Level-Nine Soul Engineer's Storage Soul Tool

"Wait for me." After saying that, the Ice Empress flashed forward, already flying toward the black-robed man.

Lin Yaoyang hid behind an ice mound, poking out half his head to watch.

He saw the Ice Empress fly above the black-robed man as dazzling emerald-green light suddenly erupted from her body. Like a sun forged from jade, the radiance dyed the blizzard for miles around green.

Then, her body rapidly expanded within the light.

In the blink of an eye, the petite twin-tailed girl vanished. In her place stood a massive scorpion!

The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion!

This was not Lin Yaoyang's first time seeing the Ice Empress's true form, but every time he saw it, he was shaken by the aura of ultimate beauty and killing intent existing side by side.

The front half of its body was layered with four tiers of translucent white armor tinged with green, as though sculpted from ice. It gleamed with crystalline icy luster, every layer smooth as a mirror and reflecting the surrounding snowstorm.

Its six scorpion legs were long and sharp, like six frigid blades, deeply embedded in the ice.

Its pincers glinted coldly, capable of tearing through the air with the slightest movement. Its tail was raised high, with only five segments, its hook silver-white as a mirror and gleaming with an eerie chill amid the snow.

The black-robed man clearly sensed the danger and abruptly looked up.

Lin Yaoyang could not see his face, but he could sense the man's aura becoming violent in an instant.

The lights of Soul Tools flickered one after another across his body.

But it was already too late.

"Domain of Eternal Freeze!"

The Ice Empress's voice echoed between heaven and earth, carrying a majesty that did not belong to humans.

"Wrath of the Ice Emperor!"

"Ice..."

Everything returned to silence.

The black-robed man's corpse fell from the sky and smashed into the ice, sending shards flying. The Soul Tool equipment on his body scattered across the ground, gleaming in various colors beneath the gray sky.

With a flash of light, the Ice Empress returned to her twin-tailed little girl form in an emerald-green dress. She clapped her hands and waved Lin Yaoyang over.

"Done! Come here!"

Lin Yaoyang jogged over, crouched down, and began searching the black-robed man's corpse.

The Ice Empress leaned closer, watching curiously as he searched. "What are you looking for?"

"His storage Soul Tool!" Lin Yaoyang replied without looking up. "A Level-Nine Soul Engineer's storage Soul Tool must have plenty of good stuff inside."

He searched the black-robed man for a while before finally finding what he wanted on the man's left hand.

It was a pitch-black bracelet of unknown material. It felt heavy in his hand, and faint silver patterns flowed across its surface.

A Level-Nine Soul Engineer's storage bracelet.

Lin Yaoyang's eyes lit up. He swiftly removed the bracelet and slipped it into his pocket.

"All done?" the Ice Empress asked.

"All done." Lin Yaoyang stood and brushed the ice chips from his knees.

"Then let's go home." The Ice Empress took his hand, wrapped them both in Soul Power, and rose into the air, flying toward the depths of the Core Zone.

Snow Palace.

The Snow Empress stood at the palace entrance, her white gown fluttering gently in the wind. Her snow-white hair cascaded down her back, while her sky-blue eyes reflected the boundless blizzard.

When she saw the Ice Empress and Lin Yaoyang appear in the distance, the corners of her lips rose slightly in a gentle smile.

The two landed, and the Snow Empress stepped forward to greet them.

Naturally, she reached out and stroked Lin Yaoyang's head, her touch as soft as though she were caressing a fragile treasure. "Yao Yang, welcome back."

Lin Yaoyang was already twelve years old and nearly as tall as the Snow Empress's shoulder. He still felt a little embarrassed at being patted on the head like this.

He tilted his head slightly and said helplessly, "Sister Xue'er, I'm already this big, and you're still patting my head?"

The Snow Empress's smile deepened. Rather than withdrawing her hand, she rubbed his hair twice more. "What? Now that you've grown up, I can't pat your head anymore? Or is it that... you dislike Sister Xue'er now?"

"Of course not." Lin Yaoyang hurriedly grabbed her hand and held it gently, saying with a grin, "I like Sister Xue'er the most. I want to grow old with Sister Xue'er!"

The moment those words fell, the air suddenly went quiet for an instant.

The Ice Empress's expression changed. She lifted her short little leg and kicked Lin Yaoyang's shin. "Hey, hey, hey, that's enough, you two!"

With her hands on her hips, she huffed angrily. "You little pervert, I'm still right here! You dare say things like that right in front of me?"

The Snow Empress also smiled as she withdrew the hand Lin Yaoyang had been holding. She extended a jade-like finger and lightly poked his forehead. "Little guy, don't think I don't know what growing old together means."

Though she said that, her eyes were full of indulgent amusement.

The little guy she had raised for twelve years was actually starting to covet them.

Really... she'd raised him into a bad boy.

That was what the Snow Empress thought, yet she could not suppress the curve of her lips.

After they fooled around for a while, the Snow Empress turned serious. "How long will you be staying this time?"

Over the past six years, Lin Yaoyang had spent most of his time cultivating in the Dou Ling Empire, returning to the Extreme North only once in a while. The Snow Empress and Ice Empress took turns accompanying him outside—one stayed with him as he cultivated, while the other guarded the Extreme North.

Lin Yaoyang put away his playful expression. "Two months."

He paused, then looked up at the Snow Empress, his gaze serious.

"Sister Xue'er, after that... I want to visit an academy."

The Snow Empress froze slightly.

The Ice Empress was also stunned, the smile on her face stiffening for a moment.

"An academy?" the two women spoke almost at the same time.

"Why?" the Ice Empress pressed, a trace of barely perceptible panic in her voice.

Over the years, they had grown accustomed to having Lin Yaoyang by their side. Although he had spent most of those six years in the Dou Ling Empire, at least one of them had always been with him.

If he went to an academy...

Then they definitely would not be able to follow him.

Too many eyes watched the human world. If their identities were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Sister Xue'er, Sister Bing'er," Lin Yaoyang said earnestly, "people must eventually encounter the outside world. Only by going out can I see more things and become stronger faster."

"Hmph!" The Ice Empress gave a delicate snort, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away. "Your constitution is so miraculous that you can increase your Soul Power just by basking in the sun. Even if you do nothing, you can slowly grow stronger. Why do you insist on going to some academy?"

Lin Yaoyang laughed. "Sister Bing'er, a miraculous constitution is one thing, but I still can't neglect hard work. Basking in the sun can't fill my stomach."

"I don't care! I don't care!" The Ice Empress turned back around, her little face puffed up like a pufferfish. "If you leave, who will keep us company? Who..."

Her voice suddenly caught.

Lin Yaoyang stepped forward and gently took her small hand. The Ice Empress's hand was tiny, soft, and faintly cold. He held it tightly, as though trying to pass his warmth to her.

"Sister Bing'er, don't be like this." His voice was soft and gentle. "It's not like I won't come back after I leave. Whenever the academy has breaks, I'll come back to see you. I'll return at least two or three times a year, all right?"

The Ice Empress raised her head and looked at the young man before her, who stood a head taller than she did.

Twelve years.

From a wailing infant to the articulate, confident, and composed young man he was now.

She had watched him learn to walk, learn to speak, learn to call her "Sister Bing," and learn to wield his first sword.

When he first fell while learning to walk, she had been the first to rush over and pick him up.

When he first spoke, he had not called out "Sister Xue," but rather a muddled "Bingbing."

It was the strange sound he had made as a child, unable to pronounce "Sister" properly.

She had been proud of that for a long time.

After twelve years spent together day and night, he had long become an indispensable part of her life.

But now, he said he was leaving.

"But... but... I..."