"Brother Sky Dream, how much farther is the Far North?"
On the other side, Huo Yuhao, who had been walking until he'd lost all sense of direction, asked the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who was sleeping inside his head.
Fortunately, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had left behind its shed skin. Even in the Icebound Forest, where the temperature was more than fifty degrees below zero, Huo Yuhao didn't feel cold despite wearing only his thin school uniform. It was just that after walking for so long, he could barely feel his legs anymore.
"It's still a long way. You're already worn out after walking this little? All the Origin power I used to improve your constitution has gone to waste. Sigh, at this rate, it'll be ages before you reach the Far North. I'd better give you a hand."
At first, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hadn't wanted to spend too much power helping Huo Yuhao travel. But the mighty tribulation a few days ago had left him deeply worried. He'd been afraid that Ice Empress was the one undergoing the tribulation. If she succeeded, there'd be little hope of recruiting her. But if she failed, then this trip would have been for nothing. If it hadn't been Ice Empress undergoing the tribulation, though, there'd still be a chance to turn things around.
It was precisely because he was in such a hurry that he spent his power helping Huo Yuhao along. But he never could have dreamed that by sending Huo Yuhao thousands of miles away to the core region of the Far North, he'd cause him to miss Ice Empress entirely. Fortunately, that was the case. Otherwise, Ice Empress would surely have captured Huo Yuhao and used him as nourishment for Su Qing. After all, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was inside him. Eating him would at least replenish some of her spiritual power...
"Wow! Brother Sky Dream, where are we?"
Huo Yuhao felt the scene before him flash, and suddenly he was in this vast, snowy place. He couldn't help but marvel at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's incredible abilities.
"Tch, so ignorant. This is the core region of the Far North. First, dig a snow cave and hide inside. Just watch what I do next!"
"Okay."
Hearing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm speak so confidently, Huo Yuhao nodded blankly and began digging a snow cave. Before long, he'd dug one big enough to lie down in. Seeing this, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm gathered its Spiritual Origin and formed a golden human figure that floated in midair.
Then it began to shout:
"Ice Empress! I, Sky Dream, have returned for revenge! Do you dare show yourself?"
"..."
Apart from the echo drifting back from the horizon, all around them was utterly silent. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm froze. There could only be one explanation: Ice Empress was already dead. Otherwise, there was no way she'd let such a delicious, nourishing morsel like him go.
"Sigh, Yuhao, let's head back out. I'll find you another Soul Beast to serve as your Second Martial Soul..."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm returned to Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness, its voice heavy with disappointment. Since Ice Empress was already dead, it seemed the two of them were never meant to be. He'd have to find someone else to help him create a god.
"Okay. But, Brother Sky Dream, what kind of Second Martial Soul are you going to find for me?"
Huo Yuhao, still innocent and bewildered, didn't understand why the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had suddenly become so dejected. But when he heard it mention a Second Martial Soul, he couldn't help asking.
"An Ice Jade Scorpion."
Yes, he still wanted to find an Ice Jade Scorpion to serve as Huo Yuhao's Second Martial Soul. Its age would certainly be nowhere near Ice Empress's, but its Ultimate Ice attribute was truly wonderful. Besides, the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan really was stunning.
"Wow! Ice Empress, you look pretty good when you're small. Like a work of art."
Meanwhile, in the Icebound Forest, Su Qing was holding Ice Empress, whose body she'd shrunk down, and examining her with interest. She ran her fingers over the other's jade-green shell. Though Ice Empress was a scorpion, her shell felt like fine mutton-fat jade, making her impossible to put down.
"Of course! My clan is the most beautiful in the entire Far North, and I'm the most beautiful of the whole Ice Jade Scorpion Clan!"
Ice Empress crossed her two pincers and struck a pose of immense pride.
"Yes, yes, you're the prettiest. But once we get back to Shrek, you'd better not come out too often. Just stay inside the Soul Jade. There's plenty of spiritual energy in there, and you'll cultivate twice as fast."
Su Qing nodded, then solemnly reminded her. A Limit Douluo was sitting right outside Shrek Academy's freshman dormitory. If he discovered Ice Empress, things could get ugly.
"I know, I know. Hey, human, don't touch my tail!"
Ice Empress's voice grew noticeably more hurried when Su Qing accidentally touched her tail.
"I know. But didn't I tell you my name was Su Qing? Why do you still call me 'human'?"
Su Qing was a little exasperated. Ever since they'd met, Ice Empress had kept calling her "human." It sounded rather awkward.
"I forgot, can't I? Do you have a problem with me? It's just a name. You have to hold it against me? You're not nice at all!"
As she spoke, Ice Empress deliberately turned around and pointed her tail at Su Qing.
"Jeez, never mind. Call me whatever you like."
Su Qing was a little exasperated. Why did Ice Empress give her the impression of a tsundere little girl?
"Why does it sound like you're unhappy with me?"
Ice Empress scratched the shell on her back with her pincers, her scorpion tail swaying back and forth.
"You're imagining things. All right, enough of that. We need to get moving. You've never been to the human world, have you? How about I take you around?"
Su Qing suddenly remembered that she still had the three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins Ma Xiaotao had received for suppressing her Evil Fire. She'd wanted to give some to Tang Ya, but Tang Ya had refused outright, saying she didn't need the money. But if she really didn't need money, why would she work as a waitress at a teahouse? She was simply embarrassed to take money from her younger brother.
Thinking of this, Su Qing couldn't help sighing. Tang Ya was the one who worried her most, even more than herself. But now that Su Qing was here, no one would be able to hurt Tang Ya. Of course, the same went for everyone she cared about.
"Hey, why aren't you answering me?"
Su Qing had been lost in thought and hadn't heard what Ice Empress had just said in her ear. When Ice Empress pulled her back to reality, she looked utterly baffled.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"! I'm angry! I don't want to talk to you!"
With that, Ice Empress dove headfirst into the Ring Jade. Su Qing was left standing there, completely at a loss. But she didn't take Ice Empress's words to heart. Girls just needed a little coaxing.
"In that case, let's go explore Xueling Province first!"
Recalling the novel things she'd seen on the street, Su Qing immediately used Wind-Gathering Wing-Weaving and flew in the direction she'd come from...
"Ah!!! I finally made it out of the Far North!!!"
After walking through an endless expanse of white until he was ready to throw up, Huo Yuhao spotted the city walls in the distance. He felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders and couldn't help shouting at the sky.
"Keep it down. You woke me up."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm covered its ears inside the Sea of Consciousness. Beside it, Electrolux was painstakingly teaching a silly-looking Ice Jade Scorpion to speak. In truth, he was helping it develop intelligence.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy.
"Lexuan, when will Su Qing be back?"