Ma Xiaotao

[Douluo II Period]

Shrek Academy was deathly silent.

The shock of having one's faith shattered was far more terrifying than any external enemy.

The area in front of the attic where Ma Xiaotao lived in the inner courtyard was completely deserted.

Her fellow students, who had usually laughed and chatted with her, now kept their distance as though avoiding a plague.

Their eyes had shifted from shock to wariness and suspicion—and even fear.

The heavenly genius they had always believed her to be was, in fact, the descendant of an Evil Soul Master.

Ma Xiaotao stood there alone, her delicate frame trembling slightly in the cold wind. Her pretty face was deathly pale.

"Why... Why did this happen..."

Yet the Sky Screen's merciless judgment clearly had no intention of giving anyone a chance to catch their breath.

Golden light swirled mercilessly once more!

[To conceal Ma Xiaotao's origins and ensure she could grow up without incident, Yan Shaozhe publicly claimed that he had personally found her and taken her on as his disciple. He also used his authority as dean to provide her with the best resources.]

[But the thing he feared most still happened.]

The scene shifted to a training ground.

Ma Xiaotao, only seven or eight years old, was playing with several children her age.

Suddenly, a boy accidentally shoved her while they were running around.

["Don't push me!"]

The little girl instantly lost control of her emotions. Her clear eyes were abruptly replaced by an eerie red glow!

A mass of dark red flame erupted uncontrollably from her tiny palm with a "boom," striking the boy square in the chest!

["Aah—!"]

A piercing scream shattered the peaceful atmosphere.

The boy's clothes turned to ash in an instant. His chest was scorched black, and he writhed on the ground in agony.

The scene changed to the dean's office.

A teacher was urgently reporting the situation to Yan Shaozhe.

Yan Shaozhe simply listened calmly, his face utterly impassive.

["Find a healing Soul Master and treat him."]

["Tell his family there was an accident during the children's training. Give them some Gold Soul Coins, too, and make them keep quiet."]

["As for Xiaotao, she's still young and doesn't know any better. Don't bring this up again."]

His cold words, paired with his matter-of-fact expression, sent a bone-chilling shiver through everyone watching the Sky Screen.

And this was only the beginning.

[As Ma Xiaotao's strength grew, the Evil Fire within her became more and more terrifying.]

[Her Evil Fire erupted more and more frequently, and the consequences grew increasingly severe.]

The scene shifted again.

It was an inner-courtyard sparring match.

Ma Xiaotao, now a graceful young woman, lost control once more during the fight!

This time, her rampaging Evil Fire Phoenix burned her opponent—a genius from the inner courtyard at Soul King level—so badly that he was left gravely injured!

The damage to the genius's Martial Soul was even permanent, nearly ending his path as a Soul Master!

And in the scene, Yan Shaozhe still wore that chillingly cold expression.

He tossed a pill radiating cold air to the genius who had nearly been crippled.

["This is a Soul Ascension Pill. It should be enough to make up for your injuries."]

["No one can find out about what happened today."]

[This had already become routine.]

[If someone was injured, they were given a Soul Ascension Pill.]

[If someone died—]

The Sky Screen's images grew incredibly dark and bloody!

A patch of woodland had been burned to charred stumps. A blackened corpse lay in the middle, its death agonizing.

[Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire suddenly erupted during a mission, and she accidentally killed one of her companions.]

[Terrified, Ma Xiaotao ran back to Shrek and begged Yan Shaozhe for help.]

In the next instant, the scene shifted.

It was an all-school assembly. With sorrow on his face, Yan Shaozhe made a mournful announcement.

["While carrying out a mission, student Li Qi unfortunately encountered a high-level Evil Soul Master. He died heroically while protecting his companions—"]

["He is hereby posthumously named an honorary student of Shrek!"]

["Let us observe three minutes of silence for Li Qi!"]

[Douluo II Period]

"Li Qi! It's Li Qi!"

