Under Electrolux's research, the original Spirit Soul technology had already received some "minor improvements."
After the Fusion with the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Spirit Soul, Huo Yuhao possessed two 400,000-year spirit rings and one 400,000-year Spirit Bone.
Altogether, these provided him with six powerful 400,000-year ice-attribute Spirit abilities.
Huo Yuhao's first spirit ring of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion carried two Spirit abilities: Ice Empress Protection and Ice Vein Piercing Kill.
Ice Empress Protection is a defensive Spirit Ability.
Ice Vein Piercing Kill is an offensive Spirit Ability.
Thus, that single finger strike from before was no random move.
It was the first Spirit Ability of his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Spirit, Ice Vein Piercing Kill.
The effect of this Spirit Ability allows it to ignore physical defense; that streak of extreme cold will directly pierce through all external defenses and begin freezing and embrittling from within the body, specifically countering defensive Spirit abilities and Spirit Masters.
As long as it hits, everything from the internal organs to the flesh, from the Meridians to the skeleton, will eventually be reduced to powder under the terrifyingly low temperature of the Ultimate Ice.
Once hit by this move, it is almost impossible to resolve. Unless one can predict it in advance and dodge the attack. After all, Ice Vein Piercing Kill is a linear attack that goes straight back and forth, leaving little room for maneuver.
Huo Yuhao blinked at this moment, looking at the pleading teacher before him without giving a direct answer.
His gaze first fell upon Wang Dong, who was still pouting beside him, and then looked at the pair of twins not far away.
Retracting his gaze, he finally spoke slowly: "I can undo the ice seal."
"However, I hope the teacher can provide a more appropriate resolution to this matter."
Huo Yuhao's tone was calm as he looked toward the twin sisters.
"Those two classmates nearly lost their lives just now. Merely two Soul Ascension Pills as compensation is far from enough."
The teacher nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, as if afraid Huo Yuhao would change his mind.
"Of course, of course!"
His tone was quick and urgent: "As long as the ice seal is undone, everything is negotiable! Regarding the compensation, I will definitely make sure you are satisfied!"
How could he dare say anything like "pushing your luck" at a time like this?
Huo Yuhao nodded, not worried about the teacher going back on his word.
Sea God Pavilion Master Elder Mu had personally said that if he had any problems or suggestions, he could always go to the Dean of the Spirit Hall Department, Yan Shaozhe, to report them.
Huo Yuhao said no more. He walked a few steps to the ice-sealed Ma Xiaotao, crouched down, and lightly pressed his right hand against the layer of frost covering her.
That Extreme Ice was enough to make anyone nearby shiver to the bone, yet to Huo Yuhao, it was no different from anything else.
The ice began to melt.
Starting from where Huo Yuhao's palm touched, the translucent ice shell receded bit by bit, like winter snow being brushed by a spring breeze.
Ma Xiaotao's face gradually regained a hint of color from its previous deathly pallor.
Nearby, Teacher Li, who was desperately channeling his Tree of Life Spirit, immediately sensed the change in Ma Xiaotao's vitality.
The heart pulse he had been struggling to maintain with life energy, though still weak, was no longer filled with Death Qi.
The other teacher also let out a heavy sigh of relief, reaching out to wipe the dense beads of cold sweat from his forehead.
However, just as the two of them had finally relaxed...a voice came from behind, causing their bodies to freeze simultaneously.
"Just what exactly is going on here?"
The voice wasn't loud, but to the two teachers, it sounded like a bolt from the blue, making their scalps tingle and their backs instantly soak with cold sweat.
They were far too familiar with this voice.
So familiar that even before turning to see a shadow, they already knew the newcomer was none other than Yan Shaozhe!
At this time of day, there were indeed few people by the shore of Sea God Lake.
But the Tree of Life Spirit Avatar that Teacher Li had just manifested was over ten meters tall, its emerald-green light exceptionally prominent in the twilight; how could it not attract attention?
