"Hm?"
Yang Jian turned around, somewhat puzzled, and saw Ma Xiaotao leaning forward slightly, revealing a glimpse of pale skin. Her expression was utterly serious. "When we made our agreement, you were only supposed to suppress my Evil Fire. But now, you've not only suppressed it, you've also drawn some of it out of my body."
"You benefited from my Evil Fire. That's your business, and it has nothing to do with me. This is different."
Ma Xiaotao put extra emphasis on the last few words.
Looking at Ma Xiaotao's expression, Yang Jian smiled softly.
In his view, he had already gained plenty from Ma Xiaotao—enough to offset the help he'd given her. But since she'd put it that way, he didn't say anything more.
"Then let's say you owe me a favor."
"No problem."
Ma Xiaotao agreed without hesitation. She even slapped her chest with great bravado, making it bounce up and down. "At Shrek Academy, I'll have your back!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Ma Xiaotao realized something was off.
Yang Jian could easily defeat a six-ring teacher from the Outer Court and a Two-Headed Lion King with forty thousand years of cultivation. It seemed... he didn't need her to have his back at all.
"Sure. I'll count on you to have my back."
Yang Jian answered with a smile, not wanting to embarrass her.
Seeing this, a strange glimmer returned to Ma Xiaotao's eyes. The flush on her cheeks turned a faint, alluring pink, and she bit her lip as she spoke.
"So in your heart, I'm actually quite young, and there isn't that much of an age gap between us, right?"
Yang Jian's movements paused slightly.
A question mark slowly rose in his mind.
When I put a question mark, it doesn't mean I'm confused. It means I think you're the one with a problem!
But Yang Jian had to admit that, free from the torment of her Evil Fire and in a calm state, Ma Xiaotao was quite beautiful. She had delicate features, a curvaceous figure, and a bewitching expression, blending the charm of a young woman with the allure of a mature one. She was certainly a rare beauty.
It was just... seeing that look on Ma Xiaotao felt a little incongruous to Yang Jian.
"Come on. I'll show you around the Inner Court properly. I think the teacher forgot to mention earlier that he wants you to skip ahead and enter the Inner Court directly. What do you think?"
Noticing Yang Jian's expression, Ma Xiaotao curled her lips and changed the subject with effortless ease.
Enter the Inner Court?
Yang Jian furrowed his brow slightly and gave it some serious thought.
He could certainly be considered a cut above everyone else in the Outer Court now, so entering the Inner Court seemed like a good choice. Given Ye Qingyuan's talent, she would probably enter the Inner Court directly before long. There was no real reason for him to keep hanging around the Outer Court.
Besides, if he could stay near the Golden Tree, his cultivation would progress much faster.
The only trouble was that Inner Court students automatically joined the Shrek Inspectorate. The Shrek Inspectorate was dedicated to maintaining stability and harmony across the continent. Soul Masters held a higher status than commoners, and some abused their power to prey on them. Since the great empires sometimes couldn't—or wouldn't—monitor certain heinous crimes, the Shrek Inspectorate had been established to oversee the conduct of all Soul Masters.
Their duties included searching for Evil Soul Masters, wiping out bands of bandits who robbed, murdered, and committed every kind of atrocity, and undertaking dangerous missions involving Soul Beasts.
All things considered, joining the Inner Court had both benefits and drawbacks.
After a brief moment of thought, Yang Jian gave his answer.
"Enter the Inner Court? That sounds pretty good to me."
Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's eyes brightened. She sprang straight off the bed, her movements suddenly much more buoyant.
"Wait. You're not planning to go out like that, are you?"
Seeing Ma Xiaotao about to walk right out of the room, Yang Jian hurriedly called out to her and pointed at the wrinkles in her clothes.
"Oh, I forgot."
As she spoke, Ma Xiaotao began straightening her clothes right in front of Yang Jian, without the slightest inhibition.
"All right, now we can go."
Watching Yang Jian and Ma Xiaotao leave the Sea God Pavilion one after the other, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help sighing.
Although he could tell that Ma Xiaotao was in much better shape now, he still felt a little regretful.
What a pity.
"Where would you like to go?"
Ma Xiaotao turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Yang Jian beside her. The students passing by saw this uncharacteristically gentle side of her and felt as though they were witnessing a ghost in broad daylight.
Ma Xiaotao, one of the Inner Court's two living volcanoes, could actually look so gentle?
And she was being so gentle with a boy!
This was explosive news, enough to shake the entire Inner Court!
But... who was the boy beside Ma Xiaotao? They'd never seen him before.
"You're the tour guide, so I'll leave it up to you."
Yang Jian replied casually, his gaze settling on the Soul Fighting Zone nearby.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao immediately explained, "That's the Inner Court's Soul Fighting Zone. The rules are about the same as those in the Outer Court's Soul Fighting Zone. The difference is that the Inner Court has only one Soul Fighting Arena, unlike the Outer Court, which has three."
"If you want to go in and take a look, I can bring you. If I remember right, there should be a challenge match today. I think you'll recognize one of the participants."
"You know Dai Yueheng, right?"
Yang Jian nodded, a familiar face appearing in his mind.
Back when he was at the Star Luo Empire Offering Hall, he'd spent plenty of time dealing with Dai Yueheng.
More precisely, they'd practically fought each other from the time they were little. Before Dai Yueheng entered Shrek Academy, he'd spent some time studying at the Offering Hall. During that period, the two of them were constantly at odds, and the slightest disagreement would end in a fight.
Strangely enough, the more they fought, the worse their relationship didn't get. Instead, they became friends.
As Ma Xiaotao listened to Yang Jian's story, a glimmer of surprise appeared in her eyes.
"I had no idea you and Dai Yueheng had that kind of history. But... that guy really had no shame. You must've only been a few years old back then, right? How could he bring himself to hit you?"
"Hmm... I'd just obtained my First Soul Ring at the time. He must've been eleven, almost twelve."
Yang Jian offered a casual explanation, then raised his head to look at the imposing Soul Fighting Arena before them.
Although the Inner Court had only this one Soul Fighting Arena, judging by its size alone, it was probably no smaller than the Outer Court's Soul Fighting Zone. They hadn't even entered yet, but the racket of cheers and shouts of encouragement was already drifting out from inside.
"The Inner Court's Soul Fighting Zone isn't like the Outer Court's. It's open all day. This is probably the busiest time, so it's normal for it to be a little noisy. By the way, do you want to get in the arena and give it a try?"
"With your strength, I think you could give these Inner Court students a hard time."
Ma Xiaotao's smile spread wider.
She didn't just want to watch Yang Jian bully those Inner Court students. She was itching for a fight herself.
To think she wouldn't be tormented by her Evil Fire anymore—it was enough to make her blood boil!
Before you continue