Ma Xiaotao Challenges Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen's Terror

"Dai Yueheng!! What the hell are you doing!!"

Following this shrill cry laced with explosive fury that detonated in mid-air, a ball of dark red fire descended like a falling star, slamming into the ground between Dai Yueheng and Huo Yuhao.

The violent heatwave instantly tore Dai Yueheng's six-ring Soul Emperor pressure to shreds.

Ma Xiaotao stood in front of Huo Yuhao, hands on her hips, her beautiful eyes burning with rage as she glared at Dai Yueheng, pointing at his nose and berating him without a shred of courtesy.

"Dai Yueheng, have you no shame left?"

"A dignified six-ring Soul Emperor, running to the Outer Court to bully a first-ring freshman?"

"Has the upbringing of your White Tiger Duke Mansion been fed to the dogs!"

Dai Yueheng's brows knit together sharply, and he was forced to retract his soul power.

He looked at the suddenly intervening Ma Xiaotao, his expression turning incredibly ugly.

Dai Yueheng had never expected things to escalate to this point, nor had he expected Ma Xiaotao to appear here so suddenly.

Does she not have her own business to attend to? Why does she keep running to a grilled fish stall every single day??!

The situation had already exceeded Dai Yueheng's expectations, and he felt a pang of regret, realizing he had acted impulsively.

As the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Yueheng had always understood the balance of gains and losses.

He had assumed his approach would be a sure thing, or at the very least, leave a decent impression on Huo Yuhao, thereby consolidating his own image as a kind and approachable senior among the students.

Who would have thought that this Huo Yuhao would have such a temper, repeatedly targeting him on purpose and causing him to lose his composure.

He had only acted on impulse, and now not only was the persona he had cultivated for years at risk, but he was also getting into a conflict with Ma Xiaotao—it was a total loss.

A complete disaster.

But since things had reached this point, Dai Yueheng could only take a deep breath, forcibly maintaining the decorum of a senior, and began to explain.

"Xiaotao, you've misunderstood."

"This kid spoke to me with disrespect, I was merely trying to teach him some rules on behalf of the academy."

Behind Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao silently swallowed the trace of extreme cold energy that had just spilled to his lips.

Ma Xiaotao's appearance had also caught him off guard.

But looking at the current situation, it seemed there would be no need for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm to take action.

Dai Yueheng might feel unconvinced in his heart, thinking that Ma Xiaotao's arrival had saved the freshman before him, but in reality, it was Ma Xiaotao's arrival that had saved him.

Hearing Dai Yueheng say he wanted to teach him some rules, Huo Yuhao twitched the corner of his mouth but said nothing.

Ma Xiaotao, however, was not having it.

"Teach him rules? Who do you think you are, that it's your turn to teach him rules?"

Facing Dai Yueheng's attempt at an explanation, Ma Xiaotao didn't buy it at all; once her temper flared, she gave no one face.

"I think you're just used to being beaten down by me in the Inner Court and, feeling bitter about it, ran over here to find a punching bag, didn't you!"

"If you're not convinced, come at me! What kind of skill is it to bully a junior!"

Dai Yueheng was infuriated by her unreasonable badgering.

As the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, although he had inherited the Evil Eye White Tiger martial soul, he lacked a matching Hell Spirit Cat, which inevitably led to criticism back home.

He was already brooding over Huo Yuhao's words of "you are not worthy," and now, being pointed at and scolded by Ma Xiaotao, even a clay figurine would have three parts of anger.

"Ma Xiaotao, don't be too arrogant!"

Dai Yueheng took a step forward, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his pupils.

"This is the Outer Court, not a place for you to run wild!"

"So what if it's the Outer Court? I can beat you anywhere!"

Ma Xiaotao clenched her fists, showing no fear of Dai Yueheng, and even stepped forward twice, her knuckles popping with a crisp sound.

Ever since she had completely resolved the hidden danger of her Evil Fire, she had been looking for a place to test her current limits!

"Cut the crap, if you've got the guts, follow me to the Soul Fighting Zone!"

"If I don't beat you until you're crawling on the floor looking for your teeth today, my name isn't Ma Xiaotao!"

