Ma Xiaotao looked at Jiang Qingtong and asked, "Since you have the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, you must also be affected by the evil fire, right?"
Jiang Qingtong glanced at Ma Xiaotao, then at Yan Shaozhe. After a moment of deliberation, she pretended to think deeply and replied, "I have… but I usually try to avoid using that martial soul, so the effects have been minimal."
Yan Shaozhe's expression turned knowingly satisfied. "Qingtong, that's exactly what I came here today to discuss."
"Hm?" Jiang Qingtong blinked. So Yan Shaozhe was here for the matter of the evil fire?
What's he plotting?
As she pondered, Yan Shaozhe continued, "Although the Evil Fire Phoenix is an ultimate fire-attribute martial soul, the chaotic evil fire within it causes immense suffering to its wielders whenever it's used. Xiaotao and her ancestors have all experienced this."
Ma Xiaotao nodded in agreement. "For us Evil Fire Phoenix soul masters, the effects of the evil fire are terrifying."
Yan Shaozhe gave a slight nod, then said, "Even though you're a twin-souled cultivator and try to avoid using that martial soul to limit the harm, that's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause."
Jiang Qingtong, playing her role perfectly, asked, "Then… what would solve it at the root?"
"Extreme Ice," Yan Shaozhe replied solemnly.
When Jiang Qingtong reacted with well-feigned astonishment and longing, he was thrilled—though he kept a composed expression.
Of course, he didn't know that Jiang Qingtong had long since known how to suppress the evil fire.
He elaborated, "Only an ultimate ice-attribute martial soul—Extreme Ice—can counteract the influence of the evil fire. There's even a chance it could purify the chaotic energy completely, allowing the Evil Fire Phoenix to evolve into a true Ultimate Fire Phoenix!"
"Where could we find someone with an Extreme Ice martial soul?" Jiang Qingtong followed up, perfectly playing along.
Yan Shaozhe smiled. "The Academy will take care of that. We'll find someone with Extreme Ice to help you and Xiaotao suppress the evil fire. Trust the Academy. After all, across the entire Douluo Continent, we are the only ones qualified to cultivate such ultimate martial souls!"
Ma Xiaotao chimed in at just the right time. "That's right, the Academy and our teachers will find a way—don't worry, Qingtong!"
"But… I'm from the Sun Moon Empire. Would the Academy still help me remove the evil fire?" Jiang Qingtong suddenly asked, her tone tentative.
Yan Shaozhe answered firmly, "Of course! The Academy won't discriminate because of your origins. Trust us."
Jiang Qingtong looked at him, clenched her fists, and performed a respectful bow. "Thank you, Dean Yan!"
The smile on Yan Shaozhe's face grew even more radiant. In his view, this young girl—even if she was from the Sun Moon Empire—must've felt touched after all that. With time and nurturing, winning her over to Shrek Academy would be no problem.
"I'll leave the rest to you and Xiaotao," he said, patting Ma Xiaotao on the shoulder. "You both share the same martial soul, so you'll have plenty to talk about. I won't intrude."
The gesture was clear: he was trusting Ma Xiaotao to bond with Jiang Qingtong and help win her over.
Most young girls, after a constant bombardment of such sweetness and sincerity, would've melted long ago.
But Jiang Qingtong wasn't just anyone.
—
As the new students left for break, Jiang Qingtong prepared to return to the Sun Moon Empire. On the day of her departure, Yan Shaozhe, Cai Meier, and Ma Xiaotao personally came to see her off.
Ma Xiaotao offered, "Qingtong, how about I accompany you back to the Empire?"
Jiang Qingtong declined with a smile, "No need. It's quite a journey, and Senior Sister Xiaotao isn't suited to long-distance travel. I'll be fine on my own."
Ma Xiaotao didn't insist. Instead, she grinned and said, "Alright. I'll be waiting for you at the Academy! A new Dou Ling Empire snack shop just opened in the city. When you come back, let's go together!"
"Will you be treating me, then?" Jiang Qingtong asked with a playful blink.
Ma Xiaotao laughed. "Of course! I'll make sure you eat until you're round and happy!"
"Deal! I'll hold you to it!" Jiang Qingtong waved cheerfully, said her goodbyes, and set off on her journey back to the Sun Moon Empire.
As she walked away, Cai Meier murmured, "She'll come back… right?"
"Of course she will! She promised to try that snack shop with me!" Ma Xiaotao nodded emphatically.
Yan Shaozhe also nodded. "Believe in her. She'll come back."
—
While the three were still mulling over her future and wondering if they'd managed to win her over, Jiang Qingtong, on the other hand, felt liberated.
Just in case Mu En was still secretly observing her, she continued walking for days until she was far from Shrek City. Only then did she finally take out a soul tool to contact the local branch of the Spirit Hall.
Not long after, a Spirit Hall elder appeared before her.
"Spirit Hall—Codename: Gu Yuan—greetings, young miss!" The handsome Soul Sage bowed slightly and kept his voice low as he introduced himself.
"…Gu Yuan? You chose that name yourself?" Jiang Qingtong blinked, taken aback, and then asked.
Gu Yuan nodded and explained quietly, "Yes. Didn't the Hall Master give us a few surname options before? Things like Hun (Soul), Xiao, Gu, Yao, Nalan, etc.? We figured 'Hun' was a little too on-the-nose, so most of us chose something else. I picked Gu."
As he whispered like a conspirator, Jiang Qingtong sighed and said, "There's no one else here—you don't have to whisper. We're the good guys now, remember?"
Gu Yuan blinked, then scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, miss… Force of habit."
Seeing him like this, Jiang Qingtong paused for a long moment. Finally, she asked seriously, "You guys don't do the whole 'kekekeke' evil laugh thing, do you?"
Gu Yuan immediately shook his head. "Please rest assured, miss! That's something the Hall Master explicitly banned. No one dares go against that!"
"Good…" Jiang Qingtong nodded, clearly relieved.
Gu Yuan chuckled and added, "Oh, right—the Hall Master also gave us standing orders: if we encounter anyone with the surnames Ye, Lin, or Han, we're to pay special attention. Recently, in my area, we've found quite a few children with those surnames and helped them awaken their martial souls."
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