Snow Empress's Guidance and Gift, the Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus

The Path to Godhood stretched endlessly ahead, but neither Shu Yan nor Snow Empress was impatient. They discussed the matter for a long, long time before finally reaching a complete consensus.

Perhaps because their path ahead had become clear, they gradually began speaking more. Snow Empress also began personally guiding Shu Yan's cultivation. Her cultivation was infinitely close to seven hundred thousand years, and her true form was the Heavenly Snow Woman. If anyone in the world was qualified to teach Shu Yan, it could only be her.

Snow Empress's guidance was indeed immensely useful. Many things that had once been unclear became perfectly lucid after just a few words from her. To receive round-the-clock instruction from someone whose strength rivaled that of a human Limit Douluo—throughout the world, Shu Yan was probably the only one afforded such treatment.

Under Snow Empress's almost nanny-like guidance, during his sixth month in the Extreme North Land, Shu Yan's Soul Power officially reached level forty-five. A thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestor was exceedingly rare across the continent. Even the Black and White Holy Dragons, who had once dominated the continent, likely had not achieved as much as Shu Yan at his age.

After Shu Yan decided to remain in the Extreme North Land and cultivate in peace for a while longer, Snow Empress brought him another incomparably precious gift.

It was a lotus-shaped plant that emitted a faint Ice Blue Light. Its leaves resembled transparent Ice Crystals, with brilliant flowing light inside them. The moment it appeared, the energy of heaven and earth in the surrounding area seemed to grow denser. A faint fragrance filled the air, making one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Shu Yan's pupils contracted slightly before he asked:

"What is this...?"

A faint smile appeared on Snow Empress's cool face. Looking at the pristine Snow Lotus, she spoke softly:

"You felt it as well. This is a Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus, something I obtained by chance. I originally intended to use this Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus as a catalyst to complete the sealing of my own origin. But now that I have abandoned that path, this Snow Lotus has naturally lost its purpose. Giving it to you now can be considered letting it serve its final purpose."

After a brief pause, Snow Empress continued:

"The Snow Lotus is naturally a top-tier plant-type soul beast, yet it is extremely difficult for it to develop intelligence. Even after cultivating to the hundred-thousand-year level, its intelligence remains as weak as that of an ordinary hundred-year soul beast. But precisely because of this, the essence of heaven and earth it possesses is purer and more abundant than that of other soul beasts of the same kind. The energy it contains is even enough to transform a person completely, as if granting them new life. Although I have already absorbed a portion of the essence of heaven and earth and energy within this Snow Lotus, what remains is still enough to give you a transformation and greatly raise your Soul Power Level."

Shu Yan accepted the Snow Lotus from Snow Empress's hand and instantly sensed the extraordinarily vast energy within it. He raised his head, looked at Snow Empress, and said earnestly:

"Thank you. For this kindness, if I have the chance in the future, I will repay it."

Snow Empress merely shook her head lightly before saying:

"Since we have already formed an alliance, there is no need to say such things. As far as I know, even your so-called human companions are not this polite with one another."

Shu Yan smiled silently, then explained softly:

"Human emotions are extremely complicated. They can be utterly pure, or filled with strong ulterior motives. If they are sincere companions, then naturally there is no need to be so polite. But if both sides do not yet fully know and understand each other, then necessary courtesy and restraint are still required."

Snow Empress nodded thoughtfully, seeming to consider the meaning behind Shu Yan's words.

"Are you saying that I do not yet count as a companion you truly acknowledge?"

Snow Empress's voice was unhurried. Although a faint smile still lingered on her face, Shu Yan saw wisps of dark aura seemingly radiating from her body. A bone-chilling sensation rose in his heart. He swallowed and said with difficulty:

"Of course not. That only applies to the usual circumstances between humans. Naturally, you cannot be included in that..."

Only then did the dark aura around Snow Empress slowly dissipate. Shu Yan secretly let out a breath of relief. Snow Empress's oppressive presence was simply too overwhelming.

