Ma Xiaotao might only have been a Soul Emperor at present.
But if not for the flaw of her evil fire, she would already have broken through to Soul Saint.
"But Soul Masters with ultimate martial souls are rare enough, let alone ultimate ice, which hasn't appeared in ten thousand years."
"Teacher, we've searched for so many years without finding it. Does an ultimate ice martial soul really exist in this world?"
Ma Xiaotao looked utterly dejected.
A glimmer flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Xiaotao, if there were an ultimate ice Soul Master right now, would you be willing to develop feelings for him?"
"How could there possibly be one?"
Ma Xiaotao shook her head, then looked puzzled. "Besides, why does it have to be a man? Wouldn't a woman be better and more convenient?"
She had no desire to get together with some unfamiliar man just because of her evil fire.
If it were a woman, at least things would be convenient. They could cultivate together, and she could borrow the other woman's ultimate ice to suppress her evil fire.
"Never mind that."
Yan Shaozhe shook his head and said evenly, "Just answer me. If there were a male ultimate ice Soul Master right now, would you be willing to develop feelings for him?"
"How old is he? What does he look like? Does he have a good personality?"
Ma Xiaotao fired off three questions in a row.
As for his talent and strength?
With an ultimate ice martial soul, how lacking could his talent and strength possibly be?
"..."
Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched, but he still answered patiently. "He's a few years younger than you, has the kind of looks girls really like, and has a decent personality."
"If he were someone like that, would you be willing?"
According to Du Weilen's description, Gu Yunxiao was handsome and had a reasonably good personality. He did not seem like some irredeemable villain.
"If that's the case, I'd be willing to try."
Ma Xiaotao nodded, only to change tack. "But where would you find a boy like that? I..."
"Then let me tell you now: a new student with an ultimate ice martial soul has arrived at the academy."
"His age, looks, and personality are just as I described in that hypothetical."
Yan Shaozhe smiled, a gleam of triumph flashing through his eyes as his scheme fell into place.
"Huh?"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened. She was completely dumbfounded.
"What do you mean, 'huh'?"
"Xiaotao, you said it yourself just now. I heard every word loud and clear. This time, you're going whether you want to or not."
Yan Shaozhe fixed her with a stern glare, leaving her no room to negotiate.
"But... but he's a new student! How can he only be a few years younger than me? He's much younger!" Ma Xiaotao's face flushed, embarrassment and mortification washing over her.
Develop feelings for a boy much younger than herself?
What was that if not an older-woman, younger-man romance?
"Hmph, age isn't an issue."
Yan Shaozhe snorted. "In short, you have to go, and you need to rein in that fiery temper of yours. He's a prodigy whose talent surpasses even yours."
"If you mess this up, don't blame me for refusing to acknowledge you as my disciple."
Ma Xiaotao froze, staring at Yan Shaozhe in disbelief.
She opened her mouth to argue, but one glare from him stopped her cold, forcing her to swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.
"Fine, I'll go. Happy now?"
Ma Xiaotao muttered under her breath.
Yan Shaozhe shook his head and sighed helplessly. "Xiaotao, you must rein in your temper. The pride in his bones runs even deeper than yours."
"There's no denying that you're outstanding too."
"But that boy is even more outstanding."
"Remember, you're the one who needs him, not the other way around. Whatever you do, don't look down your nose at him and leave a thorn in his heart."
He knew his disciple's temper all too well.
Really, he was also to blame. He had neglected to discipline her and had always spoiled her, allowing her pride and temper to grow unchecked.
Few boys could put up with a temper like hers.
"Oh, all right, I get it."
Ma Xiaotao answered casually, then changed the subject. "Teacher, what's that boy's name? Where is he from?"
"See for yourself."
Yan Shaozhe took out the Registration Form and handed it to Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao quickly took it and eagerly began reading. The name "Gu Yunxiao" caught her eye immediately.
"His name sounds quite nice."
Ma Xiaotao murmured and continued reading.
When she reached the age and cultivation fields, surprise appeared on her face. "A level thirty-seven Soul Elder at such a young age!"
At Gu Yunxiao's age, her cultivation had been nowhere near that high.
With talent like this, no wonder her teacher called him a prodigy whose gifts surpassed hers.
Yan Shaozhe watched from beside her, a faint smile on his lips.
"Three ten thousand year soul rings!!!"
Ma Xiaotao suddenly cried out. She raised her head to look at Yan Shaozhe, her expression strange. "Teacher, are you sure you didn't make this person up just to have a laugh at my expense?"
"Even if it's fake, you ought to make it a little more believable. I could accept it if you made up a ten thousand year third ring."
"But a level thirty-seven Soul Elder with three ten thousand year soul rings? Who would believe that?"
In an instant, Ma Xiaotao decided that "Gu Yunxiao" did not exist at all. He was someone Yan Shaozhe had deliberately invented.
"Nonsense!"
Yan Shaozhe glared fiercely at Ma Xiaotao, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Du Weilen personally verified this information. Not a single bit of it is false!"
"Otherwise, why would I call him a monstrous prodigy whose talent surpasses yours?"
"Forget you-even in the ten thousand years since our academy was founded, we've never seen such a terrifying Little Monster."
"I'm only letting you see this registration information first. The Elders still need to review it later, and in all likelihood, we'll have to convene a Sea God Pavilion Meeting."
By the time he finished, Yan Shaozhe's expression had gradually turned serious.
"A Sea God Pavilion Meeting!"
Ma Xiaotao's expression shifted slightly. She immediately realized that Yan Shaozhe was not joking.
Gu Yunxiao really existed!
But a Soul Elder with three ten thousand year soul rings was truly difficult to believe without seeing it with her own eyes.
"Teacher, how... how on earth did he do it?" Ma Xiaotao was shaken to her core, her voice full of disbelief.
"I don't know either."
Yan Shaozhe shook his head. "It may have something to do with his background. Gu Yunxiao didn't reveal that on his Registration Form."
Ma Xiaotao instinctively looked down and discovered that Gu Yunxiao's form indeed listed no background, only the word "Confidential."
His handwriting is good too. He's probably a fairly respectable person, not some shady character, Ma Xiaotao thought to herself.
"The only thing we can be sure of right now is that Gu Yunxiao isn't a lone wolf. He must have a Family, a Sect, or some similar power behind him," Yan Shaozhe said.
"Mm."
Ma Xiaotao nodded.
The fact that he could absorb three ten thousand year soul rings as a Soul Elder already spoke volumes.
Gu Yunxiao could never have hunted down three ten-thousand-year soul beasts on his own. At the very least, he had a Soul Saint-level expert helping him.
"All right, now you know about Gu Yunxiao."
Yan Shaozhe took the Registration Form back from Ma Xiaotao and said calmly, "What you need to do now is put your cultivation on hold. When the time is right, I'll take you to meet Gu Yunxiao."
Before you continue