Have You Heard My Story?

Jiang Zhen slightly calmed his surging blood and qi. Facing the Ice Empress's renewed questioning, he remained composed, cupped his hands in salute, and said:

"Kid Jiang Zhen greets Senior Ice Empress. I came here..."

Before he could finish, the Ice Empress interrupted him, her voice carrying a trace of surprise and barely concealed anticipation:

"Oh? You know me? Have you heard my story?"

Could it be that the great reputation of This Empress, the Northern Extreme Heavenly King, had already spread across the continent?

Jiang Zhen was slightly taken aback. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head. "No."

Before the Ice Empress's expression could darken, he continued frankly, his gaze sincere as it fell upon the mysterious emerald green Magic Mark on her face. "But your face is filled with stories!"

Ice Empress: "..."

This human who refused to play by the rules left her utterly speechless. All the intimidating lines she had prepared were choked back, and for a moment, she did not know how to respond.

After a brief silence, Jiang Zhen took the opportunity to steer the conversation back on track. His expression turned solemn once more. "Senior, I came here because my Martial Soul... is somewhat special."

He raised his hand. In his palm, the auras of Ultimate Water and a trace of the Ultimate Ice he had just acquired emerged at the same time, intertwining into a misty sphere of energy streaked in blue and white, radiating pure and powerful fluctuations.

"My Martial Soul is 'Water,' but it longs to become complete."

"Some time ago, when my cultivation reached a bottleneck, I clearly sensed that only the most extreme 'cold' and 'ice' on the continent could guide it through its next crucial evolution."

"This feeling guided me north, and farther north."

"I crossed the Storm Ice Field, evaded countless dangerous Soul Beasts, and endured nearly a month of travel before finally reaching this core region, where the aura was the most ancient and pure."

"Here, I found an extremely cold place with abnormally abundant energy. With its help, I completed my breakthrough, and my Martial Soul finally absorbed enough power of Extreme Coldness to undergo the transformation you witnessed."

"This junior knows that the Extreme North Core Circle is forbidden land, not a place humans should set foot in."

"This journey was solely to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough. I had absolutely no intention of coveting or offending Senior's territory. If I caused any offense just now, it was merely in self-defense. I hope Senior can forgive me."

As the Ice Empress listened to Jiang Zhen's explanation, the coldness in her emerald green eyes gradually receded, replaced by deep scrutiny.

She could sense that most of this human youth's words were sincere.

Especially the power of Extreme Coldness within his Martial Soul—power that shared her origin yet differed slightly—could not be faked.

A Soul Ancestor who had relied on his own senses and perseverance to cross countless dangers and reach the Core Zone for a breakthrough—such temperament and talent truly moved her... if only slightly.

But the pride of the Northern Extreme Heavenly King would not allow her to show approval so easily. She merely snorted. "Hmph. At least you have some skill and self-awareness. Since you have already broken through, leave quickly. This is not a place for you to remain long."

If it had been an ordinary person, hearing those words would have felt like receiving a pardon, and they would have turned and left at once.

But Jiang Zhen did not move. He looked at the Ice Empress with clear eyes, and his tone suddenly shifted. "Senior's instruction is correct. This junior's breakthrough was entirely due to the opportunity here, and I am deeply grateful."

"As the saying goes, one should repay a peach with a plum. While traveling the continent, this junior happened to learn of an extraordinarily wondrous place. Its marvels may be... of great benefit to you, Senior."

"Oh?"

The Ice Empress's delicate brows rose slightly, and a faint, ambiguous smile curled at her lips, carrying both disdain and curiosity.

"Is there truly a place in the Human World worthy of catching my eye? Do you know that the so-called treasure lands of ordinary people are no different from this endless ice and snow to This Empress?"

"That place is anything but ordinary."

Jiang Zhen's tone was resolute as he openly met the Ice Empress's scrutiny.

"It is a marvel wrought by heaven and earth! At its core, the two most extreme primal powers in the world—ice and fire—converge and collide, yet miraculously coexist, forming the Ice Fire Twin Springs!"

He extended a finger and drew through the air. Ultimate Water and Ultimate Ice Soul Power flowed forth, sketching a simple image in midair.