Snow Empress glanced at Shu Yan, then sat down on an ice chair beside them. Supporting her smooth chin with one hand, a trace of weariness appeared in her beautiful eyes as she spoke somewhat lazily:

"Begin refining and absorbing this Snow Lotus. Do not worry about any accidents. I will seal any excess energy within your origin. You only need to absorb as much of the essence of heaven and earth and origin energy within the Snow Lotus as you can."

Shu Yan nodded in agreement, then sat down cross-legged on the spot. The Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus quietly floated before him. Drawn by his power, the pure essence of heaven and earth and energy within it began to flow out, transforming into streams of intertwined blue and white energy that entered his body. Surprisingly, this energy was exceptionally gentle. Unlike the violent process of absorbing a soul ring, it instead carried a mild, water-like warmth.

Snow Empress gave a soft yawn from the side. Her sky-blue eyes traced Shu Yan's face as memories of every little moment they had shared since meeting flashed through her mind. She let out a quiet laugh, and the corners of her lips curved faintly upward before quickly returning to calm.

Seven days passed in an instant, yet Shu Yan's aura continued to rise. The essence of heaven and earth and energy stored within the Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus were simply too vast. Even though Snow Empress had previously absorbed nearly half its essence of heaven and earth, the remaining half still brought Shu Yan tremendous benefits.

In just seven days, his Soul Power Level rose from forty-five all the way to the point where he was only a single step away from breaking through to Soul King. It had nearly spared him a full year of arduous cultivation. Nourished by the essence of heaven and earth and the Snow Lotus's origin energy, his already formidable physique was elevated by another great margin, while his soul was tempered into something even tougher and stronger.

Yet his greatest gain was not limited to that. The essence of heaven and earth and energy he could not absorb were sealed within his origin by Snow Empress. They would continuously nourish his body over time and further accelerate his cultivation speed. Mere seven days had truly brought Shu Yan a tremendous transformation.

Snow Empress looked at Shu Yan's face, which had become increasingly similar to her own as the Heavenly Snow Woman origin evolved once more, and she could not help falling briefly into a daze.

If her face possessed a noble beauty tinged with cold elegance, then Shu Yan's was more androgynous. His facial lines were gentler than hers, and beneath his handsome features lay a trace of the icy sharpness unique to women. Rather than making him seem awkward, this contrast only heightened his charm. Put another way, Shu Yan's face truly could captivate both men and women...

In the instant Snow Empress was lost in thought, Shu Yan's aura rapidly gathered around him before rippling outward in waves of ice-blue Soul Power. The colors on his original four soul rings—purple, purple, purple, black—gradually peeled away, replaced by a uniform, deep black like ink. With the evolution of his origin, coupled with the relentless cleansing and elevation brought by the Snow Lotus's essence of heaven and earth and origin energy, Shu Yan's first four soul rings had all advanced into black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings at this moment.

Shu Yan slowly opened his eyes. Seven days of refining and absorption had not exhausted him in the slightest. Instead, he felt refreshed and invigorated, his entire body light and comfortable as though he had been reborn.

Snow Empress rubbed her brow and slowly approached from the side, her clear voice following.

"A thirteen-year-old Soul King... Even in your human world, such an achievement is probably unprecedented throughout history..."

Shu Yan gave a bright smile before saying:

"For that, I have to thank you. Without this Snow Lotus, I would not have been spared such arduous cultivation."

Snow Empress smiled lightly, clearly not caring much about it. With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, a crystalline seed slowly rose from the ground and flew into her palm.

"There is no need to be polite. The stronger you become, the greater our chances of success in the future. This can also be considered increasing my own chances of survival..."

Shu Yan gave a helpless laugh. He felt that Snow Empress had developed a strange new quality, one that felt somewhat like... an older sister looking after her younger brother?

As though he had thought of something, Shu Yan's body trembled slightly. He hurriedly shook his head and drove every strange thought from his mind...