"Ultimate Fire! It really is Ultimate Fire!"
Ma Xiaotao was so excited that her voice trembled. She held out her hand and watched the golden flames dance at her fingertips, her eyes instantly reddening.
For more than a decade, she had been tormented by Evil Fire. Countless times, she had awoken in the dead of night from the heart-searing agony, and countless times, she had feared she would become an Evil Soul Master who had lost her mind.
Now, she had finally escaped the torment of Evil Fire for good and awakened the true Ultimate Fire Phoenix!
"That's amazing, Yuhao!"
Ma Xiaotao spun around and threw her arms around Huo Yuhao, whose face was bright red. Her voice brimmed with heartfelt gratitude.
Her soft body pressed against him, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance. Huo Yuhao went rigid, his cheeks so red they looked ready to bleed. He even forgot to breathe.
"S-senior... I'm just glad I could help..."
Huo Yuhao stammered, his eyes wandering everywhere. He didn't dare look Ma Xiaotao in the eye.
Ma Xiaotao let go of him. Seeing how completely flustered he was, she couldn't help laughing, warmth filling her eyes.
She pulled a heavy sack of Gold Soul Coins from her Soul Tool, pressed it into Huo Yuhao's hands, and said with a smile:
"Here, this is your payment! Don't you dare say it's too little! If you ever need more, just tell me."
She paused, then suddenly leaned close to Huo Yuhao's ear and whispered so softly that only the two of them could hear:
"Yuhao, if I want to buy Life Crystals again, I'll come find you."
Her warm breath brushed his ear. Huo Yuhao felt a tingling sensation sweep through it, and his face grew even redder.
He nodded in a panic, grabbed the money sack, and hurriedly climbed out of the Medicinal Pool. Fumbling, he got dressed.
"S-senior! I still have class! I'm off!"
Without waiting for Ma Xiaotao to say anything else, he turned and dashed out of the secret chamber, as if something were chasing him.
Watching him flee, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help laughing aloud. A tenderness she hadn't even noticed herself flickered in her eyes.
She lowered her gaze to the golden flames dancing at her fingertips, a brilliant smile spreading across her face.
Huo Yuhao ran all the way. Only after he had left the Sea God Lake area did he slow down.
He patted his burning cheeks and took several deep breaths before he could calm himself.
Just then, he suddenly felt the Soul Power inside him surge.
His Soul Power, which had been stuck at level twelve, began rising rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it broke through level thirteen and kept climbing, soon reaching the threshold of level fourteen!
"Master! Elder Yi! What's going on?!"
Huo Yuhao was both shocked and delighted. He hurriedly asked them in his sea of consciousness.
"How did my Soul Power suddenly go up two levels?!"
Zhao Ze leaned back on the soft couch and said with a smile:
"You silly boy, this is a good thing.
"You must have absorbed more of the Source of Life I gave you,
"and on top of that, the medicinal bath made from that Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Herb not only cleared your meridians, but nourished your foundation again. Naturally, your Soul Power rose."
Electrolux stroked his beard and nodded, adding:
"The Ultimate Fire in that young lady also stimulated your body in a beneficial way.
"The Ultimate Fire resonated with your Source of Life, awakening the life force hidden within you. All three effects worked at once, which is why you broke through two levels in one go."
"So that's it!"
Huo Yuhao finally understood, a delighted smile spreading across his face.
He had only meant to help Ma Xiaotao cure her Evil Fire. He hadn't expected such an unexpected bonus.
Not only had he earned a huge pile of Gold Soul Coins, but his Soul Power had also risen two levels in a row. It was a spectacular bargain!
He touched the heavy money sack in his arms and felt the surging Soul Power within him, his heart brimming with determination.
His journey to strength had only just begun.
He would work even harder and become a true powerhouse as soon as possible, so he could avenge his mother and live up to the hopes his master and Elder Yi had placed in him.
Huo Yuhao burst into the classroom, panting, just as class break began.
The noisy classroom fell silent for an instant, then erupted into even louder chatter. All his classmates crowded around him at once, bombarding him with questions.
"Yuhao! You're finally back! What exactly did Senior Sister Ma want with you?"
"Yeah, yeah! Teacher Zhou said you were helping her cultivate. How did you help?"
"Hehehe, Senior Sister Ma looked at you differently. Is she into you?!"
"I smell gossip! Come on, spill!"
His classmates squeezed around his seat, their eyes shining with excitement and their faces alight with gossip.
There was no helping it. This was huge news!
It was Ma Xiaotao, after all!
A genius from the inner court! A student of Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department!
Surrounded on all sides, Huo Yuhao could only wave his hands repeatedly and laugh it off.
"It's not what you're thinking! I really just helped Senior Sister with a small problem in her cultivation. That's all!"
He finally squeezed his way out of the crowd and escaped back to his seat.
Huo Yuhao had just breathed a sigh of relief when Cao Jinxuan hurriedly leaned over and nudged him with an elbow, raising his brows as he whispered:
"Yuhao, where were you last night? You didn't come back to the dorm all night! Was it something to do with Senior Sister Ma?"
Huo Yuhao froze. Only then did he remember that he had gotten so absorbed in studying Soul Tools the night before that he'd slept in the workshop. No wonder Cao Jinxuan had jumped to conclusions.
He quickly shook his head and explained:
"Don't get the wrong idea! Last night, I was studying Soul Tools in the Soul Guidance Department's workshop. It got too late, so I slept there.
"Senior Sister Ma only came to me because she needed my Life Crystals to suppress her Evil Fire."
"Oh, so that's what happened."
Cao Jinxuan nodded in understanding, then sighed.
"I thought you and Senior Sister had some secret you couldn't tell anyone about. Got my hopes up for nothing."
At his words, the scene in the secret chamber flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind. His cheeks instantly turned bright red again.
He hurriedly lowered his head and pretended to straighten his textbooks.
Wang Dong'er, sitting diagonally in front of him, saw it all.
From the moment Huo Yuhao entered the classroom, Wang Dong'er hadn't taken her eyes off him.
She had pricked up her ears and heard every word of their conversation. Now, seeing Huo Yuhao blush like that when he mentioned Life Crystals, her inner alarm bells began ringing.
Something was wrong!
Definitely wrong!
If it was just a simple transaction for Life Crystals, why would he blush like that?
Wang Dong'er narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of scrutiny and suspicion flickering in her powder-blue gaze.
She bit her lip, growing more and more convinced that there was more to this than met the eye. There had to be something she didn't know.
But before she could figure it out, another thought popped into her head, making her even more agitated.
Speaking of Life Crystals...
Almost everyone in the class had now eaten Huo Yuhao's Life Crystals. Their cultivation speed would surely soar, and before long, they might even outpace her.
Wang Dong'er clenched the pen in her hand until her knuckles turned white.
She was the young lady of the Clear Sky Sect. How could she let anyone leave her behind?
Especially Huo Yuhao, who was only a One-Ring Soul Master at level twelve!
But... the thought of eating Life Crystals made her feel sick. She wouldn't do it even if she were beaten to death.
Just as Wang Dong'er was fretting, a gentle voice suddenly sounded in her ear:
"Want to speed up your cultivation? I have a way..."
Before you continue