In the quiet room, the atmosphere grew distinctly intimate. Chen Jie naturally noticed the girl stiffening in his arms. Suppressing his amusement, he continued to hold Ma Xiaotao securely, making no move to let go.
Just then, soft footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by the slow turn of the handle.
After hearing nothing from inside for quite some time, Yan Shaozhe worried that something might have happened to them, so he pushed the door open and entered.
When he saw the intimate scene of the two locked in an embrace, he froze midstep, his pupils contracting slightly.
He cleared his throat and tactfully turned his head away, waving a hand with an air of feigned composure:
"Xiaotao, carry on. I didn't see a thing."
With that, Yan Shaozhe gently shut the door without another word, then turned and hurried away.
The door closed with a faint click.
At the sound, Ma Xiaotao's stiff body suddenly trembled. Her cheeks burned, the blush spreading almost to her neck.
She hurriedly pulled free of Chen Jie's arms around her waist. Ignoring the lingering weakness in her body, she sprang up and rushed toward the door.
"Master! It's not what you think!"
Calling out, she hurried after him, her long crimson hair streaming wildly as she ran, her flushed face full of panic.
She caught up with Yan Shaozhe before he had gone far and quickly stepped forward, desperate to explain. In her panic, even her words came out in a stammer.
Yan Shaozhe stopped and turned his head, a mischievous gleam lurking in his eyes. Putting on the air of a worldly elder, he looked at the flustered Ma Xiaotao and drawled teasingly:
"All right, all right, no need to rush to defend yourself. What haven't I seen in my younger days? You don't need to explain."
At his words, Ma Xiaotao's face turned so red it looked ready to drip blood. She stood there in mortification, momentarily at a loss for what to say.
Chen Jie slowly walked to the doorway and leaned against the frame, watching the embarrassed Ma Xiaotao.
Once the teasing was over, the smile slowly faded from Yan Shaozhe's face, and he turned to Chen Jie with a solemn expression.
"Chen Jie, consider this my personal promise to you."
As he spoke, he reached into his Storage Soul Tool, took out an exquisitely crafted dark-red jade card, and held it out to Chen Jie. Intricate patterns covered its surface-it was a VIP credential for the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
"This is the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's red card. With it, every purchase in the pavilion is forty percent off. In addition, this card lets you choose one Soul Bone each year, to be provided by the Treasure Gathering Pavilion."
His gaze was earnest as he continued in a deep voice, "Furthermore, I'll reserve a place for you in advance, allowing you to skip the Freshman Assessment and become a core disciple. That is my promise to you, and I will never go back on it. This is both my thanks to you and an investment in your future."
Deeply moved, Ma Xiaotao quickly stepped forward, looking at Chen Jie with sincere gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Chen Jie. In all these years, no one has ever been able to suppress my evil fire so reliably, time after time, and free me from the torment of my inner demons."
Her eyes shone with sincerity and anticipation as she earnestly extended an invitation:
"Your ultimate ice Martial Soul is incredibly rare and powerful. No one can match your innate advantages. If you're willing to join the Martial Soul Department, Master will train you personally. You'll have priority when it comes to resources, instruction, and connections. I'll always help you too. Your future is sure to shine brilliantly."
Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly and agreed:
"Exactly. With your talent, staying in the outer court would be a waste. Joining the Martial Soul Department and entering the core training system is the best path for you."
Chen Jie rubbed his fingertips over the smooth, warm surface of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's red card, his expression composed.
"Thank you for your generosity, Teacher Yan, and thank you for your recognition, Senior Xiaotao."
He lifted his gaze slightly, his voice steady and confident:
"I'm willing to join the Martial Soul Department."
He paused, the young man's pride shining through:
"But I don't need a reserved place, nor do I want to take a shortcut."
"I want to let my own strength speak for itself. I'll take this year's Freshman Assessment, earn my way into the core ranks fair and square, and officially become a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department."
At those words, both Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao froze.
As they looked at the boy before them, so young yet so ambitious and proud to his very bones, their eyes filled with admiration and approval.
Yan Shaozhe stared for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, his eyes brimming with praise:
"Excellent! No shortcuts, only your own strength-well said! I knew I hadn't misjudged you! I'll be waiting for you to astound everyone at the Freshman Assessment!"
By the time Chen Jie had fully stabilized the rampaging evil fire within Ma Xiaotao, he had expended most of his mental energy, and the afternoon had arrived without him noticing.
The three said their goodbyes.
Chen Jie left the quiet room alone. Afternoon sunlight fell across his shoulders as he carefully put away the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's red card and sank his awareness into his Sea of Consciousness.
The Ice Empress was the first to speak, her voice dripping with jealousy:
"Well, well, Chen Jie. Found us another sister already?"
The Snow Empress's voice was cool, with a hint of hurt:
"You kept staring at that senior just now. Very intently, too."
The two chimed in one after the other, both steeped in jealousy.
A mischievous smile curled Chen Jie's lips. He had no intention of explaining and simply let the two stew in their jealousy.
After teasing them a little, he decided to find Teacher Mu Jin and give him a truthful account of everything that had happened that day.
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