"Drink quickly," Xu Sanshi urged. "If Beibei comes back, there won't be any left."
Huo Yuhao obediently picked up the teacup.
The invigorating aroma of the tea filled his nostrils, and the liquid, warm as a winter sun, flowed into him. A subtle surge of soul power spread from his stomach, coursing through his limbs and bones.
That single sip was equivalent to four hours of bitter cultivation—four hours of Muscle Transformation Manual cultivation!
Unable to resist, Huo Yuhao gulped down the rest of the tea in one go. He immediately activated the Muscle Transformation Manual, rapidly refining the soul power.
Xu Sanshi watched in astonishment and refilled the cup. "Little Yuhao, drink more of this. I've been drinking it since childhood, so it has no effect on me anymore."
Huo Yuhao picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp. The Muscle Transformation Manual effortlessly refined the soul power.
Xu Sanshi's astonishment grew. He continued to pour tea, and Huo Yuhao continued to drink.
Before long, the entire pot had been consumed. Huo Yuhao's vitality surged, and his newly advanced soul power had already progressed more than halfway.
This was ridiculous!
"Are you even human?" Xu Sanshi exclaimed.
"A typical first-ring soul master would need over an hour of cultivation to process half a cup of this. You're level 11 and drank a whole pot without batting an eyelid?"
Huo Yuhao blinked.
Is it really that strange?
He mumbled, "Third Brother, please excuse me. My cultivation method is quite unique, and it happens to be perfectly suited to this Tea."
Xu Sanshi, however, sensed something deeper.
Cultivation method?
This junior student, who could perceive the flaws in his Martial Soul, seemed to have an extraordinary background!
"I'd like to see how much you can drink today," Xu Sanshi declared.
"Really, there's no need," Huo Yuhao said, embarrassed. "This Azure Spring Tea must be incredibly precious. Third Brother, you..."
"Enough! Just trust me on this!"
Xu Sanshi discarded the used tea leaves, retrieved the ceramic jar, and scooped out more leaves to brew a fresh pot.
He then placed the entire pot in front of Huo Yuhao.
"Drink as much as you like. Today, you can have your fill!"
Huo Yuhao hesitated, too restrained to reach for the tea.
"What are you afraid of, kid?" Zhuge Lan said irritably. "He's trying to buy your favor. The more you drink, the happier he be. You'll owe him a bigger favor, but that's exactly what he want."
"Ah?" Huo Yuhao looked worried. "But if I can't repay such a big favor..."
"With me here, what do you have to fear?" Zhuge Lan replied. "Besides, favors are meant to be reciprocated. Refusing now would only damage our relationship."
Huo Yuhao thought about it and agreed.
"Thank you, Third Brother," he said.
He picked up the teapot and poured the tea directly into his mouth from mid-air.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
As soon as the tea reached his throat, the Muscle Transformation Manual began to digest it.
He finished the entire pot.
Having fully refined the soul power, a faint aura erupted from his body.
He had broken through to level 13!
[ Fate altered for Huo Yuhao. +300 Fortune Points! ]
Xu Sanshi ruffled his short, yellow hair and moved to brew another pot.
"No need, Third Brother," Huo Yuhao stopped him. "I can already feel the effect weakening significantly. The Profound Water Pill also uses this as an ingredient, right? After taking the pill, the Azure Spring Tea will likely be ineffective for me."
Xu Sanshi agreed.
He didn't discard the remaining Azure Spring Tea but brewed another pot and pushed it toward Huo Yuhao.
"The second infusion retains less than one-tenth of the medicinal power, but there's still some effect. Try it for taste."
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but glance at the trash bin.
'So you just poured the first pot away? That's...
That's quite extravagant!'
Creak—
The dormitory door opened, and Beibei strode in first, followed by a long-haired girl. A wave of heat hit them from across the room.
Xu Sanshi immediately stood up with a welcoming smile as he saw the newcomer.
