Snow Empress: What should you call me? Lu Cheng: Mommy? (Double chapter)

Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.

The knockout stage is over. One team received a bye, leaving only 67 teams out of 133. The intense group stage then begins.

As of now, the group stage is halfway through, and Shrek has participated in several matches, but Lu Cheng has not appeared again. After leaving an unforgettable impression of his strong dominance on many teams, he has handed over the competition to Wang Yan for command, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan and others for practice.

After all, the group stage is a team that can afford to lose, and in the same group, only one or two teams can be considered strong, with Soul King in charge. The other strongest teams are all Soul Ancestor level captains, so they can be used as practice for the reserve team.

Star Luo Grand Hotel, top floor.

Inside Lu Cheng's dormitory.

As he exhaled and exhaled, a gray-black mist rose around him, enveloping the entire room completely to prevent his breath from escaping. Lu Cheng sat on the bed, his expression slightly pained, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

The left arm, in particular, shone brightly.

Beside him stood a tall woman in a snow-white dress, her beautiful face as cold as ice, her eyes calm and serene. Anyone who saw her would exclaim that she was a goddess. Yet she stood quietly, her beautiful eyes looking at Lu Cheng with a hint of worry.

Looking at Electrolux beside him, he asked, "Elder Yi, this child... will he be alright?"

"Soul Bone Synthesis, after all, a difficult task, but as the Snow Empress, you govern all the Snow Clan in the Far North, and now you have dedicated yourself to Lu Cheng. You naturally carry a trace of the pressure of a superior. As long as he can withstand this pain... he can get through it safely." Electrolux stroked his beard. Although he was still in the state of Divine Consciousness, it was obviously much more solid.

As he was nourished by the Gold of Life, his Divine Consciousness gradually recovered, and many lost memories were also retrieved.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Snow Empress's pretty face softened slightly.

She held a towel in her delicate hand and gently wiped the boy's forehead, her beautiful eyes still carrying a hint of worry.

For some reason, this boy, who was clearly much younger than her, possessed a strange charm that made people want to follow him. She had also talked to Jiaojiao about it, and the latter felt the same way.

The boy's figure was all alone, which inexplicably evoked a sense of pity in her, and she had a constant urge to pull him into her arms and cherish him dearly.

"Call..."

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Cheng exhaled a breath of turbid air, and the icy mist around him slowly dissipated. The 70,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone also completely transformed into a drop of light blue solution, which was completely integrated into the 700,000-year-old left leg bone given to him by the Snow Empress. (In the original work, Huo Gua used a secret technique to fuse the left arm bone into the Ice Empress's torso bone, and Soul Bone from different locations could also be fused.)

The Soul Skill given to Lu Cheng by the 700,000-year-old left leg bone of the Snow Empress is called "Snow Empress's Domain". It is actually a domain-type Soul Skill. Within a radius of 500 meters in diameter, everything is the snow's domain, and it amplifies the Ultimate Ice attribute by 50%.

After the synthesis, the Snow Empress's Soul Bone still dominated, but it amplified a Soul Skill... Ice Explosion Technique.

However, this Ice Explosion Technique is not from Soul Bone with 70,000 years of cultivation, but rather... 700,000 years.

Because the two Soul Bone have merged into one, and the Snow Empress is in a dominant position, the power of the Ice Explosion Technique has also increased significantly, essentially becoming one of the Soul Skill of the Snow Empress's left leg bone.

"So this is the power of synthesized Soul Bone?"

Lu Cheng's eyes lit up with joy.

Ice Explosion Technique.

This thing is incredibly powerful. After all, any Soul Skill that triggers an explosion is basically considered a divine skill, and this one is at the 700,000-year level, making it even more formidable...

Lu Cheng rubbed his fingers together, when a tall, slender figure emerged from behind, gently wrapping her arms around his neck. Cool, delicate fingers brushed against his cheek, and a sweet fragrance wafted from her lips. "Did you succeed?"

Lu Cheng's body stiffened.

His throat bobbed.

Why is Snow Empress starting to resemble... a mother more and more?

Regardless of his actions or expressions, he was always looked at with a gentle doting and tender affection, making it hard for anyone to believe that this was once the ruler of the Far North.

Judging from the stunned look in Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's eyes, one could tell just how shocked this scene was for the Soul Beast of the Far North.

"Um."

Lu Cheng's eye twitched, and he nodded slightly.

"Soul Bone Synthesis isn't difficult. Under your suppression, the Ice Jade Scorpion has no choice but to obey. The greater the age difference, the smoother the synthesis will be."

"Don't call me 'you,' it's too formal..." Snow Empress gently touched Lu Cheng's lips with her delicate, white fingers, as sharp as scallions, and whispered in his ear.

