Bang!
Ice Empress's massive pincers slammed hard into the protective barrier.
The thunderous clash of metal against stone shook the heavens.
A violent shock wave burst outward, whipping up a blizzard of icy tornadoes.
Snow Empress stared at the point of impact, so tense that her fists clenched tight.
When the snow and wind finally cleared,
the sight before Snow Empress left her rooted to the spot.
Xue Tianyu still stood with his hands behind his back. Even the hem of his clothes hadn't been lifted in the slightest.
There wasn't even the tiniest crack in the wall of ice shielding him.
He had actually defended against Ice Empress's proudest killing move simply by standing right where he was!
And Ice Empress herself—
she was no longer merely shocked. She was utterly terrified.
Her hands were so numb that she had almost lost all feeling in them.
The protective barrier was so hard it inspired despair, and the force that rebounded from it sent her blood and qi churning.
Even more terrifying, a frost so overbearing that it was dozens of times stronger than before was surging along her pincers and flooding into her meridians.
The extreme cold left her entire body rigid, and the tearing pain in her meridians was more than she could bear.
If she didn't force the chill out of her body at once, her arms might be crippled.
At this critical moment—
Rumble!
The vast Soul Power suppressed within Ice Empress erupted skyward like a volcano.
The peerless, fearsome might of her more than three hundred thousand years of cultivation descended once more.
She had no choice but to lift the level-ten restriction and bring all her strength to bear. Only then could she forcibly expel the chill that had invaded her body.
Ice Empress gasped for breath, and when she looked at Xue Tianyu again, her eyes held a trace of awe, as if she were looking at a monster.
Snow Empress strode over on her long, beautiful legs.
Her stunning face beamed with delight, and her voice rang out clear and sweet.
"Bing'er, you lifted your level restriction just now to force out the chill."
"According to our earlier agreement, lifting the restriction means you've lost."
"Tian Yu wins!"
At Snow Empress's verdict, Ice Empress's cheeks flushed, but she could only nod helplessly and admit defeat.
She walked up to Xue Tianyu, looking at him as though he were a rare treasure.
The two women met each other's eyes, and their admiration and anticipation reached their peak.
He truly was the miracle they had waited so long for.
He was only six years old, yet he could already accomplish such a feat.
Given time—
the Far North, and even the whole world, would surely become the throne from which he ascended to the peak.
A few seconds later, Ice Empress's pretty face suddenly turned deathly pale.
The color drained from her once rosy lips, leaving an unnatural, bluish-purple hue.
Her slender body began to tremble violently. Though she was the undisputed queen of ice, at that moment she looked like an ordinary person plunged into an abyss of ice.
The frost that had invaded her body was simply too overbearing.
Ice Empress gritted her teeth, and fine beads of cold sweat even broke out across her forehead.
She frantically drove the immense Soul Power within her, trying to expel the frost racing through her meridians.
But it had no effect at all.
The frost was as if it had taken root, freezing her meridians and even beginning to devour her own Soul Power to strengthen itself.
A piercing pain spread from her arms all the way to her internal organs.
Snow Empress had been watching the situation closely and immediately noticed something was wrong with Ice Empress.
A flicker of panic crossed her beautiful face, and she hurried to Ice Empress's side.
"Bing'er, what's wrong?"
Snow Empress reached out with her pale hand. The moment her fingertips touched Ice Empress's shoulder, an intense stinging pain shot through them.
The chill even tried to creep into her body through the point of contact.
Snow Empress quickly drew her hand back and stared at Xue Tianyu in shock.
Xue Tianyu remained composed as he slowly lowered his striking stance.
With easy, unhurried steps, he walked over to the two women.
"There's no point wasting your effort."
"My power is the purest Ultimate Ice in this world. It has absolute elemental suppression."
"Once it enters the body, no one can resist it by force, let alone drive it out."
Xue Tianyu's tone was calm, and his confidence seemed to come naturally to him.
He raised his right hand and gently pressed his palm against Ice Empress's back.
A slight movement of his mind—
the frigid energy rampaging through Ice Empress's meridians seemed to have heard the call of its supreme commander.
In the blink of an eye, all the frost flowed back and gathered in Xue Tianyu's palm before vanishing without a trace.
Ice Empress's legs gave way as though she had been drained of all strength, and she nearly fell into the snow.
She gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling sharply.
At last, the tearing pain in her body disappeared.
Ice Empress looked up, lingering fear written in her jade-green eyes.
She gazed at the six-year-old child before her, astonished by the terrifying power he wielded.
"You little monster, you nearly worked me to death just now."
Snow Empress watched the scene from the side, every bit as shaken.
Before she knew it, her gaze toward Xue Tianyu had filled with even more fervent admiration.
He was too strong.
With talent and strength like his, there was absolutely no one else on the entire continent who could compare.
Snow Empress secretly counted herself lucky.
Thank goodness the little fellow was one of their own. If he became their enemy, it would be a calamity for the entire Soul Beast Clan.
At the same time, a grand idea grew ever clearer in her mind.
The Soul Beast Clan had been suppressed by the Divine Realm's rules, and for countless years, no one had been able to break that curse.
But what if it were him?
With an Ice Phoenix bloodline that surpassed all creation, he could surely lead the Soul Beast Clan in storming the Divine Realm and reclaiming their freedom.
Xue Tianyu withdrew his hand and silently savored the power brimming within him.
He was extremely satisfied with his current state.
He didn't need to meditate diligently; his Soul Power circulated and grew on its own.
"At this rate..."
"It won't be long before I can leave the Far North and go see the world outside."
Hearing those words, Snow Empress and Ice Empress both froze.
The two women, who had only just been immersed in joy, instantly looked conflicted.
Ice Empress ignored her weakness and hurriedly grabbed Xue Tianyu's sleeve.
"What?"
"You're leaving the Far North?"
Snow Empress looked just as reluctant, her brows tightly knit.
"Tian Yu, with us protecting you here, no one would dare lay a finger on you."
"Why do you have to leave?"
Xue Tianyu clasped his hands behind his back, his young face bearing the profound weight of someone who had weathered countless vicissitudes.
"Flowers in a greenhouse never grow up."
"Only by leaving your protection and facing life-and-death battles for real can I grow faster."
Snow Empress shook her head, worry filling her eyes.
"But humans out there are far too cunning."
"You've only just awakened. If you run into one of those top experts while we're not by your side, how could I possibly feel at ease?"
Ice Empress also nodded repeatedly beside her.
Watching the two women fuss over him like this, Xue Tianyu suddenly took a step forward.
Without any warning, he reached out and slapped Snow Empress's ample—
Before you continue