Arriving at the Altar, the Ice God?

Hearing this, Xue Tianxing's heart skipped a beat—what was the "that thing" the Ice Empress had mentioned?

Could there be other powerful beings in the Land of the Extreme North watching him?

Just as Xue Tianxing was about to ask, the Snow Empress spoke first.

"Bing'er, take a careful look. His Extreme Ice is different from ours."

The Snow Empress reached out and gently placed her hand over Xue Tianxing's wing. She closed her eyes and sensed it for a moment before slowly speaking.

"His ice attribute is purer and more biting than ours. It has already surpassed ordinary Extreme Ice and reached a new realm. It's just... this evolution seems incomplete, like an unripe seed. Its potential is limitless, yet it has not fully erupted."

Xue Tianxing froze.

He knew that his Ice Phoenix Spirit possessed Extreme Ice, but he had never imagined that his ice attribute would actually surpass the Snow Empress and Ice Empress, the two foremost representatives of Extreme Ice!

Then Xue Tianxing suddenly recalled that when he had absorbed the Phoenix Tree Fruit, he had indeed felt a subtle change in the ice-type Soul Power within his body. It had become more condensed and more domineering. At the time, he had thought it was merely the result of his Soul Power increasing. He had never expected that his Martial Soul was evolving toward a higher realm.

"Beyond Extreme Ice?"

Xue Tianxing murmured to himself, his heart filled with shock and wild joy—if his Martial Soul could evolve completely, just how terrifying would his strength become?

Meanwhile, after hearing the Snow Empress's words, the confusion in the Ice Empress's eyes deepened.

"Beyond Extreme Ice... what level is that?"

The Snow Empress shook her head, a trace of solemnity in her gaze.

"I don't know either."

Then the Snow Empress continued.

"Forget it. Let's stop studying it and take him there directly."

Hearing this, the Ice Empress nodded as well. Then, in the way she looked at Xue Tianxing, he actually saw envy.

Seeing the two Ice Empresses turn and head deeper into the Ice Palace, seemingly intending to take him somewhere, Xue Tianxing hurriedly asked.

"Where are you taking me?"

Without even looking back, the Ice Empress answered in an unquestionable tone.

"Just follow us. It will only benefit you, never harm you. With our strength, if we wanted to hurt you, we wouldn't need to go to all this trouble."

The Snow Empress also stopped and glanced back at him, her gaze growing somewhat gentler.

"Bing'er is right. Come with us. It will be of great benefit to your Martial Soul Evolution."

Xue Tianxing thought about it and felt that they made sense. With the Ice and Snow Empresses' nearly seven-hundred-thousand-year and four-hundred-thousand-year cultivation, if they truly wanted to take his life, they only needed to lift a finger. He would not even have a chance to resist. There was indeed no need for such elaborate effort.

So Xue Tianxing suppressed the doubts in his heart and quickly followed them.

The Snow Empress raised her hand, gathering a strand of ice-type Soul Power at her fingertip, then gently pressed it against the floor of the Ice Palace.

With a crack, the ground slowly split apart, revealing a stairway descending below. Glowing ice crystals were embedded in the walls on both sides, illuminating the path ahead.

The Ice and Snow Empresses entered first, with Xue Tianxing close behind.

After descending the stairs for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, the view before them suddenly opened up—a grand hall, older and more magnificent than the Ice Palace above, appeared before his eyes.

The walls of this hall were built from massive blocks of dark ice, carved with countless ancient runes. Faint ice energy flowed between the runes, giving the place an air of mystery and solemnity.

At the center of the hall stood an altar thirty feet tall. It was forged from pure white ice crystal, its surface as smooth as a mirror and reflecting the surrounding light.

At the very center of the altar, something emitted a gentle blue-white glow, drawing all of Xue Tianxing's attention.

He followed the Ice and Snow Empresses toward the altar step by step, his curiosity growing stronger and stronger.

When they reached the foot of the altar, the Ice and Snow Empresses stopped, unprecedented reverence appearing on their faces.

They bowed deeply toward the glowing object at the altar's center. Their posture was incomparably respectful, utterly different from their previous imposing demeanor.

After bowing, the Ice Empress turned and called out to Xue Tianxing.

"Kid, get up on the altar!"

Xue Tianxing did not hesitate and stepped onto the ice crystal altar.

The closer he came to the center of the altar, the more distinct that gentle glow became.

When Xue Tianxing finally approached it, he saw the glowing object's true form—it was a hexagonal ice-blue crystal, roughly the size of a fist. Countless tiny snowflakes seemed to dance within it, releasing ice energy so pure it reached the extreme. Merely approaching it made his Ice Phoenix Spirit emit a delighted resonance.

Xue Tianxing looked doubtfully at the Ice and Snow Empresses below the altar. Their eyes were full of anticipation and reverence, as though they were waiting for something.

Xue Tianxing turned his gaze back to the ice crystal, his heart filled with confusion—what exactly was this ice crystal?

Why were the Ice and Snow Empresses so respectful toward it?

At that moment, the hexagonal ice crystal suddenly erupted with dazzling blue-white radiance, instantly enveloping Xue Tianxing's entire body.

He only felt a powerful suction force surge from the ice crystal, and his consciousness became hazy once more.

When Xue Tianxing steadied his mind again, he found himself in a pure white world. The surroundings were completely empty, with nothing but endless white snow stretching into the distance.

Not far in front of Xue Tianxing stood a man dressed in blue-and-white robes.

The man stood with his back to him, tall and straight, his long silver-white hair draped casually over his shoulders. He radiated an ice aura from the same source as the crystal, yet far more vast, as though he were the ruler of this entire white world.

Xue Tianxing stared at that upright figure, his heart full of unease and confusion. Unable to hold back, he asked.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

Hearing Xue Tianxing's voice, the man slowly turned around.

Xue Tianxing saw his face—swordlike brows, starry eyes, fair skin, and features like meticulously carved ice crystal. He carried a cold aloofness that kept others at a thousand miles' distance. The ice aura surrounding him was vast and majestic, far more awe-inspiring than that of the Ice and Snow Empresses.

"My name is Bing Xuan. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the world called me the Ice God."

The man's voice was as crisp as clashing ice crystals, yet it carried the vicissitudes of countless years.

"I summoned you here because you and I are fated."

"The Ice God?!"

Xue Tianxing felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He instantly froze in place, his eyes widening round.

He had never imagined that he would encounter a legendary god!

The gods of Douluo Continent all resided in the God Realm, so how could a remnant soul of the Ice God remain in the Land of the Extreme North?