Battling Xue Zhao! (Please invest! Please send recommendation votes! Please send monthly votes!)

"Good!"

Tian Zilai clapped his hands, walked up to the podium, and said, "Now that the introductions are over, I'm sure everyone has formed an initial impression of one another. I've also gotten to know our classmates better, so what comes next is simple: we'll select a class president and vice president to form our Young Heaven Class committee!"

At these words, everyone perked up and watched Tian Zilai with rapt attention.

"First, the position of class president." Tian Zilai paused before continuing, "In my past teaching experience, the strongest student has always served as class president, and our Young Heaven Class will be no exception. So I'll nominate someone first, and you can all give your opinions."

He looked at Qin Xu. "Qin Xu has rank-fourteen soul power, the highest in our Young Heaven Class. Qin Xu, please stand."

Qin Xu stood and faced everyone.

"I agree that His Highness the Grand Duke should be class president!" Meng Xin immediately called out.

"I support him too!"

"Yes, it's only natural that His Highness the Grand Duke should be class president."

"I have no objections."

"..."

More and more students voiced their opinions, gradually bringing this election, which was merely a formality to begin with, toward a satisfactory conclusion. Any normal student knew that the Young Heaven Class had been established specifically for Grand Duke Qin Xu. The position of class president could only belong to him.

Unfortunately, there really was an abnormal student among them.

Tian Zilai was very pleased, but just as he was about to announce the result, a voice of dissent interrupted him.

"I object!" Xue Zhao rose, her pretty face icy. She pulled free of Ye Guyi, who was tugging at her from beside her, and demanded, "He and I both have rank-fourteen soul power. Why are you assuming he's stronger than me? I want to fight him. Whoever wins becomes class president! Do you dare?"

The whole class erupted in an uproar. The Grand Duke's supporters, led by Meng Xin, glared furiously at Xue Zhao, while Tian Zilai looked rather embarrassed. Qin Xu, however, remained calm. Oh, and Vielvi beside him was watching him excitedly, looking as though no spectacle could ever be too chaotic for her.

Unable to decide, Tian Zilai could only look at Qin Xu, who nodded to him.

"All right, that was my mistake." Tian Zilai immediately felt reassured and said apologetically, "Xue Zhao, I apologize. I shouldn't have overlooked you. Since you also wish to become class president, we'll do as you suggested. You and Qin Xu will have a sparring match, and the winner will become class president."

"That's more like it." Xue Zhao nodded, some of the chill fading from her face.

"Your Highness, Teacher Tian, I have a request!" Meng Xin stood up, brimming with righteous indignation. "Xue Zhao has offended the Grand Duke's dignity. I wish to fight on His Highness's behalf! Only after defeating me should she be qualified to challenge His Highness!"

"Well..." Tian Zilai felt a headache coming on.

Qin Xu did not leave him in a difficult position, however. He smiled at Meng Xin and said, "Meng Xin, I appreciate the thought. But this is my business, and I happen to want to demonstrate my strength too, so everyone will call me class president with wholehearted conviction."

Qin Xu understood Meng Xin's intentions perfectly: he wanted to test Xue Zhao's strength for him first. But that was entirely unnecessary for Qin Xu. If he couldn't even defeat a little girl his own age and rank, wouldn't his rebirth have been for nothing?

"Yes, Your Highness! No, Class President!" Meng Xin shouted, making everyone glance at him. This fellow looked so honest and straightforward, with his thick brows and large eyes. Who would have thought he was so smooth?

"Good. In that case, let's go to the Soul Fighting Arena."

In the Young Heaven Class's exclusive Soul Fighting Arena, Qin Xu and Xue Zhao stepped onto the field and stood facing each other. The other students gathered in twos and threes around its perimeter, forming a circle. Tian Zilai stood at the referee's position on the left, while an elderly woman over sixty occupied the opposite referee's position.

The elderly woman was Sun Rou, a core teacher at the Heavenly Profound Academy, the Young Heaven Class's support system instructor, and a healing-type Soul Emperor. Tian Zilai had specifically called her over from the senior division to guard against injuries during Qin Xu and Xue Zhao's match.

"Let me stress this again: this is a sparring match. Stop short of causing harm, and put safety first. Understood?" Tian Zilai said gravely. He seemed to be addressing them both, but his gaze remained fixed on Xue Zhao.

"You're so long-winded. Hurry up and start," Xue Zhao said impatiently, frowning.

Still smiling, Qin Xu told Tian Zilai, "Teacher Tian, we can begin."

"All right!" Tian Zilai shouted. "Both sides, prepare! Begin soul fighting!"

At Tian Zilai's command, Qin Xu and Xue Zhao revealed their martial souls and soul rings simultaneously, each undergoing distinct changes in appearance.

Qin Xu watched Xue Zhao, taking in every change. After she released her martial soul, the greatest transformation was in her bearing. She became more ethereal, more pure. Her sky-blue eyes held the arrogance of one who looked down upon the world, her white hair fell all the way to her ankles, and she grew taller, her child's figure maturing into that of a young girl.

Already stunningly beautiful, Xue Zhao now became breathtaking beyond compare. Standing there quietly, she resembled a wintersweet blossom, defying frost and snow, standing alone and apart from the world.

A bright yellow soul ring floated behind her head, and a faint mist slowly gathered—a sign of active ice elements.

"So this is the Snow Woman martial soul~ She really is beautiful!" Qin Xu's eyes lit up, then surprise crossed his face. "This is... Ultimate ice as well!"

