Just as the entire crowd stood stunned, an elderly figure came hurtling from the direction of the Inner Court like a bolt of lightning, appearing at the lakeside in an instant.
He was an old man with graying hair, dressed in a gray robe. His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and the terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo radiated from him.
He was Elder Zhuang, a senior member of Shrek Academy and a member of the Sea God Pavilion. He had also been responsible for keeping watch over Ma Xiaotao and helping suppress her Evil Fire.
The moment Elder Zhuang landed, he immediately looked up at Ma Xiaotao, frozen in midair. His expression changed drastically. He was about to act, but abruptly stopped.
He could clearly sense that Ma Xiaotao had not been hurt at all inside the ice. On the contrary, the Evil Fire that had grown so violent it nearly burned away her very essence had been completely suppressed by the extreme cold. Even the damaged meridians in her body were slowly healing under the nourishment of the Ice Seal.
What shook him even more was that the Ice Seal had suppressed the vicious aura of the Evil Fire Phoenix at its very source, at the level of its fundamental laws.
He had studied Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire for over a decade and tried countless methods, yet could only barely keep it in check. But this Ice Seal had actually calmed the Evil Fire completely, right down to its roots.
Elder Zhuang slowly turned around. His keen gaze fell on the four young men and women by the lake, finally settling on Gu Yuena.
The silver-haired, violet-eyed girl was the one who had just frozen Ma Xiaotao.
But after examining her carefully, all he could sense was that she had the cultivation of a level 45 Soul Ancestor.
How could a level 45 Soul Ancestor freeze a Soul Emperor above level 60 with a casual move—and completely suppress the Evil Fire Phoenix that gave even him a headache?
What surprised him even more was that these four children had shown no panic at all in the face of the violent Evil Fire outbreak or the pressure of a Titled Douluo. Each of them had remained calm, without even a hitch in their breathing, as if what had just happened were no more than a trivial matter.
Such composure was rare even among the core students of the Inner Court, let alone children of twelve or thirteen.
Waves crashed through Elder Zhuang's heart, but he showed none of it on his face.
His voice brimmed with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for stepping in and stopping Xiaotao when she lost control. Otherwise, the consequences today would have been unthinkable."
If Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire had erupted completely and she had charged into the crowd, who knew how many students would have been killed or injured? He would certainly have been held responsible.
Not only had they stopped Ma Xiaotao without hurting her, they had even helped suppress her Evil Fire. This was no small kindness.
Gu Yuan gave a slight nod, his tone calm. "You're too kind, Your Excellency. It was the least we could do. We just happened to be here. We couldn't stand by and watch this senior sister lose control and hurt people."
Watching Gu Yuan's unruffled composure, Elder Zhuang silently praised him all the more. It was rare for someone so young to face a Titled Douluo without either cowering or acting rashly. Such maturity was truly remarkable.
His expression gradually grew serious. He addressed the four of them in a low voice. "What happened today is of great importance. Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire deficiency is the highest secret of Shrek Academy, and it must never be revealed. Otherwise, it could harm the academy. So you must keep what happened today to yourselves. Don't mention it to anyone."
If outsiders learned of the Evil Fire Phoenix's deficiency, especially hostile forces, they would surely find ways to target Ma Xiaotao, or even use her Evil Fire to do something harmful to Shrek.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency," Gu Yuan said evenly.
"We understand the stakes. The four of us won't breathe a word about what happened today."
Huo Yuhao and the other two immediately nodded as well, promising to keep it secret.
Elder Zhuang relaxed when he saw this. He could tell these children kept their word and weren't making empty promises.
He reached into his Storage Soul Tool and took out a jade bottle. After removing the stopper, he poured out four lustrous pills that gleamed with a faint light.
As soon as the pills appeared, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air. Just one breath made the Soul Power within them feel more active.
Elder Zhuang handed one pill to each of the four and said solemnly,
"These are Soul Ascension Pills. They can stabilize a Soul Master's foundation and improve their Soul Power cultivation. They're especially effective for Soul Masters at your level. A small token of my appreciation."
Soul Ascension Pills!
Huo Yuhao stared at the pill in his hand, his eyes wide, and sucked in a sharp breath.
He had read books about pills in Shrek's library and knew all too well how precious Soul Ascension Pills were.
Even at Shrek Academy, they were exceedingly rare treasures. Only core students of the Inner Court had a chance to receive one. At auctions outside the academy, a single Soul Ascension Pill could fetch a sky-high price of hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coins.
Elder Zhuang had given one to each of them. That was no small gesture.
Gu Yuan looked at the pill in his hand and accepted it without refusing, giving a slight nod. "Thank you, Your Excellency."
Gu Yuena quietly accepted hers as well and gave Elder Zhuang a small nod.
Jin Ruiqiu alone took her pill with curiosity and turned it over and over in her hand.
The little girl brought it to her nose and sniffed. Her eyes lit up. It smelled sweet and fragrant, just like the fruit candies she usually ate.
She already loved candy. Now that she had a round, sweet-smelling pill in front of her, how could she possibly resist?
