The lingering traces of ice and fire intertwined across the scorched earth. Red and blue specks drifted like fireflies, outlining the scene of the earth-shaking collision that had just taken place.
At the center of this strange sight, Ma Xiaotao was practically hanging off Long Jinyu.
The boy's slender fingers unconsciously stroked her back, while her arms clamped tightly around his slight frame.
Both had their eyes closed, as if immersed in a world where only the two of them existed.
Until—
"Everyone, stand aside!"
A low command rang out abruptly.
It was the head of the teaching department, Du Weilun, who had hurried over with several teachers.
When they saw the scene before them, every one of them froze in place.
"Seal off the area at once."
Du Weilun's eyelid twitched. He hastily set up a soundproof barrier and gave the order in a hushed voice.
His gaze fell upon the two "beautiful young girls" locked in an embrace, and he couldn't look away.
Ma Xiaotao's clothes were slightly torn, while the one holding her in his arms...
A "girl"?
At least, that was what he thought—
Although his clothes were more or less intact, a large expanse of snowy-white skin showed at his collar.
The scene was certainly enough to set one's imagination running wild.
Could it have an adverse effect on the students' mental health?
"Director, that Taiji Diagram... could it be the remnants of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" a teacher beside him couldn't help murmuring.
"No, that's not it." Du Weilun frowned, his gaze fixed on the ice-blue Soul Power swirling around Long Jinyu. "This ice attribute... it's incredibly pure. Even purer than that one from the Ling family..."
"Wait, who is that 'girl'? Since when did the Outer Court have such an ice-type genius?" another teacher asked in confusion.
Du Weilun shook his head. "There's no record of him. Perhaps he's a new student who hasn't registered yet."
"Then should we first—"
"No need."
A gentle yet unquestionable voice suddenly came from behind them.
Du Weilun whipped around.
A silver-white figure descended from the sky. The old man's landing stirred up a gust that swept aside the ice crystals scattered across the ground. His eyes blazed as he stared at the embracing pair, and his smile grew wider and wider.
"Dean Yan!" Du Weilun hurriedly saluted. "What brings you here in person?"
"Old Du." Yan Shaozhe waved a hand, his gaze never leaving Long Jinyu. "We've struck gold this time!"
"You mean... 'her' ice attribute?" Du Weilun leaned closer, catching his meaning.
"Ultimate Ice." Yan Shaozhe's voice brimmed with barely restrained delight. "And I can't even see through his Martial Soul."
"It's Ultimate Ice?!" Du Weilun's pupils contracted. "Does that mean... Xiaotao's Evil Fire..."
"That's exactly why I'm so happy." Yan Shaozhe nodded, his smile deepening as he gestured for the other teachers to leave. "And there's more. Mu En also..."
"What!"
Du Weilun drew in a sharp breath. He glanced at Long Jinyu's delicate, almost androgynous face and murmured:
"I see. Thank you for enlightening me, Dean."
"B-but this 'girl' is only eleven or twelve. Can 'she' withstand it with that level of Soul Power? What if it damages her foundations..."
Yan Shaozhe shook his head. "He's no girl. Besides, you're underestimating him. Apart from him, have you ever seen anyone at his age dispel Xiaotao's Phoenix Meteor Shower so effortlessly?"
Du Weilun was speechless. His gaze swept over the terrifying ravine on the ground, where ice and fire intertwined.
"The dean is absolutely right." He hesitated, then lowered his voice. "He's... actually a boy?"
"What, surprised?"
Yan Shaozhe smiled.
"Let them spend some more time together."
A shrewd glint shone in his eyes.
"If they happen to spark a little..."
Du Weilun: "..."
The silence was deafening.
Just then, Ma Xiaotao stirred. The two elders immediately fell silent and, in perfect accord, withdrew into the trees' shadows.
[Quest complete: Help Ma Xiaotao suppress her Evil Fire] [Reward: 5,201,314 points have been issued]
"Tsk... System... you..."
Ma Xiaotao and Long Jinyu remained locked in an embrace for a long time—an entire hour.
When she slowly came to, her awareness gradually returned, and her memories of what had happened came surging back like a tide: the agony of the Evil Fire burning through her, the shame of reaching out for an embrace, the boy's cool, gentle warmth...
"Whoosh!"
A wave of heat rushed to her cheeks. Her entire face flushed crimson, as though it might bleed.
"You—!"
Without a word, she shoved Long Jinyu away.
Hidden nearby, Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilun both widened their eyes and looked at each other.
"That girl..." Yan Shaozhe pressed a hand to his forehead. "She uses the poor boy and then turns on him. She's even more trouble than the Evil Fire!"
Caught off guard, Long Jinyu stumbled a few steps and fell flat on his back with a thud.
"Ow!"
He cried out as he landed squarely on his backside. His jet-black hair was now covered in dust. It hadn't hurt that much, but he looked utterly bedraggled.
Ma Xiaotao's toe instinctively shifted half a step toward him, then stopped dead.
