A group of people walked into the academy.
This academy was absurdly large—much bigger than Nightfire Village and the surrounding villages combined.
"How big is this place? I bet it would take a whole day just to explore it!" Ma Hongjun exclaimed excitedly. Soon, he would be enrolling in this incredible institution.
"Heh, quite an eye-opener, huh, chubby?" Huo Wu chuckled. She couldn't quite read Bei Xuan, but Ma Hongjun was easy to figure out—a simple village boy from the countryside.
However, she didn't look down on him for that. His Fire Phoenix martial soul alone was enough to make his origins irrelevant.
"Our Blazing Fire Academy spans over thirty thousand mu. While it can't compare to the imperial academies of Heaven Dou and Star Luo, nor the Spirit Hall Academy, we are still among the top when it comes to training facilities and resources," Huo Wushuang explained. "You'll have plenty of time to explore. For now, since you wish to meet my grandfather, let's head to the headmaster's office."
The five of them made their way to the academy's central teaching building and stopped in front of an office door. Ye Ping stepped forward and knocked.
"Headmaster, are you inside? Someone wishes to see you."
Before any response could come from inside, Yulin stepped forward and pushed the door open.
"This is such a hassle. The person is inside, right? Why not just go in directly?"
Huo Wushuang, his sister, and Ye Ping were all stunned by this blatant disregard for etiquette.
Ye Ping, in particular, was utterly speechless. He had brought Yulin here to meet the headmaster under the assumption that he was at least at the Soul Sage level. But even if Yulin was a Soul Sage, he still shouldn't be so disrespectful. After all, their headmaster was a Soul Douluo—only one step below the legendary Title Douluo.
As Yulin stepped through the doorway, a surge of intense flames erupted from inside.
Clearly, the person inside was expressing their displeasure at Yulin's rude entrance. And rightfully so—one did not simply challenge the authority of a Soul Douluo.
Unless, of course, that person was a Title Douluo.
With a casual wave of his hand, Yulin dispersed the flames entirely, leaving not even a trace of heat behind.
"Oh? I wonder which esteemed expert has graced us with their presence," a deep, steady voice came from within. An elderly man slowly stepped forward, dressed in a crimson robe, exuding an aura of authority. Despite his age, he showed no signs of frailty—an unmistakable mark of a powerful cultivator.
This was undoubtedly the headmaster of Blazing Fire Academy and the grandfather of Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang.
Yulin smiled slightly as he walked further into the room. With each step, a spirit ring materialized around him.
One step, one ring.
By the time he took his ninth step, all nine spirit rings had appeared—two yellow, two purple, and five black.
"You must be the headmaster of Blazing Fire Academy. I admit my earlier actions were a bit rude, but I prefer to avoid unnecessary formalities. Your strength isn't quite at the level where I'd consider waiting," Yulin stated.
"Nine spirit rings… A Title Douluo!" The old man's expression shifted instantly, his earlier pride vanishing. He quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"I was unaware that a distinguished Title Douluo was visiting. I am Huo Ran, the headmaster of Blazing Fire Academy. Please forgive my lack of proper reception."
A Title Douluo was someone who stood at the very pinnacle of the continent's power. Even the Pope of the Spirit Hall and the emperors of the two great empires had to treat them with the utmost respect.
If Huo Ran was merely shocked, then Ye Ping and the Huo siblings were completely dumbfounded.
The man they had just thought was rude and reckless turned out to be a Title Douluo?
At this point, it wouldn't matter if Yulin had insulted their grandfather to his face—no one would dare say a word.
The gap between a Soul Douluo and a Title Douluo was simply too vast.
Yulin waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for such formalities. My title is Fallen Demon—I assume you've heard of me. I've brought my two nephews to enroll in your academy. However, one of them has an issue with his martial soul. I've long heard of Blazing Fire Academy's research into fire attribute martial souls, the best on the continent. So, I wanted to see if you could resolve his problem. If you can, consider it a personal favor. I will repay you generously in the future."
"Fallen Demon… So it's you!" Huo Ran's eyes lit up with recognition. Yulin's name was well known—a Title Douluo with an excellent reputation.
"It is a great honor for Blazing Fire Academy to have your nephews join us. However, may I ask what exactly the problem is? Without knowing the details, I wouldn't dare make any promises, lest I deceive you."
Yulin nodded, understanding that Huo Ran wouldn't dare boast in front of him. He turned to Ma Hongjun.
"Hongjun, release your martial soul and let Headmaster Huo take a look."
"Yes, sir."
Ma Hongjun stepped forward and activated his martial soul, which appeared the same as before.
To Ye Ping, Huo Wu, and the others, there seemed to be nothing wrong.
But Huo Ran immediately noticed something. His eyes widened as he stepped closer to observe Ma Hongjun.
"A Fire Phoenix… but this fire seems unusual."
Placing a hand on Ma Hongjun's shoulder, Huo Ran focused his soul power to examine him.
Instantly, a wave of chaotic emotions surged into his mind, stirring his deepest desires. However, with his advanced cultivation, he quickly suppressed the influence.
"I see now. This is 'Evil Fire.' Our academy has studied fire-based martial souls extensively, and we do have records of Evil Fire. Once it manifests, it drives its host into a state of endless desire. The afflicted person has only two choices: resist it, which causes extreme suffering and may even result in death; or indulge in it, which causes the fire to flare up more frequently. At first, it may only happen once every few months, but over time, it will escalate to once a day, then half a day, until the person is completely consumed—turning into an evil spirit master who must be eradicated."
Ma Hongjun paled.
"Grandpa Huo, is there a way to fix it?"
He hadn't realized his condition was so severe. The thought of either dying or becoming a monster terrified him. He still had dreams of traveling the world with Bei Xuan as brothers-in-arms.
Huo Wu and the others also hadn't expected Ma Hongjun's issue to be this serious. If it wasn't resolved, he wouldn't just be unfit to join their team—he'd be a walking disaster waiting to happen.
What if his Evil Fire flared up in the middle of a battle? They couldn't exactly beat up their own teammate beforehand just to prevent it.
Huo Ran stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Heh, little one, you're quite lucky. A few years ago, I wouldn't have been able to help. But now… I do have a way to rid you of this Evil Fire."