"It looks like I'll have to find some time to cultivate the Emperor Seal Technique, too," Xiao Jinchen murmured. Then he kicked Xuan Zi a few more times, left the Exotic Flame Space, and headed for the Star Emperor Grand Hotel.
Elsewhere.
After entering the emergency exit, Elder Ma deliberately took countless twists and turns. The Soul Beast Embryo changed hands on him several times, and he was truly cautious to the extreme, afraid that the slightest mishap might occur.
But with Ice Empress's powerful mental power locked onto him, no amount of caution would help. In the end, the Soul Beast Embryo returned to Elder Ma's hands, and by then he had already traveled far from Star Luo City.
"Phew."
The moment he walked out of Star Luo City, Elder Ma had just let out a relieved breath when a bone-piercing chill swept over him.
There had been no warning, and no chance to struggle.
In the span of a single breath, Elder Ma was frozen into an ice statue.
Just as Elder Ma was frozen, a graceful figure appeared before him without warning.
The instant he recognized who it was, Elder Ma's frozen pupils contracted sharply.
Ice Empress!
Tremendous fear surged through him. He wanted to roar, to demand an explanation, but being completely frozen meant he couldn't make a sound. All he could do was stare fixedly at Ice Empress.
Ice Empress reached out and tore Elder Ma's entire arm off. Without even looking at it, she removed the Storage Soul Tool from his arm. She sent her mental power inside and, after confirming the Soul Beast Embryo was there, flicked her hand and flung the Child Flame of Bone Spirit Cold Flame that Xiao Jinchen had given her at Elder Ma.
Whoosh!
The moment Bone Spirit Cold Flame's Child Flame touched Elder Ma, the icy blaze swallowed him whole. In only a few breaths, he had been burned away completely, without leaving behind even a speck of ash.
Ice Empress glanced indifferently at the spot where Elder Ma had stood, then headed toward the Star Emperor Grand Hotel with the Storage Soul Tool containing the Soul Beast Embryo in her hand.
Shrek, Sea God Island.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Soul Hall! Soul Hall! Soul Hall! You damned Soul Hall—you're truly courting death!" Yan Shaozhe roared furiously as his Soul Power surged wildly.
His terrifying Soul Power erupted in an instant, sending even the waters surrounding Sea God Island churning.
Yan Shaozhe's eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body trembled.
"Xiaotao... my Xiaotao!"
Yan Shaozhe's roar gradually turned into a wail. He dropped to his knees and slammed a fist into the floor, instantly cracking the ground.
Ma Xiaotao was his only personal disciple, and he had treated her like his own daughter.
Yet now, she had been burned alive by the Young Hall Master of the Soul Hall, reduced to a charred lump. The moment Yan Shaozhe learned the news, he flew into a complete rage.
"Soul Hall... If I don't wipe you all out, I, Yan Shaozhe, will no longer deserve to be called a man!"
Scorching Light Flame surged from Yan Shaozhe, and the air warped under its blazing heat.
"Shaozhe, come here."
Just as Yan Shaozhe was seething with rage, a voice sounded directly in his mind.
At the sound of that familiar voice, Yan Shaozhe's furious, turbulent heart miraculously calmed. The rage that had nearly swallowed his reason was forcibly suppressed by that gentle power.
Yan Shaozhe shuddered and abruptly raised his head. The redness in his eyes slowly faded.
"Teacher..."
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and staggered toward the direction the voice had come from.
He pushed open the doors of Sea God Pavilion. A warm, gentle presence washed over him, soothing some of the anger within him.
Mu En sat quietly in his reclining chair, waiting for him.
"Teacher..." Yan Shaozhe's legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees again. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Xiaotao... Xiaotao is gone..."
By the end, the Level 96 Super Douluo was sobbing like a child.
"Ah." Mu En sighed softly and raised a hand, lifting Yan Shaozhe from afar. "I know. Shaozhe, mourn her."
"Teacher!" Yan Shaozhe raised his head abruptly and roared, "I'm going to the Star Luo Empire right now! I'll kill that Young Hall Master of the Soul Hall! I'll make him pay for Xiaotao's life!"
"Shaozhe, calm down," Mu En said. "I'm hurting over what happened to Xiaotao more than anyone, but precisely because she was your disciple and my grand-disciple, we can't lose our heads."
Mu En looked at Yan Shaozhe and spoke earnestly. "The Soul Hall dared to strike during the tournament and even sent a powerhouse at the Limit Douluo level. They clearly wanted to provoke us. If you rush over now, what can you do besides throw your life away? Do you want Xiaotao to die in vain, with no one left to avenge her?"
"Teacher... Then are we just going to let this go?" Yan Shaozhe was slightly stunned. The anger in his eyes faded a little more, but a wave of confusion immediately rose inside him.
"Of course not!" A cold glint flashed in Mu En's eyes. "Shrek will remember this debt. But we won't throw our lives away right now. We'll investigate their background, and when the time is right, we'll make them pay it back with interest!"
Mu En continued slowly, "You're a pillar of Sea God Pavilion. If you collapse, who will avenge Xiaotao? Pull yourself together. That's the best way to honor her."
"Teacher... But..."
"That's enough. Go on now," Mu En said, cutting Yan Shaozhe off.
After Yan Shaozhe left, Mu En let out a weary breath. He had intended to befriend the mysterious Soul Hall, but who could have imagined things would turn out like this?
What puzzled him even more was that although the Soul Hall's boy was exceptionally gifted and had reached Level 80, Xuan Zi was a Level 98 Super Douluo. How had he failed to protect Xiaotao?
Mu En had noticed that whenever Xuan Zi led a team, something bad was bound to happen.
First, he had led Zhang Lexuan and the others on a Soul Hunting expedition, and a whole group had died.
Later, he had taken two generations of Seven Monsters to compete in the tournament, and another whole group had died.
And now, Xiaotao had somehow been killed on the stage, right under his very nose.
For a moment, Mu En truly didn't know what to say.
Could it be that the Holy Spirit Cult's Grand Elder had thrown his weight around yet again?
But after Mu En passed away, the position of Sea God Pavilion Master would still have to go to Xuan Zi. After all, apart from him, Xuan Zi was the strongest fighter in Shrek.
With Ma Xiaotao killed, Shrek had lost face, yet Mu En was powerless to act. He had calculated his remaining years and had, at most, four or five left.
Even if he forced himself to act, he could only rely on Sea God's Light to hold his own. But their opponent wasn't an ordinary Limit Douluo. This was a Limit Douluo with the Ultimate Ice attribute!
Xuan Zi couldn't be relied upon, while Yan Shaozhe was too narrow-minded. Mu En wearily rubbed his brow.
"Lexuan, Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao..." Mu En murmured. "Now that Xiaotao is gone, I can only rely on Lexuan and that boy, Huo Yuhao."
"Looks like I need to bring up the younger generation as soon as possible."
"No, wait! Huo Yuhao is still competing in the Soul Master Tournament. I have to go there myself. If the Soul Hall kills Huo Yuhao too, Shrek will suffer a tremendous loss."
With that thought, Mu En's expression grew more solemn. He moved abruptly and vanished from the spot.