I Will Step In

"What? That Soul Elder brat was still alive!"

The leading Class 9 Soul Engineer saw someone interrupt his attack. Turning around, he discovered that the one who had acted was the three-ring ant he had struck head-on with a Soul Tool shell earlier. He could not help crying out in shock.

Even Ice Empress stared at Yao Shi, who was still standing there unharmed and had somehow used Snow Empress's technique, with disbelief written all over her face.

She knew that Yao Shi's third soul skill, the Pure Land World, was filled with powerful laws of life. But Yao Shi had taken a shell head-on outside it, with half his body blown away. She had personally seen that he had not reacted in time to release his soul skill then. Could it be that his third soul skill could automatically heal him?

However, Ice Empress had no time to think further. The Class 9 Soul Engineer had already begun firing shells again.

"Hmph, who cares how you survived? At worst, I'll just blow you up again."

As he spoke, he raised one of his small Soul Tool cannons and aimed it at Yao Shi. Another Class 6 Soul Tool shell shot forth. He believed that against a Soul Elder, a Class 6 shell was more than enough.

Watching the Soul Tool shell fly swiftly toward him, Yao Shi sneered. "Old bastard, you only hit me last time because I was careless and didn't dodge."

With that, he slowly raised both hands, and biting cold air erupted around him.

Just as the shell was about to strike Yao Shi, he lightly tapped it with his raised hand. The shell instantly stopped. Frost rapidly spread over its surface, and Yao Shi casually slapped it back.

The entire Soul Tool squad was stunned by the sight.

The power of a Class 6 Soul Tool shell was not particularly great to them, but it could still inflict considerable damage on Soul Masters below the Soul Emperor rank. Yet now, it had been easily stopped by a mere three-ring brat. How could they not be shocked?

"What kind of monster is this kid? He neither dodged nor took it head-on, yet he directly froze a Soul Tool shell."

A Spirit Douluo within the Soul Tool squad muttered under his breath.

Since Snow Empress had been thrown into the Abundance Glazed Pure Land by Yao Shi, he could temporarily obtain and use her abilities. Although his strength could not reach the level of her peak, dealing with ordinary Title Douluo was no problem.

"Forget that brat for now. Our top priority is to deal with Ice Empress first. The energy shield can probably withstand five more of her attacks. If we don't eliminate her quickly, we'll all die here."

While they had been distracted by Yao Shi's actions, Ice Empress launched another attack against them. The Class 9 Soul Engineer's expression immediately twisted as he spoke to the Soul Masters behind him who were channeling Soul Power into him.

They immediately came back to their senses and increased their Soul Power output to strengthen him.

In an instant, a dense barrage of Class 7 and higher Soul Tool shells swept toward Ice Empress.

"Ice Empress, I'll help you!"

Seeing Ice Empress in danger, Yao Shi shouted and leaped toward the Soul Tool squad.

"Idiot, are you trying to get yourself killed? Is this a battle you can meddle in? Get your ass back there and stay put!"

Seeing that Yao Shi, who had only three rings, actually dared to involve himself in a Title Douluo-level battle, Ice Empress immediately shouted at him.

In Ice Empress's view, Yao Shi being alive and able to use Snow Empress's technique meant that he had surely used some kind of trump card. But he could not have many such trump cards, so she believed this battle was not something he could participate in and tried to drive him back.

Yao Shi, speeding toward them, smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Ice Empress. I'm terrifyingly strong right now." Then, he unleashed a soul skill at the Soul Tool squad.

"Emperor Sword: Peerless Ice Edge!"

As his words fell, an ice crystal longsword condensed behind Yao Shi once more—the same sword that had blocked the shells for Ice Empress earlier—and slashed directly at their energy shield.

This longsword, formed from the pure origin of snow, possessed sharpness that reached the level of laws.

The moment it touched the shield, it instantly sliced through it. At the same time, it killed four Soul Sages and five Spirit Douluo who had been channeling Soul Power from the rear.

When the Emperor Sword dissipated, a spatial rift remained where it had struck.

"How is that possible?!" Seeing the shield, which should have been able to withstand five more powerful attacks, collapse outright, the Class 9 Soul Engineer's mind went blank.

Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!

Why could a Soul Elder unleash a soul skill that surpassed a Title Douluo's?

Fake. This was fake. This made no sense!

The energy shield did not recover, and Yao Shi's Emperor Sword had reduced their numbers to only six Title Douluo.

With offense and defense reversed, the situation changed in an instant. With the shield gone, Ice Empress seized the chance and swept them with Ice Jade Light. Other than the Class 9 Soul Engineer, the flesh and Soul Power of the other five Title Douluo were frozen solid.

She immediately activated the Ice Blast Art, detonating the ice seeds within the five ice sculptures.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Five deafening explosions rang out, and all their bodies exploded. The shockwaves left the Class 9 Soul Engineer mangled and bloody before sending him plummeting from the sky.

"Cough, cough... cough... cough..."

The Class 9 Soul Engineer had not died. After crashing into the snow, he coughed violently several times.

The Ice Blast triggered by five Title Douluo had failed to kill him outright. It seemed he must have been hiding a high-level defensive Soul Tool on his body.

Seeing that he was still alive, Ice Empress immediately flew to his side and looked down at him.

"Y-you can't kill me. I'm a human Class 9 Soul Engineer, I..."

What did a human Class 9 Soul Engineer have to do with her, a Soul Beast? Before he could finish speaking, Ice Empress drove the scorpion tail behind her through his heart.

She did not even glance at the corpse, merely saying coldly,

"You should not have set foot in the Far North, and you should never have laid a hand on Xue'er."

With that, she walked toward Yao Shi.

"So, Ice Empress, I..."

Seeing Ice Empress walk toward him, Yao Shi felt rather pleased with what he had just done. But before he could finish speaking, Ice Empress cut him off.

"Why did you rush in just now?"

Ice Empress questioned him in a cold tone.

Yao Shi was about to answer, but Ice Empress interrupted him again.

"Have you had enough of living, brat? Do you know how dangerous that battle was? If either my shockwaves or their attacks had hit you, you would have died on the spot! You're just a little three-ring Soul Elder—what were you rushing in for?" Ice Empress's questioning tone was icy, yet it carried a trace of concern. "Didn't you come here to seek my cooperation and ask me to protect you? Since you're so afraid of death, why did you dare join this battle for me and Snow Empress?"

Ice Empress had not known Yao Shi for long. Aside from knowing about the strange space created by his third soul skill, she did not know that Yao Shi possessed such powerful healing and self-recovery abilities.