A Belated Apology Was Worthless; Setting Out for the Far North

With that, Yan Shaozhe fell silent and waited for Jiang Chen's answer.

In his view, once an elder lowered his head, a junior would most likely accept the apology and seize the chance to make a few excessive demands.

As long as Jiang Chen made up with Ma Xiaotao, Yan Shaozhe would grit his teeth and agree.

Jiang Chen, however, said nothing.

He was smiling.

Things had gone just as he had expected. For Ma Xiaotao's sake, Yan Shaozhe had shamelessly come to apologize after all.

But why was Yan Shaozhe so sure a junior had to accept an elder's apology?

Did juniors not have tempers of their own?

Even if Yan Shaozhe was dean of the Martial Soul Department, Jiang Chen had no intention of indulging him. "Dean Yan, can a cooked duck come back to life? Can a shattered mirror be made whole again? Some things were over once they were over. Trying to mend them was meaningless."

"You're apologizing as an elder because you want to use your position to pressure me into getting back together with Ma Xiaotao, then have me cure her Evil Fire for good. Isn't that right?"

"What do you take me for? You threw me away the moment I was no use to you, and now you want to pick me up again because I am. Where in the world do things work like that? If everything could be undone, if there were a medicine for regret, why would there be so many innocent people in this world?"

"As your junior, I have a few words for you."

"A belated apology is worth less than grass. You reap what you sow. Life is about living with a clear conscience, not scheming at every turn. Some people have faces uglier than an Evil Soul Master's."

"It's come to this, and my mind is made up. I'll never have anything to do with Ma Xiaotao again. If you try to pressure me as an elder once more, I'll withdraw from Shrek."

Yan Shaozhe opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The brat had mocked him at every turn, calling him a shortsighted, scheming petty man. He had even compared him to an Evil Soul Master. The sheer audacity!

In the past, Yan Shaozhe would have lost his temper on the spot.

But right now, he was the one asking for a favor.

Yan Shaozhe let out a deep sigh.

It had taken less than a day for the boomerang to come flying back.

"Is there no room to change your mind?" Yan Shaozhe asked.

"No," Jiang Chen said.

"Not even a little?" Yan Shaozhe pressed.

"No," Jiang Chen said.

Still unwilling to give up, Yan Shaozhe said, "If you agree to get back together with Xiaotao, I can compensate you with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, all kinds of pills, and cultivation resources."

At that, Jiang Chen pointed at the Golden Ancient Tree. "Dig up the Golden Ancient Tree. When you've pulled it out of the ground, I'll agree to get back together with Ma Xiaotao."

Yan Shaozhe's fists clenched. His lungs nearly burst with anger, and his eyes took on a faint red tinge.

The brat was saying it just to get under his skin.

Dig up the Golden Ancient Tree?

If Yan Shaozhe so much as entertained the thought, he would make his move one second and be hit by Mu En's Ruler Over the World the next. Then the academy would expel him.

The Golden Ancient Tree was the academy's only sacred treasure. How could anyone simply dig it up?

Jiang Chen was mocking him both openly and between the lines.

When had Yan Shaozhe, the mighty dean of Shrek's Martial Soul Department, ever suffered such humiliation? Without another word, he swept his sleeves and left.

But he had not given up entirely. Jiang Chen was the only person who could suppress Xiaotao's Evil Fire.

For the academy's future, Yan Shaozhe would have to find another way.

Jiang Chen remained where he was, a smile tugging at his lips.

That felt good!

At last, he had vented the resentment pent up inside him and given Yan Shaozhe a thorough dressing-down.

Jiang Chen then got up and left. He had no desire to linger, in case Yan Shaozhe came back to pester him.

On Heart Lake Island in the Inner Court.

Ma Xiaotao crouched by the lake, her chin resting in her hands. "Teacher, did he refuse?" she asked, looking lost.

Yan Shaozhe sighed. "Jiang Chen refused to reconcile, but I'll find another way for you. He's the only person in the academy with an Ultimate Attribute. I can't just stand by while Evil Fire torments you."

"No matter how strong Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Turtle Martial Soul is, it has a water attribute. It can't compare to a true Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. Only Jiang Chen can cure your Evil Fire completely."

Ma Xiaotao felt even worse.

She had thought the matter would finally be settled once her teacher stepped in to negotiate. She had not expected Jiang Chen to be so stubborn that he would refuse.

Does Jiang Chen really not like me anymore?

I have looks, a figure, and status. Where exactly do I fall short?

Ma Xiaotao refused to believe it. She stood and said, "Teacher, I'll apologize to him myself. He'll definitely agree."

Yan Shaozhe thought that made sense too.

Hadn't Mu En said that the one who tied the bell had to untie it? Xiaotao was the one who had tied it. Surely she could resolve this.

Yan Shaozhe smiled. "With your looks and status, Jiang Chen probably won't refuse you. You'll have to fight for your own future and happiness. I've truly done all I can."

Ma Xiaotao nodded. "I understand. I'll fight for it myself."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. It was time for Jiang Chen's Soul Hunting Operation to begin.

To make sure Jiang Chen obtained a suitable Soul Ring, the Inner Court teachers assembled a large party for him, with an Elder accompanying them. The entire expedition was dedicated to obtaining a Soul Ring for him alone.

Those taking part in this Soul Hunting Operation were:

Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Xie Huanyue, Ling Luochеn, Ma Xiaotao, Zhang Lexuan, and Xian Lin'er.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng were there to help Jiang Chen obtain his Soul Ring. Xie Huanyue was mostly there to make up the numbers, though his three-ring strength could still prove useful.

Ling Luochеn had volunteered. She was strong enough to protect Jiang Chen and knew more about Ice Martial Souls.

Zhang Lexuan's role went without saying: she was there purely to keep her junior schoolmate safe.

As for Ma Xiaotao, she had plainly been forced into the group. The reason could not have been more obvious.

Their mission was simple: venture deep into the Far North and hunt an Ice Jade Scorpion with an Ultimate Attribute to provide Jiang Chen with his third Soul Ring. The Elder leading the party had also been changed from Xuan Zi to Elder Song.

Mu En had barred Xuan Zi from the mission on the spot.

Soon, everyone had assembled, and the Elder was in position. Mu En came out of the Sea God Pavilion and instructed them, "Nothing can go wrong on this Ice Jade Scorpion hunt. Every one of you must return safely. Understood?"

Elder Song immediately cupped her hands. "I'll bring them all back safely."

Mu En nodded, reassured.

At that moment, Yan Shaozhe, standing a short distance away, gave Ma Xiaotao a look, signaling that she must not miss this opportunity.

Ma Xiaotao immediately understood what her teacher meant and returned his look.

Ling Luochеn saw the entire exchange. She could not help feeling a flash of disgust toward her former close friend.

Ma Xiaotao had latched onto Jiang Chen as soon as he awakened his Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. She truly had no shame.

The Soul Hunting party then left Shrek and flew toward the Far North.

Several days later, in the Far North.

The Shrek party had barely arrived when they felt the temperature around them plummet. Even at the outer edge, it had reached −40°C, and everyone shivered.

The cold of the Far North was no joke.

The members of the Soul Hunting party took out the tiger-fur coats they had prepared and put them on, then used Soul Power to drive the chill from their bodies.