Carrying the Phoenix in a Princess Embrace! A Heartbeat Beneath the Nine-Colored Dragon Wings

"Ah? Teacher?! When did you..."

Yan Shaozhe's sudden appearance made Ma Xiaotao panic in an instant. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed hot.

"Since someone pushed his junior onto the ground," Yan Shaozhe said with a grin, twisting the knife.

"Ahhh! All that just now... Teacher saw everything? This is so embarrassing I could crawl into a crack in the ground!"

Her heart gave a sudden leap. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

"Wait... what did Teacher call him? Junior martial uncle? He-he-he...!"

Long Jinyu was just as confused, his little brain racing:

"Emmm, Ma Xiaotao's teacher? That should be Yan Shaozhe, right? His looks and bearing do fit the original."

"But why did he call me junior martial brother? His teacher is Mu En, isn't he? What does that have to do with me..."

"Wait, Mu En?!"

He suddenly understood:

"How could I forget about that? Isn't he the one who likes to lie outside the dormitory building?"

"Then that old man who kept pestering me and shoved a token into my hands must have been Mu En!"

"No wonder the mission completed out of nowhere back then? This is just so, so, so... absurdly haphazard!"

The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. He couldn't help but call the system out in his Spiritual Sea:

"You little system! What are you doing? You didn't even warn me?!"

[You never asked.] The system sounded perfectly justified.

"Sure, fine, you're really something. You're the worst system I've ever seen. I'll settle this with you later. For now..."

Long Jinyu composed himself, smiled faintly, and bowed to Yan Shaozhe:

"Greetings, Dean Yan. I'm Long Jinyu."

"I've long heard that you're 'a man of great virtue and prestige, with an extraordinary bearing.' It's an honor to meet you today. You truly live up to your reputation. I was just helping Senior Xiaotao suppress her Evil Fire. I was 'showing off before an expert,' and must have made you laugh."

"Hmph, flatterer!" Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Senior, you're mistaken," Long Jinyu said, feigning hurt. "Can a scholar's words really be called flattery? This is heartfelt admiration~."

Yan Shaozhe couldn't help laughing. "..."

"Xiaoyu, there's no need to be so modest. You're so young, yet you dispelled Evil Fire with ease. If that's showing off before an expert, where does that leave us old-timers?"

"...Come along. Elder Mu is waiting for you at Sea God Pavilion. As for Xiaotao..."

He smiled meaningfully, deliberately drawing out his words—

"Since someone can treat your Evil Fire, you should ask your 'junior martial uncle' for guidance more often from now on."

"Junior martial uncle?!"

Ma Xiaotao instantly bristled.

"He's so much younger than me! Teacher, you—"

"Hey, we can't muddle the seniority order."

Yan Shaozhe waved her off, then turned to Long Jinyu, his gaze growing profound.

"By the way, Xiaoyu, your Martial Soul... seems to be more than just 'Ultimate Ice,' doesn't it?"

"That invisible dragon's might just now even made my Bright Phoenix tremble."

"Your insight is sharp, Dean."

Long Jinyu replied respectfully.

"When I meet Elder Mu, I'll tell him everything truthfully."

"But I really can't accept being called 'junior martial uncle.' Please don't make things difficult for Senior Xiaotao. Just call me junior."

"Hmph, at least you know your place." Ma Xiaotao snorted.

On the surface, Long Jinyu was modest and courteous. Inside, however, a storm churned, and icy fury threatened to swallow his reason—

"Mu En... That old fox has a sharp eye, and he's a first-rate opportunist. Too bad... in the end, he's a shortsighted fool!"

The horrific events of the original Star Luo Tournament surged through his mind, and his blood rushed to his head.

"Knowing the official team members had been gravely wounded by Evil Soul Masters and were practically crippled, he still refused to send reinforcements! And he called it 'training'? Utterly absurd! How foolish!"

"Later on, everything rested on Ma Xiaotao and the other two, struggling to hold on! After they won, did you lofty Pavilion Elders ever truly appreciate their efforts and sacrifices? Did you ever consider the crushing burden they bore?!"

His nails dug deep into his palm. The pain was nothing compared to the fury and heartache in his chest.

"You had to make them win in such a blood-soaked struggle? You knew she was as fierce as fire, that she treated Shrek as the nest she could return to, and was willing to burn herself to ashes for the academy. Yet you still let her bear everything alone, forcing her into a one-against-two fight! In the end, her Martial Soul mutated and she fell into the abyss... Is this what you call 'cultivating' her?!"

