The Skydream Iceworm shouted at the top of its lungs, its expression brimming with arrogance as its voice carried far into the distance.
The intense spiritual fluctuations even shattered the countless snowflakes around it, creating a vacuum zone spanning nearly a hundred meters.
After its declaration, the Skydream Iceworm fell silent, its eyes filled with anticipation as it gazed into the distance, waiting for the appearance of the figure it had longed for day and night.
However...
"Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb—!"
A crow with dead-fish eyes flew overhead, cawing mockingly. Beside it, the frigid winds of the Far North sent a tumbleweed rolling past, making the Skydream Iceworm's figure appear especially lonely and desolate.
The one it had expected to see?
Nowhere in sight.
"...?"
The Skydream Iceworm tilted its head, its face—borrowed from Huo Yuhao—filled with utter confusion.
What the hell? This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
"Ice Empress! Your nemesis, Tianmeng, has returned! Show yourself at once!"
Unwilling to give up, the Skydream Iceworm bellowed again, its spiritual fluctuations spreading unabashedly toward the territory of the Ice Jade Scorpions.
Within the Ice Jade Scorpion territory...
Several 100,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion Kings had gathered, their crystalline yellow eyes flickering with contemplation.
"Is that the big worm our clan leader chased back then?"
"Yeah, pretty sure it's him."
"What do we do? Should we go catch him? Clan Leader said that worm was super tasty!"
"Have you forgotten what the Clan Leader said before leaving? No matter what happens, the Ice Jade Scorpion tribe is not to leave our territory! If you want to face the Clan Leader's wrath when she returns, go ahead—I won't stop you!"
"Tch. Fine, I won't go! No need to be so aggressive..."
The Ice Jade Scorpion Kings huddled together, muttering in their encrypted scorpion language. Before long, they reached a consensus:
Ignore it.
One minute passed.
Ten minutes passed.
Half an hour passed...
"Brother Tianmeng, are you done yet?! I can't hold on much longer!"
Huo Yuhao's teeth chattered uncontrollably, his face turning purple from the cold.
Up in the sky, the Skydream Iceworm's expression was equally grim—its borrowed face twisted into a comically exaggerated scowl.
"Where's the Ice Empress?! Where's my big, beautiful Ice Empress?!"
The Skydream Iceworm redlined, its voice cracking with existential despair.
But no matter how unwilling it was, it couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. In its perception, Huo Yuhao's life force flickered like a candle in the wind, his consciousness teetering on the edge of collapse.
In the core of the Far North, where temperatures routinely plunged below -100°C, even a Soul Sage or Soul Douluo would struggle—let alone Huo Yuhao, who hadn't even obtained his second soul ring.
If he passed out here, he might never wake up again.
Asking the Skydream Iceworm to charge the Ice Jade Scorpion territory with Huo Yuhao in tow? Absolutely not.
So despite its reluctance, it had no choice but to retreat back into Huo Yuhao's body.
"Sorry, Yuhao... My plan failed. I don't think I can get you that martial soul we agreed on."
The Skydream Iceworm transformed into a streak of golden light, returning to Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, its voice thick with guilt.
With its return came a surge of origin energy, flooding Huo Yuhao's body and rapidly healing the frostbite he'd sustained over the past half-hour.
His soul power also broke through its bottleneck, reaching Rank 20.
But the first thing Huo Yuhao heard upon regaining consciousness was the Skydream Iceworm's apology.
"WHY?! So all my suffering was for NOTHING?!"
Huo Yuhao snapped, his voice cracking with rage.
The only thing that had kept him going through the Far North's torment was the Skydream Iceworm's promise—that if he endured, his talent would be reborn, elevating him to the ranks of the Douluo Continent's top genius soul masters.
Maybe not Lin Yun's level, but at least close.
Lin Yun had Ultimate Strength? Then Huo Yuhao would have Ultimate Ice—and a twin martial soul to boot!
Without this belief, how could a thirteen-year-old with less than two soul rings have endured the Far North's cruelty for so long?
And now the Skydream Iceworm was telling him—all that suffering was wasted? That he wouldn't get the top-tier martial soul he'd been promised?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Already more volatile without Elder Elric's guidance, Huo Yuhao nearly snapped from the brutal reality. Even his gratitude toward the Skydream Iceworm twisted into resentment, a faint crimson hue tingeing his once-clear blue eyes.
Sensing Huo Yuhao's emotions, the Skydream Iceworm panicked.
"Calm down, Yuhao! Don't lose control!"
"This failure is my fault! I don't know why, but the Ice Empress didn't respond to my presence. Normally, with her heavenly tribulation looming, she'd immediately come to hunt me the moment she sensed me! That's when I'd trap her with my origin energy and convince her to sacrifice herself—to become your soul ring and martial soul!"
"The Ice Empress is a 389,900-year-old Fierce Beast! Wasn't she worth the risk? Even if my plan failed, my intentions were for your sake!"
But as everyone knows—when someone's emotionally shattered, logic is useless.
Though Huo Yuhao's expression outwardly calmed under the Skydream Iceworm's coaxing, what truly brewed beneath the surface?
Only he knew.
A fissure had formed between the two—one that might, in the future, lead to uncontrollable consequences.
The Skydream Iceworm fell silent.
It had said all it could. Whether Huo Yuhao accepted it or not was beyond its control. For now, at least, the boy seemed stable enough.
But the Skydream Iceworm was just an ice worm—a soul beast. Even after browsing Huo Yuhao's memories, it could never truly grasp human complexity. Among soul beasts, things were straightforward—no convoluted schemes or hidden meanings.
Asking an ice worm to decipher human emotions?
Too much to ask.
"Since the original plan failed... do you have a backup, Brother Tianmeng?" Huo Yuhao spoke again, his tone eerily flat.
"Yes!" The Skydream Iceworm nodded.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you want early access to nearly 35+ chapters, join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"