The Ice Palace.
A fortress built of ice and snow stood majestically amid the vast frozen wastes, where the windblown snow had remained unmelted for ten thousand years.
This palace was no human creation, but nature's own uncanny handiwork, with a ruggedness and grandeur that human halls lacked.
As its name suggested, this was the Snow Empress's residence, though the Ice Empress occasionally stayed here as well. Aside from the few people they genuinely acknowledged, no one could set foot in this forbidden realm of ice and snow.
When the Titan Snow Demon King had boldly declared his love all those years ago, all he had earned was shattered bones and severed tendons, leaving him laid out like a corpse for a thousand years. He had never even caught a glimpse of the gates.
On this visit, Xiao Zi not only met A-Tai, the last remaining Heavenly King, but also became acquainted with the Snow Empress's adopted son, the three-hundred-thousand-year-old Ice Bear King Xiaobai.
At that moment, he sat on the ice bed the Snow Empress had once used, practicing the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method. His breathing was steady and drawn out, and he had entered a state of profound, unfathomable mystery.
After a long while, the violet-gold glow of his soul power subsided. He had healed the hidden injuries accumulated over this period and grasped the mysteries of the ultimate ice attribute. His soul power had also broken through naturally to Level 35, like water flowing into a completed channel.
Shrek Academy.
After a brief period of training and coordination, their actual strength aside, the students departed the academy to compete in the Star Luo Empire, personally led by Grand Elder Xuan Zi.
The old and new Shrek Seven Devils, plus two reserves for the reserves, brought their numbers to a whopping sixteen-the largest delegation of any academy in the competition's history. That did not even include the absent Li Lezi; with him, there would have been still more.
Looking at this gathering of talent, a certain Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult had a sudden inspiration and volunteered to take on the Inspection Corps mission, contributing to the cause of evil soul masters (and boosting his performance figures).
When they reached the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire, Xuan Zi took the initiative to visit the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao. This marshal spent year after year stationed at the border, risking his head and spilling his blood for his country. What did he care if chickens flew and dogs leaped in chaos back home?
In the nearby Mingdou Mountain Range, a band of evil soul masters had claimed the mountains as their kingdom and entrenched themselves there, frequently harassing the common people until they could scarcely survive. Dai Hao had repeatedly sent troops to eradicate them, to no avail.
Xuan Zi led everyone into the military camp and said to Zhou Yi, the accompanying teacher beside him, "There are no outsiders here. You can show your true face."
Zhou Yi nodded. "I hold the White Tiger Duke in great esteem. Naturally, I should meet him with my real appearance to show my respect."
The Grand Elder and the Expulsion Immortal exchanged their cryptic remarks. Under everyone's bewildered gazes, Zhou Yi removed her glasses and enveloped herself in soul power. Her aged face cracked apart inch by inch, as though she were performing some sort of transformation technique.
A young woman of around twenty-eight or twenty-nine stood in her place. Her features could just barely be called delicate, and she looked much better than that vicious old spinster had. Still, appearances were easy to change, but one's nature was not. The Expulsion Immortal still adored expelling people-the same familiar flavor as ever.
Looking at the dumbstruck students, Zhou Yi explained smugly, "This is one of the innate abilities of my martial soul, Eight-Sided Exquisite. I disguised myself as that old woman to establish authority before the students without being held back by my frail appearance."
Everyone understood upon hearing this and offered their finest well wishes, except for one person...
With an "innocent expression," Dai Huabin asked, "Teacher Zhou, now that your appearance has changed so much, do you still like expelling people?"
"Haha..." Wang Dong could not hold back her laughter, which spread to Xiao Xiao beside her, who also burst out laughing.
Zhou Yi had intended to use her looks to tempt the students into changing their opinion of her, only for Dai Huabin to ruin it all. She automatically mastered Ancestor Tang San's classic signature skill-eyes turning red, panting like an ox.
She glared fiercely at him. "One more word of nonsense and I'll expel you!"
Hearing that thoroughly familiar reply, Dai Huabin shrugged, utterly unconcerned. "Haven't you already expelled me once? I'm in Class Two now, and my homeroom teacher is Mu Jin, not you. You have no right to expel me again."
"Enough, enough! Both of you, say a little less!" Xuan Zi smoothed things over, forcibly interrupting their exchange of barbs.
This was the White Tiger Duke's territory, and both his sons were on the competing team. Even if Dai Huabin's attitude displeased him, he had to remain courteous out of consideration for Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng.
Just as everyone was about to enter, Xuan Zi spoke again-not to offer any instructions, but to grease his soles and make his escape. "Go on in. I don't care for all these tiresome formalities. I'll wait outside!"
Without giving anyone a chance to react, he ran off to the side with a wine flask in one hand and a chicken leg in the other, then began eating and drinking with gusto.
No one dared rein in a Level 98 Titled Douluo. Zhou Yi led everyone into the Central Command Tent, where the marshal lived day to day.
A cold current of air rushed in, carrying a bleak, murderous chill. It came from the combined aura of the entire encampment, an unstoppable torrent of steel that held the enemy beyond the Mingdou Mountain Range.
As the White Tiger Duke's heir, Dai Yueheng was stirred by the camp's atmosphere and shared in its glory. "This is where the Western Legion is stationed, with a total force of five hundred thousand troops. The grand marshal commanding the entire army is none other than my father, the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao!"
"Yueheng, what are you talking about?"
A tall figure lifted the tent flap and strode in from outside. Clad in heavy armor, he carried himself with grave, imposing dignity. This was Dai Hao, father of Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin.
Viewing his own father through a flattering filter, Dai Yueheng hurriedly saluted, his eyes filled with admiration.
Dai Huabin was a beat slower, trailing behind the others as his gaze drifted, seemingly casually, in a particular direction.
With Xuan Zi gone, Zhou Yi had automatically been promoted to the teacher in charge. She stepped forward to introduce herself.
She was just about to say something when Dai Huabin suddenly spoke. "Father, this is Zhou Yi, the teacher who expelled me!"
His voice was outrageously loud. To complete his master's task, he had thrown embarrassment to the winds and bellowed it out.
Having only just argued with him outside, Zhou Yi felt her passably delicate expression crack. Yet she did not dare erupt a second time, nor even let her eyes turn red and pant like an ox.
She looked at him with a lethally "kind" smile. "Student Dai, you must be joking. Your teacher only did it for your own good."
Dai Huabin did not appreciate it in the slightest. Before everyone, he raised his chin and rolled his eyes clear up to the skyline.
"..."
Wang Dong and the others struggled painfully to hold back their laughter. Although Zhou Yi had not expelled them, that did not mean they truly approved of her teaching methods. They silently applauded Dai Huabin's actions; he had vented a mouthful of pent-up anger for them all.
Meanwhile, although Dai Hao said nothing out of courtesy toward Shrek, he gave Zhou Yi several long, penetrating looks, making the old spinster's skin crawl. She nearly called out to Xuan Zi for help.
Turning to his second son's studies at Shrek, Dai Hao asked, "Huabin, I heard you recently recruited a study companion. Where is he? Is he also competing?"
Dai Huabin shook his head, growing even more enthusiastic. "No. Li Lezi lost the selection tournament and failed to make the Shrek Seven Devils. It hit him hard, so he took leave from the academy. I don't know where he went..."
Dai Hao nodded, his feelings unreadable, while the look he directed at Zhou Yi grew increasingly strange.