"What an incredibly dense life aura!" The Ice Empress spoke up, her voice filled with surprise.
Hearing the Ice Empress's voice, the Skydream Iceworm became a little emotional, but nothing beyond that.
That's the power of a first love—even just hearing her voice was enough to excite him for half a day.
"I've only ever sensed life energy of this concentration near the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest," the Snow Empress said calmly, her voice still icy and aloof.
The Ice Empress then looked at Xiaobai and sighed in admiration, "Xiaobai, you've really found something incredible this time."
Xiaobai had been sent ahead by the Snow Empress to scout things out. If nothing serious was happening, she would've handled it herself. But once she got involved in a fight with other soul beasts, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress realized something was wrong and came together.
They hadn't been in the mountain range when the ice shoot emerged, and the aura it released had already been mostly blown away by the wind and snow. So initially, they had no idea a treasure had appeared.
It was only when they sensed soul beast unrest in the mountains that their attention was drawn.
"Hehe, Aunt Ice, you flatter me." Xiaobai chuckled innocently, then continued, "With this treasure, Mom can definitely take another step forward!"
"Oh? You're giving it to me?" the Snow Empress asked, surprised.
She hadn't intended to seize the ice shoot at all.
"That's right. I'm still relatively weak. Using such a treasure myself would just be a waste." Xiaobai said sincerely.
Her words moved the Snow Empress.
What a good child—you've really grown up!
"This is great. Xue'er, with this ice shoot, you'll be able to…" The Ice Empress didn't finish her sentence. She quickly suppressed her excitement and scanned the surroundings, shouting coldly, "Scram!"
The soul beasts lying on the ground were overjoyed and fled in panic, wishing they had more than four legs.
Soon, the area was cleared of all beasts except for the Ice Bear clan.
The Ice Empress then said, "Xiaobai, have your clan spread out and guard the perimeter."
"Yes, Aunt Ice."
Under Xiaobai's instructions, the Ice Bear clan dispersed and encircled the area.
Only then did the Ice Empress turn to the Snow Empress.
"Xiaobai, you're thoughtful."
The Snow Empress didn't refuse the offer. Soul beasts didn't get tangled up in complicated emotions. Still, she knew her own condition—the ice shoot was useless to her. Her problem wasn't a lack of resources but damage to her origin.
Once she tried to break through the 700,000-year threshold, she would surely fail the tribulation, unless the other path she envisioned could be realized.
Her Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus had been stolen—she wasn't sure if the ice shoot could meet her needs.
She waved her hand, and the ice shoot floated into it. She examined it carefully.
The ice shoot was jade-like, its outer shell made of Extreme Ice. Inside, it held liquified golden life energy. However, the base was slightly damaged, leaking a bit of the golden liquid, though the Extreme Ice quickly sealed the damage with frost.
Strangely, while holding it, a wave of restlessness washed over the Snow Empress, as if something wasn't right.
It was too strange.
She had never seen anything like this ice shoot. In all of the continent, only she and the Ice Empress possessed the Extreme Ice attribute—and the Ice Empress couldn't possibly have created something like this.
After all, that liquified life force inside—there was no way the Ice Empress could have produced it.
But how could such dense life energy have formed in the Extreme North, like at the Lake of Life?
Just as the Snow Empress was wondering, her eyes widened in surprise. She had sensed something unusual. When she sent her spiritual power into the ice shoot, a powerful spiritual response erupted from within it.
"A ten-thousand-year soul beast's spiritual fluctuation?" the Ice Empress cried out. "Is it a ten-thousand-year soul beast?!"
"What? Is it a ten-thousand-year-old ice shoot?" Xiaobai was also shocked. She hadn't sensed that!
"No." The Snow Empress gave a surprising answer, then smiled. "This is... a ten-thousand-year ice spirit that has become a soul beast! What I'm holding isn't an ice shoot at all—it's a ten-thousand-year Ice Extreme Divine Crystal that has taken the form of an ice shoot!"
Only after a deep inspection did the Snow Empress realize that this was no ordinary ice shoot—it was a massive piece of Ice Extreme Divine Crystal!
Ice Extreme Divine Crystals can give birth to ice spirits, and those spirits can gather life force. After who knows how many years of cultivation, this ice spirit had become a soul beast, reached ten-thousand years, and accumulated a huge amount of life energy.
