Love's Question

The next day, Wutan City, as expected, was thrown into a huge turmoil.

News that the Gale Family Patriarch, Gale Bi, the Great Elder, and several core experts had all perished overnight in the Black Obsidian Mine outside the city spread throughout the entire city like wildfire.

The traces left at the scene were bizarre and tragic, as if baptized by an extreme cold storm. Most of the bodies were frozen, and the cause of death was peculiar.

The Gale Family was immediately thrown into chaos, leaderless.

The Ouba Family, which had been coveting the opportunity, and the Xiao Family, which had been enduring, acted swiftly like sharks smelling blood the moment the news was confirmed, beginning to carve up and annex the Gale Family's industries and territories.

The tripartite balance of Wutan City was completely shattered, and the power structure underwent a drastic reshuffle.

However, this feast of division, which caused a city-wide uproar and made countless people's eyes red with desire, seemed like mere irrelevant noise outside the window to its instigator—Mo Lin.

In his hidden hideout, a quiet room equipped with a simple soundproofing barrier, Mo Lin sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly closed.

His mind had long since sunk into a vast and peculiar space—his sea of consciousness.

This place was not a dark void, but a bizarre and colorful scene.

On one side was an endless ice plain of ice blue, with biting cold air and swirling snowflakes; on the other was a lava land of crimson, with rolling heatwaves and soaring flames.

The two extreme forces of ice and fire were not absolutely opposed here. Instead, they intertwined and flowed in a mysterious rhythm, forming a fragile balance.

In the core area where ice and fire intertwined, two stunning figures floated in the air.

One of them appeared to be a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen, wearing a short green skirt, with a delicate figure and a face as exquisite as a porcelain doll. Her emerald-like eyes, however, held a haughtiness and sharpness inconsistent with her appearance.

She exuded an aura of extreme cold, and was the Ice Emperor in human form.

The other was a woman dressed in snow-white, with a clear, ethereal temperament, like a fairy from the Moon Palace. Her peerless beauty carried a detached indifference and majesty that looked down upon all beings. She was, naturally, the Snow Emperor.

At this moment, Mo Lin's spiritual body was condensing here, engaging in his daily "sparring" with the Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor.

"Brat, take this! Emperor Palm: Great Cold Without Snow!" the Ice Emperor shouted coquettishly, lightly patting her jade hand. A seemingly gentle, but actually intent-filled palm strike of ice-cold wind, capable of freezing all things, silently swept towards Mo Lin.

Mo Lin did not dare to be negligent. His mind was highly concentrated as he also struck out with a palm. Ice-blue light flowed from his palm. Although it did not possess the natural perfection of the Ice Emperor's palm technique, it still carried a hint of the embryonic form of the Emperor Palm.

"Bang!"

The two extreme cold forces collided. Mo Lin's spiritual body shook violently, and he retreated several steps. A thin layer of frost covered his body, but he had managed to barely block the palm strike.

"Hmph! It's almost passable, but still too immature! The energy concentration is insufficient, and the artistic conception is far off!" the Ice Emperor pouted, criticizing him mercilessly, but a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in her emerald eyes.

After all, Mo Lin had only recently begun practicing the Emperor Palm, and his progress was already remarkable.

"Calm your mind and focus, feel the trajectory of the cold energy's flow, rather than simply imitating its form," the Snow Emperor's clear voice sounded from the side, like an ice spring striking jade, hitting the nail on the head.

As the originator, she occasionally offered a word or two, which often led Mo Lin to sudden enlightenment.

Mo Lin took a deep breath (a spiritual action), refocused his mind, and resumed his fight with the Ice Emperor.

In this spiritual world, he could unreservedly display and hone the various powerful skills he had inherited from the two Emperors, such as the embryonic forms of the Emperor Palm and Emperor Sword, as well as a deeper understanding of the Emperor Cold Heaven domain.

Although it was only a spiritual confrontation, the improvement in his combat ability was tangible.

This sparring session lasted for about an hour, until Mo Lin's spiritual body felt a sense of fatigue, and it finally came to an end.

The Ice Emperor dispersed the cold energy around her, put her hands on her hips, and floated in front of Mo Lin. She tilted her delicate little face, her emerald eyes darting around with a mix of curiosity and slyness, and suddenly asked:

"Hey, kid, don't just focus on training. I'm asking you, do you have any women around you now that you're somewhat involved with?"

Mo Lin's spiritual body froze slightly, not expecting the Ice Emperor to suddenly ask this.

The Ice Emperor counted on her fingers: "That Xiao Yi Xian you met in Qingshan Town, you've gone through hardships together, right? And in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, with that Misty Cloud Sect Master, Yun Yun, you also had... uh, some 'intimate' contact?

And yesterday, you played the hero and kissed that vixen, Ya Fei!"

Her tone carried obvious teasing at the end.

