Xue Emperor

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath and stumbled backward in terror.

Emperor Xue Ye's face had gone pale, but he was a shrewd old ruler. He quickly forced down his fear and managed to squeeze out a smile.

"Captain Xue, what are you doing? My people simply don't know the rules. They've disturbed our honored guest."

What did a little imperial dignity matter if it meant winning over a peerless prodigy with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?

If force wouldn't work, then he would try gentleness.

Emperor Xue Ye clapped his hands.

The beaded curtain to the side hall was lifted.

A slender figure slowly entered the hall, surrounded by a group of palace maids.

The breathing in the hall grew noticeably heavier.

The newcomer was none other than the most esteemed princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Ke.

She wore a luxurious, pale-gold gown. Her long golden hair was styled in an exquisite bun, and a dazzling crown rested atop her head.

Her features were breathtakingly delicate, and her pure, noble bearing seemed untouched by the mortal world.

Xue Ke walked to the center of the hall and dipped into a curtsey.

"Father."

Emperor Xue Ye nodded in satisfaction.

"Ke'er, go offer Captain Xue Tianyu a drink. Be sure to give our honored guest a proper welcome on my behalf."

Xue Ke lifted her head and looked toward the young man in white seated on the left.

She had been in the VIP seats at the Great Soul Arena that afternoon.

The sight of that man crushing Yu Tianxin with one hand had been branded into her mind.

Now, seeing Xue Tianyu's godlike features from up close, Xue Ke's heart began to race against her will.

She lifted a cup of fine wine in both hands and walked toward Xue Tianyu with small, dainty steps.

"Captain Xue, Ke'er would like to offer you a toast."

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, carrying a trace of the reserve unique to royalty, but the hands holding the cup trembled slightly.

Xue Tianyu looked her over.

She was certainly a rare beauty.

Compared to Shui Bing'er, she had less of that icy allure, but more of an aristocratic air of lofty privilege.

"Just set it down."

His tone was indifferent, and he made no move to take it.

Xue Ke froze in place, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her beautiful face.

She was a princess of the empire. When had anyone ever dared to ignore her like this?

Which of those nobles hadn't held her in the palm of their hand?

But her father had already given his orders. She could only bite her red lip and gently set the cup on the table.

Shui Bing'er shot Xue Ke a cold glance from behind him, her eyes filled with wariness.

Shui Yue'er was even less restrained. She thrust out her chest as if to show Xue Ke who was boss.

The banquet had reached its latter half.

Emperor Xue Ye excused himself, claiming the wine had gone to his head.

Before leaving, he gave Xue Ke a meaningful look.

Xue Ke understood. She walked over to Xue Tianyu and bowed slightly.

The neckline of her gown revealed a glimpse of skin as pale as frost and snow.

"Captain Xue, the main hall is rather noisy. We've prepared some excellent hangover soup in the side hall. Would you like me to take you there to rest for a while?"

Xue Tianyu set down his cup.

"Lead the way."

The two left the hall one after the other, passed through a winding corridor, and reached a secluded side hall.

The hall was scented with premium incense and furnished in extravagant style.

The broad couch was covered with the snow-white fur of a polar snow fox.

The door closed behind them, shutting out all the noise.

Xue Ke went to the table, poured a bowl of hangover soup, and brought it to Xue Tianyu.

Now, the two of them were alone in the room.

Some of Xue Ke's lofty reserve had faded, replaced by a young woman's nervousness.

"Captain Xue, please."

Xue Tianyu didn't take the bowl. Instead, he sat down on the broad couch and let his gaze roam over her with brazen intensity.

"You should know what your father sent you here to do."

Xue Ke's hand trembled. A few drops of hot soup spilled onto the back of her pale hand, making her frown slightly at the sting.

Of course she knew.

Marriage was the best way to win over a peerless powerhouse with an Ultimate Martial Soul and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

She had been sent here as a gift.

But she didn't object.

On the Douluo Continent, the strong ruled. The man before her possessed enough power to destroy the empire with ease.

Becoming the woman of such a man was the destiny she had always dreamed of.

Xue Ke set the bowl on the table and took a deep breath.

She walked up to Xue Tianyu, her knees giving way as she slowly knelt on the soft carpet.

With that gesture, she trampled the dignity of the Heaven Dou Empire's eldest princess beneath her feet.

"Ke'er understands." She raised her head, her beautiful eyes rippling with emotion. "It is Ke'er's honor to serve you."