It all made sense.
Extreme Ice attributes weren't surprising in this context. As a companion to the Myriad-Year Profound Ice Marrow, the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal should reach the Extreme Ice level.
"To think an ice spirit could evolve into a soul beast. That's pretty amazing." The Snow Empress mused. She admitted it was possible but had never seen it before.
The Ice Empress looked toward the small hill in the distance, her heart racing. "Could there be a Myriad-Year Profound Ice Cavern below that?"
"There probably isn't. And even if there was, this little guy likely absorbed it all by now." The Snow Empress weighed the "ice shoot" in her hand.
"Then what's the story behind this little guy?" The Ice Empress asked, frustrated.
"It's probably a mutated ice spirit. By chance, it became a soul beast, then stayed here, absorbing ice and life elements to cultivate until it reached ten thousand years—like some gemstone-type soul beasts," the Snow Empress explained. She didn't have any theoretical background, but her knowledge was broad. "Unfortunately, it seems limited by its nature. Even though it has the spiritual power of a ten-thousand-year soul beast, it lacks clear self-awareness. It's not much different from regular ice spirits."
"Then… can it still be used?" Xiaobai asked worriedly.
The Snow Empress smiled, "Silly child, not only can this Ice Extreme Divine Crystal be used—it's actually perfect for me!"
Compared to the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, this Ice Extreme Divine Crystal suited her even more!
Extreme Ice, Life, and Spirit—three powerful attributes gathered in one. If she could use this to assume human form, she'd gain a higher starting point and have more confidence breaking into godhood in the future.
And after meeting the Skydream Iceworm, she started considering his idea of intelligent spirit rings. This crystal's spiritual nature made that idea even more viable!
Then she could bring both the Ice Empress and Xiaobai into the God Realm—and achieve immortality!
"That's amazing!" Xiaobai beamed with joy.
"Xue'er, hurry and absorb it—I'll guard you," the Ice Empress urged, equally happy.
"Alright!" the Snow Empress didn't waste time.
After the spiritual power in the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal had erupted, it acknowledged the Snow Empress's strength and chose her as its master. She could now use it at any time.
"Xiaobai, you can use the remaining golden liquid. It'll help you break through the 200,000-year mark faster—and give you better control of the Extreme North."
"Okay, Mom!" Xiaobai happily trotted off to lick up the golden liquid.
The Ice Empress picked up on something deeper and looked at the Snow Empress in surprise. "Xue'er… are you leaving the Extreme North?"
The Snow Empress smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'll bring you with me."
"Mmm." The Ice Empress blushed but said no more.
Next, the Snow Empress would find a safe place to use the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal and take on human form—with the Ice Empress standing guard.
Huo Yuhao watched the Ice and Snow Empresses leave.
"It's beginning, isn't it?"
"Tianmeng-ge, let's catch up!"
2024-07-04 | Author: A Pitch-Black Trail
The Snow Empress brought the Ice Empress to her own palace of ice and snow.
This palace, entirely forged from millennia-old glacial ice, stood atop a sunlit mountain peak. It reflected the sunlight and radiated a dazzling array of colors—breathtakingly beautiful.
It was the Snow Empress's personal residence, a forbidden zone to all other soul beasts, and the place where she felt most at ease.
"Xue'er, stay inside and absorb the energy calmly. I'll guard you from outside," the Ice Empress said gently, her voice filled with affection.
"Bing'er, I'll leave it to you then," the Snow Empress nodded seriously, promising, "Once I succeed, I'll take you out of the Extreme North. Together, we'll walk the path to godhood!"
"Mhm! Xue'er, I'll follow your lead," the Ice Empress beamed, almost bubbling with joy.
After that, the Snow Empress stepped into the palace. The icy gates sealed shut behind her, cutting off all internal aura.
Outside, the Ice Empress stood vigilant, eyes scanning the surroundings with heightened alertness.
Inside, the palace's layout was simple. Though it mimicked some human architectural elements, the Snow Empress spent most of her time seated in the center of the grand hall on an ornate ice throne, cultivating.
The magnificent throne, carved from a giant chunk of icy jade, was a top-tier auxiliary material for ice-attributed soul beasts and soul masters alike. With 700,000 years of cultivation, the Snow Empress's resources were undoubtedly rich.
