Casual Ice Seal

The evening at Shrek Academy was rendered exceptionally gentle by the evening breeze blowing off Sea God Lake.

The golden glow of the setting sun spilled onto the clear surface of the lake, shattering into a sky full of dancing stars. The water shimmered, and occasionally, a few Silver-Scaled Fish would leap from the depths, splashing up circles of fine, delicate ripples.

The weeping willows along the shore lowered their myriad branches. As the wind blew, they brushed across the surface of the lake, carrying a faint, fresh scent of vegetation and the damp breath of the water, dispelling the exhaustion of a day's cultivation.

Having finished their classes for the day, Gu Yuan and his three companions were strolling slowly along the stone path by Sea God Lake.

Huo Yuhao, walking on the outermost side, was gesturing animatedly as he told Gu Yuan about his lessons in the Soul Guidance Department today. The young man's eyes were bright, his face filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Brother Yuan, today Teacher Fan Yu taught us how to engrave a first-level core array. I was the only one in the entire class to succeed on the first try! The teacher was stunned, saying I'm the most talented freshman in the Soul Guidance Department he has ever seen!"

Ever since that day he spoke with Gu Yuan, he hadn't joined the Soul Guidance Department outright. He spent his mornings attending classes in the Martial Soul Department, and whenever he had free time in the afternoon, he would go to the Soul Guidance Department's laboratory to study soul guidance technology under Fan Yu.

His Ultimate Spirit power was essentially a dimensional strike in the field of soul guidance.

Array engravings that others needed to practice dozens of times to master, he could replicate precisely after seeing them just once. The precision of his Spirit power allowed him to progress smoothly on the path of soul guidance. In just half a month, he had become the most dazzling presence among the freshmen in the Soul Guidance Department. Even Fan Yu had remarked more than once that he had stumbled upon a peerless treasure.

Gu Yuan listened to him with a gentle smile playing on his lips: "Your talent is indeed suited for this path. However, don't be arrogant. You must lay a solid foundation; only by taking things one step at a time can you go far."

"I know, Brother Yuan!" Huo Yuhao nodded heavily, his face full of sincerity.

"I return every night to cultivate my soul power; I will never neglect my martial soul cultivation just because I'm learning soul guidance technology!"

He had always kept Gu Yuan's words firmly in mind, never once putting the cart before the horse.

No matter how late he stayed at the Soul Guidance Department, he would unfailingly complete his four hours of cultivation. His soul power had not fallen behind; instead, nourished by the heavenly treasures within his body, it had risen steadily and was already on the verge of breaking through to level 25.

Walking on the other side, Jin Ruiqiu had a fruit candy tucked in her cheek, her face puffed out like a little squirrel hoarding food.

Hearing their conversation, she immediately hopped over, tugged on Gu Yuan's sleeve, and shook the candy wrapper in her hand, saying coquettishly: "Yuhao makes progress every day, and so do I! In today's combat class, I defeated five Soul Elder level students all by myself! They couldn't even touch the hem of my clothes!"

As the young girl spoke, she proudly lifted her little chin. Her golden curls swayed with her movements, and the flower-shaped mark between her brows flickered in and out of sight, looking spirited and charming.

Over the past half month, the curriculum for Freshman Class One had long since settled into a routine. Zhou Yi's teaching style remained iron-fisted and strict, with practical combat lessons held almost daily. Jin Ruiqiu's strength had been thoroughly revealed through these repeated bouts of combat.

The nature of the Emperor Auspicious Beast gave her an innate, absolute suppression over all beast-type martial souls. Coupled with her cultivation as a level 41 Soul Ancestor, there was simply no one among the freshmen of her age who could be her match.

Even when five Soul Elder level students at level thirty-something joined forces, they were easily defeated by her, unable to even get close to her.

Now, the entire Freshman Class One, and even the entire freshman grade, knew that these four youths from Douluo Hall were all unfathomable monsters, and no one dared to provoke them lightly.

Gu Yuena walked beside Jin Ruiqiu. Her moon-white long dress was stirred by the evening breeze, and her silver hair cast a soft halo under the setting sun.

Seeing the young girl's proud expression, her cold, clear eyes softened involuntarily. She reached out to pinch her soft cheek and said helplessly: "Winning is winning, but don't always bully your classmates. In the last combat class, you left those three boys lying on the ground for half an incense stick's time without being able to get up."

"They were the ones who provoked me first!" Jin Ruiqiu immediately pouted, looking aggrieved.

"They said we were relying on connections to get in through the back door, and they spoke ill of Yuhao, so I taught them a lesson! Who told them to run their mouths!"

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao's cheeks turned red instantly, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.

Because he was always by the side of Gu Yuan and the others, many people in the academy gossiped behind his back, saying that he only managed to enter Shrek Academy and receive such treatment because he was riding on the coattails of the three of them.

Of course, that was the truth, but since our Yuhao was now hugging Gu Yuan's thigh and had a major power like Douluo Hall behind him, wasn't it only natural to receive some special treatment?

This was the benefit of having a background. Unlike the Huo Yuhao in the original work who was a pure, pitiful wretch in the early stages—who wasn't even granted a core disciple spot despite winning the freshman championship before obtaining the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion—he was different.

Huo Yuhao never cared about these idle rumors; he only focused on his cultivation and studies, intending to use his strength to slap those people in the face.

Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow at this, a faint coldness flashing in the depths of his eyes, but he didn't say much, only patting Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.

"Don't pay attention to the idle chatter of others. Strength is the best way to shatter all doubts."

