Sunlight

"Phew..."

Xu Lanqing lay on his back on the ice, gasping for breath. Sweat had soaked through his clothes.

After all, he had just had his Martial Soul stripped away, and his body felt incredibly weak.

Beside him stood an oval, ice-blue crystal about three meters tall. Light refracted across its surface, making it shimmer with a pale blue glow. The strange radiance was dazzling and almost hypnotic.

When the ritual was complete, he had felt an invisible connection form between himself and the Snow Empress.

His own body had changed as well.

He couldn't help reaching out to touch the crystal. A sensation that was both cool and warm seeped into his body and soul.

"Hahaha!"

Xu Lanqing grinned, unable to contain his delight.

Though it seemed he had lost his Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, which possessed Ultimate Ice, he had gained far more in return. He wasn't about to make a deal at a loss.

Xu Lanqing closed his eyes and slowly circulated his Soul Power through his body.

Then, a strange sight appeared.

His jet-black hair began turning white from the roots at a speed visible to the naked eye. His already fair skin grew even paler, shining with a jade-like luster.

Even his pure black clothes took on a faint white sheen.

His handsome face now carried a hint of coldness and ethereal beauty.

When he opened his eyes again, his clear irises had turned sky blue. Unlike the Snow Maiden's, his pupils also held a pure white snowflake.

His Martial Soul had become the Snow Empress.

Xu Lanqing raised his right hand above his head. Under the light, his jade-white skin nearly dazzled him.

This was too pale. Even a corpse couldn't be this white.

Xu Lanqing felt a little depressed.

Oh, well. At least he still had a Martial Soul.

Soul Power surged through his palm. He casually flicked his hand, and an irregular, needle-shaped ice crystal shot out.

It wasn't a Soul Skill, just control over ice. He had already realized while using Martial Soul Possession that this Martial Soul couldn't be granted Soul Rings.

As for Soul Skills, once the Snow Empress woke up, he should be able to use hers—all of them. At least in the early stages, he wouldn't have to worry about lacking Soul Skills.

What was more, he could feel that his Soul Power had increased too. He didn't know by how much, though. He'd find out once he had Soul Rings.

If that were all, it wouldn't mean much. Both were Ultimate Ice; he had merely changed Martial Souls.

His gaze fell on the ice-blue crystal again, and a faint smile touched his lips.

The most important thing was the Snow Empress. Though she had been reborn, the contract and the Ice Phoenix meant she couldn't stray too far from him. Otherwise, their influence would cause her power to run wild.

After all, she was his Martial Soul. Even though the ritual had separated her from him, she couldn't go too far from her original host. The Snow Empress also needed time to fully merge with it.

That gave him plenty of time to persuade her.

After a while,

Xu Lanqing felt that he had recovered somewhat, so he stood up.

He frowned at the crystal before him. Could he put it inside his Storage Soul Tool?

He raised his Storage Ring. A flash of light passed, but the dazzling crystal remained where it was, utterly unmoved.

He scratched his head.

"What am I supposed to do? How can I take you back with me? Should I toss you into the Undead Plane? No, what if something happens?"

He was strong enough to open the Undead Gate, but he couldn't control the Undead Plane.

He didn't even know how hard the crystal was. What if the undead broke it? That would be disastrous.

And speaking of getting out, he suddenly realized he had a serious problem.

He looked at the sky outside, completely covered by terrifying white gales with not a single gap, then recalled the hole that Titled Douluo had made.

In other words, it seemed he couldn't get out now!

(｀皿´)!!!

Xu Lanqing sighed helplessly.

"I miscalculated. Now I'm stuck in here too."

He laid a hand on the crystal. It felt cool and smooth to the touch.

"I just hope you wake up soon. Otherwise, I'll be trapped here until I die."

The Ice Crystal Palace was quiet and bare, with no decorations at all. It felt vast and empty.

Time slowly passed.

He sat cross-legged, hoping to meditate and pass the time, but with so many things on his mind, he couldn't settle down.

The world around him was nothing but white, devoid of life. He wondered how the Snow Empress had endured so many years here.

This was so boring.

Xu Lanqing stared blankly at the ice-blue crystal, his thoughts returning to his predicament.

After a moment, he spoke to the crystal, though he might as well have been talking to himself.

"I might as well be a little underhanded. Right now, I'm a penniless, powerless nobody with no backing.

"There's nothing I can do about money or power. If I don't recruit a few people to help me, how can I stand against Xu Tianran? Forget getting revenge—I wouldn't even know what killed me.

"I'm only six years old, while Xu Tianran has spent all these years building his influence. He has countless forces openly backing him, and that's not even counting his secret ties to the Holy Spirit Cult.

"Father made Elder Kong my teacher, but his original intention was probably just to keep me alive.

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have had me become his disciple in private instead of holding an official ceremony.

"Father dotes on me, but it feels more like he's trying to make up for the love my mother never received.

"More than a father, he's a capable emperor. He draws a very clear line when it comes to matters of state. Unless something unexpected happens, I have no chance of ascending the throne.

"Though Elder Kong became my teacher, he only guides me as his disciple. He can't openly support me. At most, he can protect my life as my teacher.

"But no one can guard against a thief forever, especially when the thief is family.

"If only I had more time. I wouldn't be in such a passive position."

The more he thought about it, the worse Xu Lanqing felt his situation was. His chances of turning things around were slim.

"I might be doing you wrong, but I don't have any other choice.

"Besides, you can't keep a treasure hidden forever. Without a powerful faction and the strength to back it up, trying to promote the Soul Spirit Method would be nothing but a joke.

"So if you want to change the situation in the Far North, this is something you'll have to face too."

He didn't know if the Snow Empress could hear him, but he poured it all out anyway.

Just then, he felt a trace of warmth spreading in from outside. A golden light passed through the palace doors and fell on him, just like sunlight.

Wait, where was that sunlight coming from?

Xu Lanqing froze, then lit up with joy and turned to look at the sky outside.

At that moment, the ice-blue crystal, which had remained still all this time, flashed a few times.