On the grand stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, a majestic Ultimate Ice Phoenix descended upon the center of the ring. In an instant, its chilling aura utterly extinguished every trace of flame radiating from the Blazing Fires Academy team.
Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, the sibling duo leading the team, exchanged a tense glance. Yielding to the inevitable, Huo Wu was the first to raise her left hand.
"Referee! We, the Blazing Fires Academy, concede!"
It wasn't just Huo Wu; every single member of the Blazing Fires team could feel it. The sheer elemental suppression radiating from that Ice Phoenix was absolute. Their opponents possessed the terrifying power of Ultimate Ice!
"The Blazing Fires Team concedes! Let us congratulate the Tianshui Team for securing their spot in the official finals ahead of schedule!!"
As the referee's announcement echoed across the arena, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the audience. To the spectators, the Tianshui Team had transformed into an utterly invincible, star-studded powerhouse.
Not only did their roster boast at least two distinct Martial Soul Fusion Skills, but what baffled everyone most was how their lineup shifted constantly. Every time they took the field, the competing members were different, leaving opposing strategists completely blind and unable to draft an effective counter-plan.
Up in the high VIP pavilion, Fu Ye leaned back lazily, enjoying a soothing massage from Xue Ke while the young cat-girl, Jiang Jing, dotingly fed him snacks. Sitting just a short distance away, Emperor Xue Ye's face twitched noticeably.
His son, Xue Beng, had suffered horrific injuries just the day before. Although the prince didn't dare speak a word regarding the cause, Xue Ye knew with absolute certainty that Fu Ye was heavily entangled in the matter.
Yet, the emperor was powerless. Fu Ye's strength was overwhelmingly superior, and the imperial family's top-tier powerhouses had essentially been wiped out by him in the blink of an eye. It could be said that aside from the million-strong army stationed along the distant borders, the current Heaven Dou Imperial Court was nothing more than an empty shell.
With those sobering thoughts, the emperor forced his furrowed brow to relax.
Don't get angry, don't get angry, he repeated to himself. Anger serves no purpose and only ruins one's health. If my third son is dead, so be it. At least I still have my eldest...
"Brother Fu Ye, I have another secret to tell you today!"
Right at that moment, Xue Ke—the epitome of an unfilial daughter—piped up once more.
She glanced back at Xue Ye, her eyes glittering with mischievous, wicked delight. The moment her voice rang out, nearly every high-ranking official in the VIP pavilion turned their gaze toward her.
Faced with the sudden influx of eyes, the young princess seemed to catch a brief wave of shyness. With a quick scurry, she dove straight into Fu Ye's embrace to shield herself from their stares.
"Oh? What kind of story is my little Princess Ke planning to share today?" Fu Ye asked, his interest thoroughly piqued.
After all, imperial court gossip of this caliber wasn't a daily luxury. The surrounding nobles and officials shared his sentiments. Fu Ye's unrivaled strength meant Xue Ye wouldn't dare lift a finger against him, and since Xue Ke was once the emperor's most coddled little princess, the amount of dirty laundry she possessed was bound to be spectacular.
Sensing a looming disaster, Xue Ye's heart sank. What on earth is this rebellious girl about to blabber now?!
"Hehe! Uncle Xue Ye has a rather niche little hobby. I only found out about it by pure accident," Xue Ke giggled, casting a sly look around the room.
Cold sweat began to form on Xue Ye. Could it be that his secret indulgence had been...
"He actually loves wearing the undergarments of his wives and concubines!"
Xue Ke's sudden exclamation hit the audience like a foul, jarring whirlwind, scrambling everyone's brains.
Xue Ye's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Slapping his armrest in a furious rage, he stood up and stormed out of the pavilion without looking back.
It took a long, agonizing moment for the remaining crowd to snap out of their utter shock, their minds universally screaming a collective, massive 'What the hell?!'
Salas:Tsk, who knew the old man liked to play so wild...
Ning Fengzhi:What kind of cursed mental image just violated my brain? Get out, hurry!
Fu Ye:Holy crap... I think I just heard something I was definitely not supposed to know.
Xue Xing:I mean... dear brother, you definitely play harder than I do.
Xue Ke:Since you chose to be heartless first, don't blame me for sacrificing family for the greater good, hmph!
Xue Qinghe (watching from the shadows):...
"Ahem! Well, everyone, I shall take my leave as well. After all, I still have to manage my team's affairs," Fu Ye cleared his throat, becoming the second person to swiftly exit the scene right after the emperor.
