Chapter 125: Ma Xiaotao's Rampage
After leaving the soul tool experimentation zone, the midday sun cast its lazy warmth over the winding paths of Shrek Academy.
Xiao Xiao quickened her pace to walk alongside Furina and asked curiously, "Furina, where are we going next? Straight back to the classroom?"
Furina glanced up at the sky, then stole a look at the shimmering lake not far off. A relaxed smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "There's still some time before afternoon classes start. No point in just lounging around in the dorms. How about a stroll by Sea God's Lake? I've heard the fish there are exceptionally plump and tender. Grilled fresh, they'd surely be a delicacy beyond compare."
Her words carried a natural, enticing charm, as if she could already smell the tantalizing aroma of roasting fish.
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up and he immediately voiced his agreement: "Sister Furina's suggestion is excellent! I've been wondering how the fish in Shrek's Sea God's Lake might differ from the ones we used to catch in streams outside. Perhaps the meat is sweeter, more delicate? It would be a perfect chance to test my skills."
At the mention of cooking, a familiar focus and enthusiasm surfaced in his eyes.
Xiao Xiao, hearing this, couldn't help but clap her hands in delight: "Following you two really is a treat for the taste buds! I still dream about Yuhao's grilled fish—it's even more fragrant than what the academy chefs make!"
Wang Dong, walking beside them, nodded as well and, uncharacteristically, chimed in with agreement: "That, I'll admit. Huo Yuhao, with a skill like that, I wonder how many girls you'll charm in the future." His tone was slightly teasing, yet his gaze flicked toward Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, a shy but resolute smile on his face: "It's alright, I suppose... To be honest, more than that, I just want to get stronger, faster. Only when I'm strong enough can I protect the people I want to protect, and..."
He stopped mid-sentence. The latter half—repay Sister Furina's kindness—turned in his throat but ultimately did not leave his lips. In his heart, the priority of revenge had long since quietly slipped lower.
He understood that as long as his own strength was sufficient—enough to protect those who mattered and to repay Furina for recognizing his potential and offering her support—then revenge itself would simply be a matter of course.
"And what?" Wang Dong keenly caught his pause and pressed.
Huo Yuhao shook his head, concealing his thoughts. "Nothing."
Wang Dong pursed his lips, a bit displeased. "What's with that? Leaving your sentence half-finished."
Seeing this, Xiao Xiao laughed and smoothed things over: "Alright, alright. Everyone has a few little secrets in their heart. You can't just tell others everything, right?"
Wang Dong rolled his eyes at Xiao Xiao and grumbled, "Fine, fine. You're the smooth talker. Now you've made me look like some villain interrogating him."
Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao exchanged a smile and didn't pick up the thread, the atmosphere relaxed and congenial.
Xiao Xiao smoothly shifted the topic, her gaze turning toward the vast and mysterious body of water at the academy's center: "By the way, I heard the Inner Courtyard is on the island in the middle of Sea God's Lake. What level of cultivation do you think those senior brothers and sisters in the Inner Courtyard are at now? They must be really impressive, right?"
Wang Dong folded his arms and speculated, "Isn't it obvious? Anyone who can enter the Inner Courtyard is at least at the Soul Ancestor level. Many are probably already Soul Kings."
Huo Yuhao nodded, adding, "I agree with Wang Dong. Though... that does sound a little like stating the obvious. The Inner Courtyard's selection is strict, its numbers are few, and the students there have generally trained far longer than we have. That their strength is formidable is a given."
His analysis was objective, but inadvertently carried a tone of "that goes without saying."
Wang Dong's eyebrows shot up at this, and he said, somewhat peeved, "Huo Yuhao, are you deliberately trying to pick a fight with me today?"
Huo Yuhao hastily waved his hands, his face a picture of innocence as he explained, "No, no! I was just speaking objectively. I absolutely had no intention of crossing you! How about this—when we grill the fish, the very first one, the biggest and plumpest, I promise to give to you. Consider it my apology. Deal?"
At the promise of grilled fish, Wang Dong's expression cleared. He gave a light snort. "Fine. For the sake of grilled fish, this lord shall magnanimously forgive you."