Xue Tianyu let out a cold laugh.

"Are you always this obsequious?"

Xue Ke's face paled, and she hurriedly shook her head.

"No! In front of others, Ke'er is a princess who stands above them all. But in front of you, Ke'er is just an ordinary woman who admires you."

As she spoke, she reached out with trembling hands and placed them on Xue Tianyu's knees.

"You're too powerful. The moment I saw you in the arena this afternoon, you stole my heart. Even if Father hadn't arranged this, I would still want to be yours."

Xue Tianyu extended two fingers, pinched her smooth chin, and forced her to lift her head.

"To be my woman, you need to be more than beautiful. You have to be obedient."

"Ke'er will be very obedient."

She took the initiative to press her cheek against Xue Tianyu's palm, greedily savoring the cool aura that emanated from him.

There was something about Xue Ke's blend of royal nobility and girlish innocence that could easily stir a man's desire to conquer.

Especially when a high-born princess, a golden branch and jade leaf, willingly knelt at your feet and begged like a puppy.

Xue Tianyu's hand slid lower, tracing her slender swanlike neck and passing over her exquisite collarbone.

Xue Ke shivered all over, her breathing growing quick.

Biting her red lip, she took the initiative to undo the sash at her waist.

Her luxurious pale-gold gown slipped from her fair shoulders and gathered around her waist.

Beneath it, she wore only a thin silk bandeau.

Her alluring curves showed faintly in the dim light.

Xue Ke closed her eyes, her lashes trembling as she arched her slender neck like an offering.

"Please, enjoy me."

Xue Tianyu wrapped an arm around her slender waist and lifted her off the floor.

He tossed her casually onto the broad couch.

Xue Ke let out a soft cry and sank into the soft snow fox fur.

Before she could get up, Xue Tianyu's towering frame had already pressed down over her.

Several days later. Spirit City.

This magnificent city, straddling the border between the two great empires, was hosting the final showdown of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

The mountain where the Pope Palace stood soared into the clouds, and the palace gleamed with sacred golden light beneath the sun.

In the exclusive reception district south of the city, Skywater Team had been assigned lodgings at Spirit City's most luxurious Hot Spring Palace.

Mist curled through the private courtyard behind the palace. Wisps of steam rose from a vast natural hot spring heated by the earth.

A few vivid red rose petals floated on the surface.

Xue Tianyu reclined against the green stone wall of the pool, both arms resting casually on its edge.

As the water rippled, it revealed his perfectly sculpted, flawless chest.

His eyes were closed, his expression languid as he savored a rare moment of leisure.

Several days had passed since he left Heaven Dou City. The springtime scene in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace's side hall that night had left him with no lingering attachment.

Even the lofty eldest princess of the empire was nothing more than a fairly obedient plaything in his eyes.

The course of the world and the authority of emperors were all ants before his absolute strength.

A crisp, coquettish voice sounded beside his ear.

"Tian Yu."

With a splash, a petite, soft body pressed against his right arm.

Ice Empress emerged from the water and wrapped both arms around Xue Tianyu's neck.

Her translucent, jade-green hair was wet, falling smoothly over her snowy shoulders.

Her exquisite features held a hint of playfulness, and droplets slid down the tip of her small nose.

Beneath her thin gauze bathing robe, her alluring curves showed faintly, exuding a natural charm.

Xue Tianyu opened his eyes and turned to look at the peerless beauty in his arms.

He lifted a hand and gently brushed away a damp lock of hair stuck to her cheek.

"Why aren't you soaking up front with Shui Bing'er and the others?"

Ice Empress pouted, her beautiful jade-green eyes full of disdain.

"Those little girls are chattering nonstop. It's so annoying. And they look at you like they want to swallow you whole. I'm not squeezing in with them."

As she complained, she pressed herself more tightly against Xue Tianyu.

She greedily drew in the faint, frigid aura of the Ice Heaven Snow Lotus that emanated from him.

For Soul Beasts of the Far North, Spirit City's climate was far too warm.

Only beside this man could she feel truly comfortable.

Xue Tianyu chuckled and pinched the tip of her pert nose.

"The Ice Empress, one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, is jealous of a few little girls now?"

Ice Empress gave a soft snort and lifted her fair face.

"I'm not jealous. You're mine, and no one can take you away. If Shui Bing'er and the others weren't serving you so attentively, I would've turned them all into ice statues long ago."

Thinking of how the girls from Skywater Team had attended to Xue Tianyu at his side these past few days, Ice Empress felt a little displeased.

