Sea God Pavilion.
Mu En sat by the window, holding a cup of hot tea.
Sunlight spilled over him, warm and bright.
His gaze rested on the dormitories in the distance.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Young people have it good..."
He murmured, taking a small sip of tea.
An hour later.
Bai Lan finished washing up and sat on the edge of the bed.
He opened the Contract Book.
On the first page, the golden mark of the Tiangang Bamboo glowed quietly.
On the second page, the silver butterfly shadow of Yinxing trembled slightly.
On the third page, the purple leopard shadow of Youye remained motionless.
"Come out," he said. "What are you hiding for?"
There was no response.
Bai Lan sighed.
"Yinxing. Youye."
"I don't blame you."
"Come out."
A few seconds of silence passed.
A flash of silver light, and Yinxing appeared before him.
She lowered her head, the tips of her ears still red.
A flash of purple light, and Youye appeared on the other side.
Her expression was blank, but the tips of her ears still glowed.
Bai Lan looked at them and suddenly smiled.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "You slept just fine last night. Why are you too embarrassed to face me today?"
Yinxing lowered her head a little further.
Youye turned her face away.
Bai Lan stood up and walked over to them.
"Raise your heads."
The two slowly lifted their heads.
Bai Lan looked at them earnestly.
"You're my Contract Beasts."
"You're the partners I trust most."
"What's there to be embarrassed about when we sleep together?"
Yinxing parted her lips, about to say something.
Bai Lan cut her off.
"We'll sleep together plenty more times."
"Are you going to hide every time?"
Yinxing froze.
Youye froze too.
They looked at him, complex emotions in their eyes.
Surprise, confusion, and even a hint of...
Anticipation?
Bai Lan didn't notice any of it. He turned and headed for the door.
"Come on, don't just stand there."
"It's time to eat."
He pushed open the door, and sunlight spilled inside.
As he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped.
He glanced back.
"Oh, right."
He looked at the two of them, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"I slept well last night too."
"Thank you."
With that, he pushed the door open and went out.
Yinxing stood where she was, stunned for a long while.
Then she lowered her head.
The corners of her mouth quietly curled upward.
Youye looked toward the doorway and fell silent for a few seconds.
Then—
She smiled too.
It was faint, barely there.
But it was a smile.
The cafeteria.
Bai Lan carried his tray and found a seat in a corner.
Yinxing and Youye sat opposite him.
Neither of them spoke; they just ate in silence.
From time to time, students nearby glanced over, their eyes lingering on Yinxing and Youye.
It couldn't be helped.
The two of them were simply too eye-catching.
One had silver hair and silver eyes, with a cool, aloof air, like a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace.
The other had purple hair and purple eyes, with a mysterious air, like a queen of the night.
Either one of them would turn every head if she walked down the street.
And when the two appeared together—
Half the people in the cafeteria were sneaking glances at them.
"Who are those two?"
"No idea. I've never seen them before..."
"They're so beautiful..."
"Could they be new teachers?"
Whispers kept drifting over.
Yinxing lowered her head and ate, pretending not to hear.
Youye kept her expression blank, but pretended not to hear as well.
Bai Lan carried on eating, unconcerned.
Just then—
Someone hurried into the cafeteria.
Yan Shaozhe.
His gaze swept over the cafeteria and landed on Bai Lan.
Then he strode over.
"Bai Lan."
Bai Lan looked up. "Dean?"
Yan Shaozhe glanced at the two across from him. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he didn't ask about them.
"Have you finished eating?" he asked. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Bai Lan put down his chopsticks. "Now?"
Yan Shaozhe nodded. "Now."
Bai Lan fell silent for a second, then stood up.
"Yinxing, Youye, you two go back first."
They nodded and disappeared on the spot.
Yan Shaozhe watched this, his eyelid twitching.
He already knew Bai Lan had three Contract Beasts, but seeing those two in person—
No, those two Soul Beasts—
Being so obedient still left him somewhat dazed.
"Let's go," he said, turning to head out.
Bai Lan followed.
The Dean's office.
Yan Shaozhe sat behind his desk, with Bai Lan seated opposite him.
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Shaozhe spoke.
"Mu En told me everything last night."
Bai Lan nodded without saying anything.
