After receiving a signal from Qian Daoliu, Ye Xi silently took a step back. Her martial soul, Slaughter Angel, emerged behind her, and a yellow soul ring flickered beneath her feet.
Seeing her martial soul appear, Ma Hongjun seemed to perk up with interest. In his mind, he recalled the words of his academy headmaster, Flender:
"Anyone afraid of trouble is nothing but a mediocrity."
With that thought, Ma Hongjun summoned his own martial soul — Evil Fire Phoenix. A yellow soul ring appeared beneath his feet as he struck a ready stance.
"Ma Hongjun. Martial Soul: Evil Fire Phoenix. Soul Power: Rank 13 Battle Soul Master," he introduced with a grin.
"Ye Xi. Martial Soul: Slaughter Angel. Rank 15 Battle Soul Master," Ye Xi responded calmly.
Though it was an unwritten rule in the soul master world to introduce oneself before a duel, Ye Xi wasn't particularly fond of such formalities.
"Fifteen?"
Ma Hongjun's eyes flickered with surprise at the mention of her level.
Before he could respond further, Ye Xi made her move.
Her soul ring lit up as she activated her first soul skill — Blood Soul's Blessing. A crimson glow enveloped her body, enhancing her physical attributes. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Ma Hongjun.
A pale, delicate fist struck him squarely in the chest, launching him backward through the air.
With her enhanced speed and power, Ye Xi vanished again and reappeared behind the airborne Ma Hongjun. Raising one leg, she slammed it down forcefully on him as he fell, smashing him heavily into the ground.
Just as she was about to strike again, a voice called out from behind:
"Wait, wait! Let's not escalate this!"
The voice belonged to a man approaching from behind. He looked to be around fifty, with a sturdy build and slightly cunning features.
He first gave Ye Xi a once-over, noting her exquisite attire, then casually glanced at the luxurious carriage nearby. A flicker of contemplation passed through his eyes, followed by a friendly smile.
"Young lady, I'm Flender. He's one of my students," the man said politely.
"I apologize on his behalf for his offense earlier. You've already taught him a lesson — let's just leave it at that, shall we?"
He gave a slight bow to express his sincerity.
"Headmaster…"
Ma Hongjun began to protest, but Flender silenced him with a look.
At that moment, Qian Daoliu's calm voice rang out from the carriage:
"Xiao Xi, come back."
Ye Xi withdrew her martial soul and turned to walk calmly back toward the carriage.
As she did, Flender crouched to check Ma Hongjun's condition. Seeing that the injuries were only superficial, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Headmaster, didn't you say that in Shrek Academy, avoiding trouble is cowardice? Why did you back down just now?"
Ma Hongjun grumbled, wincing as he stood up and rubbed his bruises.
"Did you not notice her outfit?" Flender flicked his forehead lightly.
"That palace-style gown was tailored with gold and silver thread. Does that look like something a commoner would wear?"
He continued in a low voice, "She's clearly from a powerful noble clan — and judging by her manner, probably an important one. You think someone like that doesn't have a strong backing?"
He gestured toward the carriage.
"Her backer is sitting right there. If I'd stepped in, that would've been a grown man bullying a child — and do you think someone like that man would just sit there and watch?"
As he watched the departing carriage, Flender's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"…So I just got beat for nothing?"
Ma Hongjun looked at him, exasperated.
"What else did you expect?" Flender shrugged.
"You don't want to make enemies out of people you don't understand. Besides, it's just a few bruises. Better that than needing a healing-type soul master on my dime."
He gave Ma Hongjun a pat and signaled him to return to the academy.
With one last look at the receding carriage, Ma Hongjun reluctantly followed.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage—
Qian Daoliu gently stroked Ye Xi's silver hair, smiling with satisfaction.
"Xiao Xi, your performance in that fight was excellent. You acted decisively, without hesitation. That's rare among your peers."
Although her combat still showed some inexperience, considering she had only recently awakened her martial soul, her execution was already impressive.
As for Flender, Qian Daoliu didn't pay him any mind. With his strength as a Rank 99 Limit Douluo, Flender wouldn't last a second against him.
Hearing her grandfather's praise, Ye Xi smiled faintly and quietly listened.
Before long, the carriage arrived at a hotel. Qian Daoliu and Ye Xi got out and entered the building.
After booking two luxury rooms, Qian Daoliu led Ye Xi upstairs.
"Xiao Xi, get some good rest tonight. We'll return to Spirit Hall tomorrow."
"Got it, Grandpa," Ye Xi replied, entering her room, while Qian Daoliu went next door.
Once inside, Ye Xi took a quick look around, then headed straight for the bathroom.
She filled the bathtub and sank into the warm water, letting out a soft sigh as she relaxed. Her fingers gently tapped the edge of the tub as she fell into thought.
"Even though I awakened an excellent martial soul, I still need to collect the immortal herbs. The timing's just been pushed back a little."
"For now, my focus should be on learning and refining combat skills. I've already memorized the Herb Compendium — as long as I gather the herbs before Tang San does, it'll be fine."
Murmuring to herself, Ye Xi closed her sapphire-blue eyes and sank deeper into the soothing bath.
After a long soak, she got out, dried her hair with a towel, and changed into the white gown she'd recently bought.
Checking the time, she did some mental calculations and decided to meditate for four hours and sleep for three.
That way, she could use her time efficiently — the meditation would relieve fatigue, and the sleep would restore her to peak condition.
With that, Ye Xi sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of focused cultivation.
She could clearly feel her soul power slowly but steadily increasing.
Four hours passed in the blink of an eye. Once she began to feel tir
ed, she withdrew from her meditative state and lay down on the bed, quickly falling into a deep, restful sleep.
(End of chapter)
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