Soul Ascension Pill Turned into Candy

Just as the entire crowd stood in shock, an aged figure streaked from the direction of the Inner Court like a bolt of lightning, appearing instantly by the lakeside.

It was an old man with greying hair, dressed in a grey robe. Though his face was etched with wrinkles, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and a terrifying pressure at the level of a Titled Douluo radiated from his entire body.

He was none other than Elder Zhuang, a veteran of Shrek Academy and a member of the Sea God Pavilion, the very elder responsible for overseeing Ma Xiaotao and suppressing her Evil Fire.

The moment Elder Zhuang landed, he looked toward Ma Xiaotao, who was encased in ice mid-air. His expression shifted drastically, and just as he was about to intervene, he abruptly halted his steps.

He could clearly sense that not only was Ma Xiaotao unharmed within the ice, but the violent Evil Fire that had been on the verge of incinerating her very origin was being thoroughly suppressed by this extreme chill. Even her damaged meridians were slowly mending under the nourishment of the ice seal.

What shocked him even more was that this freezing power was suppressing the violent aura of the Evil Fire Phoenix at the level of its fundamental laws.

He had studied Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire for over a decade, and despite exhausting countless methods, he had only ever managed to barely suppress it. Yet, this ice seal had managed to make the Evil Fire completely docile at its very root.

Elder Zhuang slowly turned his head, his sharp gaze falling upon the four youths by the lake, eventually resting on Gu Yuena.

It was this silver-haired, purple-eyed young girl who had just frozen Ma Xiaotao.

However, when he probed carefully, he could only sense that this young girl possessed the cultivation of a mere Level 45 Soul Ancestor.

But how could a Level 45 Soul Ancestor, with a casual wave of her hand, freeze a Soul Emperor of over Level 60, and furthermore, completely suppress an Evil Fire Phoenix that even he found troublesome?

What surprised him even more was that these four children, facing the violent eruption of the Evil Fire and the pressure of a Titled Douluo, showed not a hint of panic. Their expressions remained calm, and their breathing did not even falter, as if what had just occurred was a trivial matter.

Such composure was rare even for core disciples of the Inner Court, let alone children of twelve or thirteen.

A storm raged in Elder Zhuang's heart, yet he did not let it show on his face.

His tone was filled with sincere gratitude: "Thank you all for stepping in to stop the out-of-control Xiaotao; otherwise, the consequences today would have been unthinkable."

If Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire had fully erupted and surged into the crowd, he did not know how many students would have been killed or injured, and he would certainly have been unable to shirk the blame.

Now, not only had they stopped Ma Xiaotao without causing her the slightest harm, but they had even helped her suppress the Evil Fire; this debt of gratitude was not light.

Gu Yuan nodded slightly, his tone peaceful: "You are too kind, Your Excellency. It was merely a small effort. We happened to be here, and we could not simply watch this senior sister lose control and hurt others."

Watching Gu Yuan's calm and collected demeanor, Elder Zhuang secretly marveled. To be so composed and measured in the face of a Titled Douluo at such a young age—this temperament was truly rare.

His expression gradually turned serious as he spoke in a deep voice to the four: "Today's matter is of great importance. The defect in Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire is the highest secret of Shrek Academy and must never be leaked. Otherwise, it will cause repercussions for the academy. Therefore, you must keep your lips sealed regarding today's events and never mention it to anyone."

Once the defect of the Evil Fire Phoenix became known to the outside world, especially to hostile forces, they would inevitably find ways to target Ma Xiaotao or even use her Evil Fire to act against Shrek.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency," Gu Yuan said calmly.

"We understand the stakes. The four of us will never utter a single word about today's events to the outside world."

Huo Yuhao and the others nodded immediately, each promising to keep the secret.

Seeing this, Elder Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell that these children were people of their word and not ones to speak lightly.

He raised his hand and retrieved a jade bottle from his storage Soul Tool, opening the stopper to pour out four pills that were translucent and emitted a faint glow.

As soon as the pills were revealed, a rich medicinal fragrance permeated the surrounding air; just smelling it made one feel their soul power becoming active.

Elder Zhuang handed the four pills to the youths, saying solemnly:

"These are Soul Ascension Pills. They can stabilize a soul master's foundation and increase soul power cultivation; they have miraculous effects for soul masters at your level. A small gift to express my gratitude."

Soul Ascension Pill!

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened as he looked at the pill in his hand, and he gasped.

He had read books about medicinal pills in the Shrek library and knew all too well how precious these Soul Ascension Pills were.

Even within Shrek Academy, they were extremely rare treasures, and only core disciples of the Inner Court had the chance to obtain one. A single Soul Ascension Pill could fetch a sky-high price of hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coins at an outside auction.

For Elder Zhuang to give one to each of them was a gesture of immense generosity.

Gu Yuan looked at the pill in his hand and did not decline, nodding slightly: "Thank you, Your Excellency."

Gu Yuena also quietly accepted the pill, nodding slightly to Elder Zhuang.

Only Qiu'er, after receiving the pill, curiously held it in her hand, turning it over to examine it.

The young girl brought it to her nose and sniffed, her eyes lighting up. She felt the pill smelled sweet and fragrant, no different from the fruit candies she usually ate.

