"Leave it to me." Ke Qing nodded gently, then supported Ma Xiaotao as they walked toward the villa. Soon, their figures vanished from Lu Jingming's sight.
Only after Ke Qing and Ma Xiaotao were completely out of view did Lu Jingming wipe the playful expression from his face, his demeanor turning serious.
He looked toward Zhang Lexuan and softly asked, "How was it, Sister Lexuan?"
Zhang Lexuan naturally understood what Lu Jingming was asking.
She furrowed her brows slightly, pondering for a moment before replying quietly, "Very strong. Even if we were at the same level, I might win, but the process wouldn't be easy at all. And you have to understand—if the evil fire inside her can be successfully purified, and her martial soul evolves into the Ultimate Flame, defeating her would become even more difficult."
Lu Jingming wasn't surprised by this. After all, Zhang Lexuan hadn't cheated; she was a pure genius, relying solely on her innate talent and relentless effort.
Ma Xiaotao was also a prodigy with extraordinary talent. Under the careful training of Shrek Academy—the continent's top school—her strength naturally could not be underestimated.
At the same level, Zhang Lexuan's victory over Ma Xiaotao was largely thanks to Jingliu's meticulous guidance and training.
Though it seemed on the surface that Zhang Lexuan defeated Ma Xiaotao effortlessly, in reality, she used four soul skills!
If Zhang Lexuan's true level matched Ma Xiaotao's—both at level forty-one—there was no way this battle would have been so easy for her.
While Zhang Lexuan deliberately restrained her soul power level during the fight, the quality and quantity of her soul energy as a Soul Emperor still gave her an invisible edge.
That deep and overwhelming foundation of soul power granted her certain advantages even when consciously held back.
Zhang Lexuan's willingness to accept Lu Jingming's challenge against Ma Xiaotao wasn't just about protecting her husband.
More fundamentally, she wanted to use this opportunity to deeply understand the actual strength of the elite disciples from the continent's top academy—Shrek Academy.
After all, Saint Freya Academy had recently been officially registered under the Xingluo Empire and became a prestigious Soul Master academy.
This meant the academy had qualified to participate in next year's 2023 Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, held in Tiandou City, the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
In truth, it was no easy feat for Saint Freya Academy to be recognized as an advanced Soul Master academy.
However, Lu Jingming, as a noble of the Xingluo Empire with a princess as a step-sister, leveraged many privileges and "special channels" to smooth over these difficulties.
Even if some opposed it, once they learned there was a fearsome titled Douluo stationed at Saint Freya Academy, they quickly fell silent.
After all, it wasn't worth offending a titled Douluo over such a trivial matter.
Those who survived and thrived in noble circles were all cunning and pragmatic—they would never be foolish enough to make that mistake.
Zhang Lexuan would be eighteen next year, meeting the age requirement to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
However, the thorny problem before her was finding suitable teammates—not an easy task.
Saint Freya Academy was still new, its foundation shallow, and the number of outstanding students limited.
For now, the only one of appropriate age and capability to compete alongside her was Ke Qing.
But Lu Jingming already had a plan to solve this problem. After all, all they needed was to gather five teammates to enter the tournament. To him, Lady Black Tower was talented and exceptional—finding the right people should be no trouble.
While it wasn't hard to find soul masters under twenty years old, finding those who wouldn't hold the team back and had soul power at or above level forty was far more difficult.
Within the entire Haiyuan City, very few soul masters met these criteria, and most came from families or sects rather than Saint Freya Academy.
Thus, Lu Jingming had no choice but to look elsewhere. No matter what, he had to gather five capable people—and ensure they wouldn't be a burden to Zhang Lexuan and Ke Qing.
After all, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was highly anticipated. If Saint Freya Academy could break into the top thirty-two, the academy's reputation would soar naturally.
Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her eyes through a haze of drowsiness, only to find an unfamiliar ceiling above her.
She blinked in slight surprise before realizing she was lying on a soft, comfortable bed.
Stretching her somewhat languid body with a big yawn, she instantly felt an overwhelming sense of ease and comfort—completely unlike someone who had just gone through a fierce battle and drained all her soul energy.
This feeling was not unfamiliar to Ma Xiaotao.
She knew clearly that a healing-type soul master had meticulously treated her during her unconsciousness, doing everything possible to restore her body's functions and prevent any lasting aftereffects.
As she moved, the sheet covering her slipped off unintentionally, revealing the thin sleepwear she wore.
Only then did Ma Xiaotao realize that her original clothes had been changed. The thought that she was no longer in the familiar Shrek Academy caused her expression to darken slightly, a flicker of unease rising in her heart.
"Don't worry, I changed your clothes for you."
At that moment, Ke Qing gently pushed open the door, holding a bowl of fragrant fish soup steadily in her hands.
She immediately noticed the change in Ma Xiaotao's expression and understood what she was thinking. Smiling, she explained.
Being a girl herself, Ke Qing easily guessed Ma Xiaotao's feelings.
Seeing Ke Qing enter, Ma Xiaotao's tense expression softened considerably, and she quietly said, "Thank you."
She was not an ungrateful person; given the circumstances—Ke Qing's careful care while she was unconscious—a simple word of thanks was the least she could do.
"My name is Ke Qing. This fish soup is made from a hundred-year-old Silver Spirit Fish. It's very helpful for restoring your soul power."
Ke Qing introduced herself warmly before handing the steaming bowl of soup to Ma Xiaotao.
Without hesitation, Ma Xiaotao reached out and accepted it.
She understood well that if anyone truly wanted to harm her, they would have had plenty of chances while she was unconscious and defenseless—so she didn't worry about the soup being poisoned.
"My name is Ma Xiaotao. You can just call me Xiaotao," she said.
Ke Qing appeared slightly older and, as a fellow girl, Ma Xiaotao surprisingly showed a gentle, obedient side now. Compared to the fiery, rebellious little pepper she had been in front of Lu Jingming, it was like two completely different people.