On Shrek Plaza, a young man stared at the Sky Screen, his eyes turning bloodshot as he let out a grief-stricken roar!

"I knew it! I knew Li Qi wasn't killed by an Evil Soul Master!"

"He was so careful! How could he have gone on such a dangerous mission alone? So it was... it was Ma Xiaotao who got him killed!"

"No—it was you, Yan Shaozhe! You bastard! You covered up the truth!"

And he wasn't the only one!

More and more students recognized their missing friends and classmates—or those who had been declared to have "died in an accident"—in the scenes playing across the Sky Screen!

Every "accident," every "disappearance," now had an answer!

The answer was Ma Xiaotao's out-of-control Evil Fire, and Yan Shaozhe's repeated cover-ups!

Fury and hatred erupted in the students' hearts like a volcano!

Just then, a figure everyone knew all too well appeared on the Sky Screen.

Huo Yuhao!

The scene showed the moment by Sea God Lake when Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire erupted and she lost control, attacking Huo Yuhao!

Her Ultimate Evil Fire nearly consumed Huo Yuhao!

Then, a senior of the academy appeared. He casually handed Huo Yuhao a Soul Ascension Pill and warned him not to tell anyone about the incident.

Watching this, Huo Yuhao felt a chill settle in his heart.

So... he hadn't been an exception.

He was simply one of countless victims who had been lucky enough to survive.

[He indulged his descendant and treated lives as expendable. This was Yan Shaozhe's third crime!]

[But that wasn't all.]

The Sky Screen's narration once again left everyone on edge.

[He could indulge and protect his own granddaughter without limits.]

[But toward students with no influential connections who refused to serve his interests, he showed a very different face.]

The scene shifted.

It was Yan Shaozhe's dean's office.

Wang Yan, whom everyone knew, stood before him, handing over a list.

["Dean, here's the list I've drawn up of the next group of core students for the Martial Soul Department. Please take a look. I think the new student named Huo Yuhao, though low in Soul Power, has extraordinary talent in spiritual power. He also comes recommended by the Tang Sect, so we could make an exception and promote him—"]

Yan Shaozhe merely glanced at the list disdainfully and snorted.

["Huo Yuhao? The kid who got into a conflict with Dai Huabin during the freshman assessment?"]

["Dai Huabin's father is the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire. He has both talent and connections."]

["Who does Huo Yuhao think he is?"]

["Hmph. A good-for-nothing with a Ten-Year Soul Ring. If it weren't for the Tang Sect, he wouldn't even be qualified to set foot in Shrek!"]

He casually tossed the list onto the desk, his tone icy.

["Cross his name off! I never want to see it on another recommendation list!"]

["And tell Zhou Yi to keep a close eye on Huo Yuhao. If he makes even one more mistake, expel him immediately!"]

Watching this, Huo Yuhao felt a chill shoot from the depths of his heart to the top of his head.

So, without his knowledge, Yan Shaozhe had harbored such intense hostility toward him, even scheming to drive him out of the academy!

And all this time, he had regarded Yan Shaozhe as a dean worthy of respect!

But in the next moment, the scene on the Sky Screen took a dramatic turn!

It was still the same office.

Yan Shaozhe stared at a report in his hands, looking delighted.

["What? Huo Yuhao awakened a Second Martial Soul? And it's... Ultimate Ice?!"]

His face instantly lit up with a warm, enthusiastic smile unlike anything he had shown before!

He changed faces faster than a page could be turned!

["Quick! Go get him! No—I'll go myself!"]

["Ultimate Ice! This is the hope of suppressing Xiaotao's Evil Fire! Heaven has truly blessed us! Hahahaha!"]

["How could a talent like this be wasted in the Soul Guidance Department? He must join our Martial Soul Department! We can discuss any terms!"]

["We must make him willing to help Xiaotao!"]

At the same time, Yan Shaozhe's thoughts appeared on the Sky Screen.

[With him, Xiaotao's Evil Fire problem can be completely resolved! My granddaughter can become a true, perfect phoenix!]