The Ice Empress soul spirit hatched the night after the Snow Empress was born—precisely the night before the finals of the Soul Master Tournament.
Compared to Snow Empress's human form, Ice Empress appeared much more wild. Although Ice Jade Scorpions were known for their beauty among soul beasts, nothing could match the allure of a human appearance to Zhu Ziyang.
To describe her: Ice Empress wasn't ugly—on the contrary, she was quite stunning. Her entire body looked like sparkling emerald jade, radiating a glittering, crystalline glow. Her scorpion tail shimmered like a diamond, and her whole form resembled an exquisite piece of art that one couldn't help but want to admire and touch.
Of course, this was her non-combat form. When entering combat, she would revert to her original form and size—a massive two-meter-long Ice Jade Scorpion.
In fact, not only Ice Empress, but also Snow Empress and Second Frost had two distinct forms: one for peace, one for battle. Snow Empress's passive form looked like a three- to four-year-old child, while her combat form was more like a five- or six-year-old girl. This appearance would grow with her strength over time. Second Frost's difference was purely in size—her combat form was that of a majestic silver dragon, large and regal.
With all three soul spirits now gathered, Zhu Ziyang decided it was time to lay down some ground rules.
"You may call me 'Master' from now on," he announced. "Or, if you prefer, just call me by name. Either is fine. But one thing is non-negotiable—you must obey my commands!"
"Master? Pfft!" Second Frost lifted her chin with haughty pride. "No way! I'd rather just call you Ziyang!"
"Then Ziyang it is," Ice Empress replied coolly, her voice crisp and professional.
But then, unexpectedly, Snow Empress blushed deeply. Her bold and commanding tone was nowhere to be found—she now sounded just like a timid, shy little girl. She looked up and asked hesitantly:
"Can I… call you something else?"
"Oh?" Zhu Ziyang blinked in surprise. "What do you want to call me?"
"D-D… Daddy…" Snow Empress mumbled in a barely audible voice, like a child afraid of being scolded for doing something wrong.
"Huh?" Zhu Ziyang froze, wondering if he had heard her correctly.
"I said… I want to call you Daddy!" Snow Empress suddenly shouted, cheeks glowing crimson.
"Er…" Zhu Ziyang was completely stunned. He looked at her, baffled. "Wait, you're serious?"
"I am," Snow Empress said firmly. "You gave me a second life and a brighter future. That makes you the father of my new body. So I want to call you Daddy!"
Zhu Ziyang sighed, helpless in the face of her sincerity. But in the end, he couldn't help but smile.
"If that's what you really want, then I don't mind. I suppose I've gained a daughter."
"Thank you!" Snow Empress' eyes lit up with joy. She jumped into his arms and whispered softly, "Daddy…"
Zhu Ziyang gently embraced her, a twinge of sympathy rising in his heart for this once-proud ruler of the Extreme North.
"Yes… I'm here," he replied.
The tender scene moved even Ice Empress to tears, while Second Frost simply pouted and looked away.
Second Frost didn't understand Snow Empress's desire to call someone "father." But Ice Empress, who shared her sister's heart, understood perfectly just how deep Snow Empress's longing for family truly was.
"Frost," Ice Empress explained, "I know you're wondering why Snow Empress would want to call Ziyang 'Daddy,' right?"
"She's an Ice Heaven Snow Lady, a unique elemental spirit. Only one can exist in the entire world. That means she has no kin—no family, no clan. And because she's a sentient spirit, she has always felt a deep longing for familial love."
"Before I met her, she had lived alone for three hundred thousand years. The loneliness she endured is unimaginable to soul beasts like us who had clans and families."
"…I see," Second Frost muttered, now feeling a bit ashamed. "Looks like I judged her too quickly."
"Daddy," Snow Empress said suddenly, looking up with starry eyes, "can you give me a name?"
"Why?" Ziyang asked. "I think 'Snow Empress' sounds pretty good."
"But I heard that human fathers always give their children a name," she said sweetly, her voice soft and innocent, her face full of hope. She looked just like a normal human girl—no different at all.
"I see…" Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Alright then. From now on, your name will be Zhu Lingxue, and your nickname is Xue'er. How's that sound?"
"Mm!" she nodded happily. "From now on, I'll be Xue'er!"
The sun rose from the east.
Star Luo City, capital of the Star Luo Empire, welcomed a once-in-a-decade crowd surge. Every street was packed wall to wall—people couldn't even move. And there was only one reason for such chaos: the finals of the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament!
Even though the entire city was gridlocked, that didn't affect the two finalist academies. Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had long since arrived at Star Luo Square via special routes.
The square itself was the most crowded place in the entire city. Ever since the semifinals ended, fans had begun lining up. Some had camped out for two days straight—just for a chance to witness the final with their own eyes. For many, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Shrek's members didn't pay much attention to the crowds. They were seated comfortably in the VIP lounge, calmly discussing strategies for the finals.
The final round had its own unique format—a format exclusive to the Elite Tournament. Nowhere else on the continent did a soul master competition have three distinct matches: team battle, individual battle, and cooperative battle.
That's right—each team had to compete in three rounds:
A seven-versus-seven team battle.
A one-on-one elimination battle, where seven members from each side fought until one team was wiped out.
And finally, a cooperative match, which used a 2-2-3 formation—three sub-matches, each requiring close teamwork.
Only two victories out of the three rounds were needed to claim the championship.
In reality, very few finals ever made it to the third round. That's because Shrek Academy's dominance had always been overwhelming. Even the powerful Sun Moon team was considered no match for Shrek.
This year was no different.
The crowd didn't expect the finals to reach round three—most believed Shrek would end it early, especially since they had a monstrous talent among their ranks:
Zhu Ziyang, the Golden Moon Emperor!
To honor the two great academies, Emperor Xu Jiawei of Star Luo Empire arrived early at the Royal Palace balcony. Behind him stood all the nobles and ministers of the empire—and one surprising guest: Duke White Tiger, Dai Hao.
Dai Hao stood respectfully beside the emperor, speaking with him about the tournament. His deference was obvious—his loyalty could be felt without needing to be said aloud.
Clearly, Emperor Xu Jiawei knew how to command his officials.
On the other side of the emperor stood Princess Xu Jiujiu, whose eyes immediately sought out Zhu Ziyang. Her feelings toward the soul emperor with the hundred-thousand-year soul ring were complicated. She recalled what Elder Luo had told her the night before, and her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"Silence! The match is about to begin. Let His Majesty speak," Duke Dai Hao shouted.
He didn't use a soul speaker device, but his voice carried across the square, filled with an iron-blooded authority that stunned the crowd.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
All the soldiers guarding the square roared in unison, raising their weapons high. The entire plaza filled with a chilling, awe-inspiring atmosphere.
Emperor Xu Jiawei smiled.
"The last time I saw a Continental Elite Tournament in Star Luo City was twenty years ago. Back then, both I and Brother Dai Hao were just young men.
Time flies. Now I am emperor, and he is the empire's supreme commander.
Today, we will witness the greatest battle among the young generation once again. I am deeply excited. I hope both teams will deliver a match worthy of history.
As always, the winners will receive three soul bones and one million gold soul coins. I have personally selected ten soul bones from the national treasury for the champions to choose from.
Today's match will be judged by Heavenfiend Douluo.
No more words—let us all enjoy a battle that is certain to be remembered in history!"
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