Gathering Spirit Formation, Terms

A soft chime rang out. The golden Formation Runes on the ground lit up, and the five small flags glowed in their respective colors, their light interweaving with the runes.

Heaven and Earth Essence streamed in from every direction, visibly converging on the center of the Formation Runes. In just a few breaths, the concentration of Soul Power across the entire site doubled!

The air, which had still held a trace of stifling heat, turned crisp and refreshing. Dense Soul Power swirled around them; even a single breath made the Soul Power in their meridians begin to circulate on its own.

Ma Xiaotao's pupils contracted. Shock was written all over her face.

She could clearly feel the Evil Fire that had been raging inside her grow noticeably calmer the moment that dense yet gentle Soul Power enveloped her.

"What... is this? How could it have such an effect?" she blurted out, disbelief filling her eyes.

Only then did Huo Yuhao brush the dust from his clothes and turn to her with a gentle smile, as though the boy who had just casually laid down an extraordinary Formation was merely an ordinary new student. "Senior Ma, sorry about that. The Formation Runes had reached a critical point, so I couldn't spare any attention. Did you need something?"

"I just asked you what this thing is." Ma Xiaotao came back to herself and pointed at the still-glowing Formation Runes beneath her feet, her curiosity reaching its peak.

In all her years at Shrek, she had never seen a Formation with such a heaven-defying effect or such an unusual structure.

Huo Yuhao's smile remained, but a sly glint crossed his eyes. Smiling without warmth, he said, "Lionheart Club secret. I hope you'll understand, Senior."

That one sentence left Ma Xiaotao speechless.

The corner of her mouth twitched. She cursed the slippery brat inwardly, but she could hardly lose her temper.

She needed his help, after all. She reluctantly looked away and handed him the gilt-edged document envelope in her hand. "Fine, I won't pry into your secrets. Here's what you asked for. My teacher has approved it."

Huo Yuhao took the envelope and opened it. Inside were the property-transfer documents for three street-facing shops in Shrek City.

There was also an official letter of support from the Martial Soul Department. It stated plainly that the department would back the Lionheart Club's businesses in matters of compliance, clear away obstacles to their operation, and even provide the club with a support grant of one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

He leafed through the documents, the smile in his eyes growing wider.

Yan Shaozhe had certainly acted fast. For Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, he hadn't hesitated over any of this.

And Huo Yuhao had secured a stable foundation of property for the Lionheart Club and gotten startup funds for nothing. He had come out far ahead.

"Well? We've met all your conditions." Seeing his satisfaction, Ma Xiaotao could not help asking, urgency creeping into her voice. "When can you help me suppress the Evil Fire?"

Huo Yuhao closed the envelope and put it into his Storage Soul Tool. He looked up at her, his tone calm but firm. "Don't rush, Senior. I need to be upfront about the difficult parts. I can help purify your Evil Fire, but we need to agree on a few rules first."

"Go ahead." Ma Xiaotao nodded at once. If he could solve the Evil Fire that had plagued her for years, she would agree to a few rules—or dozens of them.

"First, purification happens only once a week, for no longer than an hour each time. It'll take place in Shrek Academy's Medical Room, with a teacher present." Huo Yuhao raised one finger, his expression serious. "The violent energy in your Evil Fire is too strong. If it gets out of control, the consequences could be unthinkable. The Medical Room's equipment and a teacher's presence will help prevent accidents."

He had no desire to relive that terrifying moment beside Sea God Lake, much less be accused of "trespassing in the Inner Court with improper intentions" for helping her purify her Evil Fire.

The Medical Room, a teacher present—he was guarding against every risk in advance. That was the prudent way to do it.

Ma Xiaotao paused. She had been ready to cooperate wherever Huo Yuhao told her to go. She had not expected him to choose the Medical Room and insist on a teacher being present.

She had worried that the brat might use purification as an excuse to make some outrageous demand. Now it seemed she had judged a gentleman by her own petty suspicions. She quickly nodded. "That's fine. No problem."

"Second, I'm only responsible for purifying the Evil Fire and suppressing its violent energy. I won't get involved in anything else." Huo Yuhao raised a second finger, understanding flashing through his eyes. "I know what Dean Yan has in mind. You don't need to feel burdened either, Senior. This is simply an equal exchange: I help you deal with the Evil Fire, and you help the Lionheart Club get the benefits it's due. Nothing more."

He laid it out plainly to put an end to Yan Shaozhe's idea of using Ma Xiaotao to tie him down.

What he wanted was a fair trade, not some murky entanglement.

Ma Xiaotao's cheeks reddened at once. Of course she knew the deeper meaning behind her teacher's words, and having Huo Yuhao spell it out so bluntly left her embarrassed.

She gritted her teeth and nodded. "Fine. We'll do it your way. An equal exchange, and neither of us owes the other anything."

"Third, during purification, you must calm your mind completely and follow my instructions without resisting in any way." Huo Yuhao's tone turned grave. "When the power of Ultimate Light enters your body, if your mind wavers and the Evil Fire strikes back, not only will the purification fail, but we'll both be hurt. You must be able to do this."

"I understand." Ma Xiaotao nodded firmly, her eyes earnest. Her life was at stake; she would not be careless in the slightest.

"Then we have an agreement." Huo Yuhao smiled and held out his hand. "A pleasure working with you, Senior Ma."

Ma Xiaotao stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, then reached out and took it.

His palm was warm, and his fingertips carried a faint aura of light. The instant they touched, the restless Evil Fire inside Ma Xiaotao quieted for a heartbeat.

She quickly withdrew her hand, the tips of her ears turning faintly red. "I'll wait for you in the Medical Room tomorrow afternoon."

With that, she turned and strode out. Her red-clad figure soon vanished through the doorway, leaving only a trace of heat that had yet to fade.

Huo Yuhao stood where he was, watching her leave. He glanced down at the document envelope in his hand, his smile growing wider.

Yan Shaozhe wanted to try a beauty trap?

Sorry, but Huo Yuhao only dealt in equal exchanges.

He had gotten the shops and support funds for nothing, kept the risks to a minimum, and solved the Lionheart Club's need for a cultivation space along the way.

He turned to look at the Five-Element Gathering Spirit Formation beneath his feet, still drawing in Heaven and Earth Essence without pause. Satisfaction filled his eyes.

This Five-Element Gathering Spirit Formation was the fruit of three months of study.

Only those who had been caught in the rain truly understood how to hold an umbrella over someone else.

And Huo Yuhao had never intended to stop at holding up a single umbrella.

He would lead these common-born talents, people like himself, and carve out a path of their own through status-bound Shrek and the dog-eat-dog world of Douluo Continent.