A thick, metallic sweetness rose in his throat. He forced it down, but his thoughts continued gnawing at him like venomous snakes:

"Then there's Sea God Pavilion..."

"Mu En is frail with age, on his last legs;"

"Xuan Zi is incompetent and muddleheaded, little more than a figurehead;"

"Yan Shaozhe is indecisive and can't even protect his own direct disciple!"

"How can the greatest academy under heaven let a dozen Evil Soul Masters come and go as they please, as if no one were there to stop them..."

"Number one under heaven? Hah... a hollow name! Gold on the outside, rotten cotton within! A bunch of useless old relics occupying their posts and misleading their students!"

But if he didn't go to Shrek, where else could he go?

"The Sun Moon Empire, Mingde Hall, and the Holy Spirit Cult are in cahoots, treating human lives like weeds while Evil Soul Masters run rampant..."

"The Body Sect... acts tyrannically and without restraint, seizing what it wants and treating rules as nothing. Whether Shrek or Mingde Hall, either could become a target for their plunder..."

"Heaven Soul? Star Luo Empire?... A scattered mess, each with their own selfish motives, incapable of shouldering anything important."

As his thoughts turned, he had to admit a cruel truth:

By comparison, Mu En and Shrek... for all their faults, at least still maintained the dignity of an "academy" and upheld the crumbling banner of "protecting the continent." They hadn't completely rotted into a den of filth.

"If not... if there weren't truly no useful faction left to be found on this continent..."

"If I hadn't seen so many original characters meet such heartbreaking ends..."

"I wouldn't stay at Shrek!"

"Pfft—"

His rage, repressed to its limit, and the enormous expenditure of Soul Power finally crossed the breaking point. He suddenly spat blood onto the ground, its bright scarlet stark against the earth.

Long Jinyu's face turned even paler. His body swayed, but he forced himself to stand straight.

He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, a trace of self-mockery flashing through his eyes.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The violent coughing tugged at his injured organs, but it also felt like a basin of cold water, dousing some of his uncontrolled fury.

"Calm down... No matter how much I curse them, it won't change these old fossils' stubborn, antiquated ways."

He admonished himself, forcibly suppressing the turbulent qi and blood.

A flame mingling cold calculation with burning ambition quietly kindled in his heart.

"Since fate has twisted things around and this old fox 'took advantage of my vulnerability' to make me his disciple..."

He glanced at Yan Shaozhe beside him, who seemed concerned, though curiosity still lurked in the depths of his eyes.

"Then... since I'm here, I'll make the best of it."

"Shrek..."

"This 'game' has only just begun. I have plenty of time... to play along with you."

"Hey! Kid! What's wrong?!"

Ma Xiaotao flashed to his side in an instant, her hand trembling slightly as she steadied his shoulder.

Phoenix Flame seeped uncontrollably from her fingertips, but the moment it touched his skin, it automatically transformed into a warm stream of energy. Even she was stunned by the strange phenomenon.

Yan Shaozhe's Radiant Soul Power had already enveloped him.

"His Soul Power is exhausted, and his spiritual power overdrawn, but..."

He frowned at Long Jinyu.

"Xiaoyu, you..."

Given his strength, he could tell what state Long Jinyu was in. By all rights... it shouldn't have been enough to make him cough up blood.

"I'm fine... I just got my breath caught..."

Long Jinyu waved a hand, pressing his right palm to his chest. A verdant glow flowed around him.

His Ultimate Life Attribute began repairing his body, but noticeably more slowly than it would have under normal circumstances. He really had overexerted himself.

Ma Xiaotao suddenly pressed her palm to his back, pouring her blazing Soul Power into him without pause.

Unlike before, her flames were unusually docile this time. Every trace of violence turned into pure Soul Power, replenishing him.

"Don't move around."

Her voice was frighteningly low.

"You think I can't tell?"

"If all you had was Ultimate Ice, could I have recovered this well?"

"You must have at least one other Ultimate Attribute, and it has to be related to healing."

Long Jinyu raised an eyebrow, surprised.

He had indeed used five Ultimate Attributes at once just now, but had concealed them all beneath Ultimate Ice.

Even Yan Shaozhe hadn't noticed that detail, yet she had...

"Interesting."

A glint flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes.

"Xiaotao's Martial Soul is actively cooperating with you. It seems the melding of your Soul Powers has created a special resonance."

Two clouds of red rose on Ma Xiaotao's cheeks, but she didn't stop channeling her Soul Power. If anything, she pushed it harder.

Her other arm had naturally wound around Long Jinyu's waist. She asked softly, "Can you walk? Teacher, take him for treatment first, please."