Yan Shaozhe looked at him, his expression complicated.
"Three hundred thousand years."
"Bai Lan, do you know what that means?"
Bai Lan thought for a moment, then said,
"It's very strong?"
Yan Shaozhe laughed in exasperation.
"Strong?" He shook his head. "It's not just strong. It's absurd."
He stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to Bai Lan.
"That Void Shadow Beast is now a three-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast."
"Across the entire continent, there are no more than twenty people who could reliably defeat it."
"And no more than ten who could kill it."
He turned around and looked at Bai Lan.
"And you're only at level thirty-seven."
Bai Lan was silent for a second, then said,
"Dean, is that all you wanted to tell me?"
Yan Shaozhe looked at him, his gaze deep.
"No."
He walked back behind his desk and sat down again.
"Bai Lan, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
Bai Lan raised an eyebrow.
Ask?
Yan Shaozhe was the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, a powerful Titled Douluo.
And he was using the word "ask"?
"Go ahead, Dean," Bai Lan said.
Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke.
"I have a disciple."
"Her name is Ma Xiaotao."
Bai Lan's heart stirred.
Ma Xiaotao?
Of course he knew that name.
In the original story, she was a talented student of Shrek Academy who possessed the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul and had been plagued by Evil Fire for years.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked, pretending not to know.
Yan Shaozhe sighed.
"Her Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix."
"It's powerful, but it's brought her serious problems too."
"The Evil Fire is burning her from within."
Bai Lan nodded. "I know."
Yan Shaozhe paused. "You know about it?"
Bai Lan realized he'd let something slip, but his expression didn't change.
"I've heard of it. The Evil Fire Phoenix is a branch of Ultimate Fire, but if it isn't controlled properly, it can turn against its owner."
Yan Shaozhe watched him for several seconds but didn't press him.
"That's right," he said. "That child, Xiaotao, has been troubled by Evil Fire ever since her Martial Soul awakened."
"She's twelve now, and a forty-third-rank Soul Ancestor."
"But her Evil Fire problem is getting worse."
He paused, his voice low.
"If this continues, I'm afraid she'll become an Evil Soul Master."
Bai Lan fell silent.
In the original story, Ma Xiaotao had indeed been tormented by Evil Fire for many years. In the end, Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice had saved her.
But this was six years earlier, and Huo Yuhao hadn't come to Shrek yet.
It made sense that Ma Xiaotao was a forty-third-rank Soul Ancestor six years earlier.
After all, cultivation only got harder as one advanced.
Taking six years to break through to Soul Emperor, above rank sixty, was just about right.
"What do you want me to do, Dean?" he asked.
Yan Shaozhe looked at him earnestly.
"Your Contract Beasts can evolve."
"If you start by contracting an Ice-attribute Soul Beast with enough years of cultivation, then after evolving a few times, it could very well reach the level of Ultimate Ice."
"Then..."
Bai Lan finished for him. "It could suppress her Evil Fire?"
Yan Shaozhe nodded.
Bai Lan fell silent.
Yan Shaozhe continued.
"I know I'm asking a lot of you."
"Your fourth Contract Beast is very important to you. You should choose it yourself, not have someone else make that decision for you."
"But I've watched Xiaotao grow up."
His voice grew hoarse.
"I don't want to watch her become an Evil Soul Master while suffering so much."
"Or even have to kill her myself in the end..."
Silence fell over the office.
Bai Lan lowered his head, lost in thought.
Actually, this worked out perfectly with what he had in mind.
He was already eyeing the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress.
When the time came, he could ask Dragon God Douluo Mu En to personally take him to the Extreme North, have Youye and Yinxing vouch for him, and explain the problem the two empresses faced with their Heavenly Tribulations. Maybe he really could contract both of them as Contract Beasts.
If need be, he could contract the Ice Empress at level forty and the Snow Empress at level fifty.
That way, he'd have four peerless beauties.
Tsk, what man wouldn't like that?
Just thinking about it made him happy.
But he wouldn't mention this for now.
He'd first agree to Yan Shaozhe's request and make the man owe him a huge favor.
Then he'd take things one step at a time.
After a long while, he looked up.
"Fine. I agree."
Before you continue