An Encounter with Huo Yuhao

"A retreat?" She chuckled, the sound carrying both disdain for the fate of soul beasts and a frank openness regarding her own choices. "I, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, have never walked a path backward. Since I have bound my life to yours, I will not leave myself the slightest way out."

She raised her hand and pushed the lustrous Ice Jade Torso Bone toward Jiang Che, her tone calm yet every word ringing with resolve. "Do you think that by keeping this body, there will truly be a turning point in the future? I have long since passed the three-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation; my old injuries are deeply rooted. Even if there were a miracle, I still could not escape the four-hundred-thousand or five-hundred-thousand-year tribulations. In the end, it would still result in my soul scattering. Rather than letting this shell be buried in the Far North Ice Plains, it is better to have it completely transformed into your strength."

"The stronger your power, the greater the hope of becoming a god. Only then can I truly cast off the fate of soul beasts undergoing heavenly tribulations and obtain an eternal rebirth." The Ice Empress raised her eyes, her gaze cold yet sincere as she looked straight into Jiang Che's. "Since I have chosen to trust you, I will spare no effort. This torso bone can help stabilize your foundation and raise your strength by another level; it is a good thing for both of us."

Looking at the torso bone glowing with a warm, jade-like luster before him, a surge of warmth welled up in Jiang Che's heart. This act by the Ice Empress was a total entrustment of her future to him. Such unreserved trust left him with no reason to refuse.

"Very well, I accept."

Jiang Che replied in a deep voice and reached out to take the torso bone, condensed from the Ice Empress's four hundred thousand years of cultivation. It felt cool to the touch, yet not biting. The aura of Ultimate Ice flowing within the bone resonated perfectly with the origin power of the Ice Dragon King martial soul in his body. There was not the slightest rejection; instead, it was as if a long-lost, homologous power had reunited, both echoing each other and glowing with a faint halo.

He found a level ice platform and sat down cross-legged. The Ice Empress stood to the side, her yellow diamond-like eyes watching him quietly. A faint ice-jade soul power swirled around her, ready to stabilize his aura at any moment to prevent any accidents.

Jiang Che took a deep breath and slowly pressed the Ice Jade Torso Bone against his chest. He settled his mind and instantly activated the Ice Dragon King martial soul within him. The pale blue ice dragon soul power flowed slowly along his meridians, gently enveloping the torso bone. There was no intent of forceful conquest, only a guidance using his origin power.

Unlike the heart-wrenching pain Huo Yuhao experienced when absorbing a soul bone, Jiang Che's attributes were a one-hundred-percent match for this bone. Furthermore, because the Ice Empress had actively detached it and wiped away all resistance, the absorption process was exceptionally smooth.

An ice-jade light instantly bloomed from the soul bone, intertwining with the pale blue ice dragon halo around Jiang Che to form a magnificent dual-colored light barrier that completely encased him. The extremely pure Ultimate Ice attribute power seeped into his limbs and bones like melting spring snow, gently nourishing his meridians, skeleton, and flesh.

There was no sharp pain, no sensation of tearing—only an unprecedented comfort and warmth. That vast power slowly merged into his torso; every inch of his skeleton was continuously tempered and strengthened. His already incredibly resilient meridians became even wider, and the speed of his soul power circulation increased several times over.

The Ice Empress's four-hundred-thousand-year fierce beast origin power merged bit by bit with his body. It was as if a layer of invisible ice-jade dragon scales had been draped over his torso; while his defensive power soared, the purity of his Ultimate Ice soul power also rose rapidly.

Jiang Che kept his eyes tightly shut, the halo around him flowing incessantly. There was not a hint of pain on his face; instead, he wore an expression of peace and relaxation.

He could clearly feel his physical strength and soul power foundation increasing at a visible rate. The Ice Dragon King martial soul and this soul bone were completely fused, as if this bone had belonged to him all along.

The Ice Empress stood to the side, watching this scene. A trace of relief flashed through her yellow diamond eyes. She could feel the perfect fusion of the soul bone and Jiang Che, and she could feel his strength steadily climbing. The last shred of hesitation in her heart vanished completely. She knew her choice was not wrong; this human would surely lead her toward a brand-new future.

Time passed bit by bit. The cold winds of the Far North Ice Plains continued to howl, yet they could not shake the light barrier around Jiang Che in the slightest. It was unknown how much time had passed when the dual-colored light enveloping Jiang Che suddenly retracted, pouring entirely into his body.

Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes, two flashes of light—one ice-blue and one ice-jade—flickering in his pupils. His aura rose steadily, and his original level 93 soul power was now completely stabilized.

He stood up and stretched his body slightly. His bones emitted a crisp, pleasant sound. Every muscle and every bone was filled with a warm and vast power, with not a trace of stagnation remaining.

He looked down at his torso, where faint patterns of intertwined ice-jade and ice-blue flickered and vanished—the mark of the soul bone's complete fusion.

Jiang Che raised a hand to touch his chest, clearly feeling the aura connected to the Ice Empress emanating from the soul bone, along with an Ultimate Ice power far exceeding what he had possessed before.

"Thank you." Jiang Che looked at the Ice Empress, his tone solemn and sincere.

The Ice Empress gave a light snort, though she could not hide the smile in her eyes. She turned her head away with a haughty air. "No need to thank me. Your strength increasing is a good thing for me as well. From this day forward, do not let this power go to waste."

Jiang Che smiled and nodded. Feeling the surging strength within his body and the symbiotic bond tightly connecting him to the Ice Empress, his heart was filled with certainty.

With dual Ultimate martial souls, the Ice Empress as a Soul Spirit, a four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Torso Bone, and no longer under the gaze of the God King, his path on the Douluo Continent would surely be even more unhindered.

"Let's go. We must leave the Far North first!" Jiang Che looked into the distance, his tone brooking no argument.

As Jiang Che's words fell, his soul power surged quietly. The pure ice-blue soul power lifted his body, and he soared directly into the air without a single wasted movement, flying toward the outer perimeter of the Far North.

The Ice Empress followed closely behind, her body wrapped in ice-jade soul power, moving through the air with grace. The two controlled their flight solely through their own soul power, moving at high speed as they broke through the air.

Jiang Che's posture was steady, his soul power circulating evenly as he firmly steered their direction. The Ice Empress sped alongside him, their soul power auras merging. Before long, they rushed out of the core area and arrived in the sky above the outer perimeter of the Far North.

Jiang Che suddenly reined in a portion of his soul power. His figure paused in mid-air, hovering motionless, and his spiritual power swept across the ground below in an instant.

The next second, his gaze darkened slightly. He slowly channeled his soul power, and his figure descended smoothly, his feet landing on the ice without a sound.

The Ice Empress landed simultaneously, standing at his side with her soul power restrained, her gaze following Jiang Che's line of sight.

Their vision pierced through the falling snow and landed behind a low ice hill in the distance.

There, beside the ice hill, a thin youth was curled up, wrapped in thick animal-hide clothing. His soul power was faint yet resilient as he carefully circulated it to resist the bitter cold of the Far North.

The youth had a youthful face and his brows were slightly furrowed. He was looking down, focused on searching for traces of soul beasts on the ground. He had not activated his Spirit Eye martial soul and was completely immersed in his own exploration, unaware of the two powerful auras just a short distance away.

"Huo Yuhao! What are you doing here?" The moment Jiang Che saw the youth, he recognized him as Huo Yuhao. He even knew the purpose of his visit, yet he asked the question anyway.