The colossal form of the Glacial Destruction Titan lay still, its ancient life extinguished by Qian Renxue's final, decisive strike. The immense, blood-red soul ring hovered silently above it, pulsing with latent power.
Qian Renxue landed gracefully, her Seraphim Avatar dissipating like golden smoke. She glanced at the ring, then back at Song Qing.
"Well?" she asked, a hint of pride in her voice. "A fine specimen, even if you don't want it."
Song Qing stepped forward, his eyes scanning the massive corpse, not the soul ring.
"Indeed," he agreed calmly. "Although I don't need the Soul Ring," he declared immediately, his gaze sharp, "I think it would be foolish to ignore the Spirit Bone of such a powerful beast."
His eyes locked onto a faint luminescence emanating from the Titan's heavily armored chest region. A spirit bone from a 150,000-year-old apex predator of the Extreme North, particularly one with Earth and Ice attributes? That was valuable, even if not for his personal use.
'Can't just leave prime loot lying around,' Song Qing thought practically. 'Someone loyal back at Spirit Hall could definitely use a boost like this.'
Bibi Dong nodded slightly in agreement from the back. "A wise decision, Qing'er. Such resources should not be wasted."
With practiced efficiency, utilizing sharp bursts of abyssal energy to cut through the remaining icy carapace, Song Qing swiftly extracted the glowing spirit bone – a massive, heavy sternum bone radiating powerful earth and ice elemental energies. It pulsed with raw, untamed power.
He stored it carefully in his spatial tool, along with the massive Titan corpse itself. Harvesting materials later was always an option.
The 150,000-year soul ring dissipated slowly, unwanted.
"Alright team," Song Qing announced, turning back to the group. "Let's move on. We press deeper."
The brief but intense battle served as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in this frozen wasteland. The younger trio, having witnessed Qian Renxue's overwhelming power against a true hundred-thousand-year beast, felt a renewed sense of awe and determination.
They continued their trek, pushing further into the heart of the Extreme North. The landscape grew increasingly alien and hostile. Towering glaciers formed impossible shapes, crevasses yawned like hungry mouths, and the wind carried a chill that felt older than time itself.
Days blurred into a cycle of travel, vigilance, and rest. The spirit beasts encountered now were consistently at the eighty or ninety-thousand-year level, demanding constant focus from the younger trio during their designated training encounters, though Song Qing allowed fewer of these now, conserving their energy for the unknown dangers ahead.
Their coordination was becoming second nature. Ning Rongrong's buffs flew out almost instinctively, Zhu Zhuqing moved like a deadly shadow, exploiting every opening, and Song Cai'er learned to channel her immense power with greater precision, weaving fire, light, and draconic might into devastating attacks.
Evenings brought respite within the temporary shelters Song Qing conjured using his Primordial Life Tree spirit. The glowing vine domes became welcome sanctuaries against the unforgiving environment.
Inside, the atmosphere was often surprisingly light.
"Okay, seriously though," Ning Rongrong declared one evening, huddled near the gentle warmth radiating from the vine walls, munching on a preserved sweet fruit. "If we ever get stuck here long-term, who's doing the cooking?"
Zhu Zhuqing glanced up from sharpening her claws, her expression neutral. "Efficiency dictates the one most skilled."
"Exactly!" Rongrong chirped. "So, not you, cold-butt cat. You'd probably just eat raw frozen fish."
Zhuqing raised an eyebrow. "Nutritious. Uncomplicated."
'She probably would,' Rongrong thought with a giggle.
Song Cai'er, who was trying to braid a strand of her vibrant pink-and-blue hair, looked thoughtful. "I can roast things? With my fire? Maybe too much fire?"
'Last time I tried cooking meat with my breath attack… it turned into charcoal instantly,' Cai'er recalled sheepishly. 'Maybe not the best idea.'
Qian Renxue chuckled softly from where she sat observing them, leaning elegantly against a vine pillar. "Perhaps preserved rations are our best bet."
'Though watching them try would be amusing,' Renxue mused.
Bibi Dong remained silent, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips as she watched the youthful banter, her gaze frequently drifting towards Song Qing. 'Children. Let them have their moments of levity.'
Song Qing listened with faint amusement. "I suspect we won't be here long enough for culinary experiments to become necessary."
'Thank goodness,' he added internally. 'Though Rongrong's snacks are surprisingly decent.'
