Is Your Ice as Cold as My Fire?

Lin Xiao's words cut Ice Empress deeply.

Ice Empress, who had been laughing heartily, immediately stilled her pincers and glared viciously at Lin Xiao.

Terrifying killing intent radiated from her deep, dark eyes.

Lin Xiao instinctively retreated several steps as extreme cold rushed into his face. Clearly, Ice Empress was furious.

"Tell whoever is backing you to come out."

"I'd like to see whether you can kill me."

Ice Empress sneered, having already sentenced Lin Xiao to death in her mind. Since you want my Soul Ring, let's see whether you have what it takes.

Ice Empress firmly believed someone was backing Lin Xiao. Otherwise, where would a little level-fifteen fellow get the courage to venture into the Extreme North alone?

And their goal was to turn her into a Soul Ring.

Becoming a god? What a laughable notion.

Do you really think Soul Beasts are that stupid?

Lin Xiao sighed helplessly. "Teacher, you'd better explain. I'm too weak. She won't believe me."

In this world, strength truly reigned supreme. If he had the strength of a Titled Douluo right now, Ice Empress might believe half of what he said about becoming a god.

With a little more persuasion, that would probably rise to ninety percent.

With his current strength, Ice Empress didn't believe a single word.

It was like a beggar saying to a prime minister, "My lord, I can help you become emperor."

Would you believe him?

Ahem, of course, if that beggar were Zhu Yuanzhang, I'd believe him!!

But right now, Ice Empress refused to believe Lin Xiao, no matter what.

"Heh, so someone really is backing you. Humans really are devious!!"

Ice Empress snorted coldly. She wanted to see just how many Titled Douluos were backing this fellow.

Lin Xiao ignored her words. A wisp of white mist emerged from Lin Xiao's Ring, and Old Medicine appeared before them, looking like an immortal sage.

Strong!

So strong.

A hint of retreat immediately stirred in Ice Empress's heart. Even though the person before her was only a Soul Body, his bearing and appearance...

Everything suggested that he held a universe of power within him.

Not to mention the terrifying spiritual pressure radiating from this Soul Body. That pressure seemed beyond anything a Titled Douluo could possess.

Lin Xiao looked at Ice Empress again. "Now, can you listen properly to what I have to say, Ice Empress?"

With Old Medicine present, Lin Xiao felt far more confident. Being a fox borrowing a tiger's might really did feel good.

Ice Empress said nothing. She looked at Lin Xiao, then at Old Medicine. For some reason, she really wanted to hear what they intended to do.

Seeing her tacit acceptance, Lin Xiao continued, "The man beside me is my teacher. You can consider him an existence beyond a Titled Douluo. As for exactly how strong he is, even I don't know."

"With my teacher here, my becoming a god is as certain as a nail driven into a board."

"So I came to find you because I want you to become my Soul Spirit."

Hearing this, Ice Empress snorted disdainfully. "In the end, don't you still want me to become a Soul Ring?"

"Hypocritical humans. Ridiculous!!"

Lin Xiao: ...

Nobody said Ice Empress could snap back like this.

"A Soul Spirit! A Soul Spirit, not a Soul Ring!!!"

Lin Xiao shouted.

"Is there a difference?" Ice Empress snorted coldly.

"A huge difference. If you become a Soul Spirit, you won't die. You'll become a different kind of Soul Body, and once I become a god, I'll rebuild your physical body."

"I'll free you from your Soul Beast body."

"Oh, and you can spend time with my teacher and another senior. That will help your future development too."

"Of course, the most important point is that Soul Beasts can't become gods."

"Even that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm who's always been pining after you has already chosen a human."

Lin Xiao laid out the benefits, keeping it brief and striking straight at the key points.

Ice Empress listened in a daze. "You're saying you have another teacher like him?"

"Soul Beasts can't become gods?"

"That idiot Sky Dream Ice Silkworm has already chosen someone too?"

Ice Empress couldn't quite wrap her head around it and felt rather bewildered instead. If it had only been Lin Xiao speaking, she might not have believed him, but the sage-like old man beside him had raised no objection.

That meant what Lin Xiao said was true.

Ice Empress took a long while to recover, then quickly grasped the crux of the matter.

Just as he had said, she might not survive her four-hundred-thousand-year lightning tribulation. Even if she did, what about the five-hundred-thousand-year one? The six-hundred-thousand-year one?

Even if she survived them all, as he had said, Soul Beasts couldn't become gods.

"You-what can you offer to make me believe you!!!"

Ice Empress gently exhaled a cloud of icy mist. Before it could touch Lin Xiao, it turned into ice crystals and fell to the ground.

A bone white flame appeared in Old Medicine's hand. The flame was immensely powerful, radiating bone-piercing cold.

It was fire, yet unlike fire!

"Little scorpion, is your ice as cold as my fire!!"

Old Medicine spoke softly, and a flame drifted toward Ice Empress.

Before the Bone Spirit Cold Flame even touched her, Ice Empress's entire body began trembling. Even her soul shuddered, seemingly terrified of the flame.

Ice Empress cried out in alarm, "I believe you! I believe you!!!"

Old Medicine smiled faintly, then withdrew the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Ice Empress already had a suspicion that this flame was not of the mortal world. No flame on this continent had ever made her feel afraid.

Yet she didn't even have the courage to face this bone white flame.

She felt as though her extreme ice couldn't compare to even a single hair of its power.

Lin Xiao smiled faintly. She really changed her tune fast.

Still, that was a good thing.

Watching the Bone Spirit Cold Flame being withdrawn, Ice Empress sat straight down on the ground. That had been far too terrifying.

How could such a terrifying flame exist in this world?

"Esteemed... esteemed..." For a moment, Ice Empress had no idea what to call Old Medicine.

"Grandpa."

After thinking it over, Ice Empress finally settled on that.

Lin Xiao burst out laughing.

Ice Empress glared at Lin Xiao. I can't beat this grandpa, but you think I can't deal with you?

"Grandpa, are you... really a god?"

Ice Empress already believed Old Medicine was a god, but she still wanted to hear a definite answer from his own lips.

Old Medicine gently stroked his beard and gave an answer that left Ice Empress somewhat stunned. "I'm not a god."

"I don't know how strong gods are."

Ice Empress: "Huh??"

"Grandpa, is that really true?"

Ice Empress was doubtful, but he had no reason to deceive her. His strength, his power, that terrifying pressure...

No matter how she looked at him, he should have been a god. Although he had no physical body, he should still have been a god...

Ice Empress was beginning to doubt herself. She had already believed it, but now look what had happened-she was confused again.

"It's true. I'm not a god."

"But a god once said that I was stronger than him!"

Old Medicine delivered that incredibly boastful line as casually as could be.

Lin Xiao: "??"

Teacher, you've picked up bad habits from Elder Yi...

Ice Empress: "??"

Were all powerful people this plain and unassuming?

I'm not a god, but a god said I was stronger than him.

Ice Empress stood there dumbfounded. So... so that's what he meant by not being a god.