As Jiang Xinli neared the castle entrance, her steps unconsciously slowed.
She stood outside the gate, cautiously peeking inside.
The castle was dimly lit. A RUSTLING sound, mixed with a faint, foul odor and the heavy stench of blood, washed over her.
The ice-blue walls were covered in spiderweb-like cracks. They looked so fragile, as if they would collapse at any moment and bury her along with them.
Jiang Xinli took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and resolutely stepped into the castle.
After walking up the long flight of steps covered in ice-blue snowflakes, an ice-blue palace with no doors or windows came into view.
Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light and she could see the scene inside the palace, Jiang Xinli gasped sharply.
Upon a towering Ice Throne, which emitted a faint glow in the darkness, lay a listless Green Snake as thick as a water bucket.
It wore a small, diamond-encrusted gold crown on its head, and its body was bound by a thorny iron chain.
Blood oozed from several wounds on the python's body. The sight of crimson blood against its ice-blue scales was horrifying.
Catching her scent, the python, whose head had been hanging low, slowly raised it.
Its eyes were full of vigilance as it sized up the beautiful girl who had suddenly trespassed into its private domain.
The Green Snake's tongue was still flicking in and out of its mouth, but much slower than before, appearing weak and exhausted.
Its scarlet eyes, once filled with cold danger, were now somewhat dim. Its pupils were slightly constricted, having lost their former sharp gleam.
It stared intently at Jiang Xinli. Its round, ice-blue pupils contracted sharply into two vertical slits, like a pair of gleaming, cold blades radiating a chilling and dangerous aura.
Jiang Xinli took a deep breath and approached it with soft, slow steps.
"HISS HISS HISS!" The Green Snake's neck swelled slightly as it issued a final warning.
The next second, it lowered its head, tore a piece of flesh from its own neck, and spat it forward. Then, it shot a defiant glance at the girl before it.
Jiang Xinli's heart clenched, and the blood in her veins seemed to freeze solid.
She froze in place, not daring to make the slightest move, afraid of provoking this dangerous serpent that took pleasure in self-mutilation.
The air grew thick with a suffocating tension.
After a moment of stalemate, Jiang Xinli spoke softly, "You're hurt. I'm here to help you."
The venomous snake narrowed its eyes, staring at her for a long time. Suddenly, its vertical pupils widened, and it opened its cavernous maw, letting out a "HISS HISS HISS" as it exhaled a blast of cold air.
The cold air, carried by a frigid wind, instantly blew aside the girl's straight, long hair. In that moment, her smooth, graceful body was completely exposed.
The girl's eyes widened in shock. She instinctively raised a hand to cover her chest. Just then, a cold and familiar voice came from above the palace: "Foolish."
It was Xuan Ying.
Jiang Xinli faltered for a second. 'He's right. At a time like this, I should be covering his eyes, not my own...'
'But... can Xuan Ying perceive my Spiritual Image right now?'
'If that's the case, I feel a lot more relieved.'
With that thought, she gritted her teeth and walked toward the Ice Throne.
At the same time, with a mere thought, a Dodder Flower Vine slowly extended from her fingertips.
This time, before the enraged Green Snake could even open its mouth, a transparent Vine swiftly wrapped around it.
Jiang Xinli reached out and gently placed her hand on the Green Snake's forehead.
A cool sensation spread from her palm through her entire body. Simultaneously, a stream of pale gold light flowed from her fair palm into the Green Snake's body.
The Dodder Flower Vine on her fingertip grew wildly, completely entangling the coiled Green Snake in the blink of an eye.
As the Vine drew from it, it began to emit a faint glow that grew brighter and brighter.
The Green Snake, its eyes full of fury, gradually closed them.
"CRACK!" The sound of shattering ice echoed.
Only then did Jiang Xinli see that the Green Snake's blood-stained body had been covered in a thin layer of ice.
The ice melted, the water seeping into its wounds, and the deep, gash-like injuries began to heal.
The light inside the palace grew brighter, and the dense network of cracks on the surrounding walls started to slowly disappear.
The castle, which had been on the verge of collapse, instantly became indestructible.
The Green Snake fell completely unconscious.
Having absorbed its fill of the Frenzy Value, the Dodder Flower flared with light for a moment before suddenly dimming.