The nights brought another layer of complexity: the sleeping arrangements. After the initial scramble, a tacit agreement had formed. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing shared proximity one night, Qian Renxue and Song Cai'er the next. It was a delicate balance, fueled by youthful affection and burgeoning possessiveness.
Song Qing sighed inwardly each time but accepted it as the least problematic solution. Denying any of them would cause unnecessary drama.
He knew, of course, that the arrangement pained Bibi Dong. He could feel her gaze sometimes from across the vine shelter, a mix of understanding, possessiveness, and longing. Their own relationship remained a carefully guarded secret from the younger girls, known only to Qian Renxue. Sleeping openly beside his Teacher, the Pope, was impossible under these circumstances.
'One day, Teacher… one day things will be different,' he promised silently, feeling a pang of guilt.
Tonight, it was Qian Renxue and Song Cai'er's turn.
As the others settled into their sleeping rolls, a palpable anticipation filled the air near Song Qing's central spot.
Qian Renxue, with the casual intimacy born of their deeper connection, settled gracefully beside him. She didn't snuggle immediately like Rongrong, but the proximity was deliberate, possessive.
Song Cai'er approached more hesitantly. Her sapphire eyes flickered between Song Qing and Renxue, a mix of excitement and nervousness clear on her face. She remembered Qing's instruction about sleeping near Renxue and Teacher, but tonight was her designated night.
She carefully laid her sleeping bag on Song Qing's other side, closer than Zhuqing had been, but still maintaining a respectful distance.
'Okay… just… sleep,' Cai'er told herself, trying to calm her racing heart. 'It's just sleeping.'
But sleeping next to Qing felt… different. Important.
As the shelter quieted, the only sounds the soft crackling of the life-hearth and the distant wind, Song Qing relaxed. He closed his eyes, letting the day's fatigue seep away.
He felt a subtle shift beside him. Renxue had moved closer, her shoulder brushing against his. Then, he felt her hand gently take his, guiding it under the blankets.
Her intention was immediately clear. She placed his hand directly onto the soft, full curve of her breast beneath her sleeping robes.
'Shameless angel,' Song Qing thought, a warm smile touching his lips in the dim light. He didn't resist. His fingers instinctively curled, mapping the familiar shape, feeling the soft skin and the rapid beat of her heart beneath his palm.
Renxue let out a soft, contented sigh, pressing slightly against his touch. Her breathing deepened, a silent invitation. His thumb brushed gently across the peak, eliciting a tiny, involuntary gasp from her.
'He knows exactly how to touch…' Renxue thought, a delicious warmth spreading through her. 'Mine.'
On his other side, Cai'er was acutely aware of the subtle movements and the shift in Renxue's breathing. Curiosity warred with shyness. She saw Qing's hand disappear under Renxue's blankets, saw the pleased look on Renxue's face in the dim glow.
'What… what are they doing?' Cai'er wondered, her cheeks flushing. 'Is… is that okay?'
She remembered Qing's touch on her shoulder, the casual affection that always made her feel warm and safe. She adored him, looked up to him, and increasingly… felt something more. A confusing, thrilling flutter whenever he was near.
Taking a deep breath, emboldened by Renxue's example and her own burgeoning feelings, Cai'er made a decision.
Hesitantly, mirroring Renxue's action, she reached out. Her small hand gently took Song Qing's other hand – the one not currently occupied with Renxue.
Song Qing's eyes opened slightly in surprise. He felt Cai'er's trembling hand guide his own under her blanket.
She placed his hand flat against her chest, directly over her own rapidly beating heart and the surprisingly full curve of her breast.
'!!!' Cai'er's mind went blank for a second. The direct contact, his warm hand against her skin, was electrifying. It wasn't like a casual touch or a pat on the head. This felt… intimate. Forbidden. Thrilling.
Song Qing paused, feeling the soft, youthful fullness beneath his palm, so different from Renxue's practiced response. Cai'er was tense, barely breathing.
'Well now… this is unexpected,' Song Qing thought, slightly amused but also cautious. 'Cai'er…'
He gently squeezed her breast, a tentative exploration.
Cai'er gasped audibly this time, her whole body jolting. A wave of heat rushed through her, pooling low in her belly. It felt… incredible. Startling. Comfortable and intensely exciting all at once. She instinctively pressed herself slightly against his hand, seeking more of the strange, wonderful sensation.
'Wow… Qing's hand… it feels… so good…' Her thoughts were a jumble of shock and burgeoning arousal. 'My chest feels… tingly… hot…'
Song Qing felt her response, the tension giving way to trembling excitement. He stroked her gently, mimicking the caress he gave Renxue, but slower, more careful. He didn't want to scare her.
