"Boom—!"
He'd timed it with exquisite precision, landing a perfect punch to Xu Qing's abdomen!
It was only to be expected from a Ferocious Beast that had cultivated for tens of thousands of years.
The movement of that punch, her grasp of that fleeting moment—
It was all as natural as breathing.
And yet Xu Qing didn't take a single step back!!
He looked at the Ice Empress in surprise, seemingly not expecting this "prisoner" to try biting him even after losing all her strength.
Xu Qing felt no pain at all. It was more like training shirtless at night, only to have a cold breeze blow across his skin.
"Fighting back won't do you any good, Ice Empress. Can't you see the situation you're in?"
"Huff..."
The Ice Empress pulled back her fist and stared at its bright red surface. Then she staggered back a few steps and slumped against the wall.
It hurt...
"Human..."
She looked like she wanted to fight back, but made no move to do so. Pathetic.
How arrogant!! Heh heh heh! Thanks to that "ice marrow" from earlier, I've already recovered a little Soul Power.
Hiss... Come to think of it, how strange. It contains so little ice-attribute energy, and yet... Why does it taste like this?!
How could it be even tastier than the hundred-thousand-year ice-attribute fruits I've eaten?!
Is he trying to lower my guard? Heh heh heh, what wishful thinking.
Just wait until I find an opening. I'll take you hostage and escape this godforsaken place!
"Relax. You won't be harmed before I can bear your power. Hmm... Don't get any funny ideas about escaping."
Xu Qing ate the Mystic Ice Marrow he'd made to restore his Soul Power. Watching the little girl's expression change by the second, he spoke unhurriedly:
"I know this is difficult, but there's no helping it. It's an order."
"?????"
The Ice Empress couldn't take it anymore. What was wrong with this human?! What was he going on about all by himself?
"Huff... Do you think I'm completely helpless? Heh heh heh. Let me tell you: the moment I woke up, I already—"
"Used a secret technique to—"
"Get captured?"
"...to send word that I'd been seized by a villain to the true ruler of the Far North, the Snow Empress."
She could barely hide her anger. It looked as if she hadn't taken Xu Qing seriously at all.
Her story was almost convincing.
Tsk, why isn't this human saying anything? Heh heh heh, is he scared?
"Let me add one more thing. The Snow Empress has cultivated for a legendary seven hundred thousand years!"
"Do you even understand what seven hundred thousand years of cultivation means for a Soul Beast? You're only a forty-level Soul Ancestor!"
The Soul Power fluctuations hadn't changed at all. It seemed she hadn't found A-Tai's people... or perhaps my people.
Had I really not found them?
Your Uncle Xu Qing was a master strategist!
How could he fail to see through the Ice Empress's bluff?
Besides, he'd known for a long time that the Snow Empress had failed to take human form and become a fetus.
She'd even been sealed inside a Level 9 Soul Tool—the God Sealing Platform—crafted by a Level 9 Soul Engineer from the Sun Moon Hawk Faction.
That was the key reason Xu Qing dared to act so recklessly!
What a brave and brilliant genius.
"Ah..."
Xu Qing let out a long sigh, then asked a question that made the Ice Empress's pupils quake and her mind falter:
"Tell me, Ice Empress. What if the Snow Empress never got your message?"
"Or to put it another way, what if the Snow Empress isn't in the Far North?"
"Without the Snow Empress, how are you going to fight me?"
Impossible!!
How did you know?!
Only A-Tai and I knew the Snow Empress had disappeared!
"But I know anyway."
The wicked Xu Qing continued, letting out a laugh that would make children cry and burly men weep!
It was bone-chilling!
"Ke ke ke ke ke ke..."
"Being without the Snow Empress feels... just like being without the Snow Empress."
That absurd line broke the oppressive mood, and the scene once more became "cheerful."
The Ice Empress had nearly been provoked into hissing. She'd been ready to unleash a little combo of self-destruction to threaten this shameless scoundrel, who looked ready to pounce at any second.
But... that line... what was that completely incomprehensible nonsense supposed to mean?
It felt as if everything was laid bare before this man.
Like he was making a fool of her!!
Xu Qing, meanwhile, put aside his teasing.
He'd had enough fun tormenting the little scorpion for today. If he kept going, she might turn into a doddering old lady.
He held out his left hand. The Soul Power from the Mystic Ice Marrow he'd eaten had already restored him, and deep blue Soul Power surged into motion.
Four Soul Rings rose one after another. It was the full Titan Snow Demon family set!!
Purple, purple, black, black!
The fourth Soul Ring came from a selfless Titan Snow Demon who'd rushed over to offer him a gift.
To protect the King of the Titan Snow Demon Clan, who had been suppressed by the Green Demon God, it had willingly given up its life.
But after absorbing the Soul Ring, Xu Qing looked at the Soul Bone, from which flowed an impossibly deep black aura of resentment.
He realized that fellow hadn't been so honest, either.
Titan Snow Demon: Am I not even allowed to have feelings?
Xu Qing: Correct.
[Fourth Soul Ring: 34,800 years!]
[From the Far North's royal species! The Titan Snow Demon Clan!]
[Soul Skill effect: Host's energy density increased by 350 percent, purity increased]
"I'm done playing with you, Scorpion King."
At Xu Qing's thought, the horrifyingly familiar Ring Fusion routine played out once again!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!
Four muffled thuds rang out. At the same time, a piece of Mystic Ice Marrow radiating a shadowy blue glow quickly grew from his left hand.
Its quality had reached a tenth of that of Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow!
That was Xu Qing's estimate, anyway. He'd never seen the real thing.
Perhaps if he got curious later,
he'd drag along the Extreme Dao Little Soldier—Du Busi—and head to the Earth Dragon Sect, that forbidden land of immense terror, to investigate!
He'd see how deep the waters ran.
Crack, crack...
And just like that, the Mystic Ice Marrow—which had drained most of Xu Qing's Soul Power and mental strength—was made.
"You're a food-type Soul Master?"
The Ice Empress looked at Xu Qing, who made no effort to hide what he was doing, and fixed her gaze on the piece of Mystic Ice Marrow.
But... she didn't seem to have been affected?
"Right. I'm just an auxiliary Soul Master with no strength to lift an axe or spear."
Xu Qing tossed the Mystic Ice Marrow straight to the Ice Empress. She caught it in midair with quick reflexes.
He clapped his hands to brush off the ice chips, turned, and left, remembering to close the door behind him.
Of course, he also left the Ice Empress with a few warm tips from Lord Xu Qing.
"Scorpion King, this is the Body Sect. There are some books in your room that'll help you learn about the place and brush up on your knowledge."
"Oh, and that Mystic Ice Marrow is your meal for today. Once you're full, you can walk around the sect, but be careful not to disturb anyone's training."
"You're an orphan I picked up. You're eleven years old, and your Martial Soul is an ice cube."
"Blah blah blah..."
Xu Qing left.
The room was empty.
The Ice Empress held a popsicle-sized piece of Mystic Ice Marrow in one hand. Her little pink tongue swept over it, then curled it into her mouth.
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