When the Evil God Awakens, the Old Ones Return to the World

"Xiao Xue'er, you're awake?"

The figure's entire body suddenly went rigid, as if struck by an immobilization spell. Her foot hung in midair, not daring to touch the ground.

After a moment, she slowly turned around and saw Qian Lingye's face lit up with a brilliant smile.

The girl wore a tattered ice-blue dress, her black hair falling in disarray over her shoulders. A faint layer of frost covered her delicate, peerlessly beautiful face, and her brows and eyes were full of an icy aloofness that kept others a thousand miles away. Her whole bearing warned strangers to keep their distance.

It was none other than the Snow Empress, who had just awakened from her slumber.

Her pitch-black eyes locked onto Qian Lingye. "Who are you?" she asked coldly. "Why can you use my Soul Skills?"

She had felt the two forces of ice and snow that erupted in the room earlier, Ice Empress' Lament and Snow Dance Rainbow Dress, with perfect clarity in the depths of her soul. They came from her own origin core.

Her own power had been wielded at will by the young man before her, leaving her full of wariness and confusion.

Qian Lingye grinned and sauntered forward two steps. "Didn't I already tell you? I'm the one who saved your life. You're the mighty Snow Empress, and this is how you treat your savior?"

"You... you know..."

The girl's pupils contracted sharply. Her delicate face was full of shock, and even the cold air around her grew somewhat turbulent.

She had never imagined that the human youth before her would see through her concealed identity at a glance.

It was her greatest secret, and also her greatest weakness.

She did not have the slightest bit of Soul Power left. If any human Soul Master learned her true identity, it would not be just one or two people coming to seize her. Soul Masters from across the entire continent would probably swarm to her.

Qian Lingye's smile grew even more mischievous, and he raised an eyebrow. "Of course. If I didn't know who you were, I would have picked you up and spanked you already."

His words were frivolous and rude.

The Snow Empress's little face instantly flushed red with anger. Her cheeks puffed out slightly, and she pressed her thin lips together again and again.

She had lived for more than seven hundred thousand years. When had anyone ever teased her so indecently, especially a child who still smelled of his mother's milk?

Anger surged in her heart, but she had lived on the Far North Ice Plains for so long, with only ice and snow Soul Beasts for company year after year, that she had almost no experience dealing with humans. She could not dredge up a single suitable insult. Her chest heaved, and after a long while she managed to squeeze out only one sentence:

"You... how dare you!"

Black light flashed beneath Qian Lingye's feet, and he suddenly teleported, appearing right in front of her in a blur.

The distance between them abruptly closed to less than five centimeters, their breaths almost mingling.

Qian Lingye could almost see the fine down on her face, glowing softly in the moonlight. Yet her skin was so smooth that not a single pore could be seen, like fine jade.

Caught off guard, the Snow Empress instinctively staggered back a step. A flicker of panic passed through her dark eyes as she tensed. "What are you doing?"

"What else?" Qian Lingye folded his arms, a wicked smile on his lips. "You're the little slave I spent fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins to buy. From now on, you have to do everything I say."

The Snow Empress gave a cold snort, her gaze stubborn and her pride undiminished. "In your dreams."

"Oh? Is that so?" Qian Lingye pretended to ponder, wearing a thoughtful look as he continued teasing her in an unhurried voice. "Then I'm afraid you can forget about ever returning to the Far North. I rarely make a deal at a loss. How about I take you back to Spirit City? With your peerless beauty, you should fetch a better price. What do you think of a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins? Or perhaps I could sell you to Spirit Hall? If those Titled Douluo learned who you were, heh heh, I'm afraid they'd be willing to pay even a million Gold Soul Coins."

"You, you, you!!"

The Snow Empress trembled slightly with rage at his words, her pretty face puffed up as her chest rose and fell.

His words had dealt a cruel blow to the pride she had held for seven hundred thousand years, but most of her power was now restrained. She had no means of resisting.

All manner of grievances welled up in her heart, and her eyes grew hot. Crystal tears rolled uncontrollably down her pale cheeks.

The sight of her tears sent Qian Lingye into a panic.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're the Snow Empress who's lived for seven hundred thousand years, after all. How can you just burst into tears like that? I was joking."

The Snow Empress turned her head away, baring her snow-white neck as she refused to look at him. Her long eyelashes were still wet with tears, and her voice was faint, carrying the indifference of a heart turned to dead ashes. "Kill me or carve me up, do as you please."

It was as though she had recognized her present circumstances and calmly accepted her fate as a prisoner.

Qian Lingye looked at her slender, slight back and chuckled inwardly.

