Beautiful Things

The tiny cracks stood out sharply against the seamless, icy-blue crystal.

Staring at one, Xu Lanqing touched it with a finger, then flinched at the sharp sensation.

"No way. I only touched it lightly. This can't be my fault, right?"

"Crack, crack—"

As if in answer, the cracks spread in an instant, and more began to appear.

White frost seeped out, and the temperature plunged to freezing before continuing to drop.

Xu Lanqing snatched his hand back as if shocked and instinctively retreated several steps. His Snow Maiden Martial Soul seemed to sense the danger and possessed him on its own.

Now he was certain it wasn't his fault. From the looks of it, Snow Empress was about to emerge.

The cracks spread rapidly, covering the icy-blue crystal in the blink of an eye. The once-solid surface now resembled a Prince Rupert's drop, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

"Crash—"

The crystals broke apart from the outside in, showering down in countless fragments. A pillar of snowy light shot into the sky, and a terrifying pressure instantly filled the entire space.

A thousand miles frozen, ten thousand miles of snow drifting.

As far as the eye could see, everything was blanketed in white.

Yet Xu Lanqing didn't feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, he felt warm and comfortable, as if basking in a spring breeze.

His eyes were fixed on the scene before him. Once the icy-blue crystal had shattered completely, it revealed a sight that left him stunned.

Snow Empress's eyelids were lowered. Her familiar, breathtakingly beautiful face came into view once more. It was certainly a stunning sight, but after seeing it so many times, he'd naturally built up some immunity.

More importantly, at that moment, she was completely naked!

He could see every inch of her, whiter than the snow. There was no light in this space, yet a sacred radiance seemed to shine from before him.

Her exquisite face, her long, graceful neck, and below it, a captivating landscape of rolling curves. Her bare, snow-white skin glimmered with a soft, faint light, dazzling the eyes and intoxicating the senses.

Like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world.

His heart skipped a beat.

Mom, I'm in love!

He couldn't help wondering how Heaven had created such a flawless work of art. From every angle, she was breathtaking.

Still, why did she seem bigger than before?

Even fuller and more shapely.

He'd always had a good memory, especially with the added mental strength of a Soul Master. He could usually remember anything after seeing it once, but right now, he couldn't quite recall.

Seeing that Snow Empress still hadn't opened her eyes, Xu Lanqing stepped closer, worried.

As a companion, he naturally had to check on her.

Of course, he couldn't help sneaking a few glances along the way.

From the front, a mountain range; from the side, a peak. Near or far, high or low, each angle offered a different view.

Yes, he was certain now. She was definitely bigger than before.

"Mm..."

As if she'd just woken up, Snow Empress's eyelashes trembled. A languid, husky moan escaped her moist red lips.

Her snow-white, sacred body shuddered as its owner stirred, and her curves seemed to surge like waves.

Xu Lanqing froze. He stared at the scene in disbelief, stopped in his tracks, and stood rooted to the spot.

"Vrrr—"

The space trembled. A blood-red Soul Ring, exuding boundless, terrifying majesty, suddenly appeared around Snow Empress. Seven golden rings encircled it, their dazzling beauty tinged with deadly danger.

And that wasn't all. A second appeared, then a third...

All nine blood-red Soul Rings revolved around her, pressing down on the space with terrifying Soul Power. The space buckled under the strain as deep-black rifts appeared in the void, vanished, and appeared again.

Xu Lanqing swallowed and quietly pulled his right foot back.

"Phew—"

Snow Empress exhaled a breath of white frost and slowly opened her eyes. Her slightly confused, sky-blue gaze was captivating.

She stretched, and a series of crackling sounds rang out.

She raised her right arm and clenched her delicate fist. The Soul Power inside her seemed inexhaustible, as though no amount of use could deplete it.

The feeling of being reborn made her want to throw her head back and roar.

But when she saw Xu Lanqing, she forced herself to hold back.

"How long was I asleep? And where is this? I can feel this whole space rejecting me. With my current strength, I can last only a few minutes at most."