She scanned the area and, once she was sure no one was around, breathed a sigh of relief. Then she planted her hands on her hips and glared down at Long Jinyu, forcing herself to sound composed as she cleared her throat.
"Ahem... Don't tell anyone about what happened just now! Got it?"
"Waaah! You—"
Long Jinyu's face was pale, and his fingers trembled as he clutched his sore backside, looking utterly incredulous.
"I went to all that trouble to help you, and you—you treat me like this?!"
"W-who told you to get so close? I only gave you a little push! Who knew you'd be so frail?" Ma Xiaotao felt guilty under his wounded gaze, but she still stubbornly argued back.
〔A little push? Xiaotao, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what "a little" means?!〕
〔Hmph! Can't you see I'm practically falling apart? And you can't even spare me a word of concern...〕
〔Besides, did I want to get that close? I've never seen anyone toss aside the millstone donkey so fast after the job was done!〕
Long Jinyu grumbled furiously in his heart, his eyes wide with disbelief. His whole face seemed to say, "You're twisting the truth!"
"Xiaotao, Xiaotao..." Yan Shaozhe was exasperated. "He helped you out of kindness. If you act like this, won't you break his heart?"
Ma Xiaotao put on a tough front. "A-anyway! Don't tell anyone what happened today! Otherwise—"
"Fine. Got it." Long Jinyu cut her off coldly, brushing the dust from his clothes before turning to leave without looking back. "I'll pretend none of this ever happened. You take your broad, sunny road, and I'll cross my narrow, rickety bridge."
〔I gave you my whole heart, and you turned cold in an instant! You changed faces faster than you can turn a page!〕
〔What a kind and magnanimous big sister! You're just unreasonable... Hmph!〕
〔Forget it, forget it! From now on, do whatever you want! If those filthy Holy Spirit Cult bastards kidnap you, what's that got to do with me? Out of sight, out of mind!〕
He was quick to hurl harsh words at her. In his heart, he cursed Ma Xiaotao eight hundred times over, but all he could picture was how much pain she had been in moments ago. His pace slowed with every step, and his ears secretly perked up as he waited for her to say something.
"It's over, it's over! Xiaotao, go after him! This concerns your lifelong happiness... I mean, your safety!" Yan Shaozhe was so anxious he stamped his feet.
Du Weilun grabbed him tightly. "Dean! Calm down! You're the dean!"
Seeing that Long Jinyu was really leaving, Ma Xiaotao finally panicked. She dashed forward and blocked his way.
"Wait! I—I wasn't thinking straight just now... I didn't mean to! Don't be angry!"
〔Tch~, you think an apology can make everything even? As if anything in the world were that easy! I'm not going to forgive you just like that~〕
"You don't think you're apologizing a little late?" Long Jinyu stopped and shot her a sidelong glance.
Ma Xiaotao was at a loss for words. Her cheeks burned even hotter, and she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it. She didn't understand why she'd pushed him on a sudden impulse, either...
She gritted her teeth and grabbed Long Jinyu's arm.
"I really know I was wrong! If you'll forgive me, I'll do anything!"
〔!!!〕
〔Anything? Does that mean... you'd cook for me, too...〕
〔Pah, pah, pah! Long Jinyu, you bastard, what are you thinking?!〕
〔Get a grip!〕
〔She's sincerely apologizing, and you're thinking... You're worse than a beast!〕
Long Jinyu's thoughts raced in every direction. He was a tsundere himself, the kind who softened for a gentle approach but not a harsh one. He'd only acted that way because he'd been angered into showing his true colors.
What's more, he was a big-sister fanatic, utterly defenseless against a "radiant and generous" older girl like Ma Xiaotao.
"Hmph. Since you're sincerely admitting your mistake..." He turned his face away, unable to suppress the corners of his mouth. "I'll reluctantly forgive you this once."
〔Hehe... Getting big sister Xiaotao to lower her head and admit she was wrong... That feels... not bad at all!〕
Ma Xiaotao breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing. But the next second, she grabbed Long Jinyu by the collar again and fixed him with a burning stare.
"Then... will you still help me suppress my Evil Fire from now on?"
Long Jinyu silently pieced together the plot he remembered.
According to the original story, during the Star Luo Empire tournament, Ma Rulong would use the "Sword of Judgment" to fully awaken the dark attribute within Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul. That would also become the turning point that drew the Holy Spirit Cult's attention to her.
At the thought, his heart sank. Still, he lifted his face into a smile and met Ma Xiaotao's gaze with unwavering eyes.
"I can help you, but..."
He held up three fingers. "Senior Xiaotao has to agree to three things."
"Three?" Ma Xiaotao's brows drew together, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes. "Let's hear them."
She'd known the little brat wouldn't give in so easily. Sure enough, he was already bargaining.
"First, in a little while, you'll come with me to apologize to the students you nearly injured."
"Second, if you run into an Evil Soul Master in the future, don't get caught up in a fight. You must retreat at once, then come find me... to help you."
"Third..."
He paused, then gently brushed the ash from Ma Xiaotao's hair, his touch as tender as if he were handling fragile crystal.
