Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger? What If I Don't Want to Play the Pig?

[Regarding whether Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's choice of Ice Empress, aside from the needs of the God-Making Plan, also involved some private feelings that could not be spoken of to outsiders...]

The light screen gave a close-up of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual body.

Looking at Ice Empress amidst the radiance, a flash of extremely complex emotion seemed to flicker within his large, icy-blue eyes.

[I am not unaware, but I do not care.]

The consciousness of White Tiger Lin Qing stood within the Spiritual Sea, watching everything unfolding before him with composure.

His gaze was like a frozen lake, devoid of any ripples.

[Unlike the Huo Yuhao in the original work, who would feel hurt or become hypersensitive due to being 'used' by Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.]

[My goal is clear and definite—to become stronger.]

[As long as it allows me to become more powerful and obtain greater strength, the methods, the process, and even the emotions and motives of others are all inconsequential.]

[All I see are the things Ice Empress can bring—the Ultimate Ice, the spirit bone, the second Martial Soul, and the ladder leading to a higher level.]

The emerald sacrificial light surged like a bursting galaxy, slowly flowing toward White Tiger Lin Qing, who stood in place with his arms spread wide.

At this moment, the wind and snow of the Far North seemed to come to a standstill.

A new power was about to be born!

The emerald light seemed to come alive, wrapping White Tiger Lin Qing up tightly.

The light was thick and impenetrable, a terrifying shade of green.

Immediately after, a force so savage and unreasonable slammed into his body!

[Ice Empress has begun her sacrifice to me!]

[Even though it is a sacrifice, the residual power of a formidable 390,000-year-old fierce beast nearly burst my body apart!]

390,000!

That was 390,000 years of cultivation!

Even if Ice Empress was sacrificing herself willingly, the residual might of such a fierce beast would be enough to kill an ordinary person a hundred times over.

White Tiger Lin Qing felt as if he were a balloon inflated to its limit.

His skin tore open with hissing sounds, and his bones groaned and cracked in agony.

His internal organs were churning violently, the pain so intense that his vision went black, and he nearly lost consciousness.

"Damn it... this is... much more intense than what was written in the novel..."

He gritted his teeth, with only one thought remaining in his mind—hold on!

Absolutely cannot pass out.

If I pass out, it's truly over!

Just as he felt he was about to be torn apart, a gentle, cool, and smooth force quietly protected his heart meridian.

It was Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

This million-year-old shut-in might not have many other skills, but his ability to preserve life and nourish the body was truly top-tier.

"Brother, hold on!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice echoed in his Spiritual Sea, sounding a bit shaky as well.

"Bingbing's power is too immense; don't you go falling apart on me!"

"Shut up... you're too noisy..."

White Tiger Lin Qing cursed inwardly, focusing all his mental energy on resisting the pain.

[Fortunately, I held on.]

[Because of the power of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, possessing the Ultimate Ice, became my second Martial Soul. The first spirit ring is Ice Empress's 400,000-year red spirit ring.]

[Furthermore, there is a 400,000-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion torso bone, and the spirit skills obtained are the same as Huo Yuhao's.]

Time crawled by.

Every second felt as long as a year.

I do not know how much time passed.

The excruciating pain that threatened to tear him apart finally began to slowly recede.

The emerald light enveloping his body also retreated like an ebbing tide, seeping into his body bit by bit.

Finally, it vanished completely.

Lin Qing opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

The moment the air left his body, it turned into white frost, falling onto the ground with a soft rustle.

He looked down at his feet.

A spirit ring was slowly rising from beneath his soles.

The blood-red color was so intense it made one's eyes ache.

That was no ordinary hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.

Coiled clearly atop that rich, blood-red hue were four golden patterns, resembling the tail hooks of a scorpion—mysterious and overbearing.

A four-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring!

It was done!

He felt the power surging within his body, to the point of near explosion.

The bone-chilling yet immensely powerful warm current flowing through his spine let White Tiger Lin Qing know that the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion torso bone was also his.

