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"Huh"
In the dormitory, Yuwen Tuo exhaled a breath of turbid air. Unlike Huo Yuhao, his body contained fewer impurities, so the side effects of the Xuan Water Pill had not manifested.
With just that single exhalation, the turbid air dissipated into nothingness as a gentle breeze passed through the room. There was no need to clean up—everything remained spotless.
At this moment, Yuwen Tuo's cultivation had once again reached the twenty-level mark.
---
"Finished cultivating already? I heard about what happened tonight. After six years of silence, you've truly made a stunning debut by defeating Bei Bei in your first battle," Ma Xiaotao said casually, leaning against the doorway.
"It's you again. Your demonic flames won't flare up anymore, so why do you keep coming here?" Yuwen Tuo sighed in exasperation. He truly didn't want to see her right now.
The only time he wanted to meet her again would be to "repay" her for the past six years.
Ma Xiaotao's face flushed slightly. Could she really admit that she came because she missed him?
Soon, she would enter seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Soul Sage level. Knowing it might be a long time before they saw each other again, she wanted to spend more time with him.
Of course, what she actually said was different. "Enough with the nonsense. My demonic flames may no longer flare up, but the seeds of demonic fire still linger within me. Because of that, I can never achieve true Ultimate Fire. I need you to help me remove these seeds."
Ma Xiaotao's talent far surpassed that of her predecessor, Ma Hongjun. Her flames were already close to reaching the pinnacle of purity. The purifying power of fire didn't just suppress her demonic flames—it refined and purified them further. In essence, the effects of consuming a fire-attribute immortal herb (save for directly increasing soul power) were all present, allowing her flames to evolve toward becoming Ultimate Fire.
But now, despite being on the verge of completing this final step, she found herself stuck at the last hurdle. This sense of stagnation frustrated her deeply.
Yuwen Tuo understood her predicament. Like Ma Hongjun before her, while most of the demonic flames had been cleansed from her body, their genetic remnants remained. These remnants could still affect future generations, making them prone to demonic flame outbreaks.
And Ma Xiaotao hoped to use Yuwen Tuo's strength to completely resolve this issue.
Yuwen Tuo smiled faintly. Of course, he could solve it—but not now. This was leverage he intended to use in a future negotiation with Yan Shaozhe.
He planned to use this opportunity to bargain for a chance to leave the academy, even if monitored. Once outside, he would seek out a powerful ally capable of standing toe-to-toe with Title Douluo or even Super Douluo-level opponents.
After all, the reason he was being bullied so relentlessly was because he lacked backing.
If no one else could serve as his support, then he would forge his own path.
Among the techniques inherited from Gui Gu Zi, there was one that could alleviate his current predicament. Though Chen Jingchou wasn't particularly skilled in magic arts, he had practiced this particular technique reasonably well.
Unfortunately, compared to either version of Yuwen Tuo and his master, Chen Jingchou's proficiency paled in comparison.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao suddenly embraced him, as she always did, allowing her flames to merge with Yuwen Tuo's fiery elemental energy.
In the past, Yuwen Tuo detested such moments. However, today was different—he needed Ma Xiaotao as a test subject.
---
The next morning, as the sun rose.
Ma Xiaotao had already dressed and left. Yuwen Tuo, unlike previous mornings after finishing cultivation, didn't feel the usual sense of loss.
His soul power hadn't wavered in the slightest—it remained firmly at the twenty-level mark.
As expected, Ma Xiaotao could no longer erode his flames or absorb his soul power. His current twenty-level cultivation consisted entirely of innate soul power.
Yuwen Tuo had achieved true The most beautiful thing is the twenty-level!
Unless he willingly used his fiery elemental energy to assist Ma Xiaotao in refining her flames, or unless she miraculously obtained a genuine fire-attribute immortal herb, the final step toward completely removing the demonic flames and evolving into Ultimate Fire would forever remain beyond her reach.
With this unshakable foundation, even after wasting six crucial years of golden cultivation time, Yuwen Tuo was confident he could quickly catch up to those so-called prodigies.
Clenching his fists, flames erupted throughout the room.
Downstairs, Mu En reclined in his chair, gazing silently at Yuwen Tuo's room. "What pure and domineering soul power. The quality of Yuwen Tuo's soul power likely surpasses even that of Soul Kings. Over these six years, his soul power has been repeatedly broken down and rebuilt, honing it to its absolute limit."
"I underestimated him," Mu En murmured regretfully. "I never imagined Yuwen Tuo's talent was so extraordinary. His pure flames haven't been tainted by demonic fire—they've instead absorbed and refined it, significantly enhancing his own flame's potency. Though it still falls short of Ultimate Fire, the gap isn't insurmountable. Add to that his cultivation and his indomitable character—his potential is limitless. Perhaps, in the future, he will rival me."
