Xue Nianbing's Remarkable Constitution, Snow Empress: You're Repaying Kindness with Enmity

"Have you had enough...?"

The Ice Empress was both anxious and angry.

She had been so generous and righteous, yet he was pushing his luck. This was simply too much.

How could he keep playing with her scorpion tail like that? Couldn't he see that it was flushed red beneath the ice and looking somewhat unnatural?

Did he really have no sense at all?

Little did she know, it was not that Xue Nianbing lacked tact. He simply had a wicked sense of humor.

A scorpion being shy?

That was a rare sight. He had to get a good look.

Xue Nianbing played with it for a while longer before finally withdrawing his hands. Smiling, he commented, "Very smooth, very cold, very pretty, and it feels great too."

"Nianbing, I'm going to sting you!"

Furious, the Ice Empress jabbed him with the tip of her scorpion tail, instantly freezing Xue Nianbing into an ice block.

Still, she had held back somewhat and did not injure him.

"Crack!"

The ice shattered, and Xue Nianbing emerged completely unharmed, the smile still on his lips.

"Let's see if you dare do that again!" the Ice Empress huffed cutely, looking just like an innocent twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl.

Her "warning" had no bite whatsoever.

As a result, Xue Nianbing became even more brazen. With a wicked grin, he said, "Since the consequences of touching it are so mild, I'll go a little further next time."

The moment those words left his mouth.

The Ice Empress flew into a rage, her voice filled with embarrassment and indignation. "You wouldn't dare!"

Go further next time? What exactly did he want to do?

Did he really think that, relying on the affection she and the Snow Empress had for him, he could act without restraint?

What a joke. Next time, she would sting him again!

"Hehe, there's nothing I wouldn't dare do."

Xue Nianbing repeatedly danced along the edge of the Ice Empress's anger, even bluntly declaring, "Next time, I'll eat you up completely."

"You, you, you..."

The Ice Empress was ashamed and furious, and even a faint blush appeared on her body, making her look rather strange.

Her Emerald Scorpion Tail pointed at Xue Nianbing, uncertain whether to sting him or lash him.

"Enough, Nianbing. Stop bullying Bing'er. She's still young."

At that moment, the Snow Empress's voice rang out.

Xue Nianbing: "..."

Bing'er was still young?

She was a Fierce Beast nearly four hundred thousand years old, and she called that young?

If Bing'er was young, then what was she? Old?

Well... to be fair, she was indeed quite big.

The Snow Empress still wore an exquisite snow-white gown. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, as though Heaven itself had meticulously sculpted it, and her aura was aloof, noble, and proud as frost and snow.

That face, that figure, that bearing.

No matter how many times one saw her, one could not help but lose oneself in a daze.

"Snow Empress!" the Ice Empress cried out in delight and immediately ran to her side.

Xue Nianbing also stepped forward and greeted her with a smile. "Sister Xue."

The Snow Empress gave a slight nod, revealing a beautiful smile. "Over these five years, you haven't disappointed Bing'er or me. Though you're only a Level 37 Soul Elder, your true combat strength can rival that of a high-level Soul King."

"Release the Soul Rings of your Frosty Ice Spear Martial Soul. Let me have a look."

"Alright."

Xue Nianbing nodded, summoning the Frosty Ice Spear as Soul Rings descended from above his head one after another.

Purple, purple, purple!

As his strength rose, his body grew stronger, and the maximum Soul Ring age it could bear increased accordingly.

That mysterious object in his Sea of Consciousness once again released icy-blue mist, raising the Soul Ring ages.

All three Soul Rings had exactly the same age: Nine Thousand Years.

The soul skills granted by Nine Thousand Year Soul Rings were also extremely powerful. In addition to Mark of Ice, there were Swiftness of Ice and Vortex of Ice.

His second soul skill, Frosty: Swiftness of Ice, came from a Swift Ice Falcon over three thousand years old. It allowed Xue Nianbing to briefly attain extreme speed, leaving frosty afterimages in his wake.