Sitting cross-legged on the throne, the Snow Empress didn't rush to absorb the Ice Bamboo's energy. She carefully rechecked everything to ensure no issues remained.
The Ice Bamboo had been crafted by Huo Yuhao, imitating the Extreme Ice Divine Crystal and the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. No soul master techniques had been used—only pure cultivator methods. Even with her vast knowledge, the Snow Empress couldn't detect any flaws.
With no other choice, she had to gamble. Besides, the Ice Empress guarding outside gave her maximum security.
Sensing the warm affinity from the Ice Bamboo's spirit, she finally relaxed, laid the two-meter-long bamboo across her knees, and began adjusting her state to prepare for absorption.
At this time, the Snow Empress was nearing 700,000 years of cultivation. But despite her efforts, she couldn't surpass this threshold.
She had previously tried forming a Yin-Yang dual-core to advance her power, but the attempt failed and severely damaged her origin.
Even with heavenly treasures, breaking past the 700,000-year barrier would bring a heavenly tribulation she couldn't withstand in her current state.
Though she could try to slowly restore her origin using rare resources, it would take many years—and she didn't have that time. Her lifespan was nearly up. Once her limit hit, the heavenly tribulation would descend regardless.
Thus, if she wanted to live, she had only one option left: take a different path—Re-cultivate through transformation!
Soul beasts had only a brief window of a thousand years after passing 100,000 years in which they could choose to transform and re-cultivate. Missing it meant losing that chance forever, even if they became ferocious beasts. At best, they could gain the ability to take human form, but not truly transform.
Transformation and re-cultivation was essentially a choice born from incomplete mastery of the human form.
Due to its risks and lack of heavenly tribulation threat, very few chose it—until the threat of tribulation made it a last resort for those with limited talent.
Though fierce beasts couldn't re-cultivate through transformation on their own, that didn't mean there was no way.
The Snow Empress's plan was to seal her origin and downgrade for re-cultivation.
Her first choice had been a 100,000-year Snow Lotus.
Because the Snow Lotus rarely awakened intelligence, but contained pure natural energy, it could act as a catalyst for sealing her origin and beginning her transformation.
However, just before she began the process, the Snow Lotus mysteriously disappeared.
The Extreme North had other 100,000-year plant-type soul beasts, but only one Snow Lotus—finding a substitute was nearly impossible.
After a fruitless search, the Snow Empress had mentally prepared to pass her remaining power to the Ice Empress when the time came, helping her break through the 400,000-year bottleneck.
At least one of them could survive and continue guarding the Extreme North.
But unexpectedly, fate took a turn—the appearance of the Ice Bamboo gave her a new choice.
It wasn't just a substitute—it was even better. The Ice Spirit inside, though sentient, was pure, simple, and willing to bond with her.
Not only could it be used to seal her origin and initiate transformation, it could become her second martial soul—granting her the legendary potential of twin martial souls!
With that, she would have even greater talent after re-cultivation and a higher chance at becoming a god. She could also attempt the intelligent soul ring method the Skydream Iceworm had described, bringing the Ice Empress with her to the Divine Realm!
To avoid delays, the Snow Empress began the transformation as quickly as possible.
An hour passed as she adjusted her state. Then, her eyes snapped open, radiating icy white light, making her appear like a celestial maiden.
Within this glow, the Ice Bamboo began fusing with her. A thick layer of ice gradually encased her, forming a cocoon—more like an egg, slowly hatching.
Through the translucent surface, only a glowing brilliance could be seen—no trace of the Snow Empress remained.
She was using her power to merge with the Ice Bamboo and reshape herself. The bamboo was too large to absorb in the traditional way—it had to be integrated.
As the fusion began, her energy fluctuations slowly radiated beyond the palace.
Sensing this, the Ice Empress grew even more vigilant to ensure no one could disturb the process.
At that moment, far in the distance, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.
"It's begun! The Snow Empress is using the Ice Bamboo!"
"Brother Hao, should we go now?" the Skydream Iceworm asked, his tone complex.
"No rush," Huo Yuhao replied softly. "She's only just begun—she can still back out. We'll wait until she completely seals her cultivation and starts the transformation. That's our best time to act."
