Addictive Martial Souls, Opportunities from the Star Dou!

Inner courtyard dormitory building.

"Haa—"

Long Yaochen exhaled a long, turbid breath. The morning sunlight spilled across his face, making his aura—a blend of the divine and the sinister—all the more striking.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked across the room.

Ma Xiaotao was still fast asleep, her breathing steady. Her heroic, spirited face wore an expression of complete ease and contentment.

It had to be said, although the old man was quite excessive, the eye of a Limit Douluo was truly sharp.

These few short days of living together had not only allowed Long Yaochen's newly broken-through soul power to grow a sliver further, but his divinity issues had also eased significantly.

One had to realize, he previously hadn't even dared to circulate his soul power at full strength, fearing he might accidentally lose himself to his divinity.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her pale pink eyes, a fleeting, soul-stirring look passing through them.

Their gazes met in mid-air, and a subtle atmosphere permeated the room.

"Are you... really determined to go to the outer courtyard?"

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly strange, Ma Xiaotao bit her red lips, unable to help but break the silence first.

These few short days of living side-by-side had become the most relaxing time in her dozen or so years of life.

Accustomed to this experience of being free from the backlash of evil fire and feeling physically refreshed, the mere thought of returning to the agonizing life she once led made a strong sense of resistance rise in her heart.

Damn it... this kid's martial soul is practically poisonous; it's too addictive.

Ma Xiaotao cursed herself inwardly for being weak-willed, but the moment she thought of Long Yaochen leaving for the outer courtyard, she felt as if a piece of her heart had gone hollow.

Just as she was feeling secretly annoyed, a pair of fair, slender hands reached out without warning and pinched her cheeks.

"What? Can't bear to see me go?" Long Yaochen chuckled, the curve of his lips carrying a hint of aggression.

"N-no!" A crimson flush instantly bloomed on Ma Xiaotao's cheeks.

She instinctively wanted to raise her hand to swat him away, but halfway through, the scent of Long Yaochen lingering on her face drifted into her nose, and she inexplicably lowered her hand.

As the inner courtyard's recognized "Mother Tyrannosaurus," if any other man had dared to be so frivolous with her, he would have long since been burned to ash by her evil fire.

Yet, for some reason, she acted like an obedient little kitten, letting this twelve-year-old boy pinch her face.

Seeing Long Yaochen staring straight at her, Ma Xiaotao subconsciously turned her head slightly to dodge his gaze before mumbling, "With your talent and strength, staying in the Sea God Pavilion to cultivate is more than enough. Why bother... wasting time in the outer courtyard?"

Long Yaochen felt the delicate texture under his fingers and didn't answer for a moment.

Admittedly, going to the outer courtyard was indeed a waste of time.

But staying in the Sea God Pavilion... that dense aura of light was no different from courting death for him.

"The Sea God Pavilion... is certainly nice, but being surrounded by a bunch of old men every day is too boring." Long Yaochen let go of her face and said dismissively.

Besides, he had been cooped up in the mountains for twelve years; he couldn't possibly come to Shrek just to stay cooped up in the Sea God Pavilion, could he?

"I hear Shrek gathers talents from all over the continent every year. I'd like to go and see how many of my peers in this era can take a single punch from me."

His tone was flat, yet it carried an innate confidence and dominance.

The warmth on her face vanished abruptly, and the sense of emptiness in Ma Xiaotao's heart deepened. She blurted out subconsciously, "It's different for me..."

"Hm?" Long Yaochen looked at her with some surprise.

"I mean... it's not very convenient for us to cultivate together in the outer courtyard." Ma Xiaotao made up a weak excuse.

Long Yaochen saw through her but didn't call her out, shifting the topic instead: "Let's put that aside for now. Are you interested in going to the Star Dou Great Forest with me?"

"You want to hunt for a soul ring?" Ma Xiaotao was stunned.

She remembered that when he arrived a few days ago, hadn't he just said he was at level thirty-nine?

"Naturally not." Long Yaochen stood up and stretched before continuing, "I did some calculations, and there is a heaven-sent opportunity waiting for me."

"Pfft."

Hearing this charlatan-like declaration, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Although this kid always acted mature, he was, at the end of the day, just a twelve-year-old boy.

He wanted to ask her on a date but couldn't even come up with a decent excuse.

"Fine, let's go. Big sister will take you, little fledgling, for a ride in the Star Dou Great Forest." Waves of light danced in Ma Xiaotao's eyes as she proactively and generously extended her hand toward Long Yaochen.

Since she had already accepted the engagement, she, a proud talent of the inner courtyard, would naturally not be coy.

Long Yaochen looked down at that jade hand, stunned for a moment, before naturally taking it.

As their fingertips touched, he felt a sensation in his palm completely different from the girls in his past life's memories. Unlike those cold hands, Ma Xiaotao's soft hand was quite warm.

But a strange thought couldn't help but rise in Long Yaochen's heart.

Why is this woman blushing? I'm actually here to find an opportunity!

Star Dou Great Forest, outskirts.

"Are you really here to find an opportunity?" After wandering around the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest like a headless chicken for a long time, Ma Xiaotao finally couldn't help but ask through gritted teeth.

"What else? Don't be impatient, it's right around here."

Long Yaochen gave her a strange look, closed his eyes, and continued to release a sliver of spiritual power to sense his surroundings carefully.

Seeing him so earnestly searching, Ma Xiaotao stomped her foot in frustration, instantly leaving a crater in the soil beneath her.

The sisters in the Inner Court clearly said that when a boy takes a girl to a secluded grove, it's always for something wicked!

And here she was, having spent the entire journey frantically preparing herself mentally!

Yet this kid, despite holding her hand, was only thinking about his so-called opportunity.

Is my figure... really that lacking in charm?!

Just as Ma Xiaotao was beginning to doubt her own existence, BOOM—!

A sudden peal of thunder cracked across the previously clear sky.

A vast and ancient aura instantly enveloped them both.

Ma Xiaotao's expression shifted drastically; long-honed instinct forced her to trigger Martial Soul Possession in an instant, pulling Long Yaochen behind her.

The level of this aura was so high that even she, a Spirit Emperor, felt a tremor of heart-palpitating dread!

In the next second, Long Yaochen snapped his eyes open.

His pitch-black pupils were overtaken by a brilliant golden divine radiance, and three purple spirit rings rose into the air. Behind his head, the Eternal Blazing Sun Holy Dragon phantom coiled, instantly erupting with blinding divine light.

Eternal Blazing Sun Holy Dragon, full power!

ROAR—!

A soaring dragon's cry pierced the heavens!

Disregarding the risk of divine backlash, Long Yaochen frantically pushed his martial soul to its limit, lighting himself up like a sun in the middle of the night.

Ma Xiaotao, feeling the immense pressure radiating from behind her, turned her head stiffly, her eyes filled with disbelief.

There... there really was an opportunity?!

Just then, an ancient voice, brimming with majesty, echoed from mid-air:

"Holding the sun and moon in my hand, plucking the stars, there is no one in this world like me...

Hm?

In this world, there actually exists such a pure Child of Light?!"