What? The Snow Empress Wants In, Too!

The blizzards of the Eternal Frozen Domain finally began to die down at the moment Ice Empress's sacrifice was complete.

Huo Yuhao stood quietly atop the azure ten-thousand-year-old ice, a halo of emerald and ice blue swirling around him.

The Ice God Martial Soul slowly unfurled behind him. The source power of the four-hundred-thousand-year-old Ice Jade Empress Scorpion had perfectly merged with the vast divinity of the Heart of the Ice God. The Ultimate Ice was so frigid that ripples of freezing shimmered faintly through the surrounding space.

He slowly clenched his fists, feeling the Soul Power surging endlessly through his body. His strength had soared from Level 29 all the way to Level 35, making him a Soul Elder. His heart pounded with excitement.

After ten years of keeping his head down and traveling a thousand miles, he had gained a Second Martial Soul that others could only dream of and set foot on the peak path of Twin Martial Souls.

In his Spiritual Sea, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm circled the newly formed phantom of Ice Empress, chattering away about something.

Ice Empress had shed her former violent, haughty demeanor. Her emerald eyes were filled with relief, and when she occasionally glanced at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, there was less hostility in her gaze and more of a softness that was hard to put into words.

Electrolux floated quietly beside the Life Gold, golden holy light slowly flowing around him. Watching the scene before him, he wore a gratified smile on his aged face.

High above the Eternal Frozen Domain, Snow Empress hovered silently, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao below as her thoughts surged.

She was the ruler of the Far North, a Heavenly Snow Woman with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, and one of the Soul Beasts on Douluo Continent closest to reaching the limit of Ferocious Beasts.

She had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. She had seen the greed and treachery of countless human Soul Masters, and witnessed countless Soul Beast companions hunted for their Soul Rings. She understood the fate of Soul Beasts better than anyone.

No matter how great their cultivation, they could never break through the shackles barring them from godhood. In the end, they either perished when their lifespans ran out or were hunted by human Soul Masters, their souls scattered to the winds.

For tens of thousands of years, she had tried time and time again to break this fate, yet she had never been able to. The chasm between Soul Beasts and humans, the barrier along the path to godhood, had loomed like a mountain, pressing down on her until she could barely breathe.

But today, she had witnessed a different possibility with her own eyes.

Ice Empress, a four-hundred-thousand-year-old Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and her companion who had guarded the Far North alongside her for tens of thousands of years, had sacrificed herself—and not only had she avoided having her soul scattered, she had retained her complete consciousness and source. She now coexisted with this human boy and had even touched the divine realm she had dreamed of.

What shook Snow Empress even more was the Heart of the Ice God within Huo Yuhao.

It held the complete source and inheritance of the Ice God, a power that truly belonged to a deity.

As the ruler of the Far North Ice Plains, she had spent her life pursuing the peak of the Ultimate Ice. Yet before the Heart of the Ice God, the Ultimate Ice she had always been so proud of was no more than a drop in the ocean.

She could clearly sense that this boy's future was boundless. If she followed him, perhaps she could break the fate that kept Soul Beasts from becoming gods, inherit the Ice God's legacy alongside him, and enter the divine realm she had never dared imagine.

More importantly, she could sense the boundless aura of the Dragon God within the boy's Spiritual Sea, along with the presence of that Holy Necromancer.

Perhaps following this boy and becoming his ally was a far safer path than groping her way forward alone.

Although a treasure like the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus could let her transform into human form without a hitch, she could not be sure what lay ahead. Rather than gamble on that uncertain possibility, she would seize the opportunity before her.

Besides, with Snow Empress investing in Huo Yuhao herself, and so many allies helping him, it would be downright unreasonable if he failed to become a god.

The hesitation and uncertainty in Snow Empress's ice-blue eyes gradually faded, leaving only absolute resolve.

Snow Empress slowly descended and landed in front of Huo Yuhao.

As Huo Yuhao was feeling the changes in his strength, a wave of frigid power, even more vast than Ice Empress's, suddenly swept over him. He snapped back to his senses and looked at the ruler of the Far North before him. He hurriedly bowed and said respectfully, "This junior, Huo Yuhao, pays his respects to Senior Snow Empress."

He knew very well that she was a top Ferocious Beast with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, a being who truly stood at the summit of the Soul Beast world. Even ordinary Super Douluo would have to give her a wide berth.

Snow Empress looked at the ten-year-old boy before her. She saw the clarity and resolve in his eyes, and sensed the aura that perfectly harmonized with the Heart of the Ice God. She gave a slight nod.

Her cool voice rang out, carrying an unquestionable resolve. "Little one, I have a question for you. Would you accept my aid? I am willing to sacrifice myself to you and become your Soul Ring, just like Bing'er, to pave your path to godhood."

At those words, Huo Yuhao froze in place, his eyes wide with disbelief. He thought he must have misheard her.

"Se... Senior, what did you say?" Huo Yuhao stammered, his mind going blank.

Another sacrifice? This happiness had come far too suddenly!

The Heavenly Snow Woman, one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, was actually offering herself to him!

It was utterly unthinkable! Forget a seven-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast—even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would never willingly sacrifice itself to a human. And Snow Empress was the ruler of the Far North, one of the few top Ferocious Beasts on the entire continent!

In the Spiritual Sea, Sky Dream was still chattering away beside Ice Empress. Ice Empress, who had been fretting over all this, looked stunned for a moment when she heard the news.

Ice Empress jerked her head up and looked at Snow Empress outside. Delight crept into her voice. "Xue'er, have you really made up your mind?"

