Ling Luochen's Straightforward Confession

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Chapter 45: Ling Luochen's Straightforward Confession

Once she recovered from her shock, Ma Xiaotao rushed straight to Ye Xixuan's side. To prevent any further surprises, she raised her right hand and burned the Death Messenger's corpse to ashes with scorching Phoenix Flame.

"Didn't we agree before this mission that you only needed to support us from the sidelines?"

Only after finishing that did she pinch one of Ye Xixuan's ears, her face stern.

"If anything happened to you, how would I explain it to Eldest Senior Sister and the academy?"

Ye Xixuan could tell that Ma Xiaotao was mostly worried about him. He said sincerely, "Sister Xiaotao, I won't do that again."

"And what the hell was that 'kekeke' laugh just now? It sounded awful. Don't ever laugh like that again, understood?" Ma Xiaotao snorted irritably.

Without the slightest guilt, Ye Xixuan pinned his twisted sense of humor on Bei Bei and gave a dry chuckle.

"Senior Brother Bei told me before that evil soul masters all laugh like that. That fellow who called himself the Death Messenger was so weak-must've been because he got the laugh wrong."

"You still dare to give your Sister Xiaotao lip?" Ma Xiaotao shot Ye Xixuan a look, torn between irritation and amusement.

Although the Death Messenger's abilities had been countered by Ye Xixuan's martial soul, the power of the sword strike Ye Xixuan had used to kill him clearly exceeded the Soul Ancestor level.

She looked Ye Xixuan over, wondering to herself.

Has this kid already become this strong?

Without needing Ma Xiaotao's instructions, Dai Yueheng and the others had already finished cleaning up.

The Death Hand Bandit Group's three strongest Soul Kings had fallen one after another, leaving nothing but a disorderly rabble of bandits. Under the group's joint assault, not a single living soul remained in the cavern.

Once that was done, Dai Yueheng and the others immediately gathered around Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao, though their gazes rested more often on Ye Xixuan.

The methods Ye Xixuan had used to suppress the exploding corpses and kill the Death Messenger had shaken them just as deeply. The way Chen Zifeng, Xixi, Gongyang Mo, and Yao Haoxuan looked at him had changed.

In Shrek Academy's inner court, where strength reigned supreme, power was the proof of everything. After this mission, no one would see Ye Xixuan as merely an exceptionally gifted junior again. They would truly regard him as someone on their own level.

Dai Yueheng could not help asking in a low voice, "Xixuan, was that an ability of your martial soul?"

"Senior Dai, Mu En said that my martial soul is innately capable of countering the abilities of evil soul masters." Of course, Ye Xixuan could hear the implication behind Dai Yueheng's words and the concern in his heart. Perhaps every inner court disciple present harbored similar thoughts to some extent. So he simply raised Mu En's banner as his shield.

You suspect I'm an evil soul master? Then go tell Mu En!

Sure enough, everyone relaxed upon hearing Ye Xixuan's answer. Mu En's significance to Shrek Academy was beyond imagining, and no one would question him.

The straightforward Chen Zifeng was the first to speak up. He gave Ye Xixuan a friendly pat on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Xixuan, I saw you using a sword just now. Once we get back to the academy, how about sticking with your Brother Chen? Whatever else you might say, no inner court student has greater mastery of swordsmanship than me."

"Aren't you the only one in the inner court with a sword martial soul?" Xixi gave Chen Zifeng no face at all, undermining him on the spot.

Gongyang Mo pursed his lips and chimed in coyly, "Little Sister Xixi is right. Those men are all the same. Not one of them can resist boasting."

"Shut up!" Gongyang Mo's manner made everyone physically uncomfortable. This time, Chen Zifeng and Xixi joined forces against a common foe.

Even Yao Haoxuan, standing nearby, had to admit that with Ye Xixuan's talent and potential, he would indeed be better qualified than him to protect Ling Luochen in the future.

