"Teacher, you're awake?" Huo Yuhao exclaimed in delight.
"Mm, good. Before I fell into a deep sleep, I actually placed a wisp of Divine Sense inside this Soul Bead I condensed for you. As long as you encounter a life-or-death crisis and use the bead, I'll wake up." Electrolux's voice carried a trace of weariness.
"I never expected the power hidden in your eyes to be so terrifying. This Black Flame is something even I have never heard of or seen before. But Yuhao, after using the hidden power in your eyes, your body has been so thoroughly drained. This is truly bad."
Electrolux first clicked his tongue in wonder at the Amaterasu Fire burning on the ground, showing no sign of going out. Then he briefly examined Huo Yuhao's body and spoke with deep concern.
Inside the Spiritual Sea, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, beside the gray bead, was nearly frantic. "Old man—cough, cough—immortal senior, aren't you a demigod? Yuhao's body is so badly injured. Is there anything you can do or not? Hurry up and save him!"
The aged voice sounded again. "Big bug, do you think I don't want to help Yuhao? Every cell in his body is being pushed past its limits. Your Life Source can help repair some of his external injuries, but fundamentally, it can't ease the depletion. What Yuhao needs now are rare treasures that can improve his constitution. Where do you expect me to find those?"
As Huo Yuhao listened quietly, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.
He took a dark, crystal-like object from his Storage Soul Tool Ring and asked, "Teacher, would this work? I got this Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue by chance. They say taking it can improve your constitution in every way."
"Oh? Let me see."
A wisp of Electrolux's Divine Sense circled the black crystal.
"Excellent, excellent. This object contains an immensely powerful essence of life. It truly is a rare treasure. But simply taking it would be a waste. If you refine it first with a sufficiently powerful flame and then consume it, not only will it completely heal your body's current depletion, you might even turn this disaster into a blessing. Your body's cells will absorb the energy and evolve, and your physical strength will undergo a complete transformation!"
Electrolux's voice held a hint of delight.
"Wonderful! Yuhao's saved, Yuhao's saved!" In Huo Yuhao's Spirit Sea, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm writhed with joy, like a plump white maggot.
"What do you mean, I'm saved? I wasn't dead in the first place. My body's just a little depleted, that's all." Huo Yuhao covered his face and sighed helplessly.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled. "Yuhao, I was just worried about you. Luckily, you're all right. Otherwise, my heart would've broken. Since that's settled, let's find somewhere to help you recover."
"Oh, right. What about that woman lying on the ground, rolling around in agony? Why don't I just take care of her, so she won't cause trouble later?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked.
Only then did Huo Yuhao remember Ma Xiaotao, who was writhing in pain on the ground. Her face was pale as she kept urging the Soul Power inside her body, making it burn away the few wisps of Black Flame on her back.
Ma Xiaotao had no choice. If she didn't urge her Soul Power to feed the Black Flame, the terrifying fire would burn her instead. But her Soul Power was nearly exhausted.
The panic on her face grew more intense, and her eyes were filled with fear of death.
Huo Yuhao looked toward Ma Xiaotao in the distance. He wanted to leave her to her fate and do nothing to help. After all, this madwoman had hurt who knew how many students over the years.
If he hadn't been here today, and an ordinary Outer Court student had taken his place, they would have been burned to ashes long ago.
How could Ma Xiaotao have imagined that one day she, too, would be driven to the brink of death by an even more powerful flame?
She had brought it entirely upon herself.
But in the end, Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth. "Teacher, can you take the Black Flame off that woman?"
Ma Xiaotao was, after all, a core successor of Shrek Academy. If she died by the Sea God Lake, all of Shrek would be thrown into enormous turmoil.
If that happened, joining the Inner Court would probably be much harder for him.
Electrolux replied, "I can use Necromancy to collect some of those flames. As it happens, refining this piece of Whale Glue also requires an extraordinarily powerful flame. The few wisps of Black Flame on that young woman are just right."
As soon as he finished speaking, black mist suddenly appeared around Huo Yuhao. It spread to Ma Xiaotao in the blink of an eye, enveloped the few inextinguishable wisps of Black Flame, then returned to Huo Yuhao.
Ma Xiaotao felt a sudden lightness. The Soul Power in her body ran out at that very moment, and she nearly lost consciousness.
But she forced her eyes wide open, trying to make out the figure in the distance. It seemed to be a boy?
Just as she was trying to see his face clearly,
Huo Yuhao's expression darkened. "Letting you off just like that would be too easy. I'll collect a little interest on this debt first."
"Brother Sky Dream, freeze that woman for me!"
"Coming right up!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm replied eagerly from the Spiritual Sea.
In the next instant, the white Spirit Ring beneath Huo Yuhao rose once more, but now it had turned a dazzling gold.
Blinding golden light shone like a rising sun beneath his feet.
With Huo Yuhao at its center, everything within a hundred-meter radius instantly became a world of ice and snow. Even the Sea God Lake in front of him froze over.
Huo Yuhao slowly raised his right arm. His right index finger turned icy blue.
Then he pointed forward. A streak of icy-blue light flashed through the air and shot straight toward Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao was powerless to resist. She could only watch as the icy-blue streak struck her between the brows.
The next second, Ma Xiaotao's entire body turned into a huge block of ice.
She was frozen inside it, her body held in the same position she had been in before the ice formed.
Before losing consciousness, Ma Xiaotao still hadn't seen what the boy's distant figure looked like.
"Something's wrong, Yuhao. Two powerful auras are rapidly approaching. Hurry, go!"
Electrolux's voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Huo Yuhao had no choice but to endure his discomfort and quickly leave.
Just one minute after Huo Yuhao left, a dazzling streak of light descended at tremendous speed beside the Sea God Lake.
When it touched down, it transformed into an elegant-looking old man. After landing, he first surveyed his surroundings.
The first thing to catch his eye was the strange Black Flame blazing beside the Sea God Lake.
Charred trees and grass surrounded the Black Flame. It seemed that the plants had been drained of their moisture by the terrifying heat radiating from the flames alone.
Yan Shaozhe was startled. Before he could investigate what the strange Black Flame was, another enormous object beside the Sea God Lake caught his attention.
It was a massive block of ice. When Yan Shaozhe finally saw what was inside, his eyes narrowed.
Frozen completely within the enormous block of ice was Ma Xiaotao!
Yan Shaozhe's pupils shook violently. In shock and fury, he couldn't help but shout,
"Xiaotao!"
Before you continue