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Ma Xiaotao felt exceptionally comfortable at this moment. Previously, her body would inexplicably feel hot from morning to night, leaving her mind foggy and disoriented. To avoid worrying others, she always forced herself to stay composed.
But in recent years, Ma Xiaotao found it increasingly difficult to keep up the act.
Though both shared the Ultimate Fire, the power displayed naturally varied with cultivation levels. Now, as a Soul Emperor, Ma Xiaotao could no longer suppress the demonic flames intertwined with her Ultimate Fire. Every time she cultivated, she felt herself inching closer to death.
Yet, having worked so hard to reach this level at her age, how could she possibly give up?
Over the years, Ma Xiaotao had relied on Ling Luochen's ice martial soul to suppress the demonic flames within her, gritting her teeth and pushing forward step by step in her cultivation.
But recently, the suppression had become nearly impossible. Her master, Yan Shaozhe, had explicitly forbidden her from cultivating further, warning that she would explode if she continued.
Yet, Ma Xiaotao was so reluctant to give up…
In the end, she struck a deal with Yan Shaozhe: after the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, she would marry someone and stop cultivating altogether.
But… it was so hard to accept…
After suffering that devastating loss against the evil soul masters, Ma Xiaotao's heart had turned to ashes.
This was supposed to be her last chance to shine…
Until she met that man.
After what felt like an eternity, Ma Xiaotao felt none of the previous discomfort in her body. Slowly, she opened her pink-tinged crimson eyes.
"Congratulations, you're now a handsome boy."
A teasing voice sounded in Ma Xiaotao's ear. Startled, she quickly looked down.
Hmm, nothing below.
Instantly, Ma Xiaotao grew furious. What kind of person would make such a cruel joke!
But upon seeing Ye Wen's smiling face and Xuan Zi's deeply concerned expression, Ma Xiaotao suddenly remembered what had happened.
"Xiaotao, how are you feeling? Can you still sense the demonic flames?" Xuan Zi asked anxiously.
Ma Xiaotao paused for a moment, then closed her eyes to carefully examine her condition.
The demonic flames that had once tormented her mind were gone, replaced by pure, refined flames coursing through her limbs and bones.
What she had thought was a hopeless future now seemed reborn. Even someone as tomboyish as Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but shed tears of joy.
"They're gone, completely gone, Elder Xuan!"
Ma Xiaotao cried out in happiness.
Xuan Zi was equally overjoyed, but more importantly, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.
Shrek's hope had been reignited—and it was the hope of an Ultimate martial soul.
All soul masters in this era knew that once an Ultimate martial soul reached its full potential, it was practically invincible at the same cultivation level.
Though Xuan Zi's Taotie Divine Ox was powerful, it still fell short of being an Ultimate martial soul.
At this moment, Xuan Zi resolved to enter seclusion immediately after the tournament ended. He wouldn't emerge until he broke through to the 99th rank—otherwise, Shrek's future would truly be doomed.
Throughout this treatment, Ye Wen had used soul power to simulate Ultimate Ice.
After all, if he had used immortal herbs, Tang San, who was closely tied to Shrek, would have surely discovered it later, exposing Ye Wen's involvement.
As for the original timeline where Ma Xiaotao needed to consume Infernal Delicate Apricot Essence to enhance her martial soul, Ye Wen saw it as a remedial measure necessitated by Huo Yuhao's insufficient mastery of Ultimate Ice, which had inadvertently damaged Ma Xiaotao's martial soul potential during treatment.
A senior god didn't need such measures.
Now, Ye Wen had thoroughly eliminated all lingering issues for Shrek's group, and the atmosphere finally brightened.
Ma Xiaotao laughed and joked with her companions for a while, but eventually, her face flushed as she slowly approached Ye Wen.
Ye Wen knew he was charming, but Ma Xiaotao's "wild girlfriend" personality wasn't his type. Besides, he was old enough to be her ancestor—he dared not entertain any inappropriate thoughts.
"What is it, Ma Xiaotao?" Ye Wen asked nonchalantly, swallowing a bite of grilled meat.
Ma Xiaotao was a girl who had never been in love. Grateful for the life-saving favor Ye Wen had done her, she developed feelings for him but didn't know what to say.
Xuan Zi merely glanced at them before returning to his feast. In his view, Ye Wen was too old to develop romantic feelings for a young girl.
Moreover, after their earlier exchange, Xuan Zi was confident that Ye Wen understood what an Ultimate martial soul meant to Shrek. If Ye Wen didn't want to antagonize Shrek, he wouldn't do anything out of line.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao, who had mustered the courage to approach, found herself trapped in an awkward dilemma. Her love-struck brain began working overtime.
Suddenly, inspiration struck, and she asked:
"Lord Tian Xin, will your academy also participate in the Soul Master Tournament?"
But the moment the words left her mouth, Ma Xiaotao regretted them. Hadn't she just widened the gap between their statuses? With such an imbalance, how could she continue the conversation?
Without hesitation, Ye Wen replied:
"Yes, we'll participate. My five disciples will be the main players, and you might even recognize some of them."
Ma Xiaotao was shocked. She hadn't expected that Ye Wen's newly established academy would dare to compete on the highest stage for young soul masters across the continent less than a year after its founding. Thinking about Ye Wen's overwhelming strength, a sense of urgency welled up within her.
Instinctively, she asked, "Lord, you're truly remarkable to already have five disciples. I assume they're all very strong?"
Ye Wen, having eaten too much grilled meat, took a sip of water to settle his stomach and casually replied:
"Not bad. The strongest among them is only at the Soul Ancestor level, but I'm confident in their abilities. If you encounter them, you'd better be careful."
Hearing that the strongest was only a Soul Ancestor, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but feel a flicker of disdain. Ultimate Fire at the Soul Emperor level, anyone?
Still, she was curious about why Ye Wen mentioned she might know some of his disciples and asked:
"Why did you say there might be someone I know among your disciples? Can you tell me?"
Unconsciously, Ma Xiaotao moved closer to where Ye Wen was sitting. Looking at his mature and refined face, her eyes involuntarily filled with admiration.
Ye Wen thought for a moment and decided not to hide the truth. After all, based on his plans, their paths would inevitably cross in battle.
But if it were a one-sided crushing victory, it would be rather dull.
"Among my disciples, the younger ones you definitely won't know. But there are two older ones: one named Jiang Nannan, the other Tang Ya. They should be well-known figures in Shrek Academy. Have you heard of them?"
Ma Xiaotao thought for a moment and indeed recognized Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya—one was the beauty icon of the outer court, and the other was infamous as a fallen aristocrat.
While Ma Xiaotao remained calm, two others were utterly shocked and quickly rushed over.
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