Seeing Ma Xiaotao about to crash into him, Zhu Ziyang couldn't afford to hold back. Ma Xiaotao was engulfed in flames; if she hit him, his clothes would surely be burned to ashes!
Zhu Ziyang immediately brandished the scythe in his hand, his footsteps retreating in an orderly fashion. The blade was positioned in Ma Xiaotao's path. Ma Xiaotao was furious, and though delirious, she could still use her Spirit Ability. Her first spirit ring lit up, and from her cherry lips, she exhaled a flame, red with a hint of black, striking directly against the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe.
The scythe blade became scorching hot but remained firmly in front of him. Ma Xiaotao charged forward, reaching out to grab it. However, Zhu Ziyang wouldn't let her succeed, directly ducking down to evade her movement. Ma Xiaotao was persistent, using both hands—one to grab the scythe handle and the other to punch the blade.
Zhu Ziyang controlled the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe, easily dodging Ma Xiaotao's attacks. As the Spirit owner, Zhu Ziyang's movements were far more agile than Ma Xiaotao's. Ma Xiaotao, heedless of anything else, stared intently at the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe, as if she had fixated on it and wouldn't stop until she seized it. Zhu Ziyang could only control his Spirit while retreating.
After several attempts, Ma Xiaotao still couldn't overcome the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe. The sickly flush on her face grew more severe, and her consciousness was on the verge of collapse. If she wasn't suppressed soon, her mind might be burned out.
"Don't toy with her like that!" the Blue-haired girl anxiously cried out. "Quickly get her into the lake, or something bad will happen!"
Zhu Ziyang also realized that Ma Xiaotao's condition was becoming increasingly unstable, so he no longer held back. After a spin, the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe in his hand suddenly thrust out, striking her slender waist with force from an angle Ma Xiaotao couldn't defend against, sending her flying.
Ma Xiaotao struggled in the air for a second or two, then splashed into the water with a "plop." After a few "gurgle~ gurgle~" sounds, she sank into the lake.
Seeing this, the Blue-haired girl's face lit up with surprise. She then said to Zhu Ziyang, "That's great! You wait here, I'll go get help."
Before Zhu Ziyang could reply, the girl had already rushed off. Zhu Ziyang, feeling helpless, could only stand by the lake, watching the spot where Ma Xiaotao had fallen, to prevent any accidents.
"Speaking of which, as a Spirit Ancestor, she shouldn't drown, right?" Zhu Ziyang mused to himself.
He was a little worried. Ma Xiaotao had been submerged for three or four minutes, and there wasn't even a bubble on the lake surface. Had something really happened? His expression was uncertain as he unconsciously took two steps towards the lake, leaning over to scan the surface, wanting to see if he could find Ma Xiaotao.
However, just as he leaned out to look, Ma Xiaotao suddenly burst out of the water and hugged Zhu Ziyang, pulling him directly into the water while he was utterly bewildered.
"...Help me, help me..."
A soft, mournful moan came from his ear, but Zhu Ziyang felt utterly helpless. Ma Xiaotao was clinging to him like an octopus, her limbs tightly locking Zhu Ziyang's arms and legs, rendering him unable to move.
The two were pressed very close. Zhu Ziyang couldn't even swim upwards, only sinking helplessly towards the bottom of the lake. Feeling the scorching hot body in his arms, Zhu Ziyang finally understood why Ma Xiaotao had lost control.
At such a high temperature, anyone would lose their sanity!
"Sigh! You're lucky!" Zhu Ziyang sighed and said.
His eyes flashed, and the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit was released. A wave of Ultimate Ice coldness emanated from his body. The surrounding lake water rapidly froze at a visible speed, immediately spreading outwards and across the surface of the lake.
Feeling this chilling aura, Ma Xiaotao, like a drowning person grasping a lifeline, gradually loosened her grip on Zhu Ziyang's limbs, but her delicate body involuntarily began to twist.
Ma Xiaotao's arms tightly wrapped around Zhu Ziyang's neck, and her legs were coiled around Zhu Ziyang's waist. She clung to Zhu Ziyang like a sloth, uncontrollably pressing against his body, as if she wanted to melt into his very being.
