The old man looked somewhat surprised when Qi Xuan exposed his identity with a single remark. "You have a keen eye, young man. However, our sect has now changed its name to the Heavenly Dragon Sect."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had a long history in the soul master world. Its hereditary martial soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, was a top-tier beast martial soul. Ten thousand years ago, it had been counted among the Upper Three Sects alongside the Clear Sky Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Even Shrek Academy's founders, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, had come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
Unfortunately, when Spirit Hall launched its soul hunting operation, the main clan had been almost entirely wiped out. Only a handful of clan members who happened to be away had survived.
Over the long years that followed, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had recuperated and rebuilt, rising again under the name Heavenly Dragon Sect.
By the present era, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had become a reclusive sect, just like its two old brothers.
Although it was no longer as prosperous as it had once been, its circumstances were still far better than those of the Tang Sect, once the greatest sect under heaven.
The Tang Sect had now even had its ancestral holdings seized.
The old man spoke earnestly. "My master truly has an urgent need for this item. If you are willing to part with it, both of you will become honored guests of our Heavenly Dragon Sect."
Qi Xuan picked up two pieces of information from his words. First, this old man and his master held considerable status and were probably among the Heavenly Dragon Sect's senior leadership. Second, this thunder dragon essence was probably genuinely impressive.
His guesses were correct. The old man's name was Xue Lin, and he was currently the Heavenly Dragon Sect's chief steward. His master, Mr. Yu, was the sect's current leader.
Heavenly Dragon Douluo.
Qi Xuan asked tentatively, "And what if I'm not willing?"
Xue Lin pondered for a moment, then took a Thunder Core from inside his robes. "I imagine you also possess a lightning-attribute martial soul. This Thunder Core will help you gain insight into the lightning element. Please accept it. If you ever visit the Heaven Dou Empire, feel free to stop by the Heavenly Dragon Sect in the northern region. Simply mention my name, Xue Lin."
This was clearly an offer of friendship.
Afterward, Xue Lin bowed to them again. "Please forgive the inconvenience of my abrupt intrusion. Since this matter has come to nothing, I must set off at once to report back to the sect."
Recognizing that Xue Lin was serving tea to see his guests out, the two returned his courtesy and left.
After this incident, neither of them felt like browsing the Treasure Gathering Pavilion any longer. They only wanted to hurry back before any more complications arose.
As for the two premium vouchers in Huo Yuhao's hands, they would not expire anyway. Perhaps some new stock would have arrived by their next visit.
The ten-thousand-year whale glue and thunder dragon essence had already been sent to Shrek through special channels.
In any case, both of them had reaped quite a harvest.
On their way back, Huo Yuhao asked Qi Xuan curiously, "Brother Xuan, I've heard that the bigger a sect is, the more likely its members are to throw their weight around and bully people. But that Grandpa Xue Lin seemed pretty nice today."
Qi Xuan answered offhandedly, "Maybe having their ancestors' clan wiped out taught them a lesson."
That was, of course, a rather dark explanation. The more important reason was probably Shrek Academy standing behind them.
Anyone their age who could visit the Treasure Gathering Pavilion was very likely a Shrek student, either from a wealthy family or a cultivation prodigy. Why make enemies of such people instead of winning them over?
Only those small sects that let success go to their heads would run roughshod through town, bullying others with their influence.
Forget lasting ten thousand years. They would probably vanish without a trace in less than a hundred.
It was nearly noon, and there were few people outside the North Gate-just the two of them.
As they chatted and laughed, Huo Yuhao suddenly frowned.
"Brother Xuan, don't you think it's getting a little hot?" He stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"It is a bit..." Qi Xuan's gaze drifted into the distance, where he saw a streak of red cloud hurtling toward them across the distant wasteland.
"Fuck!" It took Qi Xuan barely half a second to recognize who was coming.
The Flame Maniac, Ma Xiaotao!
Who the hell knew whether she was out of her mind right now!
With his current strength, only half a step away from three rings, Qi Xuan could handle an ordinary Soul Ancestor without much trouble. But she was a Soul Emperor.
And a Soul Emperor trained in the Shrek Inner Court, at that!
Qi Xuan grabbed Huo Yuhao, swung him onto his back, and launched himself forward.
Three Thousand Thunderclaps, full speed!
In the space of a breath, Qi Xuan had sprinted a hundred meters with Huo Yuhao on his back. Yet that blazing red cloud behind them was drawing ever closer!
As Ma Hongjun's descendant, Ma Xiaotao had inherited the pure Evil Fire Phoenix. Along with tremendous power, it had also brought her the torment of evil fire.
Sometimes, evil fire would invade her body, causing her to lose consciousness and go berserk.
Normally, her teacher, Yan Shaozhe, watched over her. But as Ma Xiaotao's cultivation broke through to Soul Emperor, suppressing her grew increasingly difficult.
Worse still, prolonged suppression had caused the evil fire to accumulate inside her, until it had fused with her own soul power. Continuing to forcibly suppress it would only grievously damage her vitality and might even cripple her.
Clinging to Qi Xuan's back, Huo Yuhao felt the air around them grow hotter and hotter. He tried to use Spiritual Detection, but the instant he released his spiritual power, it was brutally scorched and melted away.
He let out a muffled groan.
Lightning was inherently an extremely fast attribute. With Three Thousand Thunderclaps enhancing his speed, Qi Xuan was already leaving afterimages in his wake.
But it still was not enough.
The phoenix was the king of birds to begin with. Coupled with the immense gap in their cultivation, she finally caught up to them.
Terrifying heat swept over them all at once, as though even the air had been scorched black.
Every breath felt as if it were burning their airways.
"Move aside!"
Ma Xiaotao seemed to retain a sliver of awareness, as though she were warning them.
Move aside, my ass.
Qi Xuan was practically roaring inwardly. You're a Soul Emperor barreling into me like a Dayun truck! How the hell am I supposed to dodge?
Ma Xiaotao's eyes alternated between clarity and confusion, as though two minds were battling inside her head.
She seemed to make out the Shrek uniforms they were wearing and strained with all her might to shift her body slightly to one side.
Then she struck her own carotid artery viciously:
"Stop, damn you!"
In the end, Ma Xiaotao narrowly missed them amid howling, scorching winds and slammed heavily into the ground.
Meanwhile, a layer of ice rapidly spread across Huo Yuhao's body, shielding both of them within it.
Although the ice lasted only an instant beneath that terrifying heat, it successfully roused the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm within Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.
"What's going on?"
A pulse of cold spread outward, blocking the subsequent waves of heat.
Struck by the extremes of ice and fire at once, Qi Xuan and Huo Yuhao could hold on no longer. Their bodies went limp, and both collapsed unconscious.
Nearby, Ma Xiaotao had already withdrawn her martial soul. She struggled to lift her eyes, and only after checking that her two juniors were still breathing did she faint with a murmur.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness..."
Before long, several Shrek Academy teachers arrived, swift as meteors chasing the moon.
"Dean Yan, Xiaotao is here. There are also two first-year students beside her. What should we do?"
Yan Shaozhe looked somewhat surprised. "Those two? It's no easy feat to hold out against Xiaotao when she goes berserk."
Yan Shaozhe thought for a moment. "Xiaotao's flames may have left hidden injuries inside them. Bring them back to Sea God Island as well."
Before you continue