Snow Empress's Tenderness, Peerless Grace!

"Boom!"

A violent surge of energy instantly detonated within the meridians of Lan!

The sensation was akin to countless tiny ice blades slicing through his limbs and bones.

Lan's brows knit tightly together, his small face turning pale in an instant, yet his body remained as steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor.

The Heart Clearing Art circulated, and the power of Devour was activated.

The berserk soul ring energy, as if having found a vent, was slowly enveloped, decomposed, and absorbed by that domineering power of Devour.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Ice Empress and Snow Empress stood guard nearby, their hearts in their throats.

After an unknown amount of time, Lan's tightly shut eyes snapped open.

Two streaks of deep blue divine light flashed and vanished.

The soul power fluctuations on his body climbed steadily, instantly breaking through the barrier of level twenty-one to reach level twenty-two!

Success!

Ice Empress and Snow Empress exchanged a glance, both letting out a sigh of relief.

At the same time, a stream of information poured into Lan's mind like a waterfall of data.

[Successfully absorbed a five-thousand-year soul ring beyond your level, triggering special rewards.]

[Obtained second soul skill--Submerge/Wave Breaker.]

[Obtained Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone--Right Leg Bone of the Deep Sea Lurker.]

[Soul Power Level increased by one.]

[Physical fitness improved.]

[Martial Soul Shark Blade resonates with the soul bone; sharpness permanently increased.]

[Obtained one opportunity for body tempering in the Extreme North Ice Spring.]

A flash of surprise crossed Lan's eyes.

What generous rewards!

He immediately sensed his new soul skills.

The second soul skill was a two-stage ability.

The first stage, Submerge.

Upon activation, he could transform into a phantom and dive beneath the "water surface," moving at high speed while ignoring any terrain restrictions and becoming impossible to lock onto.

The "water surface" here did not refer solely to water; the earth, glaciers, and even walls could all be treated as a "water surface."

This was true terrain immunity!

The second stage, Wave Breaker.

This could be activated at any time while in the Submerge state.

Once activated, he would burst out from the "water surface," instantly appearing before a marked enemy to execute a lunging hunt that dealt massive damage.

Submerge to advance, Wave Breaker to strike.

A perfect assassination skill.

Lan slowly stood up, stretched his body, and felt the surging power within him.

Before he could finish taking stock of his gains, a fragrant breeze wafted over.

Ice Empress had already pulled him into her arms, her warm, red lips planting a series of loud, rapid kisses on his fair, tender cheeks.

"My good Lan'er, you really scared Auntie Ice to death!"

A look of helplessness appeared on Lan's face.

He was already six years old, yet Auntie Ice still treated him like a three-year-old.

"Auntie Ice..."

"Calling me Auntie Ice won't work!"

Ice Empress pinched his chubby cheeks and said with feigned dissatisfaction:

"You child, always keeping a straight face all day long like a little old man; can't you say a few more words?"

"Look at your Auntie Snow, so gentle; can't you learn from her?"

Beside them, Snow Empress covered her mouth and chuckled, her cold, aloof temperament softening slightly.

She stepped forward and gently ruffled Lan's short blue hair, her voice as melodious as an ice spring.

"Bing'er, stop teasing him."

"Lan'er is just quiet by nature; he understands everything in his heart."

As she spoke, she took a piece of pastry radiating a chill from her Soul Tool and held it to Lan's lips.

"Freshly made Ice Crystal Cake, have a taste."

Lan obediently opened his mouth and took a bite.

It was sweet, icy, and melted the moment it touched his tongue.

Looking at the two peerless women before him—one as passionate as fire, the other as gentle as water—a warm current flowed through his heart.

A smile, one that finally belonged to a child, appeared on his composed face.

"Thank you, Aunt Xue, thank you, Aunt Ice."

Seeing him smile, Ice Empress's eyes lit up, and she leaned in, wanting to plant another kiss.

"Hey, that's more like it! You look so much better when you smile!"

Three years later.

Martial Soul City, deep within the Pope Palace, inside a windowless stone chamber.

The heavy stone door was pushed open slowly, emitting a harsh, creaking sound.

Qian Xunji stumbled inside, his magnificent golden Pope armor shattered and ruined, a trail of blood he could not hide hanging from the corner of his mouth.

With every step he took, droplets of blood fell from his golden armor, blooming like tiny red plum blossoms on the polished stone floor.

"Tang Hao..."

Qian Xunji leaned against the cold wall, whispering the name, his eyes filled with monstrous hatred and a trace of... fear.

He had lost.

If those two old fellows hadn't arrived just in time at the final moment, he would surely have died beneath that Clear Sky Hammer.

Click.

With a soft sound, the stone door behind him closed automatically.

Qian Xunji whipped his head around, his pupils constricting sharply.

From the shadows of the secret chamber, a figure slowly stepped out.

A long purple dress trailed on the floor, her posture noble and elegant, yet her beautiful face was covered in a layer of frost that would not melt.

It was Bibi Dong.

"What are you doing here?"

Qian Xunji's voice was hoarse, laced with a hint of wariness.

Bibi Dong did not answer, merely watching him quietly; there was not a shred of warmth in those beautiful purple eyes.

She walked closer, step by step, the sound of her high heels striking the floor echoing in the deathly silent chamber, as if stepping directly upon one's heartbeat.

"Get out!"

Qian Xunji barked, attempting to mobilize his soul power, but it triggered a sharp pain in his chest, and another mouthful of blood surged up.

He was, at this moment, weaker than he had ever been.

Bibi Dong's footsteps stopped three paces away from him.

"Are you afraid?"

Her voice was light and soft, yet it pierced like a needle, striking the most sensitive nerve in Qian Xunji's mind.

Qian Xunji's face turned livid.

"Afraid? I, the dignified Pope of Martial Soul Hall, would be afraid?"

A mocking curve touched the corner of Bibi Dong's lips, and she said no more.

She slowly raised her right hand.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black...

Eight soul rings rose from beneath her feet in succession, and a powerful pressure of soul power instantly flooded the entire chamber.

Qian Xunji's pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks.

Yet, this was not the end.

Bibi Dong's gaze turned deep and crazed.

Above the eighth black soul ring, a ring of blood-red light, carrying a terrifying aura that seemed capable of devouring everything, slowly rose!

Red!

That was... a 100,000-year soul ring!

"No... impossible!"

Qian Xunji gasped, the color draining from his face, leaving behind only boundless horror.

A Title Douluo!

She had actually become a Title Douluo, no less powerful than himself!

How could this be possible? How old was she, really?

He finally understood where that calmness in her eyes came from.

That was not calmness; it was an absolute, all-encompassing self-confidence!

Bibi Dong moved.

There were no flashy techniques, only the pure, crushing weight of spirit power.

"BOOM--!"

Qian Xunji, already severely wounded, was slammed violently against the wall behind him like a falling leaf, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread instantly across the surface.

"Pfft--"

He opened his mouth and spat out a spray of blood, feeling as though every bone in his body had been shattered.