Night.
Ma Xiaotao reluctantly left.
This was the freshmen dorm, and Su Wen wasn't seriously injured—just some scrapes—likely fine after a few days' rest. She had no reason to stay. Besides, Yan Shaozhe had told her to prepare for the training match.
The Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament was coming, and the academy had decided she'd lead the team.
This millennial honor felt like a mountain pressing on everyone's shoulders. They'd won thousands of matches in a row. An astonishing record—and a terrifying pressure. If you win, everyone thinks it's expected. But if you lose…
Fortunately she had a strong heart; it didn't faze her.
Shrek's powerful lineup was also her confidence.
Su Wen lay on the bed.
He was carefully reviewing the fight.
Someone soft and slick slipped under the covers, kicking about and curling into a ball. Pale blue eyes glowed in the dark, fixed on Su Wen.
"Did you wash up? Climbing into my bed," Su Wen raised a brow.
"If you weren't injured, I'd stuff my foot in your mouth!" Wang Dong huffed, and gingerly kicked him.
Although both of their soul power was spent, Su Wen had turned his back to the three evil Soul Douluos to take the damage; she had been protected well.
A sharp tongue, soft heart…
Thinking back on what happened, Wang Dong'er's gaze softened.
Like a kitten, she cocooned herself in the quilt.
"Just the mouth?" Su Wen said wistfully.
"What are you regretting?!" Wang Dong sputtered, ashamed and angry.
But after a brush with death, her fluster felt more like playful pouting.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing." Su Wen sighed. "What do you think our martial soul fusion skill was?"
"Condensing a godhead? Then controlling it to attack?" Wang Dong pondered.
"More or less." Su Wen nodded.
The key was the godhead condensed.
It should be—Ice Jade Scorpion's ice + the Goddess of Light Butterfly's goddess? He felt that "goddess" was unusual—ferocious, somehow—but couldn't put his finger on it.
Could it be…
"The Primordial Ice God?!"
They spoke in unison.
In the original, that was a mythical-level existence.
Even ten thousand years later, it still hadn't appeared. Even as a transmigrator, Su Wen knew very little about it.
Precisely because of that, even he was a little lost.
"You've heard of the Primordial Ice God?" Wang Dong blinked, curious.
"Yeah." Su Wen nodded.
When he had time, he'd head to the Extreme North to ask the Snow Empress.
She had existed for hundreds of thousands of years—one of the oldest beings in this world, and the current ruler of the Extreme North—she would know more.
…
God Realm.
Clouds churned.
Tang San watched the scene appearing within the vortex.
He looked startled.
"That is… the Primordial Ice God?"
"Dong'er's martial soul was personally designed by me in the womb—the Goddess of Light Butterfly—and then imbued with divine power, so that under the right chance, it would fuse with the first compatible martial soul she intertwined with. Looks like it chose the Ice Jade Scorpion in that kid's martial soul. And every martial soul fusion technique would be self-generated after it fused with others…"
He propped his chin, eyes dawning with realization.
A smile tugged at his lips.
Sure enough, he hadn't chosen wrong.
Even the legendary, long-hidden Ice God was evoked by this kid. Obviously—his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion was definitely an ultimate-tier ice attribute, otherwise it couldn't have manifested the Primordial Ice God.
"Destruction's watching me like a hawk now. If I interfere with the lower realm, he'll notice for sure. The losses outweigh the gains…" He shook his head.
He wanted to wait out this period and then continue his layout.
But time waited for no one.
By the time Destruction relaxed, the kid might already be connecting to the God Realm.
"Have Da Ming and Er Ming try to recruit him."
Tang San's eyes narrowed.
Lately Destruction had been like a cat that smelled fish, clamping onto him, the mouse, without letting go. Right now, by playing the victim, he had the other God Kings' support; even Destruction's wife, the Goddess of Life, had been moved by his exquisite acting. The situation was great. If he acted personally, the risk was too high.
Also… most importantly, a silver dragon had appeared by Su Wen's side at some point—the younger sister of the Golden Dragon King that currently oppressed the God Realm. Even if she was seriously injured, her strength rivaled a demigod or greater. Moving on Su Wen without a trace would be very difficult.
His current trump card was Wang Dong'er.
As long as Su Wen fell in love with Wang Dong'er willingly, he'd be easy to handle. Then use the Yin Yang Love Querying Valley leash to tug tighter, drag Su Wen to the Clear Sky Sect for a round of gaslighting, and it'd be stable!
That was the route he designed for Huo Yuhao.
But he felt it would work just as well for Su Wen.
"Heh, easy pickings." Tang San clenched a fist, lips curling, eyes gleaming with "wisdom."
"Tang San! You're peeping at the mortal world again—what are you up to?" A rolling thunder voice boomed.
"Destruction? I'm watching my daughter's life. What's it to you? What if Xiao Qi gets hurt in the mortal world?" Tang San's face darkened; he shot back without courtesy.
"Mm…"
Destruction raised a brow, looking at Wang Dong'er in the scene, a bit embarrassed.
But soon he sensed something off.
"Wait—that's… Xiao Qi? Why does something feel wrong?"
"Nonsense—of course that's Xiao Qi, my biological daughter. How could I mistake her?" Tang San's pupils shrank sharply. Uh oh! Only he—and Da Ming, Er Ming whom he had warned repeatedly—knew about splitting Xiao Qi's soul. It sounded sordid, after all.
He hurriedly waved a hand, dispersing the mirror in the vortex.
If Destruction and Life found out…
The good-father image he had built in the God Realm would collapse instantly!
Those bleeding hearts (the elemental gods and the Goddess of Life) wouldn't trust him again.
Most importantly, if Xiao Wu learned…
"That's true." Destruction scratched his head.
Tang San was Xiao Qi's father—how could he not recognize his own daughter?
He didn't dwell on it, took the chance to threaten Tang San again, then drifted away.
"So nosy!"
Once Destruction's presence vanished,
Tang San exploded.
No interference with the mortal realm?
What a joke!
How few gods had intervened in the mortal world these years? It's just that his layout—leaving the Douluo plane and treating it like a back garden for his descendants' trials—was a bit egregious. But he was a God King—who dared say anything?
It was only because they'd clashed recently over whether to expand the God Realm.
So Destruction was gripping this handle.
"No matter. Wait a bit longer…"
Tang San took a deep breath.