"What, you think I'm lying after I agreed?" Ma Xiaotao said irritably. "Or is there no Muscle Transformation Manual at all? Did you just make it up?"
Huo Yuhao snapped out of his daze and mentally asked Zhuge Lan what to do.
"What else can you do? Just accept it!" Zhuge Lan replied with a chuckle. "Teach her the manual on the spot. If we're lucky, we might even get Xu Sanshi to join."
He didn't even consider Bei Bei.
That guy was Tang Ya's devoted admirer and the current Senior Brother of the Tang Sect. He was untouchable.
Having found his resolve, Huo Yuhao nodded at Ma Xiaotao.
"The Holy Flame Sect is actively recruiting talented individuals, and Sister Xiao Tao undoubtedly meets the requirements."
"Let me first teach you the Muscle Transformation Manual."
"Relax your mind, and I'll guide you through the technique."
The platinum Soul Ring lit up.
First Soul Skill: Mental Sharing!
He instantly shared the running Muscle Transformation Manual with Ma Xiaotao, providing her with firsthand, direct instruction.
Ma Xiaotao stared at Huo Yuhao in astonishment. Even this single display was extraordinary.
Yet Huo Yuhao looked like he was constipated.
Because—
"Oh, right," Zhuge Lan reminded them. "Don't forget our initiation ritual—shout the slogan."
'Is that something normal people can actually shout?'
"Brother Lan... let's skip it..."
"No way," Zhuge Lan insisted. "If you're unwilling to make even this small sacrifice, how can you possibly deserve a heaven-defying technique like the Muscle Transformation Manual?"
'It's definitely not because I want to watch the show... heh heh heh!'
'The way you put it...'
Huo Yuhao had no choice. He sent a mental message to Ma Xiaotao:
[ Huo Yuhao: Before the formal instruction, you must complete the initiation ritual. That means shouting... ]
Ma Xiaotao: ???
Her eyes widened as she stared at Huo Yuhao. 'Are you serious?'
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and nodded helplessly. 'You heard right.'
Ma Xiaotao's mouth twitched.
She had a strong suspicion she was being taken advantage of.
But considering Huo Yuhao had immediately identified the flaw in her Martial Soul, she decided to take a gamble.
He turned to look at Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi.
"Get out," he said.
"The Holy Flame Sect really isn't a comfortable place to stay," Xu Sanshi nodded.
"Then we'll stand guard outside for you," Bei Bei said.
After the dormitory door closed, Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, simultaneously using her soul power to envelop the room and prevent any sound from escaping.
Then she shouted—
"Holy Fire, radiant and brilliant! All my disciples... meow, meow, meow, meow!"
Even the usually outgoing Ma Xiaotao flushed a little after that shout.
She glared at Huo Yuhao in embarrassed fury. 'Happy now?'
Without a word, Huo Yuhao immediately shared the cultivation process of the Muscle Transformation Manual.
As she felt the profound flow of soul power, Ma Xiaotao's expression softened slightly.
She calmed her mind and began to study earnestly.
"Zhuge, you really have a twisted sense of humor," the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said, exasperated. "Is this really funny?"
Zhuge Lan remained silent, but his laughter grew.
This was too much fun!
Imagine the future protagonist team lined up in a row, all meowing in unison.
How hilarious would that be?!
Cackles...
After ten thousand years of development, Shrek Academy had its own cultivation techniques, perhaps even a modified version of the Profound Heaven Art.
With this foundation, learning the first stage of the Muscle Transformation Manual proved relatively easy.
By midnight, she could clumsily circulate the energy, catching glimpses of its profound mysteries.
The most striking change was the disappearance of the Demonic Fire that had previously accumulated during her soul power cultivation. Instead, it dissipated through her pores.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes snapped open in delight.
She discovered wisps of black flames swirling around her body, igniting the nearby coffee table and floor with raging flames.
Huo Yuhao and the others had already fled the dormitory. Xu Sanshi stood outside, his face twisted with anguish.
'My little nest...' he thought. 'Destroyed in an instant!'
Ignoring the bitter gourd, Ma Xiaotao excitedly rushed toward Huo Yuhao.
He raised a hand to stop her, pointing at the black flames clinging to her body.
"Sister Xiao Tao, your clothes are already burned through. If that fire stops..."
Her expression paled.
She whirled around and dashed back into the dormitory, slamming the door shut behind her.
After a frantic moment of scrambling, she emerged, the Demonic Fire dissipated, clad in a fresh dress.
Her face lit up with excitement as she exclaimed,
"Little Yuhao, the Muscle Transformation Manual really can suppress the birth of Demonic Fire!"
"It's just a pity that the accumulated Demonic Fire remains stuck like dog skin plaster, impossible to budge even a little."
"Little Yuhao, do you have any solution?"
As she spoke, she moved to grab his hand, but Huo Yuhao subtly evaded her, subtly signaling with his eyes at the crowd of onlookers around them.
'Public displays of affection wouldn't do Ma Xiaotao's reputation any good.'
