Douluo Continent: The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, Ma Xiaotao is Addicted

As the two were talking, the waiter had already set out the food.

The dishes were very plentiful and clearly prepared with care.

There are fresh, roasted rhinoceros hornbills from the edge of the Starry Sky Forest, with tender meat and a golden-brown, crispy skin.

There is bluefin sashimi from the deep sea off the west coast of the mainland, as thin as a cicada's wing and crystal clear.

Although the cutlery was on the opposite side of the table, Meng Hongchen sat down directly next to Ye Chen.

She seemed a little reserved and shy, her beautiful ice-blue eyes occasionally stealing glances at Ye Chen before quickly lowering her long eyelashes, a distinct blush appearing on her face.

"Try this, it looks delicious..."

Meng Hongchen put a piece of sashimi in Ye Chen's bowl to ease the awkwardness.

Ye Chen dipped his finger in the wasabi, took a bite, and said, "Hmm, it tastes good."

The waiter silently stepped forward and poured the deep red wine into two stemmed glasses from a long-necked bottle wrapped in white cloth.

The liquid shimmered with a garnet-like luster under the light, and the rich aroma of the wine slowly spread, easing the awkwardness from before.

"This wine is 'Crimson Heart' from our Sun Moon Empire. I didn't expect that your Seven Treasures Restaurant would have it."

Meng Hongchen mustered her courage, picked up the wine glass in front of her, and said with a smile, "This is probably rare at Shrek Academy. Brother Ye Chen, you can try it."

Her voice was much softer than usual, carrying a hint of barely perceptible anticipation and shyness.

Ye Chen naturally smelled the enticing aroma of the wine and picked up his glass as well: "It smells very good."

He gently swirled the wine in his glass, then brought it to his lips and took a sip.

A unique flavor spread through the mouth, first a full fruity taste with hints of blackberry and plum, followed by a subtle oak aroma, and finally a long and delicate aftertaste.

It is indeed different from the wines commonly found in the three great empires.

"It has a very unique flavor, rich but not overpowering, with a strong aroma and a long aftertaste."

Although Ye Chen didn't quite understand, he still gave an evaluation with an appreciative smile on his face.

Hearing Ye Chen's evaluation, Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up, and she smiled happily, her cheeks blushing even more: "I'm glad Brother Ye Chen likes it!"

She took a small sip, feeling the warmth of the wine sliding down her throat, and the slight nervousness in her heart seemed to melt away a little.

The waiter beside them had already tactfully retreated.

With red wine as a medium, the two began to truly relax, enjoying the delicious food on the table while chatting casually.

The topics were wide-ranging, from the lively scenes of the Soul Guidance Expo to the customs and anecdotes of the Sun Moon Empire, and the interesting rumors circulating in Shrek Academy.

When Meng Hongchen spoke, her ice-blue eyes always sparkled, full of curiosity and vitality, with a girl's unique innocence and a touch of cunning.

Sometimes she would giggle, her voice clear and melodious, like the tinkling of wind chimes, her red lips slightly parted, revealing her small, neat teeth.

Ye Chen mostly listened, occasionally chiming in. His calm and composed demeanor during conversation would sometimes make Meng Hongchen quite engrossed.

Meng Hongchen leaned slightly towards Ye Chen, and asked cautiously with curiosity, "Brother Ye Chen, may I ask if your martial soul... is it ice-attribute?"

"Oh? How did you know?"

Ye Chen put down his wine glass and looked at Meng Hongchen with a hint of curiosity.

Since Meng Hongchen asked that question, it must have come from intuition, not investigation.

Meng Hongchen noticed Ye Chen's gaze and immediately became nervous, quickly explaining, "Don't misunderstand, it's just... it's just that when you're close, the temperature around you always seems a little lower than other places..."

"Yes, my martial soul is indeed ice-attribute. I didn't expect you to be so perceptive."

Ye Chen suddenly realized and naturally admitted it.

