Chapter 196: Ice Emperor's Little jiojio, Overcoming the Drawbacks of Soul Douluo and Soul Spirit

Having used spatial power to leave the region created by spatial distortion, the atmosphere among the three was rather odd.

Snow Emperor, with a cold expression, flew at the front, while Shu Yan and Ice Emperor followed closely; the two exchanged a glance, then Ice Emperor gave Shu Yan a harsh stare. Although exposing herself today was also a problem, could she admit it? This could only make Shu Yan take all the blame; otherwise she truly didn't know how Snow Emperor would regard herself…

Shu Yan felt helpless; now figuring out how to appease Snow Emperor had become a big problem. Honestly, he really wasn't good at these things.

The three maintained silence between them, even after returning to Star Luo City.

Snow Emperor went straight back to her small courtyard. Ice Emperor tried to follow, but Snow Emperor drove her out. Seeing Shu Yan sitting in the courtyard sipping tea, she was incensed, then stepped forward and snatched the tea cup from Shu Yan's hand. A chill spiraled upward, instantly turning the steaming tea and the cup into a block of ice.

"Drink, drink, drink, you only know how to drink tea. Snow's angry; why don't you quickly think of a way with me to placate her, instead you just came here to laze around by yourself."

Ice Emperor's tone held a hint of resentment, and Shu Yan was also helpless. He reached out and pinched Ice Emperor's fair, soft cheek. Sometime ago, Ice Emperor had voluntarily concealed the strange magical tattoo on her face; now she looked like a teenage girl, a proper cold‑hearted loli.

Shu Yan said little, simply lifting Ice Emperor onto his lap, letting her head rest against his chest.

The next morning, Shu Yan slowly opened his eyes. Last night he had absorbed the 300,000‑year‑old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's left leg bone; his soul power surged, breaking through the soul saint barrier in one go and entering the Soul Douluo Realm.

Xu Jiu Jiu felt a bit embarrassed under Shu Yan's gaze; she pulled Shu Yan and Ling Luocheng to sit on a nearby chair, then said:

Xu Jiu Jiu and Ling Luocheng walked out of the side corridor hand‑in‑hand; they knew how formidable the soul bone Shu Yan had absorbed was, so they showed no sign of panic.

Shu Yan lightly nodded and said, "Snow sister, you can rest assured. I remember the promises I made to both of you and won't renege; after all, we're family from now on…"

Ling Luocheng looked at Shu Yan with hopeful eyes. She had accepted her fate; after all, every part of her bore Shu Yan's mark, and her feelings for him were unique. So she chose to accept reality. Xu Jiu Jiu said nothing, and she tacitly consented.

"Ice, I think our relationship needs to change a bit. What do you think?"

Upon the two women's arrival, Shu Yan gradually reined in the evil energy swirling around him and returned to his gentle demeanor.

Feeling that powerful evil force, even Shu Yan couldn't help but marvel; using the ability contained in that soul bone as a disguise, surely the continent would gain another terrifying evil‑spirit master.

However, the price of such a method is beyond what ordinary people can bear. Half of Shu Yan's body was left shattered by the raging power; the flesh on his left arm had completely vanished. Yet, thanks to the gold of the inner spirit, the healing of the Medic Immortal Douluo and the ten‑thousand‑year Life Vine, after about half a day the grievous injuries recovered to roughly seventy percent. The remaining wounds would have to be repaired by Shu Yan himself, and he estimated that within at most a week he could return to his peak state.

Through this period of close companionship, the two's relationship had evolved into genuine sisterhood. After all, Shu Yan's absurdity in this regard was never hidden, and they had been forced to fight side by side many times; over time, their bond naturally improved.

Afterward, Ice Emperor slowly emerged from Shu Yan's body, examined her own form, feeling both bewildered and refreshed.

Ice Emperor let out another cold snort; the resentment in her heart sparked a mischievous urge. Suddenly, she lifted the jade foot wrapped in white silk and, before Shu Yan could react, stamped it onto his face.

