Douluo Continent: The Peerless Hunting Heavenly Lord, Huo Yuhao!

Huo Yuhao: "..."

His lips twitched, and he was already mentally ranting.

Of course he recognized that face.

Ma Xiaotao!

Yan Shaozhe's personal disciple, a genius of Shrek Academy's inner court, and the owner of the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.

It was the same crazy woman who nearly burned him alive when she lost control at Poseidon Lake.

"You are Huo Yuhao?" Ma Xiaotao's gaze instantly locked onto him, a hint of understanding flashing in her phoenix eyes, along with a subtle complexity.

Ignoring the watchful eyes of the crowd around her, she raised her chin at Huo Yuhao and said in a crisp, assertive tone, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ma Xiaotao. Come with me; I need to talk to you."

After saying that, she turned and left without giving Huo Yuhao a chance to refuse, as if she was certain that he would follow.

In the conference room, everyone looked at each other, then turned to look at Huo Yuhao with eyes full of worry and doubt.

Anyone could tell that this girl was not to be trifled with, and that she definitely had a powerful background.

Huo Yuhao was utterly helpless.

He was truly impressed; Ma Xiaotao's confidence was indeed inherited from her master, Yan Shaozhe.

Wait a minute, Ma Xiaotao is Yan Shaozhe's disciple... So, her coming to see me today is most likely arranged by that old fox Yan Shaozhe!

He had sensed something was off about Yan Shaozhe giving him the Void Soul Bone back in the dean's office, and sure enough, this was what was waiting for him!

He was internally ranting and raving, but his face remained calm.

He waved his hand, signaling Wu Feng and the others to put away their martial spirits, and said, "Alright, don't be nervous. As for the industry, everyone should go back and think about the ideas I just mentioned. We'll come up with a specific plan at the next meeting. That's all for today's meeting. Meeting adjourned."

"Yuhao!"

Ning Tian and Gu Yue spoke at the same time, quickly walking to his side. One's eyes were full of worry, while the other's purple eyes were already showing a chill.

Of course they recognized Ma Xiaotao; they still vividly remembered the scene of things going out of control at the shore of Poseidon Lake.

They knew better than anyone how terrifying that woman's lustful desires were.

"Don't worry, don't fret." Huo Yuhao smiled at the two of them and patted their arms reassuringly. "I know my limits, nothing will happen. She's only looking for me because of her evil fire, it won't hurt me. You two go back first, I'll be right back."

After saying that, he straightened his school uniform collar, stepped out of the conference room, and chased after Ma Xiaotao in the direction she had left.

Ning Tian and Gu Yue exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry. They trusted Huo Yuhao's sense of propriety, but not Ma Xiaotao's unstable lust.

As Huo Yuhao walked down the corridor, looking at the red-clad, red-haired figure in front of him, he cursed Yan Shaozhe eight hundred times in his heart.

Old fox, are you trying to use your "honey trap" to tie me down?

I'd like to see what you're really up to.

……

Rewind to three weeks ago, to the Sea God Pavilion's private meditation room, the heart of Shrek Academy.

Layers of soundproofing arrays separated the inside from the outside, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance and the lingering heat.

On the ice bed in the center of the quiet room, Ma Xiaotao suddenly opened her eyes. Before her eyes was the familiar gilded dome, and beneath her was warm jade that could soothe the soul. She was stunned for a moment before belatedly realizing: "This is... the Sea God Pavilion?"

She moved her fingers and felt a sharp soreness in her meridians. The evil fire phoenix martial soul in her dantian was restless. Even though it was forcibly suppressed by medicine, there was still a slight burning sensation flowing through her blood.

"woke up?"

A weary and disappointed voice came from the side.

Yan Shaozhe sat on a chair beside the jade bed, his refined face full of solemnity. In his eyes, there was worry, annoyance, and even more helplessness. "Didn't I tell you that you absolutely cannot rashly cultivate before the problem of the evil fire is resolved? But you, you secretly went into seclusion to break through your cultivation level!"

“Teacher…” A trace of guilt flashed across Ma Xiaotao’s face. She scratched her head, but her tone was still stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat. “I was just thinking that if I took it one step further, I might be able to suppress my evil fire on my own. Who knew… that something unexpected would still happen.”

She spoke lightly, but only she knew how unbearable the pain was when the evil fire erupted.

That violent flame burning from her very bones was not only eroding her meridians, but also gradually devouring her reason. If she wasn't careful, she would completely turn into a ferocious beast who only knew how to kill.

Yan Shaozhe looked at her feigned ease, sighed deeply, and the annoyance in his eyes dissipated, leaving only unyielding worry.

He reached out and checked her pulse, making sure the evil fire had completely stabilized before letting out a sigh of relief: "Alright, don't push yourself too hard. Until a cure for the evil fire is found, you are not allowed to touch cultivation again, understand? Your teacher has no other worries in this life, you are my only direct disciple, and I don't want to bury my child."

"I know, teacher." Ma Xiaotao chuckled, revealing a pair of small tiger teeth, instantly dispelling the violent aura around her. "Look, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Nothing wrong?" Yan Shaozhe rolled his eyes at her, then changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness. "By the way, Xiao Tao, your teacher has recently found a way to cure your 'evil fire'."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up: "Really? What method?"

“I have found a Soul Master with the ultimate Light attribute.” Yan Shaozhe looked at her and said seriously, “Your Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul originates from the malevolent energy of the Phoenix’s origin. Only the power of ultimate Light can completely purify the malevolent energy and suppress the evil fire. If you can merge your Soul Power and complement each other, not only will your evil fire be completely resolved, but his Light attribute can also be tempered by your Phoenix origin and reach a higher level. It’s a win-win situation.”

