Cao Longyan sat cross-legged on a rock by the shore of Sea God Island. A faint, reddish-gold Flame King Domain swirled around him, while the phantom of the Ten Halls of Yama Martial Soul revolved slowly above his head. The Fire Dragon King's aura drifted faintly through the air. He had spent the past few days stabilizing his Soul Power, which had surged all the way to level forty-five.
Why had he chosen this spot? It was where he had often come during his first half-year here.
You could say he hadn't forgotten his roots...
Just then, a blinding red flare suddenly tore across the sky. It shot out from the direction of Shrek Inner Court like a meteor gone rogue, hurtling toward the Outer Court.
The flare contained violent, scorching Soul Power, mingled with a distinctly sinister aura. The air warped and twisted wherever it passed.
Cao Longyan's eyes snapped open. The fireball was headed for... the Outer Court!
He didn't dare hesitate. In a flash, the Ten Halls of Yama Martial Soul appeared in his right hand, and crimson flames coiled around him. He barked, "Scarlet King!"
At his call, the Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Dragon appeared with a thunderous rumble. Its massive body landed beside the rocks, and its three heads let out low, rumbling roars before it bowed respectfully before Cao Longyan.
Cao Longyan leaped up and landed firmly on Scarlet King's back. "Quick! Get to the opposite shore and stop that fireball!"
"Yes, Master!"
Scarlet King spread its enormous wings and raced off with Cao Longyan.
In just a few seconds, they reached the Outer Court shore ahead of the fireball.
Cao Longyan saw the Outer Court disciples gazing curiously at the approaching fireball. Instead of running, they were gathering in greater numbers. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, get back!"
His voice rang out across the shore, cold and commanding. The Outer Court disciples, stirred by his forceful presence, ran in the opposite direction.
The fireball was right in front of him now. Only then did he realize the person inside it was... Ma Xiaotao! Had she lost control?
"Fourth Soul Skill, Dragon-Trapping Fire Pillar!"
He raised the Ten Halls of Yama, and a pillar of fire surged from the ground beside Ma Xiaotao, binding her and stopping her mad charge.
The reddish-gold Flame King Domain erupted in full, forming a solid barrier of fire that shielded the stretch of shore where he stood.
At the same time, Scarlet King let out a dragon's roar that shook heaven and earth. All three heads spat pure dragonfire, colliding with the rampaging red Evil Fire.
"Boom—!"
As the smoke cleared, Ma Xiaotao's figure gradually emerged from the fireball. Her eyes were crimson, and Evil Fire engulfed her. She had lost consciousness, and painful howls tore from her throat as her Martial Soul erupted at full power. The phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix twisted behind her. Clearly, the Evil Fire had completely devoured her reason.
This was the first time she had lost control so badly since advancing to Soul King. She couldn't even master the rampaging Evil Fire within her own body.
As Cao Longyan struggled to hold back the Evil Fire, several figures raced over: a few teachers from the Outer Court, followed close behind by Ma Xiaotao's teacher... Yan Shaozhe.
The moment Yan Shaozhe saw the scene, his face turned deathly pale. His eyes were filled with worry and self-reproach. He had never imagined Ma Xiaotao would suddenly lose control, nearly injuring the Outer Court disciples.
He had thought that reaching Soul King would ease the Evil Fire within her...
"Quick! Join forces and restrain Xiaotao!"
Yan Shaozhe barked an order and joined the Outer Court teachers in attacking. Chains of Soul Power shot toward Ma Xiaotao, binding her.
In moments, they had successfully suppressed the Evil Fire within her and restrained her without causing her any harm.
With the Evil Fire no longer sustaining her, Ma Xiaotao descended slowly, wrapped in Yan Shaozhe's Soul Power. Her eyes were closed, and she had fallen completely unconscious, pain still etched across her face.
The Outer Court teachers breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Cao Longyan, their eyes full of gratitude.
