Ice Empress, Misunderstanding and Killing Intent

Time rewound to not long ago.

Across the empty ice plains, a streak of green light suddenly shot in from afar. It moved at incredible speed, carrying a terrifying chill, rampaging almost recklessly all the way until it reached the palace. Only then did it slowly descend, transforming into a dainty figure.

That dainty figure was none other than the Ice Empress, who had come to seek comfort from the Snow Empress while troubled and restless.

As everyone knew, the Ice Empress's feelings for the Snow Empress went beyond mere friendship. Naturally, the Snow Empress was well aware of this, but she had always responded to the Ice Empress's advances with silent rejection. No matter how the Ice Empress acted cute or pleaded sweetly, it was of no use.

After entering Snow Empress Palace and finding no sign of the Snow Empress on the throne, the Ice Empress did not think much of it. She simply made her way, familiar with the route, toward one of the side halls. Yet as she rounded a corner, she crashed headlong into a white figure approaching from the other direction.

The Ice Empress had already been distracted. Moreover, given the special nature of this place, she had not used Soul Power to protect herself, and had withdrawn nearly all her strength. Caught off guard, she was knocked two steps back.

Rubbing her smooth forehead, the Ice Empress looked up at Shu Yan and said somewhat aggrievedly,

"Xue'er, you hurt me..."

After her words fell, she received no response for a long while.

The Ice Empress slowly straightened up and looked at the "Snow Empress" before her, who seemed somehow different. There was something strange about this "Snow Empress," though she could not quite put her finger on it.

"Xue'er..."

The Ice Empress lightly sniffed the air, confusion flashing through her eyes. But soon enough, she caught an entirely different, unfamiliar aura from the "Snow Empress" before her—an aura fundamentally distinct from the Snow Empress's...

In the next instant, the Ice Empress's aura changed abruptly. The sweet girl-next-door transformed into something as terrifying as a savage beast. The contrast was almost unimaginable.

"Who are you? This is not Xue'er's aura."

The Ice Empress looked up at the person before her, who resembled the Snow Empress immensely. Dark green Soul Power surged around her as a terrifying low temperature descended. Killing intent filled the air, nearly suffocating Shu Yan.

"Whoever you are, you dare impersonate Xue'er in the Extreme North Land and disguise your aura so perfectly that you nearly fooled even me. Speak! Where exactly is Xue'er? Otherwise, I will make you experience a fate worse than death in extreme cold..."

A crimson killing intent flashed through the Ice Empress's eyes. Her right hand had already transformed into a silver-white scorpion pincer, as though she would strike Shu Yan down the very next second.

Clearly, she had instinctively mistaken Shu Yan for someone with malicious intentions who had disguised himself as the Snow Empress. Coupled with her concern for the Snow Empress's safety, she had not thought things through at all.

Forced back again and again by the Ice Empress's aura, Shu Yan's Heavenly Snow Woman bloodline was in an active state due to its prolonged resonance with the Snow Empress's bloodline. The aura emanating from that bloodline had nearly completely concealed his original human aura. The Ice Empress had not examined him closely—or perhaps, because this was the Snow Empress's residence, she had lowered her guard and actually mistaken him for the Snow Empress.

"Ice Empress, this is a misunderstanding. As for where the Snow Empress is, you can find out in an instant by probing with your Spiritual Power..."

Shu Yan's voice was slightly low as he began to explain. But at that moment, a gentle blue ripple spread through the air. The terrifying aura surrounding the Ice Empress vanished in an instant, accompanied by the Snow Empress's voice.

"Bing'er, do not fool around."

The crisp sound of high heels rang out behind them. The Snow Empress approached gracefully, still carrying the languid air of someone who had just awakened. Looking at the two of them, she frowned slightly, seemingly understanding what had just happened.

The Ice Empress's eyes lit up at once when she saw the Snow Empress. Then, her short legs carried her quickly forward as she prepared to throw herself into the Snow Empress's embrace.

Watching the Ice Empress rush at her, the Snow Empress sighed softly and raised one hand, pressing it against the Ice Empress's forehead to stop her from proceeding.

Blocked by the Snow Empress's hand, the Ice Empress's eyes visibly filled with grievance. Then she said quietly,

"Xue'er, I was wrong..."

The Snow Empress rubbed the Ice Empress's dark green hair. After hesitating for a moment, she removed the hand pressed against the Ice Empress's forehead, allowing the Ice Empress—who had lowered her head while her eyes gleamed with a hint of triumph—to leap into her arms.

"You are still so reckless. This is the Core Circle of the Extreme North Land. Even Di Tian would not dare claim he could defeat me here with absolute certainty. Did you truly think something would happen to me here?"

Rare gentleness entered the Snow Empress's voice. Throughout her long and lonely life, the Ice Empress was her only friend and closest companion. Her feelings for the Ice Empress had even begun to transform from friendship into familial affection, which showed just how important the Ice Empress was to her.

Watching the deeply affectionate scene between the two sisters from the side, Shu Yan sighed helplessly.

Fortunately, the Snow Empress had appeared in time. Otherwise, he likely would not have escaped a thorough beating from the Ice Empress. This little potato might look cold, beautiful, and adorable, but her actual combat strength was nearly comparable to a human Level 98 Super Douluo. In particular, her control over ice was almost even greater than the Snow Empress's. She could be called the number one ice controller in the world.

