Nirvana

"Now, can you tell me what that cultivation method is?"

The Ice Empress's voice did not ripple in the slightest.

She hovered above the ice, and even though her physical condition was critical, her sky-blue eyes remained as calm as an ancient well, neither hurried nor impatient.

A long white dress draped over her graceful, slender figure, making her look holy and cold.

She was like a pure white snow lotus blooming in mid-air.

"Actually, it's quite simple. My teacher and I call it the Soul Spirit Method."

Due to the height difference, and the fact that the Ice Empress was hovering, Xu Lanqing's line of sight was fixed on the woman's delicate, naturally beautiful, snow-white bare feet.

Above that, the moist and shapely calves were revealed beneath her white dress...

This forced Xu Lanqing to keep his little head tilted upward while speaking to her.

"It involves using a special ritual to extract a Soul Beast's soul from its body, and then forming an equal contract with a human.

This way, when a human reaches a bottleneck, they can obtain a Soul Ring directly through the Soul Spirit to break through, without having to hunt Soul Beasts.

Don't worry, after the contract is signed, the Soul Beast's soul retains its original memories and can even leave the body to fight alongside the Soul Master; it's essentially just changing their living environment.

Of course, both parties must be willing for this process to work; there can be absolutely no coercion, and mental control is out of the question...

Moreover, this method is actually most beneficial to those Soul Beasts on the verge of death for various reasons. The existence of a Soul Spirit allows them to live a little longer and experience the human world, even if a few decades or a century might seem short to a Soul Beast..."

As Xu Lanqing continued to speak, brilliant colors flickered in the Ice Empress's eyes, and her heart began to stir with excitement.

She was now somewhat glad that she hadn't killed Xu Lanqing earlier, otherwise, she would have missed such a treasure capable of changing the current plight of Soul Beasts.

"It's a pity."

Xu Lanqing's tone shifted, and he sighed regretfully:

"The current Soul Spirit Method can only alleviate the relationship between humans and Soul Beasts; it cannot cure the root cause. It can only be considered a semi-finished product.

However, my teacher and I will definitely perfect the Soul Spirit Method in the future and find a path that allows Soul Beasts and humans to coexist."

There was still a long time ahead.

Xu Lanqing was confident that as his strength and experience grew, he would certainly be able to achieve it.

Looking at the boy's spirited and handsome face, the Ice Empress's cold, frost-like, and stunningly beautiful face softened inadvertently.

"This is already good enough."

For the Soul Beasts of today, they dared not hope for too much.

"However, this method is not suitable for me."

The Ice Empress's deep, sky-blue eyes seemed to pierce through space, shimmering with faint light.

The moment she heard Xu Lanqing's first sentence, she knew she could not become a Soul Spirit.

Her situation was different from other Soul Beasts.

When she underwent the tribulation to become human, she used a hundred-thousand-year snow lotus as a catalyst to seal all her cultivation. This way, after successfully transforming, she could directly absorb her previous power, starting off as a Title Douluo.

But now that the process had been interrupted, the seal had naturally shattered, and her own power was completely out of control, forcing her to suppress it with the power of her soul.

Once her soul was extracted, the body she was struggling to suppress would be instantly ignited, and the consequences of that went without saying.

Yet, she was not impatient now.

Xu Lanqing must have known this situation, but he had still made his vow, which meant he had other methods.

"Indeed, it is not suitable for you."

Xu Lanqing twisted his neck; he had been looking up for too long, and it was aching.

Gazing up at the Ice Empress's composed demeanor, he sighed inwardly—she was truly worthy of being the leader of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.

One day, he would make her experience the feeling of looking up at him.

Just as he was about to continue, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head to the side.

"Teacher, why are you..."

Electrolux's figure emerged from the void, his golden robes adorned with magnificent patterns. With his white hair and beard, he appeared archaic and profound, carrying the weight of ages.

When the Ice Empress first laid eyes on him, her originally violent power actually stabilized a little.

Electrolux smiled calmly and said to Xu Lanqing:

"Leave the rest to me. Only then will the success rate be maximized. Do not worry, I will be fine; I will simply fall into a deep slumber afterward."

Hearing this, Xu Lanqing clenched his fists and remained silent.