On one side was blazing crimson magma, on the other a deep, bone-chilling ice-blue Cold Spring. The two were clearly distinct, yet closely intertwined.

"One half of the springs is Ultimate Fire, scorching enough to burn the heavens. The other half is Ultimate Ice, sharing the same origin as your power. Its coldness is pure—perhaps... even greater than the environment here!"

The Ice Empress's previously languid expression vanished in an instant, and a sharp glint flashed through her emerald eyes.

A spring of Ultimate Ice?

And one that might surpass even the Extreme North Core Circle? This utterly overturned everything she knew.

The Extreme North was already the ultimate of ice. Could there truly be a place in this world even colder?

Jiang Zhen gave her no time to think further and continued painting a picture that would stir the heart of any Soul Beast:

"Even more remarkably, around the Ice Fire Twin Springs, nourished for tens of thousands of years by the most extreme yet balanced energies of heaven and earth, countless immortal-grade Herbs have grown—Herbs long extinct in the outside world, and some that no one has ever even heard of!"

He deliberately slowed his speech, making every word irresistible.

"These Immortal Herbs seize the wonders of heaven and earth, and each contains vast, unique energy."

"Some can strengthen one's foundation and nourish one's origin; some can reshape the meridians and cleanse the marrow, remaking one's body; some can even..."

He paused, looking directly into the Ice Empress's slightly constricted pupils, and declared with force, "Some may greatly increase cultivation, temper the body and Soul Power, and resist... the Heavenly Tribulation!"

Those final four words struck the Ice Empress's heart like a Heavy Hammer!

Her petite body trembled almost imperceptibly. At last, clear cracks appeared in the frost-like expression she had worn unchanged for ten thousand years—an expression where overwhelming shock and longing intertwined!

To resist the Heavenly Tribulation!

This was the greatest nightmare and the greatest pursuit of every Soul Beast who had reached her level!

This human Kid actually knew about the Heavenly Tribulation? And he even claimed there were Immortal Herbs capable of resisting it?

He knew I was a Soul Beast, yet he still dared to make this kind of deal with me?

Faced with such an enormous temptation, the Ice Empress's remaining rationality immediately seized upon the most crucial question. Her voice carried a trace of urgency that even she had not noticed: "How could such a heaven-defying Blessed Land be without an owner? And how could it possibly allow you and me to know of it?" If such a miraculous place had an owner, just how terrifying would that owner be? If it had no owner, why had it remained undiscovered until now?

"Senior, your insight is admirable."

Jiang Zhen nodded solemnly, thinking, She took the bait, while maintaining an honest and serious expression. "A Blessed Land like this naturally has a guardian. One of humanity's foremost Strong persons, bearing the title 'Poison,' has occupied it for quite some time with his unfathomable Poison Skill."

"His Poison Mist spreads over an enormous area. It corrodes Soul Power and erodes the flesh, making it exceedingly troublesome. With my strength alone, I truly cannot ensure that I can safely pass through the Poison Mist and approach the spring to gather the Immortal Herbs."

He appropriately displayed a sense of regret at being unable to do more, but then he looked at the Ice Empress. His eyes shone as though he had found the solution, and his tone became impassioned and enticing: "But! With your heaven-reaching cultivation, Senior, and your absolute command over Ultimate Ice, you are precisely the nemesis of that Poison Skill! Your frigid power is enough to Freeze Poison Mist stretching for thousands of miles, preventing it from coming anywhere near you!"

"If Senior is willing to aid me and travel with me, the two of us can join forces. With your supreme ice power restraining his Poison Mist, we will surely break through the obstacles, suppress that Poison Douluo, and drive him away from that treasure land!"

At the same time, he continued flattering her: "When that time comes, that Ultimate Ice Spring may belong entirely to Senior. As for the Immortal Herbs around the spring, Senior may naturally choose first and take whatever will be most beneficial for resisting the might of the Heavenly Tribulation and improving your cultivation!"

"This junior merely asks that afterward, Senior permit me to take a few Immortal Herbs suitable for myself. I have absolutely no greedy intentions!"

The Ice Empress fell silent.

Her Emerald eyes stared fixedly at Jiang Zhen, as though she wanted to see through him and uncover even the slightest trace of deception.

Yet her heart began to race uncontrollably.