Your Xiao Meng Has Arrived!

He'd even sacrificed himself so completely that not a trace of his soul remained...

What had he even been trying to gain? Even a soul sacrifice should leave behind a sliver of the soul.

What kind of bewitching soup had this guy fed that worm?

And this Mystic Ice Marrow Martial Soul of yours... Could such a Martial Soul really have come into existence in this world?

Ice Empress watched Xu Qing skillfully fuse rings to create Mystic Ice Marrow, then asked softly,

"Can your Martial Soul create Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow?"

"Of course not. My Martial Soul is Mystic Ice Marrow, not Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow. Pay attention to the wording, Ice."

Hah!!!

You dared to lie to me!!!!

Ice Empress stamped her foot in fury, but forgot how fragile she was—and how hard the floor was.

All she managed to do was hurt her own foot.

"But it'll be possible in the future, after my Martial Soul evolves."

Xu Qing glanced at her toes, which had turned rosy and translucent from the impact.

Then he focused on creating the strongest Mystic Ice Marrow in history!!

"Don't worry. Keep calm. Snow Empress will be fine for the next two or three years. Well... if things go smoothly and nothing unexpected happens, I can just speak to the old man and get it taken care of."

"Extreme Dao Little Soldier, huh? My master's only just entered the Limit realm, but he could still fight his way in and out of the Star Luo Empire seven times."

"For now, just stay with me. Slowly build up your ice-elemental energy with my Mystic Ice Marrow. Once you've gathered enough, I'll undo your seal and help you break through the four-hundred-thousand-year mark."

"Mm..."

Xu Qing's confident and firm promise eased some of the worry in Ice Empress's heart.

"But how are you going to evolve your Mystic Ice Marrow? And is this emperor supposed to stay with you from now on? Aren't you going to school? Where am I supposed to go while you're there?"

"Why not take this emperor back to the Far North first?"

"This mountain man has his own clever plan. Knowing too much won't do you any good, Ice Empress. Don't be curious."

Xu Qing's expression turned mysterious, his tone faint and evasive.

"As for going back to the Far North, think it through. The old man doesn't know about the secret between us, and he mustn't find out. How are you going to explain things to him?"

"We'll take it one step at a time. Don't worry. We're in the same boat now. Stick with Xu-ge and don't panic."

"Quit being so cryptic," Ice Empress grumbled. "Why are you still making Mystic Ice Marrow? This emperor doesn't eat it! Keep it away from me."

Hmph! Does he think making Mystic Ice Marrow will win this emperor over? Where did he learn these tricks for coaxing human girls? Does he really think they'll work on me?

Unless...

"Hah... It's finally done. I'm exhausted... Tsk, now you're turning your nose up at it?"

Xu Qing was just about to tease her for not appreciating his kindness.

Suddenly!

Knock, knock, knock!!!

"Click—!"

The door had actually opened! Wait, where had the key come from?

Xu Qing's face filled with question marks.

"Ta-da! Your Xiao Meng has arrived!!"

The young woman wore a simple, pristine white dress, elegant and graceful.

Her light makeup was just right. She had tied up her long white hair in a ponytail, letting it fall over her shoulder.

Her eyes curved into crescents, her heart brimming with joy.

Xu Qing, that stubborn little boy who was ridiculously hard to win over, had finally fallen into this young lady's hands!

Heh heh heh, she couldn't wait to hear Xu Qing call her senior...

A beautiful senior and her youthful junior... Just imagining it was enough to make Xiao Meng swoon.

Meng Hongchen looked around at the room's strange lighting, and thought that Xu Qing had finally come around.

But before she could even celebrate, she was met with the last thing she'd expected—

There was someone else in the room!

"Who are you?"

Xiao Meng seemingly teleported between them, spreading her arms wide and shielding Xu Qing behind her.

"In broad daylight, you dare sneak up on an innocent young man!"

"?"

Now it was Ice Empress's turn to look confused. Who was this human?

She'd just met her, and already she was accusing her of something? Who had snuck up on whom?!

She was the one who'd been caught!

"Xiao Meng, where's Hall Master Jing?"

Hearing a familiar voice behind her, Meng Hongchen hastily ignored the little girl who was her own height, turned around, and stuck out her tongue. Then she pressed her hands together in front of her chest and said coyly,

"Sorry! Hehe, Grandpa's still at work, and Xiao Meng just couldn't wait any longer."

"Besides, the place Poison Sect Master arranged for you isn't very safe! There are all kinds of people here! What if you got... You know what I mean, right?"

Xiao Meng pursed her lips, clearly hinting at something.

"Hmph, as if this... young lady wanted to come here!"

Ice Empress nearly let her usual manner of speaking slip, but caught herself just in time.

She wanted to keep going, but Xu Qing's head was already pounding. He hurriedly spoke up to nip the quarrel in the bud.

"Stop, stop, stop. Ice... Ah, forget it. Xiao Meng, come outside with me for a moment."

Xu Qing shot Ice Empress a look, hoping she'd understand what he meant.

Then Xu Qing took Meng Hongchen by the wrist and led her into the corridor.

Fortunately, it was the middle of the day, and there weren't many people around.

"Xu... ge!"

Xiao Meng folded her arms across her chest, her cheeks puffing up like balloons before quickly deflating. She muttered,

"I could've done it too! I know you were curious. Honestly, better me than someone else."

Bold and confident by nature, Xiao Meng always said exactly what was on her mind.

"Good thing I came. Otherwise, who knows what might've happened..."

"Here."

Xu Qing held out the grape-sized blue crystal in his hand to Xiao Meng.

"This is the first time I've condensed such pure Mystic Ice Marrow since breaking through to the fourth ring. You can try it and see how it compares to the previous kind, and whether it helps your Martial Soul evolve."

"Your first time!!"

The hopeless romantic Xiao Meng had a completely different focus from everyone else.

"Xu-ge treats me so well. So Xiao Meng has a gift for Xu-ge too!!"

She took the compressed Mystic Ice Marrow from Xu Qing and swallowed it whole without even washing it.

Fresh off the press—that was the best way!

"Mm..."

The special effect Ice Marrow had on ice-elemental Martial Souls was especially apparent in Xiao Meng.

Xu Qing quickly recorded the effect of this condensation technique.

Her face was flushed, her breathing quick, her eyes unfocused...

She was sweating slightly, and her Soul Power fluctuations had increased noticeably, but were quite unstable, likely because of the temporary boost. Her Soul Power, originally at level forty-six, was now at level forty-eight...

Still rising... Level forty-nine... It's starting to drop.

The effect lasts... thirty seconds. Afterward, her Soul Power seems to have become slightly more solid.

"Mm... Xu-ge..."

Xiao Meng's body went limp, and she fell against Xu Qing.

Hah... Her wish had come true...

"What do you think... is the meaning of life?"

"The meaning of life... Sorry, I'm still searching for that myself."

Xu Qing answered the question at face value, completely serious and calm. Even with a stunning girl limp in his arms, his state of mind remained undisturbed.

That was the strength of his convictions!

Before long, Xiao Meng rubbed her temples.

"Xu-ge's Ice Marrow... It's really getting more and more..."