He could barely glimpse the silhouette of the Ice-Snow Palace, but it was as if he could clearly sense the Snow Empress's condition.
More time passed.
Within the palace, the Snow Empress's aura rapidly weakened—falling to the level of a 500,000-year soul beast, then 400,000, then 300,000…
Outside, the Ice Empress released a powerful aura to deter all nearby soul beasts from approaching.
Without the Ice Empress guarding her, the Snow Empress would never dare attempt such a thing in her palace. If any beast sensed her vulnerability and entered, it could spell doom.
She knew she couldn't gamble her life on the morality of the soul beasts of the Extreme North.
Without protection, she would've chosen a secluded place far from others—ideally near a human nation—so she could enter the human world after transforming.
"Xue'er, you must succeed!" the Ice Empress whispered, her voice filled with hope and worry.
Just then, a strange, cackling voice echoed from afar:
"Look what I've found—a transforming Snow Empress! Kekeke—"
July 5, 2024 – Author: A Pitch-Black Drag
As the voice echoed, the figure was still in the distance. By the time the last laugh faded, Huo Yuhao had already arrived near the Ice Empress, floating mid-air, only a kilometer away from her.
A kilometer—nothing more than a blink of an eye for the powerful.
"A human?!" The Ice Empress was first stunned, then enraged. "Despicable human dares to come provoke me? Courting death!"
She didn't know why Huo Yuhao had appeared here. All she knew was that she wanted to crush him to protect the Snow Empress.
After fusing with the Snow Lotus, Huo Yuhao's appearance had changed, so the Ice Empress didn't recognize him.
But she could sense that his soul power was only at the 80th level. Yes, that was Huo Yuhao's current true level.
Which made the Ice Empress scornful.
A mere rank-80 quasi-Soul Douluo dares act so arrogantly here?
However, before the Ice Empress could attack, Huo Yuhao—well prepared—struck first.
"Frost Centipede, descend upon the world!"
A massive mutated Frost Centipede martial soul manifested physically, bursting up from beneath the ice, raising its upper body high and glaring at the Ice Empress. At the same time, its first soul ring flashed, and it opened its mandibles to spray a mouthful of ice-blue venom.
First Soul Skill: Frost Centipede's Venom!
Like countless ice crystals, reflecting sunlight—breathtakingly beautiful.
"You've got guts!"
The Ice Empress hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to not only come knocking, but to strike first.
Clearly, he didn't know the meaning of death.
Naturally, she didn't back down and countered not with defense but with a full-on attack.
"Domain of Eternal Frost!"
Centered on the Ice Empress, her domain spread out, covering thousands of miles, freezing even snow and ice in place. Huo Yuhao and his Frost Centipede were enveloped in the domain, but they remained unaffected.
They both possessed the Ultimate Ice attribute—so they weren't easily suppressed by the Ice Empress's domain. However, being within her domain, they still felt an oppressive force trying to suppress their soul power and physical strength.
As for the Frost Centipede's venom, it was shattered completely under the pressure of the Eternal Frost Domain.
Yet the mutated Frost Centipede martial soul showed no fear. It let out a sky-shaking roar and released its own domain to counter the Eternal Frost.
Frost Centipede Domain!
Two ultimate ice domains clashed, causing a blizzard to erupt outside the Ice Palace, blotting out the sky and sun.
Seeing the Frost Centipede Domain counter her own, the Ice Empress was shocked. "Ultimate Ice?! You actually possess Ultimate Ice as well!"
Huo Yuhao simply smiled and didn't answer.
The Ice Empress grew cautious.
Unfortunately, while the Eternal Frost Domain couldn't suppress the Frost Centipede Domain, it also couldn't be overwhelmed by it. So the Frost Centipede's negative domain effects couldn't weaken the Ice Empress.
However, the mutated Frost Centipede martial soul could still fully benefit from its domain's enhancements.
The Ice Empress lowered her body, preparing to explode with power, warily eyeing Huo Yuhao and the mutated Frost Centipede. The brief exchange had shown her they were no easy opponents.
"No wonder you dared to come here. But thinking you can beat me with this? What wishful thinking!"
With Huo Yuhao's recent improvements, the mutated Frost Centipede's cultivation alone was no weaker than the Ice Empress.