Huo Yuhao also rose to his feet.
"Little Yuhao, this is Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court," Beibei introduced. "Sister Xiaotao, this is Huo Yuhao, the one I told you about. We all call him Little Yuhao."
"Hello, Sister Xiaotao," Huo Yuhao greeted obediently.
"Young Junior Brother, you're quite handsome," Ma Xiaotao said with a cheerful laugh. "If Beibei hadn't introduced you, I would have thought you were a Junior Sister. Now, let's see if you can help me. If you can resolve the defects in my Martial Soul, I definitely won't shortchange you."
"Understood, Sister Xiaotao."
Huo Yuhao activated his Martial Soul, Spirit Eye, and the corresponding markings appeared on his forehead.
He pretended to examine her for a while, but in reality, he was listening to Zhuge Lan's explanation.
"This girl's Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, once wielded by the Phoenix God. Once tainted by its evil fire, it's impossible to purge—it clings like a second skin."
"Yet, just as its evil fire brought her power, it also brings her downfall. It ignites her inner negative emotions, and when they erupt, she loses all reason and falls into becoming an Evil Soul Master."
"Whether she uses Soul Skills or cultivates, evil fire continuously accumulates within her. External methods can only suppress it temporarily; they can't cure the root problem."
A hint of regret flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Such a valiant Senior Sister, yet burdened with such a Martial Soul... it's truly a pity.
"Brother Lan, is there any way to resolve this?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"Ultimate Ice can temporarily suppress it, but that's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause," Zhuge Lan explained.
"However, she's quite fortunate. While the Muscle Transformation Manual can't expel the evil fire, it can prevent it from accumulating during cultivation. Then, we can work on evolving her Martial Soul into a Fire Phoenix, which would naturally resolve the issue."
Huo Yuhao sighed in relief.
'As long as there's a solution, that's all that matters.'
"But Little Yuhao, have you decided what to do?" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly asked. "Are you going to freely give her the Muscle Transformation Manual? Or recruit her into the Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect?"
Huo Yuhao answered without hesitation. "Of course I'll have Sister Xiaotao join the Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect and become one of us!"
"A Martial Soul of the Phoenix God, a descendant of a deity, and a student of Shrek Academy's Inner Court... If she becomes one of us, that would surely add a significant number of Fortune Points, right?"
Zhuge Lan was quite surprised.
"Little Yuhao, you've thought this through thoroughly," he agreed. "Exactly. Ma Xiaotao carries a high amount of Luck Points. If we can make her one of us, a conservative estimate would be at least 10,000 Fortune Points, with potential for more in the future."
"Then we have ten percent of the awakened spiritual power we need!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said excitedly. "Quick! Little Yuhao! Capture her!"
Huo Yuhao gave an almost imperceptible nod.
He then briefly repeated Zhuge Lan's words.
"Sister Xiaotao, Ultimate Ice is extremely difficult to find. Therefore, our only current option is the Holy Fire Sect's exclusive technique, the Muscle Transformation Manual."
"But this technique cannot be learned by non-sect members..."
"I'll join!" Ma Xiaotao declared without hesitation. "As long as it allows me to train freely, I'll join the Holy Fire Sect!"
Huo Yuhao was somewhat taken aback.
How straightforward is she being?
Little did he know that two days prior, Mu En had visited the Sea God Pavilion and highly praised Huo Yuhao's techniques, urging the academy to find ways to incorporate them or collaborate.
Ma Xiaotao's teacher, Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Branch, had treated her like his own daughter and immediately shared this information with her.
Coincidentally, Beibei had previously contacted her about introducing Huo Yuhao to help diagnose his Martial Soul defects.
So, today, she had come prepared.
But she hadn't anticipated that her blunt acceptance might arouse suspicion.
'No! I need to remedy this.'
Ma Xiaotao slammed her hand on the tea table, feigning anger as she said—