She truly was the Snow Empress who had long dwelled on the Far North Ice Plains. Though she had lived for seven hundred thousand years, she had been cut off from the bustle of the human world and rarely had dealings with humans.

She looked proud and powerful on the outside, yet inside she was as innocent as a young girl, unable to withstand such a scare.

He put away his joking expression and spoke more gently, his voice unhurried. "Don't worry, I won't really sell you. If you agree to do one thing for me, I might even send you back to the Far North."

"Really?!"

The Snow Empress whipped her head around, her tear-filled eyes suddenly lighting up. She stared intently at Qian Lingye, unable to suppress her excitement.

Returning to the Far North was her greatest desire at that moment.

"Of course it's true." Qian Lingye nodded gently.

"What is it? As long as I can do it, I'll agree to anything!" the Snow Empress said hurriedly, her voice tinged with eagerness.

Qian Lingye looked straight into her eyes and asked slowly, "Do you know about the Tears of the Sky?"

The instant she heard the name, the excitement vanished from the Snow Empress's face. Deep wariness rose between her brows, and the cold air around her grew colder still. "Why are you asking about that?"

Qian Lingye spread his hands, feigning surprise. "Hey, surely it can't be such a coincidence? Is it a sacred treasure of the Far North that absolutely can't be given to outsiders?"

The Snow Empress nodded solemnly, her expression grave. "It is. You can stop thinking about it. Even if I told you where it was, there's absolutely no way you could obtain it with your strength."

Her words instead roused Qian Lingye's stubborn streak. Now I'm going to get it, no matter what.

He raised his eyes and looked firmly at the Snow Empress. "Just tell me where the Tears of the Sky is, and I promise to let you go. As for how I get it, that's my own affair. Once I reach the ice plains, the Soul Beasts of the Far North can use any means they like to stop me or deal with me. Surely that's fair? All I want is a piece of information. Besides, I'm guessing it's hardly a closely guarded secret in the Far North."

A faintly mocking smile curled the Snow Empress's lips as she looked Qian Lingye up and down. "You?"

"Me."

Qian Lingye straightened his back slightly. The youth's frame was not imposing, but at that moment, unquestionable confidence shone in his eyes.

It was the assured bearing of someone who kept his word and did whatever he said he would.

That look made the Snow Empress pause.

The person before her was plainly just a human youth whose level was in the twenties, yet the presence he revealed in that instant left even her, with all her seven hundred thousand years of experience, momentarily dazed. For some reason, an illusion arose in her heart-

That whatever this person said, he would surely make good on it.

A brief silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by the low sound of the cold night wind sweeping past the walls.

The Snow Empress lowered her eyes and pondered for a long time, her fingertips unconsciously clutching the tattered fabric of her dress. At last, she raised her head and made her decision. "All right. Take me to the Far North, and I'll tell you where the Tears of the Sky is."

Qian Lingye grinned. "It's a deal."

Heh heh, once we reach the Far North, whether you give it to me or not won't be up to you.

Before, Qian Lingye had only been fifty percent confident of obtaining the Tears of the Sky.

But once he learned that the Snow Empress's strength had declined greatly, his confidence rose to eighty percent!

On the Far North Ice Plains, the one he feared most was the Snow Empress. Without her, everything would be easy to handle.

And once he learned all the Snow Empress's Soul Skills and comprehended the Evil God Authority, his confidence would rise to ninety percent!

The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Inside the great hall, Xue Qinghe, Yu Yuanzhen, Ning Fengzhi, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and both Chrysanthemum and Ghost were present. The atmosphere was grave.

Xue Qinghe sat in the seat of honor, clearly the one who had called the gathering.

Emperor Xue Ye's health had never been particularly good.

Ever since Xue Qinghe had been named crown prince, he had handled practically all the affairs of the Heaven Dou Empire, great and small.

Xue Qinghe cleared his throat and said gravely, "Everyone, two mysterious, exceptionally powerful Soul Beasts have been destroying sects and factions at will. The mastermind remains hidden, pulling the strings from afar, and there is no way to track them down. Does anyone have a good solution?"

Yu Yuanzhen snorted coldly, his gaze sharp. "My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is willing to activate the ancient battle technique that safeguards our clan, the Myriad Thunder Evil-Slaying Battle Formation!"

"Powered together with our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's heirloom Thunder Dragon Evil-Suppressing Pearl, it is a lethal thunder formation handed down from ancient times! Tens of thousands of years ago, those using it joined forces to kill a five-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast!"

"It was made to suppress sinister, evil, and uncanny things, as well as strange creatures and beasts! No matter how tough those two monsters' bodies are or how strong their barriers, they cannot withstand the annihilating onslaught of origin lightning! From now on, if those strange beasts show themselves, death will be their only fate!"

