Birth in the Far North

Douluo Continent, Far North.

This was a forbidden zone for humans, a dead land for all life.

Perennial snow covered this vast, boundless land. The biting wind raged like blades, and the temperature in the air had long fallen to a terrifying level where even a Soul Emperor would be instantly frozen into an ice sculpture upon entering.

There was no changing of seasons here, only eternal day and night, along with a frigid cold that seemed capable of freezing the soul.

Within this core region, even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts had to lie low with utmost caution, for the supreme ruler who truly governed this world of ice and snow slumbered here.

Yet today, this ancient, unchanging silence was shattered.

"Boom—!!!"

Without warning, deep within the core region of the Far North, a dazzling ice-blue pillar of light suddenly tore through the heavy blizzard like a divine sword splitting heaven and earth, shooting straight into the sky!

This blue light was too brilliant—so brilliant that it even eclipsed the auroras that flickered along the horizon of the Far North year-round.

It illuminated the entire Extreme North Ice Plains, and in that instant, the ice and snow for tens of thousands of miles around seemed to be dyed with a layer of sacred blue radiance.

As the pillar rose, the surrounding blizzard seemed to have been paused. The violent ice elements trembled fiercely in the air, submitting as though they were welcoming the arrival of some supreme being.

In this sacred moment, when all things were silent and only the blue light pierced the heavens, a graceful figure slowly emerged from the depths of the swirling snowstorm.

Her pace appeared slow, yet with every step she took, the snow beneath her feet automatically condensed into a crystalline ice lotus, gently supporting her jade-like feet. She was none other than the absolute sovereign of the Far North, foremost among the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North, with a terrifying cultivation nearing seven hundred thousand years—

The Heavenly Snow Woman, Snow Empress!

Snow Empress's beauty was beyond the description of humanity's pale language.

Her silver hair cascaded to her ankles like a waterfall, its strands drifting gently in the wind and gleaming with a luster purer than ice crystals.

Her skin was even more translucent than the purest first snow of the Far North, seemingly delicate enough to break at a breath, yet containing a terrifying power capable of destroying heaven and earth.

She wore a simple, unadorned white gown that clung to her exquisite body, a masterpiece of creation itself, tracing breathtaking curves that inspired not the slightest hint of desecrating thoughts.

Her eyes were a deep ice blue, like two flawless sapphires. Yet they held an utmost chill and indifference that seemed to have seen through all the vicissitudes of the world, as though nothing in existence was worthy of entering her sight.

With her appearance, an indescribably terrifying aura quietly spread.

It was not an intentionally released pressure, but the natural suppression of rank emanating from her as a spirit of heaven and earth, the Ruler of the Far North.

Beneath the shroud of her aura, every soul beast within a hundred miles, even those at the hundred-thousand-year level, buried their heads deeply in the snow, trembling all over and not daring to breathe.

Snow Empress's frosty gaze followed the gradually fading brilliant blue light toward a depression buried beneath wind and snow ahead.

She slowly extended her flawless right hand, white as mutton-fat jade, and lightly curled her slender fingers.

"Buzz—"

A gentle yet irresistible stream of Ultimate Ice Soul Power surged forth, softly brushing away the accumulated snow within the hollow.

Then, a small swaddled infant wrapped in a faint blue glow slowly rose from the snow pit and floated before her.

A rare ripple of surprise flashed through Snow Empress's ancient, unruffled eyes.

"An... human infant?"

Her ethereal, clear voice, as pleasant as an icy spring striking jade, rang softly through the snowstorm.

This was simply unbelievable.

In the core region of the Far North, amid the frigid cold of Absolute Zero, let alone a newly born human infant without any cultivation, even a human Spirit Douluo-level powerhouse would have his blood and energy congeal and his meridians shatter from the cold if he remained here for even a moment without special means of resisting it.

But the baby boy before her completely overturned all common sense.

The faint blue glow surrounding him seemed capable of isolating the blizzard, but what puzzled Snow Empress even more was that his body was directly exposed to air cold enough to freeze souls. Not only did he show no sign of frostbite or turning purple, but his rosy little face even bore the contented, blissful expression of someone soaking in a hot spring.

His eyes were closed, his tiny mouth moving slightly as he breathed evenly and deeply.

Snow Empress narrowed her eyes slightly. She released an extremely faint, gentle strand of origin power that descended upon the infant like spring rain, carefully attempting to probe the secrets within his body.

However, the instant her power touched the infant's body, the astonishment on Snow Empress's peerless face deepened.

"This aura..."

She had actually sensed an aura that was extraordinarily familiar and intimate from this frail human child!

This aura showed not the slightest rejection toward her power. Instead, like a traveler who had endured a long drought before finding sweet rain, it greedily and instinctively absorbed and drew close to her Ultimate Ice aura.

What made Snow Empress find it even more unbelievable was that this sense of intimacy was not one-sided.

Even her own cold heart, silent for hundreds of thousands of years, inexplicably stirred upon sensing this aura, making her unable to resist wanting to protect him and draw close to him.

"This feeling... is somewhat like the blood bond between members of the same race." A storm surged in Snow Empress's heart.

But reason told her that this was absolutely impossible.

Throughout the entire Far North, and indeed all of Douluo Continent, the Heavenly Snow Woman race was an elemental spirit uniquely favored by heaven and earth.

Heavenly Snow Women were neither born from womb nor egg. Only when the Ultimate Ice and snow power of the Far North condensed to its utmost limit and was nurtured through countless years could one possibly be born.

She, Snow Empress, was the only Heavenly Snow Woman in this world.

She had no parents, no brothers or sisters, and even less possibility of having kin.

If so, why did this human infant carry an aura of kinship similar to the origin of a Heavenly Snow Woman?

Snow Empress stood where she was, allowing the wind and snow to sweep through her silver hair as she sank into prolonged thought.

Light flickered in her ice-blue eyes as she considered every possibility.

After a long while, Snow Empress's frosty gaze fell upon the infant again. Suddenly, she thought of an exceptionally special concept in the world of human Soul Masters—

Martial Souls.

Human Martial Souls came in countless strange varieties: Weapon Martial Souls, Beast Martial Souls, and even the exceedingly rare Body Martial Souls and Natural Element Martial Souls.