Testing Their Strength

"Leave it to me." Keqing nodded gently, then supported Ma Xiaotao as they headed toward the villa. Before long, they disappeared from Lu Jingming's sight.

Only after Keqing and Ma Xiaotao had completely vanished did Lu Jingming wipe the playful expression from his face, his demeanor turning serious.

He looked at Zhang Lexuan and asked softly, "What do you think, Sister Lexuan?"

Zhang Lexuan naturally understood what Lu Jingming wanted to ask.

She frowned slightly and pondered for a moment before saying softly, "She's very strong. Even if we were at the same level, I could defeat her, but it certainly wouldn't be easy. And you should know that if the evil fire within her can be successfully purged and her Martial Soul evolves into Ultimate Fire, defeating her then will likely become even more difficult for me."

Lu Jingming was not surprised by this. After all, Zhang Lexuan did not have any cheats. She was a pure genius who had grown through her own talent and tireless effort.

Ma Xiaotao was likewise an exceptionally gifted talent. Having been carefully nurtured by a top academy like Shrek Academy, her strength naturally could not be underestimated.

The fact that Zhang Lexuan could defeat Ma Xiaotao at the same level was largely due to Jing Liu's meticulous guidance and training in her daily life.

Although Zhang Lexuan appeared to have defeated Ma Xiaotao with ease, she had actually used four soul skills!

If Zhang Lexuan's true level had been the same as Ma Xiaotao's, with both at level forty-one, she absolutely could not have won that soul duel so easily.

Although Zhang Lexuan had deliberately suppressed her Soul Power Level during the battle, the quality and total amount of a Soul Emperor's soul power had not changed because of that.

That rich and vast foundation of soul power, even when deliberately restrained, still gave Zhang Lexuan a certain advantage without anyone noticing.

Zhang Lexuan had taken the initiative to accept Ma Xiaotao's soul duel challenge on Lu Jingming's behalf for reasons beyond simply protecting her husband.

The deeper reason was that she wanted to use this opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of just what kind of strength elite disciples from the continent's number one academy—Shrek Academy—possessed.

After all, Saint Freya Academy had now officially registered in the Star Luo Empire and become an advanced Soul Master Academy.

As a result, the academy had qualified to participate in the 2023rd Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament, which would be held next year in Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.

In truth, judging by Saint Freya Academy's actual circumstances, it would not have been easy for it to receive the designation of an advanced Soul Master Academy.

However, Lu Jingming was a noble of the Star Luo Empire and had a nominal older sister who was a princess. With the help of numerous conveniences, taking a few "special channels" had smoothly resolved the problem.

Even if some people objected, the moment they learned that Saint Freya Academy had an intimidating Titled Douluo stationed there, they all chose silence.

After all, offending a Titled Douluo over such a trivial matter simply was not worth it.

Those who navigated noble circles were all shrewd and worldly people. Naturally, none of them would do something so foolish.

Zhang Lexuan would happen to be eighteen next year, fully meeting the entry requirements and qualifying to participate in this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament.

However, one thorny problem before her was that finding suitable teammates would not be easy.

Saint Freya Academy had been established only recently and lacked a solid foundation, leaving it with a limited number of outstanding students.

At present, Keqing was the only person of an appropriate age who had the ability to participate alongside her.

However, Lu Jingming already had a solution in mind. They only needed to gather five teammates capable of competing. In his view, Lady Black Tower was exceptionally talented and extraordinarily capable, so solving such a minor problem should not be difficult for her.

While Soul Masters under the age of twenty were not hard to find, it was far less easy to find ones who would not hold the team back and had Soul Power Levels of at least forty.

Throughout Haiyuan City, there were only a handful of Soul Masters who met that requirement, and most of them came from clans or sects rather than being students of Saint Freya Academy.

As such, Lu Jingming had no choice but to find another way. No matter what, he had to gather five people and ensure that they would not become burdens to Zhang Lexuan and Keqing.

After all, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament drew immense attention. As long as Saint Freya Academy could make it into the top thirty-two, the academy's reputation would naturally soar.

Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her eyes in a daze, greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.

She froze slightly, then realized she was lying on a soft, comfortable bed.

She propped up her somewhat languid body and stretched deeply. Her entire body felt incomparably refreshed, nothing like someone who had just endured a fierce battle and exhausted all her soul power.

Ma Xiaotao was no stranger to this sensation.

She knew that a healing-type Soul Master had thoroughly and carefully treated her while she was unconscious, helping her recover her bodily functions as much as possible and preventing any lingering aftereffects.

As she moved, the blanket slipped off her body, inadvertently revealing the thin pajamas she wore.

Only then did Ma Xiaotao realize that her original clothes had been changed. Remembering that this was not the familiar Shrek Academy, her expression instantly darkened as a trace of unease rose in her heart.

"Don't worry. I was the one who changed your clothes." At that moment, Keqing gently pushed open the door, steadily carrying a bowl of fragrant fish soup.

The moment she entered and saw the odd look on Ma Xiaotao's face, she immediately understood what she was thinking and explained with a smile.

As fellow girls, Ma Xiaotao's thoughts were not difficult to guess.

Seeing that it was Keqing who had entered, Ma Xiaotao's expression finally eased considerably. She said softly, "Thank you!"

She was not someone who lacked manners. It was obvious that Keqing had taken meticulous care of her while she was unconscious, and a word of thanks was the bare minimum courtesy.

"My name is Keqing. This fish soup was made with a hundred-year-old Silver Spirit Fish, and it will be very helpful for restoring your soul power."

Keqing first introduced herself amicably, then handed the steaming bowl of fish soup to Ma Xiaotao.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ma Xiaotao reached out and accepted the fish soup.

She understood that if they had truly wanted to harm her, they would have had countless opportunities while she was unconscious and unable to resist. Thus, she was not worried that the fish soup had been poisoned.

"My name is Ma Xiaotao. You can just call me Xiaotao," Ma Xiaotao said.

Keqing appeared older than her, and since they were both girls, Ma Xiaotao unexpectedly showed a docile and gentle side at that moment. Compared to the wild, unruly little-chili-pepper demeanor she had displayed before Lu Jingming, she seemed like an entirely different person.