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"He's gone far enough."
After Ling Bai's figure disappeared from sight, Yan Shaozhe spoke softly.
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao quickly glanced in the direction Ling Bai had left, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment.
"Xiao Tao, why didn't you tell me you couldn't suppress the Evil Fire inside you?"
Seeing her stand up, Yan Shaozhe frowned, his tone growing stern and reproachful: "Do you know, if we hadn't run into Ling Bai by chance, you would have caused a great disaster!"
"I'm sorry, Master, I thought I could..."
In front of her teacher, Yan Shaozhe, Ma Xiaotao reined in the fiery temper of the Evil Fire Phoenix, looking like a meek little bird as she lowered her head in acknowledgment of her mistake.
Because of her hasty cultivation of Soul Power, the Evil Fire had gradually lost control. When Ling Bai stumbled upon her, Xu Sanshi's Soul Power was nearly depleted, and Ma Xiaotao would have definitely gone berserk that night. Ling Bai's bad luck led him to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yan Shaozhe sighed deeply: "You are my direct disciple and the first... second genius in Shrek Academy in a hundred years. If the Evil Fire ruins you, I will regret it for the rest of my life!"
"Second?"
Ma Xiaotao keenly noticed Yan Shaozhe's change in words. In terms of cultivation talent, she even surpassed her senior sister Zhang Lexuan and had always been the top genius in Shrek Academy's Inner Court. When did she fall to second place?
"Is there a problem?"
Yan Shaozhe glanced at her and said, "The mighty Spirit Emperor was thoroughly suppressed by a Soul Master. Ling Bai's final move, Ten Thousand Blades Radiance, even amazed me.
A four-ringed Soul Master, with a yellow, purple, and black super soul ring combination, a Six-Winged Angel, Innate Level 20, Innate Realm, and a disciple of the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower..."
"Master, stop listing... He does seem a bit more powerful than me."
Ma Xiaotao bit her lower lip, realizing that Ling Bai's talent, strength, and background were all astonishing. He looked like he was barely fifteen!
Ma Xiaotao's mind flickered, and she suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly said, "Master, the Evil Fire has been alleviated, thanks to Ling Bai's ability!"
Yan Shaozhe placed his hand on her shoulder, and a gentle, light-attribute Soul Power flowed through Ma Xiaotao's entire body.
After a long while, Yan Shaozhe confirmed:
"In the past, we would suppress the Phoenix Evil Fire with strong water or ice attributes. This time, the Evil Fire seems to have been directly eliminated. Before it re-infests your body, you can freely cultivate and fight. I estimate this effect will last about a year."
"Yay!"
Ma Xiaotao clenched her fists. A whole year—since her soul awakened at the age of six, she had never had such a long, peaceful time to cultivate. The surprise made her feel like crying with joy!
"Master, why can Ling Bai suppress the Phoenix Evil Fire?" Ma Xiaotao asked curiously.
She vaguely remembered Ling Bai channeling a golden sword aura into her body. The sword aura rampaged through her limbs, organs, and meridians, cutting down the Evil Fire wherever it appeared, ruthlessly and powerfully.
"You idiot, it's because of the Six-Winged Angel!"
Yan Shaozhe's eyes gleamed with excitement and enthusiasm, his voice trembling slightly.
"The divine-level soul, the Six-Winged Angel, is inherently endowed with supreme sanctity. What is your bit of Evil Fire compared to supreme sanctity!"
"Supreme sanctity!?!"
The Six-Winged Angel was too ancient, and its disappearance over the millennia had made many soul masters forget its power.
The Evil Fire Phoenix was already very close to the ultimate fire, but it still fell short. That small gap meant a world of difference, and Ma Xiaotao might never reach the ultimate realm in her lifetime.
Sanctity was an extremely powerful attribute, far surpassing the basic elements of earth, water, wind, and fire. All soul creatures with a sanctity attribute were top-tier, such as the Six-Winged Angel, the Sacred Dragon, and the Sacred Unicorn.
