Seeing that Huo Yuhao had noticed her, Ma Xiaotao asked curiously,
"Junior, what are you doing?"
Ma Xiaotao's curiosity was only natural. She had been at Shrek for so many years, yet this was the first time she had seen someone burn incense before the Sea God Statue at the entrance.
"Nothing. It's just a habit."
Facing the genius beauty everyone in the Inner Academy recognized, Huo Yuhao only smiled and answered naturally.
"I grew up listening to stories about the Sea God. My family always said that the Sea God would cast his gaze upon the devout and bless them."
"I want to receive the Sea God's blessing too, so life will be a little easier for me in the future."
"Is that so?"
Ma Xiaotao nodded, only half understanding. She hadn't heard anything wrong in what Huo Yuhao had said. If anything, she felt that this junior was especially sincere.
A few days ago, she had heard about someone burning incense before the Sea God Statue. She'd happened to run into him today, so she'd come over to take a look.
She hadn't expected that to be the reason.
What a simple, good kid.
Ma Xiaotao immediately labeled Huo Yuhao that way in her mind.
Huo Yuhao said nothing, only kept smiling.
That was the magic of words.
After all, Huo Yuhao really hadn't lied.
In a sense, what he had just told Ma Xiaotao was one of the rare times he'd spoken from the heart in a long while.
He truly wanted God King Tang to look his way soon and hurry up and send the God of Slaughter inside him packing.
But more pressing than that was the fact that they seemed to be standing a little too close.
Earlier, to avoid disturbing Huo Yuhao while satisfying her curiosity, Ma Xiaotao had unconsciously inched closer and closer.
Now Huo Yuhao could even feel her warm breath.
Ma Xiaotao, however, hadn't noticed at all. She continued leaning closer, her body tilted forward in a rather suggestive pose.
Huo Yuhao didn't even know where to look.
His gaze kept being drawn to places he really shouldn't be looking.
It wasn't his fault. Ma Xiaotao's stats were simply off the charts. Even her specially tailored uniform looked like it could barely contain her, and from this close, the valley between her breasts was crystal clear.
If Huo Yuhao had his way, he'd change her name from Ma Xiaotao to Ma Big Peach. That would suit her much better.
If Tang Ya were here, she'd probably burst into tears,
then start wondering if a body like that was even humanly possible.
And finally, she'd protest in all seriousness:
How are you supposed to play the game if you don't nerf those stats??!!
Fortunately, once Huo Yuhao had answered her question, Ma Xiaotao's curiosity was satisfied and she straightened up again. Even so, her chest remained eye-catching.
Ma Xiaotao's figure had advantages beyond her chest. Every other part of her was just as impressive.
A tall, statuesque beauty, Ma Xiaotao had exceptionally straight legs and not an ounce of excess fat on her.
Her waist was slender, while the curves above and below it were exaggerated. But thanks to her frequent training, this didn't detract from her overall beauty. Instead, it gave her a remarkably sleek, perfect figure.
Although Ma Xiaotao wore a veil that hid her face, it still couldn't conceal her breathtaking beauty.
"So, are you leaving now?"
Ma Xiaotao felt none of the awkwardness of having stood too close to the junior before her—or rather, given her personality, she probably hadn't even realized it. Instead, she continued the conversation they'd been having.
Honestly, she quite liked this junior. For some reason, she wanted to chat with him a little longer.
"Yeah. I'm heading to the market."
Huo Yuhao nodded without hiding it.
There was no need to hide it. Ma Xiaotao was straightforward by nature, so there was no need to beat around the bush when talking to her.
"I'm heading to the market too. Want to go together?"
Just as expected, the moment Huo Yuhao finished speaking, Ma Xiaotao invited him along without a second thought.
As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to hesitate about. She had nothing else to do, and the Evil Fire inside her showed no signs of flaring up anytime soon.
Besides, she rather liked this junior, so she could take a little walk and clear her head.
"Sure."
Huo Yuhao smiled and accepted. He had no reason to refuse.
"By the way, I'm Ma Xiaotao. You can call me Sister Xiaotao. What's your name, junior?"
Ma Xiaotao asked casually.
"Sister Xiaotao, my name is Huo Yuhao. I'm a new student."
Huo Yuhao answered honestly, and the two of them started walking together toward the market outside the city gates.
"A new student, huh?"
Ma Xiaotao nodded, then waved a hand grandly.
"From now on, your big sister Xiaotao will have your back. If anyone bullies you, just give them my name!"
"Got it, Sister Xiaotao."
Huo Yuhao could only play along.
He had to admit, Ma Xiaotao's personality was just as likable as her figure.
Unfortunately, the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul meant she was destined to be an unstable, dangerous factor.
But was it really impossible to change that?
Huo Yuhao suddenly thought of something.
On Douluo Continent, Martial Souls were never set in stone. The more exceptional the Martial Soul, the more likely it was to mutate.
