The rabbit named Xiao Wu was no longer just a Soul Beast.
She had chosen humanity. She had chosen the man named Tang San.
And according to Neuvillette, she was also the "medicinal catalyst" Tang San planned to use to increase his strength.
If Snow Empress released her now, she wouldn't just ruin Neuvillette's plans—she might even send the rabbit back to Tang San, where she could turn against Skywater City.
Snow Empress had never heard the story of the farmer and the snake, but she understood its lesson.
She was kindhearted, but she was no brainless fool.
"What a pitiful and detestable little thing."
Snow Empress sighed softly and let the Soul Power at her fingertips dissipate.
She withdrew her hand and stopped looking at the ice statue, turning instead toward the middle of the room.
If she couldn't release her, she would have to find another way to ease the frustration in her heart.
The Soul Beast Clan had been schemed against by that father and son, penned up and treated like livestock, then sacrificed.
There was no way she could swallow this insult.
On the chaise longue, Neuvillette was idly leafing through an ancient book.
Sensing Snow Empress approach, he didn't look up. He merely asked in a languid tone,
"What is it? Have you gone soft?"
Snow Empress walked to the chaise longue and sat down. She crossed her long, elegant legs, her posture graceful and dignified.
"A little."
She didn't deny it or try to hide it.
"It's hard to feel comfortable when you see one of your own being bullied like that."
"Especially when I think of that Tang San using the lives of our Soul Beasts to pave his path to godhood. It makes me sick."
Neuvillette closed the book and raised his head, a hint of amusement in his pale violet, slit-pupiled eyes.
"So?"
"What do you want to do?"
Snow Empress lifted her chin slightly and gazed out the window toward the distant south.
From that direction came faint waves of bloodlust and Soul Power.
"I'm going to Jialing Pass."
Her voice was cool, but firm.
"I want to see what this so-called 'Child of Destiny' is really like."
"If I don't like what I see..."
Snow Empress narrowed her eyes, a glint of coldness flashing in them.
"I'll teach those little troublemakers from the Tang Sect a lesson while I'm at it."
"I'll collect a little interest for this silly rabbit and all the Soul Beasts they've schemed against."
Hearing this, Neuvillette not only didn't stop her, but chuckled softly.
He reached out, naturally slipped an arm around Snow Empress's slender waist, and drew her into his embrace.
"Go if you want to."
"Being cooped up in the City Lord Mansion all day really is boring."
Neuvillette gently combed his fingers through Snow Empress's silver hair. His tone was calm, but filled with domineering confidence.
"They're just a bunch of clowns. Play with them however you like."
"As long as you're happy, you could tear Jialing Pass apart, and no one would dare say a word."
Snow Empress leaned against his chest, the corners of her lips lifting in a captivating smile.
"You said it."
"If this turns into a huge mess, you'll have to take responsibility."
Neuvillette lowered his head and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Don't worry."
"If the sky falls, I'll be here."
Just as the two were enjoying their tender moment, two little heads suddenly poked in through the doorway.
The Shui sisters, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, blinked their wide eyes at them, anticipation written all over their faces.
"Master's wife! Master's wife!"
Shui Yue'er was the bolder of the two. She jumped right in and tugged playfully at Snow Empress's sleeve.
"Are you going to Jialing Pass?"
"Take us with you!"
"We want to see the excitement too!"
Shui Bing'er was a little more reserved, but she followed her sister inside, her eyes full of hope.
Ever since they'd beaten up the people from Shrek at the city gates, they'd developed a real taste for that sort of battle.
Now that they'd heard there was an even bigger battlefield, how could they possibly sit still?
Snow Empress sat up from Neuvillette's arms and straightened her clothes. Looking at her two excited little disciples, she smiled helplessly.
"All right."
"It'll be a good chance for you to broaden your horizons."
"That way, when you meet a shameless hypocrite in the future, you won't be fooled into helping him count his money."
As she finished speaking, Snow Empress shot a pointed glance at the ice statue in the corner.
Shui Yue'er stuck out her tongue and wrapped an arm around Snow Empress's.
"We're not that silly!"
"With you and our teacher here, who would dare trick us?"
Neuvillette looked at the three women, one grown and two young, and waved a hand.
"Go on. Come back early."
Half an hour later.
Above Jialing Pass, high over the clouds.
Snow Empress brought the Shui sisters with her, concealing their presence as they silently watched the brutal battlefield below.
The cries of battle shook the heavens and earth. Soul Skills burst across the battlefield like fireworks.
Blood stained the city walls. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere.
This was war.
Cruel and real.
Though Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were both prodigies, they had never witnessed tens of thousands of people fighting at once. Their faces had gone pale.
Snow Empress, by contrast, looked as calm as ever.
She had seen death countless times in the Far North. This was nothing that could frighten her.
Her gaze cut through the chaos and locked precisely onto the figure in the Shrek ranks—a man dressed in blue and holding a Trident.
That was Tang San.
He certainly looked the part from a distance, but his hypocritical nature practically stank from here.
Just as Snow Empress was about to give the people below a little "surprise"...
The golden ranking list, which had been motionless in the heavens, began to shake violently once more.
Rumble—
A golden pillar of light, like divine punishment, tore through the smoke of battle and fell over Qian Renxue in the Spirit Hall ranks.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and instinctively looked up.
On the Sky Screen, new lines of text began to appear beneath Qian Renxue's name.
[Artifact Evolution: Holy Angel Sword.] [Evolved Trait: Holy Judgment.] [Note: This sword has transcended the mortal and risen to the embryonic form of a Super Divine Artifact.] [Special Reward: The wielder is granted two 100,000-year God-Given Soul Rings.] [Trait: No attribute restrictions. Can be absorbed directly or replace an existing Soul Ring, with its years added!]
Golden light flooded the skies above Jialing Pass.
The Angel Sacred Sword in Qian Renxue's hand was no ordinary weapon anymore.
Empowered by two 100,000-year God-Given Soul Rings, a heart-stirring holy flame flowed along the blade.
Each swing seemed capable of cleaving the heavens apart.
Tang San was in a sorry state.
The Seagod Trident in his hand weighed 108,000 jin, but against the utterly unreasonable force of her Holy Judgment, he could barely lift it.
"Tang San, is that all you've got?"
Qian Renxue held her sword in one hand, her six wings spread behind her like a true god descending.
With a casual swing, she sent a vast golden sword aura sweeping across the battlefield.
Tang San could only raise his Trident to block.
"Clang—!"
The clash of metal pierced their ears.
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