Chapter 162: Ice Emperor: You Have to Take Responsibility for Me
This time, upon returning, Ye Chen knew he needed a solid period of advancement.
But cultivation wasn't his only goal—he also planned to use the immortal herbs to massively improve everyone's affection toward him.
It was like playing a game: the rarer the gift, the higher the affection gains.
And the higher the affection, the smaller the risk of chaos later when all his relationships collided.
At the same time, strengthening his circle through these gifts would also build the foundation for the Tang Sect's future growth.
Fighting alone was too draining. He needed an organization of his own.
Since creating one from scratch was troublesome, Ye Chen decided to take over the Tang Sect instead—it was faster and easier.
He planned to divide the Tang Sect into Inner and Outer Sects.
The Inner Sect would be composed of his own women—his core.
The Outer Sect would function more like his workforce—gathering resources for the Inner Sect and occasionally recruiting new members. Through merit and trials, those promising ones could "join the Inner Sect"… eventually.
With his All‑Phenomena Compendium, Ye Chen didn't even need Tang San's outdated hidden weapons. A few ideas from the compendium alone could sustain the sect for generations.
Add to that his connection with Xian Lin'er—backing her was like holding an unbreakable support. With her influence, the Tang Sect's rise would be smooth and unstoppable.
…
After leaving the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, Ye Chen didn't return to Shrek immediately.
Instead, he spent some time traveling with little Ice Emperor, visiting human cities and experiencing local life.
Well—mostly the food.
At first, Ice Emperor was reluctant to mingle with humans, but after tasting human cuisine, her opinion of them began to change.
…
In a hotel dining room, the tiny Ice Emperor lay sprawled across a chair, her round stomach slightly bulging, showing her soft, pale belly.
"Burp~ I'm so full…"
She patted her stomach, yet her gaze still lingered longingly on the table piled high with untouched dishes, a thin line of drool forming at her lips.
"I told you to slow down," Ye Chen sighed, helping her sit up. "Even if your phantom body digests fast, it still has limits."
He placed a hand on her belly, channeling a bit of soul power to help her convert the overabundance of food into energy.
"Hmph, whose fault do you think that is? You dragged me into this state—you have to take responsibility!" Ice Emperor huffed, her cheeks flushed pink.
Once she'd roamed the Extreme North freely, and in a blink, she'd been captured into Ye Chen's spiritual sea, turned into his soul spirit.
Though she could materialize a physical form now, she had lost all power, unable to cultivate or go far from him.
Her life currently consisted of eating and drinking—and that was it.
And yet Ye Chen dared to scold her for overeating? That was blatant cruelty!
Humans were truly evil!
"You can't eat that much," Ye Chen teased, pinching her soft cheek. "If you get fat, you'll never grow taller."
Her body, though spiritual, reflected a realistic growth pattern—complete with the ability to get chubby if she indulged.
In just a week, her face had already puffed up adorably, soft to the touch—Ye Chen couldn't resist teasing her whenever he could.
"W‑what? Not growing taller? You're lying…" she stammered, flustered and clearly believing him just a little.
"Alright, alright," Ye Chen said, chuckling. "We've played around long enough. Time to head back."
He grabbed Ice Emperor gently and perched her miniaturized form on his shoulder.
This trip had mainly been about building trust—and it worked. Her affection toward him had noticeably softened.
"Wait! I haven't finished eating yet!"
Ice Emperor pointed at the remaining dishes, drooling again.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Chen sent all the food floating into his system storage.
His system space was much larger and preserved things better than any storage soul tool.
"Hmph, that's better," she said smugly. "Make sure you save it for my midnight snack. And don't you dare eat any without me!"
With a few grumpy mumbles, she vanished back into his spiritual sea to digest her meal.
…
After calming her down, Ye Chen teleported several times in succession, spanning thousands of miles in moments, before finally arriving back at Shrek City.
This time, he didn't go straight to the academy but instead returned to his house—the Tang Sect estate.
Pushing open the gate, he walked into the courtyard.
The flowers and grass had grown even lusher during his absence, a gentle fragrance of greenery filling the air.
He had assigned people to clean regularly, so the courtyard looked well‑kept despite his long trip.
Ye Chen changed into more comfortable clothes, then stepped into the pool, leaning against the cool edge with a relaxed sigh.
"So comfortable~"
After all the chaos and danger of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, a simple moment of stillness felt deeply satisfying.
This place—his "home"—brought him peace.
He raised his left hand, gently rubbing the unique silver ring on his fourth finger.
Tiny dragon‑scale patterns shimmered faintly across its surface.
A matching ring rested with Ma Xiaotao. By infusing soul power into it, they could sense each other.
During the past few weeks, Ye Chen had often felt the ring grow warm—Ma Xiaotao must've been thinking of him.
He'd been too busy to respond then, but now that he was back, there was no reason to delay.
Ma Xiaotao was his first woman, and though their relationship had started unexpectedly, he genuinely cared for her.
…
At that same moment, within the inner court.
Ma Xiaotao, who had been in deep meditation, suddenly opened her eyes, feeling a jolt of warmth through her ring.
She lifted her right hand, gazing at the phoenix‑patterned ring on her finger. It shimmered with faint heat.
"The ring… It's Xiao Chen!"
Her heart leapt with joy.
Ye Chen was back—and this time, he was reaching out to her first. It was the first time he'd ever done that!
Usually, she was the one using the ring to sense him. Most of the time, he didn't answer, and the link always pointed somewhere distant.
She knew he was busy—and yes, probably flirting around outside with other girls—but she hadn't complained.
With someone like Ye Chen, both talented and… physically overwhelming, she had long accepted that she couldn't keep him to herself.
All she wanted was not to be forgotten.
"Whoosh—"
Without hesitating, Ma Xiaotao rose to her feet as crimson flames burst from her back, unfurling into magnificent phoenix wings.
She didn't even bother opening the courtyard gates—her body became a streak of blazing light, shooting out the window and soaring toward a certain part of Shrek City.
(END CHAPTER)
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