Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan

"Siyuan, can we really eat here?"

Ji Siyuan picked up the food and started eating immediately: "Why not? This is a benefit provided to us. We should enjoy it while we can."

After obtaining his special status, Ji Siyuan had brought Huo Yuhao here to enjoy the food.

He was making up for all the losses he had suffered over the past few days right here and now.

If nothing else, the disparity in Ji Siyuan's diet had been far too great.

From the food of the God of Cookery to ordinary rations, he needed to find something better.

The food in the core area was much better than that in the ordinary zones.

Century-old Earth Dragon Tendon, Moonlight Rice—in short, everything was top-tier.

Both of them could feel the increase in power brought about by the digestion within their bodies.

Accumulated over time, the effects were far superior to normal food.

Huo Yuhao patted his stomach: "So satisfying. There's just enough time left to go meditate and cultivate."

"Forget it, cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation." Ji Siyuan decided to properly unwind and eat his supplements in the evening.

He was certain he could melt the solidified Whale Rubber.

The two strolled beside Sea God Lake; compared to the abstract statues of the Seven Monsters, Ji Siyuan preferred the lake itself.

At the very least, the Tang San currently residing within him liked the name very much.

Tang San: "Those statues over there... looking at them just irritates me. Siyuan, stay away from that side in the future."

"Oh my, Uncle, that won't do. Those are your own statues; you should appreciate them properly."

"Hmph, you want me to appreciate a memorial to that disgusting thing? If it were really up to me, I'd have changed them to kneeling poses."

It wasn't just Tang San who felt disgust; he felt it too.

Compared to the statues, he still found the natural scenery much more comfortable.

The blue lake rippled.

Huo Yuhao pointed at the rows of houses in the distance: "Siyuan, do you think those are the inner courtyard? Siyuan?"

"I suppose so."

"I heard the inner courtyard is full of outstanding seniors. Do you think we... do you think I could get into the inner courtyard? Even Senior Brother Bei Bei isn't an inner courtyard student."

Ji Siyuan didn't know how to answer, thinking to himself: Others don't know your upper limit, but how could I not?

Just as he was thinking about how to respond to Huo Yuhao, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes made a new discovery: "Eh? There's a ball of fire rushing over here."

Fire? How could a ball of fire be rushing over from that direction?

It couldn't be Ma Xiaotao, could it?

Did their luck have to be this bad?

No, this wasn't luck; it was coming for Huo Yuhao, drawn by his destiny.

"Run!"

The streak of flame grew visibly larger.

Even the air above the lake surface was fluctuating.

Ma Xiaotao was extremely fast; there wasn't enough time for the two of them to escape.

Huo Yuhao wanted to use his second martial soul.

As the martial soul activated, nine lotus seeds formed a barrier of flames.

Ma Xiaotao, bathed in fire, slammed violently into the flame barrier.

"Fire Demon Vortex!"

The ultimate flames swirled toward Ma Xiaotao, only to be torn apart by her in a single second.

Just as he was unable to hold her back, a beam of moonlight descended, blocking Ma Xiaotao.

She had long, waterfall-like black hair and watched as the ultimate flames burned upon Ma Xiaotao's body.

Her spirit ring configuration was the standard two yellow, two purple, and three black, but the final ring was a blood-red hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.

Tang San: "Good talent. Can be cultivated."

Ji Siyuan: You scared me to death. I thought you were going to say something like 'you can take her in'.

"How could that be? Am I the type of person to goad you into such things?"

"Sometimes you are, sometimes you aren't. Sometimes you just give me direct orders."

Tang San sounded a bit dissatisfied: "You're already dragging your feet with one daughter of destiny who has feelings for you; if I added two more, wouldn't you be worked to death?"

"Uncle, haven't I already been cultivating our relationship? Stop giving me tasks—wait, two more?"

"These two have decent talent, though both have some issues."

Ji Siyuan: "You call these 'some issues'? These are major problems. They've both gone into cultivation deviation and can't control their own martial souls; that's a total failure."

"What about the other one?"

"If I'm not mistaken, she seems to be someone else's fiancée. At least, that's what was written in the books I've read."

"Then let's not take either of them. Just aim for a one-plus-three setup. You've got four locked in now; who knows, you might find a few more yourself later on."

Moonlight descended in streams upon Ma Xiaotao, serving purely as a suppression.

The beauty stepped down through the moonlight: "Are you two students hurt?"

Ji Siyuan was chatting with Tang San, while Huo Yuhao was observing Ji Siyuan.

"I am Zhang Lexuan, a student of the Inner Court. Could you please keep today's events a secret? The Academy will compensate you."

The two still didn't respond, but Huo Yuhao was poking him vigorously.

He shook his head, ending his conversation with Tang San.

"Senior, may I ask, what will the compensation be?"

No emotion, purely discussing interests.

Since they were almost hurt, shouldn't they demand proper compensation?

Zhang Lexuan smiled: "And what compensation would you two juniors like? I can propose it to the Academy."

"The Academy keeping Evil Soul Masters in captivity is a major issue. For something like this, we'll need some decent compensation." Ji Siyuan decided to escalate the matter to secure more benefits.

"Hmm, Junior Ji Siyuan, right? Your phrasing is incorrect. This senior of yours is not an Evil Soul Master. She simply has an issue with her Martial Soul, and the Academy is still looking for ways to handle it."

Huo Yuhao immediately widened her eyes. How did she know Ji Siyuan?

Before the compensation could be settled, Ma Xiaotao, suppressed by the moonlight, began to wake.

She was awake, but not conscious; her mind remained clouded.

A shrill cry erupted, not like a scream of pain, but an outlet for raw emotion.

The scorching flames on her body caused her some pain—they were not her own fire, but Ji Siyuan's.

She locked onto Ji Siyuan with precision; that fire was not just pain, but a delicacy. She lunged forward, craving the pure flames, only to be suppressed by the moonlight once more.

Ma Xiaotao was no match for Zhang Lexuan.

The crescent moon grew fuller, and the lunar radiance fell like flowing water, trapping Ma Xiaotao firmly.

"Junior Ji Siyuan, could you please withdraw your Ultimate Fire first? If I take action, it will be very easy to hurt this senior."

"That account will have to be settled separately."

"How about I treat you both to a meal?"

Huo Yuhao immediately jumped out: "No. We cannot go for a meal."

Tang San: "Tsk, I told you, you should have just struck. You see it now, don't you?"

Ji Siyuan ignored Tang San's commentary: "It seems my roommate doesn't think that's good enough. Senior, can you procure a Soul Ascension Pill?"

Zhang Lexuan frowned: "Are you going to use it?"

It was said to raise cultivation without a price, but that was only because there was no research proving there was one.

She did not want Ji Siyuan to use it.

Ji Siyuan pointed a finger at Huo Yuhao.

She understood immediately: "Very well."

The raging fire was withdrawn, and Ma Xiaotao fell into a coma.

Several figures dressed in white flew toward them from the direction the fire had come from.

Zhang Lexuan smiled: "It seems it is time to part ways. Someone from the Academy will find you regarding your compensation, along with the reward for just now."

The group took Ma Xiaotao away, and Zhang Lexuan departed with them.

A collision that ended without danger.

Huo Yuhao suddenly stared at him with wide eyes: "Tell me, how do you know such a beautiful senior?"

"Huh? When did I ever know her?"

"She clearly knew your name."

"Wake up. Didn't you see that the senior is already at the Soul Douluo level? How could we know each other?" Ji Siyuan tapped her on the head: "Focus on your cultivation. Next time we encounter that crazed senior, we won't have to wait for others to save us."