"A bunch of Outer Sect brats, what are you afraid of?" Ma Xiaotao declared boldly. "From today on, Huo Yuhao is under my protection! Anyone who dares touch him will have to answer to my fists!"
The aura of a six-ring Soul Emperor erupted, overwhelming the onlookers with crushing pressure.
The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, too intimidated to linger.
"Ahem!" Huo Yuhao corrected. "Sister Xiao Tao, you're now a member of the Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect, just like me—a novice believer."
"Oh?" Ma Xiaotao asked, intrigued. "Does our Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect have any other members at Shrek Academy?"
Huo Yuhao didn't answer immediately, silently consulting Zhuge Lan in his mind.
"I don't know," he replied. "I was recruited into the Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect by a Deacon. You can ask him about the details later."
"Where is the Deacon? Let's go find him now!" Ma Xiaotao urged, her voice tinged with urgency. "This Muscle Transformation Manual must be incomplete, or there must be a sequel, right?"
Huo Yuhao was taken aback.
'How did she figure that out so quickly?'
"That's right," he replied. "This is only the first stage. The complete Muscle Transformation Manual consists of seven stages."
Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up with fervor!
Seven stages!
If she could master the entire Muscle Transformation Manual, that Demonic Fire would surely be purged!
But alas...
"I don't know where the Deacon is either," Huo Yuhao said regretfully. "After accepting me into the sect, he said he'd come for me when the time was right and told me to focus on my cultivation."
Ma Xiaotao: "..."
Damn it!
The hope of liberation was right before her, only to be snatched away?
Reluctantly, she said, "If the Deacon appears, Xiao Yuhao, you must tell your sister immediately!"
"Mm-hmm! I will!" Huo Yuhao promised.
After giving a few more instructions and leaving her contact information, Ma Xiaotao flew off in a flurry.
Finally, she could devote herself fully to cultivation. She longed to go into seclusion until graduation!
Now that the star-crossed woman was gone...
Xu Sanshi finally dared to sob, "My little nest! Waaah—"
Bei Bei sighed in sympathy.
He couldn't fight back, and he couldn't argue.
What could he do?
Just swallow it.
That's all.
He even took the time to comfort Huo Yuhao. "Don't mind her, Little Yuhao. Sister Xiao Tao has always been fiery and impulsive."
"The dormitory's burned down, but the academy will handle it later."
"Dean Yan Shaozhe of Martial Soul Academy is Sister Xiao Tao's master, so we won't be mistreated."
Huo Yuhao nodded understandingly.
'So I've accidentally attached myself to a powerful ally?'
He glanced at Xu Sanshi, wondering if he should involve him too.
But the senior student was sobbing too pitifully; the atmosphere wasn't right.
'I'll consider it later.'
"Well, Brother Beibei, Brother Sanshi, I'm going back now."
"Mm, go ahead," Bei Bei replied.
"Don't forget to take the Profound Water Pill soon," Xu Sanshi whimpered, still sniffling. "The lower the grade, the stronger the effect."
Huo Yuhao nodded and quickly left.
Once he was gone,
Xu Sanshi instantly dropped his sorrowful expression, opened his folding fan, and began fanning himself lightly.
"Bei Bei, what do you make of the Holy Flame Sect?"
"It's the Holy Fire Meow Meow Sect," Bei Bei corrected. "Judging by Sister Xiao Tao's reaction, the first stage of the Muscle Transformation Manual far surpasses the cultivation methods of the Inner Court. We can't underestimate them."
"Exactly," Xu Sanshi said helplessly. "But the waters are too deep. I'm actually hesitant to join. After all, I have... certain connections behind me."
Bei Bei chuckled, glancing at the still-burning dormitory.
"This Demonic Fire can't be extinguished. The area's already been sealed off with an array. Let it burn itself out."
"What about tonight?" Xu Sanshi asked, exasperated.
"Meditate and cultivate. It should be cleared up by tomorrow."
"That's all we can do."
Huo Yuhao returned to the dormitory late at night. Surprisingly, Mu En, the old man, was still reclining on his chair, deeply asleep.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao retrieved an extra quilt from Twenty-Four Bridges, Bright Moonlit Night and draped it over the elderly man.
He hesitated for a moment, then decided against returning to the dormitory, fearing he might disturb his roommates' sleep.
Instead, he sat cross-legged in his usual spot, pulled out a small ceramic bottle, and poured out three deep blue pills, each about the size of a cherry.
Profound Water Pills!
He popped them into his mouth one by one. Despite their size, the pills dissolved instantly.
A surge of medicinal power flowed through his body.
Seizing the opportunity, he circulated the Muscle Transformation Manual, accelerating the absorption of the medicine's power, expelling impurities, and enhancing his soul power.
With some energy to spare, he asked, "Brother Lan, how many Fortune Points did we get for Sister Xiao Tao joining the Holy Flame Meow Meow Sect?"
Zhuge Lan glanced at the system notification.
[ Re-writing... ]