Mu En felt regret and guilt, but above all, he bore responsibility for Shrek Academy.
Now, he could only hope that Yuwen Tuo would eventually let go of his resentment toward Shrek. Otherwise, the stronger his talent grew, the greater the danger he posed.
---
Feeling pleased with himself, Yuwen Tuo prepared two breakfasts by hand and stepped out of his room, heading toward the teaching building. One thing weighed heavily on his mind: how to obtain his second soul ring.
He was tired of wasting time.
Although it was possible to continue cultivating without soul rings, the progression rate between low-level and high-level soul masters differed significantly.
For instance, a day's worth of soul power accumulation for a Title Douluo might take several days for a Soul Douluo. Advancing in rank naturally accelerated cultivation progress.
Even a Great Soul Master cultivated faster than a regular Soul Master. However, as one ascended to higher levels, the amount of soul power required for each advancement increased exponentially, often outpacing the gains in cultivation speed. This was why progressing became increasingly difficult at higher levels.
Precisely for this reason, breaking through bottlenecks as soon as they appeared was crucial.
Douluo Continent wasn't like other fantasy worlds where accumulating strength at a given level led to explosive growth later on.
This world valued practicality above all else. If you could advance, you should do so immediately. Stronger soul power reigned supreme.
High-level soul masters often didn't even need to fight against lower-level ones. Simply overwhelming their opponents with raw soul power sufficed to render them immobile.
Had Yuwen Tuo not endured six years of torment under Ma Xiaotao, wasting the most critical period of his growth, he wouldn't feel such urgency to strengthen his first batch. By now, he might already have broken through and reached at least level forty.
As he walked along the path, he noticed something odd about the way his classmates looked at him today. Every time someone passed by, they stole extra glances in his direction.
Clearly, news of last night's events had spread throughout the outer courtyard.
"Hey, Tuo Tuo, good morning!" Xiao Xiao waved enthusiastically as she ran toward him. Noticing the lunchbox in his hands, she asked, "Tuo Tuo, what's that?"
Yuwen Tuo lifted the lunchbox and smiled. "It's breakfast I made myself. Didn't I promise you yesterday that I'd let you try my cooking? I always keep my promises."
"That's wonderful! Thank you, Tuo Tuo." Xiao Xiao happily accepted the lunchbox. As she opened it, an enticing aroma wafted out, instantly whetting her appetite. "It smells amazing! Let's eat together!"
Xiao Xiao pulled Yuwen Tuo to a nearby pavilion and sat down.
Watching the two share breakfast, envy exploded among the onlookers—most of whom were girls.
They lamented their oversight. How had they failed to notice that, aside from Wang Dong, there was another standout male newcomer named Yuwen Tuo? Not only was he just as handsome, but his combat prowess far exceeded expectations. A single-ring soul master defeating a triple-ring powerhouse like Bei Bei, who was known as the strongest attacker in the outer courtyard, was unheard of.
Wang Dong was aloof and distant, whereas Yuwen Tuo seemed approachable and even knew how to cook—a perfect combination. Many girls had already shifted their attention to him.
Some had even gathered detailed information about him:
*Name:* Yuwen Tuo
*Gender:* Male
*Origin:* Tian Hun Empire
*Parents:* Unknown
*Age:* 12
*Appearance:* Handsome, sunny demeanor
*Build:* Average
*Soul Power Level:* 20
*Personality Traits:* Outgoing, gentle
Armed with this knowledge, many girls were ready to make their move—but it seemed one girl had already beaten them to it. She was close to crossing the finish line unnoticed.
No wonder… No wonder! While everyone's attention was focused on Wang Dong, this little loli had quietly latched onto Yuwen Tuo. Clearly, she had acted preemptively, aiming to claim him before others realized his value.
How despicable!
Such a handsome new junior should belong to everyone!
The problem was that Yuwen Tuo had kept an unusually low profile. During class, he often slept with his head down. As soon as class ended, he disappeared with Xiao Xiao—or skipped classes altogether.
Add to that the overwhelming presence of Wang Dong, whose brilliance eclipsed everyone else, and it was easy to overlook this seemingly ordinary single-ring soul master.
"This tastes incredible! I've never had porridge this fragrant and sweet before!" Xiao Xiao blissfully ignored the envious stares around her, fully focused on enjoying the meal.
As the saying goes, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach—and this was especially true for Xiao Xiao, whose heart and stomach were practically one.
Watching Xiao Xiao's adorable expression, Yuwen Tuo suddenly had an idea.
This little loli might fetch quite a price if sold!