Even the Snow Emperor, as cool and detached as snow, slightly turned her head, showing a hint of interest in the question.

Mo Lin pondered for a moment, a complex smile appearing on his spiritual body's face.

He did not evade the question but thought about it seriously.

"Xian'er (Xiao Yi Xian)..." Mo Lin's mind conjured the image of the kind and stubborn girl gathering herbs in Qingshan Town, and the scene in the valley where they leaned on each other and confided their feelings.

"She is the first woman I truly met and developed feelings for after arriving in this world. Being with her is pure and very relaxing.

She bears the Calamity Poison Body and has a difficult fate, which evokes my pity and a sense of responsibility.

I wish to protect her and help her escape the curse of her constitution. This feeling began in hardship, carrying the sincerity of a young man's first taste of love."

The Ice Emperor snorted: "You're quite the tender-hearted one. What about Yun Yun? She almost killed you, but later... hmph!"

Mentioning Yun Yun, Mo Lin's eyes became a little deeper: "Yun Yun... the situation is rather complicated. When we first met, it was a life-or-death battle, but it was precisely that battle that allowed me to witness the demeanor of a Dou Emperor expert.

Later interactions, through twists of fate, led to some... unexpected intimacy. She has a noble status, immense power, and a cool exterior but a warm heart. Being with her gives me a sense of challenge and conquest.

Moreover, my initial understanding of the Yin Yang Feather Transformation Art also benefited from her. Towards her, perhaps there is some attraction stemming from her mystery and power, as well as the subtle connection brought about by that accident. But what the future holds depends on fate."

"Tsk tsk, you explain it so well." The Ice Emperor clicked her tongue and pressed on: "What about that Ya Fei yesterday? You were so domineering, directly declaring her 'the woman you fancied,' and even forcibly kissed her!"

Mo Lin smiled. His feelings for Ya Fei were clearer: "Ya Fei... she is an extremely intelligent woman, adept at scheming, skilled in social graces, full of mature feminine charm and ambition.

Interacting with her is more like a game of chess, filled with probing and pulling. I admire her abilities and beauty, and I also need the resources and channels of the Mite'er Family behind her.

Saving her was partly opportunistic, and partly because I value her as a person. As for that kiss..."

Mo Lin paused, a playful smile appearing on his face. "Perhaps it was an impulse, perhaps it was to break her usual composure, leaving a deeper mark on her heart.

Between us, interests, admiration, and desires are intertwined. How things will develop in the future might be very interesting."

Summarizing, Mo Lin calmly stated, "Xian'er represents my original intention and responsibility, Yun Yun is an unexpected encounter and a challenge, and Ya Fei is a game and desire.

Each of them is different, and they occupy different positions and hold different meanings in my heart."

The Ice Emperor tilted her head, her emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Then which one do you like the most? Or rather, how do you plan to handle these relationships?

Are you, kid, really planning to emulate those emperors and have a harem?"

The Snow Emperor also spoke coolly, with a hint of admonishment. "The matter of love is the most distracting. If your ambition is for the peak, you must know that romantic entanglements can sometimes be a burden."

Mo Lin fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, and then the gaze of his spiritual body became firm and profound. "Whether I like them or not is not a simple comparison.

Every woman who has appeared in my life has her unique destiny. I am not a heartless person, but I will absolutely not let myself be shackled by love."

He looked at the Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor, his tone carrying a maturity and confidence that transcended his age. "My path is to pursue the ultimate of Fighting Energy, to explore the origin of Yin Yang, and my goal is that supreme Emperor Realm.

On this path, if I have like-minded confidantes who can support each other, it would naturally be a great fortune in life. But I will never let romantic entanglements become my chains."

"As for how to get along..." Mo Lin's lips curved into an arc. "I'll let nature take its course, guided by my heart alone. I will not betray any true feelings, but I will also not abandon my path for anyone.

If they can understand and accept my path, then we will journey together; if not, then each will have their own brilliance."

"Well said, 'Let nature take its course, guided by my heart alone'!" the Ice Emperor exclaimed with a clap, seemingly quite satisfied with Mo Lin's answer. "You've got some spirit! You haven't let beauty cloud your mind. This Emperor wants to see how far you can go, kid, and how many romantic debts you'll accrue!"

The Snow Emperor nodded slightly, and a faint trace of approval seemed to flash in her cool eyes.

Mo Lin's answer showed that he was not a person who indulged in romance, and that he had a broader world in his heart, which met their expectations for a successor.

The conversation in the sea of consciousness gradually subsided, and Mo Lin's mind returned to reality.

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp yet restrained. He seemed to have a clearer understanding of his own emotions and his path.

The clamor outside the window was someone else's feast, but his journey had only just begun.

Whether it was the conflicts in Wutan City or the complex relationships with the women, they were merely scenery and tests on his path to the peak.

His goal remained the vast world, like a sea of stars.