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the direction of the Inner Court!

Immediately following, a burst of extremely violent flame energy surged out from the Inner Court like a volcanic eruption.

The flames were an eerie crimson-black, carrying a terrifying heat that seemed capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas. Wherever they passed, the air distorted, and even the surface of Sea God Lake instantly sent up a vast expanse of white steam, the temperature of the water rising crazily at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A terrifying soul pressure instantly enveloped the entire Sea God Lake area. It was the pressure of a Soul Emperor, carrying a fierce, violent malice, like a savage beast that had broken free from its shackles. It caused all the students still strolling by the lake to turn deathly pale, trembling all over, unable to even circulate their soul power.

"Run! It's Senior Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court! Her Evil Fire has lost control again!"

The students by the lake instantly erupted into chaos, their faces turning ash-white as they fled in a frenzy, terrified of being caught in the wake of the violent Evil Fire.

Senior Ma Xiaotao of the Inner Court was a top-tier genius of the academy and the possessor of the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul. However, her martial soul had a fatal flaw: the Evil Fire often lost control. Every time it did, it caused massive destruction and could even harm the innocent.

Just as everyone was scattering in flight, a figure wreathed in monstrous crimson-black flames charged toward the Outer Court at an extreme speed, like a shooting star.

It was a woman dressed in red tactical gear, possessing a stunning appearance and a fiery figure. But at this moment, her eyes were filled with crimson-black flames, having completely lost her sanity, leaving only instinctive madness.

The Evil Fire Phoenix flames around her body surged wildly. Wherever she passed, even the air was ignited, emitting crackling explosions. Her Soul Emperor-level soul power was released without reservation, raging crazily toward the surroundings.

Ma Xiaotao had been overly eager to break through during her cultivation today, leading to a complete backlash of her martial soul's Evil Fire. She lost control instantly, and even the elders guarding her couldn't stop her in time. She broke through the Inner Court's barrier and charged into the Sea God Lake area.

At this moment, she had been completely consumed by the Evil Fire, losing her sanity and left only with the instinct for destruction. She wanted nothing more than to find a place to vent the violent Evil Fire within her body, and this Sea God Lake before her was her target.

"Careful!" Huo Yuhao's expression changed instantly as he watched the flaming figure charging toward them. He immediately activated his Spirit Eye martial soul, intending to release a Spirit Shock to stop Ma Xiaotao.

He could clearly feel that the Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao had reached a critical point. If she were allowed to charge into Sea God Lake, the violent Evil Fire would instantly cause the entire lake to boil, and the students nearby who hadn't run far enough would definitely be caught in the blast, facing death or injury.

But just as he was about to act, Gu Yuena beside him had already moved first.

The silver-haired girl looked calm, not even shifting her footsteps by a fraction. She simply raised her fair, white right hand slowly and, facing the charging flaming figure, gave a gentle squeeze.

There was no earth-shattering explosion of soul power, and not even a single soul ring lit up.

Yet, the moment her palms closed, a chill of Ultimate Ice swept instantly across the entire Sea God Lake area.

That cold was not the chill of an ordinary ice-type soul skill, but a freezing of the very source of life—the Ultimate Ice controlled by the Silver Dragon King, which stood above all ice-type laws in the world.

Crack, crack! The crisp sound of freezing echoed across the entire surface of the lake.

The red figure, wrapped in monstrous Evil Fire and charging with ferocious momentum, suddenly stalled in mid-air.

The violent crimson-black Evil Fire around her body was extinguished in an instant, as if a pause button had been pressed.

A layer of deep blue ice spread rapidly upward from her toes at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in the blink of an eye, she was completely encased within it.

Even the Evil Fire within her, so violent that even a Titled Douluo would find it a headache, was frozen at its very source by this Ultimate Ice, unable to leak even a shred of its aura.

The massive, deep blue block of ice hung silently in mid-air. Sunlight shone through the ice, revealing the figure of Ma Xiaotao still maintaining her forward-charging posture; the madness in her eyes remained frozen on her face, yet it could no longer emanate even a fraction of its intensity.

The Evil Fire that had been burning the heavens and boiling the seas a second ago was now completely sealed, unable to radiate a single trace of heat.

The entire Sea God Lake area fell into a deathly silence.

The students who had been fleeing all stopped in their tracks, staring dumbfounded at the massive ice block in the air, then looking at Gu Yuena, who stood by the lake with a calm expression as if she had merely brushed off some dust, their faces filled with shock and horror.

Ma Xiaotao, a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse and an out-of-control Evil Fire Phoenix, had actually been frozen with a casual wave of this twelve-year-old girl's hand?

She hadn't even summoned her soul rings! How could this be possible?

Huo Yuhao was also stunned. Although he had long known that Gu Yuena was strong, he had never imagined she was strong to this extent.

That was a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse, and an out-of-control Evil Fire Phoenix at that, yet she had been completely frozen by a casual move from Sister Na, without even a chance to resist.

Jin Ruiqiu, however, was unfazed. She shook Gu Yuena's arm and said with a giggle, "Sister Yue is so amazing! You froze that fire-breathing auntie in one go!"

Gu Yuan stood to the side, his expression calm, showing not a hint of surprise.

As the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena controlled the world's most ultimate laws of creation and elements; the Evil Fire of a mere Evil Fire Phoenix was nothing more than a flicker of flame that she could snuff out with a wave of her hand.

Never mind a Soul Emperor-level Ma Xiaotao, even a Titled Douluo-level fire-attribute soul master would be unable to stir up even the slightest wave before her.