The whole class fell silent.
What a joke. Anyone dare object?
Go ask Xie Huanyue, who'd only just recovered from his swelling, if he objected. Go ask Dai Huabin, who was still lying in the infirmary, if he objected.
"Good." Zhou Yi nodded. "Since no one has any objections, let's begin. Today we'll discuss the role of control-type Soul Masters in a team..."
Before she could finish, a wave of scorching air suddenly swept in from outside the classroom, raising the temperature inside by several degrees in an instant.
"Bang!"
The classroom door was shoved open, and a red figure stumbled into the doorway.
Her fiery red hair hung in a disheveled mess over her shoulders. Her once-fair face was flushed an unnatural crimson, her eyes unfocused and anxious. An extremely unstable flame-like Soul Power swirled around her, making her look like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
It was Ma Xiaotao, the pride of the inner court.
"Huo... Huo Yuhao..."
Ma Xiaotao's voice was hoarse and hurried, tinged with unbearable pain. Her gaze was fixed firmly on Huo Yuhao.
"Quick... come with me... help me..."
The moment she said that, the class erupted!
Everyone's jaws nearly hit the floor.
What was going on?
A gorgeous inner-court senior with a stunning figure and a flushed face had rushed into the freshman classroom, called the class monitor out by name, and told him to come with her and "help her"?
That was a lot to take in!
Huo Yuhao reacted instantly. Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire was about to erupt.
He instinctively glanced at Zhou Yi, who was standing at the front of the class.
Zhou Yi furrowed her brow. She knew Ma Xiaotao and understood her situation, so she waved Huo Yuhao on, leaving him to handle it.
Huo Yuhao stood and strode toward the door.
As if she'd found a lifeline, Ma Xiaotao paid no attention to the strange looks around her. She grabbed Huo Yuhao, and the two vanished down the corridor in a streak of red light.
The classroom was left full of stunned onlookers.
"Oh my god, the class monitor's incredible! Even an inner-court senior came to him!"
"And judging by the way she looked, she really needed him!"
Listening to her classmates whisper, Xiao Xiao stared at Huo Yuhao's now-empty seat, feeling a pang of jealousy.
She knew Huo Yuhao was outstanding—so outstanding that he was bound to attract countless people's attention.
But when a "big sister" who was so striking in figure, looks, and strength suddenly appeared and "snatched" Huo Yuhao away in front of everyone, Xiao Xiao still felt an intense sense of crisis well up inside her.
It was as if someone had suddenly set their sights on the treasure she'd been carefully guarding.
Huo Yuhao didn't belong to her yet, but in a young girl's heart, full of powerful, half-understood feelings, the seed of possessiveness had already quietly sprouted.
Meanwhile, just as they reached Shrek Square, Ma Xiaotao was burning hot and barely conscious. Her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed, but Huo Yuhao caught her in his arms just in time.
Holding Ma Xiaotao's scorching body, Huo Yuhao could feel the terrifying energy inside her on the verge of exploding. He didn't dare delay.
He tapped his toe, and a Soul Tool longsword appeared beneath him. It transformed into a streak of light and carried Ma Xiaotao skyward, straight toward the depths of Sea God Lake.
However, in midair, Ma Xiaotao's consciousness had already been completely swallowed by the Evil Fire.
"So comfortable... so cool..."
Her unfocused eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao as her hands began wandering over him. She even started tugging at his collar, wrapping herself around him like an octopus.
"Hey! Stop moving! We're going to crash!" Huo Yuhao cried in alarm, hurriedly trying to steady himself.
But how could he easily shake off a Spirit Emperor-level powerhouse clinging to him in a frenzy?
The sword drew a strange S-shaped curve through the air, and then—
"Splash!"
A huge spray of water burst upward as the two plunged straight into Sea God Lake.
The icy water instantly closed around them, but the heat radiating from Ma Xiaotao made the surrounding lake water boil, sending up a rush of bubbles.
Underwater, she was like a seductive water snake, wrapped tightly around Huo Yuhao as she instinctively drew the chill from his body.