Without Cao Longyan's timely intervention, the consequences would have been unthinkable. The Outer Court disciples would have suffered heavy casualties, and Ma Xiaotao might have injured herself or even been completely consumed by the Evil Fire.
Yan Shaozhe hurried over to Cao Longyan, his face filled with guilt and gratitude. He cupped his hands and said, "Longyan, thank you for helping us. Without you, the consequences would have been unthinkable... Xiaotao... I was negligent. I failed to keep an eye on her and nearly caused a disaster."
But Cao Longyan didn't even glance at him. His voice was icy, dripping with sarcasm. "Negligent? That's a joke, Dean Yan. You knew the Evil Fire in Ma Xiaotao was beyond her control, yet you let her cultivate alone and allowed it to run wild. If she'd harmed an innocent person, you couldn't brush that aside with a word like 'negligence.' And don't act like we're close. We barely know each other."
The smile froze on Yan Shaozhe's face, and he stood there awkwardly, having met a warm face with a cold shoulder. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
He knew Cao Longyan was right. He had been too careless and hadn't paid enough attention to Ma Xiaotao's condition, which was what had led to this loss of control.
The Outer Court teachers were dumbfounded. It was the first time they'd seen their dean get chewed out by a junior and left speechless.
Cao Longyan couldn't be bothered to deal with Yan Shaozhe any longer. He turned and walked over to Ma Xiaotao, unconscious beneath a Soul Power barrier.
Her face was pale, and a faint, sinister aura still clung to her. The phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul flickered weakly inside her, threatening to erupt again at any moment.
Looking at her breathtakingly beautiful face, Cao Longyan couldn't help sighing.
Sigh, Ma Xiaotao had almost repeated the same fate as in the original story... She wasn't a bad person. If only the right person had guided her and helped improve her bloodline, then she wouldn't have...
Cao Longyan shook his head and slowly raised his hand. Pure Ultimate Fire gathered at his fingertips, its reddish-gold flames both gentle and overwhelming, without a trace of violence.
He slowly infused the Ultimate Fire into Ma Xiaotao's body, carefully wrapping it around the Evil Fire within her and purifying it bit by bit.
The Ultimate Fire's power was pure and strong. The rampaging Evil Fire quickly dissipated beneath its embrace.
Nourished and cleansed by the Ultimate Fire, the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul within Ma Xiaotao began to transform. The phoenix phantom, once a dark red, gradually turned reddish-gold. Its sinister aura faded, replaced by a sacred and warm presence.
Holy Fire Phoenix!
The Evil Fire had evolved into the true Ultimate Fire: Phoenix Holy Fire!
Yan Shaozhe and the Outer Court teachers watched from the side, their faces full of shock and disbelief.
He was actually this powerful! He could make someone else's Martial Soul evolve!
A few seconds later, Cao Longyan withdrew the Ultimate Fire from his fingertips. The Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao had been completely purified, and her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul had officially transformed into the Holy Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. A faint, sacred flame surrounded her, and her aura had steadied considerably. The pain slowly faded from her face.
At that moment, the unconscious Ma Xiaotao was caught in a haze.
She could vaguely feel a warm, powerful force enveloping her, driving away the pain and fury within her. It was so warm that she felt completely at ease.
She struggled to open her eyes, but couldn't. All she could make out was a tall, straight figure surrounded by reddish-gold flames, standing guard at her side.
That figure was branded deep in her mind. Even through the haze, even as she sank into sleep, she remembered the one who had saved her.
Cao Longyan turned, called for Scarlet King, then rode off toward Sea God Island without sparing another glance at Yan Shaozhe and the others.
Yan Shaozhe watched Cao Longyan disappear into the distance, his heart full of guilt and admiration. He knew Cao Longyan had not only saved Ma Xiaotao and the Outer Court disciples but had also given Ma Xiaotao an entirely new future.
Unconscious, Ma Xiaotao's lips curved into the faintest smile, as if she were having a warm dream. In it, the figure wreathed in reddish-gold flames never left her side.
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