Beginning the Con

Ice Empress was deeply shocked, but she did not panic. Her two crystalline yellow eyes, like gemstones, flashed with fierce light. Her tail hook swung, and the emerald-green tail behind her shone brilliantly. White and green lights flashed in turn as one overwhelmingly powerful soul skill after another erupted at full force, with no restraint left whatsoever.

Ice Empress panted lightly and snarled, "Tian Meng, you useless waste. You dare use your Spiritual Power like this? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to return to your original body? Besides, no matter how much you squeeze your own potential, it won't change the fact that you're trash. How long can you trap me? One second, or two?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed at Ice Empress's disdainful expression. "Trash it is, then. As for the time, I don't need much. One or two seconds will be enough."

At that moment, a faint white film silently skimmed along the ground. Even someone as powerful as Ice Empress failed to notice the layer of light sliding over the snow.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Shed Skin fell away, and the hidden Wu Xuan suddenly shuddered. This extreme cold was truly not something an ordinary person could endure.

The next instant, this mighty soul beast that had dominated the Extreme North for hundreds of thousands of years truly felt fear. Even her desperate struggles proved utterly futile.

The sensation of restraint was growing stronger at an astonishing rate, crushing her body until it let out grating creaks that set one's teeth on edge. No matter how she struggled, the binding force continued to increase. Even she could not resist it.

Her raised front pincers were gradually forced down, and her upturned tail hook was pressed tightly against her body. Ice Empress, one of the three great kings of the Extreme North, had actually been bound so completely.

"No, that's impossible! Tian Meng, how can trash like you possibly bind me? What skill is this? Why can't even my power break free?" Ice Empress roared furiously.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm looked at the enraged Ice Empress with some smugness. "Ice Empress, stop struggling. You've already tried several times. You should know it's useless. Hahaha!!"

"Enough! Stop showing off. It's time to get down to business." Shivering, Wu Xuan crawled out of the snow and transmitted his words with Spiritual Power.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded heavily. Then he raised his right hand and pointed at Ice Empress. Amid flashing golden light, Ice Empress's body vanished into thin air.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed toward the sky. "I never expected that after losing my body, I would instead be able to use this vast Spiritual Power. Unfortunately, this is my only chance."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ice Empress had already been taken by Sky Dream Ice Silkworm into Wu Xuan's Sea of Consciousness.

"Little Wu Xuan, that commotion just now was huge. It might attract other powerful beings, and then all our efforts will have been wasted. I'll guide you. Run with everything you have."

"Alright!" As soon as he spoke, Wu Xuan's second purple soul ring lit up. A light wind wrapped around him, and Wu Xuan shot at full speed toward the outskirts of the Extreme North like a sharp sword.

The outer region of the Frozen Forest!

"Little Wu Xuan, here should do. I just checked. It's fairly quiet within a thousand li, and there aren't any soul beasts nearby," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said.

"Alright! Then let Ice Empress out. Let's have a proper talk with her." Hearing this, Wu Xuan stopped his mad dash and collapsed onto the snow.

Under Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's guidance, a ball of golden light emerged from between Wu Xuan's brows and slowly floated into the air. At first, it was merely a golden Light Spot. Gradually, the Light Spot expanded, becoming a disk of light roughly one meter across in the blink of an eye.

From within the disk, Ice Empress said coldly, "Hmph, Tian Meng, don't think this shell of yours can leave me helpless. Once I break free, I'll kill you, then devour you completely and restore my origin!"

"Hm?"

"A human?" Ice Empress's pupils suddenly contracted, followed by unparalleled fury.

"Tian Meng, you dog! Not only are you useless, you actually dared collude with humans! You traitor to the Extreme North!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Spiritual Power gathered again, and he said indignantly, "Icey! I did this for your own good!"

"For my own good?" Ice Empress sneered and gritted her teeth. "You colluded with humans and harmed your fellow beings of the Extreme North, yet you still have the nerve to say it was for my good?"

"I..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was left speechless, unable to find any reason to refute her.

Seeing this, Wu Xuan waved a hand, signaling Tian Meng to step back. With his meager skills, what could he possibly use to argue with someone else?

"What? What did you say? Great Ice Empress of the Extreme North! You said you and Tian Meng are fellow beings? Then when you chased him all across the Extreme North trying to kill him, why didn't I see you treating him like a fellow being?" Wu Xuan exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Ice Empress fell silent at his words, seemingly unable to refute him. She merely glared at Wu Xuan with cold, furious eyes.

"Enough! Don't look at me like that. Tian Meng and I came specifically to find you, not to argue. Ice Empress, let me introduce myself first. My name is Wu Xuan, and Tian Meng and I are indeed partners. We came this time hoping that you would join us as well," Wu Xuan said solemnly.

"Join? Join what?" Ice Empress asked coldly.

"Mm! Join us and become my soul ring." Wu Xuan said shamelessly.

"Hmph! Wishful thinking. So that's why trash like Tian Meng dared appear before me! You had this idea all along. If you want my soul ring, then come and take it! I'd like to see what method a mere Soul Elder like you can use to break through my defenses." Ice Empress sneered.

"Ice Empress! I know you're in a hurry, but don't be hasty just yet! First, listen carefully to the plan Tian Meng and I have. Once you understand the pros and cons, it won't be too late to get angry," Wu Xuan advised.

Ice Empress laughed. She had been angered into laughter. "Pros and cons? Stop joking. You want to kill me for my soul ring. Could that possibly benefit me?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hurried forward with a placating smile. "Oh, Icey, don't reject it so quickly. Let me tell you, becoming a soul ring has tons of benefits."

Ice Empress said frostily, "If it's so good, why don't you become one?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wore an innocent expression. "I already am one..."

"What?!!"

Ice Empress cried out, "You... You mean trash like you has already become this human's soul ring? How is that possible? Though you're useless, you've still lived long enough. How could this human's fragile body possibly withstand such enormous energy from you?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm smiled bitterly. "Don't even mention it. When it comes to my tragic experiences, it all traces back to you. If you hadn't relentlessly pursued me back then, insisting on devouring me, would I have run around like a headless fly? If I hadn't run around, would I have suffered those hardships?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm recounted the experiences of his past Hundred Thousand Years in what he believed was his most miserable voice. Wu Xuan had already heard it once before, but as Sky Dream Ice Silkworm told it to Ice Empress, his tone was as sorrowful as could be, and he made his own plight sound several times more miserable.

Ice Empress merely listened quietly from the side without showing any reaction.