"I don't believe you!"
Snow Empress's proud self-respect wouldn't let her accept such mockery.
"Emperor Palm: Great Cold No Snow! Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless!"
Snow Empress unleashed her Three Ultimates in a relentless barrage, and the entire secret chamber seemed to turn into a frozen hell.
Yet the result was the same.
Every time an attack was about to hit, time would make a strange leap.
From her perspective, you were like a ghost, appearing first to the left, then to the right. Sometimes, after she struck, she would inexplicably find herself back where she had started.
For the better part of an incense stick, Snow Empress couldn't even touch the hem of your clothes.
At last, she came to her senses, the fury that had clouded her mind giving way to a nagging feeling that something was wrong.
This human, who possessed only the cultivation of a Soul Saint, wielded some kind of power that transcended the rules!
"Human, your abilities are indeed strange."
Snow Empress stopped attacking, and a trace of desperate madness flickered in her eyes.
"Since I can't kill you, then we'll die together! I will never again become a plaything of humanity!"
Boom—!
The source power inside her began to run wild. Brilliant ice-blue light burst from her body. She was going to detonate her source!
The self-destruction of a seven-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast would be enough to level the entire Body Sect!
"You want to blow yourself up? Did I give you permission?"
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of your mouth.
King Crimson activated again!
Time was forcibly erased.
In that frozen crimson world, you strolled over to Snow Empress.
Looking at her stunning face, twisted slightly with rage, you reached out and lightly touched her forehead with a fingertip, cutting off the flow of the frenzied energy inside her.
Once you were done, you turned around, went back to your original spot, and snapped your fingers.
Time resumed.
Snow Empress's aura, which had swelled to its limit, deflated like a punctured balloon and vanished without a trace.
Her self-destruction... had been interrupted?!
"You... What did you do?!"
At that moment, Snow Empress finally panicked.
For the first time, an emotion called fear appeared in her ice-blue eyes.
She couldn't even die? Was this human a man or a ghost?!
"Now, can you calm down and talk?"
You put your hands in your pockets and looked down at her. Your tone was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
Snow Empress gritted her teeth and stared at you, her chest heaving.
After a long while, the red light in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep wariness.
"If you're going to kill me, then do it. I have nothing to discuss with you humans."
Though she spoke stubbornly, she had already reined in her aura.
She understood that in front of this man with his strange abilities, she didn't even have the right to choose death.
"Snow Empress, there's no need to be so angry."
You pulled over a chair and sat down, looking relaxed, as if you were chatting with an old friend.
"Honestly, we're not enemies. My teacher and I traveled thousands of miles and risked our lives to rescue you from that hellhole, Mingde Hall. If we'd wanted to hurt you, do you think you'd still be alive?"
Snow Empress gave a cold snort and turned her head away.
Though she didn't want to admit it, this human was telling the truth.
More importantly, she was out of options.
Her vaunted Snow Empress Three Ultimates couldn't hit you, and even her last resort, self-destruction, had been forcibly interrupted. Right now, she was nothing more than meat on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.
"What do you want?"
Snow Empress stared at you, a hint of helplessness in her voice.
Since she couldn't even die, she might as well hear what tricks this human was planning.
"My goal is simple."
You let your smile fade, your gaze growing deep and distant, as if it could pierce the roof and reach the unattainable Divine Realm.
"To become a god."
The two words rang out with conviction!
You lied without batting an eye, your gaze even filled with piety.
"To be honest, I've already received the inheritance of the God of Time."
"You've seen what my Martial Soul can do. Controlling time, foreseeing the future—these are divine powers."
"And the Seventh Trial that the venerable God has given me is to find a Soul Beast overlord with a cultivation base of over five hundred thousand years, form a pact with her, and prove the divine path together!"
"G-God's trial?!"
As soon as you finished speaking, two gasps rang out in the secret chamber.
Du Busi's eyes bulged, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
"Disciple... Are you serious? You have a Godhood Inheritance?!"
No wonder! No wonder this kid's Martial Soul was so heaven-defying! No wonder his cultivation had advanced like a rocket! No wonder he could see the future!
So a deity had been standing behind all of this!
Du Busi trembled with excitement. The Body Sect was about to produce a god!
Snow Empress was just as stunned.
She eyed you suspiciously, trying to find some sign of a lie on your face.
But your frank gaze, along with the unfathomable way you had manipulated time, made it hard for her not to believe you.
What else could explain a power that transcended the rules, if not a divine gift?
"God of Time..." Snow Empress murmured. The resolve to die that had once been so firm wavered for the first time.
For Soul Beasts, becoming a god was their deepest desire, etched into their very bones—and their only way to escape the fate of heavenly tribulations!
"I know what you're worried about."
You seemed to see right through Snow Empress's thoughts, your voice turning low.
"The Divine Realm is prejudiced against Soul Beasts. Even a million years of cultivation isn't enough to become a god. It's a rule, and a curse."
"But I'm different."
You stood up and looked Snow Empress in the eyes, your gaze burning brightly.
"I'm human. I have the right to become a god. As long as you sacrifice yourself and become my Wisdom Soul Ring, helping me complete the divine trial, then the day I ascend to the Divine Realm will be the day you're revived!"
"I can even use divine authority to reshape your godly body, free you from the shackles of being a Soul Beast, and grant you true immortality!"
That promise was too grand, too perfect, too tempting!
Snow Empress fell silent.
Light flickered in her ice-blue eyes. Clearly, she was locked in a fierce inner struggle.
Seeing that she was nearly convinced, you decided to fan the flames a little more.
"Snow Empress, face reality."
You pointed at her now-translucent body, your tone turning cold.
"You're nothing but a spirit now. Without your body to sustain you, your power is draining away every moment."
"Even if I magnanimously let you return to the Far North, how long could you last? A year? Two?"
"Right now, you're a walking piece of Tang Monk's flesh. If another Titled Douluo finds you, your fate will be even worse than it is now—you'll lose your mind and become nothing but a Soul Ring and Spirit Bone."
Every word was like a knife, stabbing Snow Empress in the heart.
She knew you were telling the truth.
Either way, she was doomed. She had only two choices: die without a shred of dignity, or take a gamble on the promise of the human before her.
"I... can't trust you."
After a long silence, Snow Empress bit her lip, her voice a little hoarse.
"Humans are best at deception. What if you go back on your word after becoming a god, or simply can't revive me? Wouldn't I have sacrificed myself for nothing?"
"Heh."
You chuckled and spread your hands.
"Snow Empress, you've got one thing wrong. You're in no position to bargain with me."
"If I really wanted to play dirty, I could've had my teacher cripple you and forcibly absorbed you earlier. Why would I waste so much breath talking to you?"
At that, your gaze suddenly turned "tender."
"I gave you a choice because I respect you."
"Seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, ruler of the Extreme North Icefield—your perseverance and pride are admirable."
"I don't want a beautiful and powerful being like you to vanish from this world in such an undignified way."
Those words were so moving they could bring tears to the eyes of anyone who heard them.
Even you were almost convinced.
Of course, you automatically ignored the little voice deep in your heart: Mm... Honestly, it's mostly because I want Snow Empress's body. It would be such a shame for her to die just like this.
Before you continue