"Senior, I'm really fine," Long Jinyu said helplessly.

If he hadn't just transmigrated and his body weren't still adjusting, this little expenditure wouldn't have amounted to anything.

"Enough nonsense!"

Ma Xiaotao glared at him.

"You spat up that much blood and you still say you're fine? Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Long Jinyu: "..."

Yan Shaozhe gave a timely cough. "Xiaotao, don't worry. Xiaoyu really isn't seriously hurt. However..."

He changed tack.

"Your good junior went through all that for your sake... Why don't you carry him to Sea God Pavilion?"

"Ah? Oh... okay!" Ma Xiaotao bit her lower lip.

She had only just had her Evil Fire suppressed, and she wasn't in great shape herself.

But they had only just met, and she'd already tried to kill him and knocked him over. If she didn't make an effort to mend things now, who would treat her the next time her Evil Fire flared up?

"Then I'll trouble you, Senior." This time, Long Jinyu wisely didn't stubbornly refuse.

He'd gotten a taste of Ma Xiaotao's fiery temper, and it was exactly the same as in the original.

If he refused again... he'd definitely be in for a world of hurt.

The instant she picked him up, Long Jinyu's little face flushed red. He sighed inwardly.

"Sigh... whose transmigrator gets caught up in this much trouble the moment he arrives? System, are you messing with me on purpose?"

[Host, can a scholar's affairs be called a trap? It's called 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a man, it first makes his mind suffer, and his sinews and bones labor...'] The system replied cheekily.

"You... Not only are you copying the way I talk, you can quote the classics now?"

He was resting with his eyes closed, bantering with the system, when he suddenly felt himself sink.

He opened his eyes and, good grief, Ma Xiaotao had her eyes shut as she carried him straight toward Sea God Lake.

The girl had fainted first!

"Holy crap! System!"

"Can I fly? You haven't even taught me a Soul Skill yet?!"

[For crying out loud, does the Dragon God need a Soul Skill to fly?! What are you, a chicken that can only walk on the ground?]

"Could've told me sooner!"

Long Jinyu instinctively spread his arms. An image from the system's instruction flashed through his mind, and a pair of iridescent Nine-Colored Dragon Wings unfurled behind him with a whoosh.

He plunged down, then caught Ma Xiaotao securely just three meters above the lake's surface.

The girl's body slumped softly into his arms. Her fiery red hair streamed in the wind, carrying the faint fragrance of phoenix blossoms. A few unruly strands brushed his cheek, tickling him.

Long Jinyu unconsciously held his breath. One hand carefully supported the back of her neck, while the other slid beneath her knees. He drew her closer and adjusted her into a steadier position.

Ma Xiaotao's head rested softly in the hollow of his shoulder, her warm breath barely brushing the side of his neck.

Her dazzling phoenix wings drooped limply, swaying slightly with his movements.

A healing green light quickly shone across his body. He murmured under his breath, his gaze falling on her peaceful sleeping face.

"How... are you this light..."

The thought had barely crossed his mind when heat surged up his ears. The soft warmth in his arms, the unique floral scent lingering beneath his nose, the almost imperceptible warmth against his neck...

Every sensation sharpened in an instant! It felt as though something had slammed into his heart. It pounded against his chest like a drum, leaving his arms stiff and his ears burning bright red.

Yan Shaozhe seemed intent on leading the way, but in reality, a thread of his spiritual power had quietly wrapped around the two behind him.

Noticing Long Jinyu's careful movements, so afraid of jostling or hurting her, he unconsciously rubbed the cuff of his sleeve between his fingers.

When he turned around, his sharp eyes caught Long Jinyu lowering his head to check on Ma Xiaotao. By sheer coincidence, his lips lightly "brushed" her forehead in that very moment!

"Oh-ho!"

He was overjoyed inside, like someone gulping down a glass of ice-cold sour plum drink on the hottest day of summer, every pore in his body relaxed. Yet he kept his face stern and pretended he hadn't seen a thing, continuing to fly forward at an unhurried pace.

But that look in his eyes was just like an old farmer watching his fresh, plump cabbage finally get rooted up by the pig he'd had his eye on... Ahem, finally get "close."

"Good kid, quick hands..."

He muttered to himself, then glanced at the pair of dragon wings behind Long Jinyu, faintly visible and shimmering with nine-colored light.

"But at first glance... tsk, they really do look a little... similar to Gongyang Mo's Rainbow Dragon Martial Soul, don't they?"

"Dean Yan." Long Jinyu was clearly unaware of the little "incident" that had just occurred. His voice was filled with obvious concern. "Your disciple..."