"What's it called?" Lu Cheng's expression tightened.

"If I hadn't sacrificed myself for you, it would be normal for us to be polite and distant, but now... I have sacrificed myself for you, giving you everything I have, including my Soul Ring, Soul Bone, and myself. So tell me... what should you call me?" Snow Empress said with a playful expression, seemingly finding it quite amusing to tease the young man.

"Mom... Mom?" Lu Cheng asked hesitantly.

The scene suddenly fell silent.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stared in astonishment, then gave a thumbs up.

Electrolux shook his head repeatedly, looking regretful.

Snow Empress stood frozen in place, only slowly moving after a long while. A blush rose to her fair earlobes as she leaned close to Lu Cheng's ear and whispered, "Sigh..."

"Elder Yi, you've recovered?" Lu Cheng asked, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

"Not bad..." Electrolux stroked his beard, expressing his disdain for his apprentice's shamelessness in claiming a mother, but still nodded slightly.

"I have now regained a sliver of my Divine Consciousness, nurtured by the vast Gold of Life within your Sea of Consciousness, and I now possess some confidence."

"As for your little girlfriend, whenever you call her over, I can remove the imprint within her Sea of Consciousness."

"Will you get hurt?" Lu Cheng asked, frowning slightly.

If Electrolux were to be injured, it would be a huge loss. Wang Dong'er's mark could wait, but Electrolux had just recovered. Although he seemed powerful, he was still extremely weak when facing God King of Tang San's level.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Electrolux laughed heartily, pleased with his disciple's concern. He patted Lu Cheng on the shoulder. "Don't worry, only those at the god level deserve to be called Divine Consciousness. Even if I'm just a fragment of Divine Consciousness, the Great Bug and the others can't do anything to me because my status is far higher than theirs. Similarly, even if the Great Bug's Spiritual Power is formidable, it can't shake that guy's Divine Consciousness Imprint. But I'm different. Spiritual Imprint and Divine Consciousness are worlds apart. The former is just a wisp of residual image set by the main Divine Consciousness, without independent consciousness, while the latter... is a divided soul carrying the origin of the main Divine Consciousness."

"Moreover, with the blessing of abundant and rich Gold of Life, crushing that Spiritual Imprint is merely a matter of course."

Electrolux said with a smile.

Lu Cheng nodded slightly, about to go find Wang Dong'er, when the door was suddenly pushed open and Wu Feng rushed in, disregarding Lu Cheng's bare upper body revealing his strong but well-proportioned abs, and grabbed his arm and rushed out.

"Quick, Teacher Wang Yan sent me to get you. We're losing the match. Today's team battle has a Soul King expert on our opposing team. Without your help, we'll likely struggle to win..."

Who will they face?

Lu Cheng was somewhat taken aback.

"Thousand Spirit Advanced Soul Master Academy," Wu Feng said urgently, her small face flushed.

"Qianling..."

Lu Cheng suddenly realized that there was indeed such a team in the original work, but they were just extras. They achieved a hard-won victory with the help of Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, He Caitou. But things are different now. With Ma Xiaotao and others recovering from injuries and unable to participate, the Shrek reserve team only has two Soul Ancestor they can rely on: Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan. The opponents they encountered in the past few days were mostly a mix of Soul Elder and Soul Ancestor, with no Soul King involved, so they were able to deal with them relatively easily.

But the Thousand Spirit Team is still quite capable.

The main force is almost entirely composed of Soul Ancestor, and they also possess a Soul King expert, making their combat strength not to be underestimated.

Let's go.

Lu Cheng nodded slightly.

To advance to the round of 16, they must finish in the top two of the group stage. Although he's definitely going to give Shrek a big surprise in the finals, for now... it's better to play it safe.

Moreover, Xuan Zi will also arrive today.

"But could you wait until I've put my clothes on first?" Lu Cheng asked with a hint of helplessness, looking at Wu Feng who was only focused on charging forward.

"... ah?"

Wu Feng turned around casually and suddenly bumped into Lu Cheng's arms.

The strong, youthful, sunny scent rushed into the girl's nostrils, instantly making her blush. She secretly touched him in the chaos, then turned her head away, somewhat reluctantly, saying, "Then hurry up and put it on, I don't want to see..."

"If Miss knew that I had taken advantage of Lu Cheng, whom she had been longing for, before she could, wouldn't she be angry?" Wu Feng stood outside the bedroom door, her back to the door frame, lightly tapping her little leather boots, her pretty face flushed.

She used to feel disgusted whenever she saw a man.

In addition, her frequent close contact with Ning Tian led her to mistakenly believe that she liked women. However, as Lu Cheng pointed it out to her, she realized more and more these days that she had no feelings for Ning Tian. Even if he hugged her or smelled his faint body fragrance, she felt nothing.