Xiao Xiao laughed and shook her head, then turned to Furina, who had seemed to be keeping an eye on the direction of the lake: "Furina, what do you think? What level are the Inner Courtyard students roughly at?"
Furina withdrew her gaze from the center of the lake, adopting a look of recollection as she spoke based on the information she knew: "Extrapolating from general principles, the weakest among the currently enrolled Inner Courtyard students is likely already at the Soul King level. As for the top-tier ones, reaching the Soul Emperor stage shouldn't be an issue. But Soul Sage and above... unless they are on the verge of graduation or have stayed on to teach, they would be extremely rare among current students, if they exist at all."
Inwardly, her mind drifted to the tragic fates of the current generation of Shrek Seven Devils in the original story—only three survived, the rest either dead or crippled—and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Her suggestion to come to Sea God's Lake, aside from simply relaxing, carried another layer of intent. She remembered a key plot point: Ma Xiaotao, due to her evil fire issues, would suffer a cultivation deviation, lose control, and burst out from Sea God's Lake, nearly injuring Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. After the incident, the academy compensated them with Profound Water Pills and Soul Ascension Pills.
In Furina's view, that bit of compensation was utterly insignificant compared to the fright and potential mortal danger the victims had faced. She entertained the thought of "coincidentally" running into this event. If she could intervene, perhaps she could secure more substantial "compensation" for her side from a Shrek Academy caught in the wrong.
Even a mosquito leg was still meat—and this one, perhaps, could prove to be a rather nice drumstick.
Just as the group was chatting idly on their way toward the lake, Huo Yuhao's gaze suddenly sharpened. He pointed at a rapidly approaching crimson figure above the lake's surface ahead. "Look! What is that? It looks... like a person?!"
Wang Dong, intrigued, stood on tiptoe to peer ahead. "Where, where? Let me see... Whoa, really! It's moving so fast, and it's heading straight for us!"
Xiao Xiao squinted for a better look and confirmed, "No doubt about it. It's getting closer! And this aura... it's so violent!"
Huo Yuhao, whose perception was the keenest, felt his expression change drastically. "This is bad! The other party's soul power fluctuations are extremely chaotic, saturated with violent, murderous energy. It's likely a cultivation deviation! Everybody, be careful—get out of the way, now!"
Even as he urgently shouted his warning, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He urged his soul power, and the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul fused with his body. His first soul ring blazed to life, and in an instant, a crystalline, transparent layer of ice armor radiating a piercing, frigid aura covered his entire body—Ice Emperor's Protection, deployed.
Within his spiritual sea, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm exclaimed in alarm, "What scorching flames! This person's martial soul must be related to a phoenix—its quality is extremely high. The power of those flames is already very close to the level of ultimate fire!"
The Ice Emperor let out a cold snort and declared with pride, "Hmph. 'Close,' nothing more. As long as it hasn't reached the ultimate, it is nothing to fear before true ultimate ice. Yuhao, no need to retreat in panic. If she dares charge too close, directly activate my soul bone skill, Permafrost Domain, or unleash the Ice Emperor's Wrath. I guarantee it will cool this evil fire of hers down for good."
Seeing this, a flicker of "as expected" flashed through Furina's eyes. Right on cue—the plot hasn't deviated much. Aloud, however, her expression swiftly turned grave, and she called out clearly: "Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao—both of you, fall back behind Yuhao and me, quickly! These flames are no joke. Move fast if you don't want to end up as roast suckling pig!"
Before her words had even fully faded, she stepped forward, her voice ringing out clear and commanding: "Manifest, my companions—Lord Usher, Madame Hevmayer, Mademoiselle Chevaleyda!"
At her summons, three figures, each distinct in form yet all radiating dense waves of water-elemental energy, silently materialized into existence—the three members of her second martial soul, Salon Solitaire.
Simultaneously, a flash of radiance gleamed in her hand, and that magnificent, mysterious one-handed sword, Splendor of Still Waters, was already in her grasp. Along its blade, a deep azure luster flowed faintly.