Putting on an air of profundity, he walked up to Ye Xixuan. At roughly one hundred and sixty centimeters tall, he even had to tilt his head back to meet Ye Xixuan's eyes. Then, like Ling Luochen earlier, he uttered something that left everyone baffled.

"From now on, use your shadow to protect the ice in her hands."

"Senior Yao, are you trying to make this awkward?" The corner of Ye Xixuan's mouth twitched. He could hardly imagine the normally quiet Yao Haoxuan suddenly pulling something like this.

;psme&;psme&

It felt exactly like when Tang Hao had told Tang San to use the hammer in his left hand to protect the grass in his right.

Seeing everyone's strange expressions as they struggled to hold back their laughter, Yao Haoxuan, who had thought himself so profound, flushed scarlet. For a long while, he could not squeeze out another word.

Even Ling Luochen herself glanced at Yao Haoxuan with a slight furrow of her delicate brows. Although her expression rarely changed, anyone could see the trace of distaste in her eyes.

Just then, Ma Xiaotao interrupted their conversation, her voice heavy.

"All right, let's take care of the aftermath here first."

Everyone immediately wiped the smiles from their faces. They had barely noticed during the battle, but now, standing deep inside the cavern and looking outward, they could see the bodies of ordinary people murdered by these bandits hanging all across the cavern ceiling.

In the end, Ma Xiaotao used Phoenix Flame to burn the place down, allowing these ;psme&;psme&

innocent victims to rest in peace.

After spending a night in the Ming Dou Mountains, the group was set to part ways early the next morning.

Dai Yueheng planned to return to Star Luo City, while everyone else came from the Heaven Dou Empire. Whether they intended to visit their families or stay at Shrek Academy to cultivate, they would first have to enter the Heaven Dou Empire.

In an open area outside the Ming Dou Mountains, Dai Yueheng nodded to everyone.

"Xiaotao, take everyone back to the academy to report on the mission. Once I get home, I intend to break through the level-sixty bottleneck and prepare for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament two years from now. Testing our abilities may have been one of the academy's reasons for sending us on this mission. After all, our age group is the best suited to compete in the next tournament."

"If you're unhappy with me being captain, you can challenge me anytime over the next two years." Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow at Dai Yueheng. That was simply her personality: whatever she had to say, she laid it out in the open.

Dai Yueheng met Ma Xiaotao's gaze, his eyes blazing.

"There'll be an opportunity."

After saying that, he turned to Ye Xixuan and smiled faintly.

"Xixuan, with your talent, you'll definitely make our reserve team in two years. Then we can fight side by side again."

"Senior Dai, I hope that day comes too." Ye Xixuan replied politely, but inwardly, he felt somewhat distant from Dai Yueheng, whose every action had a clear purpose. By comparison, he actually preferred dealing with someone as straightforward as Ma Xiaotao.

Dai Yueheng soon departed using a Flying Soul Tool. Gongyang Mo asked Ma Xiaotao, "Xiaotao, which way are we going next?"

"Without Dai Yueheng, passing through the Star Luo Empire's military camp would be troublesome. Let's follow the Ming Dou Mountains north to Maple Leaf City in the Heaven Dou Empire, then turn back toward the academy. Anyone who needs to visit their family can split off there."

"All right." No one objected to Ma Xiaotao's suggestion.

Still, given the terrain along the Ming Dou Mountains, flying north would be more convenient. Just as when they had set out, Ye Xixuan carried Ling Luochen.

With his arms around Ling Luochen as they flew swiftly through the air, he finally voiced the question that had troubled him for so long.

"Senior Sister Ling, is there something between our families that I don't know about?"

"Yes." Ling Luochen tilted her head up to meet Ye Xixuan's gaze. A few deep-blue strands of hair, almost like dyed highlights, fell against her fair, delicate cheek as her red lips parted slightly.

Ye Xixuan immediately asked, unable to help himself, "What?"

"I'm your fiancée."

"???" ;psme&;psme&

(End of chapter)