Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 86 The Ice Princess and the Flame Demon

At this moment, the atmosphere within the team didn't seem to be very harmonious.

Ling Luochen frowned, his icy blue eyes filled with obvious displeasure as he looked at Ma Xiaotao:
"Why are you here too? This mission is in the far north ice plains. Don't you know how restrictive that environment is for you? What are you going there for? To hold us back?"

Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms and met Ling Luochen's gaze defiantly, her crimson eyes seeming to flicker with flames:
"Why can't I come? Do you think I'd even care about a mere ice and snow environment? My flames are enough to melt any ice."

Her words were full of confidence and pride. As the owner of the Evil Fire Phoenix, she certainly had the right to be proud. While the environment did offer some restraint, it was not enough to make her back down.

"Heh, whatever."

Ling Luochen sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"But let me make this clear from the start: if you lose control of your temper halfway through, don't come looking for me. I won't help you."

"Humph."

Ma Xiaotao reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with anger. She snorted coldly and said with her neck stiff.

"Who needs your help? With Xiao Xu here, that's enough."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Xu Sanshi, who was trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Xu Sanshi suddenly shuddered, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, while inwardly groaning:
'My dear aunt, please don't drag me into this! Suppressing your evil fire takes half my life each time. I don't want to die young!'

"Okay, you two."

Zhang Lexuan rubbed her temples helplessly and interrupted the familiar argument.

Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao, one an ice princess and the other a fire demon, have conflicting attributes and personalities. One is aloof and averse to trouble, while the other is fiery and unwilling to admit defeat. They are notorious rivals in the inner courtyard.

More importantly, Ling Luochen was unwilling to expend his energy to help Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil fire, and Ma Xiaotao was too ashamed to ask her enemy for help. She preferred to seek help from Xu Sanshi, whose methods were far less effective, rather than bow down to Ling Luochen.

Zhang Lexuan's prestige was clearly sufficient; as soon as she spoke, Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao, though still glaring at each other, finally quieted down for the time being.

At this moment, Zhang Lexuan also noticed Yin Chen and the other two approaching.

Yin Chen quickly stepped forward. As the least senior student present, Yin Chen spoke first, his tone carrying just the right amount of apology, and gave a slight nod to Zhang Lexuan, who was at the head of the group:
"Dear seniors, are we not late?"

Zhang Lexuan shifted her gaze from the two junior students who were exchanging sharp glances, and looked at Yin Chen and his two companions, a gentle smile appearing on her face, instantly easing the tension in the atmosphere:
"No, you've come at the perfect time."

Her voice was gentle yet powerful, naturally commanding the situation.

Clearly, the leader of this mission was none other than Zhang Lexuan, the senior disciple of the inner court, whose cultivation level was as high as that of a Soul Douluo.

The fact that she personally led the team demonstrates the importance the academy attaches to this mission, or rather, to these core disciples in the team.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, she stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over all the members, her gentle yet authoritative voice clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Alright, everyone's here. I'm Zhang Lexuan, the leader of this mission. Our destination is the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire, and we may eventually venture deep into the far north. Luo Chen and Xi Xi should have already given us a general overview of the mission. It mainly involves tracking specific targets and investigating their unusual movements."

Her gaze lingered briefly on Yin Chen, Gu Yuena, and Ye Guyi, carrying a hint of encouragement:
"The junior students from the School of Foreign Languages ​​are mainly here for observation and adaptation. Please follow instructions and pay attention to your own safety. Students from the School of Internal Medicine, please take good care of them."

Finally, her gaze returned to all the members of the inner courtyard.

"The journey is long, so we will use the fastest means of transportation. Remember, all actions must follow orders. Prioritize reconnaissance and information gathering, and avoid engagement unless absolutely necessary." Zhang Lexuan's words were calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.

With her there, the team seemed to instantly have a backbone, and even Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao became more reserved and listened quietly.

"Yes, Sister Lexuan/Senior Sister."

Everyone responded in unison.

Before setting off, Zhang Lexuan's storage soul tool flashed, and several identical items appeared in her hand.

Those were several pairs of metal wings, simple in structure, shimmering with a faint soul-guiding light.

"This is a low-level flying soul tool issued by the academy. Although its speed and agility are average, it has the advantage of low soul power consumption, making it suitable for long-distance travel."

As Zhang Lexuan spoke, she handed the flying soul tools to Yin Chen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan, who were all outer court disciples.

Yin Chen took the pair of metal wings.

It feels slightly heavy to the touch, has a wingspan of about 1.5 meters, and is made of some kind of lightweight alloy. At its core is a soul guide core that provides power, as well as a handle for soul masters to inject soul power.

The style is the most basic standard design, without any extra decorations, purely a functional creation.

Ye Guyi and Gu Yuena each received one as well.

Although Ye Guyi has angel wings, Gu Yuena has dragon wings, and Yin Chen can achieve short-distance flight by precisely controlling airflow, using a flight soul tool specially designed to conserve soul power is undoubtedly a wiser choice for long journeys.

After all, no one would casually expend their precious soul power during a long journey.

In contrast, the inner court disciples were equipped with much better gear.

Behind Ma Xiaotao unfolded a pair of dazzling, fiery red flying soul tools, with dark red patterns drawn along their edges.

Ling Luochen's wings were a pair of crystal-clear ice wings, as if they were formed from countless pieces of extremely cold ice, exuding a chilling aura.

Xixi's flight soul tool is a pair of small and flexible cyan wings.

Even Zhang Lexuan herself uses a pair of silver wings that emit a soft moonlight, which complements her cool and ethereal temperament.

These inner court elites' flying soul tools are all high-end products tailored to the characteristics of their respective martial souls. Whether in terms of performance, appearance, or compatibility with the soul master, they are far superior to the standard products issued to outer court disciples.

Looking at the simple metal wings in their hands, and then at the cool and powerful custom soul tools of the senior students in the inner courtyard, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi couldn't help but show envy in their eyes.

Jiang Nannan remained calm, carefully examining the structure of the soul tool.

"Inject soul power and concentrate your mind to guide the direction. You may feel a little unfamiliar the first time you use it, so stay close to the team and don't fall behind."

Zhang Lexuan gave a brief instruction.

Yin Chen followed his instructions and injected his soul power into the metal wings. As the soul power flowed, the metal wings trembled slightly and emitted a low hum. Then they floated up and generated an upward lifting force.

(End of this chapter)