Although the Ice Empress knew that even if the heavenly tribulation came a hundred years later, she probably still wouldn't survive it, she was unwilling to give up. Knowing something was one thing; facing it head-on was another. Who could say whether she might find a way to break through in those hundred years?
"Heh." Jiang Che wasn't bothered by the Ice Empress's words. He merely chuckled. After all, in her eyes, he was the reason the heavenly tribulation had come early.
"Ice Empress, what do you think of my talent?" Jiang Che asked, looking at her despairing face.
"Heh heh! It's not bad, I suppose." The Ice Empress had no desire to answer Jiang Che, so she brushed him off with a casual reply.
"Ice Empress, don't be so impulsive. I was asking you seriously just now. What do you think of my talent? Do you think I have a chance of becoming a god?" Seeing how distracted she was, Jiang Che had no choice but to ask again.
This time, Jiang Che also released the Holy Sword of Light, and two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings appeared around him.
The Ice Empress looked up. Her yellow-diamond eyes swept over the Ice Dragon Soul Power and Ultimate Light Soul Power swirling around Jiang Che, taking in the Soul Ring marked with five golden stripes, which was five hundred and sixty thousand years old, as well as the four Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings. She fell silent for a moment before answering coldly, "Your talent is outstanding. At such a young age, you've already reached the peak of the Titled Douluo rank, and you possess an Ultimate Martial Soul. Your future looks bright. But the path to godhood is so elusive. In all the thousands of years of the Douluo Continent's history, how many have ever reached it?"
She had lived for nearly four hundred thousand years and witnessed countless exceptionally gifted Soul Masters and Soul Beasts fall. She had long since seen how arduous the so-called path to godhood was. Now, with the heavenly tribulation looming over her, all that remained in her heart was despair and unwillingness to accept her fate.
Jiang Che stepped forward slowly. The Soul Power around him was calm and restrained, with not a hint of hostility—only complete sincerity. Meeting the Ice Empress's wary gaze, he spoke with steady conviction. "I know you don't believe me, but look at me. I'm a twenty-two-year-old, level-ninety-two Titled Douluo with Ultimate Ice. I wield an Ultimate Martial Soul and possess opportunities and foundations far beyond the ordinary. I dare say that if anyone on the Douluo Continent can one day set foot in the Divine Realm and ascend to godhood, I, Jiang Che, will be among them."
"You're now facing a four-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation. The injuries left by your previous three-hundred-thousand-year tribulation haven't healed, and your origin has been damaged. On your own, you have no chance of resisting it. Once the tribulation falls, you'll be reduced to dust, without even a trace of your soul remaining."
Jiang Che's words struck the Ice Empress right where it hurt most. Her body trembled, and the sheen on her carapace dimmed. She tilted her head toward the ever-thickening curtain of tribulation light in the sky, overwhelmed by helplessness.
She was the ruler of the Far North, the mighty Ice Jade Empress Scorpion who shook the continent. Yet before a Soul Beast's heavenly tribulation, she was still as tiny as a speck of dust.
"How could I not know? But so what? Soul Beasts are born to face heavenly tribulations. There's no escaping them, no hiding from them. Even if I'm reduced to dust, I, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, will never bow to a human, much less become your subordinate!" the Ice Empress shouted. Her eyes brimmed with a Ferocious Beast's pride: better to shatter like jade than to live like a roof tile.
"I never intended to make you my subordinate." Jiang Che shook his head, his tone solemn. "I have a secret method for forming a contract."
"Once we make the contract, you won't have to give up your life, and you won't lose your self-awareness. You'll still be the proud Ice Empress. Your body will simply be reshaped, and you'll accompany me as a Soul Spirit. You'll still be able to control your own power, and you'll still be the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion of the Far North. You'll simply live on in a different way."
Jiang Che paused, then continued, each word striking at the Ice Empress's heart. "You're unwilling to die just like this. You've guarded the Far North for hundreds of thousands of years, and you can't let go of everything here. You don't want your race—or your own life—to come to an end."
"If you're reduced to dust, all your attachments will vanish like bubbles. But as a Soul Spirit, not only can you live on, you can cultivate alongside me and follow my path to godhood, reaching heights you could never attain in this lifetime. You might even have the chance to ascend to the Divine Realm together and gain eternal life."
