Douluo Continent: Little Huo Niang Taken Away by Di Tian

Chapter 137 Star Luo Royal Academy

Beyond the realm, the blizzard continued. Gongyang Mo's voice carried through the wind and snow: "Luo Chen, should we continue?"

"Wait a little longer," Ling Luochen said, "there's still no news from Xiao Tao's side."

Trapped by the level seven absolute defense soul tool, Ma Xiaotao was currently unleashing her pent-up rage and phoenix flames onto the golden light shield. The shield fluctuated violently, yet remained stable.

She forced herself to calm down, the phoenix phantom circling behind her, gathering power, waiting for the moment to break free and deliver a thunderous blow to the enemy.

Time slipped away slowly in the stalemate.

finally--

Click!

A faint cracking sound rang out, and then the indestructible golden light shield was covered with cracks like shattered glass before dissipating into countless specks of light.

The duration of the soul tool has expired.

"Hey——!"

Almost at the same instant the light shield disappeared, the long-suppressed phoenix fire soared into the sky!

A giant pillar of crimson-gold flames tore through the vast snowstorm, and the scorching heat quickly melted the frost on half of the arena. Ma Xiaotao's figure appeared in the flames, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, carrying the fury to burn the eight wastelands.

Ling Luochen stopped the blizzard in time.

At the other end of the arena, in front of the Star Luo Empire's last line of defense, Princess Xu Jiujiu's face was as pale as paper, and the double exhaustion of her soul power and mental power made her sway slightly.

Beside her, only the defensive-type Soul Master remained, along with the Lightning Falcon Soul King, who was fiercely battling Xixi in the distance but was now struggling to hold on alone.

Looking at the unstoppable Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng who was exhausted but protected by his companions, and Chen Zifeng, Xixi and others who were eyeing him covetously, Xu Chang's lips curled into a bitter smile, which was also a smile of relief.

She raised her hand, her voice carrying clearly throughout the room:

"We... admit defeat."

"Match ended! Winner—Shrek Academy!"

After a brief silence, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers and applause, the sound almost lifting the roof off.

The Shrek members exchanged smiles, their tired faces beaming with the joy of victory.

They've made it to the finals!

……

The afternoon's match is between Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and Di'ao Academy.

Faced with a constant stream of new and incredibly powerful soul tools, even the long-established powerhouse Imperial Academy struggled to cope. In the end, the Sun Moon Royal Academy emerged victorious with an overwhelming advantage.

In the audience, He Caitou was taking notes rapidly, deeply shocked—he never expected that even at this point in the battle, the enemy still possessed so many new types of equipment. His pen was practically sparking.

At this point, the two teams advancing to the final have been determined: Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Royal Academy.

To ensure both teams are in top form for the final showdown, the tournament organizing committee has decided to take a day off.

"Children, cheer up! The dawn of victory is just around the corner."

Xuanzi, returning from the VIP section, announced loudly with a rare, relaxed smile on his face, "Let's go! To celebrate your victory over the Star Luo Royal Academy today, it's my treat! Let's have a good meal!"

Everyone readily accepted. The continuous fierce battles had indeed left them physically and mentally strained, and a delicious meal was just what they needed to relax and celebrate.

On the top floor of the most prestigious restaurant in Xingluo City, in a luxurious private room with a panoramic view, the Shrek members took their seats one by one.

The exquisite dishes were served in a flowing stream, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor, making them incredibly tempting.

"Children, I'm so proud of you!" Xuanzi raised the wine bottle and downed it in one gulp. "Don't worry about anything today, just eat and drink well!"

The team members also raised their cups to toast each other with water or other beverages.

With the finals approaching, they needed to stay absolutely alert. But that didn't stop the joyful atmosphere from flowing through the room.

It's unclear who started it, but all fourteen regular and reserve players spontaneously refilled their cups.

Fourteen arms were raised, and fourteen cups gently clinked together in the air, producing a crisp and melodious symphony.

Shrek—

"Victory is certain!"

As night deepened, the group returned to the Star Emperor Hotel. Exhaustion quickly overwhelmed them, and the team members gradually drifted off to sleep, conserving their energy for the important tactical meeting the next day.

There was one exception.

Ma Xiaotao stood quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the room, not asleep.

Outside the window, the myriad lights of Xingluo City scatter like a galaxy across the earth, dazzling yet carrying a sense of distant alienation.

The daytime hustle and bustle has subsided, and the city at night presents a different, tranquil outline.

Her gaze was unfocused as she looked into the distance, as if trying to pierce through the layers of light and shadow to see something buried deep in her heart.

During the holidays, the crimson flames that soared into the sky in the ancestral hall seemed to burn before my eyes again; the sacred words of the "Eight Trials of the Phoenix God" in my mind were still clear and burning; and there was that divine oracle that rewrote destiny—"Solve the evil fire, and you can inherit the divine position."

The hope was so great that it almost burned the soul.

But the more this is the case, the more ferocious the nightmare originating from bloodline and entangled with the family becomes.

The mother's desperate cries when her father self-destructed, the cold words "died from body explosion" after her grandfather's name, the series of early deaths recorded in the family genealogy... all these are like cold chains, wrapped around her burning martial spirit and around every breath she takes.

She raised her hand, and a tiny red flame flickered at her fingertips.

The flames flickered gently, beautiful and powerful, but she knew that beneath this beautiful appearance lurked a violence and madness capable of burning everything.

"Xiao Tao, are you still awake?" A female voice came from the balcony next door, breaking the silence of the night.

Ma Xiaotao was slightly startled, and the flame at her fingertips suddenly disappeared.

She turned her head and saw Brigitte leaning against the railing of the adjacent balcony, the night casting a hazy veil over her beautiful face.

"Teacher Biling," Ma Xiaotao replied softly, "I... can't sleep."

"Perfect timing, I'm not sleepy at all, how about we chat?" Brigitte's voice drifted on the breeze.

"Of course."

After a brief silence, Biji asked softly, "Xiaotao, to you, what is your martial soul...?"

What is it?

Ma Xiaotao answered almost instinctively, "It's my weapon, the power that allows me to protect my companions and defend the honor of the academy."

She has given this answer many times, and it is firm and correct.

"Anything else?"

and also……

Ma Xiaotao's lips trembled slightly.

"It...is also the culprit that caused me to lose my father."

The floodgates of memory were pried open a crack.

Her father's face had long been blurred by the years, leaving only some warm fragments: his broad shoulders, his hearty laughter when he lifted her up high, his nervous yet excited eyes when he secretly led her out of the house... Then, these fragments came to an abrupt end, replaced by the final earth-shattering explosion, her mother's heart-wrenching cries, and the unspeakable fear and sorrow in the eyes of others.

"I...I hate it! I loathe this power!"

Every time I use it, I can feel that burning heat roaring in my bones, as if it could devour me at any moment, just like it devoured my father and my grandfather!

I don't want to hurt anyone! I don't want my children to suffer like this in the future!

I don't want to... lose any more important people!

Tears finally broke through the dam and rolled down silently. She gripped the cold railing tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white.

Her feelings toward the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul were so complex they were almost tearing her apart—it granted her talent and power that surpassed her peers, but it also brought a cursed destiny and the fear that could erupt at any moment.

She even wondered countless times in despair why her ancestors hadn't left a solution.

Could he, looking down upon humanity from the realm of gods, truly be indifferent to the generations of descendants struggling in this painful flame?