"Neuvillette."
A cool, clear voice rang out.
The training room door swung open.
A breathtaking beauty in red stepped inside from the hallway.
Her figure was tall and perfectly proportioned. The first thing one's eyes were drawn to was her somewhat exaggerated curves, yet her waist was remarkably slender, flaring out sharply at the hips, and her long legs were straight as spears. A wave of youthful vitality seemed to rush straight at you.
Her face, however, could not be seen.
A red veil covered her features, but even from her brow and eyes alone, she was obviously stunning. Her light-pink eyes had a soul-stealing, heart-stirring charm. Thankfully, the coldness in her gaze tempered that intoxicating allure.
[Holy Spirit Cult Saintess]
"Sis Xiaotao?"
Neuvillette was a little taken aback.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, you were nowhere to be found, so I had to vent on him instead." Ma Xiaotao's long legs carried her to stand before Neuvillette, a trace of grievance in her beautiful eyes.
She pointed over her shoulder at Xu Sanshi.
The latter was currently sporting a face swollen and bruised beyond recognition; his eyes were so puffy he could barely open them. Still, he managed a wry smile and greeted Neuvillette.
"Nuuv… Lett… loong… time no see…"
Neuvillette could only chuckle helplessly. His hand tightened slightly around his staff.
A crystal droplet shimmered with pale blue light, enveloping Xu Sanshi. When the glow faded, he was completely restored.
"Senior Neuvillette? Heavens above, aren't you a Water Dragon? How come you have healing abilities, too?"
Xu Sanshi trembled with excitement.
"Alright, I only brought you here to get healed. Now that it's done, go on. I have something to discuss with him."
Ma Xiaotao arched her elegant brows and waved him off.
"Heh, alright, alright, I'm going."
The broad-browed Xu Sanshi's gaze flicked meaningfully between Neuvillette and Ma Xiaotao. He chuckled slyly before jogging out of the training room.
"Don't let me catch you!"
A blush rose on Ma Xiaotao's fair cheeks, and she gave a light stomp of her foot.
Yet she didn't take a single step to chase him.
Anyone familiar with her knew the Evil Fire Phoenix wasn't angry.
If she truly were, the entire training ground would be reduced to ashes…
Neuvillette shook his head helplessly.
"Alright, you three little ones, head back. We'll resume training tomorrow."
"Got it!"
Wang Dong did a backflip to his feet, pulled the other two along, and ran off toward the exit.
Only Huo Yutong hesitated at the door, glancing back at the two of them before leaving.
"I recall placing a Water Dragon seal within your body to keep your evil fire suppressed. Why couldn't it hold today?"
Neuvillette glanced curiously at the still-blushing Ma Xiaotao, then sank into the sofa in the lounge, staff in hand.
"And another thing—stop pretending to be a little girl. You're almost twenty. Who are you trying to fool?"
"Hmph, none of your business!"
Ma Xiaotao shot him a glare, removed her veil to reveal a peerlessly beautiful face, and gracefully sat beside him—close enough for her soft figure to press against his side.
With a trace of guilt, she said,
"I've just been training a lot lately, so…"
Neuvillette frowned slightly.
This problem with the Evil Fire… it had been a long-standing tradition since Ma Hongjun back in Douluo Dalu 1.
That classic line—"The problem is, when the evil fire flares up, I can't suppress it…"—had become an enduring meme.
But while Ma Hongjun could visit brothels to vent, Ma Xiaotao could only rely on her willpower and relentless training to keep it in check.
"Wait a second. Something's off."
Neuvillette's eyes widened suddenly, turning toward the guilty-looking Ma Xiaotao.
"What the hell… what did you do to the seal I left in you?!"
That seal had been a fragment of his Water Dragon Martial Soul. Yet when he'd just tried to check on it, he found it had long been overwhelmed and shattered.
That was a miniature clone of himself—destroyed by Ma Xiaotao's… attentions?
"I"
"No way, Ma Xiaotao, you—"
Neuvillette's mouth twitched as he looked at the beauty before him, her bowed head and flushed cheeks red as ripe peaches.
You ruthless woman…
You didn't even spare my clone.
He'd always known this infatuated girl was a bit off when it came to him, but he'd never imagined she'd… do that to the seal inside her body.
"Ahem, it was just an accident…" Ma Xiaotao hooked her arm through his, her voice turning sweet and pleading.
Raising one delicate, white finger, her beautiful eyes softened with entreaty.
"Could you give me another one?"
"Then why don't you tell me exactly what you did to my clone?" Neuvillette's face stayed impassive.
"This…"
Ma Xiaotao bit her red lips, opened her mouth, then closed it again. There was no way she could say such shameful things aloud.
"Right now. Immediately. Out!"
Neuvillette pointed at the door, his expression blank.
"Don't be mad, Little Neuvillette. I know I was wrong, alright? For the sake of all our years of friendship, just give me another one…"
Her beautiful eyes locked on his with sincerity, her slender hands clasped together as she deployed every trick in the beauty's arsenal.
Her long, snow-white legs draped over his lap, the soft contact pressing closer, her fragrant body practically draped against him.
Breathing in the faint perfume that came from her, Neuvillette took a deep breath. But faced with those big, lovely eyes full of innocence, he could only sigh.
"I swear, you are…"
"Hehe, I knew you were the best!"
In the end, after relentless coaxing, vows, and promises, Ma Xiaotao managed to get another clone from Neuvillette.
He could only shake his head helplessly as she ran out of the training room, beaming, clutching the tiny figure that looked exactly like him.
Utterly corrupt! Beyond saving!
But he couldn't bring himself to refuse her. With Ma Xiaotao's martial soul, if her evil fire couldn't be suppressed, she really might run amok from Seagod Island and hurt innocent people.
In the original story, something similar had happened—and if not for Huo Gua's protagonist halo, Douluo Dalu 2 could've ended right there!
"Forget it. Hopefully she behaves herself…"
Shaking his head to cast out these messy thoughts, Neuvillette's expression cooled.
The priority now was to deal with Zhou Yi, that scourge.
In recent days, he had observed her quietly, only to find her arrogance far exceeding what he had imagined, brazen to the point of shamelessness.
Even after his warning, she still acted with complete disregard and, in apparent retaliation, had subjected her entire class to even harsher training.
She hadn't even called in any auxiliary-type soul masters anymore.
Poor Huo Yutong and the others could only slog through exhausting training every day, dragging their bodies to the edge of collapse before attending other classes.
"In that case"
Neuvillette's gaze turned cold.
"The Seagod Pavilion's investigation team has already fully compiled the list of the academy's parasites."
"Zhou Yi… It's time to make a move."