"Now all that's left is the Soul Ring. Tian Meng, you can take control of the body."
Snow Empress gave her final instructions. Ice Empress and Elder Yi had already fallen asleep.
All that remained where Ice Empress had been was a blood-red Soul Ring with three golden patterns.
Tian Meng nodded, excitement written across his face. They had created a true monster!
When Huo Yuhao woke again, he found that his wounds had healed.
Looking at his skin, smooth and lustrous as jade, Huo Yuhao let out a long breath. That had been brutal!
"Stop staring. You really are more handsome now."
Snow Empress, who had been standing guard nearby, gave Huo Yuhao a casual once-over and delivered her verdict.
Huo Yuhao felt a little embarrassed, but it did nothing to hide his smile.
As the tattoo of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion appeared on his back, a wild, primeval aura burst forth. Four red Soul Rings marked with golden patterns slowly rose beneath his feet.
A layer of fine, diamond-like scales covered his hands, making his entire arm glitter.
"By the way, how many days was I out?" Huo Yuhao finally remembered to ask.
"Just half a day. A God King's spiritual power really is incredible... Congratulations, Yuhao. We did it!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm popped out too, brimming with excitement.
"What now? Should we go find Xiao Bai and add your Second Soul Ring?" Tian Meng looked at Snow Empress and asked.
Snow Empress pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Save the Second Soul Ring slot for me. I also need time to find the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus from my previous life."
"Oh? The one you used to reincarnate as a human?"
Snow Empress nodded and looked at Huo Yuhao.
"With the Snow Lotus and Tian Meng's Origin helping me, I should be able to give you three Soul Rings and one Soul Bone when I become a Soul Spirit."
"But you gave Yuhao four Soul Rings in your previous life. Doesn't that mean there's not much difference?" Tian Meng asked, voicing his confusion.
Snow Empress explained calmly.
"It's different from my previous life. Back then, I had no consciousness and instinctively wanted more vacant slots. This time, I can actively condense my own power. Add your Origin and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, and the result will naturally be... each Soul Ring can grant two skills."
"???" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Huo Yuhao both fell into a stunned silence. Snow Empress had only granted four skills in her previous life, and they had taken up four Soul Rings.
"Not only that, but with me consciously condensing them, my three skills from my previous life—Emperor Palm, Emperor Sword, and Emperor's Cold Heaven—can all be perfected with just one Soul Ring. It's still not quite as good as Tian Meng's four skills from one ring, but what do you think, Daddy? Are you satisfied?"
At the end, Snow Empress looked at Huo Yuhao playfully.
Huo Yuhao nodded woodenly. He felt as if he'd been walking down the road and stumbled across a Million-Year Soul Ring—his head was spinning. And why wouldn't it be? Snow Empress could give him seven skills, and with the Soul Bone, that made nine!
"I..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm didn't know what to say. After a long moment, he patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.
"Yuhao, you've struck it rich this time."
"Don't get too excited. You have to start adding them from the Second Soul Ring onward to get the result I described. Otherwise, once you reach Level 30, I won't have enough energy to support three Soul Rings." Snow Empress tapped Huo Yuhao on the forehead, bringing him back to his senses.
"All right, stop dawdling. Don't keep your little girlfriend waiting. It's time to go home and meet her parents."
Huo Yuhao's cheeks reddened slightly. He nodded. He had already been here for four days, and it was time to go back. He looked at Snow Empress.
"Then I'm heading back. I'll cultivate to Soul Ancestor as soon as I can, then come find you."
"Mm. Xiao Bai and I will wait for you here. Oh, take this with you." Snow Empress nodded gently and handed Huo Yuhao the object in her hand.
"What is it?"
Huo Yuhao looked at the item in his hand. It was an ice sculpture shaped like Snow Empress, her transcendent bearing and every detail of her pose and expression captured to lifelike perfection.
"Millennium Profound Ice Marrow. There's a wisp of my divine sense inside. It's similar to the Reverse Scale Di Tian gave you in your previous life. Carry it with you, and I'll be able to sense your location. If you run into danger, it can also help scare off whatever's threatening you."
Snow Empress paused, then continued.
"Of course, run if you can. This trick works pretty well on Soul Beasts, but it won't do much against humans."
Huo Yuhao nodded and put it in his ring. "Thank you, Snow Empress."
