Rescuing Ma Xiaotao

"Junior Brother Xuan Heng, you disappeared as soon as the holidays started. You only came back after all this time? You owe me an explanation!"

Yan Shaozhe took Ma Xiaotao's treatment very seriously.

She was his direct disciple.

"Senior Brother, what if I told you I went to the Extreme North to improve my Ultimate Ice? Would you believe me?" It was the absolute truth, but improving his Ultimate Ice hadn't been his main purpose.

Yan Shaozhe smiled. "Of course I believe you. But I still wish you'd come back sooner and help your junior niece."

Compared to before, they decided it was better to seize the moment than wait for a chosen day, and brought Mu Xuanheng straight to the place where Ma Xiaotao cultivated.

At the entrance, waves of scorching heat rolled out one after another.

"Xiaotao!" Yan Shaozhe immediately burst through the door. The temperature outside was already so high that the girl inside might have lost control of her Evil Fire.

Sure enough, Ma Xiaotao had already lost control.

"Don't do anything. Let me handle it." He immediately stopped Yan Shaozhe from using his light-attribute Soul Power to suppress her.

"Ice Emperor's Wrath!" He unleashed the four-hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone Skill, striking the rampaging Ma Xiaotao hard.

The appearance of Ultimate Ice seemed to give Ma Xiaotao an outlet. She immediately charged at Mu Xuanheng.

"Third Soul Skill." Countless ice spikes appeared out of nowhere, but Ma Xiaotao smashed straight through them.

She wanted to knock Mu Xuanheng down and vent her Evil Fire on him.

But Mu Xuanheng wasn't alone.

"Emperor Palm: Great Cold Without Snow!" Snow Empress flew out of his Spiritual Sea and smacked Ma Xiaotao away, knocking her unconscious.

"This is Great Cold Without Snow. Study it carefully."

A single palm strike had thoroughly suppressed her Evil Fire.

"Who is that?" Yan Shaozhe watched the beautiful woman appear, his alarm bells ringing.

He had heard of the formidable Emperor Palm: Great Cold Without Snow, but he couldn't believe it had appeared here.

"The leader of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North, Snow Empress. She's also my contracted Soul Beast. You can ask the two old men and the old man about the details. Don't tell anyone else."

Yan Shaozhe had no idea what was going on. His mind was spinning.

"If Snow Empress is here, then she can definitely suppress the Evil Fire." In an instant, he decided to make use of Snow Empress's power.

Snow Empress didn't even respond. She simply vanished on the spot.

Ask her for help? Yan Shaozhe wasn't worthy.

"Senior Brother, I can handle it. There's no need to trouble Snow Empress."

Several icicles formed beside the unconscious Ma Xiaotao. The scorching flames cooled, and Ma Xiaotao woke up.

"Teacher? Did I have another episode?"

"Yes. I'm guessing you didn't listen to Senior Brother Shaozhe and secretly cultivated."

Mu Xuanheng spoke frankly.

There was nothing wrong with Ma Xiaotao wanting to become stronger. The problem was that she couldn't control herself.

Her first reaction was to summon her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. "Who are you?"

Then she noticed the orange Soul Ring on Mu Xuanheng. "Mu Xuanheng from the outer court?"

"Xiaotao, put your Martial Soul away. Xuanheng is my junior brother, and he's helping suppress your Evil Fire. His Martial Soul has the power of Ultimate Ice."

How could the Bright Holy Dragon have Ultimate Ice? Yan Shaozhe had only just realized it himself. With Snow Empress around, wasn't Ultimate Ice only to be expected?

No one in this world had surpassed Snow Empress in Ultimate Ice.

Several icicles formed into chains of ice, binding Ma Xiaotao. "It'll be very cold, and the suppression might not work very well. Be careful."

Yan Shaozhe had been about to ask why he wasn't using direct contact, but he suddenly remembered a silver figure and the Snow Empress who had just appeared, so he held back.

"This flame is quite interesting," Electrolux mused in his mind. "Flame Judgment would be excellent for torturing enemies."

Unfortunately, these flames didn't just torment opponents. They tormented Ma Xiaotao herself, too.

"That should do it. You can cultivate in peace for a while now." Mu Xuanheng exhaled and prepared to leave.

Ma Xiaotao said, "Wait. Thank you, junior brother?"

"Call me a schoolmate or your junior uncle. Just don't call me junior brother."

"Then, schoolmate, can I come to you directly if I have trouble with my Evil Fire again?"

Mu Xuanheng turned around. "You can come to me, but I'll just do the same thing every time. How about I point you in the right direction?"

Yan Shaozhe also stepped closer, eager to hear what he had in mind.

"Soon, a student will show off his Ice Martial Soul. You can find him and become dual cultivation partners." This was his little attempt to save Huo Yuhao. It might not do any good, either.

He didn't care about all that. He just didn't want her coming to him.

"Then why can't I go to you, schoolmate?"

"I have someone I like."

"Hm?" Ma Xiaotao was outside; Snow Empress was in his Spiritual Sea.

The one outside didn't matter. The one inside, though, deserved a proper explanation. "It was a delaying tactic. I just needed her to stop targeting me."

Snow Empress replied coldly, "I thought you meant Gu Yuena. You seem to care about her a lot, too."

Mu Xuanheng had no way to explain himself. Even if he tried, Snow Empress wouldn't believe him.

"I know you have some special ideas. After spending so much time sharing life and death, I understand you."

Ma Xiaotao's expression didn't change. "I don't want to get married. I want to become stronger. I want to become a Titled Douluo. I want to become stronger than Teacher."

Neither Yan Shaozhe nor Mu Xuanheng paid her any attention. Yan Shaozhe was considering whether the plan was practical, while Mu Xuanheng knew that in the original story, she could be said to have been won over. It was hard to imagine that declaration lasting even two years.

"All right, Senior Brother. Can I leave now? I remember the new students have to take their entrance tests when they return."

Mu Xuanheng found an excuse to leave.

"That can wait. As an inner court disciple, you don't have to take the new student assessment." Yan Shaozhe took Mu Xuanheng by the arm. "Teacher told me to give you an early look at this generation's Shrek Seven Devils."

He waved to Ma Xiaotao, and they set off.

"Wait, I still need to practice my Soul Skills!"

He had no idea when Mu En had told Yan Shaozhe that. Either way, it was certainly a very fitting excuse.

Two phoenixes, one of light and one of fire, stood out conspicuously.

The other six members, gathered in an open area, all knew who was coming.

"The captain's actually flying with a Soul Skill. Does that mean she can fight?"

"Exactly. Why else would she come to the training grounds?"

"Wait, why did another pair of wings appear? They're even more magnificent than Captain's and Dean Yan's wings."

Mu Xuanheng asked Yan Shaozhe to let go of him, since he could fly on his own.

His second Soul Skill activated, and Chaofeng spread his wings, displaying his speed. With Soul Ancestor cultivation, he kept pace with Ma Xiaotao, a Soul Emperor.

"An orange Soul Ring? Then that must be Mu Xuanheng from the outer court. But I heard he only had three rings. He's already reached four so soon?"

He had found Dai Huabin and asked him to introduce the two students with the greatest reputations at Shrek Academy.

As expected, Dai Huabin had dismissed them both as frauds with undeserved reputations, not worth mentioning.

But Dai Huabin had definitely been beaten to a pulp by them, so Dai Yueheng couldn't believe his younger brother. He was simply a glutton for punishment.

"Mu Xuanheng?" Xixi spoke up at once. "Isn't he the kid who lives beside Sea God Pavilion? He's that strong?"

Yan Shaozhe landed and had them introduce themselves to one another.