Under the influence of alcohol, her body and mind completely relaxed.
Her aura suddenly rose, and the Soul Power within her naturally advanced by one level.
Feeling the change within herself, Zhang Lexuan realized that she had been under too much mental strain lately.
It was this picnic with Bei Bei that had eased her taut nerves.
She couldn't help looking toward the small figure busily working in front of her. The corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously, and she understood Bei Bei's thoughtful intentions.
At the thought, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help feeling a little chagrined. She was supposed to be the one taking care of Bei Bei, yet somehow Bei Bei had ended up taking care of her.
Watching Bei Bei's sunny, carefree smile, Zhang Lexuan felt a little warmth stir in her heart.
Just then, a cheerful voice interrupted this tender moment.
"Wow! There really is someone barbecuing here. I knew I smelled something delicious!"
A flash of fiery red hurried over, dashing up to them in a whirl of motion. She greeted Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan, "Are you senior students from the Inner Court? My name is Ma Xiaotao!"
Hearing that name, Bei Bei couldn't help turning to look at her.
The girl looked about ten years old. She wore a red dress and seemed both lively and fiery. Her long red hair was like a blaze, and her delicate face was framed by a pair of mischievous, pale-pink eyes.
"My name is Zhang Lexuan. You must be the new disciple Dean Yan took in, right? But I don't think I've ever seen you around before," Zhang Lexuan said softly.
"My Martial Soul has some flaws, so my teacher kept a close eye on me. It's been much more stable lately, so he finally let me out," Ma Xiaotao replied with a sweet smile.
Although she looked rather young, it was easy to tell that she would grow up to be a beauty.
Bei Bei walked over and introduced himself. "My name is Bei Bei."
"You're so little. Are you an Inner Court student too?" Ma Xiaotao asked, puzzled. Bei Bei looked even shorter than she was.
"No, I just live here, like you," Bei Bei said with a smile. The Ma Xiaotao before him was still innocent and naïve, nothing like the Flame Maniac she would become in the future.
Ma Xiaotao gave a slight nod, her red hair swaying gently. She assumed Bei Bei, like her, was a disciple of one of the Sea God Pavilion elders or a dean.
She was about to say something else when her stomach suddenly rumbled. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked a little embarrassed.
"We're having a picnic. Come join us!" Bei Bei turned slightly and invited her.
"Sure! You look a few years younger than me, so you can call me Xiaotao-jie." Ma Xiaotao had been drawn here by the delicious smell in the first place. Her eyes were full of anticipation, and her earlier embarrassment had long since flown out the window.
"Try this grilled meat. It's one of a kind!" Bei Bei handed her a skewer of meat, crisp on the outside and tender within.
Ma Xiaotao didn't stand on ceremony. She took it and bit into it, her pale-pink eyes lighting up at once. "It's so good! This is the best grilled meat I've ever had," she mumbled through her mouthful.
The three of them gathered around and grilled all kinds of food, filling the air with delicious aromas.
Ma Xiaotao was naturally lively and warmhearted, and she soon became close with Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan.
Seeing how deftly Bei Bei grilled the skewers, she couldn't help wanting to try it herself. In the end, the meat was either undercooked or burned to charcoal.
"How can this be? It looks so easy," Ma Xiaotao said, unconvinced.
"You can use Soul Power to control the heat..." Bei Bei had barely said the words before he regretted them.
Holding several skewers, Ma Xiaotao poured her Soul Power into them. In an instant, dark-red flames erupted from her like water gushing from a spring, reducing the skewers in her hands to ash.
Zhang Lexuan quickly stepped in and extinguished the flames Ma Xiaotao had released. Otherwise, the entire area would have been engulfed in fire.
"That flame is incredibly powerful, close to Ultimate Fire. With talent like yours, no wonder Dean Yan took you as his disciple." Zhang Lexuan was surprised. Ma Xiaotao was only ten, yet her Soul Power cultivation was already above level twenty. She wasn't far from becoming a level-thirty Soul Elder.
"Um, I'm sorry. I couldn't control it just now." Soot had smeared Ma Xiaotao's fair face, making her look just like a little cat.
She realized she had caused trouble. Clutching the hem of her skirt, she worried they would come to hate her.
Ever since her Martial Soul had awakened, her flames had lost control from time to time. Sometimes they affected her judgment, leaving her with nothing but a furious urge to destroy.
That was why she had never had any friends. She was afraid that if she lost control by accident, she might hurt them.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Ma Xiaotao murmured, her emotions unsteady. Her pale-pink eyes gradually turned scarlet, and she seemed on the verge of going berserk.
Zhang Lexuan was just about to step in again, but Bei Bei moved first. He laid a hand on Ma Xiaotao's shoulder, his body radiating pure Light energy as it continuously cleansed her rampaging Evil Fire.
Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul had been inherited from Ma Hongjun, who had lived ten thousand years ago. The quality of her Phoenix Flame had reached the level of Ultimate Fire, but her innate Evil Fire had made the flames impure, keeping them from unleashing their full power.
It was too much for Bei Bei to cleanse her Evil Fire. Before long, he had used up most of his Soul Power.
Fortunately, Ma Xiaotao had only lost control because of her emotional turmoil. Under the influence of the Light energy, she soon calmed down, and her Evil Fire was suppressed.
Bei Bei panted slightly. The Light Attribute of his Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul was only close to Ultimate Light.
To completely cleanse the source of the Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao, he would have to reach at least the level of Ultimate Light. Only if his Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul advanced further and evolved into the Radiant Dragon King could he do it.
Ma Xiaotao felt even more dejected. She could already imagine them treating her like a monster and keeping their distance.
Her lips twisted into a bitter smile, though a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes, making her expression especially complicated.
"Your flames are powerful, but you still need to learn how to control them. I can teach you some ways to control your Soul Power and flames. If you can fuse them with your spiritual power, you'll be able to use them better," Bei Bei said earnestly.
"It would be best to practice under my supervision, in case you lose control," Zhang Lexuan added.
Ma Xiaotao was surprised. They weren't afraid of her, and they didn't hate her!
Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up, pale pink gleaming with hope. Hesitantly, she asked, "You're willing to be my friends? You're not afraid of me? You don't hate me?"
"Of course not. You're so pretty—how could we hate you?" Bei Bei smiled warmly, the corners of his mouth lifting. "If the problem lies with your Martial Soul, then we'll find a way to improve it and control it. We'll always stay by your side. We'll always be your friends."