Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

A figure appeared there silently, as if carried there by a gentle breeze.

Her fiery red hair still shone brightly in the dim light of the evening, and her tall figure was outlined by the red school uniform of the inner courtyard.

Her face still had a trace of paleness that hadn't completely faded, but her eyes were clear and bright, indicating that she had recovered very well.

She didn't release any soul power pressure; she just stood there, yet she naturally exuded an undeniable presence—a natural aura brought about by her strength and temperament.

His gaze first fell on the suspended green cocoon of light, looking at Zhou Yi inside, who was unconscious and with faint tear stains. He frowned slightly and shook his head.

"Can't accept defeat, can't let go, has driven both yourself and your students to this point..." She gently shook her head, her tone as calm as if she were describing the weather, but the weight in her words was heavy, "Zhou Yi, what kind of teacher are you?"

She glanced at it only once before looking away, as if the existence within the cocoon of light was no longer worth her attention.

Her gaze shifted to Ling Yu, landing on his slightly thin but exceptionally straight back, watching him slowly walk away.

Her eyes softened instantly.

"Ling Yu, my younger brother."

She called out, her voice clear, carrying a natural familiarity and unpretentious intimacy; the four words seemed so natural coming from her lips.

Ling Yu stopped in his tracks.

He slowly turned around, his gaze calmly fixed on the source of the sound, and saw the red-haired girl.

He showed no surprise, simply nodding slightly and saying, "Senior Sister Ma."

Upon hearing that address, Ma Xiaotao's eyebrows twitched slightly. She wasn't angry; instead, a helpless yet amused smile curved her lips. She lowered her arms and walked unhurriedly towards Ling Yu.

Wherever she went, the surrounding freshmen would involuntarily step aside, silently making way for her.

It wasn't that she deliberately forced people, but rather that her naturally powerful aura instilled a sense of awe in people, making them hesitant to approach her rashly.

She stopped about three or four steps away from Ling Yu, a distance that was neither too intimate nor uncomfortable, yet enough to express a sense of closeness that was different from that of a stranger.

"Why are you calling me Senior Ma?" Ma Xiaotao looked at Ling Yu, her tone casual yet carrying an undeniable intimacy, as if correcting a close younger brother's incorrect address. "Why be so formal? Just call me Sister Xiaotao. You helped me so much last night, do we really need all this formality?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yu remained silent for a moment.

He looked into Ma Xiaotao's bright, smiling eyes, which held no probing, only clear affection and gratitude.

So he nodded slightly again, "Sister Xiaotao."

As soon as he uttered those two words, the helplessness on Ma Xiaotao's face instantly melted away, turning into a more obvious and genuine smile.

"That's more like it." Her tone became lighter. "I saw everything that happened just now."

She paused, seemingly savoring the thrilling scene, her eyes clearly showing amazement.

"To be honest, it was quite shocking," she said frankly.

"It was I who made a fool of myself," Ling Yu said modestly.

Ignoring Ling Yu's modesty, Ma Xiaotao continued, lowering her voice to sound more sincere: "That evil fire has been tormenting me for more than just a day or two. Your ability to seal it is truly... a tremendous help. I will remember this kindness."

Ling Yu calmly replied, "I'm glad I was able to help. Sister Xiao Tao, you don't need to worry about it."

Looking at his calm demeanor, Ma Xiaotao's admiration deepened. She didn't continue with formalities, and naturally changed the subject:

"Last night in the quiet room, although I was a little dizzy, I wasn't completely asleep." She looked at Ling Yu, lowering her voice so that only the two of them and a very few people nearby could hear her. "I overheard bits and pieces of what you and Sister Lexuan were saying."

She paused, seemingly recalling those hazy fragments.

"'Xiao'... 'Different Paths'... I vaguely heard you and Sister Lexuan mention these things last night. Although I didn't hear the whole thing, it sounded quite interesting."

Her gaze swept over the devastated scene around her; the scorched earth, cracks, and lingering energy ripples all spoke of the intensity of the battle that had just taken place.

"When I woke up this morning, I was a little worried about you being assigned to Zhou Yi's class." She said it naturally, without the slightest hesitation. "I've heard about her temper, and I'm afraid you'll suffer in silence on your first day of class. So I thought I'd come and check on you, in case she goes too far, I can at least help you out. Although we're both Soul Emperors, I'm confident I can take on ten of her."

