Star Dou's Great Change (Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

Xu Yanli fanned himself rhythmically as he went to find Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao was currently keeping his head down, busy selling his grilled fish. When he saw Xu Yanli approaching, he instantly grew timid, not daring to look up at him.

Xu Yanli tapped Huo Yuhao's forehead lightly with his fan. "Look at me. What is there to be inferior about?"

"I think I've caused trouble for you..." Huo Yuhao lowered his head, his voice sounding rather distressed.

"Heh, I certainly don't like people who cause trouble," Xu Yanli said with a faint smile.

Huo Yuhao lowered his head even further.

Xu Yanli chuckled softly: "Huo Yuhao, what you just did wasn't causing trouble; it was self-defense. I want my people to avoid trouble, but I also want them not to fear it. Raise your head, puff out your chest, and be more confident."

Huo Yuhao raised his head, looking somewhat fearful, but one could see his eyes were sparkling.

"Teacher, thank you," Huo Yuhao said gratefully.

Xu Yanli tilted his chin upward, then pointed his fan at the grilled fish stand and said: "Pack up your things and return to Xiaoyao Pavilion. If something happens next time, you must call me as soon as possible, do you understand? But remember, you must always act with integrity and stand tall."

Xu Yanli watched from the side as Huo Yuhao packed his things, then took him along to Xiaoyao Pavilion.

Xiaoyao Pavilion, Main Hall.

"Send this to the branch in the Heaven Dou Empire. Let's see how the Xuanming Sect chooses," Xu Yanli said calmly.

The hall master of the Shrek Academy Xiaoyao Pavilion bowed respectfully, his face filled with an indescribable fanaticism.

Xu Yanli supported his head, his face full of helplessness. He didn't know why this group was so fanatical about him; surely it couldn't be the influence of his martial soul.

After giving his orders, Xu Yanli turned and headed back to Shrek Academy. He walked along the shore of Sea God Lake, gazing at the Golden Ancient Tree.

In a sense, this Golden Ancient Tree could be considered the life core of the world, though he didn't know why it was so loyal to Shrek Academy.

Was it forced, or was it willing?

However, as an inheritor, he might be able to control the Golden Ancient Tree in some sense, and perhaps even persuade it to return to its rightful master.

Xu Yanli's eyes grew distant, his thoughts wandering to who knows where.

Regardless, if he couldn't have it, he would have to destroy it. If the Golden Ancient Tree refused to submit, it was better to destroy it than to let it remain.

At that moment, a low dragon roar echoed from deep within the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The relatively low-level birds in the surrounding core area scattered in flight.

Meanwhile, the fierce beasts cultivating in other areas began to kowtow repeatedly toward the core region, and even the Three-Eyed Golden Lion abandoned its hunt and immediately turned back to rush toward the core.

Xu Yanli seemed to sense something and looked in that direction, only to see a streak of blinding red flying toward him.

At the same time, he felt a frantic and corrupted aura.

Damn it...

Could that be that Ma Xiaotao creature?

Xu Yanli rubbed his forehead. Forget it. He instantly released his martial soul.

At the same time, he subconsciously tucked away his Angel wings to prevent others from discovering them.

"Second Soul Skill: Apocalypse: Holy Wing Guard."

A divine barrier manifested almost instantly. Six layers of pale golden Sun and Moon Holy Wing phantoms overlapped in mid-air, soft yet carrying an inviolable pressure.

The moment that frantic, fanatical, and corrupted aura struck the barrier, it hissed like a scorching fire meeting the sun, emitting a harsh, piercing sound before being forcibly repelled.

Ma Xiaotao was jolted by the rebounding force, killing intent surging in her scarlet eyes.

Yet, her body felt as if it were locked by an invisible force. The more she struggled, the tighter the divine energy radiating from the barrier coiled around her, the energy specifically designed to counter evil souls and corrupted auras constantly scouring her out-of-control spirit.

Xu Yanli lifted his fingertip slightly, and a thread of highly condensed Sun and Moon soul power silently probed into Ma Xiaotao's body, precisely suppressing her rampaging emotions and that dark, restless energy.

In an instant, the scarlet in Ma Xiaotao's eyes faded bit by bit. The frantic roar stuck in her throat as her gaze gradually regained clarity.

However, the moment she regained consciousness, her strength seemed to be drained away, and she collapsed forward limply.

Xu Yanli reached out to steady her, and only after confirming she had fallen into a deep sleep with no signs of further rampaging did he breathe a small sigh of relief.

Xu Yanli suddenly sensed a powerful aura approaching. He knew it was Yan Shaozhe.

In the next second, he pinched his thigh hard, his face turning pale from the pain.

Xu Yanli controlled his soul power to instantly retract into his dantian, deliberately staggered his steps, and then slumped to the ground, his chest heaving violently.

He looked as if he had completely exhausted himself after forcibly unleashing a powerful soul skill, with not even enough strength left to lift his hand.

Xu Yanli lay slowly on the ground, closed his eyes, and submerged his consciousness into his sea of spirit.

Xu Yanli touched the small gray golden orb.

Suddenly, a faint consciousness was transmitted: "Thank you. I should recover in about a week. We can talk in detail then."

He heard voices outside; it was Yan Shaozhe and a man called Elder Li.

"It's this kid Xu Yanli. Thank goodness, it seems his martial soul has a certain suppressive effect on Xiaotao's," Yan Shaozhe said after checking Ma Xiaotao's physical state.

"The child is fine, too; he has simply exhausted his soul power," Elder Li said, releasing his Tree of Life martial soul to slowly heal him.

"Take him with us to Sea God Island," Yan Shaozhe said after a moment of hesitation.

After speaking, the connected consciousness vanished in an instant, and Xu Yanli felt his body seemingly enveloped by the power of light, followed by a surge of rich life force rushing toward him.

It appeared he had been brought to Sea God Island.

Xu Yanli remained motionless, though he slowly extended a sliver of his spiritual power to sense the situation around him.

"Xiaotao, didn't I tell you? I told you to slow down your cultivation for two days; I have already found a way to suppress your condition. It's this boy—do you have any idea that today you almost..." Yan Shaozhe's voice was filled with both anger and helplessness.

"But Teacher, look, isn't he fine? We can just give him some extra compensation later," Ma Xiaotao said with an indifferent expression.

"You!!!" Yan Shaozhe looked at her, and though he was furious, he ultimately said nothing more.

At this moment, in the core of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"BOOM..." The earth instantly cracked open, and a tremor seemed to ripple through the entire great forest; the water of the Lake of Life poured backward into the fissure, exposing the lakebed in an instant.

A massive silver claw slowly reached out from the rift in the ground.

Meanwhile, the other fierce beasts knelt on the ground with unusual reverence, "Welcome, Lord."

At this time, the soul masters who were preparing to hunt soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest fled in terror toward the outer perimeter of the forest.