The teacher felt his throat tighten at Wang Dong's blunt interrogation, and his face quickly shifted into a sour, unpleasant expression. He had served as an instructor at Shrek Academy for many years, and in all that time, every student he encountered had been nothing but polite and deeply respectful toward him. Even those gifted geniuses, the favorites of the heavens who possessed incredible talent, knew they had to address him properly as Teacher whenever they saw him. Yet this fair-skinned boy standing before him actually had the nerve to question his authority so directly. The boy clearly did not understand the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. He stared at the stubborn youth, a flicker of genuine irritation growing in the depths of his eyes. He was just about to open his mouth to deliver a harsh reprimand when the other teacher beside him reached out and lightly stopped him.
This Teacher Li patted his partner's arm, silently signaling for him to remain calm, while he took a step forward with a bright, beaming smile on his face. This student, please do not be so anxious, he said in a gentle voice. You must understand that this matter involves secrets of the Inner Court that cannot be shared with outsiders. However, the academy admits this situation was indeed our mistake, so we will provide a solution. With a quick flick of his wrist, four emerald green medicinal pills flew out from his sleeve, shooting through the air toward each of the four students. The academy will provide you with some compensation for your trouble.
Huo Yuhao instinctively reached out to catch the pill and looked down to examine it. The medicinal pill was a vibrant emerald green all over, releasing a faint, refreshing herbal scent, and he could see several fine lines etched into its surface. It was a soul ascension pill. He recognized the item immediately; it was quite beneficial for spirit power cultivation and was considered a relatively precious medicinal pill. Wang Dong glanced at the pill in his own hand, curled his lip in a sneer, and let out a cold snort. You think you can just buy us off with a single soul ascension pill? Originally, he had been filled with curiosity and a sense of longing for the prestige of Shrek Academy. But now? After actually entering the gates, his experiences over these past few days were nothing but a massive disappointment. First, he had to deal with that old hag of a teacher, Zhou Yi, and now he was faced with these two arrogant instructors. In their eyes, what did the students even matter? The more Wang Dong thought about it, the angrier he became. His small face was pulled tight with rage, and his eyes looked as though they were ready to spit fire.
Seeing that Wang Dong was being so difficult and ungrateful, the smile on Teacher Li's face began to fade away. His tone became heavy and stern. Giving you a soul ascension pill is already a very decent form of compensation. At such a young age, you really shouldn't push your luck. You! Hearing those words, Wang Dong's delicate fists clenched tightly, and his beautiful face flushed a bright, angry red. She opened her mouth to argue back with more fury, but Huo Yuhao stepped in and stopped her.
Huo Yuhao took a step forward, shielding Wang Dong behind his back. He raised his head and looked calmly at the two teachers, speaking in a flat, indifferent voice. Teachers, perhaps you should check on this Inner Court senior sister first. Hearing Huo Yuhao's peaceful tone, the two teachers managed to suppress the anger in their hearts and turned their focus back to the frozen Ma Xiaotao. Because the evil fire had been suppressed moments ago, they hadn't paid much attention to her, focusing instead on handling Huo Yuhao and the others. After all, if they didn't properly deal with these four witnesses, the fallout from their dereliction of duty would be severe. As for Ma Xiaotao, they assumed that since the fire was down, nothing else could go wrong. But after being reminded by Huo Yuhao, they suddenly realized something was very wrong. Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix evil fire was close to the level of Ultimate Fire; how could it be so easily turned into solid ice? Their expressions changed instantly as they hurried to crouch down and began to seriously investigate Ma Xiaotao's physical condition.
The results of their investigation were terrifying. The faces of the two teachers turned deathly pale in an instant. This wasn't a case of the evil fire being controlled; this was a life-threatening crisis! They discovered that the ice surrounding Ma Xiaotao was unimaginably cold. Even more frightening was the fact that this chill wasn't just sealing her from the outside. It was surging out from deep within her own body. Right now, it wasn't just her skin that was frozen. Her internal organs, her blood, and her meridians were all being permeated and turned to ice by that relentless chill. The only thing keeping her alive and preventing her breath from stopping entirely was the Phoenix evil fire remaining in her core. Although that flame was violent and hard to manage, at this moment, it was her final lifeline. It burned with everything it had, fighting against the chill that threatened her heart and meridians. But the cold was simply too powerful. Even though the evil fire was still resisting, it was being forced back step by step and was on the verge of being extinguished. The moment that fire went out, Ma Xiaotao would surely end up in the Yellow Springs.
The hands of the two teachers began to shake uncontrollably. Who exactly was Ma Xiaotao? She was the personal disciple of Shao Zhe, the Dean of the Spirit Hall Department! She was the precious pearl that Shao Zhe cherished more than anything else! She was one of the most brilliant geniuses in the history of Shrek Academy! If she died here, the consequences were unthinkable. They knew Shao Zhe very well. Usually, he appeared serious and fair, but his temper was incredibly short and he was known for being vindictive. If anyone offended him, he would hold a grudge for a lifetime. If Ma Xiaotao died on their watch, Shao Zhe would never let them live it down.
Teacher Li's spirit was the Tree of Life, and he was known as one of the top healing spirit masters in the Inner Court. At this moment, he couldn't think about his pride or the students. Ma Xiaotao's aura was fading fast; any further delay meant her certain death. He took a deep breath, and the spirit power around him began to surge with frantic energy. Seventh Spirit Ability, Spirit True Body! An enormous emerald green ancient tree materialized out of thin air, standing tall and majestic on the banks of Sea God Lake. The tree had thick branches and lush leaves, with a trunk so wide it would take many people to reach around it, and every single leaf glowed with a soft green light. A dense wave of life energy immediately filled the air like a spring breeze, covering everything in the area. The sisters Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu, who were still shaking with fear, felt their minds relax the moment they were touched by this power. Their trembling bodies finally calmed down as the terror in their eyes began to fade away.
However, Ma Xiaotao's problem wasn't a normal injury. Her entire body was being consumed by the extreme cold of Ultimate Ice. Although the Tree of Life was a legendary healing spirit, it simply did not have the power to resolve a symptom caused by such a high-level element. All Teacher Li could do was use his power to temporarily prolong her life. The other teacher was pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot griddle, completely unable to help. He could only watch as Ma Xiaotao's aura flickered like a candle in the wind, watching the precious minutes slip away.
Suddenly, he stopped moving. His gaze shifted and fell directly upon Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Only a few people had been here when the incident happened. Those two blue-haired girls were clearly just victims who had been terrified from the start. That meant the ice attribute spirit master who had frozen Ma Xiaotao had to be one of these two boys. At this moment, the arrogant attitude he usually held as a teacher completely vanished. He walked over to Huo Yuhao and bent down so that he was at eye level with the youth. He forced a stiff, awkward smile onto his face. That smile was forced and even contained a hint of a fawning, desperate tone. He tried his best to make himself sound gentle and sincere, as if he were begging for a favor. This student, was that spirit ability earlier released by you?
Huo Yuhao nodded his head, his face as calm as a still pond. It was my spirit ability. He didn't try to deny it, nor did he offer any further explanation. His move earlier had been intended to stop the rampaging girl, not to kill her. The teacher's eyes lit up with hope, as if he had finally found a way to save himself. He leaned in even closer, his voice filled with urgency. Then, student, can you please dissolve the ice seal on her? As he spoke, he pointed toward the frozen figure nearby, his eyes full of desperate expectation and a clear sense of pleading.
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