Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes swept over everyone before finally settling on Ma Xiaotao. Though she had never been with a man, she knew what it looked like.
The lingering flush between Ma Xiaotao's brows and the barely perceptible awkwardness in her steps had not escaped her notice.
That girl really doesn't know when to stop... Zhang Lexuan cursed inwardly, then turned to Huo Yuhao, who stood nearby with an unruffled expression. Her heart surged with even greater astonishment.
The Flame Maniac Ma Xiaotao, whose outbursts gave even their teacher a headache, had actually been subdued by this junior?
And judging by the looks of it, she had surrendered completely, body and soul.
Honestly, even thinking about it made her blush.
Zhang Lexuan hurriedly pushed those wild images out of her mind.
On the other side of the group, the usually aloof "Ice Goddess" Ling Luochеn kept sneaking glances at Huo Yuhao.
After learning last night that Huo Yuhao was Ma Xiaotao's boyfriend, her competitive streak had only flared up.
"If Ma Xiaotao, with her fire attribute, can do it, then I'm ice. We're an even more perfect match." Ling Luochеn lifted her chest and thought, "I'm no worse than anyone in looks or figure. If Ma Xiaotao can have him, I can steal him too."
Ma Xiaotao was sharp enough to catch the undisguised possessiveness in Ling Luochеn's eyes at once.
In the past, she would have blown her top.
But now, she merely ran a hand through her red hair with a lazy air, a meaningful smile curling at her lips.
The battle last night had been so intense that her waist still ached faintly. Huo Yuhao had practically treated her like she wasn't human.
Want to steal him? Sure. Ma Xiaotao sneered inwardly. I can barely handle him on my own, so if someone's willing to help share the load, I'd welcome it. Just don't come crying when you melt into a puddle, Ice Goddess.
Ma Xiaotao was curious to see whether Ling Luochеn, the Inner Court's Ice Goddess, had a contrasting side to her.
"Move out!"
On the way, Xuan Zi explained another role of the Shrek Inner Court students: the Shrek Inspection Team.
"Every Inner Court student is a member of the Inspection Corps. Our mission is to keep watch over the continent and eradicate evil." Xuan Zi's voice was low. "Our target this time is the Death Messenger bandit group, located near the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire. Its leader is a powerful Evil Soul Master."
At the word "death," the girls in the Reserve Team grew visibly tense.
"We're short on time, and the tournament is coming up. We have only three or four days." Xuan Zi said, "We'll travel at full speed!"
But there was a problem. All the main-team members were at least Spirit Kings, so they could use Flying Soul Tools to increase their speed. Aside from Huo Yuhao and Jin Nier, the Reserve Team members couldn't keep up, let alone fly for long.
Ma Xiaotao was about to suggest that each main-team member take someone along, but Huo Yuhao caught her by the hand.
"Sister Xiaotao, I have a way."
Huo Yuhao smiled warmly and flipped his wrist. A streak of silver light shot into the sky.
"Boom!"
A streamlined metal shuttle, as large as a small house, hovered in the air, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen and radiating powerful Soul Power.
"A level-six Soul Tool—the Liuguang Flying Shuttle," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "It can easily carry the Reserve Team, and it's as fast as a flying Spirit Saint."
The whole group fell silent.
A level-six Soul Tool? This kid had brought a piece of strategic equipment with him?
"Come aboard."
Huo Yuhao called out, took Ma Xiaotao's hand, and leaped into the shuttle first.
The girls of the Reserve Team cheered and hurried after them.
The main-team members exchanged glances, then could only smile wryly and fly on their own.
The shuttle's interior was spacious and comfortable. Huo Yuhao took the pilot's seat, and Psychic Power surged out of him like a tide. Under his control, the shuttle transformed into a silver bolt of lightning and shot forward.
It was so fast that he even had to slow down to let the main-team members keep up.
Ma Xiaotao sat in a soft chair beside Huo Yuhao, watching the focused profile of the young man. Warmth welled up in her heart.
