Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Just then, a voice came from deep within the bamboo forest. It was not loud, even gentle, but it carried an undeniable authority and was exceptionally clear in the quiet bamboo forest.

"Xiao Tao".

Ma Xiaotao froze, the shy expression she had just worn vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of panic.

She suddenly raised her head, her gaze urgently fixed on the direction from which the sound came.

Deep in the bamboo forest, a figure slowly walked towards them.

He wore a dark blue robe meticulously, his hair was neatly combed, his face was gentle yet exuded a sense of aloofness, and he emanated a subtle yet powerful aura.

His steps were not fast, but each step was steady, exuding the aura of a dean.

Ma Xiaotao's pupils contracted slightly, and her complexion paled.

Instinctively wanting to jump down from Ling Yu's arms, she hurriedly let go, landed steadily on the ground, and kept her head down.

"teacher."

Yan Shaozhe approached step by step, his gaze sweeping over Ma Xiaotao.

The soaked red clothes, the disheveled hair, the lingering flush on her face, and the faint blush at the corner of her eyes—every detail caught his eye.

Finally, his gaze fell on Ling Yu, and his tone instantly turned cold: "What's going on? Such a commotion at Sea God Lake has alerted the entire inner courtyard. Why not use the Soul Arena instead of coming here for a private duel?"

Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips, her fingers gently twisting the hem of her clothes, her head lowered, not daring to speak, even her breathing became cautious.

Yan Shaozhe's gaze shifted between the two men before finally settling on Ling Yu, his tone scrutinizing: "You're Ling Yu?"

Ling Yu met his gaze, his expression remaining calm and without the slightest fear, and replied indifferently, "It's me."

Yan Shaozhe looked at him, sneered, and made no attempt to hide his displeasure: "You beat Zhou Yi on the very first day of school, and this has caused quite a stir in the academy. Now you've gone to Seagod Lake for a private duel. Your audacity is greater than I imagined. It seems that in your eyes, I, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, am nothing more than a figurehead?"

Ling Yu remained silent, standing still with an unchanged expression, neither arguing nor showing weakness.

Yan Shaozhe's gaze grew increasingly cold. He took a step forward, and the faint but palpable pressure emanating from him instantly solidified, pressing directly down on Ling Yu: "She's a sixth-ringed cultivator, you're a third-ringed one. To survive against her, you've got some skill. But that's no excuse for your reckless behavior in the academy. This private duel must be settled today."

Ma Xiaotao suddenly raised her head, her voice tinged with urgency: "Teacher! I asked him to hit me, it has nothing to do with him!"

Yan Shaozhe glanced at her, his tone calm yet firm, leaving no room for argument: "We'll talk about your matter later."

Ma Xiaotao bit her lip, looking at Yan Shaozhe's cold face, and knew in her heart that he was really angry.

She knew her teacher all too well; he usually seemed gentle, but once he got really angry, no amount of pleading would help.

But when she turned to look at Ling Yu, she saw that he remained calm and fearless in the face of the oppressive aura. In a panic, she blurted out, "Teacher, he just helped me suppress the evil fire!"

Yan Shaozhe frowned, his gaze returning to Ma Xiaotao, his tone filled with doubt: "What?"

Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath and explained quickly, "Just now, while we were fighting, my lust suddenly flared up, and I almost lost control. He helped me suppress it. Teacher, you know how difficult that thing is to deal with, and he really did it."

Yan Shaozhe was stunned, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Ma Xiaotao and Ling Yu, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He knew better than anyone how troublesome the evil fire was.

Xiao Tao has been tormented by this thing since he was a child. He tried all sorts of methods, but he was unable to completely solve the problem.

Xu Sanshi's water-attribute martial soul was somewhat useful at first, but its effect became less and less effective later. Yet, this newcomer who was only at the third ring level was able to suppress it.

Yan Shaozhe remained silent for a few seconds, the coldness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a deep scrutiny and assessment. He looked at Ling Yu, his tone softening slightly: "Can you suppress Xiao Tao's evil fire?"

Ling Yu nodded again, his response still a simple single word: "Mm."

Yan Shaozhe stared at him for a long time, and several thoughts gradually crossed his mind.

This kid is capable, resourceful, and can even suppress Xiao Tao's evil fire. If he could stay by Xiao Tao's side and help her suppress the evil fire regularly, he could also relieve Xiao Tao's suffering.

He withdrew his oppressive aura, and his tone softened: "You do have some real skill to suppress Xiao Tao's evil fire. Xiao Tao has been tormented by this evil fire for years. Since you have this ability, you can come and see her more often in the future."

He paused, looked directly at Ling Yu, and said bluntly, "This will also benefit you. Xiao Tao has been in the inner courtyard for so many years, she has no shortage of connections and resources. If you help her, she will naturally not treat you unfairly."

If this kid knows what's good for him, it's not impossible to train him properly.