Moreover, having absorbed vast amounts of Ten Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, the martial soul that benefited the most was the Frost Centipede due to its ice attribute.
If Huo Yuhao could fully digest the Ten Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, the mutated Frost Centipede could even surpass the Ice Empress in cultivation.
At this moment, the centipede glared menacingly at the Ice Empress. Unlike when it was controlled by the Skydream Iceworm and walked on two legs, its newly birthed sentience let it naturally assume the most combat-effective posture for a centipede.
Upper body raised, lower body curled, ready to strike. Two pairs of wings unfurled from its back, as if it would take flight at any moment.
Red, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red, Red!
Seven soul rings surrounded the centipede's body, radiating immense power.
But Huo Yuhao knew that against the Ice Empress, the skills from the thousand-year soul rings were useless. Only the ones from the three red rings could pose a threat.
And with its sentience still immature, the mutated Frost Centipede lacked combat experience and couldn't match the Ice Empress in actual battle power.
So Huo Yuhao landed atop the centipede's head and slowly merged his lower body into the centipede's hard shell. Once connected, he closed his eyes, transferring his consciousness into the martial soul to control it directly.
The Frost Centipede moved, adjusting to its body under Huo Yuhao's command.
"This should make up for the lack of battle experience!"
This was Huo Yuhao's first time fully synchronizing with and controlling the Frost Centipede—vastly increasing its combat power.
Controlling a centipede's body felt both alien and familiar to him.
The memory from Pudu Cihang (a previous soul memory) had given him plenty of experience.
Unlike the Skydream Iceworm, who had the centipede walk on two legs, Huo Yuhao now had it flying through the air like a soaring dragon.
More dragon-like than insect-like.
Then—
Seventh Soul Ring, activate!
Seventh Soul Skill: Frost Centipede True Form!
The mutated Frost Centipede expanded to its largest size—nineteen meters long.
Below it, the Ice Empress—only 1.5 meters long—looked like a bug in comparison.
Sixth Soul Ring, activate!
Sixth Soul Skill: Frost Centipede Overlord Transformation!
The centipede expanded again—breaking past twenty meters. Its carapace grew even thicker and more resilient. Its Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Poison attributes intensified.
In the blink of an eye, the creature had grown larger and even more formidable.
The Ice Empress immediately became fully alert.
Sixth Soul Ring flashes again!
Sixth Soul Skill: Overlord's Roar!
The centipede opened its mandibles and unleashed a terrifying roar like a dragon's call, aimed directly at the Ice Empress and enveloping her in soundwaves.
Inside the Ice Palace, the Snow Empress, currently undergoing a transformation, sensed the disturbance outside. But the process had already started—any interruption would spell disaster and threaten her life.
She could not stop now, so she risked accelerating her transformation.
Who dares attack now?!
They must have a death wish!
The Snow Empress still trusted the Ice Empress—believing that in the Extreme North, few could match her in strength.
Outside, the Ice Empress's body was pressed down by the roar, the ice beneath her shattering inch by inch. She immediately unleashed her Ultimate Ice to resist the soundwaves from damaging her internally.
"You dare oppress me like this?! Think I can't deal with you?"
And more importantly—
"For Xue'er, I cannot lose!"
She braved the soundwave, forcing herself upright from the broken ice. Her shell gradually became covered in ice crystals.
Ice Empress Body Shield!
The sonic attack from Overlord's Roar could no longer threaten her.
Then, her six long legs surged with strength, and she leapt high into the air, her pincers striking toward the centipede. They were covered in jewel-like ice crystals—beautiful but exuding danger.
Ice Empress's Claws!
Seeing that the Tyrant's Roar was no longer effective, Huo Yuhao ceased his sonic attack, but he had no intention of dodging.
His first soul ring flared once more.
"Then let's see—between my Variant Frost Centipede martial soul and the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor—who's superior!"
First Soul Skill: Frost Centipede's Fatal Strike!
After awakening the Frost Centipede Domain, his hundred-thousand-year soul ring also evolved a second soul skill—an intensely powerful single-target attack. It was the strongest one-on-one move the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul possessed.
As the soul skill activated, the powers of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Poison surged within the Frost Centipede's body. Then it dived like a falling comet, aiming to strike the Ice Empress with catastrophic force.
