Snow Empress and Shui Bing'er meet for the first time. Ning Fengzhi arrives at Shrek Academy

During the interval after the sky screen finished its review of Yu Xiaogang and was preparing to review Tang San...

Ye Wuchen took Shui Bing'er back to the Far North, shrouded in wind and snow.

Through the howling wind and snow filling the sky, a magnificent, crystal-clear building came into Shui Bing'er's view.

The moment she stepped into the grounds of the Ice Palace, Shui Bing'er let out a gasp of wonder.

She took a deep breath and felt every pore on her body open up.

"Master, the aura of ice elements here... it's so pure, so dense!" Astonishment shone in Shui Bing'er's beautiful eyes.

As a Soul Master with a top-tier ice-attribute Martial Soul, she could clearly sense that every snowflake and every wisp of cold wind here contained exceptionally pure ice elements.

Amid her amazement, Shui Bing'er kept sketching out an image in her mind of the "grandmaster" she had never met.

Deep within the Ice Palace, Snow Empress sensed the familiar presence that haunted her heart and dreams.

The next second, the space before the great hall warped slightly, and the wind and snow filling the sky seemed to freeze in that instant.

An exquisitely beautiful figure appeared out of thin air.

She had long, snow-white hair that cascaded down like a waterfall, skin fairer than snow, and peerless beauty.

Her ice-blue eyes held a cold arrogance that kept others a thousand miles away, but once she saw Ye Wuchen clearly, it all melted into gentle spring waters.

Without any of the airs of the ruler of the Far North, Snow Empress reached out her slender arms and pulled Ye Wuchen tightly into her embrace.

"You heartless, wayward disciple..." Snow Empress nestled against Ye Wuchen's chest, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and petulance:

"If it weren't for this sky screen's reviews, were you planning to keep running wild out there and forget to even come back and see your master?"

Feeling the soft, delicate body in his arms, with its faint fragrance of ice and snow, Ye Wuchen gently patted Snow Empress's slender waist, narrow enough to encircle with a hand, and coaxed her softly:

"Of course not. While I'm away, I miss you every moment, Master. See? As soon as I had some free time, I hurried back to see you."

Ye Wuchen's practiced sweet talk made Snow Empress tighten her arms around him a little more.

She wrinkled her delicate nose and gave a haughty little huff, but the faint upward curve of her lips betrayed her delight.

Standing behind them, Shui Bing'er was dumbfounded as she watched her master and grandmaster act so "inseparably intimate."

The image of a "dignified elder" in her mind crumbled.

Catching sight of Shui Bing'er out of the corner of his eye, Ye Wuchen coughed lightly and whispered into Snow Empress's ear:

"Master, my disciple-your granddisciple-is still watching behind us. We should mind our image a little."

At those words, a faint blush rose on Snow Empress's cold, proud, exquisitely beautiful face.

She released Ye Wuchen as though jolted by electricity, swiftly composed herself, and regained her usual cool, noble bearing as ruler of the Far North.

Shui Bing'er was quick-witted. She stepped forward and bowed respectfully, her voice sweet. "Shui Bing'er pays her respects to Grandmaster!"

"Grandmaster, you're so beautiful, just like a goddess in the heavens. Before meeting you, I thought you would be an elderly senior with snowy hair. I never imagined you would look so pretty."

At these heartfelt words, most of Snow Empress's coldness dissipated.

"You little girl, your tongue is as sweet as your master's." Snow Empress chuckled and looked Shui Bing'er up and down.

"Fifteen years old, a rank fifty-two Soul King... your Martial Soul is the Ice Phoenix, and it has actually evolved to the level of Ultimate Ice?"

Snow Empress saw through Shui Bing'er's capabilities at a glance.

She turned to Ye Wuchen and nodded approvingly. "Wuchen, this disciple you've taken truly has exceptional talent. Given time, there will be no limit to her achievements."

Thrilled by her grandmaster's praise, Shui Bing'er said, "It's all thanks to Master's teaching."

"Since you call me Grandmaster, I can't let our first meeting pass without a greeting gift."

Snow Empress turned over her fair hand, and a crystal as translucent as quartz appeared, radiating a rich, icy-blue glow.

"This is a piece of Thousand-Year Ice Marrow. It contains pure ice power. You're already a Soul King now. Absorbing it will take your cultivation speed another step higher."

Shui Bing'er's little face flushed red, and she hurriedly accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, Grandmaster."

Snow Empress smiled faintly and naturally reached out both hands, taking Ye Wuchen and Shui Bing'er by the hand as she walked deeper into the Ice Palace.

"Come, let's talk inside the hall. Wuchen, tell your master all about your experiences over these months you've been away, and about Bing'er's past as well..."

Inside the Ice Palace, all was warmth and harmony...

At Shrek Academy in the Balak Kingdom, after several days of readjustment, the atmosphere among them was subtly somber.

Everyone's attention had already shifted away from Yu Xiaogang's disgraceful behavior.

The sky screen had already announced that the next person to be reviewed would be Yu Xiaogang's direct disciple-Tang San!

Everyone at Shrek Academy, including teachers such as Flender and Zhao Wuji, was filled with anticipation.

Tang San was fundamentally different from that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang.

Tang San was a true genius!

Innate Full Soul Power, an endless array of hidden weapon techniques, a temperament far beyond his peers...

They firmly believed that Tang San's review would wash away Yu Xiaogang's disgrace and let Shrek Academy hold its head high.

As everyone waited eagerly, three figures with imposing auras descended upon Shrek Academy's dilapidated training grounds.

The man at their head had refined features and a bearing like fine jade, his brocade robes spotless. He was none other than Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Beside him stood Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

"Dad! Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bone!" Ning Rongrong threw herself straight into Ning Fengzhi's arms.

Ning Fengzhi patted his daughter's back tenderly, his gaze sweeping over Flender and Yu Xiaogang.

"Dean Flender, Yu Xiaogang." Ning Fengzhi's voice was gentle, yet carried a trace of authority.

"Rongrong has spent some time at your academy. However, after watching the sky screen's review, I believe that the teaching environment and faculty here are unsuitable for the heir to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Today, I will be taking Rongrong back to the sect."

At these words, Flender's expression turned somewhat ugly, and Tang San frowned as well.

He clearly understood the strategic value of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul within the team.

If they lost this heaven-defying, number-one support, their team's overall strength would be greatly diminished.

"Sect Master Ning, please wait!"

Seeing that Ning Fengzhi was about to leave with them, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly stepped forward.

He knew that his reputation was now in tatters. If he could not even keep Ning Rongrong, his value at Shrek would only sink further.

He wanted to retain an outstanding student for Shrek Academy and preserve a support teammate for his own disciple, Tang San.

"Sect Master Ning, I know the sky screen's review has caused you some misunderstandings about me."

Bracing himself against the murderous gazes of Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and said, "But my theories are by no means worthless. Even if you cannot trust me, you should at least take a look at my disciple."

"The sky screen is about to review my disciple Tang San. He is the culmination of my life's work, a truly peerless genius."