Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 153 Ma Xiaotao's Discovery
"All of this is thanks to Sister Lexuan's help."

Yin Chen turned his gaze to Zhang Lexuan beside him, a sincere smile on his face, his tone natural and friendly.

"If it weren't for Sister Lexuan, I wouldn't have been able to go to the far north alone to hunt for a soul ring, let alone hunt a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast."

This was just an ordinary expression of gratitude, but the natural way of addressing her as "Sister Lexuan" caused a subtle change in the eyes of several perceptive girls in the courtyard.

Ling Luochen's icy blue eyes flickered slightly as his gaze swept back and forth between Yin Chen's face and Zhang Lexuan's somewhat unnatural expression, lost in thought.

Jiang Nannan's expression also showed a slight ripple. Her gaze fell on Zhang Lexuan, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Even Xixi, who had been completely unnoticed, looked up at the two of them, and Gu Yuena frowned as well.

You should know that the outer disciples have always addressed Zhang Lexuan as Senior Sister.

Even Ling Luochen and Xixi respectfully address her as Senior Sister, while Ma Xiaotao calls Zhang Lexuan "Sister Lexuan" because she is closer to her.

Now, Yin Chen has changed his form of address, which makes it impossible for them not to take notice.

This is definitely not just a matter of a change in address. Something must have happened during their trip to the far north that changed their relationship.

Being watched by several gazes, even Zhang Lexuan, as the top student of the inner courtyard and with a resolute character, felt a little uncomfortable.

She could sense the meaning behind those gazes, and her cheeks flushed slightly, especially when she thought about that enchanting yet awkward healing process.

She instinctively avoided the girls' gaze, coughed lightly, and said to everyone:
"Alright, this mission has been successfully completed. We still need to go back to report to the academy and make preparations. We'll rest for a day and set off tomorrow."

After saying that, Zhang Lexuan turned and left the room, her back view giving the impression of fleeing in panic.

Beibei watched Zhang Lexuan's departing figure, his brows furrowing slightly. He felt that Sister Lexuan's gaze was somewhat evasive, as if she were feeling guilty, which puzzled him.

Among those present, Ma Xiaotao, who had the highest cultivation level besides Zhang Lexuan, also frowned as she stared at Zhang Lexuan's back. Although Zhang Lexuan hid it well, she still noticed that Zhang Lexuan was weaker than usual.

It felt like I was injured.

Ask questions directly if you have any—that's Ma Xiaotao's style. She said goodbye and left the room to find Zhang Lexuan to confirm her guess.

Seeing this, the others also prepared to return to their respective rooms to rest. Before leaving, Gu Yuena took a deep look at Yin Chen.

She didn't care what happened between Yin Chen and Zhang Lexuan in the far north; what she cared about was something else entirely.

After she returned from Yin Chen, she sensed that Yin Chen had an aura of ferocious beast about him.

As the overlord of all soul beasts and the master of all ferocious beasts, she is extremely sensitive to their auras.

That cold, domineering, and fierce aura—if she remembered correctly, it belonged to Hyotei.

Moreover, it wasn't an aura that came from an accident; rather, it had completely and perfectly merged with Yin Chen's soul, bloodline, and life essence.

This discovery made Gu Yuena frown.

Yin Chen also noticed that Gu Yuena's gaze was strange, and he guessed that Gu Yuena must have sensed the aura of the Ice Emperor on him.

This is also why he didn't completely hide the existence of the Ice Emperor. Just the change in his aura was enough to arouse Gu Yuena's suspicion. Although Dragon God Douluo Mu En is not as good as Gu Yuena, he will inevitably be discovered as long as he uses the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul.

In the original story, Huo Yuhao had already used his soul skill, mental simulation, to hide the existence of the Ice Emperor, but he was still seen through by the Dragon God Douluo.

He doesn't have any stealth abilities, let alone the ability to hide his past, so he might as well just show it off openly.

Ma Xiaotao followed Zhang Lexuan back to their room and closed the door behind her.

"Sister Lexuan."

Zhang Lexuan paused slightly as she poured water. Without turning around, she replied in a steady voice, "Yes, what's wrong, Xiao Tao?"

Ma Xiaotao walked up to Zhang Lexuan in a few steps, looking directly into her eyes. "Sister Lexuan, are you injured?"

Her tone was unusually certain.

Zhang Lexuan's body stiffened instantly.

Although this reaction lasted only a moment, it was keenly captured by Ma Xiaotao.

Zhang Lexuan felt somewhat helpless.

She knew she could fool others, but not Ma Xiaotao.

Ma Xiaotao's cultivation level is close to that of a Soul Saint, and her perception is not weak.

The lingering weakness and mental exhaustion she exuded might have seemed like normal reactions to a long journey to others, but to Ma Xiaotao, a top-tier offensive-type Soul Master, it was an undeniable flaw.

She turned around, holding her water glass, and forced a slightly strained smile.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

"not good."

Ma Xiaotao interrupted her.

“Your aura is very weak, and your soul power is not flowing smoothly as usual. Although you have concealed it well, you can’t fool me. You are definitely seriously injured, and it’s a very serious one.”

She stared at Zhang Lexuan, her tone carrying a hint of urgency and concern:
"What exactly happened? What did you encounter in the far north?"

Ma Xiaotao's mind raced.

She wondered, if even Zhang Lexuan, an eight-ring Soul Douluo, was so badly injured, could they have encountered a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast?

The thought of this possibility filled her with lingering fear.

Seeing the undisguised worry in Ma Xiaotao's eyes, Zhang Lexuan's defenses crumbled slightly.

She really wanted to tell this junior sister everything, to tell her about her thrilling experiences, about the Ice Emperor, and about Yin Chen's incredible adventures.

But, she can't.

The image of Yin Chen's calm and wise eyes, one gold and one green, and the trust he placed in her flashed through her mind.

Ultimate ice.

Zhang Lexuan knew all too well what those four words meant to Ma Xiaotao.

Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul has always suffered from the backlash of the evil fire; the higher her cultivation level, the greater the risk.

Dean Shao Zhe exhausted all his methods, but could only suppress it temporarily.

The ultimate ice is theoretically the only hope to completely eradicate the evil fire within her.

If you tell her now that Yin Chen has obtained the ultimate ice, what will Ma Xiaotao do, given her impulsive personality?
She would rush to find Yin Chen immediately, even if it was just to confirm.

If this matter gets out of hand, how much risk will it pose to Yin Chen before he returns to Shrek Academy and before the Sea God Pavilion makes a formal decision?

No, absolutely not.

This is to protect Yin Chen's safety.

(End of this chapter)