Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Inside the dean's office of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe was sitting at his desk reviewing reports, his brush pen occasionally making annotations on the paper with steady and efficient movements.

A muffled sound suddenly came from outside the window, as if something had exploded in the distance, and even the teacup in front of him rippled slightly.

Yan Shaozhe raised his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly. The direction from which the sound came was clearly Sea God Lake.

No sooner had he finished speaking than another muffled thud was heard, clearer than the first one, and the aftershocks could be felt even from a great distance.

Immediately afterwards, the third and fourth sounds rang out one after another, becoming more and more frequent, and in the distance, there were faint flashes of lightning on the horizon, making the sky outside the window slightly darker.

Yan Shaozhe put down his brush, stood up, walked to the window, and looked up towards the direction of Haishen Lake.

From here, one cannot see the lake, but the continuous rumbling never stops, and the aftershocks of the lake's vibrations even reach one's feet, allowing one to clearly feel the ground trembling slightly.

His face instantly darkened.

"Someone come here."

Immediately, someone pushed open the door and entered. It was a middle-aged man in a gray robe, who was a deacon teacher in the Martial Soul Department.

These people are usually graduates of Shrek Academy's outer academy who haven't left the academy, but instead of being responsible for specific academic work, they are responsible for daily affairs.

For example, the referees in the fighting arena, the cafeteria staff, and so on.

"Go to Seagod Lake and see who's causing trouble there." Yan Shaozhe's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a distinct chill. He turned to the instructor, his tone full of displeasure. "The academy has a Soul Arena specifically for competitions. Who allowed them to fight privately on the lake? The commotion is so loud, the entire inner academy can hear it. Do they think Shrek Academy's rules are just for show?"

The teacher in charge quickly responded and turned to leave.

Yan Shaozhe stood back by the window, his gaze still fixed on the direction of Sea God Lake, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

Shrek Academy has been established for ten thousand years. If there are any conflicts between students, they can go to the Soul Arena to request a battle. There are referees to witness the battle and spectators to watch. Everything is fair and square.

Private fights are strictly prohibited, let alone at Sea God Lake—a symbolic place of the inner courtyard, where countless legends have been left by powerful figures throughout history. Now, it has become a place for two ignorant and arrogant juniors to run wild.

He wanted to see which fool dared to disregard the academy's rules so blatantly.

Not long after, the teacher in charge rushed back, a strange look on his face as he opened the door, as if he had something difficult to say.

Yan Shaozhe turned around, his gaze falling on him, his tone indifferent: "Have you found out?"

"We've found out." The instructor nodded, paused, and then slowly said, "Two students were fighting on Lake Poseidon, and they were the ones who made the noise."

Yan Shaozhe frowned, his tone turning even colder: "Two students? What grade are they in? What are their names?"

The teacher in charge hesitated for a moment before saying, "One of them... is Ling Yu from Class 1 of the freshmen."

Yan Shaozhe's brows furrowed even more, a hint of impatience and understanding flashing in his eyes.

Ling Yu.

How could he not remember that name?

On the first day of school, Zhou Yi was defeated by a freshman. At the Sea God Pavilion meeting, he strongly advocated for the expulsion of this kid, but Elder Mu insisted on protecting him.

Yan Shaozhe sneered. It really was that kid.

He should have known that this disrespectful troublemaker would cause trouble sooner or later.

Professor Mu once said that he wanted "students to stand on the podium" and insisted on protecting him.

Now look what's happened! In just a few days, they dared to have a private duel on the Sea God Lake, alarming the entire inner courtyard.

Such an arrogant and disdainful attitude towards the academy will only cause trouble sooner or later.

"And the other one?" He suppressed his anger, his tone already tinged with impatience. "Who was causing trouble with him?"

The teacher in charge looked increasingly strange, his lips moved as if he was having difficulty speaking.

Seeing his appearance, Yan Shaozhe suddenly felt a sense of unease and his tone turned serious: "Speak."

The teacher in charge quickly lowered his head and, forcing a smile, repeated, "The other one is... Ma Xiaotao."

Yan Shaozhe's expression froze instantly, as if he hadn't heard clearly, and he asked again, "Who?"

"Ma Xiaotao from the inner courtyard," the instructor repeated, not daring to look up, "is your disciple."

Yan Shaozhe stood there, speechless for a long time.

Ma Xiaotao.

She was a disciple he had personally taught for many years, and he knew her personality best.

Although he is a bit impatient and has a fiery temper, he has always been sensible and reasonable, and never causes trouble for no reason.

How did she end up getting involved with that troublemaker Ling Yu? And even going to Seagod Lake for a private fight?

Yan Shaozhe's brows furrowed tightly, and the coldness on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex and indescribable expression.

He paced around the room a few steps with his hands behind his back, his steps slightly hurried, before suddenly stopping.

"Have you found out why they started fighting?"

The instructor shook his head and said truthfully, "I didn't dare to get close, I only glanced at it from afar. The two were fighting fiercely, the lightning and flames almost overturned the entire lake, the surrounding waves exploded several meters high, and several bamboo stalks on the shore were broken by the shockwaves."

Yan Shaozhe remained silent.

He knew Ma Xiaotao's strength all too well; a six-ring Soul Emperor, unmatched among her peers.

Even if Ling Yu has some skill, he's only a three-ring Soul Master. How could he possibly hold out against her for so long and even fight her to a standstill?

He recalled the reports about Ling Yu's combat prowess at the Sea God Pavilion meeting, and the fact that Zhou Yi had been defeated by him head-on, and suddenly felt that it was all a bit unreal.

Ma Xiaotao was taught by him, and her talent and strength are impeccable. How could a new student who appeared out of nowhere compete with her?

Yan Shaozhe stood there for a moment, and finally sighed softly.

Forget it.

Regardless, Xiao Tao is his disciple, so he has to go and see her.

It's not about assigning blame, but about finding out why she got involved with Ling Yu and why they fought this battle on Sea God Lake.

As for Ling Yu...

Yan Shaozhe shook his head and walked out.

He disliked that kid from the start; he was disrespectful and unruly, and now he's corrupting Xiao Tao, making her act recklessly with him. From now on, he must keep Xiao Tao away from him.

He pushed open the office door and walked straight towards Poseidon Lake.

Even without asking, he could guess that it must have been caused by that Ling Yu; Xiao Tao would never do such a thing.

However, as the dean, he would not punish students without cause and would always give them some explanation.

……

Ling Yu carried Ma Xiaotao out of the bamboo forest, and the gazes behind them were finally hidden by the layers of bamboo leaves, leaving no trace of their prying.

Ma Xiaotao nestled in his arms, burying her head in his chest, unable to suppress the smile on her lips, her eyes brimming with unconcealed joy. She could clearly hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, close to her ear, seeping into her heart through her earlobe, creating delicate ripples.

He still carried the scent of the battle, a faint smell of evaporating sweat, not pungent but rather exceptionally refreshing. The aroma made her feel slightly dizzy, and even her exhaustion lessened somewhat. She didn't want to get down, not at all; she just wanted to stay nestled in his arms, feeling his warmth and heartbeat.

But before she could even process the thought, a voice, tinged with impatience and a barely perceptible hint of sourness, came from not far behind her—

"Hey, how much longer are you going to hold me?"

Wang Dong'er's voice carried a hint of impatience, and a touch of sourness that she herself was unaware of.