Auspicious Aura (Please Vote)

The energy in the air was so dense that even a light breath of it could be distinctly felt.

Qin Ze naturally knew why. His gaze turned toward the mountaintop behind the pavilions and towers, where a faint white mist spread through the air, vaguely outlining a colossal brown tree that reached into the sky.

That was the Golden Ancient Tree, still concealing its true form!

Sea God Island was not particularly large, only around two square kilometers. As Qin Ze walked and admired the scenery, he saw plants along the road that were exceedingly rare in the outside world—Azure Flame Flowers, White Bone Blossoms, Snow Willows... There were simply too many. Qin Ze had only ever seen these plants in books.

The path he walked was deserted and exceptionally quiet. Towering trees over a hundred meters tall stood on either side, blocking his view and making him feel insignificant amid the mountains.

After wandering around for nearly half an hour, Qin Ze had basically seen all the places he could visit. Still, he estimated that what he had seen was probably no more than thirty percent of the entire Sea God Island.

By the lakeshore, Qin Ze sat on a rock and quietly watched the clear, vibrant waters of Sea God Lake.

The aquatic grass along the shore was sky-blue, swaying with the breeze and the lake water. A faint fragrance drifted far into the distance.

I wonder how long Teacher and the others will be talking. Qin Ze thought silently. Honestly, rather than sitting here, he would have preferred to stay at the auction house and cultivate.

He had seen Inner Court disciples before, but everyone seemed busy, always hurrying wherever they went.

"Hm?" Qin Ze suddenly raised his head and looked at the lake. His brows furrowed as he curiously surveyed his surroundings, only to see the mist that had covered the lake rapidly dispersing.

On Sea God Lake, directly across from Qin Ze, a tiny red dot was speeding toward him. Unfortunately, Qin Ze did not notice it, but less than five seconds later, his expression abruptly changed.

He saw a blazing mass of fire, along with a red-haired woman in a mask. What especially caught his attention were her blood-red eyes, exposed both within and beyond the mask. A sharp, savage aura radiated from her entire body, as though she were a terrifying soul beast.

Wasn't that Ma Xiaotao?

Seeing the scorching fluctuations radiating from Ma Xiaotao, Qin Ze's pupils shrank instantly. "Fuck, her Evil Fire has erupted!"

How had Huo Yuhao's misfortune happened to him too? But he did not have Skydream Iceworm to protect him. If he encountered this crazed Ma Xiaotao, he would surely die.

Almost instantly, Qin Ze made his decision. He leaped down from the rock and prepared to hide in the dense trees.

However, before he could run very far, Ma Xiaotao's irrational gaze had already locked onto him.

Under her stare, Qin Ze felt a strange burning sensation all over his body, and his fleeing steps grew even faster.

Boom!

In an instant, Ma Xiaotao's slender figure arrived less than twenty meters from the shore. At the same time, an extremely scorching heat wave surged toward the island.

It was clearly hot, yet Qin Ze felt a chill run down his spine. He could sense Ma Xiaotao flying in his direction. Qin Ze cautiously glanced back, and his face went pale the next second. Ma Xiaotao was already less than ten meters away from him.

The Yellow Soul Ring beneath Qin Ze lit up as he activated his First Soul Skill, if only for the slight speed boost it provided.

Inside the meeting room.

Yan Shaozhe, who had been speaking eloquently, suddenly changed expression. Not good. Xiaotao's Evil Fire has erupted again. I clearly told that girl to stop cultivating for now—why wouldn't she listen?

"Everyone, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll be back shortly," Yan Shaozhe said to the people seated in the chairs before swiftly leaving.

"What was that?" Yan Shaozhe's departure left everyone behind looking utterly bewildered.

Xiao Kuangdao frowned, releasing his Spiritual Power in an instant. Unfortunately, before it could travel very far, it was blocked by a mysterious force.

"A Ze is still on the island. Nothing can happen to him." Xiao Kuangdao was not at all surprised that his Spiritual Power had been blocked. With that thought, he also left the meeting room.

"Senior Mad Saber! What happened?" a middle-aged man from the Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Family called out. However, Xiao Kuangdao did not hear him. After several flashes, he vanished from sight.

The middle-aged man: "..."

By the shore, within the bushes.

Seeing a fireball flying toward him, Qin Ze hurriedly rolled aside to dodge it.

With a boom, the fireball struck the dense bushes directly and exploded, and flames instantly swallowed the vegetation.

"Damn it!" Qin Ze cursed under his breath, swiftly dodging another fireball from Ma Xiaotao. But he could not keep dodging like this.

Fortunately, after losing her mind, Ma Xiaotao's attack speed and accuracy had both worsened. Otherwise, he would have been finished long ago.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Ma Xiaotao flashed forward and flew directly in front of Qin Ze.

Qin Ze was merely a Soul Master, while Ma Xiaotao was a Soul Ancestor with a Soul Power Level as high as forty-seven. Furthermore, her martial soul was the Evil Fire Phoenix, which was naturally incredibly fast.

As Ma Xiaotao approached, Qin Ze felt an incomparably terrifying heat wave slam into his face. Even his consciousness became somewhat hazy beneath that heat.

Biting the tip of his tongue lightly, Qin Ze forcibly cleared his mind.

He tried throwing blades to force her back, but Ma Xiaotao merely flicked her hand and sent them flying.

"What terrifying eyes!" Qin Ze lowered his gaze and saw Ma Xiaotao's utterly inhuman stare, like that of a savage beast.

A searing flame began gathering in Ma Xiaotao's hand. Her flawless white palm thrust forward, and the blood-red fire, carrying an eerie aura, rushed straight at Qin Ze.

This was the full-force attack of a crazed Assault Battle Soul Sect. If Qin Ze had been at three rings, he would have been confident in challenging someone above his level. But he was only at a dozen or so levels now. Challenge above his level? My ass.

The blood-red flames instantly engulfed Qin Ze. He did not want to die like this, so he pushed his Soul Power and Spiritual Power to their limits, seeking even the slightest chance of survival, but it was useless.

The incomparably scorching flames instantly burned his skin. His hair was burned away, and his clothes melted apart.

Qin Ze's consciousness grew increasingly blurred. He had never imagined that he would die in such an absurd way.

Roar!

At that most critical moment, a thunderous dragon roar suddenly burst from Qin Ze's mouth. Countless streams of azure air spread from within his body, filled with an incomparably dense aura of Life. Almost instantly, Qin Ze's body, scarred by the flames, miraculously returned to normal.

The blood-red flames came into contact with the azure currents and were immediately devoured, leaving behind not even the slightest trace.

In the distance, Yan Shaozhe and Xiao Kuangdao rushed over in the direction of the flames' fluctuations. They saw Ma Xiaotao and Qin Ze.

Seeing Ma Xiaotao wrapped in an evil flame, Yan Shaozhe inwardly cried, Not good! Then he circulated his Soul Power and accelerated.

Xiao Kuangdao's expression also changed. His disciple was right there.

Roar!

However, before the two could approach, something that shook everyone's minds occurred.

More and more azure currents condensed around Qin Ze's body. Finally, an azure dragon phantom fifteen meters long coiled around him.

Its body resembled a long serpent, with a qilin's head and a carp's tail. It had long whiskers on its face, antler-like horns, and five claws.

As the dragon phantom appeared, an incomparably auspicious aura spread throughout Shrek Academy.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Almost instantly, every elder of Sea God Pavilion within the academy raised their heads to look into the sky. Their eyes were filled with shock.

With a flash, all the elders left where they were and flew toward the source of the Auspicious Aura.