Time passed silently in the Far North Ice Cave. After who knew how long, the icy blue glow around Huo Yuhao suddenly contracted, all of it pouring into his dantian.
The Soul Beast Embryo that had originally rested between his hands had vanished completely, replaced by the Second Martial Soul slowly taking shape within him: Silent Frost Ice Phoenix.
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. A flash of icy blue light flickered in their depths, then his Spirit Eyes returned to their original clarity.
His aura was completely different from before. Though his Soul Power still fluctuated at level twenty, the chill surrounding him was undeniably Ultimate Ice.
"Senior..." After catching his breath, Huo Yuhao spoke. He rose from the ice, his knees trembling slightly, but forced himself to stand firm. His eyes were filled with gratitude as he looked at Jiang Che.
Jiang Che waved a hand, cutting off whatever he was about to say. Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing more. He only nodded firmly.
"Was the fusion successful?" Ice Empress asked from nearby, her voice cool as her golden eyes surveyed Huo Yuhao.
Under her gaze, Huo Yuhao felt a little uneasy and instinctively edged behind Jiang Che.
Jiang Che chuckled and shifted half a step aside, revealing Huo Yuhao behind him. "It worked. His Second Martial Soul is Silent Frost Ice Phoenix, fused with a two-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast Embryo. Its potential won't be much lower than mine."
Ice Empress gave a soft snort and said nothing. She turned her gaze from Huo Yuhao back toward the cave's exit.
"We should go," Ice Empress said, her voice carrying a note of urgency. "That God-Sealing Platform may be damaged, but the energy fluctuations it released when activated weren't something only we could sense."
Jiang Che nodded. The Holy Spirit Cult had sent Gu Qianye and Ming He to guard this place, so there might be others on their way. He wasn't afraid of them, but with Huo Yuhao—who had only just fused with a Second Martial Soul and had a mere twenty levels of Soul Power—in tow, it was better not to invite trouble.
"Let's go." Jiang Che patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.
The three left the cave together and followed the ice crevasse back to Ice Valley.
"By the way, senior, I think I got a Soul Bone when I fused with the Embryo just now. I was going to give it to you, but for some reason, it fused directly with my body." Huo Yuhao felt rather embarrassed thinking about it. He'd done nothing and still ended up with the greatest benefit.
Jiang Che thought, Why? Because the world's will was afraid you'd really give it to me. It's guarding against me like I'm a thief.
Aloud, Jiang Che said, "It's fine. If it fused with you directly, then it must be meant for you. Don't trouble yourself over it."
Hearing that his senior hadn't even asked what kind of Soul Bone it was and had told him not to trouble himself over it, Huo Yuhao was so moved he nearly broke down. He silently swore to himself that he would help his senior someday.
"All right. You've gained a Second Martial Soul, but you only have one Soul Ring. Want me to help you get another one here?" Jiang Che asked.
"No, no need." Huo Yuhao hurriedly waved his hands and explained, "Senior, it seems like this Martial Soul can provide another Soul Ring, but I'll have to wait a while."
"Mm, all right, then. That leaves you needing a Spirit-type Soul Ring. There probably aren't any in the Far North. Since we're already planning to return to Shrek Academy, we can find one for you in the Star Dou Great Forest."
Jiang Che thought for a long while before remembering that the Soul Spirit rules really did work that way: one Soul Spirit could provide multiple Soul Rings. As for Huo Yuhao's nonsense, Jiang Che couldn't be bothered to call him out on it.
On the way back, Ice Empress looked as if she wanted to say something, which made Jiang Che uneasy.
While Huo Yuhao wasn't paying attention, he quietly went over to Ice Empress and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something you can't bring yourself to say?"
"When your junior absorbed the Embryo just now, I sensed a familiar presence in him. If I remember correctly, it should be the only million-year Soul Beast in the world: Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. I'm worried it has some ulterior motive."
Since Jiang Che had asked, Ice Empress had no reason to hide anything. She told him everything she knew in one breath. After all, she had already chosen to become his Soul Spirit.