"I really owe you one!"
Huo Yuhao could only sigh helplessly. This was practically asking for trouble.
He carried Ma Xiaotao to the bottom of the lake and unleashed his Ultimate Ice domain, sealing the water away from them.
As the chill of Ultimate Ice poured into Ma Xiaotao, her raging Evil Fire gradually calmed.
Just then, Huo Yuhao was surprised to discover that as their Soul Power fused deeply, a stream of pure energy flowed back through Ma Xiaotao's meridians and into him.
It was Soul Power tempered by the Evil Fire, utterly pure.
Even more thrillingly, stimulated by this foreign Soul Power, the source powers of the Ice and Snow Emperors that had been sealed inside him began to dissolve faster, flowing like a gentle stream into every part of his body.
"So that's it! Suppressing her Evil Fire helps her, and it also speeds up my absorption of the Ice and Snow Emperors' energy!"
Huo Yuhao was overjoyed.
How was this working for free? It was a cultivation accelerator that benefited them both!
And so, at the bottom of Sea God Lake, a young man and woman became lost in this strange world of ice and fire, unaware as time passed.
When Ma Xiaotao came to from that blissful, floating sensation, the first thing she saw was Huo Yuhao's handsome face, right in front of hers.
Then she realized something was wrong.
Their position... was far too intimate.
Their clothes clung to their bodies, outlining their figures after being soaked in the lake. She was practically hanging off Huo Yuhao, her long, shapely legs wrapped around the boy's waist.
Ma Xiaotao's already rosy face turned bright red all the way to her ears. The usually bold and domineering woman suddenly looked like a startled little rabbit.
She shoved Huo Yuhao away, released her Soul Power, burst out of the water, and fled.
As Ma Xiaotao flew through the air, her heart pounded. Her mind was filled with the embarrassing scene from moments ago.
"This kid... He's only at the three-ring level, but the quality of his Ultimate Ice Soul Power may even surpass mine."
Ma Xiaotao glanced back at the still lake, her eyes growing hazy and bashful.
To her, Huo Yuhao wasn't just a junior. He was also the perfect "future partner."
He was strong, talented, able to suppress her Evil Fire, and handsome, too.
"Hmph, little guy. You won't escape me. I'll just... raise you as my child husband for now!" Ma Xiaotao bit her lip and flew faster toward the inner court.
On the shore of Sea God Lake, Huo Yuhao climbed out of the water, looking utterly speechless.
"What is wrong with that woman?!"
Noticing that his collar had been torn, Huo Yuhao couldn't help grumbling. "She uses me and then throws me away? She doesn't even say thank you? Typical heartbreaker behavior!"
Though he complained, he was in a good mood as he felt his Soul Power had clearly increased by a notch.
Once an Ultimate Martial Soul reached level thirty, cultivation slowed noticeably. He'd been planning to develop the Power of Haodong with Wang Dong, but who'd have thought his encounter with Ma Xiaotao would bring an unexpected reward?
After glancing at the sky, Huo Yuhao decided not to return to the classroom and headed straight to the Soul Guidance Department instead.
"I'll see if I can inscribe the Core Arrays of those Level 4 Soul Tools."
At the same time, a pair of eyes in the Divine Realm stared fixedly at his retreating figure.
Inside Sea God Hall, Tang San had lost it yet again.
"Damn it!"
Tang San slammed his palm onto the armrest of his throne, shaking the entire hall.
"How dare this Huo Yuhao get so intimate with another woman!"
Although Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice domain blocked Tang San's view, there was no need to imagine what might have happened during all that time.
As Tang San saw it, Huo Yuhao was the son-in-law he'd chosen, so he had to remain chaste and faithful to his daughter.
Even if Wang Dong was still dressed as a boy, even if they hadn't established their relationship, even if it had only been to save nine people...
In the eyes of God King Tang, whose love for his daughter knew no bounds (and whose need for control was off the charts), this was infidelity! This was betrayal!
"You've brought death upon yourself..."
Before you continue