Of course, mutations could be good or bad, and they also depended on the Martial Soul's original quality.
Take Yu Xiaogang, for example.
As a classic case of Martial Soul Mutation, he was clearly the kind that had failed completely.
Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix was perfectly fine in terms of quality. It was the Evil Fire that made her unstable.
What had made Huo Yuhao think of this was the Ghost Killing Art.
In the original story, they had always relied on opposing attributes to suppress the Evil Fire. They hadn't been able to solve the fundamental problem at the Evil Fire's core.
But what if Ma Xiaotao could control the Evil Fire herself, suppress it, or even overcome it?
After all, Evil Fire was a manifestation of the desires in one's heart.
And part of the Ghost Killing Art described how to control one's emotions and transform them into killing intent.
If Ma Xiaotao could use this method to control the Evil Fire, could she fix the flaw in her Martial Soul and even set it on a positive path?
At this thought, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.
The more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed.
After all, ten thousand years ago, there had already been an example of an Evil Fire Phoenix purging its Evil Fire and successfully undergoing a positive mutation.
Ma Hongjun had relied on Immortal Herbs dug up by Tang San, though, which still counted as outside help.
Perhaps the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well still contained those Immortal Herbs, but with his current strength, he could forget about laying claim to anything there for now.
There was no need to take that risk for Ma Xiaotao, whom he'd only just met. It wasn't something he should know at this point; knowing too much could arouse suspicion.
But that example had also proved that the flaw in the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul lay in the Evil Fire. Remove the Evil Fire, and everything would develop in a positive direction.
What excited Huo Yuhao most was this:
If this really worked, wouldn't it prove that the arrival of the Ghost Demon Venerable wasn't necessarily a bad thing for him?
If used properly, the Ghost Demon Venerable's power could instead help him change his original fate.
Like... God King Tang's plan to train him like a dog?
From the very beginning, Huo Yuhao had understood one thing: he couldn't defeat God King Tang with the native power of Douluo Continent.
After all, Tang San already stood at the very peak of this entire power system, with everything locked down.
Without some new variable entering the picture, no matter how much Huo Yuhao struggled, he would never escape the God King's grasp.
But now, he already had a variable.
The Ghost Demon Venerable was that variable.
Though this variable might be even more dangerous than God King Tang, it was still a variable.
Huo Yuhao began to think seriously.
His greatest advantage right now was that neither the God King nor the Ghost Demon Venerable really treated him like a person.
That was because he was still too weak.
But that might not be bad news.
It gave him the chance to keep switching sides between them.
In the ideal scenario, Huo Yuhao would use Tang San to eliminate the Ghost Demon Venerable, then use the power he gained from the Ghost Demon Venerable to stab God King Tang in the back! He'd break free of this damn dog-training plan!!
Huo Yuhao had felt that impulse for a long time, but he had never seriously considered whether it was actually feasible.
There was only one reason: the Ghost Demon Venerable's oppressive presence was simply too overwhelming.
Every day, the first thing Huo Yuhao had to do after opening his eyes was make sure he was still himself.
That pressure had forced him to settle for the safest option: get rid of the Ghost Demon Venerable first, then think about the rest.
But now, Ma Xiaotao's appearance had given him an opening.
She had made him realize that perhaps the God King's plan wasn't completely unbreakable.
At the very least, using the Ghost Demon Venerable's power was feasible.
It was just extremely risky.
Reality naturally couldn't be as ideal as he imagined.
Neither the Ghost Demon Venerable nor God King Tang would act entirely according to his wishes.
But at least there was hope, wasn't there?
Who would want to be someone else's dog? Huo Yuhao certainly didn't. He'd just had no choice before.
Now, the Ghost Demon Venerable had arrived.
The opportunity was right in front of him. Huo Yuhao had to consider whether this might be the only chance he'd ever get.
No, there was no need to consider it. This was his only chance.
There was only one thing Huo Yuhao had to think over: once he made this decision, he'd never have the chance to live in peace again.
Trying to seize that sliver of hope amid the schemes of the Ghost Demon Venerable and God King Tang was so dangerous that calling it dancing on the edge of a blade would be an understatement.
If he chose this plan, he'd either emerge as the final winner or die without a complete corpse. There was no third possibility.
Should he do it or not? That was the question.
"..."
What kind of question was that?!
Huo Yuhao suddenly surged with excitement. What was there to hesitate about? He'd do it, damn it!!
You dog of a God King, you think you can control my fate? Bah!!
My fate is mine to decide, not Heaven's!!
Damn it, before the Ghost Demon Venerable arrived, you wanted to train me like a dog. I had nothing to say about it.
But now that the Ghost Demon Venerable was here, you still wanted to train me like a dog? Then what the hell had the Venerable come for??!
Huo Yuhao raised his middle finger at the sky.
Little Scumbag!
Shine my shoes!!
Before you continue