Deep down, Ice Empress also hoped Snow Empress would join them. After all, the chance to become a god came only once; if they missed it, it would never come again.

But Snow Empress was a seven-hundred-thousand-year Ferocious Beast, with three hundred thousand years more cultivation than her. The gap between them was no small thing. In human terms, Ice Empress's cultivation was roughly equivalent to that of an established Level 97 Super Douluo, while Snow Empress stood at the Limit level.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was also dumbfounded, his eight pairs of tiny legs flailing. "Snow Empress! Think this through! With a source that's lasted seven hundred thousand years, if anything goes wrong during the sacrifice, your divine soul will be destroyed. You won't even get the chance to reincarnate!"

They knew better than anyone just how risky it was for a seven-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast to sacrifice itself. Even Ice Empress's four-hundred-thousand-year sacrifice had been fraught with danger. Without the Heart of the Ice God and Electrolux protecting him, Huo Yuhao would already have been burst apart by the force of her source.

If Snow Empress sacrificed herself with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, any loss of control would freeze not only Huo Yuhao but the entire Eternal Frozen Domain, reducing it to nothingness.

But Snow Empress only cast a cool glance toward the Spiritual Sea before turning her gaze back to Huo Yuhao. Her voice remained calm. "I've made up my mind. I've lived for seven hundred thousand years, trapped in these Far North Ice Plains, unable to break free of the fate of Soul Beasts. I see the possibility of godhood in him, and I see the end of the path of ice."

Snow Empress knew how great the risks were, but she had chosen to follow her heart. Risk and opportunity went hand in hand. Success would mean a chance at godhood; even if she failed, she would have no regrets.

Looking at the unshakable resolve in Snow Empress's eyes, Huo Yuhao's heart pounded wildly. He knew exactly what this meant. With the sacrifice of a seven-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Snow Woman, his Ice God Martial Soul would have the most terrifying Soul Ring Configuration on the continent. His future achievements would be limitless.

But he also knew how immense the risks behind this opportunity were. He looked at Snow Empress, took a deep breath, and spoke earnestly.

"Senior Snow Empress, I'm grateful for your trust. But a sacrifice from a seven-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast is far too dangerous. If anything goes wrong, I'll never be able to make amends, even if I die a thousand times. You..."

"Say no more." Snow Empress raised a hand and cut him off, a faint smile flickering in her ice-blue eyes.

"Since I dared to make this decision, I have confidence in it. Besides, that senior in your Spiritual Sea is there to help, isn't he?"

As she spoke, she looked toward Huo Yuhao's brow. Clearly, she had sensed Electrolux's presence.

Electrolux slowly opened his eyes in the Spiritual Sea. His aged voice rang out with a laugh through the entire sea and reached Snow Empress as well.

"What a Heavenly Snow Woman—bold and decisive. Little one, since Snow Empress has made up her mind, accept her offer. Even if I have to burn away this last wisp of my soul, I will protect you all."

With Electrolux's promise, most of Huo Yuhao's worries vanished at once.

He bowed deeply to Snow Empress, his voice ringing with the earnestness of a young man. "Thank you for trusting me, Senior Snow Empress! I, Huo Yuhao, swear here and now that if I one day ascend to godhood, I will not fail you in this trust. I will share my divine lifespan with all of you."

Snow Empress looked at his solemn expression and nodded with satisfaction.

The next second, she slowly raised her hand. A halo of ice-blue light flew from her fingertips and spread toward the depths of the Far North.

It was a summons from the ruler of the Far North. Before long, two enormous figures burst through the snow and sped toward them.

At the front was a giant snow ape over a hundred meters tall, its entire body covered in snowy white fur and its muscles knotted. Its bell-like eyes were filled with ferocity. It was the third of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, the Titan Snow Demon King, a top Soul Beast with two hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Following behind it was an enormous ice bear, snowy white and adorably clumsy. Yet the aura it radiated was that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. It was Ice Bear King Xiaobai, Snow Empress's adopted son.

As soon as they landed, the two saw Snow Empress and immediately bowed. The Titan Snow Demon King rumbled, "Your Majesty, you summoned us. What are your orders?"

Xiao Bai also swayed his enormous body, moved close to Snow Empress, and rubbed against her skirt, giving a low, mournful whimper. His eyes were full of attachment.

Snow Empress looked at the Far North Ice Plains she had guarded for hundreds of thousands of years, and at the two subordinates she trusted most. Her cool voice rang out slowly as she gave instructions for what would come after her departure.

"I am going to sacrifice myself to this human boy and continue to exist in another form. After I'm gone, A-Tai, you will temporarily take my place as ruler of the Far North. Xiao Bai, you must do your utmost to assist A-Tai and guard the Far North together. Do not let any human Soul Master trespass into the core region and harm our people."

"Xiao Bai, you're too playful, so you will stay in the Eternal Frozen Domain and cultivate in seclusion. You may not leave without good reason. Remember, whatever happens in the future, A-Tai's orders are my orders. You must not disobey."

At these words, the Titan Snow Demon King and Xiao Bai both froze in place, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!" The Titan Snow Demon King dropped to his knees. His massive body slammed into the ice with a deafening boom.

"You are the Lord of the Far North! How can you sacrifice yourself to a human child? Human Soul Masters are all greedy and treacherous. They don't deserve such a sacrifice from you!"

Xiao Bai panicked too. He clung tightly to Snow Empress's leg, whimpering anxiously and shaking his head over and over, refusing to let her sacrifice herself.