Damn You, Xu Qing! You Idiot, Xu Qing! Just Die, Xu Qing!!

Sun Moon, Ming Capital, Ice Empress's home.

At that moment, Ice Empress was sprawled across the sofa, listlessly scrolling through the Soul Guidance Network on the device in her hand.

It was a palm-sized, square screen, filled with daily news from Ming Capital and videos of Soul Engineers making Soul Tools.

"Why hasn't Xu Qing finished yet? I'm hungry..."

She puffed out her cheeks, then deflated, tossing the Soul Tool aside as her gaze wandered aimlessly across the ceiling.

"I'm sick of eating Mystic Ice Marrow Popsicles all the time. Maybe I should have Xu Qing try a new recipe later..."

The tip of a pale-pink tongue peeked from between her rosy lips, moistening them before quickly slipping back inside.

"How about a slushie...? This queen's never had one before. Xu Qing won't let me go out, either. Damn it... He always puts the key somewhere I can't reach."

"I saved up Soul Power, then used it all up helping Xu Qing cultivate that Soul Skill or whatever..."

"I should add some fruit, hmm... Maybe some Crystal Melon from the internet. I heard they grow it near the Far North border. Heh, as the leader of the Far North, how could I have never tasted it?"

"Oh, and I'll need some Sun Roses grown on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest... Come to think of it, why do humans give fruit the name of a flower?"

Ice Empress wiped the glistening drool from the corner of her mouth. Just thinking about it made her lips curl into a W.

"I'll get that part-time human next door to run an errand for me. Hehe... I think Xu Qing gave me a card..."

Ice Empress began feeling around her body...

But even after searching every place she could possibly stash something, she still couldn't find it.

"I lost it..."

"Craack—!"

Space tore open, and Xu Qing dropped from above Ice Empress, landing neatly on the sofa.

The sudden impact sent Ice Empress bouncing up and down beside him like she was on a trampoline.

"What did you lose?"

Xu Qing took out an icy-blue Soul Bone and tossed it into Ice Empress's arms. At the same time, he started testing the new Soul Skill granted by his Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

"Nothing. Tsk, couldn't you be a little gentler? Honestly."

Ice Empress grumbled.

Then she curled up in the corner of the sofa, holding the Titan Snow Demon's Soul Bone in both hands, her expression calm.

Only her fingertips had gone a little pale.

That Hundred-Thousand-Year aura... You really succeeded in absorbing it.

How could this be...

She raised her brows and glanced at Xu Qing's profile as he focused on making Mystic Ice Marrow, then softly asked,

"Why aren't you absorbing this Soul Bone?"

"The Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast spawned by Mystic Ice Marrow lacked a solid foundation. Its Soul Ring quality is about the only thing that's decent."

Xu Qing kneaded the ice with his five fingers, manipulating the Mystic Ice Marrow taking shape in his palm as if he were solving a Rubik's Cube one-handed. He glanced at the Soul Bone in Ice Empress's arms from the corner of his eye.

"This left leg bone is only about eighty thousand years old in essence. Its age is still too low."

"I'm planning to give it to Xiao Meng in a few days."

"Do whatever you want."

Ice Empress tossed the Soul Bone aside and casually glanced at Xu Qing's palm. That single look drew all her attention.

Her eyes seemed glued to it. She instinctively edged closer to Xu Qing.

So fragrant...

Ice Empress pressed both hands against Xu Qing's forearm, braced her knee against his thigh, and leaned forward until her nose was almost touching the Mystic Ice Marrow taking shape.

This scorpion seemed completely unaware of just how intimate their current position was.

Xu Qing was entirely focused on the marrow and didn't notice the sudden warmth pressed against him.

"Heh heh heh... Hahaha..."

He chuckled under his breath, his eyes burning with excitement as information about the Soul Skill granted by his fifth ring surfaced in his mind.

[ Fifth Soul Ring: Hundred Thousand Years ]

[ The Titan Snow Demon, one of the Far North's ruling species ]

[ First Soul Skill: After consumption, total Soul Power doubles and Soul Power recovery speed doubles. Lasts one minute. Cannot be used repeatedly. ]

[ Second Soul Skill: After consumption, enter a special state. In this state, Soul Power refinement speed increases, concentration improves, the mind grows clearer, and thought processes accelerate... Lasts one hour. Duration increases as cultivation improves. Cannot be used repeatedly. ]

[ The two Soul Skills cannot be stacked on the same piece of Mystic Ice Marrow. ]

The first Soul Skill's effect was plain as day: a direct, straightforward boost to the numbers. It suited Xu Qing perfectly.

But the second Soul Skill made him even more curious!

That long list of effects was simply absurdly powerful!!

Xu Qing figured each individual boost probably wasn't that strong, but there were so many of them!

It piled on all kinds of little buffs, and their duration could increase as his cultivation improved.

So in the future, wouldn't that make them permanent buffs!?

"Xu Qing..."

Ice Empress tugged at Xu Qing's clothes, calling to him in a small voice.

Her eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed peach-red, and her warm breath brushed against the corner of Xu Qing's eye.

"Is it ready? This queen..."

"What's going on here!?"

Xu Qing sensed something was wrong. His eyes narrowed as he reached out with his mind to the mark that controlled thirty percent of Ice Empress's power and crushed one-tenth of it.

"Boom—!"

Emerald Soul Power immediately went berserk, sweeping through every corner of the villa, yet remaining firmly contained inside without leaking out at all.

A layer of pale golden Soul Power blocked it completely.

It was the emergency measure Elder Yi had set up earlier, specifically to guard against this kind of situation.

"Ahhh!! Wahhh..."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"

"Damn you, Xu Qing!! What did you do to this queen?!"

Ice Empress planted a foot on Xu Qing's face, pinning him to the sofa. Giving him no chance to explain, she drew on her Soul Power and snatched the Mystic Ice Marrow from his hand.

"What did you put in it?! Why did this queen act like that!?"

Ice Empress was mortified and furious.

It felt as if her face were on fire, the heat scorching from her toes to her fingertips before rushing back to her head with a boom and making her dizzy.

Mmm!

ꐦ!

How could I have turned into that!?

Damn it! You bastard, Xu Qing! You idiot, Xu Qing! Just die, Xu Qing!!

"You're completely beyond help..."

"Tsk."

Xu Qing reached out with a big hand, grabbed the familiar foot, and moved it off his face.

"Haa... You nearly suffocated me. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

Thump! Thump! Thump!!!

The furious Ice Empress couldn't hear a word he said!

She just kept fighting Xu Qing!

She'd completely forgotten her fighting techniques. She'd reverted to the basics—biting!

"This queen's going to beat you until you lose your memory! Forget it already!!!"

Tears welled in the corners of Ice Empress's eyes, but the heat of battle soon dried them.

A while later.

Xu Qing lay sprawled on the floor like a salted fish, the coolness against his back reminding him that the fight was over.

No, it hadn't been a fight.

It had been a one-sided "beating" by the Scorpion King after she recovered her strength.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ice Empress, whose face was expressionless, though she incongruously had the Mystic Ice Marrow Xu Qing had made a few hours earlier between her teeth.