Douluo: Wuhun Qimen Formation, control everything!

After adjusting the contract formation, the previously somewhat obscure nodes became smooth and unobstructed as his mental energy was reorganized. The aura emanating from the entire formation also became more stable. Although it did not directly solve the problem, it provided Zhou Xuan with a very good idea.

Electrolux nodded slightly, his voice carrying a hint of approval: "The path of the soul is vast and boundless. Now that you have embarked on this path, you must always maintain awe."

If your method of cultivating the soul can be continuously improved, it might truly bring about a different kind of change to this world.

As soon as he finished speaking, Electrolux's figure gradually became illusory, then turned into specks of light and dissipated in the quiet room, returning to Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea.

Huo Yuhao stood to the side, completely dumbfounded.

Zhou Xuan let out a long sigh of relief. Today's guidance from Electrolux was better than a month of his own study. Indeed, having a good teacher is very necessary.

Huo Yuhao snapped out of his daze and tentatively asked, "Then, Brother Zhou Xuan, I'll head back now."

Zhou Xuan smiled and nodded: "Let's go back."

In a secret room within the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy's inner courtyard.

Since Ma Xiaotao's evil fire erupted, he has stayed here, surrounded by numerous restrictions. Normally, apart from him and a few elders of the Sea God Pavilion, no one can get close.

Yan Shaozhe pushed open the door and slowly walked in.

His steps were somewhat heavy, and his face, which usually wore a gentle smile, was now filled with worry.

After the teacher left, Xiaotao's condition visibly worsened.

In the center of the secret chamber, on a huge ice jade bed, a figure was curled up, his body radiating dark red flames.

Within the flames, the phantom of a phoenix could be vaguely seen struggling in agony, emitting mournful cries.

That was Ma Xiaotao.

At this moment, she was no longer the dashing and heroic woman she once was.

Her pretty face was contorted with extreme pain, and strange dark red patterns appeared on her skin. Her long, fiery red hair danced wildly like burning flames.

Her body convulsed violently from time to time, and she let out suppressed roars as she desperately resisted the evil fire eroding her mind.

"Xiao Tao..." Yan Shaozhe's voice was filled with undisguised sorrow.

When Mu En was alive, with the ultimate power of light from his Holy Dragon Martial Soul combined with the power of the Golden Ancient Tree, he was able to barely suppress the evil fire originating from the evil soul master within Ma Xiaotao's body.

Now that Mu En is gone, the evil fire within Ma Xiaotao is like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, completely out of control, relentlessly attacking her mind and body day and night.

In less than a day, Ma Xiaotao's condition deteriorated rapidly. He tried everything he could, from precious medicinal herbs to enlisting the help of other elders with the attribute of light, but all to little avail.

That evil fire was extremely domineering and had already merged with Ma Xiaotao's martial soul essence, so that it could not be forcibly separated.

If things continue like this, Ma Xiaotao will only have two outcomes: either she will be completely consumed by the evil fire and die from her body exploding, or her mind will be completely corrupted by the evil fire, and she will degenerate into an evil soul master who only knows how to kill and destroy.

Neither of them is acceptable to Yan Shaozhe.

Ma Xiaotao is his most prized disciple and is expected to become a pillar of Shrek Academy in the future.

How could he just stand by and watch her head toward destruction?
Yan Shaozhe reached out his hand, wanting to get closer, but was forced back by a scorching wave of air.

The dark red flames carried a chilling aura that made even this titled Douluo feel threatened.

"Cough cough..." Ma Xiaotao coughed violently, and a few strands of dark red blood spilled from her lips.

Her eyes snapped open, and her once bright eyes were now a deep crimson, filled with violence and madness.

A violent burst of fiery energy erupted, causing the temperature in the entire sealed chamber to rise sharply.

Yan Shaozhe sighed softly and quickly activated his soul power to set up a barrier in front of him, which barely managed to withstand the impact.

Then, the light-attribute soul power enveloped Ma Xiaotao, barely alleviating some of the erosion caused by the evil fire.

However, his cultivation level was ultimately limited, and the gap between him and Mu En was too great. He couldn't maintain this amount of soul power for long.

He stared at Ma Xiaotao, his heart turning cold; her consciousness was being slowly eroded.

"Is there really no way out?" Yan Shaozhe murmured to himself, his voice filled with helplessness.

Suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind—Zhou Xuan.

In Zhou Xuan's hand, there was... the embryo of a 100,000-year-old soul beast!
Use a soul beast embryo to save Ma Xiaotao?
Once this thought, which had been hidden in my heart for many years, surfaced, it grew wildly like weeds.

