Ma Xiaotao's Cultivation Invitation

"Oh, okay."

Huo Yuhao nodded subconsciously.

The sight of the two of them standing at the doorway was perfectly clear to the students inside the classroom.

In an instant, a wave of clamor erupted in the room.

"It's Senior Sister Ma from the Inner Court! She's come to find Huo Yuhao again!"

"Oh~, could it be that Huo Yuhao has already started dating Senior Sister Ma?"

"I'm so jealous!"

Listening to the students' jeers, Huo Yuhao's face turned red instantly, and he hurriedly said to Ma Xiaotao, who had leaned in close:

"Senior Sister, don't be like this, the classmates are all watching."

"What are you afraid of?"

Ma Xiaotao smiled indifferently, pulling even closer to Huo Yuhao instead.

"Let them look if they want to. Let's go, let's go, cultivation is what matters."

Having said that, she pulled Huo Yuhao along without giving him a choice, heading toward the direction of Sea God Lake.

Watching their backs as they walked away side by side, Wang Dong'er knitted her delicate brows together involuntarily, a flicker of inexplicable irritation flashing through her powder-blue eyes.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, with only one thought in her mind:

In this assessment, she must personally defeat Huo Yuhao!

"Dong'er, who are you competing with? Your fists are clenched so tight."

A dainty voice rang out by her ear. Xiao Xiao, arms crossed, leaned in beside her, blinking her large eyes and looking at her with a face full of curiosity.

Wang Dong'er snapped back to reality, a flash of panic crossing her face before she stiffened it again.

"I'm not competing with anyone.

I'm just thinking that for the assessment in three days, I must bring out my full strength to let certain people know who is the strongest among the freshmen."

"Certain people? You mean Huo Yuhao, right?"

Xiao Xiao covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, deliberately drawing out her tone.

"I could tell you weren't happy the moment Senior Sister Ma dragged him away earlier.

I never realized it, Dong'er, you care about him that much?

Could it be... that you like him?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Wang Dong'er's cheeks flushed a deep red instantly, her tone hurried and embarrassed.

"How could I possibly like that guy!

I just can't stand his 'I don't care about anything' attitude, and I especially don't want to lose to someone who was only at level twelve three months ago!"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, her voice rising a few notches involuntarily, causing several students who hadn't left yet to glance over.

Wang Dong'er's face turned even redder, and she hurriedly pulled Xiao Xiao out of the classroom:

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about him! The assessment is about to start, let's hurry and go practice our coordination."

Ma Xiaotao led Huo Yuhao the whole way, her steps light and familiar. She bypassed the teachers and students coming and going around Sea God Lake and walked straight to the door of the secluded, private cultivation chamber deep by the lakeshore.

The heavy stone door pushed open slowly, and a familiar warmth, accompanied by a faint medicinal fragrance, rushed toward them. The enclosed space cut off the noise of the outside world.

As soon as he stepped into the chamber, Huo Yuhao's cheeks flushed a few shades deeper.

The scenes from the last time they were here flooded into his mind uncontrollably. He subconsciously turned his face away, not daring to look into Ma Xiaotao's eyes, and scratched his head as he asked in a low voice:

"Senior Sister Xiaotao, do you need Life Crystals? If you do, I can give you some now; you don't have to come all the way here."

Ma Xiaotao also remembered that previous occasion, and the tips of her ears turned pink instantly. She gave a light cough to hide her embarrassment, closed the stone door behind her, and shook her head, saying:

"I didn't come to ask you for Life Crystals this time.

When I consumed your crystals last time, I always felt a very pure chill lingering in my body. Is there ice-attribute power hidden within your Life Crystals?"

She paused, explaining earnestly:

"After awakening my Ultimate Fire, I specifically went to ask Dean Yan.

He said this chill is a good thing; water and fire share the same origin, and it can be used to trigger my Ultimate Fire, allowing the purity and power of my flames to reach a higher level.

So... I want to cultivate with you and use the ice-attribute power within your body to hone my martial soul."

Huo Yuhao was stunned upon hearing this and hurriedly asked in his Sea of Consciousness:

"Master, is there ice-attribute power in my Life Crystals? How come I've never felt it?"

Zhao Ze laughed and said:

"Besides, the Source of Life I gave you back then contained the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow from the Extreme North, so it naturally carries a pure ice attribute."

Furthermore, the interaction of water and fire can indeed mutually reinforce one another.

Her Ultimate Fire can stimulate the complete awakening of the ice attribute within your body, and in turn, your icy power can make her Ultimate Fire even more refined; it is a win-win situation.

Electrolux also nodded and added:

That is correct. Fire and ice are fundamentally powers of the same origin, merely manifesting in different forms.

This old man believes that if the two of you cultivate together, you will certainly be able to rapidly increase your soul power.

Upon hearing their words, Huo Yuhao suddenly realized the truth.

He raised his head, looked at the expectant Ma Xiaotao, and nodded with a smile:

So that is how it is, Senior Sister. No problem, let us begin our cultivation now.

That is wonderful!

Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her face.

Cultivating with an Ultimate Martial Soul is naturally slow, but with Huo Yuhao's help, it would surely be faster!

Huo Yuhao looked at Ma Xiaotao, whose eyes were filled with excitement and whose entire being radiated joy, tilted his head slightly, and asked in a puzzled, soft voice:

Senior Sister Xiaotao, what should we do then?

This question instantly caused Ma Xiaotao to freeze in place, her pretty face flushing a deep crimson as she fell into utter embarrassment.

Her mind had been entirely focused on cultivation, and upon learning the method, she had hurriedly dragged Huo Yuhao to the secret chamber.

Yan Shaozhe had only mentioned that water and fire shared the same origin and could stimulate each other, but he had not explained the specific cultivation techniques at all; she had not even considered how to circulate her soul power or how to coordinate their cultivation.

Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips, her gaze drifting as she looked away in embarrassment, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes as she stammered softly:

I... I am not entirely sure either. Dean Yan only told me to come find you, saying that your ice attribute could perfectly suppress the volatility of my flames...

The usual dashing and decisive demeanor of the Inner Court genius was nowhere to be seen, leaving only the awkwardness of a young girl.

Just as the two fell into silence, unsure of how to proceed, Zhao Ze's calm and steady voice was precisely transmitted into Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness:

Do not panic. Press your palms together, align them, and steadily circulate your respective soul power, guiding it to flow between your palms.

As for the remaining harmonization of soul power and the balancing of attributes, Electrolux and I will regulate everything. You two only need to focus on circulating your cultivation, and there will be no issues whatsoever.

Huo Yuhao understood immediately upon hearing this and gently repeated Zhao Ze's words to Ma Xiaotao.

Ma Xiaotao felt a sense of relief and nodded quickly, the embarrassment in her eyes fading as a serious glow reignited.

The two sat cross-legged facing each other, their postures upright.

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and slowly raised his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly as they gently pressed against Ma Xiaotao's palms.

In an instant, a sensation of both icy cold and scorching heat surged from their palms. Huo Yuhao's cheeks flushed a deep red, his earlobes instantly turning crimson, and he subconsciously wanted to pull his hands back.

Ma Xiaotao also trembled slightly, her heart rate accelerating suddenly, thumping like a trapped rabbit. She quickly closed her eyes, barely managing to steady her mind.