Chapter 173: The 400,000-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone

Qian Ran pushed Ice Emperor onto the bed with ease, confirming that her small, soft frame was indeed "easy to push down."

Lying on the bed, Ice Emperor rested her delicate hands over her abdomen, her lovely face turned inward, long lashes resting on her closed eyes, and her pink lips curled into a slight arch.

Looking at her, Qian Ran couldn't help but smile mischievously.

"Mmm…"

Ice Emperor let out a soft hum, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Qian Ran leaned in, silencing her.

In that moment, fear flickered in her heart. It was as though she were a little lamb facing a hungry wolf—an unfamiliar feeling of vulnerability.

Meanwhile, Qian Ran was more exhilarated than ever.

Three hours later, Ice Emperor started to regret it.

This wasn't at all what she'd expected.

But, on the other hand, she found the feel of Qian Ran's firm abs unexpectedly satisfying, so different from the soft touch of a girl's body.

"Are you alright?" Qian Ran asked, genuinely concerned for her.

"This is your fault," Ice Emperor huffed, dressing swiftly and floating above the bed. With a wave of her hand, she gathered up the sheets and blankets, clearly a quick healer even after the ordeal.

"You're not serious, are you? I was hoping to sleep a bit longer," Qian Ran grumbled as he got dressed.

It felt strange to him—usually, the girls would help him dress, and all he had to do was wait. But asking Ice Emperor for help would likely result in her unleashing her full power. This little "loli" was stronger than she appeared, so he decided to let it slide.

"Why do you want to keep those?" Qian Ran asked, puzzled.

It seemed that both Dong'er and the others had done the same, preserving their "firsts" with him.

"What do you know? You're not a girl," Ice Emperor replied with a smirk, amused by his cluelessness.

"Well, you're not exactly a girl either—you're a female soul beast," he teased.

"Are you saying you don't like it?" Ice Emperor asked, thinking back to the earlier pain she'd endured. Despite her immense strength, she'd found herself unable to dull the ache.

"No, no! I love female soul beasts, especially those over 100,000 years old. They're all exceptional beauties." He had to admit, the wisdom passed down from Tang San wasn't wrong. Tang San had paved the way, and Qian Ran intended to follow in his footsteps—better, even.

Ice Emperor's eyes widened.

"This is all because of Tang San, you know. He and his father both married 100,000-year soul beasts," Qian Ran explained. Tang San had a penchant for human-soul beast relationships, one that carried through most of the Douluo series, sparing only The Legend of the Divine Realm, in which his daughter married Huo Yuhao. In fact, Tang San had even created a female soul beast, Qiu'er, just so Huo Yuhao could experience that same "pleasure."

Qian Ran found Tang San's obsession rather disturbing.

Still, Tang San had a good eye. Soul beasts over 100,000 years old were undoubtedly rare beauties. Short of gods, few humans could match their timeless allure, their unmatched beauty honed over centuries.

After all, humans in Douluo Dalu lived at most a couple of hundred years, while these soul beasts possessed stronger constitutions.

Their flawless skin and unique charm could only be rivaled by the most beautiful human women.

Every 100,000-year female soul beast he'd met had been breathtaking—Ice Emperor included.

"Don't pick up bad habits from those two; or else I'll have to teach you a lesson," Ice Emperor said, her hand enveloped in a cold mist as the room's temperature dropped sharply. To her, Tang San and Tang Hao were vile, ungrateful hypocrites who'd taken advantage of soul beasts only to turn around and hunt them.

"Don't worry. I'm not like those two. I'll defeat them both one day and free the soul beasts from their oppression," Qian Ran reassured her. Ever since learning about Tang San's ruthless deeds, Ice Emperor had harbored a deep grudge against him.

"We don't need much from you. Just give us the Transformation Technique—that would be the greatest help," Ice Emperor replied. She understood the technique's value, and so did Qian Ran.

With the Transformation Technique, soul beasts could transform into human form at will, allowing them to blend into human society. Such a development would ensure the survival of soul beasts.

If they could unify even a little, the power balance between humans and soul beasts would be restored.

This outcome was ideal for Qian Ran. He couldn't bear to see the female soul beasts disappear—these 100,000-year-old beauties could steal anyone's heart. Once he became a god, he planned to bring a steady stream of 100,000-year-old soul beast beauties into his realm for "training." Yes, training—only those who excelled in training would move up to the next level.

The more he thought about it, the more thrilling the idea seemed.

Just then, a notification from the system rang in his mind:

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for adding another member to the harem. The host has acquired a 400,000-year soul ring and a 400,000-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion torso bone, both of which will be immediately fused."

Qian Ran felt a rush of excitement as a strange energy coursed through his body.

The system had copied Ice Emperor's soul ring and bone, imprinting them onto him.

In an instant, his Ice Dragon martial soul gained a 400,000-year dark red soul ring, and a striking tattoo appeared on his back: a vivid image of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, its emerald claws and tail perfectly detailed.

The tattoo was massive, spanning his entire back. Six legs wrapped around his ribs, while its claws rested on his shoulders and its long tail traced down his spine.

He felt a powerful, ancient energy surge through him, filling him with a newfound majesty and strength.

This was incredible.

It was as though Ice Emperor had fused with his body, and through the soul bone on his back, he sensed a connection to her. Technically, the soul ring and soul bone now shared a mystical link with her own essence. Should Ice Emperor's cultivation increase, reaching 500,000 years, for example, his soul ring and soul bone would automatically upgrade to match her power. A soul ring and soul bone that could grow with her—it was beyond perfect. He didn't even need to do anything; all Ice Emperor had to do was continue her cultivation.

What a brilliant design.

With this, Qian Ran was essentially unbeatable. He truly was the strongest person in this world—no one else even came close. Between Tang San's cheats for Huo Yuhao, and now his own, he was operating on a level unmatched by anyone.

(End of Chapter)