Down in the stairwell, a remarkably refined young man stood dead center, blocking Fu Ye's path. Who else could this be but Qian Renxue, currently disguised as Prince Xue Qinghe?
"Brother Fu Ye, it has been quite some time," Xue Qinghe said, a strained, artificial smile plastered across her face.
In her heart, she still deeply resented Fu Ye, firmly believing he had stolen her mother's affection away from her. Consequently, whenever her path crossed with his, a wave of irritation would invariably wash over her.
"I'm pretty sure we just saw each other the day before yesterday," Fu Ye replied dryly.
In the end, Fu Ye managed to shake off the tsundere young lady. When she got clingy, she could be incredibly relentless. There were plenty of times when he was trying to enjoy some private, romantic quality time with Bibi Dong, only for this high-and-mighty Seraphim to insert herself right between them as a massive third wheel.
Fortunately, she remained deeply obedient to Bibi Dong's words, so her disruptions never caused any true harm.
As for her current, unyielding hostility toward him? It likely stemmed from a recent incident where she had continuously pestered him, resulting in him pulling her over his lap and giving her a firm spanking. Fu Ye couldn't quite recall how long the punishment had lasted, but he distinctly remembered her limping slightly on her way out. Ever since that day, she seemed to make it her personal mission to find trouble with him.
Thinking back on it, Fu Ye let out a quiet sigh. Qian Renxue truly was a textbook tsundere. Aside from her time spent undercover as Xue Qinghe in the Heaven Dou Empire, she spent the rest of her days back at the Spirit Hall, accompanying Bibi Dong to review documents and preparing for her divine trials.
Upon his return to the Tianshui Academy quarters, a flock of young girls immediately rushed forward to surround him.
The primary reason they were able to breeze through the major teams with such casual ease was due to the mystical immortal herbs and advanced cultivation methods Fu Ye had personally bestowed upon them.
"Brother Fu Ye! We successfully advanced to the grand finals!" Shui Bing'er announced, her face radiating pure excitement. It was their very first time participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, and they had already swept their way to the absolute peak!
"Mhm, mhm!" Wu Ling, the young girl, nodded vigorously in shared excitement. She was absolutely thrilled to have brought such immense pride to both her teacher and her grand-teacher.
Beaming at the sight of them, Fu Ye waved his hand grandly.
"Come on! To celebrate your magnificent victory, I am taking all of you out for a massive feast!"
Hearing his declaration, the girls cheered in unison.
"Hooray!"
"A feast! A feast!"
For this special occasion, Fu Ye decided to dip into his reserves, bringing out meat from a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast to give the young girls a taste of true luxury. However, ingredients of such an astronomical caliber were notoriously difficult to prepare, requiring Fu Ye to personally step into the kitchen to whip up the culinary masterpiece.
The regular kitchen staff of the Juxiang Pavilion were relegated to mere assistants today; their cultivation levels were simply too weak to even slice through the dense, energy-packed hide and flesh of a 100,000-year-old beast.
The spread that evening was remarkably lavish: braised bear paws from a 100,000-year-old Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear, the heart of a 100,000-year-old Evil-Breaking Dragon, and actual "lion's heads" crafted from the meat of a 100,000-year-old Three-Headed Lion-Mastiff.
While Xiao Wu was technically a Soul Beast transformed into human form, as long as the dish wasn't rabbit meat, she held no particular taboos and dug in happily.
The girls ate with absolute relish, the food tasting sweeter and more savory than anything they had ever experienced. They could literally feel the spiritual energy within their bodies surging and spinning at an unprecedented velocity.
Pop!
A crisp, distinct cracking sound echoed from one of the girls' lower abdomens—the unmistakable sign of a breakthrough.
Immediately following, a succession of muffled pops began rippling through the group as one lower abdomen after another resonated with energy. This single extraordinary meal had actually triggered a collective, instantaneous level-up for the entire group of young girls.
Later that evening, inside Fu Ye's private quarters.
Because a final team still needed to be determined from the remaining brackets, a full month of rest loomed ahead before the official finals would commence. Having spent the past two weeks constantly locked in high-stakes tournament matches every single day, the young girls had been utterly starved for leisure and affection.
"Brother Fu Ye, tonight Bing'er is all yours~"
"Sister Bing'er is so unfair! Hairou wants to be first!"
"Hmph! No way! Let Rongrong go first!"