The two collided mid-air.
BOOM!!!
The deafening crash echoed across the core zone, startling countless soul beasts into fleeing the area instinctively.
Only a white-furred creature, who had just emerged from the mountains after licking golden liquid and feeling satisfied, showed a change in expression.
"That's... Ice Aunt's aura? She's fighting someone? And in the direction of Mom's home!"
Xiaobai couldn't just stand by.
"Follow me!"
It immediately led its clan toward the Ice Palace.
Heading to the Ice Palace as well were the Ice Jade Scorpions—after all, the Ice Empress wasn't their only powerful member. Once they sensed their clan leader was in battle, they naturally rushed to assist.
Outside the Ice Palace.
The once smooth, beautiful ice plain had shattered. A giant crater marked the battleground, as if a meteor had struck.
The Variant Frost Centipede rose again.
The Ice Empress, using her soul power, also lifted herself into the sky.
That previous strike—a draw.
Even though the Variant Frost Centipede's power had surged under Huo Yuhao's influence, the soul skill's raw might still lagged slightly behind.
This was simply due to racial differences.
The Ice Jade Scorpions had sacrificed their poison attribute to gain the innate gift of Ultimate Ice, drastically increasing their attack power.
The Variant Frost Centipede clan, on the other hand, balanced both ice and poison. Even with both attributes pushed to their ultimate extremes by Huo Yuhao, their offensive capability still fell short of the Ice Jade Scorpions'. Their true strength lay in poisoning and freezing.
In simpler terms: control-type soul skills, even powerful ones, just couldn't match the raw destructive force of an assault-type skill. It was only natural.
However, the Ice Empress didn't come out unscathed. To repel the Ultimate Poison attempting to invade her body, she had spent a large amount of soul power.
A dual-ultimate attribute facing a single-ultimate put pressure on her.
In a fight with the Variant Frost Centipede, the most dangerous thing wasn't the attack itself—it was the Ultimate Poison concealed within.
Yet the clash had revealed a weakness of the Frost Centipede.
The Ice Empress fixated on Huo Yuhao's upper body, exposed and seemingly asleep with his eyes closed.
"His martial soul may be powerful and strange, but if I kill his real body, he'll still die!"
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was growing more attuned to the Frost Centipede's body. He didn't launch a follow-up strike, but instead looked down on the Ice Empress, his voice echoing from the centipede's mandibles.
"Ice Empress, do you remember me?"
She froze—she didn't think she'd ever met Huo Yuhao before.
But he gave her no time to guess.
"Years ago, I came to the Extreme North with Brother Tianmeng. You and Snow Empress welcomed us."
At the mention of Skydream Iceworm, the Ice Empress instantly realized who Huo Yuhao was. Looking closely, she did see a faint shadow of the boy he once was.
"You're that child? In just a few years, you've become this powerful? And you wield both Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Poison?" she exclaimed in shock.
Then she chuckled.
"So… you're here to persuade me again? To become your soul ring?"
"You will become my soul ring," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "But I'm not here to persuade you. I'm here to kill you—and Snow Empress—with my own hands."
"Hahaha! Foolish human. Do you really think you can pull that off?" The Ice Empress laughed mockingly.
"I'll admit, I underestimated you. With twin ultimate attributes and terrifying talent... If you'd shown that back then, I might've been tempted. But now, I don't need you anymore. If you were a Title Douluo, I'd stand no chance. But now? You've come too early!"
"Killing you two… is enough," Huo Yuhao replied coldly.
"Then let's find out!"
The Ice Empress launched an attack, unleashing Ice Empress Armor and Empress Claws.
Though wary of his talent, she showed no fear—only greed. If she could capture Huo Yuhao, she could extract every secret: godhood, intelligent soul rings, everything. It would ensure Snow Empress ascended—and she could stay by her side forever.
That's why she struck first.
But to her surprise, Huo Yuhao didn't command the centipede to use a soul skill. Instead, the centipede's entire body turned a dark gold.
CLANG—
Her Empress Claws slammed into the dark golden carapace but were blocked completely. And as she hesitated, the centipede lashed out with its bladed legs, slicing toward her.
The Ice Empress barely dodged.
Putting distance between them, she eyed the centipede cautiously. It had clearly changed.