"Stop trying to be so tough. From now on... I'll take care of things. Please let your junior share your burden!"
The words "I'll be your support" had almost slipped out, but he forced them back down his throat. His heart pounded against his chest, and his fingertips still remembered the cool touch of her hair.
He abruptly came to his senses—he'd gone too far!
The person before him...
Was the cherished genius of Shrek Inner Court.
Was Ma Xiaotao, the proud, fiery "Fire Phoenix Heavenly Maiden."
She wasn't the heart-wrenching character from another world, a fictional figure behind the pages of a book.
How long had they even known each other? An hour? Two?
To Ma Xiaotao right now, he, Long Jinyu, was nothing but a "junior" she'd just met, one with some unusual tricks.
To say something so intimate, something almost like a promise, would only make him seem frivolous and reckless—or worse... like a lecher with ulterior motives.
His concern, his desperate wish to protect her from the tragedy already set in motion, had to be wrapped in the reasonable guise of a "junior's responsibility" for her to accept.
Just like... just like those words "share your burden." They were already as far as he could go while testing the limits of propriety.
Some words, some feelings, couldn't be rushed. You had to take the road one step at a time, and let the tea... Well, wait for the water to boil and the leaves to unfurl before savoring the true flavor.
Rushing things? You'd only burn your tongue and leave your heart cold.
Ma Xiaotao was genuinely surprised. As she thought over the three conditions, she realized not one of them benefited the little brat himself. Every word and every sentence was for her sake.
In that instant, her heart skipped a beat. An unfamiliar warmth welled up inside her, as if she'd been wrapped in a warm feather cloak in the dead of winter. Her heart seemed filled with something called a sense of security.
"Y-you little brat, why are you suddenly saying something like that?!"
She hurriedly let go of his collar and turned her head away, evading his gaze.
"Who said I needed you to share my burden? I can handle everything myself!"
But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Only she knew the agony of the Evil Fire devouring her heart, and this boy before her was the only one who could ease her torment.
"...Forget it!"
She irritably raked a hand through her hair.
"Since you're being so sincere, I'll agree! But let's get one thing straight! Don't think you can use this to boss me around!"
"Oh, and there's one more thing..." Long Jinyu seemed to remember something. He suddenly took Ma Xiaotao's hand and gently pressed it to his chest.
"You have to be responsible for soothing this place..."
"Actually, we're 'in the same boat.' My Martial Soul sometimes goes out of control, too."
"And your Phoenix Flame seems to help stabilize my Soul Power. That way, we'll be helping each other."
He drew a faintly glowing rune in the palm of her left hand. "This is my 'Dragon Pattern Contract.' When your Evil Fire flares up, you can contact me anytime."
Ma Xiaotao's fingertips trembled slightly.
The coolness of the boy's palm seeped through her skin, and the beat of his heart was clear beneath his chest.
"Outrageous!"
She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but froze when the rune took shape—
A tiny dragon shadow swam across her palm, sending waves of comfort through her.
"...Fine. As long as it works."
The tips of her ears were faintly red, and her voice softened without her realizing it.
"...Helping each other, is that it... I understand. The rune... is nice. Thank you..."
"Don't mention it, Senior. It's my honor to help you." A smile appeared on Long Jinyu's face. He bowed slightly, his tone humble.
Yan Shaozhe, perched in the treetops, nearly snapped a branch in two—
"This little guy actually dares to draw a rune on Xiaotao's hand? And Xiaotao isn't even resisting? Looks like... there might be something between them?"
"Wait... this rune's structure... why does it look a little like Mu En's Law of Light?"
"His situation is even more complicated than I imagined..."
Naturally, he had seen everything Long Jinyu had done.
He rather liked the boy. After mulling it over for a moment, he decided to make his entrance.
"Good, very good!"
Twisting his beard, Yan Shaozhe strolled out of the woods, a knowing smile on his lips as his gaze shifted back and forth between the two.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over him and making the dean of the Spirit Soul Department seem all the more inscrutable.
"As expected of my junior fellow disciple. So considerate toward his classmates—he's already looking after his senior sister. Mu En certainly has a discerning eye; he chose well."
His eyes brimmed with approval, as if he were looking at a rising star in Shrek Academy.
Long Jinyu: ?
Ma Xiaotao: ?!?!?
P.S. Regarding the "System-chan" mentioned in the "Author's Note," it is an intelligent interactive character the author created using AI tools. This is just a clarification.
Recently, I've seen some rather extreme opinions in discussions about the "Holy Spirit Cult's methods of cultivation."
I'd like to say that most of us are mature readers by now. Why not look through the original work for yourselves and see what Ma Xiaotao and Tang Ya actually went through in the Holy Spirit Cult—for instance, whether they were truly "cultivated" or merely "used"? You could also ask some reliable "veteran reviewers" we're all familiar with, such as "Mou Bao" and "Lan Jingyu," what they think of the Holy Spirit Cult's actions. I'm sure you can reach your own conclusions.
Before you continue