He leaned slightly closer, whispering so softly only she could hear, his breath warm against her ear. "Cai'er… this stays between us, understand? Just our little secret."
Cai'er shivered, not from cold, but from the intimacy of his whisper and the implication. A secret… with Qing. She nodded vigorously, her face buried slightly in her sleeping bag, unable to speak but conveying her fervent agreement. "Mmhmm!"
He gave her one last gentle squeeze before letting his hand rest warmly against her. On his other side, Renxue smirked knowingly in the dark, finding the entire situation highly entertaining.
'Looks like my dear lover is growing up,' Renxue mused, feeling a smug sense of seniority. 'But Qing is mine first.'
And so, Song Qing drifted off again, this time flanked by an openly possessive angel on one side and a newly awakened, trembling dragonling on the other, both seeking comfort and something more from his presence.
'Managing these girls… is almost as challenging as fighting hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts,' he concluded wryly before sleep claimed him.
They pushed onwards. The sky seemed permanently bruised, a perpetual twilight grey. The ice formations became gargantuan, monolithic structures carved by eons of relentless frost and wind. The very air crackled with latent power, heavy and ancient. They were undeniably entering the core region.
And with the core region came its true denizens.
Zhu Zhuqing, being vigilant, suddenly froze mid-step. "Movement. Ahead. Many."
Song Qing extended his spiritual senses, amplified by the Dark Soul Emperor's Crown. His brow furrowed slightly.
He saw them. Scuttling across the ice fields, their forms blending unnervingly well with the frozen landscape. Creatures resembling scorpions, but crafted entirely from translucent, jade-green ice. They moved with eerie speed, their pincers clicking, segmented tails held high, tipped with lethally sharp stingers dripping a visible icy venom.
They varied in size, from dog-sized scouts to some nearly as large as ponies.
"Ice Jade Scorpions," Song Qing identified, his voice low and serious. "Thousands of years old, likely tens of thousands for the larger ones. Highly venomous, incredibly fast, work in coordinated swarms. Their carapaces are tough as steel."
He watched as a vanguard of several dozen scorpions detected the group, their multifaceted eyes glowing with cold intelligence. They immediately adopted aggressive postures, pincers raised, tails twitching.
"Looks like we've found one of the dominant species of the core region," Qian Renxue commented, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her angelic sword, though she hadn't drawn it yet.
More scorpions emerged from behind ice ridges and out of shallow crevasses, their numbers swelling rapidly. Hundreds, maybe thousands, were converging on their position.
Song Qing felt a familiar, icy energy signature permeating the area, growing stronger with the scorpions' presence.
'Ice Jade Scorpions… this means we're likely near her territory. The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress.' His eyes narrowed. This was exactly the kind of challenge he sought, but also a sign that the danger level had escalated dramatically.
He turned to the younger trio, his expression serious.
"Rongrong, Zhuqing, Cai'er," he addressed them firmly. "Your training exercises are over for now. These creatures, especially in these numbers, and potentially their leader… they are beyond your current capabilities."
He gestured towards Bibi Dong, who stood observing the approaching swarm with regal calm. "From now on, stay close to Teacher. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary, and only under her direct protection. The situation here can change in an instant. Understand?"
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Song Cai'er nodded solemnly. The sheer number of scorpions and the palpable killing intent radiating from them was sobering. They instinctively moved closer to Bibi Dong.
"Yes, Qing," they chorused, their earlier confidence tempered by the looming threat.
Song Qing then turned to his teacher. "Teacher," he said respectfully, his voice dropping slightly, "I intend to face whatever comes next. Please, unless I am in genuine mortal danger, do not interfere. This is the kind of battle I need."
Bibi Dong met his gaze, her purple eyes filled with a complex mixture of pride, concern, and understanding. She saw the burning ambition in his eyes, the desire to test himself against the true rulers of this domain.
"Of course, Qing'er," she replied softly, her voice carrying absolute confidence in him, yet hinting at the fierce protectiveness beneath. "I trust your judgment. Be careful."
She raised a hand almost casually. A near-invisible barrier of immense soul power shimmered into existence around herself and the three younger girls, a silent promise of safety.
The vanguard of Ice Jade Scorpions reached attacking range. They screeched, a high-pitched, grating sound, and surged forward.