She knew he had brought this thing out because he knew she hadn't fully recovered and wasn't moving easily.
The sun was high overhead when Xuan Zi ordered a rest.
When the main-team members landed, they were all panting, their Soul Power considerably depleted.
By contrast, the Reserve Team members stepped out of the shuttle full of energy, as if they had just gone sightseeing.
"I'm starving! I'm starving!" Wang Dong shouted.
Huo Yuhao rolled up his sleeves. "All right. I'll show you what I can do today."
He set up a pot and started a fire, then prepared the ingredients with practiced ease. Before long, an indescribably rich aroma spread through the woods.
This wasn't just simple grilled fish anymore. He had used several rare medicinal ingredients and Soul Beast meat to make a nourishing stew, specially prepared to help Ma Xiaotao regain her strength.
Of course, every girl in the Reserve Team got a share too.
"First Senior Sister, care to have some?" Huo Yuhao invited with a smile.
Zhang Lexuan readily accepted a bowl.
Xuan Zi had already tossed aside his chicken drumstick and shamelessly come over.
The moment the hot soup went down, its delicious flavor burst across their tongues, and warmth flowed through their limbs.
"Mm! This is unbelievably good!" Xiao Xiao's eyes widened.
Even Ma Xiaotao and Wang Dong were stunned. They had thought Huo Yuhao only knew how to grill fish, but it turned out he was a master of every kind of cooking!
"This kid..." Zhang Lexuan sipped her soup and looked at Huo Yuhao, who was surrounded by admirers. Her gaze grew gentler. "He's strong, handsome, and can cook... No wonder Xiaotao fell for him so quickly."
Nearby, the main-team members held dry, hard rations in their hands. The moment they smelled the delicious food, their meals tasted like sawdust.
Ling Luochеn had invited herself over, and Huo Yuhao was just as accommodating.
Once the break ended and they set off again, the main-team members' attitudes had undergone a complete reversal.
"Junior Yuhao, the shuttle must use a lot of energy. Let this senior take over for a while!"
"That's right, Yuhao. Take a break and let us do it!"
Except for Dai Yueheng, they all scrambled aboard the shuttle. They claimed they wanted to help, but really, they were trying to build a rapport and score another free dinner.
Huo Yuhao saw right through them but said nothing. Glad to take it easy, he handed over the pilot's seat.
But less than half an hour later, Chen Zifeng climbed out, drenched in sweat. "I can't do it! This thing eats Soul Power like crazy! I can't keep going!"
"Can you even handle it, string bean? Let me try."
Gongyang Mo went next, followed by Xixi...
The main-team members took turns at the controls, but none of them lasted long. One after another, they grew exhausted and pale.
Only then did they realize, to their horror, that Huo Yuhao had piloted the shuttle alone for two whole hours that morning without turning a hair.
"Is this kid's Soul Power bottomless?"
They looked at Huo Yuhao as if he were a monster.
They had no idea that Huo Yuhao relied on his boundless Psychic Power, not on Soul Power alone.
Night fell, and the group arrived near the Mingdou Mountain Range.
The main-team members were exhausted, but for the sake of dinner, they still forced themselves to hunt for game and gather firewood, eager to please.
Huo Yuhao didn't hold back, throwing together a huge pot of stew.
Ling Luochеn finally got a bowl of steaming hot meat soup. She took small sips, staring fixedly at Huo Yuhao through the rising steam.
The more she interacted with him, the more fascinating he became. Strong, mysterious, considerate...
I have to steal him away. Ling Luochеn swore to herself.
After dinner, the cheerful atmosphere vanished in an instant. Dai Yueheng returned to the group, ostensibly to keep watch, though in truth he had been avoiding the awkwardness.
Xuan Zi stood up, his cloudy eyes turning sharp.
"Finished eating and drinking? Then get ready to work."
"The Death Messenger's camp is just ahead. Remember, this isn't a competition. It's a fight to the death."
Before you continue