As if sensing Shu Yan's gaze, the Ice Empress slowly turned her head from within the Snow Empress's embrace. Her eyes shifted back and forth between Shu Yan and the Snow Empress, confusion flashing through them as she asked doubtfully,

"Xue'er, who is he? Why does he look so much like you? Even his aura is so similar. I nearly mistook him for you just now..."

The Snow Empress gently pushed the Ice Empress away, then said softly,

"He is one of my kin. He possesses the Heavenly Snow Woman aura that shares the same origin as mine, so naturally, his appearance resembles mine as well. And with my aura filling this ice palace, it is understandable that you mistook him after the two mixed together."

Surprise flashed through the Ice Empress's eyes, and her regret at being pushed away by the Snow Empress was temporarily forgotten. She circled Shu Yan twice, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe, before muttering to herself,

"He really does look so much like you. Aside from being a little taller than you, Xue'er, and having a somewhat different face, he is practically identical to you everywhere else. It is just... his voice is a little strange. It sounds somewhat like a man's, unlike your voice, Xue'er, which is so pleasant..."

Shu Yan and the Snow Empress exchanged a look, helplessness flashing through both their eyes. Shu Yan cleared his throat, looked at the Ice Empress, and said softly,

"Has it occurred to you that I really am a man?"

The Ice Empress's body stiffened. She turned her head somewhat rigidly, then hurriedly shook it.

"How is that possible? Heavenly Snow Women cannot be male. Xue'er said so herself. If you really are male, then would that mean Xue'er was wrong...?"

The Snow Empress tapped the Ice Empress on the forehead and chuckled softly before saying,

"Yes, Heavenly Snow Women can only be female. But Bing'er, have you considered that the Heavenly Snow Woman bloodline can appear in both men and women...?"

The Ice Empress tilted her head, seemingly pondering the meaning of the Snow Empress's words.

The bloodlines of the Soul Beast Race were almost fixed. It was rare for a Soul Beast to possess two bloodlines. Under normal circumstances, those Soul Beasts that possessed two or even more bloodlines were extremely rare species. The Titan Snow Demon Race was one such example.

But then again, Heavenly Snow Women were pure spirits of heaven and earth, born naturally from the world itself. In the present age, there was only the Snow Empress. Moreover, if a new Heavenly Snow Woman had been born within the Extreme North Land, there was no way she would not have noticed it herself.

The Ice Empress eliminated each possibility one by one. At the very end, an absurd thought flashed through her mind. She took a disbelieving step back, then said,

"He has the Heavenly Snow Woman bloodline, yet he is male. Eliminating every possibility, there is only one explanation..."

"You... you are human..."

Shu Yan merely nodded lightly. He slightly suppressed the Heavenly Snow Woman bloodline within him, allowing his uniquely human aura to slowly become active once more.

The Ice Empress staggered back another two steps in disbelief. Then the expression on her face changed drastically. In the next instant, killing intent even colder and more terrifying than before descended. The Ice Empress stared straight at Shu Yan and said, word by word,

"How could weak and despicable humans possibly possess such a noble bloodline as that of a Heavenly Snow Woman? Human, no matter what filthy means you used to deceive Xue'er and remain in the Core Circle, I will never allow you to continue your evil deeds. For the future peace of the Extreme North Land, you should die..."

With that, the Ice Empress struck decisively. Although she had already sensed that Shu Yan's Soul Power Level was only that of a Soul King, she still used the Ice Empress's Pincer from among her innate soul skills out of caution. Its diamond-like luster shone brilliantly against the surrounding Ice Crystals. Yet before that gorgeous yet deadly ice pincer could advance even half a meter, a jade-like hand seized the Ice Empress's wrist directly.

The Snow Empress rubbed her brow with one hand while holding the Ice Empress's wrist with the other. Then she said with a rather troubled expression,

"Bing'er, you cannot harm him. He is my choice for the future. Your timing is perfect. Perhaps it is time for you to make your own choice as well..."

Earlier, some readers said the protagonist's bloodline should not be on the same level as the Snow Empress's, so let me explain!

The division of Martial Soul quality is actually quite clear. Take the Body Martial Soul, for example. It is divided into bronze-grade second awakening, which can generally achieve Titled Douluo.

Silver-grade second awakening, which can generally break through to Super Douluo.

And finally, gold-grade second awakening, which can break through to Limit Douluo.

But it is not only Body Martial Souls that have strength divisions such as second awakenings. Beast Martial Souls and even other Tool Martial Souls have the same concept. (The Mermaid Race can serve as a specific reference.)

Assuming the Snow Empress possesses a gold-grade Heavenly Snow Woman bloodline, then when the protagonist first awakened his Martial Soul, he had already entered the silver-grade bloodline level. Later, when his Origin Evolution Talent Domain fully awakened, he entered the gold-grade bloodline level.

Honestly, there is not much I can do about it. The author cannot write a system novel or give him other cheat abilities, so I can only give the protagonist a bit of a boost through his talent and bloodline. Otherwise, he would always seem lacking in presence. It really just depends on what each reader can accept...