"When that day comes, you won't just be able to protect the Far North—you'll also escape the fate of Soul Beasts having to face heavenly tribulations, and you won't need to fear the Divine Realm's punishment anymore. Isn't that better than throwing your life away for nothing?"
The Ice Empress's body jolted. A trace of wavering flashed through her yellow-diamond eyes. She stared hard at Jiang Che, trying to spot a lie in his gaze, but his eyes were clear and sincere, without a hint of calculation or contempt.
She had lived for nearly four hundred thousand years and was no fool. She naturally understood that Jiang Che was telling the truth. With the heavenly tribulation upon her, she truly had no way out.
"Even so, why should I trust you? What if, after the contract is complete, you turn around and suppress me, erasing my consciousness? Wouldn't I be at your mercy?" The Ice Empress's tone remained cold, but there was less resolve in it now and more hesitation.
Jiang Che chuckled and raised a hand, gathering a strand of pure Ice Dragon Soul Power. Within it, the contract markings of the advanced Soul Spirit Method slowly emerged. "My contract is an equal contract, not some master-servant contract. Once it's established, we'll share life and death and prosper together. If I fall, you'll suffer too. The only restriction is that your range of movement will be limited to a certain distance around me."
"Even without you, I can make steady progress with my current strength. What I need is a partner, not a puppet I have to keep watching every moment."
"Ice Empress, your Ultimate Ice and my Ice Dragon King Martial Soul share the same origin. If we join forces, we'll only grow stronger. This is a win-win for both of us."
The pressure of the heavenly tribulation grew heavier. The clouds churned, and the first bolt of tribulation lightning was on the verge of appearing. The Ice Empress could clearly feel death drawing near, and the despair and resentment in her heart surged ever more fiercely.
She looked at Jiang Che's youthful yet exceptionally resolute face, at the air of disdain for the world and confidence in his own godhood, then at the destruction awaiting her. The scales in her heart gradually tipped.
Yes. Rather than be reduced to dust beneath the heavenly tribulation, she might as well take this gamble.
This human before her had heaven-defying talent and abundant opportunities. Perhaps he really could lead her down a different path, help her escape her fate, and even ascend to the Divine Realm.
The Ice Empress fell silent for a long time. The chill around her gradually subsided, and the hostility and resolve in her yellow-diamond eyes faded, replaced by uncertainty and hesitation. At last, she spoke, her voice carrying a hint of weariness that was hard to detect. "What you said... is it true? An equal contract, where I'll still be myself, and I can follow your path, escape the heavenly tribulation, and be reborn?"
A flash of delight crossed Jiang Che's eyes. Knowing the Ice Empress had finally been moved, he nodded solemnly, the contract markings at his fingertips growing clearer. "I swear here and now, in the name of Jiang Che: if I break this oath, may the heavens strike me down and strip me of all my cultivation."
As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying pressure blanketed the entire Ice Peak. The Ice Empress's expression changed drastically. There was no time left to hesitate.
"Fine, I'll trust you this once!" the Ice Empress gritted out. "I agree to sign a contract with you, but if you dare break your word, I'll make sure you regret it, even if it means we both go down together!"
Jiang Che breathed a sigh of relief and immediately circulated his Soul Power, guiding the markings of the advanced Soul Spirit Contract toward the Ice Empress. "Don't worry. I'll never let you regret the choice you made today."
The glowing blue contract markings slowly merged with the icy jade light surrounding the Ice Empress. There was no resistance at all. The two forces of Ultimate Ice resonated with each other, and the power of the contract quietly took shape.
As the contract was established, the Ice Empress began to leave her original body, while the heavenly tribulation seemed unable to sense her presence and slowly receded.
At last, after who knew how long, a new Ice Empress was born. But this time, she no longer appeared in her Soul Beast form. Instead, she took on a human form.
The tribulation clouds dispersed, and the contract's radiance faded. The Ice Empress's human form was still that of a charming girl of twelve or thirteen. Her jade-green hair fell to her waist, and an icy jade crown pressed down a few stray locks, displaying the pride of the Ruler of the Far North.
Her yellow-diamond eyes were cold. An ice-white-and-emerald short dress clung to her slender form, and diamond-shaped scale ornaments adorned her shoulders. Her jade-green scorpion tail swayed behind her as faint icy mist swirled around her.
She looked up at Jiang Che, her clear voice carrying a chill. "The contract is complete. You'd better remember what you said."
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