The Snow Empress still held a glimmer of hope.
"Alive, we find him. Dead, we find his body."
"Let's go take a look."
Leaving those words behind, she transformed into a streak of white light and sped straight toward the enormous crater.
The Ice Empress hurried after her.
When the two women landed at the bottom of the crater and saw what lay before them, they both froze in place.
There was no charred remains scattered across the ground, nor any Soul Bone fallen nearby.
There was only a chubby, fair-skinned baby.
The Ice Empress was stunned. Curiosity plain on her face, she leaned closer.
"Big sister, how could there be a human child here?"
"Could it be that Heaven saw how sad we were and sent us a present?"
The Snow Empress didn't answer. She merely crouched down.
Her white hair fell forward as she carefully studied the baby on the ground.
Then she saw the baby's distinctive pale-blue eyebrows, and the air of lofty pride between them that even becoming a baby couldn't hide.
The Snow Empress's heart gave a sudden thump.
She recognized him.
That aura, those eyebrows—who else could it be but that domineering overlord who always threw his weight around?
The Snow Empress's heart raced.
Looking at the chubby, naked Xue Tianyu before her, she felt no trace of her usual reverence. Instead, she thought he was adorable.
The Snow Empress bent slightly, revealing a broad expanse of snowy-white skin beneath her collar. The shapely legs exposed by the slit in her skirt radiated a fatal allure.
The thought that this little baby before her was that lofty senior made the Snow Empress feel that what she was about to do was a little disrespectful.
But she simply couldn't resist how much she adored him.
He was just too cute!
The Snow Empress reached out her jade-white arms and scooped Xue Tianyu up from the ground.
She pulled him tightly against her, then rubbed her stunning cheek against his smooth, tender one.
Cheek to cheek.
"What an adorable little fellow!"
The Snow Empress's eyes lit up, and she jumped for joy.
Squashed against her, Xue Tianyu was speechless.
He rolled his eyes.
"Little brat, have some respect for your elders."
Xue Tianyu grumbled inwardly and tried to struggle, but his baby body didn't have the strength.
The Snow Empress had clearly seen his look of disdain, but deliberately pretended not to recognize him.
She pinched Xue Tianyu's nose and chided him in a coquettish voice.
"Little fellow, you're glaring at me? How rude."
"You should call me big sister, understand?"
Xue Tianyu was utterly speechless.
He wanted to open his mouth and reveal his true identity, putting this insolent little brat in her place.
But when he looked down at his own naked body, he saw that he didn't even have a scrap of cloth to cover himself.
As a million-year-old overlord, this was just too humiliating.
All he could do was force his mouth shut and stay silent.
The Ice Empress beside them seemed to suddenly notice something. Her face full of confusion, she stepped forward.
"Big sister."
"The aura coming from this child... could it be Senior Ice Phoenix?"
The Ice Empress's eyes widened as she pointed at Xue Tianyu.
The Snow Empress was startled, but showed no sign of it. She immediately denied it.
"How could that be?"
"What a magnificent and imposing figure Senior Ice Phoenix has."
"How could he become so small? Besides, look..."
The Snow Empress paused, a hint of teasing in her voice.
"He isn't even wearing pants. How could Senior be so shameless?"
The Ice Empress blinked innocently, then immediately believed her explanation.
"That's true. Senior cares so much about his dignity."
At the two women's conversation, three black lines appeared on Xue Tianyu's forehead.
So this was what it felt like to be a fallen tiger bullied by dogs.
Once this seat regained its cultivation, he would make those two little brats lick every last bit of ice from the rivers of the Far North!
Xue Tianyu couldn't be bothered with them. He had spent too much energy fighting the heavenly lightning, and drowsiness swept over him like a tide.
He let out a huge yawn and puckered his little mouth.
Then his body tilted, and his little head came to rest against the Snow Empress's ample chest. He was ready to sleep.
Feeling his soft little cheek pressed against her, the Snow Empress's fair cheeks instantly flushed red.
Yet deep down, she felt inexplicably happy.
"An opportunity to hold Senior in my arms and cuddle him like this only comes once in a million years."
The Snow Empress secretly rejoiced.
Suddenly, she remembered something important.
They were in the heart of the Far North. This little fellow had no means of protecting himself now.
The Snow Empress lowered her head and gently asked Xue Tianyu, who was nestled in her arms.
"Little fellow."
"How about coming home with big sister?"
"I'll raise you from now on, all right?"
Hearing this, Xue Tianyu suddenly opened his bright, clear eyes.
The Snow Empress watched him expectantly, waiting to see how he would respond.
But then—
Xue Tianyu didn't say a word. Instead, he reached out with his little, tender palm.
Like a kitten kneading dough.
The Snow Empress's pretty face instantly turned bright red, and her ears burned hot.
"Senior... it really is you!"
"..."
The Snow Empress's thoughts were in disarray.
Xue Tianyu had no idea what romantic notions were running through her head.
He simply thought the position he'd been lying in was a little uncomfortable, so he patted it a couple of times to soften the spot.
Then he shifted into a more comfortable position, lay back down, and closed his eyes.
Watching Xue Tianyu go right back to sleep, the Snow Empress sighed, slightly disappointed.
She had thought he would give her some kind of special response.
Just then, a childish voice with an oddly world-weary tone came muffled from her arms.
"Whatever."
Those brief words made the Snow Empress lift her head in a flash.
The disappointment vanished from her face, replaced by a radiant smile like snow melting beneath the first warmth of spring.
"Bing'er, let's go!"
"We're taking him home!"
"..."
The Snow Empress happily called to the Ice Empress. Holding Xue Tianyu protectively in her arms, she turned into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.
Deep within the towering Ice Palace of the Far North, the translucent, ten-thousand-year-old black ice gave off a faint chill.
This was the Snow Empress's bedchamber. Ordinary creatures couldn't set foot inside, even if they tried.
A thick layer of Snow Fox Fur covered the broad ice-crystal jade bed, soft beyond compare.
Xue Tianyu lay sprawled on it, eyes closed, breathing evenly.
Having just endured the baptism of the World-Extinguishing Purple Lightning, his newly born baby body was utterly exhausted. He slept soundly.
At the bedside, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress lay on either side.
Neither woman dared even breathe too loudly. They simply widened their beautiful eyes and stared fixedly at the sleeping Xue Tianyu.
His chubby, fair little face glowed with a rosy sheen.
His plump little belly rose and fell with each breath. Just looking at it could melt anyone's heart.
"Big sister, look at his eyelashes. They're so long."
The Ice Empress lowered her voice. Her twin green ponytails swayed gently as she tilted her head.
The Snow Empress smiled tenderly and nodded in agreement.
The little fellow was just too adorable when he slept quietly.
The Ice Empress could no longer restrain her fondness. She stretched out one slender, fair finger and crept closer as if she were sneaking around.
She gently poked his rosy, springy little cheek.
A soft, squishy sensation traveled up her fingertip.
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