Yan Shaozhe's Shock

"It seems the rumors were true. Lady Black Tower of Haiyuan City is indeed a powerful Rank 9 Soul Engineer—and she does not belong to the Sun Moon Empire."

Yan Shaozhe sighed inwardly. He had originally thought this was merely an ordinary little border town, never expecting it to be so full of hidden talents.

Aside from the immensely powerful Snow Moon Douluo, Jing Liu, there was also Lady Black Tower, whose name was known far and wide but who had never been seen in person.

Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao slowly proceeded along the curved transparent soul tool glass corridor bridge. Everything Ma Xiaotao saw and heard along the way left her utterly dumbfounded.

The route was lined with countless strange and uniquely functional soul tool structures. Every one of them seemed to transcend everything she had known before, making her feel as though she had stepped into a distant future world.

The first thing that caught her eye was a Soul Beast Totem Fountain. The curtain of water spraying from its spring was no ordinary sight—it could switch at will into lifelike holographic soul beast totems.

The projected soul beasts were incredibly realistic. Some galloped and leaped, while others spread their wings and soared, as though they might burst out of the water curtain at any moment. It was truly astounding.

Next, a majestic Tidal Soul Power Tower stood to one side.

This Soul Power Tower could disperse storms, ensuring that the area where the City Lord's Residence stood was always bathed in clear sunlight. It was like a paradise isolated from the world, untouched by the harsh weather outside.

Farther ahead was a Soul Power hot spring that drew upon the Earth Vein of an undersea volcano.

Steam curled above the pool, radiating warmth. It clearly contained a unique kind of Soul Power energy. A soak in it would surely provide immense benefits for cultivation as well as physical and mental recuperation.

Not far away was an ecological chamber containing a flock of Light-feather Sea Swallows.

These sea swallows emitted a gentle glow all over their bodies, their feathers shimmering in dazzling colors as they freely darted through the ecological chamber, adding a touch of liveliness and vitality to the entire City Lord's Residence.

By the time they had walked all this way, Ma Xiaotao felt as though her mind had gone blank. Her entire being had fallen into a numb stupor.

She felt like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, completely at a loss before these unprecedented and novel sights.

Yet in truth, Shrek City ranked among the foremost cities on the entire Douluo Continent. Whether in terms of prosperity or its long and rich history, it stood at the top among countless cities.

Haiyuan City's transformation had already astonished them, though it had still remained within the bounds of what they had expected and could accept. But the extravagance and wonder of the City Lord's Residence before them far exceeded their imagination. It was so outrageous that even Ma Xiaotao began to wonder if she was dreaming.

Even the well-traveled Yan Shaozhe could not help feeling doubtful at that moment. He even wondered whether he had fallen under some kind of illusion to be seeing such inconceivable sights.

Following the winding glass corridor bridge along both sides of the villa, the Golden Guard finally led Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao onto a secluded private beach.

From the moment Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao entered Haiyuan City, someone had swiftly reported the news to Lu Jingming.

Lu Jingming had already guessed most of the reason for their visit.

After all, Ma Xiaotao had long suffered from her evil fire, while Jing Liu happened to possess Ultimate Ice-attributed Soul Power. As Ma Xiaotao's teacher, how could Yan Shaozhe possibly sit still?

Lu Jingming had actually been mentally prepared for Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao's arrival.

He simply had not expected Yan Shaozhe to be so patient, waiting a full two years before bringing Ma Xiaotao to his door.

At that moment, seeing the Golden Guard lead the two over, Lu Jingming calmly rose from his beach lounger.

He gently handed the pink-haired little fox in his arms to Zhang Lexuan beside him, then stepped forward to welcome the guests.

After all, Yan Shaozhe was a Super Douluo with an exalted status on the Douluo Continent. Basic respect still had to be shown.

A warm smile spread across Lu Jingming's face as he spoke first. "Welcome to Haiyuan City, Dean Yan."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Ma Xiaotao, carrying a hint of inquiry. "And this is...?"

Ma Xiaotao raised her chin slightly, arched a brow, and answered in a clear voice with a faintly provocative look in her eyes, "Ma Xiaotao. Of course, you can also call me Sister Xiaotao."

Lu Jingming seemed not to notice the blatant provocation in Ma Xiaotao's words at all, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

He withdrew his gaze from Ma Xiaotao and turned to Yan Shaozhe instead. With a perfectly measured smile, he asked politely, "May I ask what important matter has brought Dean Yan here?"

With her provocation ignored, Ma Xiaotao felt as though she had punched cotton, leaving her stifled and miserable.

The corner of her mouth twitched violently. It felt as though a massive stone were lodged in her chest, and her breathing involuntarily quickened. Her pretty face flushed bright red; anyone unaware of the situation might truly mistake her for being shy.

Yan Shaozhe, however, seemed wholly unaware of the confrontation between the two young people. Still smiling, he said gently to Lu Jingming, "I have come unannounced for two reasons. First, I wished to visit the Snow Moon Douluo. Second, I do have an unreasonable request, and I hope to have the honor of asking the Snow Moon Douluo for her assistance."

"What is it?"

In an instant, space rippled with a strange fluctuation, like a stone cast into a tranquil lake and sending rings of ripples outward.

The next moment, Jing Liu had already appeared beside Lu Jingming. Her expression was indifferent, her voice cold and clear.

Yan Shaozhe's pupils abruptly contracted at the sight, and his heart churned as though stormy waves had risen within it.

He knew very well that while Super Douluo had already begun to touch upon the power of space, throughout the entire soul master world, aside from soul masters born with spatial attributes or powerful experts who possessed extraordinarily rare spatial soul skills, the only person he could recall who could perform spatial transfer with such effortless ease was his own teacher—Dragon God Douluo Mu En.

But Dragon God Douluo Mu En was an expert from a century ago, now a legend in the soul master world—a Rank 99 Limit Douluo!

Jing Liu's sudden display instantly shattered the response strategy Yan Shaozhe had carefully prepared beforehand.

He had originally believed that, relying on Shrek Academy's prestige and the generous reward he had prepared, there was a strong chance he could persuade her to act.

But now, facing a Snow Moon Douluo whose strength might rival that of his teacher, everything was completely different. This matter would not be so simple.

But since he was already here, Yan Shaozhe could only forcibly suppress the shock in his heart, his expression growing ever more respectful and humble.

He lowered his head slightly, assuming an extremely deferential posture as he said sincerely, "Senior Snow Moon, I believe you can see that my disciple has long been troubled by evil fire. We have come this time to ask you to help her remove the evil fire within her. Should this matter be resolved successfully, Shrek Academy will owe you a favor. At the same time, we will offer a generous gift as a token of our sincerity. I hope you will accept it."