"Hey! I survived!"
"I didn't turn stupid, and my intelligence is still intact!"
A flash of blood-red light flickered from the hundred-thousand-year soul ring on Meng Hongchen's body. From it, a snow-white flower emerged.
The Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss floated in midair, circling Meng Hongchen excitedly several times as it shouted, before finally landing in Jiang Jue's hand.
"Thank you, Young Master, for granting me a second life. From this day forward, Xue'er will stand before the Primary Mistress and block all danger!"
The Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss spoke solemnly.
Jiang Jue nodded slightly at the words. However, this promise meant little to him, because the contract he had formed with it was not an equal one, but a master–servant contract…
Meng Hongchen was the master, and the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss the servant. In other words, it could not refuse any command from Meng Hongchen. When danger came, it wouldn't even be able to run.
When it came to his own woman, Jiang Jue naturally would not leave behind any hidden dangers.
"So it really succeeded."
Seeing this, the Snow Empress raised her delicate hand. The Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss flew toward her and was grasped in her palm as she examined it carefully.
"If this soul-spirit method could truly be spread," the Snow Empress pondered silently, "would the conflict between humans and soul beasts decrease?"
"A soul beast transforming into a soul spirit of a soul master—not only can it coexist with the soul master, it can also grant multiple soul rings. That would reduce the slaughter of soul beasts by soul masters…"
"But human nature is greedy…"
Even without the need for soul rings, humans would still hunt soul beasts—for soul bones and the precious parts of their bodies.
As these thoughts continued, the smile on the Snow Empress's beautiful face gradually faded.
The soul-spirit method could not solve the fundamental problem.
"Greetings, Second Primary Mistress."
Recalling the icy devastation the Snow Empress had unleashed in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes, sensing the terrifying pressure radiating from her body, and seeing her fading smile and clenched fist—
"I just came back to life—don't do this!"
The Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss trembled, then quickly improvised:
"..."
"Spout any more nonsense, and I'll scatter your soul completely!"
Caught completely off guard by its words, the Snow Empress's face first flushed red like sunset clouds, then instantly turned frosty. Her cold, beautiful eyes glared viciously at the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss.
Afterward, her gaze unconsciously flicked toward Jiang Jue. Seeing that he was still watching Meng Hongchen, she let out a breath of relief—yet inexplicably felt a hint of bitterness.
"What Second Primary Mistress? I wouldn't care for such a title."
Realizing it had flattered the wrong target, the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss hurried to make amends.
"Snow Empress, this is Xue'er's fault, all Xue'er's fault. I won't dare again next time…"
"It's coming."
Before it could finish speaking, Jiang Jue quietly looked at Meng Hongchen. The staff in his hand vanished as he spoke softly.
As if responding to his words, the next moment, the phantom of the Crimson Clear Ice Toad appeared behind Meng Hongchen. Its jade-like exterior now possessed an added crystalline clarity, and within its bulging eyes, a streak of black light flashed past.
An icy-blue vortex suddenly manifested around Meng Hongchen. At its center, a faint red glow appeared—yet that glow gave off an intensely scorching sensation, as if a blazing flame were burning within a whirl of ice. A smooth, round pearl hovered steadily above it, releasing radiant light.
That pearl was the origin core of the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss.
Immediately after, a thin layer of icy mist spread outward.
With a light wave of his hand, Jiang Jue gathered an ice wall, instantly preventing the mist from advancing even a step further. At the same time, Meng Hongchen's beautiful brows knitted together, her pearly teeth biting her red lips as if she were enduring immense pain.
"The Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss has begun to take effect."
Jiang Jue spoke in a low voice. Its effect lay in stimulation—stimulating toxins, causing their level to explode and rise continuously.
Meng Hongchen's already formidable ice–fire hybrid poison, under this stimulation, would reach an even higher, deeper level.
But this process was equally painful. Not only did she have to endure the backlash of the poison, she also had to withstand the metamorphosis of her martial soul.
"Mm!"
Meng Hongchen let out a soft groan. The ice and fire soul power within her body continuously converged and intertwined. Under the stimulation of the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss's origin power, the toxin attribute—once suppressed—burst forth again and again, seizing the dominant position and raging through her body.
"No! I have to endure this. Meng Hongchen, if you can't even grasp this opportunity, how will you stand by Jiang Jue's side in the future? How will you face enemies together with him?"
Feeling the bone-piercing pain within, Meng Hongchen forced herself to stay conscious, steeling her heart as she muttered inwardly.