Back in the Far North, she alone had been able to stay so close to Xue Tianyu.

Since they were twelve, they had joined forces to slaughter their way across the Douluo Continent.

Whether it was the Soul-Eater Python or the Frost Giant Bear, both had been reduced to dust beneath their absolute zero.

How could a bond like theirs compare to one with a few ordinary women?

Xue Tianyu slipped an arm around her slender waist and lifted her onto his lap.

Feeling the astonishing softness beneath his palm, his gaze deepened.

"Don't worry. They're only servants. You're the one who'll walk beside me to the summit."

At his words, a captivating blush appeared on Ice Empress's beautiful face.

She obediently rested her head against Xue Tianyu's broad chest, listening to the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

"Tian Yu, there's something about the air in this Spirit City that I really hate."

She furrowed her delicate brows, her voice tinged with disgust.

"There are a few ratlike presences hiding in the Pope Palace. And that woman named Qian Renxue—after you rejected her last time, she definitely won't let it go."

Xue Tianyu picked up a glass of chilled liquor from the wooden tray beside him and drained it in one gulp.

A terrifying killing intent flashed through his deep eyes.

"If Qian Renxue knows her place, I'll spare her life. If she dares to pull any tricks during the finals, I don't mind turning Spirit City into a second Far North Ice Plain."

He toyed with the empty glass in his hand, applying a little pressure with his fingers.

With a crisp crack, the hard crystal glass instantly turned into a heap of sparkling ice powder that pattered into the water.

"Whether we face Spirit Hall's Golden Generation or that useless Tang San, the outcome's already decided. I'm taking the championship."

Ice Empress lifted her head and looked at the man's domineering profile, her eyes full of adoration.

This was the man she had chosen.

The one peerless prodigy in the world, the unmatched king.

She reached out with slender fingers and lightly traced the faint Ice Phoenix totem on Xue Tianyu's chest.

"Once the tournament's over, can we go back to the Far North? I miss home. And..."

She paused, biting her red lip, a sly glint flashing in her eyes.

"And you promised to help me overcome my next Heavenly Tribulation there."

Xue Tianyu caught her wrist and pinned it against the wall of the pool. Water splashed everywhere.

Ice Empress let out a startled cry, her body completely enveloped by Xue Tianyu's towering frame.

"Overcoming a Heavenly Tribulation takes quite a bit of stamina."

Xue Tianyu looked down at her, his tone casual.

"Have you decided how you're going to repay me?"

The Ice Empress didn't retreat. Instead, she boldly met his gaze.

She wrapped both arms tightly around his neck, her breath sweet as orchids.

"My whole self belongs to you. You can have me repay you however you like."

The distance between them dwindled, their breaths gradually mingling.

Though the hot spring pool was steaming hot, the mingling of their two frigid Martial Souls slowly formed a thin layer of frost across the water's surface.

The atmosphere grew intensely seductive.

Just as their tinder and flame were about to catch—

A peerless beauty appeared on the road outside Spirit City.

Snow-white flakes swirled down without warning outside Spirit City, where the sun shone high overhead.

A white-haired woman began to walk slowly forward.

She wore a spotless white gown, and her silver-white hair fell all the way to her ankles.

Her beauty was unparalleled, and she carried an aloof, noble air, as if she were untouched by the mundane world.

Her clear, sapphire-blue eyes showed not the slightest trace of emotion.

It seemed that all the splendor of this world was beneath her notice.

The two lines of Spirit Hall Temple Knights guarding the city gates froze the instant they saw her.

They couldn't even manage to draw their swords.

An icy pressure that struck straight at the soul pinned them in place.

This wasn't the suppression of Soul Power, but the absolute dominance of a superior being rising from the depths of their bloodlines.

The woman didn't spare them a glance. She passed straight through the towering city gate and entered the capital where Soul Masters from across the land came to pay their respects.

With every step she took, a brilliant ice lotus bloomed across the bluestone beneath her feet.

Standing atop the city wall, a Cardinal watched the white figure recede into the distance, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

He was a mighty Soul Saint, yet in the presence of that woman's aura, he couldn't muster even the slightest desire to resist.

It was as if he stood before a true deity.

At the same time.

Inside the Hot Spring Palace.

The Ice Empress, who had been holding Xue Tianyu in her arms, suddenly stopped moving.

She whipped around and looked toward Spirit City's gates.

A burst of joy blazed in her emerald-green eyes.