The night breeze brushed past, bringing a touch of chill.
At the words "It'll cost extra," Yan Shaozhe's feet suddenly slipped. The dignified Super Douluo of rank ninety-five nearly took a tumble on the flat grass.
Ma Xiaotao, standing beside him, staggered too. Her eyes went wide as she stared in disbelief at the junior who was taking advantage of the situation.
Once he regained his balance, Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched. He raised a hand to rub his temple, easing the sudden headache.
"You brat, you've certainly got a sharp eye for a bargain." Yan Shaozhe sighed helplessly.
"Go on, what do you want as payment? But I'll warn you now, the Spirit Soul Department's treasury already took a heavy hit for that Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. Don't ask for the moon."
Xiao Yan folded his hands inside his sleeves and chuckled, his expression modest.
"Dean Yan, you jest. How could I name just any price?" Xiao Yan looked straight at Yan Shaozhe with his deep, dark eyes, speaking calmly and confidently.
"Just consider the strategic value a Soul Master with the Ultimate Fire attribute brings to Shrek Academy, then give me whatever you think is appropriate."
The smile on Yan Shaozhe's face froze, and his forehead was covered in black lines.
He called that not naming just any price? That was an expert way of naming a price!
He hadn't made a specific demand. He'd simply tossed the ball back, while firmly pinning its value to the highest possible scale.
Yan Shaozhe knew better than anyone what a Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute meant to Shrek.
Such a person was the anchor that could ensure the Academy's prosperity for at least a hundred years to come.
What was more, Ma Xiaotao wasn't an ordinary student. She was the cream of the crop among Shrek's own, and the successor the Sea God Pavilion was grooming to become its next Pavilion Master.
Furthermore, Soul Masters with an Ultimate Attribute cultivated exceptionally slowly between ranks thirty and seventy, because their Soul Power was compressed.
Yet Ma Xiaotao had already reached the Soul Emperor level. If the hidden danger of her Evil Fire was completely eliminated now and her Martial Soul successfully transformed into Ultimate Fire, she could perfectly bypass the most grueling stage for a Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute!
Taking all those factors together, producing a reward of equal value would be harder than climbing to heaven.
Trying to make up the difference with a few Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones would be an insult to the worth of Ultimate Fire.
To make the reward truly equivalent, they would have to start with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
With the Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year legacy, it naturally had a stockpile of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones.
But such treasures, which protected the very foundations of the Sea God Pavilion, were no ordinary matter. Not even he, a department dean, had the authority to call one up on his own—let alone the Elders of the Sea God Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe put aside his thoughts of haggling, his expression turning solemn.
"This matter is too important for me to decide."
"Give me some time to consider it. I also need to seek the Sea God Pavilion's approval. But don't worry, Shrek will never shortchange you!"
Xiao Yan nodded without committing himself and didn't press him.
Yan Shaozhe didn't linger. After nodding to Xiao Yan, he took the still-stunned Ma Xiaotao by the hand. They rose into the air and vanished into the deep night as two streaks of light.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Xiao Yan turned and pushed open the dormitory door.
He stepped inside, wondering what price Mu En, the Sea God Pavilion Master, would offer.
He had never doubted Mu En's generosity.
In recent years, Soul Guidance Technology in the Sun Moon Empire had advanced by leaps and bounds, and the empire was itching for action. Beneath the surface, tensions churned among the three original kingdoms of Douluo Continent.
Shrek Academy's top fighters were currently in a generational lull, and the situation it faced was far from promising.
At a time like this, Mu En would be willing to pay any price to nurture a seedling of Ultimate Fire who might one day reach the Limit Douluo level.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, sunlight had only just pierced the thin mist and spilled across the window lattice.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Xiao Yan's door shook violently as someone pounded on it. The thick wooden panels trembled.
"Bro! Get up! The sun's already on your butt!"
Xiao Xiao's bright, clear voice rang out from the other side of the door.
Judging by the force of the pounding and her huffy tone, the little girl was clearly venting her resentment over being unceremoniously kicked out the night before.
Xiao Yan finished cultivating the Art of the Fuxi Emperor, got out of bed, and leisurely smoothed the wrinkles from his new school uniform. Then he walked to the door and opened it.
The moment the door swung open, Xiao Xiao's little fist—raised to keep pounding—came to a stop in midair.
Without a word, Xiao Yan raised his right hand, bent his index and middle fingers, and gave Xiao Xiao a solid flick on her smooth forehead.
"Ow!"
Xiao Xiao covered her forehead, sucking in a breath from the pain as she stared at Xiao Yan with wounded eyes.
"So this is how you treat your own brother?" Xiao Yan crossed his arms and put on a lighthearted threat. "Looks like someone doesn't want that soul bone we got as compensation."
At the words "soul bone," Xiao Xiao froze, her hand still covering her forehead.
Her big emerald eyes rolled about. The hurt on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by her signature adorable smile.
She grabbed Xiao Yan's arm and gave it a gentle shake.
"Not at all! I was just afraid you'd be late for class, bro!" Her eyes curved into crescents, and her voice turned syrupy sweet. The speed of her transformation was truly astonishing.
Xiao Yan ignored her flimsy excuse, slipped his arm free, and turned back into the room.
Fearing he might change his mind, Xiao Xiao hurried after him and pulled the door shut with a click. She even pressed an ear to the wood to listen for anyone outside before hurrying over to the desk.
The black brocade box sat quietly in the middle of the desk.
Xiao Yan reached out, unfastened the clasp, and lifted the lid.
The dense Earth-attribute Soul Power spread through the small room.
The dark golden right arm bone lay quietly on its red velvet cushion. Mysterious patterns like mountain ranges and veins gleamed across its surface, radiating a savage power.
Xiao Xiao stared at it, almost transfixed.
She could clearly feel the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron Martial Soul inside her surging wildly. It was an intense craving, sparked when the Martial Soul Origin encountered something that suited it perfectly.
Xiao Yan slid the box toward Xiao Xiao.
"A sixty-thousand-year Earth-Shaking Desolate Bear Right Arm Bone. Earth attribute, focused on strength." Xiao Yan's steady voice rang through the room as he gave a concise explanation. "Its Soul Bone Skill is called 'Desolate Bear Earth-Splitting Strike.' It greatly increases the user's strength, and every attack also carries high-frequency vibrations. It's undoubtedly a perfect fit for your Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron Martial Soul."
Xiao Xiao nodded repeatedly, unable to tear her gaze from the soul bone.
"Take it out." Xiao Yan pointed at the box. "Sit cross-legged now. I'll use the Fuxi Zither to protect you and temper the Desolate Bear's wild, violent aura. We can skip class this morning. Let's make the most of the time and absorb it."
Xiao Xiao reached out with both hands, ready to lift the soul bone.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the dark golden bone, she suddenly stopped.
The room fell silent for several seconds.
Xiao Xiao slowly withdrew her hands, twisting her fingers together tightly.
She lowered her head, lips pressed into a thin line.
When she raised her head again, her clear emerald eyes met Xiao Yan's, filled with unusual resolve.
"Bro..." Xiao Xiao pressed her lips together. Her voice was quiet, but every word came out with weight. "You should absorb this soul bone instead!"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow but didn't answer right away, waiting quietly for her to finish.
"If it were an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, I'd absorb it without hesitation, because I know you'll definitely get something better later." Xiao Xiao kept her eyes away from the tempting right arm bone and continued, "But this one is too precious. And with this sixty-thousand-year soul bone, your strength will definitely rise another step. My cultivation is already pretty high. I can't hog every good thing."