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Over the next nearly twenty days, Chen Junting and the others lived with extraordinary fullness. Thanks to Wang Dong'er's arrangements, each of them received personal guidance from the two Limit Douluos.
Their cultivation progressed significantly.
At times, Chen Junting even sparred with Gu Tianchen atop Hao Tian Peak, exchanging insights and refining their techniques.
Just like now…
"Bone Dragon True Body!"
At the mountain peak, swirling clouds were instantly torn apart.
A dragon's roar shook the heavens. Above the boundless sea of clouds, space twisted violently—then a massive bone dragon skull thrust forward, jaws gaping. From its maw erupted a beam of pure, ghastly white energy.
Its target? A tiny human figure.
That figure was Chen Junting—standing calmly atop his Seven Kill Sword, yet seemingly unarmed, facing the attack head-on.
But in the next instant—a cold wind swept past.
At an almost unbelievable speed, the air temperature plunged to minus 200 degrees Celsius, engulfing the entire summit of Hao Tian Peak.
Where moments ago there had been only bare rock and mist, now stretched a complete world of ice and snow.
Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice!
Blizzard-force snow raged like a storm of blades—each flake sharp, each gust cutting to the bone. Within the domain, every wisp of cloud and drop of moisture became Chen Junting's weapon.
"A-choo—! So cold!"
At the entrance of Hao Tian Fortress, Wang Dong'er sneezed violently. Though as a Soul Emperor she was normally immune to ordinary cold, this snow was different—it carried Snow Empress's Ultimate Ice, far too intense for someone in a dress.
She rubbed her arms frantically, trying to warm up.
"Quick—put this on."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly pulled out a thick coat.
"No good—it's still freezing!"
Wang Dong'er clutched herself tightly, torn between retreating to warmth and not missing the duel. Her eyes darted around—then instantly locked onto Wu Feng, who stood nearby in martial soul form.
So…
"Hehehe… Wu Feng, can I borrow some warmth?"
…
"Ahhh… so comfy."
At that groan, Wu Feng shot a disgusted look at Wang Dong'er, who was clinging to her like a koala. She tried to shake her off—but found her arms firmly trapped. With a sigh, she gave in.
Just then, Huo Yuhao—who'd been watching the battle intently for insights—suddenly stiffened.
"Wait… doesn't this Ultimate Ice feel… different?"
"Of course it's different," Ning Tian explained, herself clinging to Wu Feng's other arm for warmth. "If we're precise: the Ice Empress' ice is hard like glacier—penetrating and rigid. But Heavenly Snow Woman's ice is soft like snow—gentle on the surface, yet chilling to the soul."
But Huo Yuhao shook his head. "No, not that kind of difference."
He caught a falling snowflake in his palm. "My martial soul tells me… my ice is telling me—these snowflakes carry not just cold… but death."
Death?
The word echoed silently in everyone's minds.
At that moment, the battle above shifted again.
A colossal snow tornado, stretching from earth to sky, erupted—but Gu Tianchen opened two Void Gates, redirecting the attack. The very strike meant for him now hurtled back at Chen Junting.
In response, a deep-blue longsword—seemingly forged from crystalline ice—materialized in Chen Junting's hand.
Before anyone could see its details, he swept his left arm in a soft arc—and annihilated the snow tornado with a single motion.
Down below, Huo Yuhao murmured in awe to the others: "That's Empress' Sword—one of Snow Empress's legendary Three Ultimate Techniques."
But the duel wasn't over.
As Chen Junting spun around, Empress' Sword slashed down!
A fan-shaped arc of deep-blue light split the sky—then resolved into two hues:
The white of ice and snow…
… and the gray of death.
Where the terrifying sword light passed, the air itself cracked like frozen glass—shattered by the sheer force of absolute zero.
"Coiling Dragon Shield!"
CLANG—!
A massive bone shield erupted atop the dragon's skull. Gu Tianchen stood firm on the Bone Dragon's head, one hand raised to the heavens, barely deflecting the blow—but the lingering chill and aura of death clung to him like a curse.
In an instant, the shield froze into an ice sculpture, while gray-white death-essence crept toward Gu Tianchen behind it.
"Again!"
Just as Chen Junting raised his sword for another strike—
"Stop!"
Gu Tianchen's roar halted the duel.
Under Chen Junting's puzzled gaze, he dispelled his True Body, flashed back to the fortress gates—and landed with a sigh.
Chen Junting descended gracefully from his sword.
"No more sparring?"
To his surprise, Gu Tianchen waved him off bluntly.
"Seriously—no more! Ever since you said you had inspiration, we've been fighting daily. You've nearly mastered Snow Empress's techniques, but your so-called 'inspiration' hasn't budged an inch!"
Chen Junting sighed—a rare show of frustration. He dispelled the ice domain, then asked Wu Feng to melt the lingering frost before admitting, "I don't know. I thought I'd merge Snow Empress's extreme cold sword intent from 'Empress' Sword' with the death essence I sensed in the Undead Demiplane… to create a sword intent that freezes all existence—like the verse: 'No birds over a thousand mountains; no footprints on ten thousand paths.' Utter desolation."
"I don't get it," Gu Tianchen admitted helplessly.
He understood "intent"—but combining so many intents?
If it weren't Chen Junting, he'd snap:
"Do you think 'intent' grows on trees?!"
Just then—
Ning Tian, who'd been listening quietly the whole time, spoke up softly:
"I may not know how to blend different 'ints' into a new sword intent… but if you're still unsatisfied, Brother Junting… maybe you're missing something."
"Missing something… missing something…" Chen Junting repeated—then lightning struck.
He finally realized what was absent.
Freeze all… freeze all…
Beyond cold and death—what was missing?
Cold was the method.
Death was the result.
What it lacked was manifestation—and the perfect expression of that was the silence after life ends.
"I suddenly miss the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy."
"Huh?!"
The group stared at him, utterly baffled.
Just then, Huo Yuhao snapped his fingers. "Right—if we check the calendar, our vacation's almost over. I should head back for my exchange program."
"Aww—already?!" Wang Dong'er whined, disappointed.
Huo Yuhao squeezed her hand. "It's okay. In a few months, the exchange ends anyway."
Meanwhile, Chen Junting and Ning Tian shared their own tender moment.
Unlike Wang Dong'er's clinginess, Ning Tian remained serene—calmly straightening Chen Junting's collar.
"I'll wait for you."
"When I return to the academy," Chen Junting said, cradling her hand in his, "I'll bring you a big surprise."
"A surprise? If you tell me, it's not a surprise anymore!"
"As long as you can't guess it, it counts."
For a moment, the air between the two couples grew thick with unspoken affection.
Poor Gu Tianchen—standing alone—could only sigh toward the heavens in singlehood.
Until—
"Feels awful, doesn't it? Eating double portions of dog food?"
He turned—to see Wu Feng, having just melted the last of the snow, arms crossed dramatically beneath her ample chest. Her scowl, mixed with fiery exasperation, somehow gave Gu Tianchen the strangest thought:
She's… actually kind of nice.
Cold sweat erupted down his spine!
What the hell was I just thinking?!
Unaware that his eyes were still fixed on her—
"Huh? You've got a thing for me, don't you?!" Wu Feng's loud, brash voice jolted him back to reality.
But the next second—
"Sister Feng!"
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