"T-Teacher..." Ma Xiaotao instantly realized what he meant, her cheeks flushed bright red, even the tips of her ears turned pink, and she clutched the blanket tightly, flustered. "What are you saying... This, this won't do?"

She was just a teenage girl, and no matter how unruly she was, she couldn't help but feel shy and embarrassed when she heard such words.

Besides, she didn't even know who the other person was, so how could she possibly agree to such a thing?

"I can do whatever you want with everything else, whatever you want." Yan Shaozhe's tone instantly turned serious, without a trace of joking. "But on this matter, you must listen to me. This is not child's play; it's a matter of your life! Do you want to be trapped by evil fire for the rest of your life, risking exploding and dying at any moment?"

Seeing the worry in her teacher's eyes, Ma Xiaotao moved her lips, but ultimately didn't argue. She just blushed and lowered her head, silently keeping the matter in her heart.

……

Chapter 29 Conversation, Transaction

In the corridor, waves of intense heat spread forward with each step, slightly distorting the surrounding air.

Ma Xiaotao walked ahead, her long red hair swaying gently with her steps, and the tips of her ears still bearing a trace of lingering pink.

Her teacher's words from three weeks ago had been swirling in her mind countless times. Especially in the last few days, her inner fire had started to stir again, and she had no other choice but to bite the bullet and come to find Huo Yuhao.

The footsteps behind her were neither hurried nor slow, always maintaining a safe distance of about three meters.

Ma Xiaotao stopped and turned around abruptly, meeting Huo Yuhao's gentle yet inquisitive eyes.

She had prepared a whole speech, but when she met his gaze, she instantly choked up, a hint of unease flashing in her phoenix eyes.

"Senior Sister Ma," Huo Yuhao spoke first, his tone calm, but he didn't take any further steps. He simply stood still and nodded slightly to her. "If there's anything you need to say, why don't we talk here? The inner courtyard is just ahead, and it would be inconvenient for an outer courtyard freshman like me to go in."

He knew perfectly well what had happened at Poseidon Lake last time. This master was a "moving volcano" that could get out of control at any time. Go to a private place?

If her evil temper were to erupt again, he didn't want to experience the feeling of having his soul power drained again.

Moreover, he could guess to some extent what that old fox Yan Shaozhe was up to, so naturally he had to be very careful with his words.

Ma Xiaotao was taken aback, but didn't insist. She simply looked him up and down, her phoenix eyes filled with scrutiny and disbelief.

This seemingly refined young man, whose soul power was only at the first ring, suppressed her nearly out-of-control evil fire with just a wisp of light aura at the Sea God Lake.

She composed herself, suppressing all her superfluous emotions, and cut to the chase: "You possess the ultimate attribute of light?"

"Yes." Huo Yuhao nodded, neither denying nor offering any further explanation.

"Then can you help me suppress and purify the evil fire in my martial soul?" Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth and finally said it.

After she finished speaking, she breathed a sigh of relief, but her cheeks still couldn't help but feel slightly hot, and her eyes unconsciously drifted elsewhere.

Seeing her awkward expression, Huo Yuhao understood immediately; it was just as he had guessed.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, his tone remaining calm yet each word clear: "Sure. But what's in it for me to help my senior?"

One sentence left Ma Xiaotao stunned.

She clearly hadn't expected him to ask about benefits so directly. Her phoenix eyes widened as she looked at Huo Yuhao, her tone tinged with confusion: "Benefits? We're both students of Shrek Academy. Shouldn't fellow students help each other?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but laugh, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, his tone carrying undisguised sarcasm: "So, senior, are you trying to get something for nothing?"

He finally understood that the master and disciple were indeed of the same lineage.

Back then, Yan Shaozhe wanted to use a soul bone to bind him to the Martial Soul System. Now, Ma Xiaotao wants to use the phrase "mutual assistance among fellow disciples" to make him a free, long-term fire extinguisher for evil fire. Does everyone think he's a sucker?

“You…” Ma Xiaotao’s face turned even redder at his words of “freeloading,” and she was both angry and embarrassed, her brows furrowing tightly.

She's lived this long and has always been the one being asked for help. This is the first time she's asked someone for a favor, and to be treated like this, anyone would be furious.

But she needed his help and couldn't vent her anger, so she could only suppress her rage and ask, "What do you want? Rare and precious materials? Soul bones? Or cultivation resources? As long as I can provide it, we can discuss it."

She was Yan Shaozhe's personal disciple, a core genius of the inner academy, and had no shortage of cultivation resources.

But Huo Yuhao shook his head, and what he said completely surprised her: "I don't want any of these. I only have one condition—that the Martial Soul Department allocate three street-front shops in Shrek City to my Lionheart Society, and at the same time, that the academy provide official assistance to the Lionheart Society's businesses in the name of the academy, clearing away any obstacles to its operation."

He was just in the conference room worrying about the start of the Lionheart Club's business when Ma Xiaotao came to him on her own.

This is the personal disciple of the Dean of the Spirit Department. In the entire Shrek Academy, who can persuade Yan Shaozhe better than her?

It would be foolish to pass up such a good opportunity.

Ma Xiaotao was completely dumbfounded.

She was prepared to be asked for an exorbitant price, but what he actually wanted were several shops and assistance for the community.

As an inner court disciple, she had never been involved in these business matters before, and she was momentarily stunned.

After a long pause, she came to her senses and frowned, saying, "I can't make this decision myself; I have to ask my teacher."

"No problem." Huo Yuhao smiled gently, bowed slightly to her, and said in a proper tone, "Huo Yuhao is here to welcome your good news, senior. As long as the conditions are agreed, I will take care of your problem with 'evil fire'."

He knew perfectly well that Yan Shaozhe would definitely agree to this condition.

A few shops are nothing compared to Ma Xiaotao's life.