Chapter 137: Old Man Yan, You Really Dare to Say That?

The day after their trip to the Treasure Pavilion—the third day of the new semester—Yan Shaozhe finally couldn't hold back any longer.

As time passed, the selection date for Shrek Academy's reserve team was rapidly approaching. By the time the reserve team was chosen, the main team's roster would also be finalized. Before that, Ma Xiaotao's spot as a competitor had to be secured.

He felt he could delay no longer.

Whether it was asking Lin Yun to use his Ice Jade Scorpion to suppress Ma Xiaotao's evil flames or using a spirit herb to permanently resolve the issue—allowing her to fully evolve into a true Fire Phoenix—both were urgent matters.

So on this day, Yan Shaozhe sought out Lin Yun, who was currently slacking off with Xiao Xiao on the training grounds.

"Xiao Xiao, could you give us a moment? I have some private matters to discuss with Lin Yun." Yan Shaozhe appeared before them, smiling gently at Xiao Xiao.

The petite girl froze, unsure of what to do, and instinctively turned to Lin Yun for guidance.

With Lin Yun by her side, Xiao Xiao completely abandoned independent thought, letting him take the lead in everything.

"Dean Yan, you can speak freely. Xiao Xiao and I are a couple—there's nothing you need to hide from her." Lin Yun didn't let go of Xiao Xiao's hand, his tone calm but firm.

Translation: Spit it out, old man. If you don't want to talk, then leave.

Xiao Xiao bit her lower lip lightly and leaned closer to Lin Yun, her heart fluttering uncontrollably.

Shrek's rules explicitly forbade romantic relationships among outer courtyard students. Normally, Lin Yun and Xiao Xiao kept their affection subtle around Mu Jin, who—along with Wang Yan—turned a blind eye, granting geniuses their privileges.

But for Lin Yun to openly admit their relationship in front of Yan Shaozhe… Did he truly not fear punishment?

Or… did he care so little about the rules when it came to her?

Xiao Xiao's mind raced, unconsciously deepening her own affection for him.

A girl's heart was always sensitive.

Meanwhile, Old Man Yan and Young Man Lin remained locked in a silent standoff.

"Very well. Since you insist, I'll get straight to the point." In the end, Yan Shaozhe yielded—after all, he was the one asking for a favor. The initiative wasn't in his hands.

He had no doubt that if he pressed the issue, Lin Yun might actually drag Xiao Xiao away without another word, completely ignoring him.

And Yan Shaozhe would have no recourse.

That terrifying Titled Douluo-level aura from before still haunted him.

"Dean Yan, please proceed." Lin Yun nodded calmly.

"Do you recall my disciple?" Yan Shaozhe asked.

With just that one sentence, Lin Yun already had a rough idea of what the old man was after.

In this world, Huo Yuhao hadn't obtained the Ice Empress as a martial soul. His second martial soul wasn't even Ultimate Ice—instead, it was the Titan Snow Demon, renowned for its physical prowess.

Lin Yun had previously discussed this with the Ice Empress.

Normally, awakening a martial soul would only refine a soul master's appearance toward perfection. The stronger the martial soul, the more aesthetically pleasing the soul master would become, aligning with human ideals of beauty.

The most famous example was the Angel martial soul.

Whether it was the Qian family from the Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago, the yet-to-appear Sacred Angel Ye Guyi and Healing Angel Wang Xian'er, or the future Sacred Angel Le Zheng family, Fallen Angel Yuan En Yehui, and Prayer Angel Sheng Ling Yali—all were flawlessly beautiful.

Huo Yuhao's case, where awakening the Titan Snow Demon martial soul turned him into a muscular, hairless approximation of the actual beast, was abnormal.

The Ice Empress had proposed a theory:

The Titan Snow Demon race was born from the union of the ancient Ice God and the Titan Giants, carrying the bloodlines of both.

The luck of the Douluo Continent clearly wasn't enough for Huo Yuhao to awaken the Ice God's bloodline. But when absorbing soul rings, soul bones, and martial souls, activating the Titan Giant blood within the Titan Snow Demon was entirely possible.

This meant Huo Yuhao's ice-attribute abilities were even weaker than an average Titan Snow Demon's, while his physical combat prowess reached terrifying heights—hence his drastic change in appearance.

Yan Shaozhe had also approached Huo Yuhao. After all, the cost of asking Lin Yun for help would be far greater. If Huo Yuhao's Titan Snow Demon martial soul was sufficiently powerful, it might still resolve Ma Xiaotao's evil flame issue.

But Yan Shaozhe left disappointed. Huo Yuhao's Titan Snow Demon's ice attributes had been weakened to their lowest point, while his physical abilities peaked.

If Ma Xiaotao didn't mind…

Huo Yuhao could help her resolve the evil flames in another way—one that wouldn't drain him dry. With the Titan Giant bloodline, the one who'd be overwhelmed in the end would be Ma Xiaotao herself.

Yan Shaozhe knew Ma Xiaotao would never accept such a method.

So Lin Yun remained his only lifeline.

The Ice Jade Scorpion. Spirit herbs.

Two solutions.

One treated the symptoms; the other, the root cause.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lin Yun's expression turned amused.

"Oh? Of course I remember. That crazy woman with the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul—descendant of Ma Hongjun, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters ten thousand years ago. How could I forget?"

Hearing Lin Yun call his disciple a crazy woman, Yan Shaozhe felt a flicker of displeasure. But recalling their first encounter—where Ma Xiaotao, having lost control due to her evil flames, had attacked them—he couldn't muster a rebuttal.

"Yes, she is my disciple—Ma Xiaotao, an inner courtyard student with sixty-sixth-rank soul power. Attacking you wasn't her intention. It was her martial soul's evil flames overwhelming her rationality."

"And that's precisely why I need your help."

"If I'm not mistaken, Xiao Xiao has consumed a spirit herb, correct? Without one, I can't imagine what else could evolve a martial soul while drastically boosting soul power." Yan Shaozhe glanced at Xiao Xiao. Though his words were speculative, his tone was certain.

Spirit herbs?

You really have the gall to ask for that, old man!

Faced with Lin Yun's are-you-stupid stare, Yan Shaozhe's aged face flushed slightly.

"Of course, Lin Yun, rest assured—I'm not asking for a spirit herb without offering something in return!"

(End of Chapter)

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