What Would You Choose?

Xu Tinglan nodded.

"Good lord, she really was outrageously bold."

"Yeah, how was that girl so brave?" his roommate echoed.

"I was talking about the Southern King."

Xiao Hongchen looked astonished.

Xu Tinglan knew very well how powerful that person had once been.

As a Ferocious Beast infinitely close to seven hundred thousand years, the Snow Empress was, more importantly, a spirit of heaven and earth, a beloved child of ice and snow.

Perhaps, at a certain cost, she could transform back into an Ice Heaven Snow Spirit.

If not for the God-Sealing Platform happening to restrain her, she would definitely have been one of the most untouchable beings in the world.

If the Snow Empress at her peak struck someone with Emperor Palm: Great Snow No Cold, even a Limit Douluo would be seriously injured!

Dragon God Douluo Mu En had personally acknowledged this.

As Xu Tinglan thought of this, his heart stirred.

The Snow Empress was also a master of the sword, and ice and snow themselves were one manifestation of the Yin Attribute.

How wonderful would it be if she could teach him swordsmanship?

Her long life

had allowed her to devote herself to studying combat techniques, and the Three Ultimates of the Snow Emperor were even stronger than Mu En's self-created Sovereign of the World!

But when he recalled the unpleasantness of their first meeting some time ago, he could not help feeling discouraged.

Xu Tinglan and his roommate arrived at the cafeteria and each ordered four servings of meat stew and rice.

They prepared to feast.

They were still a few months away from turning fourteen. At their age, when they were still growing, they had a huge appetite.

They ate even more than adult soul masters.

Teenage boys could eat their fathers into poverty.

That saying held a similar truth in any world.

As they ate, startled cries came from the next table.

"Quick, go look outside!"

"Marquis Jing is actually causing trouble for a female student! He even mobilized his personal troops and plans to force his way into Sun Moon Academy!"

Those words drew the attention of many people.

After staring blankly for a moment or two, they set down their food and hurried out of the cafeteria.

Some students even ran outside with their bowls in hand.

Watching a spectacle was in most people's nature.

Xu Tinglan and Xiao Hongchen exchanged a glance.

"Let's go!"

Xiao Hongchen nodded, anger flashing through his eyes. "I want to see what gives this Marquis Jing the right to make trouble at Sun Moon Academy! He's completely lawless."

Following the crowd, Xu Tinglan made his way to Sun Moon Square.

A Soul Douluo hovered in the air with the aid of a Soul Tool, his robes snapping in the fluctuations of Soul Power.

Behind him,

nineteen figures clad in metal armor stood in neat formation.

Their armor gleamed with cold silver light beneath the sun. They stood silently like statues, yet a murderous air spread soundlessly around them.

Every one of them was a battle-hardened soul master.

Before this group stood

Lin Jiayi, eight Soul Rings rising and falling around him, showing that he too was a Soul Douluo powerhouse.

"Marquis Jing, why make such a scene at the academy? With such a formation, this truly is..."

The old man sighed, his brows tightly furrowed.

Though they were both Soul Douluos, their combat strength was worlds apart.

Lin Jiayi was a managerial soul master, responsible for all aspects of Sun Moon Academy, including admissions, studies, and daily life.

Xu Jing, meanwhile, was one of the ten vice commanders of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps.

Besides guarding the imperial capital, he often led people into the Mingdou Mountain Range for training exercises.

This ensured the combat strength of the Hand of the Nation.

"Old Lin, you shouldn't have come out." Xu Jing said coldly, "Leave, or be wounded or crippled. Either way, you will have only yourself to blame."

Director Lin revealed a bitter smile, growing anxious inside.

Why had his superior, Hall Master Jing, not appeared yet?

Standing at the edge of the square, Xu Tinglan spotted the girl in the distance after his roommate pointed her out.

The girl stood there in the same white dress.

She took small bites of red-fruit ice cream, delight flashing through her eyes.