Zhu Ziyang's limbs were finally free to move, but he had to support the soft, warm body in front of him. He was quite helpless. But he dared not delay, because Ma Xiaotao had fallen into a deep sleep, and if they didn't get ashore in time, Zhu Ziyang feared she might actually drown.
When Zhu Ziyang surfaced with Ma Xiaotao, he Just right bumped into Yan Shaozhe, who had been notified by the Blue-haired girl and rushed over. The old man and the young man met each other's gaze, somewhat at a loss.
"Ziyang, you..." Yan Shaozhe was stunned, looking at the crimson spirit ring floating behind Zhu Ziyang and the biting cold emanating from his body. He even ignored his disciple in Zhu Ziyang's arms, saying dazedly, "...
"Uh! Senior Brother, let's discuss any issues later. Please attend to the person in my arms first." Zhu Ziyang said with a wry smile, knowing that his second Spirit and spirit ring could no longer be kept secret, so he could only speak first.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Yan Shaozhe woke up from his shock and said repeatedly, directly reaching out to pull Zhu Ziyang out of the water.
Back on land, Zhu Ziyang retracted his Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit and looked at Ma Xiaotao in his arms.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao's temperature had already dropped. The once scorching hot furnace had turned into a soft, fragrant pillow. The huge contrast inevitably put Zhu Ziyang in an awkward situation.
He looked at Yan Shaozhe somewhat helplessly and said, "Senior Brother, what do you think we should do with her?"
Yan Shaozhe reached out and touched Ma Xiaotao's forehead, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. He said, "She's fine now. The evil fire in Xiaotao's body has been suppressed."
"That's great!" Zhu Ziyang said happily at first, then looked puzzled, "Senior Brother, what exactly is going on with this Ma Xiaotao?"
"Xiaotao is actually my disciple," Yan Shaozhe said.
"Hmm, I guessed as much." Zhu Ziyang wasn't too surprised by Yan Shaozhe's words. After all, both Ma Xiaotao and Yan Shaozhe had the Phoenix Spirit, and Ma Xiaotao's talent was so outstanding. If she wasn't Yan Shaozhe's disciple, Zhu Ziyang would have been surprised.
"At the same time, she is also a descendant of Phoenix Douluo Ma Hongjun, one of our Shrek Academy's Original Shrek Seven Devils." Yan Shaozhe walked as he spoke, yet showed no intention of taking Ma Xiaotao from Zhu Ziyang's arms.
Zhu Ziyang, feeling helpless, could only carry Ma Xiaotao like a kangaroo, following Yan Shaozhe's pace. Ma Xiaotao was already asleep, a faint blush still lingering on her delicate face, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, clearly indicating something good was happening in her dream.
"Xiaotao awakened her ancestor's Fire Phoenix Spirit, with innate full spirit power, and at only fifteen years old, she has already reached level 47 spirit power. She is a rare genius, seen only once in a century. Of course, compared to you, Junior Brother, there is still a gap," Yan Shaozhe continued, "However, although Xiaotao awakened the Fire Phoenix Spirit, she also inherited the flaw in its bloodline. She has always been troubled by the evil fire. As her strength grows, the power of this evil fire also becomes stronger, to the point where ordinary ice-attribute treasures can no longer suppress it."
Zhu Ziyang knew some stories about Phoenix Douluo Ma Hongjun. It was said that his Spirit initially mutated from a Grass Chicken Spirit into a Fire Phoenix Spirit. Although it was a beneficial mutation, it had a flaw: the evil fire. Ma Hongjun was initially troubled by the evil fire, which he could only resolve through sexual acts, until Tang San gave him an Immortal Herb, which completely cured him.
He never expected this flaw to be inherited by his descendants. Zhu Ziyang was very surprised, and at the same time, he couldn't help but admire Ma Xiaotao. Once the evil fire flared up, it was manageable for men through sexual means, but as a woman, and a proud genius at that, Ma Xiaotao seemed to have no other option but to endure it.
What immense willpower that must require!