But during later interactions, she realized that not only Snow Emperor, but even she herself was gradually sinking into change. Sometimes she was truly curious why Shu Yan seemed to exude an irresistible charm that stirred her heart, yet each time her emotions were just right to convince herself, Shu Yan's actions made her recoil.

Shu Yan patted her head and said, "It's natural. After becoming a soul spirit, your power relative to your original self has weakened considerably, yet it can give me a huge boost. Ice, I won't hide from you: soul spirits, at their core, mostly benefit humanity. Unless human technology can independently create ten‑thousand‑year soul spirits, otherwise…"

At that moment, daylight shone brightly; she was indeed a bit embarrassed, but Shu Yan ignored the loli's murmuring resistance, moved down from her forehead and precisely seized that luscious, drooping crimson lip.

Shu Yan let out a dumbfounded laugh, feeling it was nothing.

Xu Jiu Jiu gave a sly smile and then said:

……

"The six ultimate attributes—evil, wind, thunder, time, space, and force—what a perverse Dark Demon Evil God Tiger; truly worthy of a super soul beast with an evil‑god bloodline flowing within…"

Upon hearing that, Shu Yan instinctively touched his nose; before he could decide what to say, Ice Emperor suddenly grabbed his collar and, in a low voice, asked:

Hearing Shu Yan's voice, Ice Emperor subconsciously lifted her head, and the next moment, Shu Yan's kiss landed on her forehead.

Upon hearing that, Snow Emperor was slightly startled; Xu Jiu Jiu and Ling Luocheng smiled, and Ice Emperor, embarrassed, turned her face aside. Clearly, the news that her relationship with Shu Yan had finally become concrete hadn't been hidden from…

Such intimate contact had occurred many times privately between them, but this overtly public instance was the first.

While Ice Emperor was daydreaming, the force on her foot surged; she let out a light snort, then instinctively kicked Shu Yan's chest. The kick seemed heavy but was actually feeble. Shu Yan, a bit helpless, grabbed Ice Emperor's small foot and softly asked, "Are you still angry?"

Snow Emperor closed her eyes, then looked at Shu Yan and said seriously:

"Ice…"

After a long while, Shu Yan finally released the panting Ice Emperor. Between their lips a crystal‑clear thread lingered; Ice Emperor's face flushed so much that…

Shu Yan nodded and said, "It's going well; my soul power has already broken through to level 80."

……

The beast tide a hundred years ago on the continent was the same: as many as seven 100,000‑year soul beasts, the backbone of a race and the torch of its inheritance, yet within a very short time humans hunted them down one after another; if this happened in the far north, I would not hesitate to raise a beast tide to swallow the human world, and the Star Dou Great Forest still has Biji, the pacifist All‑Unraveling Heavenly Emperor, but what about the far north? I'm not joking—now my and Bing Er's attitude toward humans seems somewhat better, but that's only because of your existence, and other humans are still just unseen ants in our eyes; perhaps we are not yet at the point of mass‑killing the innocent, but… who can say what the future may bring……

"Then, brother, how do you plan to resolve it?"

Feeling the warmth at the sole of her foot and the just‑right pressure, Ice Emperor's face reddened further. Watching Shu Yan's earnest expression, she couldn't help but silently admire…

A breathtaking smile blossomed on Xu Jiu Jiu's face; she was inherently beautiful, and after several transformations, she now looked even more stunning, making hearts tremble.

Xu Jiu Jiu examined Shu Yan, then with a playful grin said:

"Brother, we have added the starry sky to the inherited martial soul of our Star Crown Sect and the entire royal line. That way, even if I lose the Star Crown martial soul, I remain the purest descendant of the royal family and sect."

……

Ice Emperor pounded Shu Yan's chest, and after a while whispered:

However, after the lesson of being trampled by Shu Yan last time, the girl's temperament seemed to have changed a bit; she was no longer as arrogant as before. Though still flamboyant, she had become more restrained. Looking at the fierce‑lighted little loli in her arms, Shu Yan sincerely raised both hands and said, "Auntie, how would you like me to compensate?"