Electrolux only had a single fragment of his divine consciousness in this world and was too weak; if he wanted to use his power, he could only borrow his body.

But now that he had manifested externally, it was clear he intended to use his own fragment of consciousness.

In the end, it was because he was too weak, constrained at every turn, that things had come to this.

Fortunately, if it was only a slumber, there was still a chance to wake him.

Ordinary elixirs and medicines certainly wouldn't work, but immortal herbs should be useful, and there was also the Gold of Life...

"Can you tell me what the method is now?"

The Ice Empress's cold, clear voice rang out. Her peripheral vision swept over the silent Xu Lanqing as she looked at Electrolux.

It seemed the price would be quite high.

"Such a pure spiritual consciousness; you are truly worthy of being the Ice Heaven Snow Maiden, born of heaven and earth and endowed with the world's finest essence. It would be a great pity if you were to perish just like this."

Electrolux looked at the Ice Empress, wrinkles deepening on his aged face.

"Xu Lanqing's martial soul can save you. His martial soul is not only Ultimate Ice, but also the Ice Phoenix martial soul."

"Ice Phoenix?"

Her delicate eyebrows arched slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed the Ice Empress's eyes.

As her gaze fell upon Xu Lanqing, she suddenly thought of a possibility.

"That's right, it is exactly as you think."

Electrolux continued.

"For any phoenix, whether it be a Soul Beast or a martial soul, as long as the bloodline is pure, it possesses an innate talent—a talent that can even defy the rules of the heavenly dao."

"That is—Nirvana."

Having received a definitive answer, the Ice Empress finally showed signs of being moved, and her dormant heart began to burn with fervor.

When one thinks the path is blocked by mountains and rivers, a new village appears amidst the willows and flowers.

She, who had thought her path to recultivation was hopeless, now had a new glimmer of hope.

"As long as I extract Xu Lanqing's martial soul, have him sign a contract with you, and then integrate the Ice Phoenix into your body, you will be able to use the power of Nirvana within the Ice Phoenix to successfully transform. However, this is my first time using this contract, so there may be some flaws."

Electrolux said in a deep voice:

"Alright, time is pressing. Let us begin now. Ice Empress, you must open your mind during the process and offer no resistance."

The Ice Empress was not one to be indecisive; she nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Electrolux grabbed with his right hand, and countless brilliant golden light spots in the void converged toward him.

A long, slender golden staff gradually took shape, standing two meters taller than his own height.

At the top of the staff was a massive crystal, carved into the shape of a skull and white in its entirety.

As he took hold of the staff, Electrolux's aura shifted instantly; an indescribable holiness and nobility made him appear as if a deity had descended.

A low, rhythmic chanting began, and profound, mysterious words spilled from Electrolux's lips. At first, his voice was very low, but gradually, it began to echo throughout the Ice Crystal Palace.

The golden staff began to dance in Electrolux's hands, and a crystal-clear golden light bloomed with dazzling brilliance at its tip as strange runes began to be traced out.

Every time a mysterious rune appeared, it would immediately drift toward the Ice Empress and brand itself onto her forehead.

As the previous rune faded and fully merged into the Ice Empress's forehead, the second rune would be perfectly formed, flying over to merge in turn. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.

Meanwhile, Electrolux's left hand reached out toward Xu Lanqing's left hand, and runes appeared out of thin air around him, merging into his body.

Subsequently, specks of ice-blue light emerged from his body, finally condensing in front of him into an ice-blue crystal phoenix. The phoenix spread its wings and let out a high-pitched cry, appearing as if it were a living creature.

With a wave of Electrolux's left hand, the crystal phoenix crashed directly into the Ice Empress's body, the two becoming one.

The Ice Empress closed her eyes, and suddenly, more and more ice crystal snowflakes appeared around her, forming an ice-blue elliptical crystal shell.

As the ritual concluded, Electrolux's figure had become so faint it was barely visible.

Suddenly, his figure paused. His eyes swept across the space with a hint of surprise, and then he transformed back into a small gray bead, returning to Xu Lanqing's Sea of Consciousness to fall silent.

Invisible ripples undulated in the nearby space before vanishing without a trace; no one but Electrolux had noticed them.

The figure in the void murmured to himself.

"As expected of divine consciousness..."