This was the power of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, now fused into the Variant Frost Centipede. Huo Yuhao called it:
Darkgolden Centipede Legs and Darkgolden Armor.
Let's not forget—the centipede had awakened its innate divine ability:
Devouring Art!
It could absorb a creature's talents and power—living or non-living—to enhance itself. Eat stone, gain defense.
Still, the Ice Empress didn't retreat. She went all in, aiming for Huo Yuhao's body.
But he had anticipated this, never letting her get close.
With the Darkgolden Centipede Legs and Darkgolden Armor, Huo Yuhao held his ground, evenly matched with the Ice Empress in close combat.
Until—reinforcements arrived.
Xiaobai returned with the Ice Bear Clan and Ice Jade Scorpions. Huo Yuhao finally pulled back.
Now, the Variant Frost Centipede was surrounded.
"Ice Aunt, is that the enemy?" Xiaobai asked in a rumbling voice, glancing around. Then he added, puzzled, "Where's my mom?"
The Ice Empress resumed her regal demeanor.
"Xiaobai, your mother is doing something very important. This enemy wants to harm her—but we still need him alive. He has information that Snowy needs. We must capture him."
"I understand," Xiaobai rumbled.
But when he looked at Huo Yuhao, the goofy air vanished. A terrifying aura exploded from him.
The centipede was now surrounded:
Two hundred-thousand-year Ice Bear Kings
Three hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Kings
One beast that had surpassed the two-hundred-thousand-year threshold
Plus the Ice Empress and Xiaobai himself
Even Du Busi would've fallen here.
Huo Yuhao knew he couldn't rely on the centipede alone anymore.
He withdrew his consciousness and slowly opened his eyes. Then, softly:
"Now… everyone's here."
The Ice Empress was the pinnacle of the soul beast side, but the mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul was merely the baseline for Huo Yuhao.
The Ice Jade Scorpion group also held great value—the soul rings and bones they yielded could be used to upgrade the Ice Empress's own.
As for Xiaobai and the Ice Bear clan, they were more of a bonus. The Healing Angel Puppet Martial Soul still had available soul ring slots.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his lower body from the mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul, then said to it, "Go. The Ice Bear and Ice Jade Scorpion clans are yours now."
The mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul nodded happily, turned around, and charged straight toward the two clans.
Crushing weaklings—he loved it!
"You dare!" Xiaobai roared, its massive paw slapping toward the mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul.
Yet to Xiaobai's astonishment, it was knocked aside as the mutated soul charged into the two tribes.
It activated the Heavenly Dream Illusion technique, constantly changing its form, using various methods to slaughter the soul beasts. It even disguised itself as an Ice Bear or Ice Jade Scorpion, sowing chaos among them.
Xiaobai and the other soul beasts over 100,000 years old had no choice but to cooperate in an effort to stop the slaughter.
At the same time, the moment the mutated soul acted, the Ice Empress moved as well. She rapidly closed in on Huo Yuhao, her scorpion pincers reaching out to crush him.
But Huo Yuhao just smiled.
"Ice Empress, let me show you true power!"
The Ghost Banner Martial Soul silently appeared above his head, surrounded by four flickering soul rings.
Then, a figure burst forth from the Ghost Banner, accompanied by a dragon's roar. The figure glowed with golden light and punched at the Ice Empress, making her feel an overwhelming sense of dread and forcing her to dodge.
It was Mu En who made the move.
And he led with Sovereign's Dominion!
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, then opened them again.
The Evil Eye Martial Soul activated. The Yin-Yang Eyes lit up, his gaze transforming into a dual red-and-blue hue.
"Those eyes!" the Ice Empress exclaimed, stunned—she could feel the pressure of a superior being from Huo Yuhao's gaze.
In the presence of divine pressure, the Ice Empress was insignificant.
"Ice Empress, under the gaze of these eyes, your fate is sealed!"
Huo Yuhao shouted,
"True Body Avatar!"
The True Body Avatar appeared behind him, transforming into a four-armed, two-headed demonic figure, swelling in size until it towered a hundred meters high.
And that wasn't all.
As he pushed the Evil Eye Martial Soul to its limit, the sky cracked open, revealing sixteen rifts. From each emerged an eye—eight pairs total, each with distinct pupils and colors, corresponding to Huo Yuhao's own eight paired eyes.
