The Spirit Contract Pagoda's True Nature? Yan Shaozhe's Wild Imagination!

The instant Yan Shaozhe thought of the name Dragon God, he froze in place, as though a curse had been cast on him.

To outsiders, Yan Shaozhe merely seemed to have suddenly fallen into thought, but no one knew how shaken he was.

Although Shrek Academy had very few records of the Dragon God, the documents Tang San had deliberately left behind before ascending to the Divine Realm, along with some folk legends about the Dragon God, had made Shrek aware of the existence who had once clashed head-on with the Five Great God Kings of the Divine Realm.

According to the secrets kept in Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, the Dragon God was the ruler of all Soul Beasts, their so-called common sovereign.

At a single command from him, Soul Beasts of every race had to obey the Dragon God's orders.

At that thought, it was as though a blockage had suddenly cleared from Yan Shaozhe's mind. Xu Xingyu most likely had a mutated Silver Dragon Martial Soul, and in theory, a silver dragon was qualified to become the Dragon God.

Therefore, Xu Xingyu was most likely undergoing the Dragon God's divine trials!

The Spirit Contract Pagoda Xu Xingyu had created promoted closer ties between humans and Soul Beasts, while the Dragon God had once been the lord of all beasts. Then there was his fiancée, Wang Dong'er, who appeared to be a descendant of Ancestor Tang San.

A terrifying plan took shape in Yan Shaozhe's mind!

Xu Xingyu was a chess piece the Divine Realm was using to control the beasts. By creating the Soul Spirit Method, he could ease relations between humans and beasts, two races that had once been hostile to each other.

The Spirit Contract Pagoda was actually a special organization established by the Dragon God's followers, much like Sea God Island ten thousand years ago.

They had only appeared before the public because Xu Xingyu, the Dragon God's successor, had emerged.

That was also why Beast God Di Tian supported the Spirit Contract Pagoda. In theory, the Soul Beasts were followers of the Dragon God as well.

As Ancestor Tang San's descendant, Wang Dong'er had been sent by the Divine Realm, or perhaps even by Ancestor Tang San himself ten thousand years ago, to keep Xu Xingyu firmly on humanity's side.

That way, he would not make choices that favored the beasts too heavily, and he would also become the greatest contributor to the Divine Realm's complete enslavement of the beasts.

At the thought of this terrifying scheme, Yan Shaozhe could only marvel. The god who had devised it must have been a figure like Ancestor Tang San, and it was even possible that Ancestor Tang San himself had devised the plan!

So what should he, as a member of Shrek and one of the Sea God Pavilion's important senior elders, do at a time like this?

The answer was simple: support the Spirit Contract Pagoda in carrying out the ancestor's scheme against the Soul Beasts! Turn the Soul Beast Clan into humanity's vassals forever!

With that, Yan Shaozhe completely set aside his prejudice against the Spirit Contract Pagoda. At the next Sea God Pavilion Meeting, he would not merely state his position; he would give the Spirit Contract Pagoda his full support.

Only in this way could the ancestor's plan succeed.

Yan Shaozhe began to think that if Xu Xingyu was the Dragon God's inheritor, then the Spirit Contract Pagoda was like Sea God Island ten thousand years ago.

Just as Yan Shaozhe was still dreaming of that glorious future belonging to humanity alone, a delicate voice suddenly called out, "Teacher!!!"

The speaker was none other than Yan Shaozhe's disciple, Ma Xiaotao. She looked anxiously at Yan Shaozhe and asked, "Teacher, are you all right?"

Only then did Yan Shaozhe realize that he seemed to have been so lost in thought that he had ignored his surroundings.

That was indeed what had happened. After seeing Xu Xingyu's display of fire control, Ma Xiaotao had begun asking him a torrent of questions about how he had done it.

As long as the matters did not involve his organization's secrets, Xu Xingyu had given her a brief explanation of almost everything, except for the most crucial theory.

Ma Xiaotao, who was beside him, listened as though lost in clouds and fog, and felt her head begin to ache.

Clearly, Ma Xiaotao was not particularly fond of theoretical matters; she was more inclined to take action.

Unable to understand the theory Xu Xingyu was talking about, she turned to her teacher and asked whether he knew what Xu Xingyu was saying.

But when she looked at him, she discovered that her teacher's expression kept changing for some reason. Ma Xiaotao thought her teacher might have been possessed or something.

Fortunately, Yan Shaozhe quickly composed himself and waved a hand. "Don't worry, Xiaotao. I'm fine."

"Really?" Ma Xiaotao looked at her teacher, her face full of disbelief.

Yan Shaozhe could only cough and say, "I was just thinking too hard about something. You don't need to worry so much about me. So, where were you just now?"

As Ma Xiaotao looked at her teacher, her instincts told her that something was definitely on his mind. Still, since outsiders were present, it was better not to press the matter for now.

Ma Xiaotao said, "I was talking to Xingyu just now, asking how he controlled fire. I didn't understand what he said, though, so I wanted to ask you, Teacher. After all, I think this method could help me a great deal when I carry out the second treatment plan."

At first, Yan Shaozhe was pleased by his disciple's thirst for knowledge and planned to give her a brief explanation of his own understanding.

But when he heard that his disciple still had not given up on the second plan, Yan Shaozhe could no longer sit still.

"Xiaotao, I know the Continental Youth Soul Master Tournament will begin in a year," Yan Shaozhe said, "but you can't disregard your own safety for the sake of your strength!"

"And even if you really do succeed in cultivating Ultimate Yang Fire and Ultimate Yin Fire, can you guarantee that you won't become addicted to Yin Fire's ability to devour energy?"

"You must understand that a single mistake could very well make you fall and become an Evil Soul Master! I can't stand by and watch my own disciple do something that will ruin her future!"

Hearing that she might well become an Evil Soul Master someday, Ma Xiaotao began to feel a little afraid. Nevertheless, she answered firmly, "I remember that Ancestor Tang San had a similar ability, didn't he? Since Ancestor Tang San possessed an ability to devour life without falling, I believe that I, Ma Xiaotao, can do it too!"

"Who was Ancestor Tang San? Even ten thousand years later, no one has surpassed him! Your present disposition, both your mindset and your maturity, falls short of Ancestor Tang San's. What use is a guarantee like that?"

"Back then, how many people tried to imitate Ancestor Tang San? But how many of them could actually resist the temptation to devour life and increase their cultivation? Xiaotao, I don't want you to repeat my mistake!"

Yan Shaozhe recalled how, when he was young, he had once loved a girl named Feng Ling. Her Martial Soul, like his, was a Phoenix Martial Soul.

But on their first night together, the Bright Phoenix Martial Soul in his body had stimulated her, awakening the evil attribute that had lain dormant within her.

The true nature of her Martial Soul had revealed itself then: an Evil Phoenix!

The girl should have been executed immediately, but Yan Shaozhe had spared her for the sake of their past feelings and told her to get out of Shrek City.

Later, hearing that Feng Ling was committing all sorts of evil outside the city had pained him deeply. A girl who had once been so kind and lovable had changed so much after awakening her evil attribute.

That was why Yan Shaozhe had taken Ma Xiaotao as his disciple. It was not only because both their Martial Souls were phoenixes, but also because he wanted to make up for his regret from those years ago.

So if there was any possibility of Ma Xiaotao becoming an Evil Soul Master, Yan Shaozhe would do whatever it took to cut it off!

But just as Yan Shaozhe was about to continue, a loud, brazen voice shouted, "Yan, you stole someone from my Soul Tool Department! You really don't know what's good for you!!!!"