On the contrary, today...

The strong masculine scent filled her nostrils, making her legs suddenly feel weak.

"Could it be... that I actually like men?"

Wu Feng scratched his head, drawing a conclusion that seemed somewhat incredulous.

"..."

The door slowly opened.

Lu Cheng was dressed neatly, but he caught a glimpse of disappointment in Wu Feng's crimson eyes. He raised an eyebrow, curled the corners of his mouth, and pulled the girl toward the arena.

Star Luo Plaza.

The referee then announced the match roster.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause once again.

Shrek!

Shrek!

Shrek!

"..."

Standing atop the imperial city wall, the Star Luo Emperor gazed at his side with a smile in his eyes for Xu Jiujiu: "That Shrek kid Starlight Auction a few days ago, and then he hid in a hotel and hasn't shown up since. I don't know what he's been up to. He didn't even participate in today's crucial team battle. Isn't he afraid that Shrek will fall because of this?"

"Shrek can't lose..." Xu Jiujiu's beautiful eyes were filled with complex emotions. "Although there's room for error in the group stage, if Shrek Academy loses, even just one game, the road ahead will only be more difficult."

"Could he have gone to research the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife?"

At this point, a hint of worry flashed in the girl's eyes.

That was a vicious weapon that had turned on more than a dozen masters.

Even if he were incredibly talented, if he dared to study that thing, he would probably be cursed with misfortune. We can only hope that he just looked at it and didn't study it in depth.

"It's hard to say..."

Xu Jiawei shook his head, his gaze then falling on the Shrek rest area.

"What should we do? Has that girl managed to call anyone?" Wang Yan paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, his eyes bloodshot, glancing up every now and then in the direction of the Star Luo Grand Hotel.

If Lu Cheng doesn't show up, then there's a high probability that they'll lose.

After all, they were short one player, all of them were reserves, and there wasn't a single regular player to fill the gap. Even if they were hiding their strength, they shouldn't have done it this way. Lu Cheng set a good example, deterring a group of restless guys who wanted to fight Shrek Academy with knives, making them all restrain themselves. That's why they were able to get to where they are now.

But if we lose this round, then we've revealed our true strength.

Everyone could see Shrek's emptiness.

This means that Shrek Academy currently has no top-tier combatants to fight, so when subsequent teams target Shrek, they will not hold back and may even go all out.

It will be difficult for the Shrek Academy to win as easily as they did in the previous two matches.

This "empty city stratagem" can't be performed anymore.

"Please, both contestants, come to the stage!"

The referee spoke slowly.

The seven members of the opposing Thousand Spirit Team had gloomy expressions and moved slowly, clearly not expecting to encounter one of the teams they least wanted to face. On the Shrek side, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, and the other four also looked hesitant as they prepared to enter the fray.

"How about I..." Ma Xiaotao stepped forward, about to speak.

A hand landed on his shoulder.

Lu Cheng's tall figure appeared beside her, a smile playing on his lips, "Sister Xiaotao, let me do it..."

"You bastard."

Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes and glared at Lu Cheng with her phoenix eyes.

"Always doing these nerve-wracking things."

"Heh, I'm enough on my own."

Lu Cheng shook his head.

"You don't need to go up."

His eyes held a faint chill. "Since your first reaction to me wasn't to surrender, but to give it a try, then I'll make them feel the price of hesitation."

He also found it troublesome.

It seems the last lesson wasn't enough, giving these guys a false sense of security.

In that case, forget about conserving strength for the group stage; just buy your carriage tickets home...

"Good."

A huge weight was lifted from Wang Yan's heart, and his expression regained some vitality.

As Lu Cheng's figure appeared at the heart of the arena.

The atmosphere of the entire competition suddenly became very lively.

Many young girls, their eyes sparkling with desire, cupped their hands in front of their mouths and called out Lu Cheng's name.

"Aren't you considering surrendering directly?"

Lu Cheng chuckled and spoke to the captain of the Thousand Spirit Team.

"You're still as arrogant as ever..." The tall, thin young man narrowed his eyes, his palms sweating, but he remained defiant, staring silently at Lu Cheng: "I'd like to see if I can force you to reveal some of your hidden cards."

"Our Thousand Spirit Team is definitely not as useless as the Heavenly Spirit Team."

"Let's wait and see."

A smile appeared on Lu Cheng's warm and handsome face.

"But my time is also limited..."

"Since you've chosen to waste my time, you should be prepared to pay the price."

Shen Ce's face twitched, and he suppressed the urge to beat the guy up right now.

Wow, that's easy to fake...

P. S.: Still writing, the next chapter will be released at 1:30 AM.