No matter how violently the Soul Power between Xiao Jinchen and Snow Empress surged, whenever it spread to the stone pillars wrapped in Heavenly Flames around Exotic Flame Plaza, it dissipated on its own without leaving a trace.
The longer Snow Empress fought, the more astonished she became. She realized she couldn't suppress Xiao Jinchen at all; instead, he was suppressing her. And the terrifying, seven-colored flames he wielded truly were, just as Bing'er had said, beyond the level of an Ultimate Attribute.
Just then, Snow Empress put away her Emperor Sword and instead extended her slender hand, striking toward Xiao Jinchen with a palm.
"Emperor's Palm! Great Cold No Snow!"
With Snow Empress's sharp cry, icy-blue Soul Power surged from her slender hand. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gigantic icy-blue palm, from which terrifying cold poured forth.
Snow Empress gave a gentle push, and the gigantic icy-blue palm she had gathered roared toward Xiao Jinchen, bearing down on him.
The icy-blue palm, carrying a terrifying surge of Soul Power, completely covered the spot where Xiao Jinchen stood.
Boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly rang out. The ground where Xiao Jinchen had stood was blanketed in frost, and terrifying cold swept in every direction. The scorching temperature that had filled Exotic Flame Space also dropped several degrees under Snow Empress's palm.
Looking at the figure she had struck below, Snow Empress felt no joy. Instead, an ominous foreboding began to stir within her.
Just as she had unleashed her Emperor's Palm, she had secretly held back some of her strength. She had only wanted to teach Xiao Jinchen a lesson; she hadn't intended to kill him.
When Snow Empress looked at the figure struck by her Emperor's Palm, her pupils abruptly contracted. Xiao Jinchen's original form had scattered into specks of blue light.
"An afterimage?!" Snow Empress cried out in shock. She had clearly seen her Emperor's Palm hit Xiao Jinchen, yet now he had vanished right before her eyes.
"Snow Empress, you really didn't hold back at all." A teasing voice sounded without warning right behind Snow Empress's ear, and the tips of her ears instantly flushed pink.
Snow Empress didn't have time to turn around. Her body instinctively tried to summon Soul Power to defend herself, but it was already too late.
At some point, Xiao Jinchen had appeared behind Snow Empress like a bolt of lightning.
He didn't use any powerful Dou Technique. He merely extended one finger and lightly tapped Snow Empress's slender, supple waist.
His touch seemed to do nothing, yet it had done everything. A wisp of Emperor Flame's Child Flame had already slipped silently into Snow Empress's dantian. Now, at a single thought from him, her connection to her Soul Power would be severed.
"Mm..."
Snow Empress couldn't help letting out a muffled moan at Xiao Jinchen's touch. She could clearly feel a current of heat entering her body and rampaging wildly inside her.
Snow Empress's delicate body swayed. She stumbled several steps, nearly falling to the ground, and the terrifying surge of Soul Power around her vanished completely.
"You lecher! What did you do to me?" Snow Empress glared at Xiao Jinchen and cried out.
"Heh, that'll teach you to act so high and mighty." Xiao Jinchen dispelled the enhancement from Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, then ducked behind Ice Empress and watched Snow Empress with a provocative look.
"Bastard!" Snow Empress tried to summon the Soul Power within her, but every time the Soul Power in her dantian was about to respond, the Child Flame of Emperor Flame that Xiao Jinchen had planted inside her severed her connection to it. Snow Empress was so furious that she swore.
"Xue'er, that's enough." Ice Empress's voice sounded at just the right moment. "Ah Chen didn't mean it. Don't be angry."
"Exactly." Xiao Jinchen nodded emphatically. "I helped you escape the Heavenly Tribulation's bondage. You could at least be grateful, but instead, you attacked me the moment we met."
"You!" Snow Empress opened her mouth to retort, but realized she couldn't think of anything to say.
Xiao Jinchen had indeed been a bit of a rogue—he could even be said to have taken quite a few liberties, and he'd seen her completely naked... But he had also truly helped her escape the Heavenly Tribulation's bondage. And in the end, he hadn't really done anything to her; he'd only tapped her waist, even if the spot was indeed very sensitive.
Snow Empress bit her lower lip. The blush on her face spread from her neck all the way to her ears. She glared fiercely at Xiao Jinchen, her icy-blue eyes filled with both embarrassment and anger, along with a complicated feeling she couldn't put into words.
"Enough, enough." Xiao Jinchen shrugged indifferently. "It's all my fault, okay? I shouldn't have looked at your body... Uh... Though, you really are quite fair..."
"You dare say that again!" Snow Empress was so mortified she wanted to die. Her skin, once as fair as jade, had turned so red it looked ready to drip blood. She glared fiercely at Xiao Jinchen again. If looks could kill, he would have been hacked to pieces by now.
"Enough, Ah Chen. You'd better keep quiet." Ice Empress slowly placed her hand on the soft flesh at Xiao Jinchen's waist, then pinched hard.
"Argh!"
Feeling the pain in his waist, Xiao Jinchen couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
"Bing'er, go easy!" Xiao Jinchen hurriedly grabbed the little hand at his waist.
"Hmph!" Ice Empress gave a soft snort. "That's what you get for teasing Xue'er."
"Uh... I almost forgot that you two are on the same side."
Then Ice Empress pinched even harder.
"Argh!"
Dawn broke, and the Soul Fighting Tournament at Star Luo Plaza burst back into action. The roar of the stands threatened to lift the roof.
Zhengtian Academy swept through the competition with unstoppable force. Faced with Xiao Jinchen's near-overwhelming strength, they crushed their way through both the round of sixteen and the quarterfinals, advancing to the top four without the slightest suspense.
Over at Shrek Academy, however, the atmosphere was oppressive. Since Ma Xiaotao had been mercilessly killed by Xiao Jinchen, Shrek had lost its central pillar. The team's morale plummeted, and an unshakable gloom hung over them.
In the quarterfinals, they faced Di'ao Academy, a veteran powerhouse that had once clashed with Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy in the original story.
It was a brutal, drawn-out battle. The captain of Di'ao Academy, a high-level Soul Emperor, went head-to-head with Dai Yueheng, relying on the fierce attacks of his Heaven-Shaking Axe Martial Soul. Both sides revealed every trump card they had, and the fight was savage.
But without their backbone, Shrek ultimately couldn't turn the tide. After exhausting every last bit of strength, they were regretfully eliminated, stopping at the top eight. It was Shrek's most painful defeat in ten thousand years—the first time they had ever failed to reach the top four. Countless people who had supported Shrek Academy sat in the stands, hearts heavy with sorrow.
With that, the top four of this year's tournament were decided: Zhengtian Academy, Di'ao Academy, Star Luo Royal Academy, and Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.