Mental Dimensional Suppression

Seeing the smug smile on Tian Meng's face, Ice Empress felt her blood boil. It was as if a nerve called reason in her mind had snapped completely.

The more she endured, the angrier she became; the more she backed down, the more she felt she had lost out. If she could not make Tian Meng remember this deeply, she feared she would lose sleep over it. A bizarre idea thus appeared in her mind.

"Since physical pain can no longer affect this bastard, then I'll use another method." No sooner said than done. Under Tian Meng's gaze, Ice Empress stopped beating him and turned to leave.

"Looks like Bingbing was moved by me. As expected of a genius like me. When will Bingbing finally fall in love with me?" Just as he continued indulging in wild thoughts, Ice Empress returned, dragging along a baffled Ye Qing.

"Why are you dragging me into your personal grudge? Don't tell me you can't even beat that little silkworm. You've just survived your four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation."

"Shut up. Just come with me. You won't lose out anyway."

When Tian Meng saw Ice Empress bring Ye Qing back, he grew curious about what method she would use. Yet he never could have imagined that without throwing a single punch or kick, she would deal him a fatal blow.

"Tian Meng, you kept saying that it was love at first sight with me and that you wanted to become my partner, right?" As she spoke, Ice Empress had a bold idea.

"Yes, Bingbing. Have you decided to accept me?" Since he would not be beaten to death anyway, Tian Meng kept dancing on the edge, teasing Ice Empress's nerves.

"You should know that once an Ice Jade Scorpion has truly chosen a partner, she will never change partners again for the rest of her life, right?"

"I know you like Snow Empress, but you and Snow Empress are impossible..."

Before he could finish, Ice Empress grabbed Ye Qing by the collar in front of his stunned eyes. However, she failed to move Ye Qing at all, leaving her rather embarrassed.

"What are you trying to do?" Ye Qing felt that something was off with her.

"...Bastard." But since she had already started, she had no intention of stopping. Ice crystals formed beneath her feet, evening out the height difference between her and Ye Qing. Then, beneath Tian Meng's disbelieving gaze, she leaned over and kissed Ye Qing.

Forget Tian Meng—even Ye Qing was stunned. He finally understood why Ice Empress had said he definitely would not lose out. He truly had not lost out; he had practically struck gold.

"Do you understand now, Tian Meng? You have no chance. Give up already." After the kiss, Ice Empress looked at the dumbstruck Tian Meng and smiled triumphantly. Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she violently pushed Ye Qing away and fled.

There was no sorrow greater than a dead heart. At that moment, Tian Meng seemed to have turned to stone.

Not long afterward.

"What exactly did you do? How did this guy end up like this?" Looking at Tian Meng standing motionless in the corner, Di Tian asked Ye Qing beside him.

"He was probably dealt a blow. It seems he has feelings for the little one beside Ye Qing," Bi Ji answered for Ye Qing.

"Oh, really? Then he has found himself a formidable rival. No, to you, that guy does not even count as a rival, does he? But are you interested in that little girl?"

"Don't tell me there's nothing between you and Zi Ji. Compared to you, Zi Ji is the real little girl. An old dragon eating tender grass—I'll head back first. Once you're done with your seclusion, take your time discussing dragon life with Bi Ji."

Ice Empress did not return directly to Ye Qing's Castle after leaving. She did not know why she had made such a choice at that moment. Throughout her life, she had always acted without considering consequences and had never thought about leaving herself a way out. No matter the outcome in the past, she might have been angry or happy, but she had never been so conflicted.

She wandered aimlessly through the forest and gradually returned to the place where the Heavenly Tribulation had occurred. Looking at the marks left on the ground, Ye Qing's figure slowly surfaced in her mind again. The kiss in the Castle, the sight of him shattering Thunder Academy with one hand in the sky, and what she had just done all spun through her mind over and over like a lantern slideshow.

"This feeling... my heart is beating even faster than when I saw Xue'er. Could it be..."

"Why did you come all the way here?" Ye Qing's voice came from behind her.

"Let me make this clear first: I don't have any feelings for you. I only did it to piss off that stubborn bastard. Don't overthink it. And once we get back, you are not allowed to talk about it everywhere, understand?"

"Whatever you say. But I have a question too. Will Lord Ice Empress answer it?"

"What?"

"Who taught you how to use your tongue?" Ye Qing very much wanted to know the answer to that question.

"...Forget it! Forget all of it!" Once again, Ye Qing changed Ice Empress's color through the power of his words alone. Amid a familiar chase, the two continued drawing closer to the Castle.

Night fell within the Castle. Ye Qing arranged rooms for everyone, but Gang Zong insisted on staying outside the Castle gates. According to him, guarding Ye Qing's door was a matter of prestige.

Inside Snow Empress's room.

"Come in." She sensed Ice Empress's aura lingering outside the door. When the two returned today, she had noticed that Ice Empress was acting strangely and guessed that she would come looking for her. After all, they had been close friends for a very long time—though one person's intentions were not quite so pure.

"Are you feeling lost?"

"I don't know. Xue'er, I feel so strange. That guy is obviously a bastard, but I..."

"I can't answer that question for you. You need to ask here." As she spoke, Snow Empress pointed to Ice Empress's left breast, beneath which her heart beat.

"Only you know what you truly think. Face your heart, because what lies in your heart is what you ultimately want. Just like how you always said you liked me before, while I only saw you as my good sister. Touch your heart. A heart can speak too. Your heart will tell you who it truly belongs to."

Inside Ye Qing's room.

A short separation made reunion feel like newlywed bliss.

Ye Qing had just finished a sweaty battle with Xiao Qing, and the final outcome was Ye Qing's victory.

"Brother Qing, you have that scorpion's scent on you." If anyone understood the changes in Ye Qing's body best, it was undoubtedly Xiao Qing. The mingling of their auras could not escape a snake's senses, and she easily found the source of the scent on Ye Qing that did not belong to him.

"Mm, it might be a little complicated to explain, but there really is nothing between her and me right now." As for the future, who could say what the future held?

"Brother Qing, you can't fool me. When you say that, you smell like you're lying. But I don't care about that sort of thing. You were never destined to have only me in your heart. It's just that when there is truly no longer any place for Xiao Qing in your heart..."

Ye Qing stopped Xiao Qing's next words with his actions.

"Don't say foolish things. Your place will always be there."