At this point, she chuckled self-deprecatingly, shook her head slightly, and her fiery red hair swayed in the breeze.

"As a result, I became a spectator and watched a good show from beginning to end." She looked at Ling Yu, her eyes filled with undisguised surprise and admiration. "Not only did you not suffer any losses, but you also completely subdued her twisted logic and tricks. I was still thinking about how to make a 'grand entrance' to help you out of the predicament, but you had already solved the problem cleanly and efficiently."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious, even tinged with inquiry: "I heard everything you said to her just now, about what a school should be like, what teachers should do... I heard it all. And that last strike you used to cleave her fifth soul skill... clean, crisp, very impressive."

Her eyes lit up, as if she had discovered some extremely interesting treasure: "I'm becoming more and more interested in that 'Xiao' you mentioned last night, and everything you've done today..."

Having said all that, she seemed to feel she had expressed everything she needed to say.

He took a half-step back decisively and waved his hand casually.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. I'm going back now."

After saying that, she turned and left without any hesitation.

She didn't ask Ling Yu if she could join Xiao.

She is indeed somewhat interested in Xiao now, and also in Ling Yu, but she can sense the aura of orderliness emanating from Ling Yu.

As the morning breeze swept by, her dazzling red hair billowed in a graceful arc. A few steps later, her figure disappeared around the corner of the training field, leaving only a faint, fiery aura that quickly blended into the morning air.

Ling Yu gazed in the direction Ma Xiaotao had left, his eyes calm and thoughtful.

Shortly after Ma Xiaotao left, a middle-aged male teacher with a refined and gentle demeanor, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked steadily in from the entrance of the venue.

"What are you all doing gathered here?" His voice was calm and clear. His gaze slowly swept through the devastated site and the terrified freshmen through his glasses. Finally, it lingered briefly on the suspended green cocoon of light. His brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but his expression quickly returned to normal.

He adjusted his glasses and introduced himself, "I am Wang Yan, a teacher at the academy. I will be temporarily in charge of the following classes. Now, everyone, please follow me to the classroom."

His tone was calm and unquestionable, as if the traces of battle before him were merely a common occurrence.

On the way back to the classroom, the long-suppressed murmurs finally began to spread quietly.

Wang Dong'er quickened her pace, moving closer to Ling Yu. Her pinkish-blue eyes shone with excitement and disbelief. With her outgoing nature and the convenience of being his "roommate," she blurted out without hesitation, "Hey, you're amazing! That was a Soul Emperor! You actually beat him?!"

Ling Yu glanced at her, his face still calm and expressionless, as if he had just completed a trivial task. He replied indifferently, "It's alright, just a trick. She underestimated me."

"What do you mean by 'okay' and 'taking shortcuts'?!" Wang Dong'er immediately became dissatisfied, raising her delicate eyebrows.

If Ling Yu's earth-shattering performance can only be considered "okay", then what about her, the little princess of the Haotian Sect, a genius with twin martial souls, who currently has "only" level 21 soul power?

Isn't this a veiled insult to Miss Wang?

She puffed out her cheeks, wanting to say something more, but saw that Ling Yu had already turned back, looking like he didn't want to talk anymore, so she had no choice but to swallow her words and sulk, but she couldn't help but secretly peek at this mysterious and powerful roommate out of the corner of her eye.

In a corner a little further away from the crowd, Huo Yuhao silently followed the group, his gaze fixed on Ling Yu's back.

The freshman who swapped dorm rooms with him on the first day of school remembered that the beautiful senior Jiang Nannan had mentioned that Ling Yu seemed to be a "doctor".

He originally thought the other party was a support or healing type Soul Master, just like the possible development path he had imagined if he became a Soul Master.

But what I saw with my own eyes today, that raging thunder, that terrifying strength that could withstand a Soul Emperor... how could this be a support Soul Master?

Huo Yuhao subconsciously touched his eyes.

His martial spirit is the Spirit Eye, which is also an eye.

However, his spiritual eyes do not seem to have shown any powerful combat ability so far.

If only... if only my spiritual eyes could be as powerful as Ling Yu's martial soul.

The thought rose uncontrollably from the bottom of my heart, filled with envy and a deep longing for power.

He lowered his head, clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, burying that fluttering feeling deep in his heart.

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