She loved candy, and seeing this round, sweet-smelling pill, she could not resist.

Just as Elder Zhuang was about to remind them once more to keep the secret and prepare to unseal Ma Xiaotao to leave, a shocking scene unfolded.

Qiu'er raised her hand and tossed the incredibly precious Soul Ascension Pill directly into her mouth, crunching down on it like a piece of candy, chewing with great relish.

After finishing, she smacked her lips and asked Elder Zhuang with a satisfied expression: "Grandpa, this candy 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 more?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhuang froze in place, his eyes bulging as he looked at the innocent-looking Qiu'er. His mind went blank, and he even wondered if he had misheard.

A Soul Ascension Pill! A Grade 5 medicinal pill! A cultivation treasure that countless soul masters would break their heads trying to snatch!

This little girl had actually treated it like a piece of candy and crunched it up? And she was asking him if he had more to give her?!

Huo Yuhao was also stunned, the Soul Ascension Pill in his hand nearly falling to the ground. He stared at Qiu'er, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, unable to recover for a long time.

He never dreamed that Qiu'er would be so bold as to eat such a precious Soul Ascension Pill like a piece of candy!

Even Gu Yuan, who had remained calm throughout, couldn't help but rub his forehead, looking helpless. He had forgotten that this little one was the Emperor Auspicious Beast; she had been eating supreme heavenly treasures and immortal herbs since she was young. In her eyes, a Soul Ascension Pill was indeed no different from an ordinary candy.

Gu Yuena was even more annoyed and helpless, reaching out to pinch Qiu'er's ear as she whispered: "Qiu'er, no mischief. This is medicine, not candy. How can you just eat it like that?"

"But it's sweet and delicious," Qiu'er blinked innocently.

"Plus, it feels warm and comfortable after eating it! Look, Sister Yue, I'm perfectly fine."

As she spoke, a faint golden light flickered around her body; her aura was not the least bit chaotic, but rather even more rounded and clear.

The medicinal power of the Soul Ascension Pill was easily and completely absorbed by her Emperor Auspicious Beast physiology, without a single shred going to waste.

Forget about a backlash from the pill; she didn't even show the slightest sign of discomfort, as if she had truly just eaten an ordinary candy bean.

Elder Zhuang finally snapped back to his senses, hurriedly stepping forward to carefully examine Jin Ruiqiu's body. Upon inspection, he gasped in shock.

He had originally assumed the little girl was ignorant and had taken the pill recklessly, which would surely have damaged her meridians from the violent medicinal energy or even harmed her foundation.

Yet, upon checking, he discovered that not only was the little girl completely unharmed, but the soul power within her body had become even more solid. In fact, that innate aura of auspiciousness even faintly soothed the hidden injuries he had accumulated from years of cultivation.

What shocked him even more was that he was completely unable to see through the little girl's martial soul; he could only sense that a vast, boundless fortune of auspiciousness was hidden within her, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to gather toward her of its own accord.

What kind of monster is this?!

A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor, a silver-haired girl who could freeze a Soul Emperor with a wave of her hand, a little girl who treated a Soul Ascension Pill like a candy bean with no side effects, a boy with a transparent mind and terrifying composure, and a genius with a spiritual attribute.

Elder Zhuang had lived for a hundred years and had never seen such outrageous geniuses.

He forcibly suppressed the raging waves in his heart, looked at Jin Ruiqiu, who was gazing at him with anticipation, and couldn't help but twitch his lips, smiling bitterly as he said, "This Soul Ascension Pill is not easy to refine; I don't have many left."

He was truly stunned by this little girl and had developed an unprecedented curiosity about these four children.

These four children were definitely not ordinary scions of noble families; there must be an unfathomable background behind them.

Elder Zhuang smiled helplessly, reminded the four of them once more to keep the matter confidential, and then did not linger any longer.

He raised his hand to undo the ice seal Gu Yuena had cast, carefully caught the still-unconscious Ma Xiaotao, and then hurriedly turned to return to the Inner Court with her.

He had to report what happened today to the Sea God Pavilion immediately. These four youths from Douluo Hall absolutely required closer attention.

Watching Elder Zhuang's departing back, the lakeside returned to tranquility.

Gu Yuan turned around, looked at Jin Ruiqiu, who was still happily swaying, and shook his head helplessly: "You really are a little glutton. Even though the Soul Ascension Pill doesn't harm you, you can't just eat it whenever you want, you know?"

"I know." Jin Ruiqiu stuck out her tongue, leaned over to his side, and tugged on his sleeve.

"But it really tastes delicious."

Gu Yuena sighed helplessly, yet still reached out to gently wipe the medicinal powder from the corner of her mouth.

Huo Yuhao watched this scene, came back to his senses, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Ruiqiu, you really are amazing. This is the first time I've seen someone eat a Soul Ascension Pill like a candy bean."

The four of them smiled at each other and turned to walk toward the dormitory area.

The sunset vanished completely, and the night gradually shrouded Shrek Academy. The surface of Sea God Lake returned to calm, as if the thrilling eruption of evil fire from just moments ago had never happened.