Ice Emperor's hand, trembling, clutched Shu Yan's robe; sweat beaded in her palm, her eyelashes quivered slightly. Previously she had only let Shu Yan kiss her face or touch her waist, but this time she let him go a step further.

Shu Yan was startled, then said:

"Ah Yan, you broke through the Soul Douluo Realm, right?"

The afternoon still passed swiftly.

After the two left‑arm bones fused, the age was roughly 450,000 years, with a loss of about 20,000 years; it's not a major issue, after all the soul bone's overall cultivation remains frighteningly high.

With this operation, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's left leg bone, the Ice Azure Emperor Scorpion's left arm bone, and the ferocious beast's soul ring together raised Shu Yan's soul power by five levels. In the Soul Douluo Realm, a five‑level surge in one go is self‑evident, not to mention Shu Yan's total soul power and quality now approach the Super Douluo limit; such an increase is indeed extraordinary.

Seeing Shu Yan's momentarily bewildered gaze, Ice Emperor smiled unusually brightly, and later teasingly asked Shu Yan if he wanted to try…

Time passed.

Shu Yan thought it was time to tear the vague membrane between their relationship.

Shu Yan didn't notice anything, simply nodded.

Ice Emperor had intended to say something, but it got stuck in her throat; her snow‑white cheek gradually…

Su Tong seemed to greatly admire the Ancient Moon Chant; in her words there was a sense of…

Shu Yan, following Ice Emperor's intent, used the soul spirit method to fulfill their prior agreement; accompanied by a flash of dazzling emerald light, a 400,000‑year left‑arm bone flew toward Shu Yan's left arm. The original 70,000‑year Ice Azure King Scorpion left arm bone tried to resist, but upon sensing Ice Emperor's aura it instantly became obedient. Then, with the combined strength of Ice Emperor and Shu Yan, and the similarity between the two soul bones, they forcefully fused together.

Putting aside that heavy topic, everyone frolicked for a while. Snow Emperor remained seated nearby, smiling at the group. Ice Emperor continued to hold Shu Yan, studying the current link and combat power between them. Xu Jiu Jiu and Ling Luocheng listened quietly beside them, and the scene was, for a moment, extremely peaceful and warm.

"Shu Yan, my feet are sore; give the Emperor a rub."

As everyone knows, Douluo beauties' feet never smell; they are naturally beautiful, delicate, and carry a natural fragrance, and the Ice Emperor is no exception…

"Since you like the Emperor, why didn't you confess earlier? You're about to break through to level 80, and then I…"

"You dead scumbag, were you this casual when you confessed to Jiujiu and the others?"

In the evening, Ruan Qinyu, who had returned by carriage from the Star Luo National Academy, walked into the Princess Residence hand in hand with Mengning; Su Tong and Du Gu Yan also came back from the arena, and lately they have been idle, both seeking breakthrough opportunities in the arena, so they often stay away from home.

Then she took off her teal shoes, revealing her small feet wrapped in white stockings.

"So this is what's called a soul spirit? It feels… a bit strange."

Feeling the Ice Emperor's solid obstruction, Shu Yan extended a hand into her collar; the Ice Emperor instinctively tried to gasp, but forgot about the watchful Shu Yan, and at that moment the position was completely lost.

The Ice Emperor looked up at Shu Yan, her expression slightly complex; after a long silence, she finally whispered:

"Yesterday, regarding my martial soul's evolution with my royal brother, he was delighted, but losing the Star Crown martial soul made him worry about the succession of the throne."

The tone was domineering, fitting the Ice Emperor's style; Shu Yan raised an eyebrow, then extended a hand to gently grasp the delicate foot before him and knead it lightly.