Jiang Xinli felt a wave of exhaustion.
However, when her eyes fell on the thorny iron chain on the Green Snake's body, she gritted her teeth and slowly stood up, steadying herself on the Ice Throne.
She could now see clearly that the blood-stained, thorny iron chain wasn't locked at all.
It was the Green Snake; it had chained and wounded itself.
This castle hadn't had a door either. It had imprisoned itself...
As she removed the chain for it, Jiang Xinli's brow furrowed slightly.
A Male Beastman's Spiritual Image not only reflects their superpower level but also reveals their deepest desires.
The higher the superpower level, the vaster the Spiritual Image.
For instance, a Male Beastman with a 1st Rank Superpower might have a Spiritual Image that is just a small room, whereas a Male Beastman with a 10th Rank Superpower might have a Spiritual Image that is a boundless sea of stars.
Although Xuan Ying had a 1st Rank Superpower, his Spiritual Image was clearly different from Ye Kuo's, which was just a small patch of black ruins.
'Does he hide the dream of an Ice and Snow Prince deep in his heart, or is he that Ice and Snow Prince himself?'
'As for these thorny chains...'
Before Jiang Xinli could think any further, her eyelids felt heavy, and she slowly closed her eyes, leaning against the throne.
The moment she fell completely asleep, the Green Snake's tightly shut eyes quietly opened.
The scarlet eyes, once filled with rage, had been replaced by an ice-blue gaze that held a hint of gentleness.
Its tail gently coiled, lifting the girl. Its vertical pupils stared intently at her charming face, gazing for a long, long time.
A warm aura slowly spread from its body toward the completely naked girl...
「Back in the room.」
The Snake Scales on Xuan Ying's body vanished in an instant.
Behind Sheng Tianze's gold-rimmed glasses, a flash of confirmed delight streaked through his eyes, as fleeting as a shooting star.
Jiang Xinli, who had been holding Xuan Ying's face in her hands, went limp. Her hands slipped, and she slumped onto his broad shoulders.
"Female Master." Seeing this, Sheng Tianze immediately stepped forward to take her, but Xuan Ying's ice-blue eyes snapped open. The hands that were tightly holding Jiang Xinli's waist suddenly pulled her forward, drawing her into a tight embrace.
The contact of his firm chest against her own gently woke Jiang Xinli.
Yue Hua Yin exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Xuan Ying, you're awake!"
Hua Xi was stunned. "Gods! Your Frenzy Value dropped to 49%!"
"Unbelievable! The one who saved the Black Panther was really the Female Master! With F-rank spiritual power, how on earth did she do it?! Is this the miracle of legends?!" Hua Xi was seething with excitement, screaming internally: 'Female Master, I want to have your Peacocks!'
Beside him, Yue Hua Yin tugged his arm and whispered, "Shhh..."
After speaking, he nudged his chin toward the two on the sofa, still in their intimate position.
Jiang Xinli came to, rubbing her eyes, and only then realized she was still on top of Xuan Ying.
The thought of this venomous snake, who radiated a cold aura, made her muscles tense up instantly, and she subconsciously tried to flee.
Before she could even move her legs, Xuan Ying quickly reached out one hand to cup her injured neck while the other gripped her slender waist tightly. He slowly leaned down and kissed her.
The kiss was as light as a dragonfly skimming the water's surface—and just as cool.
But Jiang Xinli felt a sharp sting on her lips. Xuan Ying had revealed his sharp fangs and taken the opportunity to give her a light bite.
Yue Hua Yin: "..."
Hua Xi: "..."
Sheng Tianze: "..."
"You!"
Jiang Xinli, both furious and annoyed, used all her strength to break free from his embrace and stand up.
Because she stood too quickly, she was unsteady on her feet. She stumbled and fell right back against a broad, solid chest.
The man, now sitting up straight on the sofa, gave a wicked smile and asked, "Me what?"
Internally, Jiang Xinli was so angry she wanted to slap him right then and there, but on the outside, she maintained a pitiful and lovely appearance, protesting coquettishly:
"Th-that was my first kiss..."
Xuan Ying extended his tongue and slowly licked his lips as if savoring the taste. His ice-blue eyes looked at Jiang Xinli as he gave a malicious smile.
"First kiss?"