Although his strength and most of his information are kept secret, he has already revealed his martial spirit. If Meng Hongchen investigates carefully, he will definitely be able to find out a lot of information.

"Hehe, what a coincidence! My martial soul is also ice-attribute!" Meng Hongchen was overjoyed to receive a positive reply. The next moment, Meng Hongchen gently stretched out a jade-like hand and placed it on the table.

Immediately afterwards, a strangely shaped phantom of a soul beast quietly condensed in her fair and slender right palm.

It was a toad about the size of a fist, crystal clear, as if it were formed from the purest ice. Every inch of its skin shimmered with a deep blue light, emanating a chilling aura that caused the temperature in the private room to drop several degrees.

However, what is most special is its pair of eyes, which are a completely different crimson red, like molten crystal, radiating a heart-palpitatingly hot aura, forming an extremely strong visual contrast with its cold body.

The scorching heat and the icy mist intertwined, creating a delicate balance around its body.

This is Meng Hongchen's martial spirit—the Zhu Qing Ice Toad!
This is an extremely rare, top-tier beast spirit that possesses both ice and fire attributes. The combination of ice and fire can produce a terrifyingly potent poison.

Ye Chen looked at the peculiar ice crystal toad, a hint of surprise and appreciation flashing in his eyes.

He nodded and praised, "A very powerful and rare martial soul, possessing two opposing attributes. No wonder you sense it so keenly."

Receiving Ye Chen's affirmation, Meng Hongchen's face lit up even more, and she looked at Ye Chen expectantly: "Brother Ye Chen, can I see your martial spirit?"

She was very curious about Ye Chen's martial soul.

The fact that it can emit cold air naturally means that the opponent's martial spirit is definitely not weak.

"of course can."

Ye Chen smiled slightly.

The same level casually raised his right hand, palm up, activating the martial spirit within his body.

"Om-"

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended upon the luxurious private room without warning.

The temperature in the entire space plummeted, and a thick layer of white frost instantly condensed on the walls of the wine glasses, as if the rich aroma of the wine had been frozen solid.

A burst of extremely condensed ice-blue light suddenly erupted, carrying an aura of terror that surpassed everything.

The light condensed and took shape, transforming into a giant ice crystal dragon no bigger than a palm.

Although not large in size, it is lifelike with its entire body covered in tiny and dense ice crystal dragon scales, each one as if it were carefully carved from the purest blue diamond in the world, reflecting a cold and dazzling light.

Its smooth and powerful lines outline its perfect body, with its long, raised neck and sharp, angular head, exuding the dignity and arrogance of a king.

Above the dragon's head, a pair of powerful and sharp dragon horns extend diagonally backward, carrying a sharp aura that can break through ice and cleave the sea.

Although it was just a phantom of a martial spirit, Ye Chen suppressed the range of the Ice Dragon King's martial spirit's cold energy.

However, its terrifying aura still caused drastic changes in the surrounding environment.

The moment Ye Chen's Ice Dragon King Martial Soul appeared, the once majestic Zhu Qing Ice Toad phantom in Meng Hongchen's palm trembled violently.

"Ugh——!"

Zhu Qingbingchan let out an extremely short, mournful cry!

The icy blue mist surrounding it was almost instantly frozen upon encountering that extreme cold impact.

Its pupils, which had originally burned with a scorching crimson light, dimmed rapidly, leaving only two faint points of scarlet, which, under the shroud of icy blue light, resembled a candle flickering in the wind, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.

The ice toad's crystal-clear body seemed to have suffered a devastating blow, and it began to tremble violently and uncontrollably!

Both attributes were being suppressed simultaneously!

The deadly ice and fire poison was also ruthlessly suppressed.

Like a small, weak animal encountering its natural enemy, its limbs involuntarily went limp, and it huddled in Meng Hongchen's palm, looking pitiful and helpless...

(End of this chapter)