Assassination

"Bingbing, why have you stopped talking now? I still prefer that unyielding look you had just a moment ago."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm circled around Ice Empress, who had been bound into a pretzel by his own doing. He wore a cheeky grin, occasionally reaching out to poke her massive front pincers.

Ice Empress was driven to distraction by these incessant actions. She twisted her body desperately, attempting to break free from the golden silk threads, but the threads were exceptionally tough; no matter how hard she struggled, she could not shake them in the slightest.

"Alright, Bingbing, stop wasting your energy." Tian Meng watched her futile struggle, his tone filled with smugness. "This was formed from my molted shell. Even if you struggle until you are completely exhausted, it is impossible for you to break free."

Ice Empress stopped struggling and looked at the petite, golden-haired girl before her, saying coldly:

"Heh, even if I cannot break free, do you really think a piece of trash like you has any way to kill me?"

In terms of direct combat power, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm would struggle even against a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Although he had cultivated for a million years, he was like a treasure mountain—possessing supreme riches but having no idea how to use them.

If measured by the methods of human soul masters, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was a powerhouse with terrifying soul power, yet he possessed not a single soul ring or soul skill.

When facing opponents whose cultivation was vastly inferior to his own, he could rely on the absolute intensity of his spiritual power to defeat them.

But once he encountered an enemy with actual strength, he was helpless. After all, no matter how vast one's spiritual power might be, if it could not be condensed into effective means of attack, its lethality remained limited.

If not for this, given Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's original million-year cultivation, even if he had possessed just one skill, there likely would have been few soul beasts on the Douluo Continent capable of posing a threat to him.

Tian Meng did not pick up on Ice Empress's jab, instead running back to Huo Yuhao's side. With a flash, he merged into those two orange-gold soul rings.

A powerful, dense surge of spiritual energy poured out like a tidal wave, instantly shrouding the area.

Ice Empress's heart suddenly trembled violently. I will die. I will absolutely die.

Although she did not understand what had happened or what Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had done, at this moment, the human who had seemed so unremarkable in her eyes now possessed the absolute ability to kill her.

However, as one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, Ice Empress had her own pride. She could not bow to a human, and she certainly could not submit to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm she had always looked down upon.

She simply closed her eyes and spoke coldly:

"Hmph, kill me then."

"Ice Empress, we come with good intentions."

"Heh, good intentions? Is that what you call tying me up like this? Truly, typical of the human species."

Ice Empress clearly did not believe what Huo Yuhao said, her tone dripping with heavy sarcasm. "But how much better are you than me? To actually become a puppet controlled by Tian Meng."

Before Huo Yuhao could respond, Tian Meng, who had merged into the soul ring, poked his head out and shouted in rebuttal:

"Bingbing, Yuhao is not my puppet! Yuhao is my most important partner, and we are going to become gods together!"

"Become gods?"

Hearing these two words, a flash of surprise crossed Ice Empress's eyes. When she broke through the three-hundred-thousand-year bottleneck, she had damaged her origin, and now she could not even survive the four-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation.

Now, hearing the words "become gods" from Tian Meng's mouth made her feel somewhat ridiculous. "Just based on a piece of trash like you, Tian Meng?"

Perhaps because of the inexplicable sense of familiarity from before, or perhaps because Tian Meng said Huo Yuhao was not his puppet, Ice Empress rarely refrained from including Huo Yuhao in her mockery.

The smile on Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's face remained unchanged; clearly, he had a high immunity to Ice Empress's venomous tongue. Instead, he revealed an excited expression and began to elaborate on the great God-Making Project he had envisioned.

Ice Empress initially wore a look of disdain, but as Tian Meng continued, her expression grew solemn. Finally, she asked: "Tian Meng, what percentage of success do you have?"

Clearly, Ice Empress had been moved by Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's words. She had less than a hundred years of life left and no ability to survive the next heavenly tribulation; she had to consider other options.

However, the next moment, Tian Meng suddenly added:

"Unfortunately, this plan has been disrupted. Now, Yuhao wants to use you to pay a visit to the Snow Empress."

The more Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke, the lower his voice became, as he clearly understood the complex and subtle relationship between Ice Empress and the Snow Empress.

Unexpectedly, Ice Empress did not fly into a rage. She remained silent for a moment, then asked instead:

"Human, what are your thoughts? According to Tian Meng's plan, I could indeed agree to become your second martial soul and become a soul spirit to help you become a god."

"But the Snow Empress is absolutely impossible. She is even prouder than I am. If she sees the two of you, I fear you won't even be able to keep your lives."

Ice Empress did not know why she had spoken up to warn Huo Yuhao—perhaps it was because of that inexplicable sense of familiarity about him?

"It's fine. I have a way to persuade the Snow Empress. I ask that you please help me contact her."

A gentle smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face.

"Very well. If the Snow Empress gets angry, I will try my best to save your lives."

Ice Empress did not try to dissuade him further, though curiosity stirred within her. She wanted to know what method this human would use to persuade the Snow Empress.

After all, the Snow Empress's seven-hundred-thousand-year limit was also approaching, and she did not want to watch the Snow Empress be reduced to ashes under the heavenly tribulation.

As Huo Yuhao and Ice Empress signed the contract, Tian Meng retracted the molted shell that had been binding her.

Ice Empress's body shuddered, and a dazzling emerald light erupted from her tail, dyeing the originally gray-white sky a vibrant green. This light continued to spread toward the deepest reaches of the Far North.

"Snow Empress, are you there?"

Ice Empress's voice was transmitted through soul power, drifting into the distance.

A moment later, a cold, clear voice echoed in her ears:

"Bing'er, what is it?"

"Could you come over to my position?"

"Fine."

The answer was concise and clear; this was the style of the Snow Empress.

At this moment, a vertical pupil appeared on Huo Yuhao's forehead, blooming with brilliant golden light as the phantom of a Golden Giant Pupil manifested behind him.

The two orange-gold spirit rings on Huo Yuhao's body then embedded themselves into the Golden Giant Pupil, causing the phantom to become somewhat more solid.

The Ice Empress, having just finished transmitting a message to the Snow Empress, froze in place, her eyes locked onto the phantom behind Huo Yuhao, filled with disbelief.

A divine artifact?!

Before the Ice Empress could react, the Golden Giant Pupil radiated a golden glow, and amidst the shimmering, flowing light, a blurry image emerged, only to become clear in the blink of an eye.