Hearing the urgency in Yao Lao's voice, Xiao Yan immediately took action. Scanning his surroundings, he quickly slipped into a nearby thicket, blending into the dense greenery.
Hidden amidst the foliage, Xiao Yan peered through the branches, keeping his gaze fixed on Sea God Lake.
Soon after Xiao Yan concealed himself, the sound of faint wind disturbances echoed over the lake. In moments, several figures appeared, moving swiftly from the depths of the lake to the shore.
Leading them was an old man dressed in a greasy, ragged robe, his hair disheveled. He held a chicken leg in one hand and a wine gourd in the other, munching and sipping as he went. This was none other than the infamous "Gluttonous Douluo," Xuan Lao.
Behind him were two others, one in white and the other in green. The white-robed elder had a hint of stubble and wore a white cloak adorned with feathers at the collar, bearing a phoenix emblem on his chest.
"Xuan Lao, something's wrong! Xiao Tao's evil flame has erupted again." The white-clad elder suddenly appeared before the unconscious red-clad woman, using his powers to lift her gently.
Xuan Lao waved a hand nonchalantly. "No need to panic, Shaozhe. She's probably just fainted; there's no serious harm."
This white-robed elder was Yan Shaozhe, the current dean of Shrek Academy and a 95th-level Assault-Type Title Douluo with the martial spirit of the Bright Phoenix, one of the Sea God Pavilion's elders. Beside him was Elder Zhuang, another Pavilion elder with the Life Tree martial spirit, also a 95th-level Title Douluo, specializing in healing.
"Elder Zhuang, could you please heal her?" Yan Shaozhe gently handed the woman over.
"Of course." Elder Zhuang nodded and placed his hands over the unconscious figure. A dazzling array of spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—rose from him, bathing the red-clad woman in a gentle, verdant glow. Nearby plants began to emit green light, their energy flowing into her.
"Strange… I sense an ice attribute here, though it's different from what I felt before." Xuan Lao frowned, puzzled.
"You mean the one who froze Zhou Yi? Did they reappear?" Yan Shaozhe asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe," Xuan Lao replied. "Last time, someone froze Zhou Yi without anyone noticing, and I had to intervene. But this ice feels even stranger… it's freezing cold, yet burning at the same time."
"Ice? Burning heat? I don't follow." Yan Shaozhe frowned.
"Never mind, you wouldn't understand. Go on, take Xiao Tao back to the inner court. I'll stay here for a bit longer." Xuan Lao waved his hand dismissively, motioning them to leave.
"Alright." Yan Shaozhe and Elder Zhuang bowed slightly before vanishing with the woman in their arms.
As they departed, a sly grin crept onto Xuan Lao's face. Suddenly, he stomped the ground, and nine glowing spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, and a crimson one—appeared around him.
Instantly, his clothes tore as his body bulked up, his muscles swelling as if inflating. He grew in size, and two spiral-shaped horns emerged on either side of his head. The aura of his martial spirit, the Gluttonous Divine Ox, radiated a terrifying energy.
With his spirit unleashed, Xuan Lao cast his gaze across the surroundings. A massive surge of spiritual energy spread out from him, scanning every corner.
Xiao Yan felt the enormous spiritual pressure sweeping through the area, searching meticulously, but Yao Lao's protective energy kept him hidden.
The scan continued for a while before ceasing.
"What? No one's here?" Xuan Lao frowned, looking frustrated. He had deliberately sent Yan Shaozhe away to catch the intruder off guard, hoping to ambush them.
With a sigh, he muttered, "Fine. I'm tired, might as well head back and rest." He drank from his gourd, scanning the area one last time with a gleam in his eye before slowly leaving.
Just as Xiao Yan began to relax, Yao Lao's voice suddenly warned, "Don't move!"
Frozen in his half-crouched position, Xiao Yan stayed perfectly still, barely daring to breathe. Moments later, the lake's surface rippled, and the silhouette of the old man reappeared, scanning the surroundings once more.
"Hmm… still no one. What on earth happened with Xiao Tao just now? I'll have to ask her later." Xuan Lao sighed again before finally
disappearing from view.
"What a cunning old fox!"
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