"Oh, I'm getting old. I can't fly anymore."

Yan Shaozhe deliberately rubbed his lower back.

"Xiaoyu, you're young and strong. You'll have to bear with it."

After saying that, he made a point of adding:

"Xiaotao usually pushes herself too hard in training. It's rare for her to get a proper rest."

Long Jinyu: "..."

"Seriously? A Super Douluo pretending his back hurts?"

"Your precious disciple's unconscious, and you're still putting on an act? What if she finds out you did it on purpose..."

"Ah... forget it, forget it."

"Wait, Mu En... don't tell me he's just as ridiculous?"

He vented furiously in his mind.

He lowered his head and looked again at Ma Xiaotao, fast asleep in his arms. Her cheeks looked especially soft now that she was unconscious, and all her usual sharpness had vanished.

"Even though you were just as weak, you still sent Soul Power to me?"

He felt inexplicably troubled.

"Haji Tao, you..."

"You really haven't broken character... in the slightest."

Suddenly, Ma Xiaotao unconsciously nuzzled against his chest and let out a kittenish whimper. Long Jinyu instantly stiffened, and even his flight path wobbled.

Ahead of him, Yan Shaozhe's shoulders shook like a sieve. He nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

"As expected of Elder Mu. What a brilliant little junior disciple he's taken!"

"He can both cure her Evil Fire and keep this 'crazy girl' in check... Heh, there'll be quite a show to watch from now on."

"If the two of them really could..., it would be good for the Academy and for Xiaotao..."

"Forget it. It's too early to think about any of that. As for young people's affairs, let's leave them to fate." He stroked his beard with a quiet smile, subtly slowing his flight.

The light inside Sea God Pavilion was soft, and the serene scent of wood drifted through the air.

An old man with white hair leaned against a wicker chair. His aged fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, and his gaze was gentle, yet seemed able to see through people's hearts...

This man was none other than the strongest person Shrek Academy had produced in a thousand years.

The current Sea God Pavilion Master.

Dragon God Douluo—Mu En!

Yan Shaozhe led Long Jinyu inside. The latter was still carrying the unconscious Ma Xiaotao in his arms.

Mu En's gaze swept lightly over the three of them, then finally settled on Long Jinyu and the figure in his arms. The faint smile at the corner of his mouth deepened a little. "Oh? You carried her all the way here?"

Long Jinyu: "..."

"Teacher, I've brought them." Yan Shaozhe bowed respectfully, then stepped aside.

"Xiaotao's Evil Fire flared up. Thankfully, Jin Yu stepped in to help in time, though they're both rather drained."

What he meant was: Just look at how well these two children suit each other!

Mu En nodded and smiled. "Jin Yu, put her on the couch over there first."

Long Jinyu did as asked, moving gently. His fingertips brushed Ma Xiaotao's wrist; it was warm to the touch. He had barely withdrawn his hand when Mu En said leisurely, "It seems the two of you get along well."

Why did that sound like he was teasing him?

This master and disciple were birds of a feather!

Long Jinyu raised his eyes and met Mu En's smiling gaze. He understood at once.

The old geezer definitely knew what had just happened! He might even know all about Yan Shaozhe's "backache act."

"Elder Mu."

He decided to be blunt.

"You didn't mention that becoming your disciple came with the added duty of 'taking care of my senior sister.'"

Mu En smiled without answering, but Yan Shaozhe gave a soft cough. "Little junior brother, the more capable you are, the more you have to do."

Ma Xiaotao's eyelashes trembled on the couch. She seemed to have regained some awareness, yet kept her eyes closed and pretended to sleep.

Out of the corner of his eye, Long Jinyu noticed and couldn't help laughing to himself. Looks like you're recovering nicely. But you're pretending with me too, huh?

Mu En finally got to the point. "My good disciple, now that you've joined my tutelage, shouldn't you come clean with your teacher about a few things?"

He lightly tapped the tabletop. The formation inside Sea God Pavilion glimmered, sealing off the outside world. "For instance, what exactly is your Martial Soul?"

The air fell silent.

Long Jinyu raised an eyebrow. As expected, the old fox had been probing him from the very beginning.

"You already know perfectly well, don't you, Elder?"

A faint, teasing smile touched his lips, as if to say, "Stop pretending."

A wisp of nine-colored light rose from his palm, like a small patch of flowing neon held in his hand. It instantly drew all of Mu En's and Yan Shaozhe's attention. The light shimmered and shifted in the old man's deep-set eyes.

"If that weren't the case, why would you have been in such a hurry to take me as your disciple?"