After sweeping the area with her spiritual power, Snow Empress's gaze fell on Xu Lanqing, who had his back to her. Her clear, puzzled voice rang out.

"Why are you facing away from me?"

Xu Lanqing noticed she hadn't called herself "this sovereign," but had simply said "I."

Good. This was the first step toward a healthy relationship.

He turned around with a smile. "Oh, I dropped something just now. I was turning around to pick it up."

But the moment he saw Snow Empress, his smile froze, and his gaze couldn't help drifting down again.

It wasn't that he lacked self-control. She was simply impossible to ignore.

He'd thought Snow Empress had already put her clothes on. Instead, she'd called him to turn around while still completely uncovered. Wasn't that a little too much?

Xu Lanqing coughed twice to alert her.

"Ahem, um, you..."

Seeing Xu Lanqing's evasive eyes and wandering gaze, Snow Empress froze for a moment, then followed his gaze downward.

Her expression stiffened. She'd gotten carried away and hadn't noticed anything amiss. A blinding white light flashed.

Even with his eyes closed and his hands raised to shield them, Xu Lanqing could still see the dazzling light. His eyes nearly watered from the glare.

When he looked again, Snow Empress had already gathered Soul Power into a white dress and put it on.

The dress was simple, without a single ornament. But the figure it outlined perfectly was the finest adornment of all.

The snowy-white gown only accentuated the flush that had risen across her fair, tender cheeks.

"You saw nothing!"

Her voice held not a trace of emotion. Seeing the anger in Snow Empress's eyes, Xu Lanqing hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Right, right. I saw nothing. Nothing at all."

Suddenly, Snow Empress seemed to remember something. Her fair face went expressionless.

"You saw it before, too, didn't you?"

"People naturally yearn for beautiful things."

Xu Lanqing tried to defend himself, then promptly changed the subject and answered her earlier questions.

"Ahaha, you weren't asleep for long—just a few days. As for where we are, this is the Ancestral Land of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family. Only those with the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul can enter, which is why this place is rejecting you."

After saying that, he glanced longingly at the beautiful sight now hidden from view.

Seeing him like that made Snow Empress seethe. She gritted her teeth. She'd guarded her body all these years, and even Ice Empress had never seen it. Yet a human had beaten her to it.

For a moment, she couldn't accept it.

She stared at Xu Lanqing's face. After a while, she gave a cold snort and let it go, withdrawing the Soul Rings that had been floating around her. Her Soul Power settled back within her as well.

Some Soul Power still rippled around her, though. She'd only just emerged, and probably hadn't had time to master her new strength.

"So this is the imperial palace of the Sun Moon Empire?"

"Yes."

Xu Lanqing nodded. He noticed the worry in Snow Empress's eyes and continued.

"You don't need to worry. Ice Empress and the others already know what happened to you. Once the ceremony is complete..."

Snow Empress pressed her lips together, her gaze settling into calm. She quietly listened as Xu Lanqing explained everything, from beginning to end.

"That's the whole story."

"Thank you."

Snow Empress could tell he wasn't lying. Their contract and Martial Souls linked them on a spiritual level. Though neither could know exactly what the other was thinking, she could still tell whether he was being truthful.

Xu Lanqing smiled. "I help you, you help me. We help each other out."

"Mm."

Snow Empress didn't deny it. There was no such thing as a free lunch. He'd gone to so much trouble for her; if she didn't help him, even she would feel bad.

"Oh, while I was asleep, I could still feel a tremendous energy outside, pouring into me. That energy was what let me wake up so soon. Do you know what happened?"

Xu Lanqing shook his head. "Something unexpected happened then, and I passed out."

He glanced at the space, now free of purple mist, and understood. Gu Yuena must have converted that energy and given it to Snow Empress.

Seeing Snow Empress still looked puzzled, he said casually, "If you can't figure it out, don't worry about it. It was a good thing, anyway. Maybe it was simply your lucky break."

His gaze shifted to the endless expanse of ice, and Xu Lanqing couldn't help asking curiously,

"How strong are you now?"