Li Bai!

Above the Heavenly Curtain, a reward descended.

A dark blue beam of light poured down like moonlight, enveloping Shui Yue'er.

[Reward granted: Second Martial Soul Evolution!]

[Evolution path: Extreme Ice Dolphin!]

[Obtained one God-Bestowed Soul Ring, one fifty-thousand-year Extreme Ice Right Leg Bone!]

In the picture.

The once-gentle Jade Dolphin began to swell rapidly beneath the blue light.

Its body became sleeker, and streaks of ice blue divine patterns emerged across its skin.

The surrounding seawater instantly froze, transforming into a massive iceberg.

The dolphin let out a long cry, and wherever its sound waves passed, even space seemed to crack from the cold.

The ultimate ice attribute!

This was no longer an ordinary Beast Martial Soul, but a top-tier control-type Martial Soul with an ultimate attribute!

Chang'an City, Taibai Restaurant.

This was the most luxurious and bustling pleasure district in all of Great Tang.

At that moment, in the restaurant's first-floor hall.

Dai Mubai sat alone at a table by the window, holding a pot of strong liquor and tilting his head back to drink.

His gaze was slightly unfocused as he stared at the breathtakingly lovely figure on the Heavenly Curtain.

"Shui Yue'er..."

Dai Mubai burped, a lewd glint flashing through his eyes.

Back at Skywater Academy, every one of those girls had been exquisite.

Especially the sister pair, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.

Back then, he and Ma Hongjun had often discussed in private how intoxicating it would be if they could get those sisters into bed.

What a pity.

Now, they were top experts of an empire, existences even Titled Douluo had to look up to.

Yet he, Dai Mubai, still bore the title of prince but had long since lost his former glory.

Watching Shui Yue'er's delicate body grow ever more perfect along with her Martial Soul Evolution, Dai Mubai felt a surge of Evil Fire rise from his lower abdomen.

That sense of loss from wanting yet being unable to have her made him even more agitated.

"Damn it."

Dai Mubai cursed and slammed the table.

"Waiter!"

"Find This Young Master a few pretty girls!"

"Good figures, especially long legs!"

Since he could not have the fairy in the sky, he could only find some amusement among mortals to vent his frustration.

All he wanted now was to recover that pitiful shred of self-respect on a woman's body.

Just then.

A commotion suddenly broke out at the restaurant entrance.

"Is that... Lady Gongsun Li?"

"Heavens, who is that man beside her? He's so handsome!"

"Quiet! That's the empire's Regent King, Lord Li Xin!"

Amid the clamor.

Li Xin held Gongsun Li's hand as he strode into the restaurant.

Dressed in black, he possessed an otherworldly bearing. The nobility and dominance that radiated from his very bones instantly silenced the entire restaurant.

Gongsun Li walked obediently at his side, like a little bird nestled against him.

The two passed straight through the hall and headed toward a VIP private room on the top floor.

Dai Mubai stood at the stairway, watching the man surrounded like the moon among stars. The jealousy in his eyes nearly burst into flames.

That was Li Xin.

The man who controlled Great Tang, the man even the Empress obeyed without question.

Both were men, so why was the gap between them so vast?

Here, Dai Mubai could only vent himself on common women, while Li Xin was always surrounded by breathtaking beauties like this.

Li Xin seemed to notice something and casually swept his gaze toward the stairway.

It was only a single glance.

Calm. Indifferent.

Like an elephant looking down on an ant at its feet.

Then he withdrew his gaze. He did not even pause his steps before heading directly upstairs.

Dai Mubai felt a chill run through his body. More than half of his Evil Fire was instantly extinguished, and his legs went weak.

Inside the private room called "Green Lotus Pavilion" on the top floor of Taibai Restaurant.

The view here was expansive, offering a full view of half of Chang'an City.

A man dressed in white, with a longsword at his waist, had been waiting for quite some time.

He held a wine gourd and leaned casually against the window, looking utterly carefree.

When he saw Li Xin push open the door, the man in white laughed loudly. With a flash, he appeared before Li Xin.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Ever since we parted atop the Great Wall, it has been far too long since we brothers last met."

"Today, we will not leave until we are drunk!"

The newcomer was none other than Great Tang's Poet Immortal, the Green Lotus Sword Immortal—Li Bai.

He carried none of a powerful expert's oppressive aura, only a free and unrestrained Sword Intent like the wind.

A sincere smile appeared on Li Xin's face as well. He stepped forward and firmly patted Li Bai's shoulder.

"Brother Taibai, your sword has become much faster again."

"Come, let's drink."

"Let the Martial Soul Ranking rank itself today. We'll drink our own wine."

To Li Xin.

Golden Crocodile, Shui Yue'er—none of them mattered.

They were all merely passing clouds.

Only the wine in his cup and the people before him were real.

Great Tang Guesthouse.

With Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing leaving in anger, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat gloomy.

The remaining Shrek students looked at one another, their eyes filled with confusion and unease.

Shui Yue'er's appearance on the ranking was like a resounding slap across the faces of these so-called "monsters."

Even their former defeated opponent had made the Top Twenty and received such heaven-defying God-Bestowed Rewards, yet they, the favored children of heaven, remained absent from the list.

That feeling of disparity gnawed at everyone's hearts like ants.

Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back. He withdrew his gaze from the doorway, and the inscrutable expression on his face did not crumble because of Dai Mubai's departure.

He turned to look at the dispirited Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others. His tone was calm, yet carried unwavering certainty.

"There is no need to care about Mu Bai leaving. As a prince, it is only natural for him to be proud."

"As for Shui Yue'er's appearance on the ranking, it is not a bad thing for you. On the contrary, it is a good omen."

Oscar raised his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Grandmaster, what do you mean?"

Yu Xiaogang walked over to the table and lightly tapped his fingers against its surface, producing a steady rhythm.

"Think carefully. How strong were the Shui Yue'er sisters from Skywater Academy back then?"

"They were nothing more than opponents you had defeated."

"If even Soul Masters with aptitude like theirs can rank nineteenth on the Golden List, what does that mean?"

Yu Xiaogang paused, sweeping his gaze over the group as his voice rose slightly.

"It means the threshold for this Martial Soul Ranking is not as unreachable as we imagined."

"If even Shui Yue'er can make the list, then why would you monsters, handpicked by Shrek and far more talented than her, fail to do so?"

"Especially Xiao San's Twin Martial Souls. They will certainly claim the top spot."

"So wait patiently. The glory that belongs to you will come sooner or later."

These words were like a powerful tonic, instantly rekindling the light in the eyes of the previously despondent group.

That was right.

If even that dolphin that only knew how to flaunt her charms could make the list, why couldn't they?

Ma Hongjun even puffed out his round belly, a lecherous grin appearing on his face.

"Grandmaster is right!"

"Who the hell is Shui Yue'er? If Fatty runs into her, one blast of fire will roast her into dried fish."

"Looks like this ranking is nothing special. Fatty can definitely squeeze into the top ten."