Moreover, Zhou Xuan has now invented the Soul Spirit Technique, which greatly increases the probability of fusing with embryos.

However, the embryo is Zhou Xuan's personal property. Would he be willing to take it out?
It goes without saying that he wouldn't, and his teacher had warned him before he passed away not to have any designs on that embryo.

But
Yan Shaozhe looked at Ma Xiaotao, who was struggling in pain, and his heart was in turmoil.

As the dean of the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy, an elder of the Sea God Pavilion, and Zhou Xuan's senior brother, he could not possibly interfere with Zhou Xuan's private property.

But as Ma Xiaotao's teacher, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch his student like this.

Perhaps... perhaps Zhou Xuan could understand his predicament, and if there was even the slightest hope, he had to try.

He really had no other choice.

Yan Shaozhe clenched his fists tightly, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Xiaotao, hang in there a little longer, your teacher... will definitely find a way to save you!"

Dark as ink.

Inside Zhou Xuan's courtyard building, the lights were on.

After seeing Huo Yuhao off, he returned to organize some new ideas about soul contracts, but then heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Is Junior Brother Zhou Xuan here?"

It was Yan Shaozhe's voice, tinged with anxiety.

What could Yan Shaozhe want from him at a time like this?
Zhou Xuan's brows twitched slightly, and he got up to open the door.

Outside the door, Yan Shaozhe's figure appeared somewhat desolate in the night wind.

His face, which usually wore a gentle smile, was now clouded with worry.

"Senior Brother Yan, it's so late, please come in." Zhou Xuan ushered him into the house.

Yan Shaozhe didn't stand on ceremony. As soon as he entered the room, he got straight to the point: "Zhou Xuan, I...I came for Xiao Tao!"

"You probably don't know her situation... The teacher is gone, and the evil fire within Xiaotao... is about to completely spiral out of control! Right now... it's in a very bad state!"

Zhou Xuan poured him a cup of hot tea, his expression calm: "Senior Brother Yan, please sit down and tell me slowly. I knew something about Senior Sister Xiao Tao's situation before, and it is indeed not optimistic."

After two years of getting to know Yan Shaozhe, his attitude towards him had actually changed somewhat.

This person is not suitable to be a leader. He is indecisive, but he can carry out any orders fairly well, so Zhou Xuan's hostility towards him is not as great as it was at the beginning.

"Not optimistic?" Yan Shaozhe shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "It's more than just not optimistic, she's on the verge of death. If there's no way to resolve this, she could be devoured by that evil fire at any moment, or degenerate into a demonic soul master who only knows how to kill." He stared intently at Zhou Xuan: "Junior Brother Zhou Xuan, I remember, you have... you have the embryo of a 100,000-year-old soul beast, right?"

Zhou Xuan's hand holding the teacup paused in mid-air, then he took a sip as if nothing had happened, without answering immediately.

The rising steam from the tea blurred the expression on his face, and Yan Shaozhe's heart sank little by little.

The silence felt like an eternity to Yan Shaozhe.

"The embryo is indeed here with me." Zhou Xuan finally spoke, his voice still steady and calm.

A glimmer of hope suddenly flashed in Yan Shaozhe's eyes, and he leaned forward slightly: "Junior Brother Zhou Xuan, I know this request is unreasonable, but Xiao Tao... she really can't hold on much longer! As long as you're willing..."

"Senior Brother Yan," Zhou Xuan put down his teacup, interrupting him, "I understand your feelings, and I also understand Senior Sister Xiao Tao's situation."

His gaze shifted to the deep night outside the window, and he continued calmly, "But this embryo is not the best solution to Senior Xiaotao's problem; it might even have the opposite effect."

Yan Shaozhe's hope froze instantly, replaced by astonishment and confusion: "A counterproductive effect? ​​How is that possible! That's the embryo of a 100,000-year-old soul beast. If it can be fused, it will definitely become a new top-tier beast martial soul!"

"The energy of the soul beast embryo is indeed enormous, but what's inside Senior Sister Xiaotao's body is evil fire, the ultimate fire. Forcibly suppressing it will likely result in mutual destruction, or even accelerate the eruption of the evil fire."

Yan Shaozhe was stunned. He knew these principles all too well, but now he could only try anything as a last resort.

"Then...then are we just going to stand by and watch Xiaotao..."

Zhou Xuan shook his head: "Of course not."

He looked at Yan Shaozhe again, his expression becoming more serious: "I have a solution for Senior Sister Xiaotao's situation. It just needs some time."

