CHAPTER 44: Ice and Spirit

Chapter 44 – Ice and Spirit

"Is Master Xuan the leader of this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition?"

Dai Yuheng and the others—including the current generation of the Shrek Six Monsters and the substitute member—were visibly stunned. As members of the inner courtyard, they knew very well who Master Xuan was.

A top-tier powerhouse on the continent.

Deputy Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion.

Ranked 98 in soul power.

Deputy head of the Shrek Supervisory Group.

The second strongest pillar of the entire Shrek Academy.

And now, it wasn't just that Master Xuan would be leading the team—he even made it clear they could "slaughter" the students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy at will, without fear of retaliation. With a level 98 powerhouse like him protecting them, this year's competition felt more like a guaranteed victory than a challenge.

"Master Xuan is wise."

Yan Shaozhe's timely flattery rang out with sincerity. With Master Xuan present, he, the Dean of Shrek Academy, finally felt at ease.

With Elder Xuan's might, even if the Sun Moon Academy had hidden a group of evil soul masters among their students, Yan Shaozhe couldn't imagine any of them posing a real threat.

This was bound to be another glorious victory for Shrek.

"Master Xuan is wise!" ×7

The Shrek Six Monsters and the substitute echoed Yan Shaozhe's words in unison. Their faces were filled with admiration and respect.

Master Xuan nodded calmly, took a leisurely sip of wine, bit into his roasted meat, and strolled away with an air of contentment.

Just then, Yan Shaozhe received a voice transmission from Master Xuan.

"By the way, even though this setup is more than enough to deal with those Sun Moon Royal brats, it'd be even better if Xiao Tao recovers before the competition. I thought it over—having two Soul Emperors on the field would give us a tighter grip. See what you can do during this period, get her back into shape. Better safe than sorry."

"Yes, Elder Xuan," Yan Shaozhe replied respectfully.

Meanwhile, Master Xuan had already returned to his drunken bliss, wine in hand, meat in mouth, enjoying a carefree life.

"With two Soul Emperors and a Soul King as the core of our lineup, I truly can't imagine any situation where Shrek loses."

Far away, at the edge of the vast northern snowfields—

"Finally arrived. As expected of the Far North… it's freezing."

A soul guide motorcycle slowed to a stop near the snowfield's edge. Xiao Qiang stepped off, then stored the vehicle back into his soul tool before changing into heavy winter gear.

Once he finished dressing, Xiao Qiang retrieved another motorcycle from his storage—a snow-modified version equipped to handle extreme cold and harsh terrain.

As the personal disciple of Jing Hongchen, Xiao Qiang no longer lived like an ordinary civilian. He was now a gold soul coin-tier player. There was absolutely no need for him to endure suffering like Huo Yuhao did in the original timeline.

After leaving the imperial city, Xiao Qiang had zoomed through the route on a lightning-speed soul guide bike crafted by Tianmeng. It had only taken two and a half days to reach the edge of the Far North.

Xiao Qiang had no intention of trudging through the snow on foot. With Tianmeng's help, he had prepared every luxury in advance. The snowmobile even had a temporary heating capsule mode. Xiao Qiang's goal was clear—avoid hardship at all costs.

With his current strength at Level 40, Xiao Qiang far surpassed the original Huo Yuhao, who was only around Level 20 at this point in his story. Armed with high-end warm gear and soul power reserves, Xiao Qiang barely felt the chill when Tianmeng instructed him to hide.

Once everything was in place, Tianmeng's consciousness left Xiao Qiang's body. Emitting his original aura, he drew in the Ice Empress (Bingdi) just like in the original storyline.

"Xiao Qiang, retreat!"

"Got it!"

Without hesitation, Xiao Qiang rushed out of the temporary shelter, swiftly storing it in one hand and summoning the snowmobile with the other. His soul power flared to maximum, and with a loud roar, the vehicle burst into high-speed motion. Within two and a half hours, Xiao Qiang had reached the outer perimeter of the Far North.

Meanwhile, after trapping the Ice Empress for half a day, Tianmeng judged that the timing was perfect.

"Ice Empress, stop resisting. You've tried multiple times—you must know by now it's useless," Tianmeng's calm voice echoed through the mental prison.

"What do you want?" Bingdi responded coldly.

"I just want to be with my beloved forever."

Bingdi sneered. "This is how you express your love?"

"Don't be so hasty. Just listen to me," Tianmeng replied gently.

"Hmph. You say you love me? Then why are you hiding your true form? I'm already your prisoner. What more are you afraid of?"

Tianmeng sighed. "It's not fear—it's just that I can't show you my body because it no longer exists. You should've noticed by now: what you're seeing is just my spiritual essence, not an illusion."

"What did you say?" Bingdi froze. "You're saying your physical body is gone?!"

"Yes. Along with the essence of my soul power. It's a long story."

Tianmeng then gave a brief account of his journey after leaving the Far North. He painted a tragic picture—of endless suffering, of near destruction. Though his words held truth, Bingdi's face remained unreadable, void of sympathy.

"Fortunately, I met Xiao Qiang at the very end—my current master. If not for him, I wouldn't have made it back to see you."

"Master? You, a million-year-old soul beast, submitted to a human?" Bingdi's tone sharpened with scorn. But Tianmeng seemed almost proud.

"That's a long story too…"

He then explained his grand plan to Bingdi, much like in the original novel. After some contemplation, Tianmeng brought her consciousness directly to Xiao Qiang.

Even though transitioning from a 2D image to real-life made some differences, the girl who appeared before Xiao Qiang had unmistakable features: green twin-tailed hair, golden eyes, and a proud, icy temperament.

There was no doubt—this was Bingdi.

"Tianmeng, is this the host you chose?" Bingdi narrowed her eyes. "His mental strength is indeed far superior to ordinary soul masters. At this age, such potential is rare. But creating a god…?"

She shook her head.

"Sorry, it's too difficult. Strong spiritual power alone isn't enough. I don't see much hope of him succeeding in such a project."

"Bingbing, I…"

Tianmeng was about to defend Xiao Qiang when the latter raised his hand and interrupted.

"Bingdi, since I'm also a participant in this so-called God-Making Project, would you give me the courtesy of hearing me out?"