One day, when Ling Bai reaches the Sealed Douluo realm, Ma Xiaotao couldn't imagine who would be worthy to oppose him.
"It's just too bad that the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower got to him first. Otherwise, I would have found a way to bind him to the academy and cultivate him as the next Sea God Pavilion Master! You could marry him and never have to worry about the Evil Fire getting out of control again!"
Yan Shaozhe slapped his thigh, his frustration evident. He wished Ling Bai's background was as clean as a sheet!
After the first generation of Shrek Seven Monsters ascended to the divine realm, Shrek Academy produced three ultimate soul creatures over the millennia. They all became Sea God Pavilion Masters, leading the academy through its most glorious eras. The ultimate fire Sea God Pavilion Master even led the three empires to defeat the Sun Moon Empire, unifying the two continents and naming them Douluo Continent, leaving a significant mark in history.
The current Sea God Pavilion Master, Dragon God Douluo Muen, had his body gradually deteriorate after battling Poison Must Die. He had personally announced to the elders that he had less than ten years left to live.
Tao Tuo Douluo Xuan's soul had a flaw, and Yan Shaozhe, the head of the soul system, was still relatively weak. Neither of them was suitable to succeed as the Sea God Pavilion Master. The sudden appearance of a Six-Winged Angel in the academy made Yan Shaozhe feel as if it was a gift from heaven to Shrek's successor!
"My affairs don't need your concern!"
Ma Xiaotao, despite her fiery temper, was still a young lady. Mentioning marriage made her face flush, and she turned away, proudly declaring:
"I won't marry someone I don't like just because of the Evil Fire! And Master, don't you think it's a bit strange for a Six-Winged Angel to become the Sea God Pavilion Master? Ten thousand years ago, the Soul Temple was destroyed by our ancestors..."
"What's so strange about it?"
Yan Shaozhe said displeasedly, "The Soul Temple nearly destroyed the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower ten thousand years ago, but now they still embrace Ling Bai! Xiao Tao, remember this: there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!
What the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower can do, we Shrek can do too!
Since Ling Bai has joined Shrek, it means he doesn't have significant enmity towards the academy. So, anything is possible!"
"But the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower... Jianmu Douluo..."
Yan Shaozhe paced anxiously on the spot, and Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. It was rare to see Yan Shaozhe so agitated.
Ma Xiaotao's gaze followed Yan Shaozhe as he paced back and forth until her vision blurred. She sighed, "Master, take your time. I'm going back to rest."
"Mm, okay."
Yan Shaozhe responded absentmindedly, not sure if he had heard her clearly.
Ma Xiaotao returned to her quarters and noticed that the opposite room was pitch black.
"Has he already gone to sleep?"
...
Dawn split the night, and the first rays of the sun greeted the new day. By the Sea God Lake, a towering ancient tree saw a figure gracefully land.
That figure was, of course, Ling Bai. Last night, under the starry sky and the moon, he had not returned to his room after parting ways with Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao. Instead, he had lain on a branch, using the night breeze as his pillow and fallen asleep.
He walked toward his own small house. According to Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan, a senior student would be his guide for the Inner Court today.
From a distance, Ling Bai saw a figure.
She leaned against the door, eyes closed, with a few tiny dewdrops hanging from her long lashes. The morning light shone from behind her, casting her beautiful features and slender figure in a soft, dreamy glow, like a painting come to life.
Ling Bai walked up quietly and greeted her softly:
"Hello, may I ask who you are?"
The woman opened her eyes, her pupils as dark as a cold, deep spring, and her red lips curved into a gentle smile:
"Hello, little junior brother. I'm Han Ruoru, your guide for the Inner Court today."
"Hello, Senior Sister Han."
Han Ruoru's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the exceptionally handsome young man, her long lashes fluttering slightly as she said:
"Little junior brother, that's not fair. You call Zhang Lexuan 'Senior Sister,' but when you get to me, it's just 'Senior Sister'?
(End of Chapter)