Inner Court, Ma Xiaotao's dormitory.
The moment Long Yaochen pushed the door open, a blazing gust slammed straight toward him.
He shifted his feet slightly and dodged it with practiced ease.
The next instant, Ma Xiaotao's somewhat angry voice rang out.
"Who are you? Sneaking into my girls' dorm in the middle of the night?"
"Food delivery." Long Yaochen looked at the red-haired girl before him, her arms crossed and gaze hostile, then casually shut the door.
"You finally remembered to come see me?"
"Here I am, aren't I?"
"Who knows how many girls you went looking for before coming to me." Ma Xiaotao sneered, her gaze growing increasingly dangerous.
Long Yaochen raised a brow. "You even know that?"
"Quit changing the subject." Ma Xiaotao walked up to him and grabbed his cheek, speaking fiercely. "Your eyes looked like that on the Soul Fighting Platform that day. Did you really think I couldn't tell?"
With his cheek pinched, Long Yaochen mumbled, "Just a small problem."
"A small problem?" Ma Xiaotao laughed angrily. "Say that again?"
Long Yaochen wisely shut his mouth.
Ma Xiaotao stared at him for a long while before finally letting go. "Sit down."
Long Yaochen did not stand on ceremony and sat directly on the sofa.
It had to be said, the Inner Court dormitories were far better than those of the Outer Court.
Ma Xiaotao sat across from him, the anger on her face not yet fully faded. "You never come back to see me unless something's wrong. Go on, what trouble have you caused this time?"
Long Yaochen got straight to the point. "I'm leaving Shrek for a while."
Ma Xiaotao's expression changed instantly.
"Where?"
"I'm going somewhere with my teacher."
"How long?"
"About seven days."
Ma Xiaotao stared at him, her eyes narrowing bit by bit. "So you came just to notify me?"
Long Yaochen coughed lightly. "I was worried you'd worry about me."
"You do know me well..." Ma Xiaotao fell silent for a moment before asking, "Is it dangerous?"
Long Yaochen looked at her.
This time, he did not grin and joke around as usual.
"A little."
Ma Xiaotao's fingers slowly tightened. "Do you have to go?"
"You know about my martial soul." Leaning back on the sofa, Long Yaochen's tone was instead very calm.
Ma Xiaotao looked at him, and the anger in her eyes suddenly faded considerably.
Of course she knew.
Every time he helped her suppress her Evil Fire, she could sense that excessively blazing power within Long Yaochen's body.
It was like a sun that could lose control at any moment.
After a long silence, Ma Xiaotao finally gritted her teeth and said, "Then come back early."
Long Yaochen smiled. "Can't bear to part with me?"
"I'm afraid you'll die out there, and no one will be left to suppress my Evil Fire." Ma Xiaotao shot him a glare.
"A very sound reason." Long Yaochen nodded.
His manner made Ma Xiaotao so angry that her chest tightened. She simply stood up and pointed at the couch beside them.
"You're staying here tonight."
Long Yaochen was taken aback. "Isn't that a little inappropriate?"
"What are you thinking?" Ma Xiaotao sneered. "Help me suppress my Evil Fire once more before you leave. I don't want something going wrong on my end after you're gone for several days."
Seeing that she was clearly worried but still insisted on putting on a righteous front, Long Yaochen could not help but laugh.
"Alright."
Ma Xiaotao glared up at him. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." Long Yaochen closed his eyes, and a faint golden glow rose around him. "Let's begin."
The blazing aura of Evil Fire slowly rose.
Yet before long, that violent phoenix flame was gradually suppressed by gentle, pure radiance.
The room quieted down.
Ma Xiaotao sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a long-lost calm within her body, and her gaze softened somewhat.
She looked at the young man meditating with his eyes closed nearby. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only said quietly, "Seven days. Not one day less, and not one day more."
Long Yaochen did not open his eyes, merely answering with a smile.
"Got it."
The next morning.
Outside Shrek City.
Sunlight spilled across the broad official road. There were quite a few passersby in the distance, yet beneath an old tree outside the city gates, an invisible shadow seemed to block all eyes from view.
The old man in black stood with his hands behind his back.
He merely stood there, yet the air around him seemed to grow heavy.
Long Yaochen walked out through the city gates and spotted that familiar figure at once.
"Teacher, long time no see."
Long Xiaoyao slowly turned around, his gaze settling on him.
"Cut the nonsense. You'd better actually have something important, brat." Long Xiaoyao said flatly. "It wasn't exactly close for this old man to come all the way here."
Long Yaochen did not beat around the bush. "Teacher, I need you to take down the Ice Empress."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Long Xiaoyao stared fixedly at him.
The next instant, the Dark Sacred Dragon was so angered that he laughed, speaking in a tone that practically said Long Yaochen had lost his mind.
"The Ice Empress? One of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion? Do you think she's some roadside cabbage you can take down whenever you please?"
Long Yaochen's expression did not change. "Others might not be able to do it, but you definitely can, Teacher."
"Quit flattering this old man." Long Xiaoyao snorted. "Though the Ice Empress is not as strong as the Snow Empress, she is still the overlord of the Far North Core Circle. If we truly fight on her territory, even this old man might not be able to take her down easily. Besides, the Snow Empress definitely won't stand by and watch. Unless you bring that old fossil Mu En along, I'll be walking into a trap if I go there."
Long Yaochen nodded. "Of course I wouldn't ask Teacher to go die with me."
"Wait, you're going too?" Long Xiaoyao directly interrupted Long Yaochen. "Your martial soul can't be fixed, so you're planning to find another way to die?"
"Of course not. This is a new method I came up with..." Long Yaochen began giving a general outline of the plan he had discussed with Electrolux.
Naturally, he did not mention Electrolux, not because he distrusted Long Xiaoyao.
Rather, Electrolux involved too many complications. There would be plenty of time to explain later.
"Sun and Moon Shining Together? Yin and yang merging?" Long Xiaoyao looked at Long Yaochen in surprise. "That old bastard Mu En came up with this for you?"
Such an ingenious plan gave this Limit Douluo a sudden flash of insight.
"Of course not. Your disciple is gifted and intelligent, as you well know."
Long Yaochen's words earned only a disdainful laugh from Long Xiaoyao.
"Fine. Since you're confident, this old man will take you on a trip to the Far North."
Long Xiaoyao had never been an indecisive man. Though he was no match for the Two Ice and Snow Emperors working together,
he was still confident that he could ensure Long Yaochen retreated safely and unharmed.
"How have things been between you and that girl Xiaotao lately?" Long Xiaoyao suddenly changed the subject.
"Things are pretty good, but..." Long Yaochen said hesitantly.
"What is it? Don't tell me you've been bullied by a woman, brat?" Long Xiaoyao chuckled.
How could that be? If I became a lapdog like you, old man, I'd have smashed my head into a block of tofu long ago.
"I may have accidentally provoked some other girls." Long Yaochen answered honestly.
"That's a good thing! Keep it up, and empty out that old bastard Mu En's entire family fortune for me!" Long Xiaoyao threw back his head and laughed several times.
Old bastard, tell me, what can your descendants possibly use to compete with me?
Especially that useless Martial Soul Department dean at Shrek.
Before you continue