The two Soul Beasts were at a complete loss.
Suddenly, flames ignited across Huo Yutong's ice-sealed body, instantly melting the solid ice around her.
Huo Yutong felt the warmth and instinctively reached for the Lotus Seed near her heart.
The fiery-red Lotus Seed released power of an extraordinarily high order.
She sensed the changes within her in a daze. The intense pain remained, but now there was a warm presence as well.
That warmth roused her.
Ice Empress was overjoyed. With this sudden surge of power, they could continue.
"What incredible power!" Ice Empress began the fusion process again. "Yu Tong, eat that Lotus Seed."
"No. I promised Siyuan I'd bring it back to him."
Ice Empress cried out anxiously, "You have to eat it! The Lotus Seed won't affect your body while it's outside you. If we wait any longer, the cold will damage your organs!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "Even if you die, you still won't be able to bring it back. Only by eating it can you return and tell Ji Siyuan you're still alive. Then you might be able to make it up to him! Do you really want to see Ji Siyuan lose a Lotus Seed for nothing?"
Huo Yutong suddenly saw the light and swallowed the Lotus Seed.
Flame flooded her body, tempering it alongside the cold. Her constitution grew stronger.
This power brought Ice Empress's origin to the four-hundred-thousand-year level.
Their Martial Souls began to fuse as well. This time, the pain was far less, and the process was soon complete even without Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
Her will had grown stronger, her constitution had improved, and the process went exceptionally smoothly.
The absorption of her Soul Rings went just as smoothly.
A genius with Twin Martial Souls had been born.
Her First Martial Soul's First Soul Ring was a million years old, while her Second Martial Soul was the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, with a First Soul Ring that was still four hundred thousand years old. She was unquestionably a genius.
Ice Empress had been exhausted too, but the blazing flames eased much of her fatigue.
"That Lotus Seed must be a God Rank spirit treasure. Tian Meng, if you had something this good, why didn't you take it out sooner?" Ice Empress was a little displeased. She had nearly died.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt wronged too. "I honestly didn't know this Lotus Seed could do that. I always thought it just provided a warm current to protect Yu Tong from the cold of the Extreme North, and helped her cultivate faster. How was I supposed to know it had such a miraculous effect?"
While it explained, Huo Yutong asked what was on her mind: "Will Siyuan's cultivation be affected now that he's lost a Lotus Seed? How can I make it up to him?"
"Didn't I tell you before we came? Just make it up to him by giving yourself to him," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm replied matter-of-factly.
Huo Yutong blushed. "I can't just say that to Siyuan!"
Ice Empress was confused. "Why does she need to make it up to him? Wasn't it yours?"
The situation had been so urgent that she hadn't paid close attention. She had assumed the Lotus Seed belonged to Huo Yutong.
Huo Yutong explained, "The Lotus Seed belongs to Siyuan. He lent it to me so I could feel at ease."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm cut in at once. "Let me explain."
It then told Ice Empress everything from beginning to end about Ji Siyuan, sharing all it knew.
"So this Lotus Seed was something Yu Tong wanted to use to surpass that person?"
"Yes. Siyuan only has nine, so they're precious. I've eaten one, so he has eight left."
"He has nine of these spirit treasures?" Ice Empress now believed that Ji Siyuan truly had incredible talent. Could a Martial Soul really come with something like this?
She thought it over. "In that case, Tian Meng's suggestion just now isn't impossible. In fact, it's quite feasible."
"Eh? Ice Empress, why are you saying that too?" Huo Yutong hadn't expected Ice Empress to say the same thing.
Ice Empress said, "I just felt that flame. Its quality is undeniably high—even Snow Empress's Ultimate Ice can't compare. As the owner of an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul, cultivating with the owner of an Ultimate Fire Martial Soul like that would greatly increase your cultivation speed. After all, from what you've said, your talent really doesn't compare to his.
"Judging by the quality of his Martial Soul alone, Snow Empress might kidnap him to be her cultivation furnace if she saw him. She's wanted to raise her cultivation for a long time."
"No! Absolutely not." Huo Yutong rejected the idea without a moment's hesitation.
Ice Empress was at a loss. It had only been a figure of speech. Was that really such a strong reaction?
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm immediately reassured her. "Snow Empress stays in the Extreme North and never goes out. Ji Siyuan doesn't need an Ice-type Soul Ring, so he won't come here either. How could Snow Empress take him away? There are only two things you need to do now: figure out how to explain this to your boyfriend, and get a Second Soul Ring for your Spirit Eye."
It really was impossible to explain: an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul, and a Lotus Seed she had somehow eaten.
"I want to tell Siyuan."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Empress both fell silent. Neither of them knew how to argue with her.
She had even eaten a God Rank Lotus Seed.
Could the things you had really make other people covet you? Were any of them worth as much as a Lotus Seed?
"Decide for yourself," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, leaving the choice to Huo Yutong.
After that, they took her to obtain her Second Soul Ring.
What was the easiest kind of Soul Beast to find in the Extreme North if you needed a Mental Attribute? The Ice Silkworm Clan, of course.
With Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, an ancestor-level Ice Silkworm, there was no way the little Ice Silkworms could hide themselves.
And since the poor Ice Silkworms had no real means of attack, Huo Yutong killed one with ease.
"A thousand-year Soul Ring?"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "Its age can't compare to Ji Siyuan's Second Soul Ring, but three thousand years is enough to stand head and shoulders above the rest, isn't it?"
Setting aside her own two absurdly powerful Soul Rings, among Soul Rings in the same position, this one only lost out to Ji Siyuan's. That was entirely acceptable.
"Time to head back!"
At the academy, Ji Siyuan was still teaching Wang Dong'er Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
He had promised to teach her the Tang Sect Secret Arts, but various things had kept him from teaching her much.
Wang Dong'er was very dissatisfied. While Huo Yutong was away from the academy, she immediately went to find him and demanded that he teach her properly.
If you promised someone something, you had to do it right.
Ji Siyuan began teaching her carefully. Tang San kept urging him on, afraid that Ji Siyuan might leave something out.
Aside from teaching Wang Dong'er, he had also received a new stage mission.
Before next year's advancement assessment, he had to reach level 30.
The goal was obvious: to get his Third Soul Ring before the Soul Fight Tournament.
The mission wasn't especially demanding. In fact, it was easy to complete.
"This school doesn't trust me enough. It's giving me seven months to gain just six levels."
During Huo Yuhao's absence, he had already reached level 24.
Tang San said, "That's only the minimum requirement. Don't make the mistake of setting that as your goal."
"Understood." As Ji Siyuan spoke, he suddenly felt his Martial Soul stir.
"The Lotus Seed's been eaten."
Tang San frowned. "The one given to the Daughter of Destiny? I hope nothing went wrong."
"I don't know. It's a four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. I can't be sure nothing went wrong. I hope she makes it back." He looked north. "Huo Yuhao, you're not going to have any problems, are you?"