Gale Ice Vulture

The Ice and Snow Empresses listened, their faces initially beaming with joy at the approval in the first half of the story. However, upon hearing "sacrifice to a human," both froze, their eyes wide with shock.

They had lived for hundreds of thousands of years and witnessed countless Soul Beasts perish, but they had never heard of a Soul Beast being able to resurrect in the God Realm as a god after sacrificing itself to a human.

After a brief silence, the Ice Empress spoke first, her tone undeniably firm:

"If this is Lord Ice God's arrangement, I, the Ice Empress, have no objections and can sacrifice myself to you at any time. It is my honor to pave the way for Lord Ice God's successor."

To her, the Ice God's will was absolute faith. If it was the Ice God's command, she would willingly sacrifice herself.

The Ice Emperor immediately echoed:

"Me too! As long as we can fulfill Lord Ice God's wish and achieve eternal possibility, what is a sacrifice? It's just... are you really not lying to us? What if you aren't recognized by the Ice God and just want to trick us out of our Soul Rings and Soul Bones?"

She was more cautious than the Ice Empress, as a sacrifice meant completely losing one's current form, leaving no room for error.

Xue Tianxing had long anticipated her concern and calmly stated:

"I completely understand your worry that I might be deceiving you.

How about this: I'll return here when I reach level seventy and formally accept the Ice God's inheritance. At that time, when you witness the inheritance's commencement with your own eyes, you can then decide whether to sacrifice yourselves to me.

This way, you can be completely at ease, without any lingering worries."

This proposal was both thorough and secure. The Ice and Snow Empresses exchanged glances, seeing agreement in each other's eyes.

The Ice Empress nodded, her tone solemn:

"Alright! We'll do as you say.

From now on, we will continue to guard the Ice God Crystal and await your return at level seventy. At that time, we will fulfill Lord Ice God's entrustment and help you complete the inheritance!"

The Ice Emperor also nodded in agreement:

"Exactly! We will wait for you here in the core of the Land of the Extreme North.

We hope you won't let down Lord Ice God's expectations, nor our trust."

Xue Tianxing looked at their determined gazes, thinking that when he reached level seventy and received the inheritance, he would not only gain the Ice God's power but also two top-tier Soul Rings and Soul Bones, undoubtedly leading to a qualitative leap in his strength.

"Don't worry, I will never let down Senior Ice God's entrustment, nor will I disappoint you."

Xue Tianxing made a solemn promise.

Xue Tianxing looked at them, a hint of urgency on his face:

"Can you send me back now? Grandpa Liu and Elder Dugu must be worried sick if they discover I've gone missing."

"Let's go, we'll send you back immediately."

The Ice Empress nodded and raised her hand, preparing to take Xue Tianxing back to Grandpa Liu.

The Ice Emperor, standing beside them, suddenly spoke:

"Wait. I see your Soul Power has already reached level forty, and you're in need of a fourth Soul Ring. Instead of going back and searching for one, why don't I find a suitable one for you directly? It'll save time and effort if you absorb it before we send you back."

Xue Tianxing's eyes lit up. The Ice and Snow Empresses were overlords of the Land of the Extreme North, intimately familiar with the distribution of Soul Beasts there. A Soul Ring they found would undoubtedly be more suitable than their own blind search.

He immediately nodded:

"Then I'll trouble you, Senior Ice Emperor! I'd like a top-tier ice-attribute Soul Beast or one with Extreme Ice, around twenty thousand years old. It would be even more perfect if it had a Phoenix Bloodline."

"You want a Phoenix Bloodline too?"

The Ice Emperor raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with helplessness:

"Do you know how rare Soul Beasts with Phoenix Bloodline are in the Land of the Extreme North? There are probably only a handful of species that even come close."

Just then, the Ice Empress spoke:

"I can think of a suitable one. Let's go to the territory of the Raging Wind Ice Vulture. A while ago, the Gale Ice Vulture King came to me, saying her child had been severely injured by a human Soul Master and wanted my help with treatment. I went to see it; the little one's heart was injured, and it was beyond saving. Its age is around twenty-three thousand years, which fits your requirements perfectly. Furthermore, the Raging Wind Ice Vulture's Ice-Wind Power is extremely pure and can barely be considered related to the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Bird. While not a Phoenix, it's still quite rare."

The Ice Emperor's eyes lit up:

"Good, then let's go there!"

Before the words even fell, the Ice Emperor reached out and grabbed Xue Tianxing's arm. The Ice Empress followed closely behind, and the three of them soared into the sky simultaneously, flying in one direction.

The flight speed of the overlords of the Land of the Extreme North was incredibly fast. Before long, a towering snow mountain appeared before them. The mountain's rocky cliffs were dotted with nests of various sizes, and countless Raging Wind Ice Vultures with wingspans of several meters circled among the nests, emitting sharp cries.

"This is the territory of the Raging Wind Ice Vultures,"

The Ice Empress said softly, then, along with the Ice Emperor, released the pressure befitting the overlords of the Land of the Extreme North.

Instantly, all the Raging Wind Ice Vultures on the snow mountain fell silent, prostrating themselves in their nests, not daring to look up.

From the largest nest at the peak of the snow mountain, a colossal figure soared into the air. It was a Raging Wind Ice Vulture with a wingspan of tens of meters, its feathers a blue-white hue, its beak and talons as sharp as ice crystals, and its body enveloped in a biting wind and snow power.

It flew before the three of them, its form flashing as it transformed into a middle-aged woman wearing a dark blue and black robe, her face filled with reverence and confusion.

"Lord Ice Empress, Lord Ice Emperor, what brings you here?"

The Gale Ice Vulture King asked respectfully, her gaze unconsciously falling on Xue Tianxing, her mind filled with bewilderment – why would these two overlords bring a human child here?

The Ice Empress got straight to the point:

"We're not here for you, but for this child. Your gravely injured cub, it's beyond saving, isn't it? We want it to sacrifice itself to this child and become his Soul Ring."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and pointed at Xue Tianxing.

The Gale Ice Vulture King's body stiffened abruptly, a flicker of pain and rage flashing in its eyes—its child had been injured by humans, and now the Ice Empress wanted it to be sacrificed for another human?

But it knew its own strength—with only 150,000 years of cultivation, it couldn't even withstand a single move from the Ice Emperor, let alone face the unfathomably powerful Ice Empress.

Any further unwillingness had to be suppressed deep within its heart.

It clenched its fists, its voice hoarse:

"Lord Ice Empress, that is my most beloved child... even if it's beyond saving, it deserves to rest in peace. Why must it be sacrificed to a human?"

The Ice Emperor spoke with a chilling tone:

"This is not for you to ask. Furthermore, it is its honor to be sacrificed and become a Soul Ring. Besides, its bloodline and ice attribute are compatible with this child. Rather than dying in vain, it should serve a final purpose. If you disagree, then don't blame us for being impolite."

The Gale Ice Vulture King trembled all over. Seeing the coldness in the Ice Emperor's eyes, it finally lowered its head:

"I... I agree. I only hope you can let it pass peacefully."

"Rest assured,"

The Ice Empress nodded and said:

"We will ensure the sacrifice is completed without pain."

The Gale Ice Vulture King gritted its teeth and turned towards its nest at the peak, flying away:

"Follow me."