Aoyao, you really are a charming little fellow

Ma Xiaotao nodded thoughtfully.

Approaching Aoyao rashly would easily put him on his guard. Once he discovered that she could read his diary, the punishment the diary meted out might very well be more than she could bear.

Like the pain of ten thousand arrows piercing her heart last time.

If it happened again, she absolutely would not be able to endure it.

So... she had to find a suitable opportunity, one that would not arouse his suspicions.

Ma Xiaotao made up her mind. A shimmering light rippled through her eyes as her gaze lingered briefly on Aoyao, then she turned and left.

[Ma Xiaotao left, huh... She's so strange. Whatever, someone like her... isn't worth bothering with. That's about it for today's diary. Let's see if I can get a legendary gold drop today!]

After a brief pause, that familiar, wonderful voice sounded in Aoyao's mind again.

[Congratulations to the host for completing today's diary. Random rewards are being distributed...]

[Ding-Congratulations to the host on receiving the following rewards: Soul power increased by one rank, the ages of all soul rings increased by one thousand years, and soul tool crafting materials acquired: heavy silver, crystal silver, golden crystal, and multifaceted magic gold (unlimited supply, available whenever needed).]

[Rewards have been distributed.]

No critical bonus again?

Aoyao immediately felt a little disappointed.

His diary entries over the past few days had yielded practically nothing good, and this time the rewards were especially poor. Aside from the increases in soul power and soul ring ages, which had almost become fixed rewards by now, there were only some soul tool materials he had no use for whatsoever.

I already said I'm not becoming a soul engineer!

What use are these things to me?

Donate them to Shrek Academy? Don't make me laugh!

Donating these soul tool materials to Shrek Academy would not even be as worthwhile as selling them at an auction house.

Come to think of it, he seemed to have accumulated quite a few good things already... Perhaps he could visit an auction house during the holidays and give his stockpile a proper clear-out.

Unlike Aoyao, who thought he had received nothing good, Ma Xiaotao suddenly began breathing much faster, and her body abruptly stiffened.

Fortunately, no one nearby noticed anything unusual about her.

The notification that rang out in the minds of all Diary Copy holders was precisely what had made Ma Xiaotao lose her composure.

[Today's diary entries have concluded. System calculations in progress...]

[Congratulations to Ma Xiaotao for appearing most frequently in the diary. Rewards acquired: Soul power increased by three ranks, external soul bone-Phoenix Tail Feathers (from a ninety-thousand-year soul beast, a Fire Phoenix). Distributing rewards... Rewards have been distributed.]

Ma Xiaotao's breathing suddenly quickened. Her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul emerged uncontrollably, and scorching heat instantly filled the air.

Under the astonished gazes of the nearby Outer Court students, Ma Xiaotao shot into the sky, turning into a streak of rainbow light as she departed.

Immediately afterward, a wave of scorching warmth suddenly surged from the small of her back, carrying a pure, domineering power of phoenix origin. Like a volcano awakening after ten thousand ages of slumber, it surged upward against the flow of her meridians.

Ma Xiaotao could not help letting out a muffled groan. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and the fabric at the small of her back instantly turned to ash under the intense heat.

Then the spectral outlines of three red-and-gold feathers slowly emerged from the base of her spine. Each feather was about ten centimeters long, with intricate flame patterns flowing across its surface. At first, they gave off only a faint glow, but in the blink of an eye, they burst into dazzling red light.

By the time Ma Xiaotao fell uncontrollably back into her residence, the scorching heat had burned away all her clothes, and the three lively tail feathers had finally solidified into existence.

The three tail feathers lay against the small of her back, their tips slightly raised and wreathed in tiny sparks. Their main color was a blazing scarlet, and each shaft gleamed with a gilded luster. Their patterns seemed to come alive, flowing slowly along the feathers, while the heat they radiated was even more scorching than her uncontrolled evil fire!

Ma Xiaotao suddenly opened her eyes, a strange scarlet gleam appearing within them.

This reward... couldn't be better!

Up to this point, excluding those few soul beasts, the best reward any Diary Copy holder had received from the diary was Ning Tian's Hundred Thousand Year Wisdom Skull.

But her external soul bone, which came from a ninety-thousand-year soul beast, a Fire Phoenix... was absolutely no worse than Ning Tian's Hundred Thousand Year Wisdom Skull!

Although its age was slightly lower, an external soul bone was inherently a precious treasure even rarer than a skull bone. This one was particularly compatible with her, and it even seemed capable of suppressing the evil fire within her!

This reward... really is an unexpected delight!

Compared with this reward, even the three-rank increase in soul power that had allowed her to break through to Soul Saint seemed less important.

Aoyao, you really are a charming little fellow...

Ma Xiaotao could not help licking her lips. Her brows lifted slightly, and her gaze grew increasingly heated.

"Brother! Hurry up! We need to get to Shrek Academy sooner!"

In the Mingdou Mountains, a rather handsome young man looked helplessly at the girl before him, unable to keep a little resentment from welling up inside.

"Meng, Grandfather hasn't agreed to your request yet! Is this really a good idea?"

"Dummy! Grandfather's already headed to Shrek Academy. What does that mean? It means he's agreed! Even if he discovers that we've left ahead of him, he won't be able to find any fault with us."

Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen could not help letting out a deep sigh.

As the most gifted genius in the history of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Team, Xiao Hongchen had been burning with determination to defeat Shrek Academy and forge a legend unlike any before.

Yet who knew what madness had possessed his younger sister? She insisted on going to Shrek Academy as some visiting exchange student!

Wouldn't it be better to cultivate quietly at home and wait for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament?

And Grandfather, honestly! He could have just found an excuse to refuse my sister's latest whim. Instead, the old man went senile and agreed to her request, actually heading to Shrek Academy to discuss it with them.

Ugh...

Xiao Hongchen could not help sighing.

His reaction made Meng Hongchen's brows knit slightly. "Brother, don't be such a spoilsport! Yes, we're going to represent the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and defeat Shrek Academy. But that doesn't mean we can't visit Shrek Academy now!"

"Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never be imperiled in a hundred battles, right?"

Meng Hongchen smiled slyly, blinking her lively eyes as a look of anticipation appeared in them.

She had neither the leisure nor the interest to tour Shrek Academy.

What she wanted was to see whether that fellow Aoyao was really as handsome as he boasted!

And pick up a few benefits from that miraculous diary along the way. A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone... an external soul bone or something-didn't those sound ridiculously cool?