The moment he finished, everyone in the hall was startled.

An ancient killing formation capable of slaying a five-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had truly kept its strength well hidden. It was worthy of being one of the Upper Three Sects.

And this time, Yu Yuanzhen had clearly been frightened by the two Soul Beasts, bringing out even his trump card.

A battle formation of that caliber clearly consumed a tremendous amount. Unless shit was about to burst out of his ass, the old fellow clearly would not have been willing to bring it out.

After speaking, Yu Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the others. "What about you? We agreed to fight the enemy together. Surely my clan can't be the only one contributing?"

Golden Crocodile did not even glance at Yu Yuanzhen. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, he asked casually, "What's so troublesome about suppressing those two beasts? I could suppress them with a wave of my hand. The hard part is dragging out the mastermind. Who has a solution for that?"

Golden Crocodile Douluo was clearly mocking Yu Yuanzhen, and he did indeed have the strength to back it up.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was a level ninety-eight Super Douluo, second only to Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu in Spirit Hall. In terms of seniority, he was even older than Qian Daoliu, so naturally he paid little heed to the juniors present.

Yu Yuanzhen snorted coldly and turned his face away.

Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment, then looked at Xue Qinghe. "Your Highness, I have an idea, but I'll need everyone's cooperation."

"Please speak, teacher," Xue Qinghe said.

Ning Fengzhi said, "I will reactivate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's ancient formation, forbidden from being passed down: the Heavenly Evolution Spirit-Locking Grand Formation!"

"This formation is the foremost ancient grand formation for searching souls and locking meridians. In antiquity, it once forcibly sealed a top-tier six-hundred-thousand-year spiritual-type Soul Beast. It can penetrate any concealment!"

"As long as that person dares use even a trace of their spiritual soul to control the strange beasts again, the formation will immediately lock onto their spiritual soul's origin and pinpoint their true body's location! No matter how well they hide, they cannot escape the lock of heaven and earth's great momentum!"

Boom!

Everyone present was shaken to the core!

An unparalleled ancient formation that had sealed a six-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast!

That meant that if the person behind the scenes dared control the strange beasts from afar again, they would be located and killed outright!

"Everyone," Xue Qinghe said, interlacing his fingers as he spoke again, "we have a solution to the Soul Beast problem, but recently I happened to learn of a trend spreading across the continent."

"As far as I know, an organization called the Church of the Old Ones has been very active among the common people. They worship someone called the Evil God and preach salvation."

"By helping the people, they've won over quite a few hearts, and they've already grown quite large."

At those words, Ning Fengzhi's expression changed.

But Yu Yuanzhen paid it no mind. "What disaster doesn't bring out someone claiming to save the world? They're nothing but a bunch of petty scoundrels bewitching people and lining their pockets amid the chaos. They're not worth mentioning. If Your Highness is worried, I'll have someone wipe them out."

Xue Qinghe had brought up the matter intending to ask everyone for help.

Seeing Yu Yuanzhen give him such support, he smiled. "In that case, sorry for the trouble, everyone. It's best to crack down on those who spread lies and mislead the public, lest they cause panic. All right, that will be all for today."

Everyone dispersed.

Ning Fengzhi suddenly walked up to Xue Qinghe.

Seeing his grave expression, Xue Qinghe could not help asking, "What is it, teacher?"

Ning Fengzhi said, "Your Highness, when the old ancestor passed away, he divined the secrets of heaven."

"I know." Xue Qinghe nodded. He had been there that day too, and had seen the vision of the end of the world with his own eyes. It was something that had troubled him these past few days.

But he knew that since Ning Fengzhi had sought him out alone, there had to be more to it.

Sure enough, Ning Fengzhi held out his hand, revealing a small, exquisite tortoise shell resting in his palm.

With unprecedented solemnity, Ning Fengzhi said, "When the old ancestor passed away, he not only divined a vision of heaven's secrets, but also left behind a prophecy. Apart from you and me, there is no third person in the world who knows of it."

Xue Qinghe was astonished. "This... could it be?"

Ning Fengzhi handed the tortoise shell to Xue Qinghe. "You'll understand when you see it, Your Highness. The Church of the Old Ones you mentioned just now is probably not so simple."

Xue Qinghe took the tortoise shell and examined it closely.

It was a divination tortoise shell used throughout the continent. It could only display words produced by divination, and there was absolutely no possibility of forgery.

And this was a divination tortoise shell of the highest grade, one that only a true grandmaster could use.

Xue Qinghe held the tortoise shell in his palm. Two fine lines of small golden characters were engraved on the plates of its back.

[When the Evil God awakens, the Old Ones return to the world.]

Xue Qinghe: "!!"