Dai Yueheng laughed out of extreme anger. As a genius of the Inner Court, he might truly be inferior to Ma Xiaotao in talent, but he was not someone she could humiliate like this, so he agreed.

"Fine! To the Soul Fighting Zone it is!"

"I'd like to see how you plan to beat me until I'm crawling on the floor looking for my teeth today!"

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the Soul Fighting Zone.

The two were like needles against wheat awns, the smell of gunpowder so thick it was almost ready to explode.

Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao let out a cold snort, turned her head to look at Huo Yuhao, and her tone instantly softened.

"Yuhao, wait here, I'm going to vent your anger for you!!"

But Huo Yuhao untied his apron and tossed it onto the chair.

"Sister Xiaotao, I'll go with you."

Having someone else beat up your enemy for you—how could one miss such a spectacle?

Wang Dong had been watching from the side, completely stunned.

Once she snapped back to reality, she raised her hand as well.

"I'm going too!"

Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao turned to look at Wang Dong. Her first glance landed on Wang Dong's face, a flicker of amazement in her eyes, while she couldn't help but sigh inwardly that this person was so delicate they looked just like a girl.

Only then did Wang Dong realize that this seemed to be their first meeting. She recognized Ma Xiaotao, but Ma Xiaotao likely had no idea who she was.

Thus, Wang Dong gave a simple introduction.

"Um, hello Sister Xiaotao, I'm Huo Yuhao's roommate..."

Before she could even finish, Ma Xiaotao waved her hand and agreed immediately.

"Since you're a friend of Huo Yuhao, then let's go."

"Watch me give him a good beating to vent some anger for Huo Yuhao!"

With that, she led the two of them toward the Soul Fighting Zone.

This sudden turn of events left the surrounding outer court students completely dumbfounded.

Soon, they realized that something big was happening—no, that there was a great show to be seen.

This was a showdown between top-tier combatants from the inner court!

A scene they couldn't even dream of seeing usually was actually going to unfold in the outer court dueling arena today?!

Holy crap, this is massive news!

Consequently, the group of outer court students stopped eating and abandoned their businesses, swarming toward the Soul Fighting Zone in a frenzy.

As they ran, they notified their friends to come along and witness this earth-shattering drama!

After everyone had dispersed, not far from Huo Yuhao's grilled fish stall, Ling Luochen slowly emerged from the shadows. Her beautiful brows were tightly knitted together, her face full of disbelief, and her breathing even grew somewhat rapid.

She stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's departing back, her typically cold and aloof face now filled with shock.

Ling Luochen had only come to take a look because she was curious about the "little junior" Ma Xiaotao had mentioned.

However, compared to Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen's intentions were much simpler.

She just wanted to see what kind of sacred figure could actually subdue Ma Xiaotao.

So, even after arriving, Ling Luochen had only intended to take a distant look before heading back.

It was nothing special, after all.

Her heart had been calm, and she had even doubted the truth of Ma Xiaotao's words.

Could such an unremarkable student really cure the Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao?

Just a moment ago, when Dai Yueheng released his pressure, Ling Luochen had intended to intervene.

After all, they were all inner court disciples, and it wouldn't look good to cause such a scene in the outer court.

But just as she prepared to act, Ling Luochen sensed a trace of an extremely terrifying chill emanating from Huo Yuhao.

A mere ripple of it was enough to bring the circulation of her own ice-attribute soul power—which she took such pride in—to a complete standstill.

It wasn't fear.

It was the instinctual submission of a Martial Soul!

Ling Luochen made her judgment in an instant.

That was no ordinary ice attribute.

That was... Ultimate Ice!

Ling Luochen's Martial Soul was the Ice Element, and her perception of the ice attribute far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

Although that momentary chill had been extremely faint, even masked by the aura of Ma Xiaotao's flames, she could never be mistaken.

That purity, capable of freezing even the soul—it could be nothing other than Ultimate Ice!

"Who... exactly is he?"

Ling Luochen muttered to herself.

An outer court freshman with only a ten-year first soul ring, who could not only help Ma Xiaotao resolve her Evil Fire but also harbored Ultimate Ice?

This was madness.

She took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in her heart, then flashed away, darting in the direction of the Soul Fighting Zone.