Huo Yuhao wouldn't directly bring up the topic of dispelling the evil fire. The best hunters often disguise themselves as prey.
"I wonder why Senior Sister stopped me? I still need to register," Huo Yuhao said, maintaining his obedient demeanor. His well-behaved appearance, coupled with his striking good looks, naturally made him likable.
"Eh?!" Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red, and for a moment, she felt inexplicably flustered. When she snapped back to reality, she realized she had been too impulsive.
Stopping him so abruptly was indeed rash, but at that moment, she had only wanted to find a source of comfort and hadn't thought much about it.
Besides, the junior in front of her was just a freshman with a soul power level of only 27. Even if he had a high-quality ice martial soul, he shouldn't be of much help to her right now, right?
As she looked at Huo Yuhao's handsome face, and then glanced at Sea God Lake in the distance, an inexplicable sense of embarrassment crept up on her.
"Junior Yuhao, um... uh, how about I show you around Shrek Academy?" Ma Xiaotao blurted out, trying to change the topic and cover up her awkwardness.
"This is so embarrassing. What's wrong with me? Look at you, Ma Xiaotao, panicking like this! If Junior Yuhao pieces things together from what those people were talking about earlier, he'll probably think I'm some kind of weirdo. How embarrassing!"
Seeing her flustered yet enchanting expression, Huo Yuhao nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Senior Sister. I also wanted to learn more about Shrek Academy."
That was a lie. He had only seen Ma Xiaotao struggling to speak, hesitating for a long time before coming up with such a weak excuse. So, he simply played along and accepted her offer. As for registration? No rush. He might as well have some fun with Ma Xiaotao first.
The two of them strolled along Sea God Lake, and the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.
"Junior Yuhao, this lake is called Sea God Lake. It's an artificial lake built to commemorate Thousand Hands Douluo, Tang San because he inherited the God of the Sea's legacy. Our inner courtyard disciples study on Sea God Island, which is at the center of the lake..."
"As an inner courtyard disciple, Senior Sister, you must be quite famous?"
"Just call me Sister Xiaotao. If you run into any trouble at Shrek, just say my name. Let's see who dares to mess with you!"
"Thank you, Sister Xiaotao."
"Yuhao, there will be a practical assessment for freshmen three months after enrollment. I believe you'll pass it with no problem."
"Mm."
…
As they continued walking and chatting, they reached a secluded corner with no one else around. Though Ma Xiaotao had originally said she wanted to introduce him to Shrek Academy, before long, she found herself unable to hold back anymore.
"Yuhao, your martial soul is ice-attributed, right? And it must be a high-quality one?"
"Yes. Is that why Sister Xiaotao stopped me?" Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, turning the situation around on her.
Caught off guard, Ma Xiaotao blushed and rolled her eyes at him before explaining, "My martial soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, but it has a major flaw—evil fire. To suppress it, I need the help of a soul master with an ice-attribute martial soul."
"I can sense that your martial soul has top-tier ice power. Fire and ice complement each other, so maybe we're suitable for training together..."
During her short time with Huo Yuhao, she had already felt that the evil fire accumulated in her body was being suppressed. So, she got straight to the point.
"Honestly, Sister Xiaotao, even though you look flustered while trying to explain, those enchanting phoenix eyes of yours are mesmerizing."
"Some people are only eighteen yet exude the charm of a mature woman. Some people have lived for nearly a million years but have the mindset of a child. Others have a petite, childlike figure of only 1.5 meters tall…"
Huo Yuhao had to admit, the beauty in front of him was quite captivating. But he kept his expression calm. "My martial soul is the Ice Jade Scorpion—Ultimate Ice."
Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened in shock. Her red phoenix eyes lit up—Ultimate Ice?!
She had found a treasure! Maybe this was the solution to her evil fire problem!
Before she could say anything more, Huo Yuhao suddenly grabbed her slender hand, and his Northern Dark Ice Soul Domain spread out, enveloping her. He was never the one to hesitate.
"How do you feel now, Sister Xiaotao?" Sometimes, actions speak louder than words.
Ma Xiaotao caught off guard, instinctively clung to Huo Yuhao. At this moment, she was like a little cat high on catnip, completely indulging in the icy chill, speechless for a long time.
Inside his spiritual sea, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm chuckled. "Yuhao, I approve of this match. This girl's martial soul is a perfect fit for you—much better than Tang Ya."
The Ice Empress chimed in, "The Evil Fire Phoenix does have the bloodline of a true phoenix. It's one of the top beast martial souls. Unfortunately, it's restrained by the evil fire and can't reach its full potential."
Ignoring their banter, Huo Yuhao wrapped his arms around Ma Xiaotao's waist. However, the moment he did, he felt an intense heat pressing against him, making it hard to breathe.
Without hesitation, he activated his Ice Jade Scorpion possession, suppressing and neutralizing the evil fire flowing from Ma Xiaotao.
…
Watching Ma Xiaotao flee in embarrassment, Huo Yuhao shook his head. This Ma Xiaotao… she's something else.
Unlike in the original story, where her evil fire reached the point of consuming her rationality, this time, it wasn't that extreme. So, with the suppression from his domain and her cooperation, resolving it was almost effortless.
But perhaps because she was too embarrassed, Ma Xiaotao hastily threw him an inner courtyard access medal before igniting her flames and fleeing in a panic. "I'll go back first! Remember to come find me in the inner courtyard later!"
Huo Yuhao understood—her clothes had become a bit disheveled from the evil fire. Walking around like that with him would cause a scene.
Besides, he still needed to finish registering as a freshman.
Thankfully, his ice soul body kept him calm. Otherwise, even he might have lost control just now…
Calm down. Breathe.
Before leaving, Ma Xiaotao had even triggered two achievements.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
['Your Name'—Reward: Water Purification Gu]
['Evil Fire Trouble'—Reward: Fire Furnace Gu]
[Water Purification Gu: A first-level Gu worm that can cleanse the soul master's body and eliminate foreign energy.]
[Evaluation: A heart filled with evil fire—pure yet untamed.]
[Fire Furnace Gu: A second-level Gu worm that stores fire energy, usable for attacks, and grants cold resistance.]
[Evaluation: Simmering rage—better keep it in check.]
After reviewing his new rewards, Huo Yuhao felt satisfied. Compared to abstract favors, he preferred tangible benefits.
Besides, true favors should involve an exchange.
For now, he would let things play out naturally.
…
Ignoring the curious gazes of those around him, Huo Yuhao returned to the lakeside path and walked until he reached a large, rectangular square—Shrek Square.
Beyond the square stood tall academic buildings in white, yellow, purple, and black, each representing different grade levels. White was for freshmen, yellow for second and third years, purple for fourth and fifth years, and black for sixth years.
To the north, a separate gray building stood—it belonged to the Soul Guidance Department, occupying about one-third of the teaching area, while the Martial Soul Department occupied the remaining two-thirds.
After registering, Huo Yuhao was assigned to Freshman Class Nine, a stark contrast to the original story where he had been placed in Class One.
His homeroom teacher? Mu Jin—the longtime rival of Zhou Yi.
"If I remember correctly, this was also the class of Ning Tian and her Red Dragon friend."
Would they be of use to him?
Only time will tell.
...
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