As for the spirit bone skills... hmm, they were the same as that kid Huo Yuhao had in the original work.

Ice Emperor Bodyguard, Eternal Frozen Domain.

Both were excellent spirit bone skills.

"Finally... I've come back to life."

In the real world, seeing this, Lin Qing finally felt the breath he had been holding release.

He leaned back.

"I really thought I was going to blow up."

"The result is good, though: Ice Empress Martial Soul, a four-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, plus the torso bone. Another cheat for Huo Gua's starter pack is complete."

He stroked his chin, pondering the "himself" in the projection.

The first half of White Tiger Lin Qing's path was essentially the same dungeon as the one Huo Yuhao walked.

But the differences were quite obvious.

This guy had better talent, a higher starting point, and more solid spirit power.

He had also latched onto the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool technology early on.

Most importantly, he hadn't been fitted with a "dog leash" by a certain "pure and clean" God King.

"His luck is certainly not bad."

Lin Qing muttered to himself.

"I just don't know how he managed to lose with such a good hand."

"Could he have been cocky enough to get himself killed?"

He grew increasingly curious.

The projection didn't give him much time for wild speculation; the scene shifted and continued to play.

[After the Ice Empress's sacrifice concluded, I also began to consider the issue of the third spirit ring for my Spirit Eye Martial Soul. In the original work, Huo Yuhao's second spirit ring was absorbed from a thousand-year Ice Silkworm, granting him the Simulation spirit skill to hide his true self.]

Deep within the glacier, The cold wind scraped like knives.

White Tiger Lin Qing sat cross-legged in an ice cave, eyes closed, appearing as if he were regulating his breath.

In reality, a three-way discussion was taking place within his Spiritual Sea.

"According to our original plan, for your third spirit ring, it would be best to find one from my Ice Silkworm clan."

The voice of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rang out first, carrying a tone of negotiation.

"Get a Simulation spirit skill to hide that terrifying blood-red spirit ring color of yours."

"Playing the pig to eat the tiger—safety first, you know."

Ice Empress didn't speak, merely letting out a cold hum, which counted as tacit agreement.

White Tiger Lin Qing, however, slowly shook his head.

He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.

"In my view, a Simulation spirit skill is a bit of a waste of a slot."

"A waste?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was stunned.

[Huo Yuhao chose the Ice Silkworm clan for his second spirit ring according to Tian Meng's idea, obtaining the Simulation spirit skill to conceal his spirit rings.]

[But in my own opinion, the Simulation spirit skill is a huge waste of a spirit ring slot.]

"A precious spirit ring slot, just to hide the spirit rings of a second Martial Soul?"

White Tiger Lin Qing was blunt.

"Yes, hiding and keeping a low profile when weak in the early stages can save a lot of trouble."

"But what about when I'm strong? When I'm a Titled Douluo? Or even when I become a god?"

"At that point, what use does Simulation have? Having an almost useless spirit skill occupying a spirit ring slot—isn't that extravagant?"

He calculated rapidly in his mind.

Huo Yuhao in the original work chose Simulation because his start was too weak, and he had to survive by lying low.

But what about himself now?

Twin Martial Souls, a four-hundred-thousand-year soul ring as a foundation, and the Sun Moon Empire as a massive tree to lean on.

Is there still a need to lay low?

"I'm wondering that too..."

White Tiger Lin Qing whispered to the air (or rather, to the two entities within his Spiritual Sea).

"Do I really need to hide?"

Lin Qing raised his eyebrows high.

"Oh? Not planning to hide?"

"Is he really going to be that bold?"

In his view, possessing the Ice Empress Martial Soul and a four-hundred-thousand-year soul ring while flaunting them openly was no different from parading through the streets with a sign that read, "Come and rob me of my Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."

It was far too flashy.

But on second thought, White Tiger Lin Qing was not him.

Personality dictates choices.

"This is interesting..."

Lin Qing leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued.

"Let me see what kind of tricks you'll pull if you don't hide."

"Just make sure you don't get yourself killed the moment you step out of the新手村."