"Have you forgotten your promise back then? You said that as Jiang Jue's Dream General, you would protect Soldier Jiang Jue. Hold on!"
Time passed bit by bit. The outer surface of the Crimson Clear Ice Toad phantom behind Meng Hongchen began to crack layer by layer. A blue light covered it, and the once-stable round pearl suddenly dropped onto the Ice Toad's forehead, transforming back into the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss's original form and leaving behind an imprint.
"Primary Mistress, let me help you!"
Seeing that the transformation and fusion had reached the final stage, Jiang Jue glanced at the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss. It understood instantly, shouted softly, and leapt back into the soul ring.
Very soon, the icy vortex surrounding Meng Hongchen grew smaller and smaller, gradually being drawn back into her body.
With the help of the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss, Meng Hongchen took full control of the toxins within her body in one fell swoop. That ice–fire hybrid poison shed all its dross and transformed toward an entirely new level.
Szzzt! Szzzt!
A piercing sound rang out. The ice wall Jiang Jue had formed was actually corroded by the increasingly dense icy mist, riddled with small pits.
This was an ice wall condensed from ultimate ice. Ultimate ice and ultimate fire were both natural nemeses of poison attributes.
"Hm? Has it transformed?"
Jiang Jue raised an eyebrow. His powerful spiritual sense swept out, and within his perception, Meng Hongchen's poison attribute was now extremely close to ultimate poison—just one final step away.
"Break through for me!"
As the icy vortex was fully absorbed into her body, a crisp crack echoed from the Crimson Clear Ice Toad martial soul. The shattered outer shell peeled away rapidly, revealing a pair of bright, intelligent ice–fire eyes, with a black vortex at their centers.
Its body was covered in strange ice-blue and blazing-red patterns. On its forehead was a small, pure white flower imprint—the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss—making its entire form even more crystalline and radiant.
Meng Hongchen opened her blood-red eyes as the Ice Toad phantom slowly faded. The aura of a Soul Emperor spread from her delicate body. With a wave of her hand, all the icy mist in the air converged into her palm.
"Jiang Jue, I succeeded! Ultimate poison!"
Her beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement. In her fair palm, a small vortex condensed, the poison attribute it emitted having unmistakably reached ultimate poison.
If her former Crimson Clear Ice Toad martial soul, with its flaws, could not be counted among the very top-tier martial souls, then after this transformation, the Crimson Clear Ice Toad—now possessing ultimate ice poison—firmly surpassed Xiao Hongchen's Three-Legged Golden Toad.
And in battle, with the assistance of the Snow-Colored Swan's Kiss, it would be even stronger.
"Very well done."
Jiang Jue smiled faintly, gently rubbing her long hair as Meng Hongchen threw herself into his arms.
"Jiang Jue, thank—"
"What are you thanking me for? You're already mine."
Before she could finish, Jiang Jue cut her off.
Meng Hongchen's face flushed slightly as she fell silent.
After this transformation, her skin had become even more delicate and smooth, like fine jade.
"Jiang Jue, I'm going back."
Seeing this scene, the Snow Empress clenched her slender fists and said coldly.
Whoosh!
Just as Jiang Jue summoned the Soul-Refining Banner, the Snow Empress transformed into a streak of white light and instantly flew into it.
Inside the Soul-Refining Banner, after entering, the Snow Empress saw the little tiger frolicking nearby. Feeling irritated, she waved her hand and sent it flying away.
"Xue'er, what's wrong with you?"
The Ice Empress stepped out from beside the Throne of Faith, looking at the Snow Empress's strange state with confusion.
The Snow Empress was usually calm and indifferent—what could have made her like this?
"It's nothing, Bing'er."
The Snow Empress slowly shook her head and said with a smile.
But the Ice Empress, who knew her well, clearly sensed something was off. Still, since the Snow Empress didn't want to talk, she couldn't press the issue.
Yet for some reason, she had a feeling—her Xue'er seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from her…
"Hahaha, looks like that kid Jiang has quite the charm. Young people really are bursting with passion."
Beside the Throne of Faith, Ilex chuckled softly, a trace of a smile appearing on his aged face.
After moving from the Sea of Spirits into the Soul-Refining Banner, aside from researching the power of faith, his purpose was to leave Jiang Jue his own private space.
"Ah… back then, this old man also had someone who loved me. But unfortunately, it was all a lie…"
(End of Chapter)