Elder Zhuang had just begun to remind them once more to keep the matter secret, preparing to release Ma Xiaotao from the Ice Seal and leave, when something astonishing happened.
Jin Ruiqiu lifted her hand and popped the priceless Soul Ascension Pill straight into her mouth. She crunched it noisily, relishing it as if it were a sugar bean.
After finishing it, she smacked her lips, looking thoroughly pleased, and asked Elder Zhuang, "Grandpa, this sugar bean is delicious! It's sweet and has a bit of a chew to it! Do you have any more? Could you give me a few?"
At her words, Elder Zhuang froze in place. His eyes went round as he stared at the innocent-looking Jin Ruiqiu, his mind completely blank. He even wondered if he had heard her wrong.
A Soul Ascension Pill! A fifth-grade pill! A cultivation treasure countless Soul Masters would kill to get their hands on!
And this little girl had treated it like a sugar bean and crunched it up? Now she was asking if he had more, and if he could give her a few?
Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded too. The Soul Ascension Pill in his hand nearly slipped to the ground. He stared at Jin Ruiqiu, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg, and couldn't come to his senses for a long while.
He had never dreamed Jin Ruiqiu would be so bold as to eat such a precious Soul Ascension Pill like a sugar bean!
Even Gu Yuan, who had remained calm the whole time, couldn't help rubbing his forehead, looking utterly helpless. He had forgotten that this little one was the Emperor Auspicious Beast. She had eaten Immortal Herbs, treasures of heaven and earth, since she was little. In her eyes, a Soul Ascension Pill really was no different from an ordinary sugar bean.
Gu Yuena was both exasperated and helpless. She reached out, pinched Jin Ruiqiu's ear, and said softly, "Qiu'er, don't fool around. This is a pill, not a sugar bean. How can you just eat it like that?"
"But it's sweet and delicious," Jin Ruiqiu replied, blinking innocently.
"And it feels warm inside. It's really comfortable! Look, Sister Yue, I'm perfectly fine."
As she spoke, a faint golden light flickered around her. Her aura was not the least bit disordered; instead, it had grown even more rounded and clear.
The medicinal power of the Soul Ascension Pill had been absorbed effortlessly by her Emperor Auspicious Beast body, without the slightest bit going to waste.
There was no backlash from the pill, nor even the smallest sign of discomfort. It was as if she really had eaten an ordinary sugar bean.
Only then did Elder Zhuang come back to his senses. He hurried forward and carefully examined Jin Ruiqiu's body. His investigation left him sucking in another sharp breath.
He had assumed the little girl was being careless and had eaten the pill without knowing better. Surely the violent medicinal power would injure her meridians, perhaps even damage her foundation.
But after examining her, he discovered that she had suffered no harm whatsoever. Her Soul Power had actually become even denser, and the natural aura of auspiciousness within her had even eased some of the hidden injuries left by his years of cultivation.
What shocked him more was that he couldn't see through this little girl's Martial Soul at all. All he could sense was an immense, boundless fortune of auspiciousness hidden within her. Even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered toward her of its own accord.
What kind of monster was this?!
A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor; a silver-haired girl who could casually freeze a Soul Emperor; a little girl who ate Soul Ascension Pills like sugar beans with no side effects; a remarkably perceptive and frighteningly composed boy; and a genius with a Mental Attribute.
In all his hundred years of life, Elder Zhuang had never seen such outrageous talents.
He forcibly suppressed the tumult in his heart. Looking at Jin Ruiqiu, who watched him with eager anticipation, he couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth. With a wry smile, he said, "Soul Ascension Pills are difficult to refine. I don't have many left."
The little girl had truly astonished him, and he had grown more curious about these four children than ever.
These four children were certainly no ordinary scions of prominent families. There had to be an unfathomable power behind them.
Elder Zhuang smiled helplessly, reminded the four of them once more to keep the matter secret, and then didn't linger any longer.
He raised his hand and lifted Gu Yuena's Ice Seal. Carefully catching Ma Xiaotao, who was still unconscious, he turned and hurried back to the Inner Court with her.
He had to report what had happened that day to the Sea God Pavilion immediately. These four youngsters from Douluo Hall absolutely had to be watched much more closely.
As they watched Elder Zhuang leave, peace returned to the lakeside.
Gu Yuan turned to Jin Ruiqiu, who was still cheerfully swaying about, and shook his head helplessly. "You really are a little glutton. The Soul Ascension Pill might not harm you, but you still can't eat things on a whim. Understand?"
"Got it." Jin Ruiqiu stuck out her tongue, came over to him, and tugged at his sleeve.
"But it really was delicious."
Gu Yuena sighed helplessly, then reached out and gently wiped the pill crumbs from the corner of Jin Ruiqiu's mouth.
Watching this, Huo Yuhao came back to his senses and couldn't help laughing ruefully. "Ruiqiu, you really are incredible. I've never seen anyone eat a Soul Ascension Pill like a sugar bean before."
The four exchanged smiles and turned toward the dormitory area.
The sun sank completely, and night gradually fell over Shrek Academy. The surface of Sea God Lake grew still again, as if the earth-shaking outbreak of Evil Fire had never happened.
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