"Oh, that? I did sense a spiritual power within Huo Yuhao that didn't belong to him just now, though it was very well hidden."
After hearing Ice Empress out, Jiang Che first confirmed that her senses were right, then added, "But it probably doesn't mean any harm. When Huo Yuhao was nearly unable to hold on just now, it was the one who stepped in and helped him make it through."
"I can tell it's sincere. It doesn't seem to have any ill intentions."
With Jiang Che having said that much, Ice Empress had little else to say. Still, she reminded him, "It's best to be wary of others, even if it really means no harm. Keep your guard up from now on."
"Okay, I understand."
Huo Yuhao, walking ahead of them, was chatting too, but their conversation was taking place in his Sea of Consciousness.
"Brother Sky Dream, why do you keep sighing?" Huo Yuhao asked, watching Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sulk.
"sigh What do you know? My whole original plan's been thrown into disarray. You think I can be happy about that?"
Huo Yuhao was thoroughly confused. He moved closer to the plump, white cocoon-shaped phantom in his Sea of Consciousness, his eyes full of bewilderment. "Brother Sky Dream, what exactly was your plan?"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm lay on a cloud in the Sea of Consciousness. His once-round body had wilted halfway, his tiny silkworm eyes drooping with frustration and helplessness. Long strands of silk hung limply from him, and even his usual pride had vanished without a trace.
"What else could it have been?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm suddenly rolled over, waving his silk wildly. His voice brimmed with regret. "Of course it was to find the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and make her your Second Martial Soul!"
He paused, saw Huo Yuhao's blank expression, and continued indignantly, "Ice Empress is one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, a forty-thousand-year Ferocious Beast of Ultimate Ice, with peerless talent and tremendous strength. I'd planned it all out. Once you reached the Far North, I'd show myself and persuade Ice Empress. With the relationship we had, and my carefully devised Soul Spirit Method, I'd convince her to give up her Soul Beast body, sign a Soul Spirit Contract with you, and become your Second Martial Soul!"
"With a top-tier Ultimate Ice Martial Soul like Ice Empress's at your side, your path to godhood would be countless times smoother. I'd already figured out how to reason with her, move her with emotion, and gradually guide the two of you into forming a bond. I'd even rehearsed what to say to persuade her millions of times!"
The more Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke, the more frustrated he became. His body trembled slightly as he looked toward Ice Empress, who walked beside Jiang Che not far away with her aloof bearing. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions: reluctance, helplessness, and a trace of lingering fear.
"But who could've guessed Jiang Che would come out of nowhere? He's so young, yet a genuine Titled Douluo, and he even has an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul on the level of a divine beast: the Ice Dragon King! He actually managed to take Ice Empress as his Soul Spirit!"
"With Ice Empress as his Soul Spirit, all my plans went up in smoke. Forget convincing her to go with you—I don't even dare show myself in front of her now. That's Ice Empress! She's violent-tempered and powerful. If she finds out I'm hiding in your Sea of Consciousness and once had designs on her, she'll tear me to shreds!"
"My million-year plan went completely down the drain. You think I wouldn't be depressed? If you hadn't nearly failed to endure the Silent Frost Ice Phoenix Embryo just now, I'd never have let even a trace of my aura show. I was afraid Jiang Che and Ice Empress would notice!"
After finishing, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm collapsed completely in the Sea of Consciousness, looking as if life had lost all meaning. His originally glittering body had dimmed, and he was consumed by the frustration of drawing water with a bamboo basket only to find it empty.
Huo Yuhao was stunned. It took him a moment to come back to himself. He looked at the dejected Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, unsure what to say.
"Wait, the Ice Empress you mean—is she the girl walking beside senior?" Huo Yuhao asked belatedly.
"Who else? Why do you think I knew about her so early?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled his eyes at Huo Yuhao.
After that, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed again. "Forget it. Maybe this is fate. At least this trip wasn't a total loss. You did get a Second Martial Soul, after all."
Before you continue