Ling Yu looked at him, his dark eyes still devoid of emotion, his tone calm yet firm: "Dean Yan, I came to the academy not to discuss deals."

Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone tinged with displeasure: "Not a transaction?"

"No." Ling Yu met his gaze calmly.

Yan Shaozhe's eyes turned cold again, his tone laced with sarcasm: "You're quite arrogant. But young man, arrogance is a good thing, but you have to know when to stop. Do you think you have the right to put on airs in front of me?"

Ling Yu didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly, his expression still calm, without giving in the slightest.

Yan Shaozhe took another step forward, and the oppressive aura surged forth again, even heavier than before, directly enveloping Ling Yu: "Do you think that just because you defeated Zhou Yi, you have the right to be insolent in front of me?"

Ling Yu gently shook his head: "No."

Yan Shaozhe stared intently at him, his tone even more sarcastic: "So you want to use the same tactics you used against Zhou Yi, and fight me too? Use your strength to make me agree with your point of view?"

Ling Yu met his gaze, neither humble nor arrogant: "The Dean is a Super Douluo, I can't beat him."

These words were spoken frankly, without the slightest resentment or dissatisfaction, truthfully stating the gap between the two sides.

Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow, not expecting this kid to admit defeat so readily. His tone softened slightly, but it still carried an air of authority: "Knowing you can't win, you still dare to talk to me like that?"

Ling Yu raised his eyes to meet his gaze, the calm in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by a surging sharpness. The aura that had been restrained around him suddenly erupted—fragmented lightning quietly swirled around him, pale purple electric sparks danced slightly along his hair and fingertips, a faint aura of thunderstorm permeated the air, and even the surrounding wind became fierce, the bamboo leaves rustling in the strong wind, as if a storm was brewing.

"Just because I can't beat them doesn't mean I have to say things against my conscience. But if Dean Yan wants to fight—" His body crackled with even more lightning, and a low rumble of thunder could be heard, colliding with Yan Shaozhe's oppressive aura and stirring up invisible waves of energy, "I won't run away either."

Ma Xiaotao stood beside Ling Yu, her palms sweating with anxiety.

She knew Yan Shaozhe's personality all too well. He appeared gentle on the surface, but was extremely proud at heart. He would certainly not let it go after being contradicted by a freshman like this.

She opened her mouth, wanting to step forward and plead for mercy, but was stopped by Yan Shaozhe's gaze, and the words that were about to come out were swallowed back.

Yan Shaozhe stared at Ling Yu for several seconds. Just when everyone thought he was about to get angry, he suddenly chuckled. The chuckle was faint, and it was impossible to tell whether it was sarcasm or praise: "Interesting, what an interesting lad."

He withdrew his gaze and slowly turned around: "I will not pursue the matter of today."

After saying that, he took two steps forward, then stopped. Without turning around, he said to Ma Xiaotao, "Xiaotao, come see me tomorrow."

Ma Xiaotao was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what she meant and respectfully replied, "Yes, teacher."

Yan Shaozhe didn't say anything more, and walked towards the depths of the bamboo forest. His dark blue figure quickly disappeared into the layers of bamboo leaves.

The bamboo forest remained quiet for a few more seconds until the oppressive aura completely dissipated, at which point everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ma Xiaotao let out a long breath, turned to look at Ling Yu, her pale pink eyes filled with complex emotions, including a hint of lingering fear: "You're really brave. My teacher hates it when people talk back to him."

Ling Yu didn't speak, but simply shook his head slightly.

Yan Shaozhe's attitude today reminded him of something.

Zhou Yi's changes may be related to the dean of the Martial Soul Department.

Ma Xiaotao looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed, still with that shameless attitude: "But I like it."

Ling Yu glanced at her, but didn't reply, his gaze shifting slightly away.

He was still thinking about how to deal with Yan Shaozhe's attack.

If Yan Shaozhe hadn't resisted launching a war against him, he could have used Volibear's power to completely bring Yan Shaozhe down from his pedestal.

Unfortunately, for some reason, the other party held back.

Wang Dong'er rolled her eyes and couldn't help but mutter something under her breath, though not loudly, enough for everyone present to hear: "Like what? You were just pretending to be weak and bluffing, and now you're not pretending anymore?"

Ma Xiaotao turned her head to look at Wang Dong'er, a smug smile in her light pink eyes.

"What do you mean by 'pretending'?" Her voice was languid, with a slight upward inflection at the end, like the tip of a feather gently scratching at one's heart. "How could a little boy like you understand little Yu's gentleness? That's the love he has for his injured older sister."

She emphasized the word "pamper" very clearly, and after speaking, she turned her head slightly and glanced at Ling Yu with a fleeting look in her eyes.

Wang Dong'er was speechless for a moment, her cheeks instantly turning red.

She clenched her fists, feeling resentful but unable to find words to refute them. All she could do was glare fiercely at Ma Xiaotao, her pink-blue eyes practically spitting fire.