"It seems the rumors are true. The Lady Black Tower Herta of Haiyuan City is a powerful Level 9 Soul Engineer, and she doesn't belong to the Sun Moon Empire."
Yan Shaozhe sighed inwardly. He had thought this was just an ordinary border town, but he never expected there to be so many hidden talents here.
Aside from the mighty Ice Moon Sword Douluo Jingliu, there was also the famous but rarely seen Lady Black Tower Herta.
Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao walked slowly along the curved transparent soul-tool glass corridor, and everything they saw along the way left Ma Xiaotao utterly stunned.
All along the route were countless soul-tool constructions with unique and extraordinary functions. Every place seemed to transcend her previous understanding, making her feel as if she had stepped into a distant future world.
The first thing that caught their eyes was a soul beast totem fountain. The water curtain that spouted from the fountain was no ordinary spectacle—it could freely transform into lifelike holographic projections of soul beast totems.
Those projected soul beasts looked so real—some galloping and leaping, some soaring through the air—it felt as if they could leap out from the water curtain at any moment. It was truly astonishing.
Next, a grand and imposing Tidal Soul Power Tower stood to one side.
This soul power tower could disperse storms, ensuring the area around the city lord's mansion was always bathed in bright sunlight, like a paradise untouched by the outside world's harsh weather.
Farther along was a soul power hot spring pool connected to the undersea volcanic veins.
The pool was shrouded in steamy mist, radiating a warm aura, clearly imbued with unique soul power energy. A soak in it would surely be greatly beneficial for cultivation and physical and mental well-being.
Not far away was an ecological chamber, where a flock of Lightfeather Sea Swallows was kept.
These sea swallows emitted a soft glow, their feathers shimmering with dazzling colors, flitting freely within the ecological chamber and adding vitality and liveliness to the city lord's mansion.
All along the way, Ma Xiaotao felt her mind go blank, her whole being numb.
She felt like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, completely lost when faced with such wonders.
Yet, Shrek City was one of the top cities on the entire Douluo Continent, both in terms of prosperity and deep history.
The transformation of Haiyuan City had already amazed them, but it was still within their expectations and what they could accept. However, the luxury and magic of this city lord's mansion far surpassed anything they could imagine, to the point that Ma Xiaotao wondered if she was dreaming.
Even the well-traveled Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but feel suspicious, even wondering if he had fallen under some illusion to see such incredible sights.
Led along the winding glass corridor on both sides of the villa, the Golden Guard finally brought Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao to a quiet private beach.
…
When Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao entered Haiyuan City, someone had already quickly reported the news to Lu Jingming.
Lu Jingming had already more or less guessed the reason for their visit.
After all, Ma Xiaotao had long been troubled by her Evil Fire, and Jingliu happened to possess the ultimate ice-attribute soul power. As Ma Xiaotao's teacher, how could Yan Shaozhe sit still?
Lu Jingming was well prepared for their arrival.
He just hadn't expected Yan Shaozhe to be so patient, waiting a full two years before bringing Ma Xiaotao to seek them out.
Now, seeing the Golden Guard leading them over, Lu Jingming calmly stood up from the beach chair. He gently handed the pink-furred little fox in his arms to Zhang Lexuan at his side, then proactively went forward to greet his guests.
After all, as a Super Douluo, Yan Shaozhe held a lofty status on the continent and deserved basic respect.
With a warm smile on his face, Lu Jingming took the initiative: "Welcome to Haiyuan City, Dean Yan."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Ma Xiaotao, a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "And this is...?"
Ma Xiaotao slightly lifted her chin, her brow raised, and her eyes showed a hint of provocation as she crisply replied, "Ma Xiaotao. Of course, you can also call me Sister Xiaotao."
Lu Jingming acted as if he hadn't noticed the provocation in her words, his expression unmoved.
He withdrew his gaze from Ma Xiaotao and turned to Yan Shaozhe, wearing just the right smile, and politely said, "May I ask, Dean Yan, what important business brings you to us?"
Being ignored, Ma Xiaotao felt as if she'd punched cotton—frustrated and uncomfortable.
Her lips twitched hard, her chest felt blocked by a heavy stone, her breath quickened, and her pretty face turned red. Anyone who didn't know better might think she was just shy.
Yan Shaozhe, however, acted as if he hadn't noticed the tension between the two young people and still smiled calmly. He said in a gentle voice to Lu Jingming, "Forgive me for coming uninvited. First, I wished to visit Haiyuan City. Second, I do have a favor to ask—I hope I may be fortunate enough to request Ice Moon Sword Douluo's help."
"What is it?"
Suddenly, the air rippled strangely, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake, creating layers of ripples.
In an instant, Jingliu's figure appeared beside Lu Jingming, her expression cold and voice icy.
Yan Shaozhe's pupils shrank sharply, and his heart was in turmoil.
He knew well that although Super Douluo had started to touch upon the power of space, in the entire soul master world, except for those with innate space attributes or those who had mastered extremely rare space soul skills, only his teacher—Dragon God Douluo Mu En—could perform such effortless spatial movement.
And Mu En had been a powerhouse from a century ago, now a legend in the soul master world, a level 99 Ultimate Douluo!
Jingliu's sudden display instantly shattered all the strategies Yan Shaozhe had so carefully prepared.
He had thought that with Shrek Academy's reputation and generous gifts, he would have a good chance of getting help.
But now, facing Ice Moon Sword Douluo, whose strength was perhaps comparable to his teacher's, everything was different and far less simple.
But since he was already here, Yan Shaozhe could only force down his shock, his demeanor becoming even more respectful and humble.
He bowed his head slightly, adopting a very modest posture, and sincerely said, "Senior Ice Moon Sword Douluo, I'm sure you can see my disciple is deeply afflicted by Evil Fire. We have come this time to ask for your help in cleansing her of it. If you can resolve this, Shrek Academy will owe you a great favor, and we will also present a generous gift as a token of gratitude. I hope you will accept it."