Chapter 71: Xuan Lao's Fury

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*****

"How... how could this happen?" Ma Xiaotao's mind went blank, frozen for a second.

Xu Sanshi swallowed hard. Before the battle began, nobody had anticipated such an event.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the fear in their hearts. If his reaction had been just a bit slower, he might have died here too.

"I shouldn't have come. It would have been better to cling to the academy's protection..." Xu Sanshi muttered under his breath.

If it hadn't been for how well the academy treated him, he might have actually followed Waterless' lead.

A fierce wind howled as Xuan Lao appeared in the cave, witnessing the scene before him with a mixture of shock, sadness, and anger swirling within him.

He had known the strength of the enemies in the cave, but he never imagined that this enemy would possess such a twisted soul skill!

The explosive power was no longer at the level of a Soul King, but that of a Soul Emperor, even a Soul Saint.

"Damn it!"

Xuan Lao clenched his fist, a figure materializing from the smoke, the mastermind behind all of this chaos.

Under his leadership, the Shrek Seven Devils had suffered immense damage, and one person had even died.

Now, he wished he could tear this soul master apart a thousand times!

Boom!

With a punch, he killed the evil soul master who still dared to resist. Surveying the scene of devastation, Xuan Lao sighed deeply.

"Wang Yan, how are the reserve team holding up?"

"The reserve team is far from the center of the explosion, only lightly injured," Wang Yan replied with equal gravity.

Xuan Lao took a deep breath. "You take Ma Xiaotao and the others back to the academy for recovery. I'll take the reserve team to Star Luo City for the upcoming competition."

The deed was done, and Xuan Lao could only make decisions for what lay ahead.

"But, Xuan Lao, they're just the reserve team..." Wang Yan swallowed hard.

"I know. That's why I can only ask them to hold on as much as possible until the main team recovers and can join the competition."

"That's settled then."

Xuan Lao and Wang Yan discussed the specifics of the arrangements. Meanwhile, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to inform Huo Yuhao about what he had just discovered.

"Huo Yuhao, I have a faint feeling that someone's psychic power has been observing you all, but I don't know who." Tian Meng Ice Silkworm hesitated because he wasn't entirely certain.

As a million-year spirit beast of the Mental Attribute, he couldn't accurately perceive the opponent's psychic power, indicating their formidable strength.

Huo Yuhao became alert upon hearing this. "Tianmeng, are you saying there might be enemies lurking in the shadows?"

Huo Yuhao could only make such an assumption since the owner of this psychic power had been observing them but hadn't intervened, indicating that they weren't on Shrek's side.

"I'm not sure." Tianmeng refrained from being conclusive, but Huo Yuhao had already made up his mind based on his own judgment.

"I'll inform Xuan Lao of this discovery."

Huo Yuhao organized his thoughts and relayed Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's discovery as if he had sensed a fleeting psychic power.

"What!" Xuan Lao erupted in fury.

"It seems this matter isn't as simple as we thought. Someone might be deliberately targeting Shrek..." Xuan Lao's eyes gleamed with intense murderous intent.

"They've harmed disciples of Shrek. I vow to kill them!"

"Alright, I'll request assistance from the academy for this matter. You all focus on recovery and don't dwell on it too much." Xuan Lao instructed Huo Yuhao to rest, then disappeared before his eyes in an instant.

Seeing this, Shui Wuya also withdrew his psychic power.

"Indeed, we mustn't underestimate anyone..."

Shui Wuya sighed. If Xuan Lao hadn't underestimated that Soul King, how could such a thing have happened?

As for Tianmeng's realization of his presence, he had long anticipated it; after all, he was a million-year soul beast.

However, distinguishing himself solely with psychic power was absolutely impossible. The amalgamation of the three individuals' spirits, coupled with divine energy, created an incredibly complex fusion, resulting in different auras with each release!

Next, Shui Wuya devoted himself to cultivation, enhancing his own psychic power.

After this incident, he deeply felt that true strength lay in one's own power. Even Xuan Lao, at level 98, couldn't protect a Soul King, indicating his own weakness.

...

When Wang Yan returned with the severely injured Ma Xiaotao and others to the academy, it caused quite a stir among the higher-ups.

Not only Yan Shaozhe, but Waterless also sensed that many powerful individuals who had been staying in the Sea God's Pavilion had been alarmed by this incident.

Treating Ma Xiaotao and the others became their top priority.

A day later, Yan Shaozhe sought out Shui Wuya.

"Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire has recurred. I hope you can help suppress it again," Yan Shaozhe pleaded earnestly.

However, this time Shui Wuya refused. "Let Han Feng help. I have other matters to attend to."

"Han Feng?" Yan Shaozhe was taken aback. He knew Han Feng as the servant who always accompanied Waterless.

"Can he do it?"

"You should trust him," Shui Wuya said firmly. Since it had come to this, Yan Shaozhe couldn't force Waterless to help, so he reluctantly agreed.

After all, Han Feng's formidable strength spoke for itself.

During this time, Han Feng had been consuming immortal herbs and had also reached the eighth soul ring, now being an eighty-third level Soul Douluo.

Suppression of Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire with his ice attribute nearing perfection was a breeze.

"Master, then I'll go." Han Feng nodded to Waterless and followed Yan Shaozhe to the inner courtyard.

...

In the inner courtyard, in Ma Xiaotao's room.

Yan Shaozhe, Wang Yan, Elder Mu, and others stood by the bedside, watching Ma Xiaotao, who was troubled by the Evil Fire and still hadn't fully recovered, with concern.

"Can he do it?" Wang Yan couldn't help but speak, then immediately closed his mouth.

In fact, it wasn't just him. Whether it was Yan Shaozhe, Elder Mu, or others, they all lacked confidence in Han Feng.

They just couldn't voice it directly. If Han Feng truly couldn't handle it, they would quickly find Shui Wuya and ask him to take over.

Han Feng could sense the distrust from Yan Shaozhe and the others, but he didn't mind. Instead, he approached Ma Xiaotao, and ice crawled up his palm.

The enveloped palm was placed on Ma Xiaotao's body.

With a soul power level completely overwhelming, the immense soul power, along with the extreme coldness approaching the limit of ice, rushed into Ma Xiaotao's body.

In an instant, the temperature in the room dropped below zero, and the restless Evil Fire on Ma Xiaotao's body disappeared instantly.

The swift effectiveness shocked Yan Shaozhe and the others!

"His ice attribute is unexpectedly pure..."

Han Feng's actions weren't finished yet. His soul power traversed Ma Xiaotao's body, searching for traces of the Evil Fire and eliminating it from her soul power.

Ma Xiaotao almost instinctively released her Evil Phoenix Martial Soul, a manifestation of her Martial Soul's self-defense.

However, Han Feng directly used his own Martial Soul to control the Evil Phoenix, and the extreme coldness even suppressed the Evil Fire on her Martial Soul.

This method astonished even Elder Mu.

(End of chapter)