"You have a way?" Yan Shaozhe asked, his voice trembling as if he had grasped at the last straw. "What way? How long will it take? Xiao Tao... she can't wait much longer!"

"I can't tell you right now. As for the timing," Zhou Xuan pondered for a moment, "I'll deal with what I have to do in three days, and then I'll start working on Senior Sister Xiao Tao's matter. I believe Senior Brother Yan can handle it in that time, right?"

Yan Shaozhe's mood was like a rollercoaster, going up and down.

Zhou Xuan said he had a way, which gave him a glimmer of hope, but the vague method made him uneasy.

"Three days," he muttered to himself, his face filled with anxiety.

Even Master Mu En was helpless against this evil fire. Was Zhou Xuan really confident? Although he had created miracles many times, this time, it was truly too late.

“Junior Brother Zhou Xuan, I know you are exceptionally talented, with extraordinary abilities in the research of soul tools and soul spirits.” Yan Shaozhe’s tone carried a hint of pleading, “But the evil fire within Xiao Tao is no ordinary matter; even our master, before his passing,…”

"I understand your concerns, senior brother. But I won't speak carelessly. Please give me some time."

Yan Shaozhe looked into Zhou Xuan's calm and deep eyes, opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it just turned into a long sigh.

“Okay…I’ll trust you this once.” Yan Shaozhe’s voice was a little hoarse. “But time is really running out. If…if Xiaotao can’t hold on…”

"I will do my best," Zhou Xuan promised.

Yan Shaozhe stood up dejectedly, forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Then... I won't bother you any longer, Junior Brother. I'll try my best to keep things stable with Xiao Tao."

Zhou Xuan nodded, watching Yan Shaozhe stagger away.

Outside the courtyard, the night breeze was even cooler.

As Yan Shaozhe stepped out of the small building, the chill in the air helped to clear his chaotic thoughts somewhat.

Does Zhou Xuan have a solution?
The thought lingered in his mind.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in Zhou Xuan's talent; hadn't Zhou Xuan created enough miracles at the academy in the past two years?
Soul-guided computers and the art of soul manipulation—aren't they all astonishing and groundbreaking?
But she was his disciple, a disciple he treated like his own daughter!

Even the ultimate light power of the Holy Light Dragon Martial Soul could only barely suppress the evil fire!

The teachers were unable to find a cure.

What makes Zhou Xuan so special?
Based on his statement that "there is another way"?
Three days
Can Xiaotao wait that long?

The image of Ma Xiaotao struggling in agony on the icy jade bed flashed through his mind, her heart-wrenching screams and her scarlet, violent eyes.

What if Zhou Xuan fails?
What if Zhou Xuan's method simply doesn't work?

He dared not think about the consequences.

His footsteps grew heavier and heavier, and Yan Shaozhe's heart grew colder and colder.

He couldn't place all his hopes on Zhou Xuan's vague promise.

Embryo...

The embryo of a 100,000-year-old soul beast...

That thought resurfaced and grew wildly, making it hard for him to breathe.

Zhou Xuan refused to give it up; perhaps he had other uses for it, or perhaps he didn't want to easily part with such a precious treasure.

Yan Shaozhe stopped and looked back at the brightly lit building.

A crazy idea took shape in his mind.

For Xiao Tao's sake, he had to try!
Even if it's...stealing or robbing, wait another three days. If there's really no other way...
He couldn't stand by and watch his most prized disciple headed for destruction.

I'm sorry, teacher.

I'm also sorry, Junior Brother Zhou Xuan.

If Xiao Tao can be saved, he will take full responsibility for all the sins!
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath, and his previously hunched back seemed to straighten a little at that moment.

The lights in the courtyard swayed gently in the night breeze, casting Zhou Xuan's long shadow on the ground.

He watched silently as Yan Shaozhe's figure disappeared around the corner of the path.

Zhou Xuan withdrew his gaze and gently closed the courtyard gate.

“Three days…” Zhou Xuan murmured to himself.

He wasn't deliberately delaying; he simply had important matters to attend to in the next three days, and it was unlikely that he would directly tell Yan Shaozhe his method.

The teacher's passing was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Yan Shaozhe, and Ma Xiaotao's life or death had driven him to the brink of despair.

When people are in dire straits, they often do things they would never normally consider.

That 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo...

Xue Di's embryo might not even be effective, and even if it were, he wouldn't give it to Ma Xiaotao, since their relationship isn't that good yet.

Zhou Xuan's fingertips paused for a moment.

"Yan Shaozhe, I hope you won't do anything foolish," Zhou Xuan sighed softly. (End of Chapter)