Chapter 141: Xiao Xiao Dominates the Battlefield, The Nether White Tiger
After dinner, Ye Chen and Zhang Lexuan sat in the courtyard playing chess.
Facing each other, Zhang Lexuan was deep in thought while her small feet, wrapped in black stockings, rested on Ye Chen's abdomen—where his hands toyed with them mischievously.
"Checkmate~ Sister, you lost again~"
Ye Chen made his final move with a grin.
He had been the one to teach her chess, and though he even let her move first by three turns, his superior skill still crushed her completely.
"Ugh! How… how can I keep losing!"
Frustrated, Zhang Lexuan stomped on him once before covering her red face with both hands.
"Dear Sister, that's your hundredth game lost. Want to keep going?" Ye Chen teased, raising his hand with a wide grin.
Their usual deal was that for every loss, she owed ten hits on the rear. By now, she had racked up a clean hundred.
"Hmph! Again! This time I go four moves first!" she growled through clenched teeth.
What was another set of hits compared to the thrill of possibly finally winning?
"Fine."
Ye Chen set up the board again, though his gaze lingered with suspicion.
There was something odd about how eagerly Zhang Lexuan kept losing—it almost felt deliberate.
Surely she didn't have that kind of strange hobby… right?
…
The next morning.
Perhaps because of their late night, Zhang Lexuan ended up sleeping in—a rare occurrence for her.
After preparing a simple breakfast for her, Ye Chen left the inner court.
Today was the final round of the outer court freshman tournament.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were facing the Nether White Tiger duo. This was a match worth watching.
…
When Ye Chen arrived, the battle had already begun.
On the massive arena stage, Xiao Xiao stood alone against Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, suppressing them like a god of war.
Wang Dong hovered nearby providing support, occasionally unleashing bursts of Butterfly Goddess light that sent the pair staggering back in embarrassment.
As for their control teammate, Cui Yajie, she'd been blasted off the stage by Wang Dong's first wing strike and hadn't recovered since.
Wang Dong's team technically had one more person—a healer—but both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao remained untouched, leaving poor Mu He idle with nothing to do.
At this point, he might as well heal the enemies.
Though such an act would have been the ultimate mockery, Mu He was too gentle to humiliate others like that.
Both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were Soul Elders—level 33.
Dai Huabin was also a Soul Elder, but Zhu Lu was only a Grandmaster.
In the original story, Xiao Xiao at the Grandmaster stage had managed to restrain the Nether White Tiger for more than a second by herself.
But now, at level 33, she was on an entirely different level. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu couldn't even activate their fusion before she had them pinned down again and again.
She fought effortlessly, almost playfully, toying with them as though the outcome had already been decided.
…
Below the stage, Huo Yuhao clenched his fists tightly as he watched, anger and helplessness mixing in his chest.
If not for Ye Chen, he might have teamed up with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
If that had happened, it would've been him defeating Dai Huabin—him avenging his mother.
But because of Ye Chen's interference, his relationship with Wang Dong had cooled, and she'd turned him down when he'd asked to form a team.
Now he sat on the sidelines, forced to watch as another fulfilled his wish.
He had thought that if Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao fell into trouble, he could secretly aid them using his mental sharing ability—supporting them from the shadows (or, as he preferred to call it, "strategic assistance," not cheating).
After all, if no one noticed, it didn't count as cheating.
But who would've guessed his teammates didn't need any help at all?
With their overwhelming strength, they'd crushed Dai Huabin's team without requiring a fraction of his aid.
Even in victory, Huo Yuhao only felt frustration—he still hadn't avenged his mother.
At level 17, facing someone level 31 felt like staring across a vast chasm—utterly unreachable.
"Yuhao, don't lose heart. Just get to level 20, and I'll help you obtain your second martial soul. You'll be a twin-souled master—and maybe the strongest one this world's ever seen!"
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm's voice echoed reassuringly in his mind.
He was simply waiting for Yuhao's advancement. Once he reached level 20, they could travel to the Extreme North together to lure the little Ice Empress.
Living in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea alongside her—it was the worm's dream.
Once they shared a home, love would surely follow.
All he needed was persistence.
Yes, he believed his sincerity could melt even the Ice Empress's heart.
…
Halfway through the match, Wang Dong suddenly paused mid-air, staring down at Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu with a cool, superior smile.
"I've heard you two have a martial soul fusion skill. I'll give you the chance to use it. Don't let me down."
It wasn't arrogance—just supreme confidence.
Besides, the opponents were so weak that she had barely participated; Xiao Xiao had nearly taken them both out alone.
If this was all they could do, it was disappointing.
So she decided to let them show their full power once, just to make things interesting.
In the semifinals, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had defeated Ning Tian's team using that fusion skill.
She was curious to see if it was truly as impressive as people claimed.
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao nodded and called back her three Soul Suppressing Cauldrons, releasing Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu from her control.
She, too, had been underwhelmed so far.
All tournament long, she and Wang Dong had crushed every opponent; she'd hoped the finals would offer real challenge.
Instead, she'd barely had to exert herself.
This would at least be entertaining.
"Good! Don't regret it later!"
Dai Huabin sneered, a savage glint flashing in his eyes. Relief and fury mixed in his expression.
That relentless suppression from Xiao Xiao's cauldrons had made fusion impossible—but now, with freedom restored, he'd teach them what despair felt like.
He turned to Zhu Lu and pulled her close.
A deep rumble echoed across the arena.
Their bodies began to shimmer, glowing faintly, their outlines merging—light exploding outward in a dazzling surge.
When the radiance faded, they were gone.
In their place stood a towering white tiger, its form sleek yet imposing, emanating suffocating pressure.
The Nether White Tiger had arrived.
(END CHAPTER)
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