Ice Domain

Ma Hongjun lay back on the sofa with his hands behind his head, looking as though even Mount Tai could collapse before him without making him change expression.

But he soon realized he'd made things far too simple in his mind.

The space was already small, and it was cramped enough with eleven people inside.

Before long, the enclosed space was filled with the smell of cheap perfume.

That familiar scent sent the long-dormant desires in the Fatty's heart running wild.

Fortunately, the Ice Underwear protected him. The chill of his erection hitting the ice wall made Ma Hongjun shiver all over.

"Brr, thank goodness for Big Brother Lu Xian. Otherwise, I'd have been done for this time."

The trial required him to chat about life with ten older women, so Ma Hongjun couldn't stay silent the entire time.

But as soon as he got the conversation started, these women began firing off dirty jokes left and right, nearly costing him his Ice Underwear.

"They're all stumbling blocks on the road to godhood."

"Ma Hongjun, you're here for only three things today!"

"Calmness, calmness, and fucking calmness!"

Seeing that Ma Hongjun really wasn't going to break the seal on his Ice Underwear today, several of the young ladies promptly lost interest.

Fortunately, a few chatterboxes began sharing their sad stories from before they entered the profession. That helped the Fatty pass the time, and the hours no longer seemed so unbearable.

For three whole days, the Fatty didn't touch a single bite of food or get any sleep.

On top of the bone-deep chill constantly radiating from the Ice Underwear, his lips had begun to turn purple.

Meanwhile, in the Broom Shop not far away, Lu Xian suddenly perked up.

"Hey, he actually finished it smoothly."

"Not bad, little Fatty."

[Wish Level E. Executor completion: 100%.]

[Reward: 300 days of cultivation; Soul Ring age increased by 80 years.]

[Reward: Ice Domain.]

Hearing that another domain had been granted as a reward, Lu Xian's mouth began to curl wildly upward.

After receiving the domain, he expanded it, and the room's temperature abruptly dropped by several degrees.

But just like the Luck Domain before it, the Ice Domain's initial range was tiny, and its power wasn't that great either.

However, with his previous experience, Lu Xian wasn't worried.

As more trials were issued, the domain's power and range would gradually increase.

It might even reach the point where it could freeze time and space. That wasn't out of the question.

Lu Xian was quite pleased with the reward. Of course, he didn't forget his Destined Worker.

After deducting the vast majority, Lu Xian cheerfully handed the reward down to the Fatty.

Inside Red Light Street, the Fatty, who had all but lost the will to live, finally heard the long-awaited notification.

"God of Calmness, Tenth Trial: Remain unmoved in the face of temptation—complete."

"Reward: 100 days of cultivation; Soul Ring age increased by 20 years."

"Calmness Domain bestowed."

"Phew, I-I finally finished."

"Goodbye, ladies! No, no, I mean, never again!"

The Fatty didn't want to receive another torturous trial like this. He hurriedly stood up, changed out of the Ice Underwear, and left Red Light Street beneath the older women's disdainful stares.

Once he reached the street entrance, he didn't even go into the Broom Shop. He ran straight toward Shrek Academy.

After three days without food, he was so hungry he was seeing stars.

Back at the academy, he headed into the cafeteria and quickly asked Shao Xin for some food, planning to reward his poor stomach.

But the notification in his mind soon sounded again.

"God of Calmness, Eleventh Trial: Appetite is a desire, too."

"Fast for three days. Make sure you aren't controlled by your appetite and turned into a glutton who knows nothing but eating."

"Time limit: three days."

The spoon Ma Hongjun had brought to his mouth froze in place, and a stampede of horses seemed to thunder through his heart.

"Couldn't you wait until I finish this meal before issuing the trial?"

"I get that appetite is a desire, too, but I'm about to starve to death!"

With no luck communicating, the Fatty could only set down his spoon with tears in his eyes.

Under Shao Xin's baffled gaze, he headed for his dormitory, his back hunched in a particularly dispirited way.

At such a young age, he somehow gave Shao Xin the impression of a man weighed down by the years.

"Hongjun, you're not eating anymore?"

"I'm not eating. I'm not hungry..."

As he walked toward his dormitory, the Fatty kept reminding himself that he wasn't hungry at all.

Once inside, he went straight to bed. Only then did he think of how he'd completed the major trial and received his reward.

After checking, he found that the 100 days of cultivation had brought his Soul Power directly to level 18.

His Soul Ring's age had also surpassed 550 years, and his Soul Skill was a tenth more powerful than before.

That finally helped Ma Hongjun forget his earlier suffering a little.

"What does this Calmness Domain do?"

As the Fatty curiously expanded the domain, a chill seeped straight into his mind.

Already cold and hungry, he shivered.

"Brr... It's so cold. With this domain, I should be able to suppress my Evil Fire completely."

After receiving his reward, the Fatty immediately forced himself to shut down. Otherwise, hunger would keep tormenting his young heart.

Over the following period, Flender was surprised to discover that his disciple had not only stopped venting his Evil Fire, but no longer seemed to enjoy eating either.

After every few meals, he'd most likely starve himself for several days. And the periods during which he refused food kept getting longer.

Eventually, he was even able to go dozens of days without eating.

By then, he could hardly be called a Fatty anymore. The layer of fat around him had quietly disappeared from hunger.

Unable to bear it any longer, Flender finally sought out the Fatty, whose face had grown pale from hunger.

"Hongjun, tell me honestly. What on earth have you been up to lately?"

"T-Teacher, I'm cultivating. Only those who can control their desires can become true experts."

The words were full of truth, but spoken in the Fatty's feeble voice, they didn't sound very convincing.

At least, they weren't enough to convince Flender.

"I've cultivated all the way to Soul Sage, and I've never heard of this kind of cultivation method. Do you take your teacher for a fool?"

Ma Hongjun weakly tugged up the corner of his mouth in a faint smile. It was time to tell his teacher that he'd been chosen by a god.

"Teacher, have you ever heard of gods?"

"Ha. You're not about to tell me that you're doing all this because a god told you to, are you?"

"That's right, Teacher. How did you know?"

Flender looked at his disciple in astonishment, beginning to wonder whether the kid's Evil Fire had burned his brain after he'd run out of money.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Why would a god take an interest in you?"

"But, Teacher, my cultivation really has reached level 20."

"What?"

Flender's eyes went wide. Lately, he'd been so worried about his disciple's health that he hadn't even considered his cultivation.

He hurried over to examine him.

After checking, he found that just as Ma Hongjun had said, his Soul Power fluctuations were those of a Soul Grandmaster.

Flender stood up and frantically pushed his glasses up.

"This makes no sense. There aren't many geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power, but they're not unheard of."

"So why would one pick this kid? His Innate Soul Power was only level nine!"

After pacing back and forth for a while, Flender still couldn't believe it.

"Hongjun, were you really chosen by a god?"

"Teacher, you should think about when you're taking me Soul Hunting after I complete this trial!"

"Th-this... All right!"

Once every possibility had been eliminated, the option that seemed least likely could only be the right answer.

Flender could only accept the fact that his disciple had been chosen by a god.