Far North

Huo Yuhao left the Nine Treasures Pavilion and strolled aimlessly through the streets of Shrek City.

Within his spiritual sea, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was busy, constantly sweeping her spiritual power across the surroundings.

It was not until Huo Yuhao returned to his residence that Tian Meng finally set her mind at ease. She manifested from his spiritual sea, wrapped her arms around Huo Yuhao's neck, and hung on his back like a koala, her face beaming with joy.

"Yuhao, I really didn't expect the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect to actually refrain from sending Titled Douluo to tail us! We've truly struck it rich this time."

Back at the Nine Treasures Pavilion, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had sensed the presence of several Titled Douluo, which had kept her on edge, terrified of slipping up.

"I told you already, Sister Tian Meng, there was no need to worry. I gave careful consideration to choosing the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect as our trading partner."

Huo Yuhao felt the warmth against his back and gently hoisted Tian Meng's bottom to keep her from sliding down.

Over the past half-month, the physical contact between the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and his body had indeed increased; she insisted on hugging him every time she spoke. However, seeing her happy expression, Huo Yuhao didn't feel like correcting her increasingly intimate behavior.

He carried Tian Meng as he walked into the room, continuing his explanation:

"Compared to the royal families of the three Douluo empires, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is a merchant guild. As a sect that has passed down auxiliary martial souls for ten thousand years, they understand better than anyone what it means to value harmony and mutual benefit."

After all, for an imperial royal family, the factors they had to consider were far more complex than those of a sect.

As for Shrek Academy, it had never been within the scope of Huo Yuhao's considerations from the very beginning.

He had not forgotten the Golden Ancient Tree within the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy, the one capable of releasing the Sea God's Light. The entanglement between Shrek Academy and Tang San was simply too deep.

If not for the people within Shrek Academy whom he could not bear to abandon, he likely would never have considered re-enrolling there.

The world was a vast expanse of white, with howling winds carrying fine ice crystals that created a bone-chilling white mist. Aside from the roar of the wind and the sound of snow particles colliding, nothing else could be heard.

A trail of uneven footprints stretched behind Huo Yuhao into the distance, only to be quickly covered by the wind and snow, vanishing without a trace.

"Yuhao, are you really in such a rush? Bingbing isn't as easy to talk to as I am."

Inside the spiritual sea, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had changed into an extremely thick, silkworm-shaped pajama set, bundled up tightly, yet her baby-faced expression was full of worry.

"If you provoke her, we're both going to end up dead here."

Huo Yuhao felt a bit helpless; Sister Tian Meng had truly become a nag, and she was losing her drive. Although she still loved to sleep just like in his past life, she now insisted on hugging him to sleep every single day.

"Sister Tian Meng, the reason I came to the Far North this time, besides my second martial soul, is primarily to find the Snow Empress and have her accompany me to a certain place."

"What? You're going to look for the Snow Empress, too?"

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in the spiritual sea stomped her feet in a panic, her eyes filled with terror. "Yuhao, you never told me about this!"

In her original plan, even if the negotiations with the Ice Empress failed, she could rely on her teleportation ability to send Huo Yuhao hundreds of miles away.

But what difference would a few hundred miles make to the Snow Empress? She could catch up in a matter of minutes.

"Sister Tian Meng, the Snow Empress is different."

Different? How was she different?

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, pacing frantically inside the spiritual sea, was filled with confusion at these words.

The conjecture she had formed when she first met Huo Yuhao surfaced in her mind once again.

Watching the reminiscence and sorrow in Huo Yuhao's eyes, Tian Meng felt an inexplicable, sour ache in her heart, as if something were blocking her throat.

"Yuhao, then... then I'm starting."

After calming her emotions, Tian Meng's gaze turned resolute.

Accompanied by violent spiritual fluctuations, two soul rings quietly emerged from Huo Yuhao's body, the rich, deep purple rings pulsing rhythmically around him.

At this moment, within a radius of ten thousand miles in the core region of the Far North, the light dimmed rapidly, as if the day had plunged into night in an instant.

An invisible majesty expanded instantly, accompanied by terrifying spiritual power that bloomed from Huo Yuhao's body in all directions.

At the same time, the two soul rings on Huo Yuhao, which had originally been purple, began to change color slowly.

The purple deepened into a profound black; the black continued to swirl, turning into a blood-like red; finally, the red faded, settling into a dazzling orange-gold that radiated brilliant light.

A massive golden silkworm silhouette slowly emerged behind Huo Yuhao.

"Ice Empress, I know you have sensed my presence. Do you dare to come out and meet me?"

The sky grew darker, with heavy clouds hanging so low they seemed to press against his head, making the atmosphere between heaven and earth grow increasingly heavy.

In the Far North, thousands of soul beasts were now fleeing in terror.

But the pitch-black clouds suddenly fluctuated violently, and immediately after, a layer of emerald light spread instantly from the distant northern horizon.

The dark sky turned emerald in an instant, and the oppressive atmosphere in the air vanished in that same moment, disappearing without a trace.

"Tian Meng, you really are still alive."

A crisp voice rang out from all directions, echoing between heaven and earth.

The appearance of this voice was accompanied by a terrifying sonic wave, and the thick snow on the ground was lifted several meters high in an instant.

"What? Did you come back this time intending to let me eat you?"

The crisp voice sounded again, its tone carrying a sense of condescending disdain.

A streak of emerald light cut a horizontal line across the sky. Almost in a flash of green, a scorpion about one and a half meters long appeared before them.

Her body was covered in countless hexagonal protrusions that shimmered with a brilliant luster, radiating an incomparable emerald glow.

Her eyes were hexagonal, appearing as if they were inlaid with yellow diamonds. Six long, powerful legs supported her massive frame.

The long tail arched behind her consisted of only five emerald-colored segments, gleaming with the luster of life. However, the hook at the tip of the scorpion tail possessed a silver-white, mirror-like sheen, emitting a piercing chill.

"Tian Meng, why do you not reveal yourself to meet me? And who is this human?"

Ice Empress's gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao. She could naturally tell that the golden silkworm shadow before her was merely Tian Meng's spiritual projection.

As for the human standing before the golden silkworm shadow, although he gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity, in her eyes, he remained as insignificant as an ant.