Qian Renxue stepped forward smoothly. "Allow me to clear the path, Qing."
Before Song Qing could respond, her Seraphim spirit flared. Six radiant wings unfurled, bathing the area in golden light.
"Seventh Soul Ring: Seraphim Avatar!"
She transformed instantly into her angelic battle form, wielding her sword of divine flame.
"Fourth Soul Ring: Holy Sword Slash!"
Arcs of golden fire swept outwards, crashing into the front ranks of the scorpions. The intense heat vaporized the smaller ones instantly, leaving smoking craters in the ice. The larger scorpions recoiled, their icy carapaces cracking and steaming under the assault of Ultimate Fire and Light.
Qian Renxue moved with fluid grace, a whirlwind of golden light and divine fire, effortlessly cutting down swaths of the Ice Jade Scorpions. She was holding back, clearly not expending significant energy, treating it more like pest control.
'She's efficient, I'll give her that,' Song Qing thought, watching her carve through the swarm. 'But this is drawing unwanted attention…'
As if summoned by his thoughts, an ear-splitting screech echoed from the depths of the ice fields, far louder and more piercing than the cries of the lesser scorpions. It resonated with immense cold and ancient fury.
The ground trembled.
A wave of palpable, soul-freezing cold washed over the area, far more intense than the ambient temperature. Even Song Qing felt the unnatural chill seep towards him.
Simultaneously, a streak of blindingly fast, emerald-green light shot out from the direction of the screech, aimed directly at Qian Renxue's Seraphim Avatar!
It was a concentrated beam of pure, freezing energy, tipped with a wickedly sharp point – like a stinger made of solidified glacial power.
"Renxue, watch out!" Song Qing shouted instinctively.
But Qian Renxue, already on high alert after the screech, reacted instantly.
"Torso Bone: Seraphic Aegis!"
Her avatar's golden armor flared, becoming even more substantial just as the emerald beam struck.
KRA-BOOM!
The impact was immense. A shockwave of freezing energy and shattered golden light erupted outwards. Qian Renxue's avatar was thrown back several meters, flickering intensely, the point of impact on her aegis showing spiderweb cracks radiating outwards, frost rapidly covering the golden surface.
The sheer force of the blast sent ripples of freezing air and concussive force washing over Song Qing's position.
He stood his ground, unflinching. His Abyssal Demonic Dragon God Emperor spirit surged within him, raw power humming beneath his skin. The encroaching cold dissipated harmlessly against his innate resistance and the passive defenses afforded by his spirit bones.
He glanced back. Bibi Dong's barrier around the younger trio held firm, shimmering slightly under the impact but otherwise unaffected. Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Song Cai'er stared wide-eyed at the point of impact, clutching each other slightly.
'That was… powerful,' Song Qing assessed instantly. 'Far beyond a standard hundred-thousand-year beast. Close to two hundred thousand? Maybe more? And aimed directly at Renxue… That must be the Empress.'
Qian Renxue stabilized her avatar, the frost cracking and falling away from her golden aegis as divine fire burned it off. She glared towards the source of the attack, her expression hardening.
"Come back, Renxue," Song Qing called out, his voice calm but firm. He stepped forward, positioning himself between her and the unseen attacker. "This one's mine."
Qian Renxue hesitated for only a fraction of a second. She knew that tone in his voice. She glanced at him, saw the determination burning in his emerald eyes, and nodded slowly.
"Be careful, Qing," she murmured, her voice tight with concern despite her confidence in him.
She allowed her Seraphim Avatar to fade, landing gracefully beside Bibi Dong and the others, her gaze fixed on the direction the attack had come from.
The lesser Ice Jade Scorpions, momentarily stunned by the display of power, ceased their advance, scuttling back nervously as a truly massive figure emerged from behind a towering glacier.
It was breathtakingly terrifying and strangely beautiful.
A scorpion easily twenty meters long, its entire body crafted from flawless, luminous Ice Jade. It shimmered with an internal light, reflecting the bleak twilight in dazzling, dangerous facets. Its pincers were enormous, sharp enough to shear through mountains, and its long, segmented tail, held high like a queen's scepter, ended in a stinger that glowed with concentrated, lethal frost energy – the source of the beam that had struck Renxue.
Eight multifaceted eyes, gleaming with ancient intelligence and cold fury, fixed upon the group of humans. This was the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress.
A powerful mental voice, cold and sharp as glacial ice, echoed directly into their minds.
'Who dares trespass in my domain? Who dares slaughter my children?'