His third soul skill, Frosty Ice Spear: Vortex of Ice, came from a Vortex Ice Beast over seven thousand years old. It allowed Xue Nianbing to spin his spear and form an icy vortex that absorbed attacks and weakened their power.

"The maximum Soul Ring age you can bear has already risen to Nine Thousand Years. At this rate, once you reach Level 40, you should be able to raise it to a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."

The Snow Empress spoke.

Xue Nianbing's body was highly unusual. Whether he cultivated or consumed Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, the strengthening effect on his body was negligible.

Only time worked. Xue Nianbing did not need to do anything at all; as long as he quietly waited for time to pass, his body would slowly and miraculously grow stronger.

This was something the Snow Empress had discovered over the past five years.

Remarkable. Truly remarkable.

Other than the strange growth of his body, the increase in his Soul Ring ages was equally astonishing.

A stronger body meant he could withstand Soul Rings of greater age, but what energy was increasing the Soul Ring ages?

That was something that puzzled the Snow Empress as well.

"Mm. A Ten Thousand Year Fourth Soul Ring won't be a problem."

Xue Nianbing nodded with a smile.

As his strength increased, he could clearly feel his body becoming slightly stronger every moment.

And as his body strengthened, the ages of his Soul Rings rose as well.

Just like that, their ages had already reached Nine Thousand and One Years.

"Your constitution truly is special."

The Snow Empress exclaimed in admiration, then shifted the subject. "But this has an advantage as well. Whenever you need to absorb a Soul Ring, you know where your limit lies, allowing you to absorb the Soul Ring's power to the fullest extent."

"You are currently a Level 37 Soul Elder and not far from becoming a Level 40 Soul Ancestor. However, you can remain at Level 40 for a while longer. While searching for suitable Soul Rings, you can also allow the limit of what your body can bear to rise further."

"After all, Extreme Martial Souls cultivate very slowly from the Soul Elder stage to the Soul Saint stage, let alone when you possess Twin Ultimate Martial Souls. No matter how strong your physical constitution is, your Soul Power Level will still be dragged down."

"So, you must cherish every opportunity to raise your Soul Power Level by absorbing Soul Rings. The higher the Soul Ring age, the more it can help you rapidly increase your Soul Power Level."

"But you cannot focus only on your body and blindly pursue a rapid rise in Soul Power Level. Tempering your own strength remains what you should do most."

Although Xue Nianbing differed from ordinary Soul Masters, the Snow Empress still did her best to devise a cultivation method suited to his actual circumstances.

This was also the conclusion she had reached after observing Xue Nianbing for five years.

Hearing those words, Xue Nianbing felt an indescribable warmth in his heart.

"Sister Xue, you treat me so well that I have no way to repay you. I'll offer myself to you in marriage someday." Xue Nianbing spoke with complete sincerity.

"No! Keep dreaming!"

Before the Snow Empress could answer, the Ice Empress angrily interrupted.

Yet the reason for the Ice Empress's interruption this time seemed somewhat different from before. Perhaps even she herself did not realize it.

The Snow Empress noticed something, but she did not expose it.

She stretched out her snowy-white hand and patted Xue Nianbing on the head. Smiling faintly, she said, "That wouldn't be repaying kindness. That would be repaying kindness with enmity."

"I never said I was repaying kindness."

"I said I had no way to repay you. Repayment is repayment—repaying kindness with enmity is still repayment, isn't it?"

Xue Nianbing grinned broadly and looked at the Snow Empress with a chuckle.

When he had first met the Snow Empress, he had simply lusted after her body.

Flawless, aloof and noble, pure and captivating.

He had not dared imagine how fragrant and alluring the Snow Empress could be.

Now, after several years together, he no longer merely desired the Snow Empress's body. He desired her heart as well.

"Nianbing, it seems you've gotten a little carried away."

The Snow Empress narrowed her eyes, a dangerous faint smile appearing on her lips. "It has been two years since we last tested your strength. Let me see how much you've improved now."