Chapter Nine: Suppressing the Evil Flames and the Surge of Ma Xiaotao's Spirit Power
At that moment, Ma Xiaotao's evil flames flared up once again, engulfing her body and piercing straight into her consciousness.
Ji Lin had no choice but to exert all his strength to suppress them. His ultimate ice formed a frozen wall that surrounded the corrupted flames, preventing them from invading further for the time being and halting their relentless advance as they sought to devour Ma Xiaotao.
Ji Lin spoke calmly, reassuring her:
"Don't be afraid… I'll suppress it."
But Ma Xiaotao could no longer hear him.
The evil flames were far too overwhelming, plunging her mind into complete chaos.
Ji Lin's thoughts collided in turmoil.
If this situation continued, Ma Xiaotao would undoubtedly become the final victim.
He had to deal with these corrupted flames first.
However, the problem was that he could not move freely, and the evil flames were ferocious—no less savage than his own ice. How could he possibly disperse them with physical strength alone?
"No… I must find a way. Quickly."
In a desperate attempt to regain his balance, Ji Lin forced his mind to focus, searching with everything he had for a method to save Ma Xiaotao.
He knew her condition was extremely dangerous.
If the evil fire truly erupted and slipped out of control, even he would be unable to withstand it, and the consequences would be disastrous.
Thus, Ji Lin had no choice but to summon the power of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm once again.
The instant he summoned it, Ji Lin changed completely.
With his immense spiritual power, the ice wall he had just formed grew ten times stronger, sealing the corrupted flames entirely and preventing even the slightest trace from escaping.
Moreover, under the continuous pressure of his absolute ice, and with the flow of life energy from the Hashirama Senju bloodline, the flames of corruption began to wither away little by little.
Half an hour passed…
Ji Lin had never expected that helping Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil flames would bring him such astonishing benefits.
The strength of his spirit rose to a whole new level; what would normally require years of arduous cultivation was accomplished within a few short hours—perhaps even less.
At this rate, once he obtained his second spirit ring, even without relying on the power of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, he would already be capable of surpassing Bai Bai.
All of this was thanks to the life energy from the Hashirama Senju bloodline, as well as the origin of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm.
It seemed that Ma Xiaotao herself had also benefited from that life energy.
He let out a sigh.
Ji Lin then looked at Ma Xiaotao and spoke:
"Senior Sister, could you check your spirit power and see if there have been any changes?"
He asked suddenly.
Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes shimmered as she gently nodded.
Her focus shifted slightly, and in the next instant, an invisible wave spread outward from her body.
As her spirit power erupted at full force, the entire room was filled with violent fluctuations of soul energy.
It was obvious—her spirit power had increased.
Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her eyes, a trace of joy appearing on her beautiful face.
"I can feel it… my spirit power has risen to Level 70! This is unbelievable!"
She had no idea how great an impact Ji Lin had had on her body.
She clearly remembered that deep within her soul, there had been something like a black hole, constantly devouring her spirit power and plunging her into a deep slumber.
Then, all of a sudden, a scorching aura erupted inside her and instantly spread across every inch of her body.
That fiery energy—including Ji Lin's spirit power—became hers, even though she had not cultivated it herself; it had been transferred through Ji Lin's absolute ice.
Thanks entirely to Ji Lin, this rapid improvement had become possible.
The increase was not limited to the recovery of her spirit power—it rose by several levels at once, reaching Level 70.
If she were to obtain just one spirit ring, she would become a true Spirit Sage.
At that thought, Ma Xiaotao felt overwhelmed with joy.
She had never expected that this young man, who appeared ordinary and possessed relatively low spirit power, would not only extinguish her evil flames, but also enhance her spirit power as well.
She felt deeply grateful to Ji Lin.
"What is your name, boy?"
Ma Xiaotao asked with a smile.
He replied calmly,
"My name is Ji Lin. I am a new student in the Outer Court. May I know your name?"
His respect and composure were evident as he spoke with genuine politeness.
"Ji Lin…"
Ma Xiaotao repeated his name, touching her chin as she stared at him with interest.
"You are quite capable. I won't forget you. My name is Ma Xiaotao, a student of the Inner Court. If anyone bullies you in the future, tell them my name, and I'll handle the problem for you."
Then she added, her tone carrying deeper meaning:
"And you should visit the Inner Court often in the future…"
In the end, Ma Xiaotao appeared somewhat embarrassed, her beautiful face flushing red.
Good heavens!
It seemed that the true objective was never the wine at all, but rather the mountains and rivers, wasn't it?
"By the way, I think your strength is a bit lacking. I have two spirit pills here; they should be effective for you."
As she spoke, Ma Xiaotao took out two green pills from her spirit guide and handed them to Ji Lin.
Could these really be spirit pills?
Ji Lin accepted them in a daze.
These pills were of tremendous value. Not only could they greatly enhance spirit power, but they also refined the meridians and marrow, making them highly sought after by many Spirit Masters.
Naturally, their price was exorbitant. Each pill was worth ten thousand spirit gold coins, and they were often sold at prices even higher than their market value.
He had not expected Ma Xiaotao to be so generous, giving him two at once—equivalent to twenty thousand spirit gold coins.
In truth, students of the Inner Court possessed far more abundant resources than those of the Outer Court.
Inside the Inner Hall, the core students of the affiliated academy were trained with meticulous precision. Whenever individuals of exceptional talent were discovered, the academy would devote all of its resources to nurturing them without hesitation.
This was one of the reasons the affiliated academy had endured for thousands of years.
"All right! I'll be leaving now. See you later!"
Ma Xiaotao handed the mysterious spirit pills to Ji Lin and waved goodbye.
Under the scorching heat of the phoenix flames, the surrounding ice walls vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.
Wang Dong'er suddenly felt a sharp pain surge through her body.
In the new students' dormitory…
When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the bed in her room, while Ji Lin sat beside her, watching her attentively.
She blinked in surprise and asked,
"You… what are you trying to do?"
Suddenly, Wang Dong'er quickly turned her body to the other side.
Ji Lin smiled faintly, his expression almost innocent.
"Nothing. I just wanted to show some concern for you."
"Really?"
Wang Dong'er slowly sat up, even as a wave of dizziness weighed heavily on her head.
She asked hesitantly, suspicion and doubt filling her heart:
"Did… did something happen to us at Poseidon Lake? Why am I here?"
She remembered it clearly.
After having breakfast with Ji Lin, she had accompanied him to Poseidon Lake, where they encountered a massive fireball rushing toward them at terrifying speed…
After that, everything became a blur.
And now, she was suddenly waking up in the dormitory.