The thirty grilled fish soon sold out. Compared to the past few days, the workload had suddenly dropped by more than half, leaving Huo Lingtong feeling that it was rather unreal.
When they parted in the dormitory lobby, Nan Zhuliu took out a Mysterious Water Pill and offered just one warning: "You'd better not take it in your dorm room, unless your roommate has a very good temper." Then he headed back.
Huo Lingtong wondered why she couldn't take it in her dorm room. Only after she swallowed the Mysterious Water Pill and circulated her cultivation to gradually absorb its medicinal effects did she finally understand why Nan Zhuliu had said that-
Because it really stank far too much.
She didn't even have time to carefully experience her Soul Power breaking through from rank eleven to the peak of rank twelve, just one step away from rank thirteen, or all the other changes. Wanting to cry but having no tears, Huo Lingtong spent ages cleaning the bathroom until not a trace of the odor remained.
When they met the following day, Huo Lingtong had visibly changed a great deal.
Her complexion had become healthy, and she no longer looked as listless as she had before from prolonged malnutrition. She had even grown noticeably taller, looking practically like a different person from half a month ago.
Wang Dong took a closer look and immediately guessed that Huo Lingtong must have taken a Mysterious Water Pill. Wang Dong couldn't help wondering just what their relationship was.
Lovers? The way they interacted was nowhere near that point; they looked more like friends.
Friends? But Nan Zhuliu treated Huo Lingtong far too well, giving away a Mysterious Water Pill worth ten thousand gold without a second thought.
Nan Zhuliu and Huo Lingtong had no idea that Wang Dong was currently caught in a wild mental brainstorm over their relationship.
Even if they had known, they would only have twitched their lips speechlessly.
Learning that the pill Nan Zhuliu had casually given her was actually a Mysterious Water Pill worth ten thousand gold, Huo Lingtong's eyes instantly grew moist. "Thank you, Zhuliu..."
Seeing how touched she was, Nan Zhuliu didn't know what to say.
Thinking of how Huo Lingtong was now deeply grateful to him for this small favor, yet knew nothing of the greatest opportunities she would lose, Nan Zhuliu tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was hard to tell whether he was smiling or feeling embarrassed.
As they walked, they unwittingly arrived beside Sea God Lake.
Unwittingly, supposedly, but Nan Zhuliu had actually guided them there on purpose.
He hadn't forgotten how, in the original story, Ma Xiaotao's evil fire would go out of control at this time, sending her charging all the way from the inner court to the outer court and nearly turning Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong into speed bumps.
There were good things to be had, and his strength was more than enough to keep the situation under control. As he had said, he would lose nothing either way and could even get a Soul Ascension Pill. He might as well come.
If he could get a treasure that would give even him a considerable boost, that would be best of all.
Looking at the sparkling Sea God Lake, like a vast expanse of shimmering brocade, Huo Lingtong couldn't help taking several deep breaths. "It's so beautiful. To think the academy has such a peaceful, lovely place."
"Of course." Wang Dong proudly launched into a lengthy account of Sea God Lake's origins, leaving Huo Lingtong thoroughly taken in and repeatedly stunned.
Nan Zhuliu quietly gazed toward where the water met the sky.
He had brought both Huo Lingtong and Wang Dong along just in case. Surely it would be unreasonable for her not to show up.
Just as he was thinking this, Nan Zhuliu narrowed his eyes slightly. A red light seemed to be flickering over the water, with great clouds of mist rising around it.
The red light grew brighter and brighter. Only as it drew closer did it become clear that it was a figure in loose red clothing, whose sex couldn't be discerned.
She also wore a red mask. Her blood-red hair streamed like a drifting crimson cloud as she sped along, and even her exposed eyes were blood-red.
There was no need to say more. Who else could it be but Ma Xiaotao?
Beside him, Huo Lingtong suddenly spoke. "Huh? Is there something on the water?"
Wang Dong craned forward, trying hard to get a clear look, but saw only a vast expanse of mist. "What something? Did you see wrong?"
"It looks like a person, someone wearing red."
As soon as Huo Lingtong finished speaking, Wang Dong spotted the red-clad person she meant. "The academy doesn't allow outer court students into the depths of Sea God Lake, and only inner court students wear red. That must be an inner court senior coming to the outer court to handle something."
But they soon noticed something wrong. The other person's condition seemed a little off, and she was heading straight toward them.
Realizing something was wrong, Huo Lingtong and Wang Dong turned, ready to call Nan Zhuliu and leave.
But Ma Xiaotao was simply too fast. In that brief moment, the distance between them rapidly shrank. Before she arrived, a heat wave carrying a frenzied, evil presence had already blasted them in the face.
Huo Lingtong and Wang Dong could now see clearly that this inner court student, whose condition was decidedly abnormal, actually possessed six terrifying Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, and two black.
This inner court student was actually a six-ring Soul Emperor capable of contending with their homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi.
We're done for!
Despair instantly rose in Huo Lingtong's and Wang Dong's hearts.
Boom-!
A piercing, ear-splitting thunderclap suddenly exploded beside their ears.
The two instinctively turned to look, only to see lightning enveloping Nan Zhuliu. His right sleeve abruptly burst apart, and golden dragon scales rapidly spread across his entire forearm, transforming it into a mighty, awe-inspiring Golden Dragon Claw.
His short black hair, streaked with gold, danced in the wind, revealing the lightning mark between his brows with its profound, domineering presence.
The feeling of being utterly suppressed, unable to turn the tables, that Wang Dong had experienced on the day of their first meeting surged up once more.
Amid crashing thunder and coiling lightning, a cold, intimidating lightning spear appeared in Nan Zhuliu's Golden Dragon Claw.
Then he raised the Prison-Subduing Dragon Spear and hurled it fiercely.
Whoosh!
A massive wave churning with lightning instantly surged up from Sea God Lake, lunging like a giant beast toward Ma Xiaotao as she rapidly approached them at astonishing speed.
Her lingering subconscious sensed the approaching danger, and a clear, resounding phoenix cry suddenly rang out.
An enormous fire phoenix appeared above the lake and spat out a thread of fire as thin as a finger.
Under Huo Lingtong's and Wang Dong's dumbfounded gazes, the enormous wave met the thread of fire. As a speck of blue light vanished into the air, the fire was instantly extinguished, disappearing along with Ma Xiaotao beneath the towering wave.
The enormous wave abruptly collapsed in its wake, and a light rain pattered down over Sea God Lake.
With a flash of light, the Prison-Subduing Dragon Spear reappeared in Nan Zhuliu's hand.
Gulp!
Huo Lingtong's and Wang Dong's throats bobbed with difficulty as they said in trembling voices, "That was an inner court senior with six-ring cultivation, and you just defeated them like that?"
The Golden Dragon Claw on Nan Zhuliu's right hand slowly returned to a human hand, and he put away the Prison-Subduing Dragon Spear as well. At their words, he gave them an indifferent glance.
What's so strange about defeating a Soul Emperor? It's not as if I haven't killed one before.
The next second,
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several white-clad figures appeared before the three of them. Leading them was a man who looked over sixty, with a gentle demeanor, giving the impression of an utterly ordinary old man.