Inner Court dormitory building.
"Phew—"
Long Yaochen let out a long breath of stale air. The morning sunlight shone on his face, making the aura of sanctity and wickedness intertwined around him especially striking.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked across from him.
Ma Xiaotao still had her eyes closed, breathing evenly. Her valiant face carried an air of complete ease and comfort.
It had to be said that although the old man was quite excessive, a Limit Douluo's eye for talent was indeed sharp.
In just these few days of sharing a room and living together, not only had Long Yaochen's newly advanced Soul Power grown a little stronger, but the issue with his divinity had also eased considerably.
Before this, he had not even dared to fully circulate his Soul Power, afraid that he might accidentally lose himself in his divinity.
Her eyelashes trembled lightly as Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her pale pink eyes. A soul-stirring, bone-melting look flashed through them before vanishing.
Their gazes met in midair, and a subtle atmosphere filled the air.
"Are you... really determined to go to the Outer Court?"
Just as the atmosphere was growing strange, Ma Xiaotao bit her red lip and could not help breaking the silence first.
Their mere few days of spending every moment together had become the most relaxing time of her entire life so far.
Having grown accustomed to the feeling of being free from Evil Fire backlash and feeling comfortable all over, the mere thought of returning to those days worse than death filled her heart with intense resistance.
Damn it... this brat's Martial Soul is practically poisonous. It's far too addictive.
Ma Xiaotao silently cursed herself for being so pathetic, yet when she thought of Long Yaochen going to the Outer Court, it felt as though a piece of her heart had been hollowed out.
Just as she was secretly regretting it, a pair of fair, slender hands suddenly reached over and pinched her cheek.
"What? You can't bear to let me go?" Long Yaochen chuckled, the curve of his lips carrying a hint of aggression.
"N-No!" Two blushes instantly rose on Ma Xiaotao's cheeks.
Instinctively, she wanted to raise her hand and slap his away, but when her hand reached halfway up, Long Yaochen's scent kept drifting into her nose. Somehow, she actually lowered it again.
The Inner Court's publicly acknowledged "Mother Tyrannosaurus"—under normal circumstances, if any man dared to take such liberties with her, he would have long since been burned to ashes by her Evil Fire.
Yet for some reason, she now acted like an obedient little kitten, allowing this twelve-year-old boy to pinch her cheek.
Seeing Long Yaochen stare straight at her, Ma Xiaotao subconsciously turned her head slightly to avoid his gaze before mumbling, "With your talent and strength, you would have more than enough room to cultivate in the Sea God Pavilion. Why... waste time in the Outer Court?"
Feeling the delicate softness under his fingers, Long Yaochen did not answer for a moment.
Indeed, going to the Outer Court would naturally be a waste of time for him.
But staying in the Sea God Pavilion... that dense aura of light was no different from seeking death for him.
"The Sea God Pavilion... is certainly not bad, but being surrounded by a bunch of old men every day would be far too boring." Long Yaochen released her hand and spoke indifferently.
Besides, he had already been cooped up in the wilderness for twelve years. Now that he had come to Shrek, he could not possibly keep cooping himself up in the Sea God Pavilion.
"I heard Shrek gathers talents from across the continent every year. I want to see how many people of my generation in this era can take one punch from me."
His tone was calm, yet it carried confidence and dominance that came from the depths of his heart.
The warmth on her face suddenly vanished, and the emptiness in Ma Xiaotao's heart grew heavier. She blurted out instinctively, "It's different for me..."
"Hm?" Long Yaochen looked at her with some surprise.
"I mean... it wouldn't be very convenient for us to cultivate together in the Outer Court." Ma Xiaotao awkwardly came up with an excuse.
Long Yaochen saw through her but did not expose her. Changing the subject, he said, "Let's not talk about that for now. Are you interested in taking a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest with me?"
"You're hunting a Soul Ring?" Ma Xiaotao froze for a moment.
She remembered that when he arrived a few days ago, had he not just said that he was Rank 39?
"Of course not." Long Yaochen stood up and stretched lazily before continuing, "I calculated on my fingers that an enormous opportunity is waiting for me."
"Pfft."
Hearing such a charlatan-like statement, Ma Xiaotao could not help laughing outright.
Although this kid usually acted mature, he was still only a twelve-year-old boy when all was said and done.
He wanted to ask her on a date, yet he could not even come up with a decent excuse.
"Fine, let's go. Big Sister will take this little rookie of hers to the Star Dou Great Forest for a stroll." Light rippled in Ma Xiaotao's eyes as she openly and generously extended her hand toward Long Yaochen.
Since she had already accepted the engagement, a proud genius of the Inner Court like her naturally would not act coy.
Long Yaochen looked down at that jade-like hand. He was briefly stunned before naturally taking it.
As their fingertips touched, the feeling in his palm was entirely different from that of the girls he remembered from his previous life. Unlike those somewhat cold hands, Ma Xiaotao's soft hand was remarkably warm.
Yet a strange feeling could not help rising in Long Yaochen's heart.
Why is this woman blushing? I really am going to find an opportunity!
Star Dou Great Forest, outer region.
"Did you really come here to find an opportunity?" After wandering around the outskirts of Star Dou like headless flies for an entire round, Ma Xiaotao finally could not bear it any longer and asked through gritted teeth.
"What else would I be here for? Don't rush. It should be nearby."
Long Yaochen gave her a strange look, closed his eyes, and continued releasing a trace of spiritual power to sense his surroundings carefully.
Seeing him seriously searching around like that, Ma Xiaotao stomped her foot in anger, instantly leaving a deep dent in the soil beneath it.
The sisters in the Inner Court had clearly told her that when boys brought girls into secluded little woods, it was always to do bad things!
She had even spent the entire journey desperately preparing herself mentally!
Yet this brat, while holding her hand, had his mind entirely fixed on that so-called opportunity of his.
With a figure like mine... am I really that unattractive?!
Just as Ma Xiaotao began questioning her life,
Rumble—!
A clap of thunder suddenly erupted in the formerly clear sky.
An immense, ancient aura instantly enveloped them both.
Ma Xiaotao's expression changed drastically. Her long-honed instincts made her instantly complete Martial Soul Possession, and she pulled Long Yaochen behind her protectively.
The rank of this aura was so high that even she, a Soul Emperor, felt her heart tremble!
Then, in the next instant, Long Yaochen abruptly opened his eyes.
Dazzling golden divine light filled his pitch-black eyes as three purple Soul Rings rose around him. The Eternal Blazing Sun formed by the coiled phantom of a holy dragon behind his head instantly erupted with blinding divine radiance.
Eternal Blazing Sun Holy Dragon, full power!
Roar—!
An impassioned dragon's roar shot into the heavens!
Long Yaochen even disregarded the danger of divine backlash, madly driving his Martial Soul and lighting himself up like a sun in the night.
Feeling the continuously mounting pressure behind her, Ma Xiaotao stiffly turned around, her eyes filled with disbelief.
There really... was an opportunity?!
At that moment, an aged and authoritative voice rang out in midair:
"With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; none in this world are like me...
Hm?
In this world, there is actually such a pure Child of Light?!"
Before you continue