Eight pairs of eyes hovered in the sky.
The hundred-meter-tall avatar stood like a deity between heaven and earth.
Huo Yuhao didn't even need to act—his overwhelming presence alone weakened the Ice Empress's combat power by 30%.
She clearly felt that once the True Body Avatar appeared, it was as if this space had been severed from the Extreme North. She could no longer feel the environment's natural boost.
Then she felt a terrifying pressure pressing down on her. Her Ice Emperor armor cracked audibly, her mind in chaos, whispers she couldn't decipher echoing in her ears, trying to invade her spiritual sea.
In the next instant, Mu En attacked again.
The Ice Empress, like a beast driven into a corner, roared in fury, trying to shatter the mental interference while unleashing her full power to counter Mu En.
"Wrath of the Ice Emperor!"
Brilliant icy-blue light exploded—but was blocked by Mu En's golden radiance.
Mu En raised his hand and unleashed the Dragon Emperor's Evil-Breaking Slash, directly clashing with her attack.
Huo Yuhao floated above, coldly watching the battle unfold.
The mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul, alone, entangled Xiaobai and the two clans. Huo Yuhao's decision to send it wasn't for battle, but to give it experience.
And it performed excellently.
Mu En suppressed the Ice Empress.
If both Ice and Snow Empresses had joined forces, as Electrolux said, Huo Yuhao might have had to go all out.
But with just the Ice Empress, a light distraction from Huo Yuhao was enough—Mu En alone was an insurmountable mountain for her.
Without the Extreme North's environmental boost, the Ice Empress's own cultivation wasn't enough to match Mu En.
Still, she was a true beast. With abundant battle experience, she gradually adapted to the fight and even started counterattacking.
But her struggle was feeble.
Victory would eventually go to Mu En.
Yet Huo Yuhao didn't want to waste more time.
He raised his right arm, forming a claw with his hand. Soul power surged into his palm.
The high-energy fluctuations twisted the air.
From beyond the sky, the silhouette of a mighty Titan loomed.
Then—
"Titan Demonlight Cannon!"
Boom!
The Ice Empress, locked in combat with Mu En, had no strength left to dodge. The attack struck her directly.
Soul power light engulfed her.
"Ice Aunt!!!" Xiaobai screamed, full of worry.
But the mutated Frost Jade Scorpion Martial Soul used Xiaobai's distraction to get close and immediately coiled around him, plunging its dark golden stingers deep into his flesh.
Xiaobai let out a heart-wrenching roar of pain.
When he tried to break free, he found his strength rapidly fading.
He was poisoned!
Not just from contact during battle—the golden liquid he had ingested, after draining his vitality, began to release lethal toxins.
The vitality was merely a sugary coating masking the poison!
Because of Xiaobai's powerful life force and strength, the toxin had taken time to activate.
"No…"
Boom!
Xiaobai collapsed weakly onto the shattered ice.
The other Ice Bears and Ice Jade Scorpions frantically attacked the mutated soul, trying to rescue him.
But it activated its Dark Gold Defense, easily shrugging off the attacks, never letting go of Xiaobai.
As the soul power light engulfing the Ice Empress faded, it revealed her battered form.
Her Ice Emperor armor shattered completely. She was buried beneath the ice, her shell cracked and broken, four of her six legs destroyed.
Her icy-blue blood seeped into the shattered ice below.
"That was... the Titan Snow Demon King's technique. Don't tell me…" the Ice Empress muttered, gazing up at Huo Yuhao's god-like figure, filled with hatred.
"It wasn't me who killed the Titan Snow Demon King. He was just wiser than the rest of you," Huo Yuhao said softly.
"That traitor!" the Ice Empress now hated even the Titan Snow Demon King.
Huo Yuhao didn't say anything more. In his spiritual sea, he asked the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm,
"Brother Tianmeng, do you want to come out and see the Ice Empress one last time? Otherwise, there may be no more chances to see her whole again."
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was silent for a while, then sighed and shook his head.
He and the Ice Empress were truly impossible now. Unless he forced her—but that wasn't the kind of love he wanted.
"Brother Hao, give her a swift end."
A million years of longing, in the end, couldn't compare to a few years of genuine affection.