Snow Empress smiled and gave Huo Yuhao a hug. She whispered in his ear, "Safe travels."
A man in armor yawned as he looked out at the boundless white beyond the city gates, his interest clearly waning.
He was a guard in this town, and it was his turn to stand watch at the gate.
He glanced to the side and sighed. "Little girl, that person probably isn't coming back. I've never heard of anyone staying in the human exclusion zone for so many days. You should stop waiting."
Beside him stood a girl bundled up from head to toe. A scorpion braid spilled from beneath the side of her hood, reaching down to her waist.
Her hat brim sat low. Every so often, when the girl lifted her head, he caught a glimpse of her delicate, round, adorable face, so cute it made him want to pinch her cheek.
The guard had noticed her several days ago. Every day, without fail, she came to the city gate and did nothing but gaze at the snow-covered distance.
Some guards had gone over to ask if she needed help. Before long, everyone knew that a little girl came to the gate every day to wait for someone.
The girl ignored the guard's advice and shook her head gently. Beneath her brim, her eyes stayed fixed on the white expanse, as if afraid she might miss the moment he appeared.
"He'll come back. He promised me."
"Ah..."
The guard shook his head and leaned lazily against the wall. It had snowed heavily for days, and no one would choose to travel in weather like that. Some days, not even one person came into town.
Dusk settled, and night fell. The snowstorm that had raged for days finally stopped. The moon shone bright, the stars were sparse, and the snow on the ground reflected a pale blue light.
Clenching her fists, Xiao Wu lowered her head, her eyes clouded with disappointment. Five days had passed since Huo Yuhao left.
"What's that?" the guard called out.
Xiao Wu jerked her head up and looked into the distance. A figure was flickering faintly in the snow.
It was a good thing the snow had stopped and visibility had improved. Otherwise, the guard might not have noticed the sudden movement.
Before he could say another word, the figure beside him shot away like an arrow loosed from its bow.
The wind rushing toward her blew her hood off, revealing her delicate face. Her scorpion braid came loose and danced in the night sky.
The rabbit ears on her head showed that she had pushed her speed to the limit. Crystalline droplets fell along her path onto the snow—tears called longing.
Huo Yuhao saw the figure running toward him and waved with a smile.
As she drew closer, his expression shifted to shock. Xiao Wu wasn't slowing down at all!
At last, they collided. Or rather, Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around Huo Yuhao's waist, and her tremendous momentum sent him tumbling into the snow.
Lying in the snow, Huo Yuhao stared at the stars, wondering if he was dreaming. He looked down and met Xiao Wu's gaze as she looked up at him, tears already tracing her cheeks.
He touched her soft, round face and said gently, "I'm back."
At those words, Xiao Wu's face crumpled, and she buried it in Huo Yuhao's chest.
Her shoulders shook, and her quiet sobs made Huo Yuhao scratch his head.
Why was she crying again?
At a loss, he could only rest his hand on Xiao Wu's head and gently stroke her hair.
"But I came back, didn't I? When have I ever lied to you?"
"Couldn't you... have come back sooner...? You had to make me... wait so long."
Xiao Wu's voice came in broken snatches between sobs, and her grip around his waist tightened.
When her sobs finally began to quiet, Huo Yuhao said, "Let's go back into town. It's cold out here."
Xiao Wu nodded against his chest. Huo Yuhao immediately sprang to his feet in one swift motion.
As Xiao Wu cried out in surprise, he shifted them into a bridal carry and grinned.
"Boss, do you want me to carry you in my arms or on my back?"
Xiao Wu's face turned a little red. "If you carry me in your arms, you'll see my tear-streaked face. I want a piggyback ride!"
"Your wish is my command."
After setting Xiao Wu down, Huo Yuhao walked ahead and crouched, patting his back.
Xiao Wu's lips curled into a smile. She promptly climbed onto his back and called out,
"Move out!"
"Off we go!"
Huo Yuhao headed toward town. Their shadows fell across the silvery snowdrifts, a scene as beautiful as a painting.
"Why do I feel like Yuhao's suddenly gotten the hang of things? Bingbing! Let's do it too. Do you want me to carry you in my arms or on my back?" Tian Meng howled from within the spiritual space.
"Get lost!" Ice Empress's clear voice rang out, brief and to the point.
"Coming right up..."