A Powerful Soul Spirit Fusion

"Ah, there's nothing your brother can do about that either, but I think it'll be fine."

"Mm, then what about you, Brother? This little scorpion is so cute!"

As she spoke, she reached out and stroked the scorpion. At first, the scorpion wanted to resist.

But it only moved from time to time, reminding Na'er not to keep touching it. It wanted to fuse quickly too!

"Right? It's cute, isn't it? Brother thinks so too."

"Then you should fuse first, Brother. Na'er will stand guard beside you!"

As she spoke, Na'er seriously shifted to the side.

After that, he followed the method Old Long had told him and began the fusion process.

The Ice Crystal Green Scorpion's Soul Spirit was slowly absorbed by his Snow Enchantress (Snow Empress) Martial Soul, and the Soul Spirit fusion officially began.

As the Soul Spirit fused with him, the Soul Power within his body surged like turbulent waves. The Soul Power throughout his body churned, as though it were about to charge toward a higher level.

At the same time, he could sense this extraordinary Soul Spirit gradually releasing its icy power and melding with the Snow Enchantress (Snow Empress) Martial Soul.

What he did not know was that, after the fusion was complete, this Soul Spirit entered the Sea of Consciousness and appeared before Old Long and Snow Empress.

"Hmm? Was this old man mistaken?"

"No, you weren't mistaken. But I'm surprised too."

As she spoke, the scorpion saw the two of them and stared back at them.

"Pfft!" Snow Empress suddenly laughed.

At once, the scorpion understood what was going on. She suddenly cried out in anger, her body floating into the air before being enveloped in a mass of bright green light. The light then dispersed as she spoke.

"Snow Empress! What are you laughing at?!"

"Pfft, don't I just think you're even cuter than before? After all, I'd never seen such a cute version of you back then, little Ice Empress~" Snow Empress teased.

That was right. The one she was teasing had once been a Four Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion! (I'm not some Ice Crystal Green Scorpion, hey! I'm Ice Empress!)

Ranked seventh among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts and second among the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.

As she slowly took human form, a pretty and delicate face appeared before the two of them.

There had not been much change from before. Compared with the adult Snow Empress, she had a little less pride, but a little more icy allure and... tsundere charm!

There were four emerald-green demonic markings on each side of her lovely, fair face, while her long dark-green hair draped behind her.

Her skin was as white as ice and snow, with a translucent texture. A faint jade glow flowed beneath it, and she wore a jade-green long dress.

"Hello, Mr. Old Long," Ice Empress said after taking human form.

"Long time no see," Old Long replied.

It was quite a remarkable sight: the mysterious black-and-crimson giant dragon, Old Long; one of the proud emperors of the Far North, Snow Empress; and the other cold and beautiful emperor of the Far North, Ice Empress.

"Wait! Snow Empress, we're not done yet! What's so funny about it? Didn't you become especially tiny too?!"

"Eh~ But when I became small, and when I first met all of you, I was still in human form. And I remember everyone said I was cute, right? Though I don't care about that."

"Y-you say you don't care, yet you remember it so clearly!"

After chatting for a while, things gradually settled down, and it was about time to get serious.

"Ah, I never expected you to come."

"What else could I do? Besides, one more person means one more bit of strength. Isn't that what he said too?"

"Yes. Now that you're here, Ice Empress, this old man and the rest of us will have even greater support."

"Right! Speaking of that, don't you think that little girl is strange?"

"Of course. That child... feels strangely familiar..." Snow Empress replied.

"Do you think it's her?" Ice Empress asked.

"This old man... after all, I'm not from this place. But I've been here for some time now, and I have a feeling it probably is."

"Is that so... Still, she won't affect Yang Jin. Besides, I'm not afraid of her, and Snow Empress, you shouldn't be either." Ice Empress spoke again.

"Of course not, little Ice Empress."

"Besides... I believe those two have met before," Old Long said.

The scene returned to Tang Wu Lin...

Sitting on his bed, he looked at the Soul Spirit in his hand, then at his callus-covered palms. At last, he could no longer hold back the tears as they poured forth.

For three years, he had sweated before the Forging Table. Together with Wu Yang Jin, he had even sought guidance and pushed himself to work harder.

While everyone else was happily enjoying themselves at home or outside, he dealt with piece after piece of metal and spent more time meditating than anyone else.

Following Wu Yang Jin, no matter how bitter or exhausting things became, he had never cried. Every day, he faced everything with a smile and told his parents that it was all easy.

As for Wu Yang Jin, he had been chasing after him, constantly working hard.

His fingers passed easily through the little Grass Snake's body. It seemed to sense something and coiled around Tang Wu Lin's finger.

Tang Wu Lin could see the little Grass Snake's brown eyes. Its gaze was clouded and lifeless, somewhat confused, and seemed to carry a trace of fear.

It was alive too...

If he chose not to fuse with it, then after twenty-four hours, it would disappear forever. So he began the fusion process.

Returning once again to Wu Yang Jin, within the Sea of Consciousness...

"B-but this old man truly never expected you to come," Old Long said.

"Ah, it was like this. Because of the spatial turbulence back then, that person used the divine power he could use to send me here through my connection to this place."

"So you stayed in the form of a Soul Spirit?" Snow Empress asked.

"Yeah. I waited for quite a long time, but for us Soul Beasts, that isn't considered long," Ice Empress replied.

"Ah, you... little Ice Empress, you should have stayed there."

"That place wasn't safe either. Rather, being with all of you and Yang Jin feels more reassuring," Ice Empress said.

"But... Ice Empress, this old man has been thinking. Since you came, your Soul Skills are the same, right?"

"Hmm? Yeah."

"Then this time, you're here as a Soul Spirit rather than a Martial Soul, correct?" Old Long continued.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Then... how will the issue of your Soul Skills be resolved?"

What Old Long meant was that Ice Empress had provided her own Soul Skills, but she was now here as a Soul Spirit.

She was no longer providing them as a Martial Soul like before, when she herself had served as the Martial Soul.

Now, she was the Soul Spirit of the Snow Empress Martial Soul, yet she provided Soul Skills from when she had been a Martial Soul herself. They were separate from Snow Empress, yet could still be used. In other words, one Soul Ring held two skills.

"I see... But on the current continent, it isn't impossible for one Soul Ring to have two Soul Skills, right?" Ice Empress asked.

"That's true. Things have developed quickly nowadays. There are even people who have little Ice Empress as their Martial Soul," Snow Empress said.

"Oh... Wait, really?"

Ice Empress was suddenly surprised. She had never expected that she was no longer quite so rare.

Back then, merely seeing her as a Martial Soul would draw gasps from countless people. She had never expected that such a thing might no longer be so uncommon now.

Although Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Souls were still not as numerous as other Martial Souls, powerful Martial Souls similar to it had also increased.

"Yeah, but that's a good thing. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the Martial Soul and Soul Spirit."

"Then this time, can we still possess Yang Jin?" Ice Empress suddenly asked.

"This old man... to be honest, you can, but it's best not to. You must carefully assess the situation."

"Is that so..."