Yan Shaozhe's Little Schemes

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Chapter 24: Yan Shaozhe's Little Schemes

The appearance of the mind demon mark on her lower abdomen was like opening the sole outlet for the evil energy in Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Flame. It rapidly separated from her soul power, then poured into Ye Xixuan's body in an unending stream through the mark.

But stirring up the evil energy in her martial soul origin so violently also dealt a tremendous shock to her mind.

As she grew older and suffered the backlash of the evil fire, Ma Xiaotao had spent years keeping herself suppressed. Not only did it interfere with her cultivation, it could threaten her life at any moment. Had her will not been firm enough, she would probably have lost control completely long ago.

Even Yan Shaozhe had suggested more than once that she use another method to resolve the negative effects of the evil fire phoenix martial soul within her, but she had refused every time.

And prolonged suppression inevitably brought an even fiercer rebound once she hit rock bottom.

At that moment, Ma Xiaotao could not control her body's instinctive reactions at all. Her mind held nothing but the bliss of releasing the evil energy. As her mind relaxed, her body became extraordinarily sensitive, until her mental defenses crumbled altogether.

She instinctively hugged the unconscious Ye Xixuan tighter, her body still trembling and her red lips slightly parted.

"Mmh-"

Bathed in the crimson glow of Ma Xiaotao's soul power, the sinister black demonic markings on Ye Xixuan's skin seemed to take on an added touch of wicked, bewitching beauty. From above, all that could be seen were black and red lights flickering constantly on the lakebed, entwined with one another.

After a bout of trembling, Ma Xiaotao had actually managed to bring the evil fire within her under preliminary control, and her awareness gradually regained a measure of clarity. But the evil fire had tormented her for far too long. Instinctively, she wanted nothing more than for that blissful, liberating sensation to continue.

In terms of talent, Ma Xiaotao surpassed even Zhang Lexuan, the inner court's senior sister, and was no less gifted than Mu En had been in his youth. If not for the flaws in her evil fire phoenix martial soul, her achievements would undoubtedly have gone far beyond this.

Now that she had finally seized such an opportunity, she naturally clung to it like a drowning person clutching a straw, refusing to let go.

Her eyelids fluttered. The savage, frenzied blood-red color in Ma Xiaotao's eyes had long since faded, returning to their original, soul-melting pale pink. Through her blurred vision, she finally made out Ye Xixuan's face and gradually recalled what had happened earlier.

Isn't this the little fellow who's always following Senior Sister around? Oh no. I've really made a mess of things this time!

Although Ma Xiaotao had a fierce temperament, she knew how highly her grandteacher, Mu En, valued Ye Xixuan and that he regarded him as Shrek Academy's future. If anything truly happened to Ye Xixuan, how could she have the face to remain at Shrek Academy?

She could no longer spare any attention for dispelling the evil fire within her and hurriedly checked Ye Xixuan's condition.

Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong with Ye Xixuan's body.

Even so, Ma Xiaotao did not dare let her guard down in the slightest. After all, she had poured most of the evil fire into Ye Xixuan's body. She immediately prepared to take him up to the surface, but the moment she shifted her legs, her pretty face flushed scarlet.

What exactly did I just do?!

Ever since she began cultivating on the day she awakened her martial soul, the evil fire had tormented her. Many times along the way, she had considered giving up, or doing as Yan Shaozhe suggested and finding another way to release it. Yet she had persevered all these years.

How could someone with such a resilient mind have done something like this?

"Aaaah-" The Ma Xiaotao of the present was, after all, less mature than the one in Ye Xixuan's memories of his previous life. Shame and indignation filled her heart. What she found even harder to accept was that she actually still savored a little of that earlier sensation.

"It must be something wrong with this kid's martial soul!"

Ma Xiaotao could not help giving a little disdainful huff, righteously pushing all the blame onto Ye Xixuan, as though doing so could greatly ease the guilt in her heart. Only as she rose toward the surface did she begin considering another question.

If Ye Xixuan's martial soul really could help her resolve the evil fire within her without any side effects, then her future cultivation would no longer be hindered. When that happened, she might truly soar into the heavens in a single bound and restore the glory of her ancestor's pure fire phoenix martial soul.

;psme&;psme&

As her face broke the surface, Ma Xiaotao let out a long breath, then released her martial soul and rose into the air with Ye Xixuan in her arms. Their lake-soaked clothes quickly dried under the heat of her Phoenix Flame, but she still felt somewhat strange.

Just then, an elderly man dressed in white stepped out from Sea God Island deep within Sea God Lake. As though he had passed through space itself, he appeared before Ma Xiaotao in the blink of an eye. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before settling on the unconscious Ye Xixuan.

"Xiaotao, did you lose control again? What exactly happened?"

"Teacher?" Ma Xiaotao jumped in fright. Guiltily, she pressed her long legs together, drawing Ye Xixuan's cheek even closer to her full chest, and fidgeted with an awkward expression.

"I don't know either. By the time I regained my senses, this little fellow and I were already in the lake. But his martial soul seems capable of helping me dispel the evil fire in my Phoenix Flame. I feel very good right now."

"Let's return to Sea God Island and have my teacher examine him first." After checking Ye Xixuan's and Ma Xiaotao's conditions, the old man made his decision immediately.

"Xixuan's martial soul possesses the ultimate dark attribute. Only my teacher and the elders of the Sea God Pavilion have revealed this information. And the evil fire in your martial soul origin comes from another portion of impure darkness.

"There may well be some connection between the two."

"The ultimate dark attribute?! He's an Ultimate Attribute Soul Master?" Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao could not help widening her eyes in surprise.

"Now that you mention it, Teacher, I do seem to have come here because I felt something drawing my bloodline power and martial soul origin."

As they spoke, Ma Xiaotao and the white-robed elder soon arrived at the Sea God Pavilion.

Mu En seemed to have already sensed what had happened on Sea God Lake. For once, he was not lying in his reclining chair. With his back hunched, he looked toward the approaching white-robed elder.

The white-robed elder bowed respectfully.

"Teacher."

"Yan Shaozhe, I already know what happened." Mu En waved a hand, then gestured to Ma Xiaotao beside him. "Xiaotao, bring Xixuan over here."

"Yes, Grandteacher." With Ye Xixuan in her arms, Ma Xiaotao hurried forward, apprehension written across her face. After all, she was the cause of everything that had happened.

Mu En first stretched out his withered right hand and pressed it against Ye Xixuan's chest, then slowly closed his eyes. Under Yan Shaozhe's and Ma Xiaotao's watchful gazes, he pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"There is nothing seriously wrong with Xixuan's body. Xiaotao, the evil energy in your soul power appears to have been absorbed by his martial soul."

"Teacher, does that mean Xiaotao will be able to cultivate normally from now on?" Yan Shaozhe asked, his eyes lighting up. His temperament did indeed lack a certain generosity of spirit; his considerations were often thoroughly driven by personal gain.

Mu En glanced at Yan Shaozhe and sighed with earnest concern.

"Yan Shaozhe, when will you change that disposition of yours? I know what you're thinking, but have you ever considered what Xixuan himself wants?"

"Teacher, you're right to reprimand me." Yan Shaozhe's specialty was admitting his mistakes without changing his ways, though his attitude was thoroughly proper.

Ma Xiaotao looked back and forth between Mu En and Yan Shaozhe, her head full of question marks.

What riddle are Grandteacher and Teacher speaking in?

(End of chapter)