"We're here. This is Xiaotao's room. Junior Brother, please take her in," Yan Shaozhe said as they arrived at Ma Xiaotao's dormitory.
"Uh! Alright." Zhu Ziyang's movements paused. He felt that Yan Shaozhe's motives weren't simple, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only walk into Ma Xiaotao's room.
Ma Xiaotao's room was simply furnished, nothing special. Zhu Ziyang walked to the bed, bent down to place Ma Xiaotao from his arms onto the bed, then struggled for a long time to remove her arms from his neck. After tucking her in, he turned and left.
Outside the room, Yan Shaozhe waited quietly. When he saw Zhu Ziyang come out, a strange expression appeared on his face before returning to normal. He said, "Junior Brother, you have twin spirits?!"
"That's right," Zhu Ziyang admitted.
"What is your second Spirit? To be able to suppress Xiaotao's flames, could it be the Ultimate Ice?" Yan Shaozhe, in a few words, revealed the truth of the matter, his tone somewhat excited, his expression filled with joy.
"Hmm! Yes." Zhu Ziyang looked at Yan Shaozhe in confusion. Yan Shaozhe's reaction left him somewhat bewildered. He always felt that there was another meaning hidden in Yan Shaozhe's smile!
"That's great! Junior Brother, come, let's go find Teacher!" Yan Shaozhe immediately said.
"Ah? Why?" Zhu Ziyang was startled, not understanding why.
"Because there are some things I need Teacher's permission for," Yan Shaozhe said, a peculiar light flickering in his eyes. The idea in his mind was growing stronger.
"Alright," Zhu Ziyang could only agree.
Inside the Sea God Pavilion.
"Teacher, do you know about Junior Brother's twin spirits?" Yan Shaozhe respectfully inquired.
"Hmm!" Mu En, without opening his eyes, nodded and said, "If you know, you know. Don't spread it around."
"Then you also know that Junior Brother's second Spirit is Ultimate Ice? And that he possesses a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring?" Yan Shaozhe continued to ask.
"..." Mu En's hand visibly trembled, but he still didn't open his eyes, nodding silently.
"Then..." Yan Shaozhe became excited and said, "Then what do you think of my proposal from that day...?"
"Go busy yourself. Some things shouldn't be forced!" Mu En finally opened his eyes, a hint of disappointment in them, and said to Yan Shaozhe.
"..." Yan Shaozhe, startled by Mu En's reaction, knew that Mu En was angry, and could only helplessly withdraw from the Sea God Pavilion.
After leaving the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe felt depressed. With Junior Brother's talent for Ultimate Light and Ultimate Ice, once combined with Xiaotao, it would not only solve Xiaotao's Spirit deficiency but might even allow Xiaotao to transform into an Ultimate Fire Spirit! By then, Shrek Academy would possess two Titled Douluo with ultimate attributes. Who could possibly stand against Shrek Academy then?
Why didn't Teacher agree? Yan Shaozhe was puzzled.
Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En looked at Zhu Ziyang and said, "Release your hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and let me see it."
"Alright." Zhu Ziyang unhesitatingly released his Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit. His right arm instantly transformed into a thick, powerful dragon claw, with a crimson spirit ring floating above it, its golden patterns signifying its terrifying power in life.
"...Alright, put it away," Mu En said after a careful examination.
Zhu Ziyang heard him and put away his Spirit and spirit ring.
"Tell me about the origin of your spirit ring, Teacher," Mu En said, looking at Zhu Ziyang with curiosity on his aged face.
"It's like this..." Zhu Ziyang told Mu En about the Silver Dragon Wolf, specifically emphasizing the oath.
"Truly blessed by fortune! A Silver Auspicious Beast, sacrifice..." Mu En, after hearing the whole story, had an old face filled with shock and excitement. His gaze towards Zhu Ziyang was even more filled with affection. He said, "Ziyang, you truly surprise this old man! Don't worry, you don't need to mind that oath. It's just a mere hundred-thousand-year Ice Demon Snow Soul King! When you can bear a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, I, your Teacher, will personally deal with it for you!"
"Yes, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang nodded in response, feeling a surge of pride. It truly was good to have a powerful backer!