The soul bone produced by the beast‑level Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was of excessively high quality; even with Shu Yan's current physical condition, merging it inevitably brought a sense of pressure. Fortunately, in the realm of resentment, Ilex helped resolve it, so he didn't have to expend much effort. Feeling the power filling his body, Shu Yan closed his eyes; a wicked light radiated from his left leg, and for a moment even the surrounding dawn seemed slightly dimmed. Behind Shu Yan, a massive tiger slowly emerged from the darkness; its blood‑red eyes held a terrifying killing intent, and in an instant it almost caused the surrounding space to freeze.

Noticing Shu Yan's breakthrough in Soul Douluo, the two of them felt no surprise, only a certain sense of sentiment.

In memory, Snow Emperor's visage had long been replaced by Shu Yan, and the Ice Emperor suddenly felt a bit insecure again; although at first she sensed that Snow Emperor's feelings toward Shu Yan were different, and even privately felt sad for a while because of it.

"Ah Yan, no matter what, you promised me to protect the soul beasts of the Far North. Of course, necessary sacrifices are inevitable. Emperor Tian once told me that as long as human hunting does not threaten the species' inheritance—or simply as long as it isn't excessive—enough habitat and longevity can be left for the soul‑beast clan, and a soul‑beast sovereign like us would not act rashly."

The few of them chatted casually for a while, and until noon, the Snow Emperor, dressed in a white dress, finally came out of a side courtyard with the somewhat pitiful Ice Emperor.

"My lifelong fame has, in the end, fallen because of you…"

The Ice Emperor curled her lip into a smile at those words, then rose straight up, pushed an entire tea set onto the floor, and sat at the table in front of Shu Yan.

During the meal, Su Tong talked about several opponents she had met on the arena in the past two days; of course, they were also old acquaintances of Shu Yan, the few geniuses from the Southern Region.

"Don't, don't kiss; we still have serious matters to discuss…"

"Anyway I don't care; we were both sneaking around before. After you finally stepped forward to make it clear, you didn't even give the Emperor any time. Shu Yan, you need to give the Emperor a satisfactory answer…"

The Ice Emperor's weight is light; at first the body feels icy, but after holding them for a while, warmth can also be felt.

Shu Yan said softly.

"Hmm, Shu Yan had nothing to say about it; after all, Xu Jiu Jiu and Ling Luocheng had indeed done similar things before."

The group fell silent for a moment, then the Ice Emperor spoke: "It's irrelevant now; humanity's development is too rapid. Even without the emergence of soul spirits, it won't be long before places like the Star Dou Great Forest, the Far North, even the oceans are gradually occupied by humans. As Shu Yan said, once humans can independently create soul spirits of various ages, there will still be a chance for the soul‑beast clan to harmonize with humanity."

Her talent was undoubtedly top‑tier; Shu Yan recalled that the first time he met her, she had just turned fifteen, yet her cultivation was already at level 47. If that much time has passed, according to Ling Luocheng and Su Tong, Qian Gu Yueyin's soul power level now should be at least above 55. Such a leap in soul power suggests she likely hasn't yet absorbed a soul bone; had she absorbed any of the soul bones that Qian Gu Chaosheng prepared for her, her soul power would already be at the Soul King pinnacle, perhaps even breaking through to Soul Emperor.

However, it's a bit late, and this was also the decision of Qian Gu Chaosheng and his grandson. When Shu Yan previously chatted with Qian Gu Chaosheng, he had clearly stated that Qian Gu Yueyin would only start absorbing soul bones after reaching the Soul King level. After assessing her age and strength, Shu Yan suddenly turned to Xu Jiu Jiu and said, "Jiujiu, for this Soul Master Grand Competition, we can replace some of the original Star Luo National Academy team members—let Luochen, Ah Yan, or rather sister, even Qian Gu Yueyin—join you on the field. Of course, if you want me to join you as well, that's also possible; the arrangement is entirely up to you. After all, it's just a matter of a single hand, and after the competition we can publicly announce our relationship…"

Xu Jiu Jiu's eyes lit up.

……

(End of Chapter)