As soon as that light flared up, curious bystanders began to gather.
Yan Shaozhe was narrow-minded, calculating, and possessed a strong desire for power.
Because of this, his control over the academy was naturally not weak.
Thus, the anomaly by the Sea God Lake shore quickly reached his ears, prompting him to come and investigate.
The two teachers turned their heads stiffly and saw Yan Shaozhe standing not far away, his gaze passing over them to land on the figure with the weak aura on the ground.
On that face that usually carried a hint of refinement, his expression was now so dark it could drip water.
His precious Disciple was currently lying on the ground, her fate unknown.
"Yan Shaozhe!"
After a brief moment of panic, Teacher Li spoke up hurriedly, his voice tinged with urgency.
"Xiaotao's Evil Fire suddenly erupted. We exhausted all our strength and only just managed to get it under control."
"Though her aura is weak now, please do not worry, Yan Shaozhe; her life is in no danger!"
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he couldn't use lies to cover up his negligence.
But he could use words to euphemistically frame it, at least first establishing that Ma Xiaotao was fine.
Sure enough, hearing that his Disciple was safe, the coldness in the depths of Yan Shaozhe's eyes dissipated slightly.
But his expression remained stern as he frowned and asked, "Why is Xiaotao here? Shouldn't she be in the Inner Court?"
The other teacher beside Teacher Li stood forward at this moment, bracing himself.
He swallowed hard and mustered the courage to speak: "Yan Shaozhe, this was our negligence. We didn't discover that Xiaotao had run out in time... but fortunately, nothing has been caused..."
Halfway through, his voice suddenly caught because he saw the look Wang Dong was giving him.
He didn't doubt for a second that if he continued like this, Wang Dong would immediately speak up in indignation.
So, the phrase "nothing major has been caused" that was on the tip of his tongue was forced back down.
*Cough, cough!*
He coughed twice and continued, bracing himself: "Just now, two students from the Outer Court were almost... by Xiaotao..."
He spoke haltingly, but he eventually recounted everything that had just happened in full detail.
Yan Shaozhe listened quietly, the expression on his face not changing in the slightest.
But his eyes grew colder and colder.
He gave the two teachers in front of him a cold sidelong glance, cursing them as useless in his heart.
If not for their negligence, how could there be all this trouble?
He had a belly full of fire he wanted to vent and a belly full of curses he wanted to shout.
But more and more students were gathering around. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he had to maintain his image as a refined, easy-going, just, and strict Yan Shaozhe.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said tonelessly, "The matter regarding the two of you will be discussed later, but... punishment is unavoidable."
These words weren't spoken heavily, yet they made both teachers shiver at the same time.
Yan Shaozhe ignored them and turned around, his gaze falling on the two blue-haired girls not far away.
Yan Shaozhe looked at them, his tone softening slightly: "This matter was the academy's mistake."
"In addition to the Soul Ascension Pills given to you earlier, regardless of whether you remain enrolled in the academy in the future, whenever you have a need for a spirit ring, the academy will dispatch teachers to obtain them for you."
"Xiaotao is my Disciple; as her teacher, I also bear responsibility for the trouble she has caused."
He looked at the two blue-haired girls and said word by word, "I will personally compensate you with two Spirit Bones. Although their age won't be very high, it is a token of my sincerity."
"I wonder if you are satisfied with this?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
A Spirit Bone.
That was a Spirit Bone!
A Spirit Bone that many Spirit Masters would never even see once in their entire lives!
A Spirit Bone that many experts would struggle with all their might but still fail to obtain!
Now, Yan Shaozhe was actually going to bring them out to compensate these two academy freshmen?
Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu looked at each other, both seeing disbelief in the other's eyes.
They opened their mouths but didn't know what to say, seemingly not having reacted yet.
The surrounding students, however, had already begun to whisper among themselves, shocked by Yan Shaozhe's grand gesture, and some even marveled at the "good luck" of the two sisters, Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu!
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.