Far North

After leaving the Nine Treasures Pavilion, Huo Yuhao wandered casually through the streets of Shrek City.

Meanwhile, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his Spiritual Sea remained busy, constantly sweeping the surroundings with spiritual power.

Only after Huo Yuhao returned to his residence did Tian Meng finally relax completely. He manifested from Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea, wrapped his arms around Huo Yuhao's neck, and clung to his back like a koala, his face brimming with delight.

"Yuhao, I never expected the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect really wouldn't send any Title Douluo to follow us! We've truly struck it rich this time."

Back at the Nine Treasures Pavilion, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had already sensed the auras of several Title Douluo, leaving him anxious the entire time, terrified that they might expose themselves.

"I told you long ago not to worry, Tian Meng. I chose the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect as our trading partner only after careful consideration."

Feeling the soft warmth against his back, Huo Yuhao gently supported Tian Meng's backside to keep him from slipping down.

Over the past half month, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had indeed become increasingly physically affectionate with him. Every time he spoke, he had to hug him. But seeing how happy he looked, Huo Yuhao had no intention of correcting this increasingly intimate behavior.

Carrying Tian Meng on his back, he walked into the room while continuing his explanation.

"Compared with the imperial families of the Douluo Three Empires, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is a merchant organization. As a sect that has endured for ten thousand years through an auxiliary martial soul inheritance, they understand better what it means to prosper through harmony and mutual benefit."

After all, the imperial families had far more matters to consider than a sect did.

As for Shrek Academy, it had never been within Huo Yuhao's considerations from the start.

He had not forgotten the Golden Ancient Tree within Shrek Academy's Inner Court, the one capable of releasing the Sea God's Light. The ties between Shrek Academy and Tang San ran far too deep.

If not for the people in Shrek Academy whom he could not bear to leave behind, he likely would never have considered reenrolling there.

The world was a vast expanse of white. Howling winds carried fine ice crystals, spreading a bone-piercing white mist. Other than the roar of the wind and the patter of snow pellets, no other sound could be heard.

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

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

Within the Spiritual Sea, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had changed into an exceptionally thick silkworm-shaped set of pajamas, wrapping himself up tightly. Yet his baby-faced features were filled with worry.

"If we anger her, the two of us will truly be finished here."

Huo Yuhao was somewhat helpless. Tian Meng had truly become rather nagging now, and he was growing less ambitious by the day. Although he still loved sleeping just as he had in his previous life, now he had to hold Huo Yuhao to sleep every day.

"Tian Meng, I came to the Far North this time not only because of my second martial soul. More importantly, I need to find Snow Empress and have her accompany me somewhere."

"What? Yuhao, you're going to find Snow Empress too?"

Tian Meng was so anxious within the Spiritual Sea that he stomped his feet, terror flashing through his eyes. "Yuhao, you never told me about this before!"

In his original plan, even if negotiations with Ice Empress failed, he could still use his teleportation ability to send Huo Yuhao several hundred miles away.

But what difference would a few hundred miles make to Snow Empress? Wouldn't she catch up in minutes?

"Tian Meng, Snow Empress is different."

Different? How was she different?

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who was pacing anxiously in circles within the Spiritual Sea, was filled with confusion upon hearing that.

The speculation he had formed when he first encountered Huo Yuhao surfaced in his mind once more.

Seeing the reminiscence and sorrow in Huo Yuhao's eyes, Tian Meng did not know why, but a sour ache inexplicably welled up in his heart, as though something were blocking it.

"Yuhao, then... then I'll begin."

After calming himself, Tian Meng's gaze turned resolute.

Amid intense spiritual fluctuations, two Soul Rings quietly emerged around Huo Yuhao. The dense, profound purple Soul Rings pulsed continuously around his body.

At that moment, throughout a radius of ten thousand miles in the Core Zone of the Far North, the light rapidly dimmed, as though daylight had instantly fallen into night.

An invisible majesty expanded in an instant. Accompanied by incomparably terrifying spiritual power, it blossomed outward in every direction with Huo Yuhao's body at its center.

At the same time, the two Soul Rings that had originally been purple around Huo Yuhao began to slowly change color.

The purple gradually deepened into a dark black; the black continued to shift, turning blood-red; finally, the red faded away and settled into a dazzling orange-gold, radiating brilliant light.

A massive golden silkworm phantom slowly appeared behind Huo Yuhao.

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

The sky grew darker and darker. Dark clouds hung low, nearly pressing down upon their heads, making the atmosphere between heaven and earth increasingly solemn.

At this moment, tens of thousands of Soul Beasts throughout the Far North fled in panic.

But the ink-black clouds suddenly rippled violently. Immediately afterward, from the distant northern horizon, a layer of jade-green light spread over in an instant.

The black sky turned jade-green in the blink of an eye, and the oppressive atmosphere in the air vanished completely at that moment, disappearing without a trace.

"Tian Meng, you really are still alive."

A clear voice sounded from all directions, echoing between heaven and earth.

As the voice appeared, it was accompanied by a terrifying sound wave. The thick snow on the ground was almost instantly swept several meters into the air.

"What? Have you returned this time to voluntarily let me eat you?"

The clear voice sounded again, carrying a lofty contempt.

A jade-green streak cut across the sky. With what seemed like just a flash of green light, a scorpion roughly one and a half meters long appeared before them.

Her body was covered in countless hexagonal protrusions that gleamed brilliantly, emitting incomparable jade-green radiance.

Her eyes were hexagonal, as though set with yellow diamonds. Six slender yet powerful legs supported her enormous body.

The raised tail behind her had only five jade-green joints, shimmering with the glow of life. Yet the hook at its tip possessed a silvery-white, mirror-like sheen and emitted a biting chill.

"Tian Meng, why won't you show yourself and meet me? And who is this human?"

Ice Empress's gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao. Naturally, she could tell that the golden silkworm phantom before her was merely Tian Meng's spiritual body.

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