Ma Xiaotao

Jiang Che walked out of the Sea God Pavilion, and the sky had completely darkened.

The lights on Sea God Island were sparse, with only a few soul guide streetlights emitting a soft glow, illuminating the bluestone path dimly.

"Little Martial Uncle, what are you thinking about?"

A clear, cold, yet familiar female voice came from behind, calling out to Jiang Che.

Jiang Che turned around and saw a girl of eighteen or nineteen standing not far behind him under a willow tree, arms crossed, leaning against the trunk, her fiery red hair fluttering slightly in the evening breeze.

Hearing Ma Xiaotao's question, Jiang Che smiled and teased, "I was wondering why Little Tao, whom I haven't seen in a month, hasn't come to find me after I came out of seclusion!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's ear tips turned slightly red. She smoothed her red hair, which had been messed up by the wind, and shot Jiang Che a glare. "Who told you to go into seclusion for so long? You didn't even tell me when you came out. I only found out you were out of seclusion from Bei Bei just now."

"Haha, it's my fault. Too many things to deal with right after coming out of seclusion," Jiang Che said sheepishly.

"Hmph!" Ma Xiaotao snorted coquettishly and walked over to Jiang Che's side.

Jiang Che and Ma Xiaotao walked slowly along the path until they reached the edge of Sea God Lake.

Looking at the familiar scenery before him, Jiang Che suddenly asked Ma Xiaotao beside him, "Tao, do you still remember the first time we met?"

"Of course, I remember. It was here too. The Evil Fire in my body flared up for the first time, and I came here wanting to calm myself down, and then I met you." Ma Xiaotao didn't know what her Little Martial Uncle was up to, but she still answered his question.

"Yeah, I remember you had just joined the Inner Courtyard then and didn't know me, but you wanted to beat me up the first time we met!"

"Aiya, why are you bringing this up again!" Ma Xiaotao punched Jiang Che's shoulder. "I've told you a hundred times that I wasn't in my right mind back then."

After saying that, she punched Jiang Che a few more times, asking with each punch, "Are you going to say it again next time?"

"Haha, I won't say it, I won't say it, spare me!" Seeing the flustered Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Che laughed heartily.

At the same time, his thoughts drifted back to the scene of his first meeting with Ma Xiaotao.

Back then, Jiang Che had also just come out of seclusion, wanting to relax by Sea God Lake and calm his restless heart after breaking through to Soul Saint.

Suddenly, he felt a scorching hot soul power fluctuation rushing towards him.

With a "plop," Ma Xiaotao, using her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, flew over and then jumped into the lake.

The teenage girl's figure was graceful in the water, but her face was filled with pain and struggle. The flames around her were not the usual warm red, but a chilling, dark evil fire that did not extinguish even in the water.

She gritted her teeth tightly, her originally clear eyes covered with bloodshot veins, her hands flailing in the air as if trying to grasp something to dispel the burning heat in her heart.

Jiang Che saw clearly that it was a sign of her martial soul's Evil Fire completely losing control. If she were allowed to thrash about on the lake like this, within three quarters of an hour, the excruciating pain of the Evil Fire's backlash would burn her meridians, and she might even go mad.

"Ah!" Ma Xiaotao cried out in pain, finally losing control of her reason. Seeing Jiang Che on the shore, she lunged at him.

That punch carried the violent power of the Ultimate Ice. If it had hit an ordinary person, it would have instantly burned their bones and muscles. Even a soul master of the same level would have to avoid its edge.

But Jiang Che was already a Soul Saint at that time, and he possessed the Ultimate Ice martial soul. Facing this violent punch, he calmly raised his hand, a wisp of gentle yet extremely cold soul power emanating from his fingertips, and lightly pressed it against Ma Xiaotao's fist.

The cold energy of the Ultimate Ice instantly spread, precisely suppressing the violent fire on her fist, and following her meridians, it gradually soothed the rampant Evil Fire within her body.

Ma Xiaotao, who had been frenzied and out of control, felt a refreshing coolness envelop her. The burning pain all over her body suddenly lessened, her chaotic soul power gradually stabilized, and her bloodshot eyes slowly regained some clarity. Finally, she slumped softly into Jiang Che's arms and fainted.

"Little Junior Brother, what's going on?" Just as Ma Xiaotao fainted, Yan Shaozhe also rushed over.

After understanding the cause and effect, Yan Shaozhe's gaze towards Jiang Che changed. Under Yan Shaozhe's strong insistence, Jiang Che became Ma Xiaotao's exclusive "fire extinguisher."

Every so often, the Evil Fire in Ma Xiaotao's body would flare up, causing mild discomfort and heat, or severe loss of control and destructive rampages. Each time, Jiang Che had to use his Ultimate Ice to suppress it.

Over time, the relationship between the two grew closer.

Ma Xiaotao became like a clingy younger sister, following Jiang Che around all day.

When Jiang Che was cultivating, she would sit quietly and watch. When Jiang Che went out of the island on missions, she would pester him to go along. When Jiang Che was in seclusion, she would go to the door of the seclusion chamber every day and wait for days.

Yan Shaozhe once teased Ma Xiaotao, "Tao, you've never been this attentive to your master."

Ma Xiaotao blushed and glared at him, "Master, what nonsense are you talking about! I... I'm doing this to suppress the Evil Fire! If something happens to Jiang Che, who will put out my fire?"

Yan Shaozhe smiled without speaking, his eyes clearly saying: Who are you trying to fool?

Later, Ma Xiaotao grew up and became more and more beautiful. Her fiery red hair was like burning flames, coupled with her proud phoenix eyes, she was the center of attention wherever she went.

Her attitude towards Jiang Che also quietly changed.

Before, it was overt clinginess; later, it became insincere concern.

She would say, "Who cares about you!" but her body would honestly move closer to Jiang Che.

Every time Jiang Che came out of seclusion, she was always the first one at the door, pretending to pass by casually, but in reality, she had been waiting for days.

Jiang Che could feel Ma Xiaotao's feelings. After all, he wasn't a saint, nor was he some imperial eunuch.

He also had his own emotions. Being liked by a beautiful woman like Ma Xiaotao naturally made him happy.

But the Jiang Che of the past lacked security, so he had to cultivate desperately. After all, he didn't have Huo Yuhao's cheat or a system's golden finger. Jiang Che knew that when the great war began later, even Super Douluo would not be able to stay out of it.

At the same time, he was worried about being caught by the supreme god, the Harmonious Great God. (Ma Xiaotao was only 19 at this time!!! If it were two years earlier, I wouldn't need to say more.)

But now it was different. Not only had he broken through to Titled Douluo, but the system had also arrived as expected. Jiang Che believed that he would soon reach the pinnacle of the continent.

Now, Jiang Che was qualified to rest.