This was an unexpected delight. The gap between a Soul Master with innate full soul power and one who also possessed an ultimate attribute was no smaller than the gap between a Soul Master without innate full soul power and one who had it!

Still, the combination of the Snow Woman martial soul and ultimate ice made Qin Xu increasingly suspect that Xue Zhao was the Heavenly Snow Woman, the Snow Empress, in human form. But if she really was the transformed Snow Empress, how had she escaped Sixth Grandpa Qin Feng's notice? Or was she truly just an ordinary human girl?

Qin Xu could not draw a rash conclusion yet. He needed to observe her further.

Xue Zhao was watching Qin Xu as well. She noticed the deeper-colored hundred-year soul ring behind him and frowned slightly. Her first soul ring had come from a four-hundred-and-twenty-two-year-old Arctic Snow Leopard.

It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to absorb an older first soul ring. Rather, the head of the Martial Soul Bureau in Mohe Town, who had helped her obtain it, had firmly opposed the idea. He had said that an ordinary Soul Master's limit for their first soul ring was four hundred and twenty-three years. Her four-hundred-and-twenty-two-year ring was already extremely risky, so he could not agree.

Forced to choose her current first soul ring, she felt resentful. If she had been allowed to act on her own, she certainly could have absorbed an older soul ring!

A human Soul Master's strength was tied to the quality of their soul rings!

How infuriating!

"Go, Your Highness!" Shouts rose from outside the field. Almost everyone was cheering for Qin Xu, while almost no one cheered for Xue Zhao.

Why almost no one? Because there was still one person encouraging her.

"Go, Sister A Liang!" Ye Guyi shouted. Though the others drowned her out, she still gave it everything she had.

The cheering did not affect either combatant. Xue Zhao attacked first, raising her right hand and sweeping it forward. A three-inch icicle formed in her palm and flew out, shooting toward Qin Xu with a sharp swish.

The icicle was extremely fast, but to Qin Xu, its speed was nothing special. He simply reached out with his dragon-transformed right claw and caught it. With a slight squeeze, the icicle crumbled into powder and drifted away on the wind through the gaps between his fingers.

After this small probing exchange, each had an initial estimate of the other's strength. Xue Zhao narrowed her beautiful eyes, a cold gleam flashing through them, and decided to attack with full force.

She stepped forward, and her first soul ring flashed and flew outward. A thin layer of white light immediately appeared over her body. Then Qin Xu saw her eyes turn pure white as she lunged toward him.

Just as Xue Zhao charged at Qin Xu, snow began falling in the previously clear Soul Fighting Arena. One snowflake fell, followed by more and more. A layer of white mist rose from the ground, and waves of cold began driving the warmth from the surrounding space.

"That's her first soul skill?!" Tian Zilai sprang to his feet, staring at the heavy snow in the Soul Fighting Arena, and cried out in shock.

"It's actually a domain-type soul skill!" Sun Rou was equally astonished on the other side. "This is far too extraordinary! This child is unbelievably lucky. Her very first soul skill is a domain-type skill. Her future is limitless!"

Snowfall in the Freezing Heavens, Xue Zhao's first soul skill!

It was a soul skill that could alter the weather and bring heavy snow down from the heavens. Although it could currently affect only the space within ten meters of her, that range would continue expanding as she grew, until she could truly change the weather across an entire region.

In snowy conditions, Xue Zhao's speed and reflexes would improve dramatically, as would her efficiency in using ice elements.

Qin Xu was surprised as well, and his regard for Xue Zhao reached its peak.

Watching icicle after icicle shoot out of the snow, Qin Xu no longer hesitated. He leaned forward and opened his mouth, releasing a cone of pitch-black flame to meet the incoming icicles.

Darkflame Breath!

As the icicles melted in his Darkflame Breath, Qin Xu advanced step by step, rapidly closing in on Xue Zhao.

Xue Zhao swiftly retreated, continuing to widen the distance between them. Unable to determine Qin Xu's true combat strength, she chose a clear strategy: keep her distance and wear him down with ranged attacks. Concealed within the blizzard, she shot icicles from her hands one after another like arrows from a bow.

His dragon breath melted icicle after icicle before gradually running out. Looking at the dozen or so meters still separating him from Xue Zhao, Qin Xu blinked, a dangerous light appearing in his eyes. He continued rushing toward her, constantly swinging his right dragon claw to shatter one icicle after another.

He was looking for an opening to decide the battle with a single strike.

As Xue Zhao continued keeping him at a distance, she grew increasingly composed. She was confident she could exhaust Qin Xu's soul power entirely. In her view, his first soul skill had already run its course. Without dragon breath, his powerful offensive skill, there was no way he could reach her with his dragon claws alone, as long as she made no mistakes...

"There's my opening!"

Light burst from Qin Xu's eyes. As his first soul ring flashed brilliantly behind him, a dragon roar erupted from his mouth, piercing the thick snowfall and reaching Xue Zhao's ears.

The instant Xue Zhao heard the dragon roar, an ominous premonition rose in her heart. Before she could assess it, however, a wave of dizziness struck her. By the time she regained her senses, an enormous dragon claw gleaming black and gold was already poised above her head.

And she was now pinned in Qin Xu's embrace!

"You lost." Qin Xu's smile was gentle as a spring breeze, but in Xue Zhao's eyes, it was the victor's mockery.

"You..." She was furious. This body was still far too weak. "Let go of me!" she said coldly.

"Don't be angry." Qin Xu smiled, but released Xue Zhao all the same.