Dai Yueheng spoke.
Yet he had already walked over to Lu Heqiu.
His massive frame blocked most of the light in front of Lu Heqiu. The baby in the swaddling clothes furrowed his brow, but didn't open his eyes. His eyebrows merely twitched.
Dai Yueheng reached out and pinched his cheek, then moved toward the tiny hand.
As soon as he extended his hand, Ma Xiaotao smacked it away hard.
"What are you doing?!"
"He's so little. Are you really trying to test how strong he is?"
Ma Xiaotao slapped Dai Yueheng's hand aside, but he didn't seem to mind. He calmly explained, "I didn't even use my Martial Soul."
"I just wanted to see how strong the little guy is."
As he spoke,
Dai Yueheng ignored Ma Xiaotao's sour expression and reached for Lu Heqiu again. Their hands touched, one large and one small. The baby's tender, pale hand rested against the thick base of Dai Yueheng's thumb. Before Dai Yueheng could exert any force,
the tiny hand gave a squeeze, and Dai Yueheng's expression changed dramatically!
"A Ferocious Beast?!"
Dai Yueheng instinctively released his Martial Soul. Bloodlust surged in his mismatched eyes, and his immense pressure made those around him furrow their brows. Yan Shaozhe stood nearby and snapped, "Yueheng!"
"Stop!"
Dai Yueheng's eyes gradually cleared. Only then did he see that the thing in Ma Xiaotao's arms wasn't a Ferocious Beast, but still the same baby, just over six months old, lying in his swaddling clothes. There wasn't the slightest trace of a Soul Beast's aura about him. Every so often, he even let out a soft snore, as if sleeping soundly.
Dai Yueheng withdrew his Martial Soul and looked at the reddened spot at the base of his thumb. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, that one squeeze might have crushed the bones there.
"Dean Yan, this is a Ferocious Beast reincarnated, isn't it?!"
Dai Yueheng held out his hand toward Yan Shaozhe. Yan Shaozhe glanced at it, his expression deeply complicated. He could see the red mark on Dai Yueheng's hand. It was small, like the mark left by a pair of iron tongs.
It wasn't an injury, but it was enough to astonish everyone.
Even without releasing his Martial Soul, Dai Yueheng was still a Soul Emperor. How could his physical strength compare to that of a Soul Master below the third ring? What was more, the child didn't even have a Martial Soul yet, and he had still overpowered Dai Yueheng through sheer physical strength!
Where had this child come from?
"Serves you right!"
"I told you not to bully him. He's just a child—why are you picking a fight with him?"
Seeing Dai Yueheng get the worst of it, a hint of delight flashed in Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes. She hugged Lu Heqiu even tighter.
In his sleep, Lu Heqiu took this sort of "food" without hesitation. The little hand that had just squeezed the base of Dai Yueheng's thumb reached up and squeezed Ma Xiaotao there instead, though he controlled his strength, as if merely resting his hand on her.
Ma Xiaotao's delicate body shuddered. She hurriedly turned around and put his hand back in place.
Lu Heqiu, still in his swaddling clothes, didn't want his hand moved away and reached up again. One of them took it away, the other put it back. They repeated this, tireless, until Ma Xiaotao couldn't even turn around.
"Enough, stop fooling around."
"This child really is unusual. I'll ask Xuan Zi to come take a look tomorrow. Xiaotao, you'll look after him for tonight. We'll figure out what to do after that."
Yan Shaozhe spoke unhurriedly.
This child was definitely no ordinary baby.
But for now, he was only willing to interact with Ma Xiaotao. No one else could touch him, so Ma Xiaotao really was the best choice to look after him. Besides...
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Ma Xiaotao.
It seemed the little guy only refrained from hurting her. If a Soul King had stayed with him instead, he might have slapped them to death in their sleep!
Even with Dai Yueheng prepared, the little guy had squeezed hard enough to make his hand ache. He was practically born for Shrek Academy. What else could he be but a monster? He was already this terrifying without even having a Martial Soul.
Who knew how terrifying he'd become in the future?
Ma Xiaotao nodded lightly.
Blushing, she had finally managed to put Lu Heqiu's hand back in place. Yan Shaozhe's words only made her more embarrassed. If she slept with Lu Heqiu tonight, who knew what little tricks the child might get up to?
"I'll go to the Beast Fighting Arena and find this little guy something to eat!"
Ma Xiaotao rose into the air and sped toward the Beast Fighting Arena. Although she was only a Soul Emperor, she could glide briefly through the air with the help of her Martial Soul.
She couldn't fly like a Soul Saint, but she was still faster than an ordinary Soul Emperor on foot.
Yan Shaozhe said no more. He simply waved at Ling Luochеn and Dai Yueheng, signaling that they could leave.
The red mark on Dai Yueheng's hand had already faded. He watched Ma Xiaotao leave without saying a word, but he was even more curious about Lu Heqiu's origins. How could a human have such terrifying strength?
Still, if he really was a Ferocious Beast who had taken human form, Yan Shaozhe should have been able to see through it at a glance. There was no way the little guy could hide it from a Super Douluo.
"Xiaotao? What a rare visitor."
"What brings you to see me?"
"It's not easy to find a Soul Beast in this Beast Fighting Arena that can spar with you. Don't come here to torment my treasures."
The Beast King, Gong Changlong, who oversaw the Beast Fighting Arena, casually tossed out a few pieces of raw meat. The corner of his eye fell on Ma Xiaotao as he asked with some curiosity.
The arena did have plenty of Soul Beasts with high cultivation, but they weren't meant for students like Ma Xiaotao. They were training opponents for the geniuses about to enter the Inner Academy, or the most gifted students in the Outer Academy.
With Ma Xiaotao here...
For a moment, he really couldn't find a suitable Soul Beast to spar with her.
"Elder Gong, you've misunderstood."
"I'm here to ask you for some Soul Beast... milk."
Ma Xiaotao looked a little embarrassed as she spoke. She showed Gong Changlong the Lu Heqiu in her arms. She didn't need to say why she wanted the milk; it was obviously for the baby she was holding.
Only then did Gong Changlong notice the baby in Ma Xiaotao's arms. It really didn't look as though she had come to find a Soul Beast to spar with.
"Where did he come from?"
"Is he yours?"
"Although the academy doesn't forbid students from having children, you young people should be more careful. Looking after a child will cut into your cultivation time, won't it?"
Gong Changlong gently pinched Lu Heqiu's cheek. The baby's soft, smooth face made the Titled Douluo drop his guard at once. He really did like children, especially babies this age.
But his words made Ma Xiaotao anxious. She hurriedly explained, "Elder Gong!"
"What are you talking about? How could he possibly be my child?"
"Elder Cai and I were leading a team when we found him in the Star Dou Great Forest. Otherwise..."
Ma Xiaotao muttered to herself. Otherwise, couldn't she just feed him herself? Why would she need to come to the Beast Fighting Arena and ask Gong Changlong for Soul Beast milk?
But Gong Changlong had already picked out the most important detail in Ma Xiaotao's words.
"Found him in the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Before you continue