a host because your soul is already hosting a tamed beast. You'll need to use the [ Soul Suppression ] technique to prevent any accidents from occuring. Show me first how well you've practiced that technique," Luo Biya asked.

Xiao Fang nodded.

In the next moment his soul flared. Expanding. Strengthening. Fortifying. Eventually it shrank back down to its normal size, but something about him was different—nothing they could see with the naked eye.

Gradually they began to feel it, Xiao Fang's soul was making theirs feel heavy, if he were directing the technique at them they would have struggled to stand upright without using the same technique themselves.

Luo Yue had an unreadable expression on her face as she thought, 'Didn't he just start learning this technique yesterday. How did he already learn it to this degree?'

Luo Biya, on the other hand, assisted him in his training the other day, so she wasn't nearly as surprised as Luo Yue.

Xiao Fang was happy with the technique. Although his body was already extremely durable, this [ Soul Suppression ] technique made him feel untouchable.

"Good good good. You're ready. Now get seated and face each other," Luo Biya instructed them.

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Several hours later…

Luo Biya guided them in their training, focusing on the comprehension of the technique and the steps to mastery before letting them continue to practical training. Once they fully grasped it, she proceeded to the first step of the three step process of Hosting and Transferring.

"...The [ Soul Merge ] technique is not a matter of power or dominance. It is about resonance. Understanding. Trust. Without these, your souls will clash, not blend."

She circled them slowly, the sleeves of her white robe trailing like mist.

"You must feel each other's essence. Synchronize your breathing. Match your rhythms. Let your soul open—not just to release power, but to receive."

Xiao Fang's eyes remained closed, but Luo Yue's were partially open, watching him carefully. His soul energy was stable, deep, and strangely inviting. She felt the pull of it, like standing at the edge of a vast ocean.

She gritted her teeth, pushing aside her lingering wariness.

'If Grandmother trusts him, then I must at least try,' Luo Yue thought.

"Begin," Luo Biya instructed.

They reached toward one another—not with hands, but with spirit. Threads of soul energy began to stretch between them, tentative, probing. The energy shimmered faintly where it met, flickering like lightning trying to bridge a gap.

Luo Yue felt it—the tug, the pull of something far more ancient and intense than she expected. His energy was overwhelming, but not in a domineering way—it enveloped her like a tide.

Her own soul responded in kind, and for a moment, their energies met in perfect resonance.

Luo Biya's eyes narrowed with intrigue as the air around them rippled.

'Good… better than expected.'

Then suddenly, something changed.

A pulse of light surged between the two of them as their soul energies began to interlace—not clashing, but flowing together in seamless arcs of power.

Luo Yue gasped softly, eyes fluttering open in shock.

'Did he get the hang of it on his first attempt?' she thought. As if to confirm her thoughts, she began to feel everything deep within Xiao Fang's soul as if it were speaking to her but not with words.

'His pain… his anger… his resolve… I can feel them all. Who is this guy?'

Across from her, Xiao Fang opened his eyes,

"Told you I wouldn't hold you back. I'm ready for the next step, what about you."

Luo Yue looked at him with an unreadable expression. What took her more than a day to learn, he successfully attempted on his first try. Was he really just a genius, or was there a trick to it? She was unsure now, more than ever.