Sacrifice

But this was no ordinary Ice Snow Empress Martial Soul. It was a Martial Soul formed from the divided power of a Seven-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

The bone-chilling cold that had eroded Lin Yu for an entire day and night was absorbed completely with a single light breath from the Heavenly Snow Woman.

From then on, the frigid cold of the Extreme North was shut out.

Lin Yu no longer felt cold. His stiff body regained its vitality, and he gulped in air, finally looking like a living person rather than a corpse.

But before he could celebrate his survival, he felt his life force beginning to drain away.

It all flowed into Snow Empress, who lay in the pool of blood.

Snow Empress's injuries began to recover, while Lin Yu grew weaker and weaker.

By the time Snow Empress could stand on her own, Lin Yu was swaying from side to side, nearly collapsing.

Snow Empress supported Lin Yu instead. Her delicate brows were tightly furrowed, and her icy, stunning face was full of worry.

"To think that the person capable of forming this kind of Life Sharing Contract with me is truly only a Rank 1 Soul Master."

"My injuries are too severe. They are still healing, and they will continuously draw upon your life force."

"If you do not reach Rank 10 within ten days, I will drain all your life force, and you will die on the spot."

This was by no means good news for Snow Empress. Once Lin Yu's life force was exhausted, she would fall back into a critically injured, dying state.

A Rank 1 Soul Master like Lin Yu could not contribute much to her recovery at all. At most, he could merely keep her from dying.

"The most urgent matter is for you to raise your Soul Power to Rank 10 as soon as possible, kill a Soul Beast to obtain your first Soul Ring, and strengthen your own life force."

But she quickly gave a bitter smile. "But can a Rank 1 Soul Master like you really reach Rank 10 within ten days?"

When the Ice Snow Empress Martial Soul appeared in Lin Yu's hand, his Soul Power had only been Rank 1.

Although it was an unparalleled Ultimate Ice Martial Soul, reaching Rank 10 within ten days was still sheer fantasy.

The worry on Snow Empress's face deepened.

Lin Yu was equally worried. After forming the contract, he had learned of both their circumstances.

But how could he give up so easily?

"We still have ten days. We absolutely cannot give up. This is our shared hope of survival."

Lin Yu was not someone willing to surrender. He immediately sat down and began cultivating his Soul Power.

The Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul appeared in his left hand, while the Starry Express Martial Soul appeared in his right.

The two Martial Souls began revolving around him.

The first day passed, and Lin Yu's Soul Power rose, breaking through to Rank 2.

The second day passed, and Lin Yu's Soul Power rose again, suddenly reaching Rank 3.

The third day passed, and Lin Yu's Soul Power rose again, suddenly reaching Rank 4.

Perhaps it was the threat of life and death, perhaps it was the talent of Twin Martial Souls, but Lin Yu's Soul Power soared steadily. By the eighth day, he had reached Rank 8.

But before Snow Empress could breathe a sigh of relief, she discovered that Lin Yu had stopped cultivating. He frowned. "No. My Soul Power was able to rise so quickly because, after forming a contract with you, my Starry Express Martial Soul complemented my Ice Snow Empress Martial Soul and naturally accelerated my growth."

"Rank 8 is already the limit. There is no way I can break through the remaining two ranks in just a few days."

Snow Empress furrowed her delicate brows and began to think. "The difference between Rank 8 and Rank 10 Soul Power is not great. Perhaps you can try absorbing a Soul Beast's Soul Ring."

That was indeed an option. On Douluo Continent, absorbing a Soul Ring at Rank 10 was the customary and safer method.

That was because upon generally reaching Rank 10, one's Spiritual Power was more stable and could withstand the Soul Beast's backlash within the Soul Ring.

But if one was born with powerful Spiritual Power, absorbing a Soul Ring one or two ranks early was not much of a problem.

Or he could choose a weak Ten-Year Spirit Ring.

Lin Yu considered it. "But if it is only a weak Ten-Year Spirit Ring, even if it can temporarily strengthen my life force, the effect will be very limited."

"After we get past this hurdle, we will only have a short time left to live."

"Rather than that, it would be better to take a bigger risk and let me absorb a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring. Only by thoroughly transforming my physical constitution can we hold on longer."

Snow Empress had not expected Lin Yu to say something so risky.

His Soul Power had not even reached Rank 10, yet he wanted to forcibly absorb a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring. There was a high chance that he would die on the spot.

She hesitated. It was not that she worried about Lin Yu, but about herself. She had finally managed to survive, only to face the threat of death once more.

Lin Yu persuaded her, "I know you have your concerns, but we have no other options. If we do not gamble now, we will face the same problem again later."

"After Rank 10 comes the major hurdle of Rank 20. By then, I will no longer be able to raise my Soul Power as quickly as I can now."

"If we want more time, we must absorb a stronger Soul Ring."

Snow Empress was finally persuaded by Lin Yu. She smiled brilliantly. "Just now, I thought you were a madman. But now it seems that you truly are one. Your Soul Power has not even reached Rank 10, yet you rashly want to absorb a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring. If that does not make you a madman, what does?"

Yet because of this, Snow Empress thought more highly of Lin Yu. It was precisely because madmen did not fear death that they could seize a sliver of life in the end.

Just like earlier, she and that Rank 9 Soul Engineer had fought fiercely, but who would have thought that Lin Yu, this madman, would benefit in the end?

And this Lin Yu was only a Rank 1 Soul Master.

Lin Yu heard the praise in Snow Empress's tone, but he knew his own situation. If he had not been driven into a corner, how could he have risked everything to create a chance at survival?

"Then we will do as you say. I will find you a Thousand Year Spirit Beast right away."

Snow Empress floated into the air, snow and ice swirling around her. Though she was the noble Ice Queen of the Extreme North Plains, her Maiden-like form, newly transformed into human shape, made her appear even more delicate at that moment.

She was like a little princess untouched by the ways of the world.

Her voice was tender and frail as well, as delicate as a snow lotus amid ice and snow.

But her delicate appearance could not conceal her identity as the foremost overlord of the Extreme North Plains.

When Snow Empress revealed her majesty, the wind and snow around them began to churn restlessly. Though she did not use a shred of power, an invisible force spread outward, like an imperial decree proclaimed to the world.

Before long, the Extreme North Plains began to tremble. A group of Thousand Year Spirit Beasts arrived with the overwhelming momentum of a great army.

They were actually a group of Ice Jade Scorpions.

These Ice Jade Scorpions were enormous, each as large as a house, and every one of them was savage and violent.

When their tiny eyes fixed on Lin Yu, they immediately radiated vicious killing intent, as if they wanted to pounce on him and tear him apart.

"Insolence!" Snow Empress gave a light rebuke, and imperial majesty burst forth.

The Ice Jade Scorpions immediately trembled, shrinking back in fear and daring not to move again.

But Lin Yu did not consider these Thousand Year Spirit Beasts weak. Every one of them radiated an incomparably terrifying aura. Any single one could easily kill him.

Had Snow Empress not summoned them, then with the strength he had possessed in the dungeon, no different from those cannon fodder Soul Masters, he would never have been able to personally kill such a Soul Beast in his entire life.

But now, under Snow Empress's command, one of the Thousand Year Spirit Beasts was willing to sacrifice its life and offer up its Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.