Under this intense emotional impact, the evil fire she had just barely suppressed instantly spiraled out of control.
"Ah—!"
Ma Xiaotao let out a sharp shriek; her long fiery-red hair moved without wind, standing on end.
Dark red flames erupted from her body like a volcanic eruption.
Her eyes turned crimson in an instant, filled with an aura of violence and destruction.
"Not good."
Yan Shaozhe's expression changed. He hadn't expected this news to be such a stimulus to Ma Xiaotao, directly causing the evil fire to go berserk.
He immediately stepped forward, arriving in front of Ma Xiaotao in an instant. With his right hand's fingers held like a sword, golden Bright Phoenix Soul Power flashed brilliantly, accurately pressing against Ma Xiaotao's brow.
"Clear your heart, focus your mind."
Yan Shaozhe let out a low shout. His majestic and pure Bright Phoenix Soul Power, like a clear spring, was forcibly poured into Ma Xiaotao's spiritual sea to help her suppress those violent evil thoughts.
However, this outbreak of evil fire was incredibly fierce.
The flames on Ma Xiaotao's body did not extinguish; instead, they burned even more vigorously, even beginning to shift toward an ominous dark black.
"Xiaotao."
Yan Shaozhe's heart tightened as he increased the output of his Soul Power.
With his golden Soul Power pouring in as if it cost nothing, a trace of clarity gradually appeared in Ma Xiaotao's violent red eyes.
With the help of Yan Shaozhe's Bright Phoenix Soul Power and her own willpower, Ma Xiaotao forcibly reclaimed a sliver of consciousness from the backlash of the evil fire.
"Get... back."
She bit the tip of her tongue, the intense pain jolting her Martial Soul. She frantically circulated her Soul Power, coordinating with Yan Shaozhe's strength to push the rampaging evil fire back into her body bit by bit.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
After a full fifteen minutes, the violent flames in the room finally slowly extinguished.
Ma Xiaotao's body went limp, and she fell directly backward.
Yan Shaozhe was quick-eyed and agile, catching her and helping her sit down in a chair in the room.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao's face was as pale as paper, and she had no strength left in her body; even moving a finger felt difficult.
But her eyes were brighter than ever before, staring fixedly at Yan Shaozhe, filled with urgency and longing.
"Teacher... is it true? You... you didn't lie to me?"
Looking at his Disciple in this state, Yan Shaozhe felt both heartache and amusement.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
He said crossly.
"Would I dare to joke about something like this?"
Having received a positive answer, Ma Xiaotao's eyes instantly reddened, and two lines of hot tears slid down uncontrollably.
These were not tears of pain, but tears of joy.
She cried like a child, venting all the grievances, pain, and resentment she had felt over the years.
Yan Shaozhe did not disturb her, just standing quietly to the side, waiting for her emotions to calm down.
After a long time, Ma Xiaotao finally stopped crying.
She wiped away her tears and looked up; the fragility in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a burning, frantic urgency.
"Where is he? Teacher, where is he?!"
Ma Xiaotao asked urgently.
Yan Shaozhe smiled and patted her hand, soothing her excited emotions.
"Don't worry, don't worry. He's far away at the edge of the sky, yet right before your eyes."
"He is right here in our Shrek Academy, and... you even know him."
"I know him?"
Ma Xiaotao was stunned upon hearing this, and then a look of deep frustration appeared on her face.
'Among the people I know, there's an Ultimate Ice Soul Master?'
Her brain worked rapidly, going through everyone she knew, especially those ice-attribute Soul Masters.
Ling Luochen from the Inner Court? She has the ice element, but she is definitely not Ultimate Ice.
Who else?
'How could I not know at all?'
Seeing her deep in thought but unable to find the answer, Yan Shaozhe stopped keeping her in suspense and announced the answer directly.
"His name is Caelus."
"He is that Outer Court Core Disciple who went on the mission with you to the Extreme North Land before."
"Caelus?"
This name caused Ma Xiaotao's brow to furrow instantly.
She naturally remembered that silver-haired youth with heterochromatic eyes.
During the mission, the calmness, wisdom, and strength far beyond his peers that the youth displayed had left a deep impression on her.
But... "It's him?"
Ma Xiaotao's face was written with suspicion.
"That's impossible, Teacher. I saw that kid's Martial Soul with my own eyes; it's a very strange time-attribute Martial Soul. It's not ice-attribute at all, let alone Ultimate Ice."
Ma Xiaotao clearly remembered that Caelus's ability was of the time attribute.
It absolutely had nothing to do with ice.
Could Teacher have made a mistake?
Just as she was filled with doubt, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
"Could it be... twin spirits?!"
She suddenly looked up, staring at Yan Shaozhe in shock.
Only this explanation could make sense.
"Hahaha, as expected of my Disciple, you understand immediately."
Yan Shaozhe laughed appreciatively, his eyes full of pride.
"That's right, it's twin spirits."
"That child's Second Martial Soul is an Ice Jade Scorpion, which is the purest Ultimate Ice attribute."
Because of Elder Mu's gag order, he couldn't reveal a single word to Ma Xiaotao about the shocking details regarding the Ice Empress or the four-hundred thousand year spirit ring.
However, there was no need to hide the fact of the Second Martial Soul and Ultimate Ice.
After all, it was impossible for Caelus to never use his Second Martial Soul.
As soon as he used it, the secret of the twin spirits and Ultimate Ice would naturally become known to outsiders.
What the Academy truly needed to hide was the origin of this Martial Soul, the existence of the Ice Empress, and that heaven-sent Opportunity shocking enough to incite the greed of a Titled Douluo.
"Ice Jade Scorpion... Ultimate Ice..."
Ma Xiaotao murmured to herself, the light of wild joy blooming once again in her fiery-red eyes, brighter than ever before.
"I'm going to find him right now."
She suddenly stood up, but because the movement was too abrupt, her body swayed and she was caught by Yan Shaozhe again.
"Teacher, take me to find him quickly, go now."
She couldn't wait even one more second.
Seeing her in such a frantic state, Yan Shaozhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He reached out, stopping Ma Xiaotao, and pointed to the pitch-black night outside the window.
"My silly Disciple, look what time it is?"
"It's the middle of the night; he's long since asleep in the boys' dormitory. Do you, a girl, intend to break into the Outer Court boys' dormitory at night?"
Hearing Yan Shaozhe's words, Ma Xiaotao's impulsive rush finally cooled down a bit.
She finally realized that she was indeed too excited.
She took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.
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