Decision: The Human Powerhouses Who Infiltrated the Core Circle

Decision: The Human Powerhouses Who Infiltrated the Core Circle

Perhaps noticing that something was off with Shu Yan, Snow Empress curled her lips in a soft laugh, but did not think much of it.

He was only a thirteen-year-old boy. No matter how mature his mind was, he was merely a somewhat clever child in her eyes. Over the course of their time together, her feelings toward Shu Yan had undergone a subtle and strange change. If she had previously regarded him as kin and a companion only because of the pull of the bloodline within her and their shared pursuit of godhood, then their bond had now risen slightly beyond that level.

A child had reached the age of first love. Could she, as his older sister—self-appointed, of course—really blame him for it...

Ahem, she had nearly gone off topic...

Back to the point. Ever since hearing Shu Yan's words that day, Snow Empress and Ice Empress had seriously considered their meaning.

Shu Yan was human. That was something that would not change even if the world ended. During his half year in the Extreme North Land, Snow Empress had clearly sensed the changes in him. Humans were social creatures, and Shu Yan had attachments in the human world besides. Though the Extreme North Land was the most suitable place for his cultivation, anyone with eyes could see that if they kept him trapped here forever, the outcome would likely not be good.

Snow Empress and Ice Empress discussed the matter and ultimately made a decision.

Since Shu Yan could not remain in the Extreme North Land for long, why could they not follow him to the human world and take a look around?

This was the conclusion the two reached after careful deliberation. Though they had gained a rough understanding from Shu Yan of the current distribution of powers in the human world and the state of its top powerhouses, as they had said, soul beasts and humans were ultimately two entirely different species. Entering the human world was just as dangerous for them as entering the soul beast world was for humans, and the risks they faced were immense. Yet after considering everything, they still chose to accompany Shu Yan on this journey.

First, they had confidence in their own strength. Snow Empress was still more or less at her peak. Even without the reinforcement of the Extreme North Land's natural power, she still possessed the cultivation of a Limit Douluo. Although Ice Empress could not be considered a Limit Douluo, she was at least equivalent to a human Level 98 Super Douluo.

Both possessed Extreme Attributes, and they had known and accompanied each other for hundreds of thousands of years. Their battle coordination was flawless; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's intentions. It was no exaggeration to say that with a combination like theirs, they could slaughter their way through most of the continent's top factions. Even when facing those super factions, anyone wishing to make a move against them would have to carefully weigh the consequences and the repercussions that might follow.

The second reason was simple: they also wanted to see just how prosperous and fascinating this so-called human world truly was. Having stayed in the Extreme North Land for so long, their curiosity about the outside world had never ceased. They simply had never found a suitable opportunity before.

After the two sisters discussed it, they quickly settled all the arrangements.

Ice Empress returned to her clan first to handle some matters, which would take several days. Snow Empress then directly explained her and Ice Empress's plans to Shu Yan.

When Shu Yan first received the news, he was stunned for quite some time. But once he came back to himself, he accepted it naturally.

Though he did not know what Snow Empress and Ice Empress were truly thinking, this outcome was at least good for him. With Snow Empress and Ice Empress protecting him in the Extreme North Land, he could indeed live without worry, but he still preferred returning to the human world. That was simply human nature. At the very least, Shu Yan did not think he was someone unsuited to living among others.

Ice Empress appeared again seven days later. Whatever she had gone off to handle, she looked somewhat weary. Snow Empress was curious about her condition and immediately asked, "Bing'er, did something major happen? Why do you seem so off...?"

Ice Empress let out a soft sigh and limply leaned into Snow Empress's embrace. Only after smelling Snow Empress's fragrance did her expression gradually recover somewhat. Then, she slowly explained what had happened.

"It wasn't anything too major. I returned to the clan intending to arrange a few minor matters, but not long after I got back, while patrolling the territory, I sensed the aura of humans near the side bordering the Ice Sea."

"After getting closer, I discovered that none of them were weak. Even the weakest had the cultivation of a Soul Douluo, while the leader's cultivation was nearly that of a human Super Douluo. They had actually infiltrated the Core Circle right under our noses. Judging from the camp they left behind and the traces of their daily life, they had likely been stationed nearby for quite some time. Yet not a single soul beast had noticed anything unusual..."

Ice Empress paused there before continuing.

"I realized they were plotting something significant, so I led my clansmen to surround them under cover of night. Once those people noticed something was wrong, they resisted desperately. In the end, they even used an extremely powerful weapon. This Empress was careless for a moment, and several clansmen were grievously wounded and died because of it..."

A trace of guilt appeared in Ice Empress's eyes. At first, those humans' cultivation had simply been beneath her notice, so she had let her guard down. As a result, before one of them died, he somehow activated an unknown method that triggered a series of massive explosions. By the time she came to her senses, it was already too late. The clansmen who had accompanied her were dead and injured in great numbers. In her fury, Ice Empress covered a hundred li with the Eternal Frost Domain and ultimately tortured the remaining people to death.

Ice Empress's words also caused Snow Empress to fall into deep thought.

Because of Shu Yan's arrival, she truly had not kept abreast of the situation within the Core Circle for a long time. The Core Circle of the Extreme North Land was not small. It was even larger than some of the larger Soul Hunting Forests outside. Yet like the Great Ferocious Land of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Core Circle of the Extreme North Land had always been a forbidden zone for humans. Leaving aside evading the constant detection of powerful soul beasts outside, simply resisting the cold here was already an exceptionally difficult task.

And now, humans had actually dared to establish a camp within the Core Circle, and they even seemed to be plotting something major. Snow Empress did not know what she had thought of, but her face suddenly darkened.

If Shu Yan had not appeared, she should have been close to completing the sealing of her own origin with the essence of heaven and earth contained in that Hundred Thousand Year Snow Lotus, thereby transforming into a human. At that time, she would have been at her weakest. Let alone a human whose strength was close to that of a Super Douluo, even an ordinary human Soul Sage could likely have easily killed her.

The more Snow Empress thought about it, the more terrified she became. Her hand clenched the edge of the Ice Couch, and with a sudden exertion of force, she directly crushed it into a pile of ice fragments.

As Shu Yan listened to their conversation, the vague memories in his mind began to surge. If he remembered correctly, in the original work, Snow Empress had encountered a human who had ventured deep into the Core Circle of the Extreme North Land while she was transforming. That was how she had been sealed by that person using the Level Nine Soul Tool, the God Sealing Platform, and subsequently taken away from the Extreme North Land.

Now that he thought about it, the changes and deviations caused by his appearance had already begun to show. What the future held was now veiled in a dense fog, making it impossible to see the outcome...

Just as Shu Yan was lost in thought, Ice Empress suddenly came to his side. Seeing that he still had not reacted, she skillfully reached out and viciously pinched the soft flesh at his waist. Shu Yan frowned slightly and instantly came back to himself.

"What is it?"

Shu Yan asked softly as he gently brushed away Ice Empress's small hand, which was still exerting force.

Ice Empress gave a light snort. Then, with a turn of her wrist, several Storage Soul Tools of varying shapes abruptly appeared in her hand. Judging from the lingering bloody aura on them, these were likely the belongings left behind by the soul masters Ice Empress had tortured to death.

"These are all Storage Soul Tools left behind by those bastards after they died. The things inside are a complete mess, and This Empress cannot make sense of them, so I'll just give them to you. They might come in handy someday."

Shu Yan smiled faintly and took the Storage Soul Tools from Ice Empress. His Spiritual Power entered them, and in the next instant, his pupils abruptly contracted, as though he had seen something terrifying...