"It seems the rumors were true. Madam Herta of Haiyuan City is indeed a powerful rank nine Soul Engineer, and she doesn't belong to the Sun Moon Empire." Yan Shaozhe sighed inwardly.
He had initially thought this was just an ordinary frontier town, but he never expected it to harbor such hidden talents.
Besides the highly skilled Snow Moon Douluo Jingliu, there was also this Madam Herta, whom he had only heard of but never seen.
Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao slowly walked along the curved, transparent soul tool glass corridor, and everything they saw along the way left Ma Xiaotao utterly stunned.
The path was lined with countless soul tool constructions, each with strange and unique functions. Every detail seemed to transcend her previous understanding, making her feel as though she had stepped into a distant future world.
First, a soul beast totem fountain came into view.
The water sprayed from its spring was no ordinary sight; it could transform at will into lifelike holographic projections of soul beast totems.
These projected soul beasts were incredibly realistic, some galloping and leaping, others spreading their wings and soaring, as if they could leap out of the water curtain at any moment, a truly amazing sight.
Next, a majestic Tidal Soul Power Tower stood to one side. This tower could disperse storms, ensuring that the area around the City Lord's Mansion remained bathed in clear sunshine, like a secluded paradise, untouched by harsh external weather.
Further on, there was a soul power hot spring pool that drew from an underwater volcanic vein. The pool was steaming, exuding a warm aura that clearly contained unique soul power energy.
Taking a dip there would surely offer immense benefits for cultivation and physical and mental recuperation. Not far away, there was also an eco-chamber housing a flock of Radiant Feather Sea Swallows.
These swallows emanated a soft glow, their feathers shimmering with colorful hues as they freely soared within the eco-chamber, adding vibrancy and life to the entire City Lord's Mansion.
Walking through it all, Ma Xiaotao felt her mind go blank; she was completely numb.
She felt like a bumpkin who had never seen the world, utterly overwhelmed by these unprecedented novelties. In reality, Shrek City was one of the highest-ranking cities on the entire Douluo Continent, excelling in both prosperity and historical heritage.
The changes in Haiyuan City had already amazed them, but they were still within their expectations. However, the sheer luxury and wonder of the City Lord's Mansion before them far exceeded their imagination, so much so that Ma Xiaotao wondered if she was dreaming.
Even the well-traveled Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt, even questioning if he was under some kind of illusion to be seeing such incredible sights.
Following the winding glass corridors on both sides of the villa, the Golden Guard finally led Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao to a secluded private beach.
As soon as Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao had stepped into Haiyuan City, someone had already swiftly informed Lu Jingming. Lu Jingming had largely guessed the intention behind their visit.
After all, Ma Xiaotao had long been troubled by evil fire, and Jingliu happened to possess Extreme Ice attributed soul power. As Ma Xiaotao's teacher, how could Yan Shaozhe sit idly by?
Lu Jingming was actually well-prepared for Yan Shaozhe and Ma Xiaotao's arrival. He just hadn't expected Yan Shaozhe to be so patient, dragging his feet for two full years before finally bringing Ma Xiaotao to his doorstep.
Now, seeing the Golden Guard leading the two of them, Lu Jingming calmly rose from his beach lounge chair.
He gently handed the pink-furred fox in his arms to Zhang Lexuan nearby, then proactively stepped forward to greet his guests. After all, Yan Shaozhe, as a Super Douluo, held an esteemed position on the Douluo Continent, and basic respect had to be given.
Lu Jingming's face was adorned with a warm smile as he was the first to speak: "Welcome to Haiyuan City, Dean Yan." Then, his gaze shifted to Ma Xiaotao, a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "And this is?"
Ma Xiaotao slightly raised her chin, an eyebrow cocked, her eyes holding a trace of provocation. She crisply said, "Ma Xiaotao, of course, you can also call me Sister Xiaotao."
Lu Jingming seemed not to notice the blatant provocation in Ma Xiaotao's words, his expression completely unperturbed. He withdrew his gaze from Ma Xiaotao and turned to Yan Shaozhe, a perfectly appropriate smile on his face, politely asking, "May I ask, Dean Yan, what brings you here with such important matters?"
Ignored in her provocation, Ma Xiaotao immediately felt like she had punched cotton, a suffocating feeling of frustration. She saw her mouth twitch fiercely, her chest felt as if a large stone was lodged in it, her breathing involuntarily quickened, and her pretty face flushed crimson. Anyone unaware might indeed have mistaken her for being shy.
Yan Shaozhe seemed completely oblivious to the subtle clash between the two young people and maintained his smile.
He spoke gently to Lu Jingming: "My apologies for this sudden visit. Firstly, I wished to pay respects to Snow Moon Douluo. Secondly, I do have an audacious request; I hope to be fortunate enough to ask Snow Moon Douluo for her assistance."
"What is it?" In an instant, a strange ripple spread through the space, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, causing layers of ripples to spread. In a flash, Jingliu's figure had appeared beside Lu Jingming. Her expression was indifferent, her voice cool.
Upon seeing this, Yan Shaozhe's pupils abruptly contracted, his heart churning like a turbulent sea, waves of shock crashing within him.
He knew very well that while Super Douluo had initially touched upon the power of space, in the entire Soul Master world, aside from those Soul Masters naturally possessing space attributes or experts who had mastered extremely rare spatial soul skills, the only one in his memory capable of performing spatial displacement with such effortlessness was his own teacher—Mu En, the Dragon God Douluo. But Dragon God Douluo Mu En was a powerhouse from a century ago, now a legend in the Soul Master world, a rank ninety-nine Limit Douluo!
Jingliu's sudden move instantly rendered Yan Shaozhe's carefully prepared strategies useless. He had originally thought that with Shrek Academy's prestige and the generous compensation he had prepared, he had a high chance of persuading her to act.
But now, facing this Snow Moon Douluo, whose strength might rival his teacher's, everything was completely different; the matter was no longer so simple.
However, having already come all this way, Yan Shaozhe could only force down the shock in his heart, his expression becoming even more respectful and humble.
He slightly lowered his head, adopting an extremely subservient posture, and sincerely said, "Senior Snow Moon, I believe you can tell that my disciple is deeply troubled by evil fire.
This visit is to humbly request that you act to help her cleanse herself of the evil fire. If this matter can be resolved perfectly, Shrek Academy will owe you a favor.
At the same time, we will also present a generous gift as a token of our appreciation. We hope Senior will accept it with a smile."
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