Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

The corrupting influence of the evil fire was undeniable, but the power it granted was terrifying. Ten thousand years ago, an Evil Fire Phoenix overcame the fire's corruption and ascended to the Divine Realm alongside the ancestor Tang San. Though Ma Xiaotao might not reach those heights, her talent was still exceptionally rare.

Xuanzi struggled internally. Calling the match early would mean losing Shrek's honor, and he would also lose a justified reason to retaliate against the Sun-Moon Empire.

But if he didn't stop it...

"Grand Elder Xuan! Surrender now!" Wang Yan shouted anxiously. "Losing the match is better than Ma Xiaotao suffering severe injuries! The longer this drags on, the deeper the fire's corruption, and the worse her injuries will be!"

Even though Ma Xiaotao was brash, arrogant, and never truly respected him as a teacher, she was still a rare genius of the inner court. If she fell in this match, Shrek Academy would suffer a major blow. Even though the academy had plans to shift blame, she was still a Shrek student.

"For the academy's sake—"

"Wait a little longer..."

Xuanzi hesitated, his expression conflicted.

"Grand Elder Xuan!" Wang Yan's voice was filled with desperation.

"Shut up! I make the decisions here!"

Wang Yan: "..."

Dai Yueheng and the others quickly realized something was wrong.

"Damn it, the other team did something to trigger Ma Xiaotao's evil fire!" Ling Luochen's face paled.

In this state, Ma Xiaotao could no longer differentiate between friend and foe—she was fully berserk. Worse still, the longer the Black Phoenix lasted, the harder it would be for her to recover.

Xu Sanshi's face turned green.

There were very few ice- or water-attribute soul masters in the academy, meaning Ma Xiaotao often used him to vent her flames.

If she fully lost control, wouldn't that mean he'd be burned to a crisp later?

All the torment he had suffered before flashed through his mind. The days ahead seemed even darker...

Why did I come to Shrek?!

Xu Sanshi nearly burst into tears.

Unfortunately, Beibei had already passed out and been carried off the stage by Huang Jinxu; otherwise, he would have laughed at him.

Dai Yueheng's expression was grim as he signaled his teammates to retreat toward the edge of the arena.

In this state, Ma Xiaotao could easily take them all out. Their only hope was that she retained a shred of rationality and didn't attack them first.

"Shrek's inner court truly produces remarkable talents."

On the city walls, Emperor Xu Jiawei sighed.

"Marshal, in this state, how powerful do you think Ma Xiaotao is?" he asked, turning to Dai Hao.

"She could rival a Titled Douluo. I only recently reached that level myself, but even so, she wouldn't be able to defeat me. This state burns away rationality. I would only need to stall her, and she would soon collapse, either unconscious or worse."

"Hahaha! If even you say so, then it seems the Sun-Moon battle team has reached its limit." Xu Jiawei's expression was relaxed. "I'm curious, though—what will they choose? Will they surrender this rare chance to defeat Shrek and exit at the round of sixteen, or will they gamble everything...?"

Either way, it was beneficial to him.

"A gamble... they don't have the qualifications for that." Dai Hao shook his head.

In his eyes, this year's Sun-Moon team was indeed monstrous. The mysterious Xu Cheng, the Soul Emperor-level captain Ma Rulong, the hongchen siblings, and that sword fanatic—it was possibly the strongest team in ten thousand years.

But they had run into Ma Xiaotao, a walking disaster.

Xu Jiawei chuckled in agreement.

A hero sees things the same way.

No matter how mysterious Xu Cheng was, absolute power would crush everything.

Buzz!

The black flames distorted space itself.

On the battlefield, amidst the blazing inferno, two snow-white hands gently pulled apart a gap in the flames.

Ma Xiaotao's figure slowly emerged, enormous black fire wings stretching behind her, blotting out the sky. She floated in midair, a demon of destruction.

But on the battlefield below, the pressure was suffocating.

Dai Yueheng was drenched in sweat. A single bead rolled down his forehead.

He silently prayed—please, don't attack us first.

Too many unpredictable factors were at play.

Even Huang Jinxu, watching from outside the arena, looked tense.

In this state, Ma Xiaotao would be difficult to control, even for him.

Meanwhile, behind the Sun-Moon team's fortress of steel, the atmosphere was heavy.

Despite the apparent safety of their barricade, they all knew it was worthless.

It would shatter instantly.

But amidst their unease, one figure remained calm—Xu Cheng.

"No wonder Shrek had this hidden trump card," Xiao Hongchen murmured.

"Xu Cheng, are you sure? Don't throw your life away."

"Relax."

Xu Cheng smiled.

His goal in having Ji Juechen provoke Ma Xiaotao's evil fire was simple: to make a public statement.

A so-called "Evil Soul Master"?

Then what is this so-called Evil Fire Phoenix of Shrek?

Moreover, he wanted to attract the attention of Holy Spirit Cult—specifically Zhongli Wu.

In the original timeline, it wouldn't be long before Zhongli Wu led a major attack on Shrek Academy to steal people away.

If the Holy Spirit Cult already saw him as an enemy, why not redirect their hostility toward Shrek?

This would be a fatal blow to Shrek's reputation.

"Alright, leave this to me."

Xu Cheng stepped forward.

With her mind consumed by madness, Ma Xiaotao's first target was the fallen Ji Juechen.

Like an apocalyptic tidal wave, black flames roared toward his defenseless form. If they touched him, he would be reduced to ash.

But Ji Juechen remained kneeling, using his Judgment Sword to keep himself upright.

A golden Invincibility Shield flared to life, a defense strong enough to withstand a full-powered blow from a Soul Sage for three seconds.

But against Ma Xiaotao's flames, it was already starting to crack.

The audience held their breath.

Those three seconds felt agonizingly long.

Everyone awaited the Sun-Moon team's response.

And then, from behind the steel barricade—

Only one person stepped forward.

He walked calmly toward the inferno.

"He's insane!"

Then—

Buzz!

The moment the Invincibility Shield shattered, a new layer of crystal-clear ice took its place.

Thin as a cicada's wing, yet utterly indestructible.

It stopped Ma Xiaotao's demonic flames cold.

Within the glacial cocoon, Ji Juechen finally relaxed, falling onto the battlefield with a faint smile.

In that instant—

Countless ice crystals soared into the air, blanketing the battlefield in ethereal, artistic beauty.

Snowflakes drifted down, carrying the bone-chilling power of absolute zero.

"This is... Ultimate Ice!!!"

In the stands, Xuanzi leapt to his feet, his voice trembling.

For years, Shrek had desperately sought an Ultimate Ice soul master to counter Ma Xiaotao.

And now, one had appeared—this mysterious young man.

Xuanzi's hatred for Xu Cheng melted away.

A smile crept onto his face.

All top-tier martial souls belong to Shrek!

Boy, you're not escaping us.

(End of Chapter)