"What did you say?" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wasn't angry; it was confused. It didn't want to believe that the Ice Empress had chosen another host.
The little scorpion leaped onto Mu Xuanheng's shoulder. "He's right. I'm his Soul Beast now, and he's my master."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was on the verge of breaking down. "Why?" Huo Yuhao was also a little displeased. He had braved the wind, snow, and cold for so long, and he'd almost succeeded. Now someone had come out of nowhere and claimed to be the Ice Empress's master?
The Ice Empress said, "Tian Meng, I told you back then: if you'd found me sooner and trapped me with that silkworm molt, I'd have had no choice but to choose your host. Unfortunately, you didn't get here before him."
"Impossible! I'd already caught you. If the Snow Empress hadn't shown up, you wouldn't have escaped." Tian Meng had gone mad with desperation. It would rather believe it had been unlucky than admit that no one else cared about it.
"The moment you chose to leave with your host, you lost every chance." The Ice Empress remained cold. She could never show the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm the slightest kindness.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hurried to explain. "That was because the Snow Empress was coming." It froze in place as the words left its mouth.
Mu Xuanheng said, "There are countless ways to do things in this world. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, you overlooked too much."
"Impossible! That was definitely the Snow Empress's aura. I'm the strongest Ice Silkworm. How could I fail to tell whether it was a Simulation?"
"When did I say it was a Simulation?"
"So you really do just eat and sleep? When something happens, you can only jump to the first conclusion that comes to mind?" The Snow Empress emerged from Mu Xuanheng's Spiritual Sea.
As soon as the Snow Empress appeared, she scooped up the little scorpion that was the Ice Empress's incarnation and set her on herself. "Long time no see, Tian Meng."
The moment the Snow Empress appeared, Tian Meng hid behind Huo Yuhao. "It really is the Snow Empress."
"Brother Sky Dream." Huo Yuhao had never seen the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm like this before. "Who is the Snow Empress?"
Tian Meng said shakily, "She's the leader of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North I told you about—the top Soul Beast with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, and the true ruler of the Extreme North." The string of titles made Huo Yuhao tremble slightly, too.
Mu En propelled his wheelchair forward and reached out to reassure Huo Yuhao. "Don't worry. The Snow Empress is your senior brother Mu Xuanheng's Contract Soul Beast. She won't attack anyone without reason."
Huo Yuhao relaxed, then noticed the key point. "Contract?"
"It's a little trick of my own. No need to worry about it." Mu Xuanheng couldn't be bothered to explain, but Mu En gave a brief explanation.
Huo Yuhao and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm both marveled, "That's amazing."
"So you went to find the Ice Empress years ago?" Tian Meng couldn't even manage a smile now. It had made its move far too late.
"I only refused. If you hadn't been such a useless worm, I wouldn't have chosen a Contract," the Ice Empress snorted, but the Snow Empress pressed down on her tail to stop her from saying more.
The Snow Empress glanced at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. "I came here to tell you to stop eyeing Xuan Heng. Otherwise, I'll freeze you into ice shards, inch by inch."
No one doubted that the lovely woman meant every word of her threat.
"Relax. How could I attack Yuhao's senior brother? I'd be delighted if they lived together, since then I could talk to Bing Bing every day." Halfway through, Tian Meng realized something was wrong. "Yuhao still needs Wang Dong to cultivate. He can't live with Mu Xuanheng. Ah, what a dilemma."
It was only making a fuss. "Forget it. Yuhao's growth matters more." It cast a reluctant glance at the Ice Empress. "Even if Bing Bing and I really shared a dorm room, she still wouldn't fall in love with me. After all, she has the Snow Empress now."
The Ice Empress returned to Mu Xuanheng's Spiritual Sea as well.
With the conversation between the Soul Beasts over, the remaining matter naturally belonged to the humans.
Huo Yuhao asked, "Senior Brother, Old Grandmaster, is there anything else?"
Mu Xuanheng laughed awkwardly. "I didn't have anything to do. The old man simply asked me to bring you here. If I'm not mistaken, he wants another disciple."
Huo Yuhao looked at Mu En, a jumble of reluctance, hope, confusion, and anticipation swirling inside him. He couldn't put his feelings into words.
Mu En said, "I'm old. I don't have many years left. I brought you here today for two reasons. First, I hope you won't misunderstand what just happened. Xuanheng didn't steal your opportunity; the Ice Empress had her own reasons."
Huo Yuhao nodded. Their conversation had just explained everything. The Ice Empress had no reason to choose him. He was a little disappointed, but he could understand.
"Second, as Xuanheng just said, I want to take you as my disciple. I hope you and Xuanheng can become true senior and junior brothers in both Martial Souls and Soul Tools. But I'm old and can't teach you much. I can only give you the title of my disciple, and I hope Bei Bei and Xuanheng can teach you on my behalf."
Mu Xuanheng had been watching from the sidelines, only to find himself dragged into the spotlight again. Was he supposed to put up with that? "Old man, don't do this. I don't know how to teach anything. You should ask Bei Bei to teach him instead. He knows Reign Over the World and the Soul Skills derived from it."
Huo Yuhao refused to become his disciple because he had already taken Tang Ya as his teacher.
At that, Mu Xuanheng turned and walked away without even looking back.
"Don't mind him. You can have more than one teacher." Mu En looked at Huo Yuhao kindly.
Under Mu En's gaze, Huo Yuhao threw himself into Mu En's arms and wept.
After all, he was still a child. He had accepted Tang Ya as his teacher, but Tang Ya still needed him to look after her. The only one he could truly rely on was the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
At that moment, Mu En took on the role of a father.
"Why are you the only one back?" Gu Yuena reclined on the lounger Mu Xuanheng had made, the elements flowing in her hand as she carved a piece of metal.
Mu Xuanheng sat beside her. "It's nothing. I might have another enemy in the future. Or I might have a lot of trouble sorting everything out."
"Don't you already have enough enemies, the peerless genius Mu Xuanheng?" Her tone held a rare hint of playful teasing.
Jokes, especially, were often closest to the truth.
Mu Xuanheng said, "An old man once said that you should make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible. I'm not very fond of making enemies with so many people. It's just that someone and I don't see eye to eye."
Gu Yuena's expression dimmed. She felt the same way. They faced death and fought until they were backed into a corner.
"Do enemies have to remain enemies forever?" she murmured unconsciously.
Mu Xuanheng said, "There are no eternal enemies, and no eternal friends."
"What about us?"
"We have little to do with that saying." Mu Xuanheng had no idea how to answer.
It had never been easy to resist the deliberate allure of a stunning young woman. Nor was his resolve as firm as he'd imagined.
Gu Yuena's voice broke the silence of the room. "Mu Xuanheng, can I ask who you like?"
By then, rumors that the two of them were inseparable had spread through the entire second year, and even the whole outer courtyard. He didn't know what she wanted to hear, or what he should say.
"What if I said it was you? Would you believe me?"
The piece of metal she had been carving clattered to the floor.
Some questions were better left unanswered.
Gu Yuena picked up the piece of metal. "I've almost finished the design. Do you want to see the plans?"
It was as if nothing had happened.
The design for Battle Armor still had to come from a true genius—someone who could create plans from nothing but a concept.
He admired the plans.
Gu Yuena watched him.
"My younger sister saw you coming out of the Extreme North."
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