Evil Fire Treatment Plan

Memories rose unbidden—scenes of the time the two of them had spent together in his previous life, as well as the moments when he had treated the young woman's Evil Fire.

A trace of complexity appeared on Huo Yuhao's face. After a moment of silence, he stood and opened the laboratory door.

"Tian Meng... uh."

Yan Shaozhe had originally intended to call him "Brother Sky Dream." According to the initial information, Huo Yuhao was in his forties, making them more or less peers. Calling him "brother" should not have been a problem.

But after learning Huo Yuhao's "true age" from Mu En, along with the possibilities for the future, Yan Shaozhe did not know how to address him and found himself at a loss for words.

"Before long, I will be a teacher here. We will be colleagues, so just address me normally."

"In that case... Teacher Tianmeng?"

Yan Shaozhe changed to a more appropriate form of address. Huo Yuhao nodded lightly in acknowledgment, then looked at the young woman beside him, who was curiously studying him.

"Hello."

"Ah, hello, Teacher Tianmeng!"

Ma Xiaotao hurriedly greeted him, though her gaze remained fixed on the middle-aged man Huo Yuhao had disguised himself as, as if she were trying to see through him.

"She's the young woman Mu En mentioned, the one burdened by Evil Fire?" Huo Yuhao looked at Yan Shaozhe with feigned confusion. "I promised Mu En that I would help suppress her Evil Fire, but during the process, I will collect some of her Soul Power as experimental samples. That will be my payment. Is that alright?"

Yan Shaozhe let out a breath of relief. "No problem. As long as Teacher Tianmeng can help her suppress her Evil Fire."

"Mm."

Huo Yuhao led the two of them into the laboratory.

At the same time, his peripheral vision unconsciously fell upon the young woman. Ma Xiaotao's face still carried a touch of immaturity. She had yet to grow into the wild, flamboyant flame fiend he remembered.

Perhaps because Yan Shaozhe had instructed her beforehand, Ma Xiaotao was exceptionally well-behaved. Since they met, apart from her first greeting, she had said nothing, merely looking around the laboratory with intense curiosity after entering.

Compared to the flame fiend in Huo Yuhao's memories, the current Ma Xiaotao was rather cute.

Was this... the cute version of Sister Xiaotao?

Walking ahead, a fleeting smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of Huo Yuhao's lips.

A moment later, Huo Yuhao had Ma Xiaotao lie down on the experimental table. He then put on gloves and placed a hand over her lower abdomen.

At fourteen, Ma Xiaotao's figure had already begun to take shape. Though she was not as outrageously endowed as when he had first met her in the future, she was already close to maturity, waiting to be plucked.

Huo Yuhao's gaze remained calm, his mind clear.

Although the current Sister Xiaotao was already quite alluring, unfortunately, after spending a week as a pillow that the Gluttonous Dragon King hugged, bit, and gnawed on, someone had basically become immune to such things.

Huo Yuhao's assessment of the current Ma Xiaotao was—she was no match for the Dragon King.

Under Yan Shaozhe's tense gaze, Huo Yuhao's hand over Ma Xiaotao's lower abdomen began to emit a faint ice-blue glow. At the same time, behind Huo Yuhao appeared the Ultimate Ice Martial Soul disguised as a Mutated Ice Jade Scorpion.

Spiritual Detection activated soundlessly. In Huo Yuhao's vision, Ma Xiaotao's clothing vanished, revealing her smooth, bare body.

Huo Yuhao paused slightly before his Spiritual Detection delved deeper.

Her skin vanished, her blood vanished, and her bones vanished, leaving behind only the network of meridians and the Soul Power naturally flowing through Ma Xiaotao's body.

Huo Yuhao shifted his gaze and swiftly found that unusual streak of blackish-purple within Ma Xiaotao's body.

Evil Fire.

Unlike the Evil Fire in his previous life, which had already grown powerful, the Evil Fire in this life had not yet reached the point where Ma Xiaotao would completely lose control beyond recovery.

At most, it would cause impure thoughts during cultivation, pain in her meridians, and certain reactions from her body. But she could still suppress it with her will, and its effect on Ma Xiaotao was not yet severe.

After thinking briefly, Huo Yuhao looked at Ma Xiaotao.

"The Evil Fire in your body is not a serious problem for now. I have two options here: one is to remove it directly, and the other is to seal and suppress it.

"If we remove it directly, the quality of your Martial Soul may decline, but it will solve the problem once and for all. Your future cultivation will not be affected.

"If we seal and suppress it... with your current physical strength, you cannot bear an overly powerful seal. You will probably need to return here every half month for me to repair the seal.

"This will not affect your cultivation speed, but the Evil Fire will grow along with your cultivation.

"You can decide which method to choose."

Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Ma Xiaotao hesitated. Recalling certain things her teacher Yan Shaozhe had told her, she became even more uncertain.

After a long while, she looked at Yan Shaozhe. "Teacher, you decide."

She handed the choice over to her teacher.

Huo Yuhao raised his head and looked at Yan Shaozhe, waiting for his answer.

At this moment, Yan Shaozhe was equally hesitant. Logically, he should have chosen without hesitation to have Huo Yuhao remove the Evil Fire. Though Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul quality would decline, at least she would no longer have to live in constant danger of losing control because of the Evil Fire.

But there seemed to be a better choice.

Although Ma Xiaotao was his student, he had actually raised her as though she were his daughter.

So he had to think this matter through carefully.

Yan Shaozhe lowered his head, recalling the "true information" Mu En had personally told him.

Twenty-two years old. Xiaotao was fifteen this year. Their age difference was not too great, and once both became Titled Douluo, such a gap could basically be ignored.

Soul Power Rank 69. To reach this level at such an age while possessing Ultimate Ice—there was no need to question his talent. He was entirely worthy of her.

And with Mu En personally vouching for him, his character should not be a problem either.

Though Yan Shaozhe had never seen Master Tianmeng's true appearance, with the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul enhanced by Ultimate Ice, his looks presumably would not be poor either.

So... no matter how he looked at it... this was an excellent candidate for a son-in-law.

The solution to the Evil Fire was not limited to the two methods Huo Yuhao had just mentioned.

As long as Xiaotao intimately merged with a soul master possessing Ultimate Ice, not only would Xiaotao's Evil Fire dissipate, but her Martial Soul would evolve once more, allowing her to gain Ultimate Fire!

This was a far better method than either removing or sealing the Evil Fire!

The only question was whether Xiaotao was willing, or whether Teacher Tianmeng was willing.

When Mu En had told him about this matter, he had likely also intended to use Xiaotao to bind Teacher Tianmeng to them.

After all, if it succeeded, Shrek would gain two soul masters with ultimate attributes at once! It would be enough to keep Shrek standing at the peak of the continent for another two hundred years!

Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment. Only after quite some time did he reach a decision.

"Teacher Tianmeng, seal the Evil Fire within Xiaotao for now."

"Alright."

Huo Yuhao nodded without asking further. After all, he had roughly guessed what Yan Shaozhe was thinking.