Ma Hongjun Meets Yu Xiaogang for the First Time

Upon hearing this, Flender frowned deeply, his eyes behind his glasses filled with doubt and inquiry.

He bent down, bringing his line of sight to Ma Hongjun's, and leaned closer, asking in a questioning tone:

Why do you insist on going to Heaven Dou City?

Ma Hongjun was taken aback by the question, opened his mouth, but found himself unable to answer.

Should I just tell Dean Flender that I found out in an incredibly realistic dream?

And you even dreamed about Flender himself?

He himself found these words absurd, let alone expecting others to believe them.

His eyes darted away, his small hands nervously twisting the hem of his clothes, and finally he could only stammer and mumble:

"Anyway... anyway, I have to go to Heaven Dou City! Only in Heaven Dou City can someone cure my Evil Fire! There must be someone there!"

His ambiguous attitude only deepened the curiosity in Flender's eyes.

Flender's gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce through Ma Hongjun's mind, and he continued to press:

"Who told you that someone in Heaven Dou City can solve your ' Evil Fire ' problem?"

"Evil Fire... you mean that restless, purplish-red flame with an aura of malevolent desire when you release your Martial Soul, right?"

Ma Hongjun nodded hurriedly, as if grasping at a lifeline, and said urgently:

"That's it! Dean, I can't tell you how I know..."

"But in Heaven Dou City, there must be someone who can fix the flaw in my Martial Soul!"

"So, Dean Flender, please, could you take me to Heaven Dou City? Just once!"

Flender did not answer immediately. He straightened up, stroked his chin, and glanced at Ma Hongjun.

As early as when Ma Hongjun released his Martial Soul, he sensed that the child's Soul Power had reached the threshold of level ten, but he had not yet attached Spirit Ring.

He asked thoughtfully:

"So, the reason you haven't obtained your First Soul Ring yet is because you're worried that this ' Evil Fire ' will get out of control or worsen when you attach it to Spirit Ring, right?"

Flender did indeed develop some interest in Ma Hongjun, though this interest largely stemmed from the rare and powerful Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.

The two met for the first time and naturally didn't know each other very well, but the potential of this Martial Soul gave him hope for the Shrek Academy to make a name for itself, and also the possibility of finding an excellent successor for himself.

More importantly, Xiao Gang is in the college.

Given his "Grandmaster" level of theoretical knowledge, he might not be unable to find a way to resolve this flaw in his Martial Soul.

In the end, the child will stay, the problem will be solved, the academy will gain a genius, the academy will gain an apprentice, and Xiao Gang will have verified the theory—a win-win situation.

Thinking of this, Flender's eyes darted around, and a smile that he thought was kind but was actually calculating curled up at the corner of his mouth.

He reached out his right hand and gently patted Ma Hongjun's chubby shoulder in a comforting manner.

While Ma Hongjun was somewhat taken aback by his sudden change in attitude, Flender said in a confident and seductive voice:

"Child, don't worry."

"Our Shrek Academy has the 'most outstanding theoretical Grandmaster in the entire continent' under its wing!"

"I believe he can definitely find a way to solve your Martial Soul problem!"

"Of course, if he really can't solve it..."

Flender deliberately dragged out his words, and only after seeing the renewed hope in Ma Hongjun's eyes did he slowly continue:

"Then, I will personally take you to Heaven Dou City to find the person you mentioned."

"How about this?"

"It gives our academy's Grandmaster an opportunity, and it also gives you a more secure option. It's better than you running around in Heaven Dou City like a headless fly, isn't it?"

The "most outstanding theoretical Grandmaster in the entire mainland" he mentioned was naturally his close friend Yu Xiaogang, whom he deeply trusted.

Regardless of the doubts and ridicule surrounding Yu Xiaogang's title of "Grandmaster," in Flender's heart, this brother, who dedicated half his life to the Martial Soul Theory and possessed profound wisdom despite his low Soul Power Level, was undoubtedly the number one.

He said this with absolute confidence.

After listening, Ma Hongjun's face showed obvious hesitation and struggle.

He desperately wanted to go to Heaven Dou City immediately, but Flender's words seemed reasonable.

Let's have that "Grandmaster" take a look first; what if he can actually solve it?

Wouldn't that save us from the hassle and uncertainty?

Furthermore, Flender promised that if the Grandmaster failed, he would take him to Heaven Dou City.

He looked at Flender's face, which was filled with "trust me," and then thought about the difficulties he might face going to Heaven Dou City alone. In the end, his natural trust in the promises of adults and his faint hope for the title of "Grandmaster" overcame the urgency brought by the dream.

He lowered his head and said softly, somewhat reluctantly:

"... Well... alright then. Let the Grandmaster take a look first."

"Hahaha, that's more like it!" Upon hearing this, Flender's face immediately broke into a bright smile, as if he could already see Shrek Academy's future glory that would shake the continent.

He affectionately put his arm around Ma Hongjun's shoulder, "Come on, come on, I'll take you to see the Grandmaster right now! He definitely has a solution!"

Afterwards, Flender happily led Ma Hongjun back to the Shrek Academy, which was located in a corner of the village and had a crooked signboard.

He gestured with his chin towards Li Yusong, the teacher in charge of registration at the entrance, as a greeting, and then eagerly led Ma Hongjun straight towards Yu Xiaogang's independent and simple residence deep inside the academy.

Before he even reached the door, from a distance, Flender's loud, excited voice rang out:

"Xiao Gang! Xiao Gang! Come out quickly! Look at the promising young talent I've brought you!"

He shouted as he quickened his pace:

"A top-tier mutated Beast Martial Soul!"

"A once-in-a-century event!"

"Come out quickly and take a look at him! It seems there's a small problem with his Martial Soul that needs to be addressed!"

"Xiao Gang! Xiao Gang! Are you inside?"

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang was in his room filled with books and scrolls, his brows furrowed, writing and drawing on a blank sheet of paper, planning the next detailed cultivation program for his only student, Mo Xuan.

Flender's sudden, loud, and urgent shout abruptly interrupted his highly concentrated thoughts.

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly darkened, and the tip of his pen left an unsightly ink dot on the paper.

He absolutely hates being disturbed when he's concentrating on thinking.

However, when he heard what Flender shouted next—"top-tier mutated Beast Martial Soul," "good seedling," "problem with the Martial Soul"—his gloomy eyes flickered slightly.

As someone who has devoted his life to the study of Martial Soul Theory, the keywords "top-tier mutated Beast Martial Soul" and "special Martial Soul issues" have a fatal attraction for him.