The bag in her other hand was packed full of ice cream.

There were all kinds of flavors.

When Xu Jing saw that the girl was still eating ice cream as though nothing had happened, blood rushed to his head. His eyes turned crimson, and he panted like a bull.

"Anyone who stops me dies without mercy!"

Holding a spear-shaped Soul Tool, he turned into a Flash and charged at the girl with killing intent.

The nineteen people behind him took up positions in different directions, blocking the teachers rushing over.

Lin Jiayi saw that things were going badly.

He inwardly cursed the stupid girl. Instead of thinking about running, she was eating ice cream?

Golden light rose from the old man's body as he resolutely blocked Xu Jing's path.

Clang!

The Red Refining Spear struck the Level 7 Invincible Barrier.

A harsh screech of friction rang out.

The students in the distance were not afraid of things getting bigger. Holding their bowls, they watched the excitement with great interest.

Xu Tinglan patted Xiao Hongchen on the shoulder.

"Who's that? How is he so bold?"

He had been at Sun Moon Academy for more than a year, yet this was the first time he had encountered something like this.

Xiao Hongchen explained.

"Xu Jing, a merit-ranked marquis."

"He earned his title through his own military achievements."

"He seems to be blood-related to the heir who was killed. I don't know much else."

Xu Tinglan frowned slightly.

He had heard that even the Southern King was not pursuing the matter, so why had another Xu Jing suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

He sent a message to his adoptive father, but received no response from Kong Deming.

Xu Tinglan grew somewhat anxious.

If the Snow Empress truly self-destructed and transformed back into the Heavenly Snow Woman at the cost of her Life, the consequences would likely be unimaginable.

Though he did not know his adoptive father's exact purpose, he certainly did not want to watch the Snow Empress self-destruct.

His Communication Soul Tool still had Xu Tianran's number recorded in it.

He hurriedly told the crown prince about what was happening here—his nominal big brother whom he had met three months ago.

Xu Tianran's reply came quickly!

He told Xu Tinglan to activate the Soul Signal Cannon.

Xu Tianran had given it to him when they parted ways.

He had said that if Xu Tinglan encountered an emergency within Ming Capital, he could display this item. If there was truly no time, he could detonate it on the spot.

Lin Jiayi did not hold Xu Jing back for long before his Invincible Golden Body Soul Tool was pierced through one after another.

A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips.

His body tumbled toward the ground.

The old man gave a bitter smile.

He thought to himself that he had done his utmost, so Jing Hongchen probably would not trouble him.

What a completely undeserved disaster.

Why was not a single Level 9 Soul Master in the academy!

Seeing that things were going badly, Xu Tinglan's thoughts raced.

He immediately poured Soul Power into the Soul Signal Cannon and shouted, "Spare him!"

The thrusters on his back fired.

Sparks lit up on the signal cannon, and twin images of the Sun Moon rose into the sky, shining against each other in breathtaking splendor.

When Xu Jing saw the Sun Moon Signal Cannon, astonishment appeared in his eyes.

He stopped moving.

Only the emperor and crown prince possessed this kind of signal cannon. The Sun Moon image before him was only three zhang wide, clearly the crown prince's specification.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Corps answered directly to the reigning emperor and the future crown prince.

Xu Jing knew this.

Although the crown prince was disabled, that disabled man had Lingchi-executed the Power King, personally carving three thousand slices of flesh from him. He had even killed Prince Wei.

Despite his disabled body, he still sat firmly in the position of crown prince.

Xu Jing fixed his gaze on Xu Tinglan.

He raised his head slightly. "One of the crown prince's people?"

Xu Tinglan took two Sun Moon Cards from his chest, one received from Kong Deming and the other from Xu Tianran.

"There may be some misunderstanding here."

Xu Jing bared his teeth in a smile. "My younger sister was struck to death before my hall, all to beg me to act. If it were you, what would you choose?"