Return

"The only thing left now is the soul ring. Tianmeng, take control of the body."

Ice Empress gave the final command, as Ice Emperor and Elder Yi had already fallen into a deep slumber.

Where Ice Emperor had originally been, only a blood-red soul ring with three golden patterns remained.

Tianmeng nodded, his expression excited; they had created a true monster!

When Huo Yuhao woke up again, he found that the wounds on his body had already healed.

Looking at his skin, which was as crystalline as jade, Huo Yuhao let out a long breath. That was too difficult!

"Stop looking. You really did get even more handsome."

Ice Empress, who had been keeping watch on the side, glanced at Huo Yuhao casually and gave her assessment.

Huo Yuhao felt a bit embarrassed, but that couldn't hide the smile on his face.

As an Ice Jade Empress Scorpion tattoo appeared on his back, a wild, primal aura was instantly released, and four red soul rings with golden patterns slowly rose beneath his feet.

His hands were also covered in a layer of diamond-like fine particles, making his entire arm look like it was shimmering.

"Right, how many days was I unconscious?" Huo Yuhao suddenly remembered to ask.

"Just half a day. The spiritual power of the God King realm is truly formidable... Congratulations, Yuhao, we succeeded!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm also ran out, looking extremely excited.

"What do we do now? Should we go find Xiao Bai directly to attach the second soul ring?" Tianmeng looked at Ice Empress and asked.

Ice Empress thought for a moment and shook her head. "Leave the second soul ring slot for me, and I still need time to search for that Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus from my past life."

"Oh? You mean the one you used in your past life to reincarnate as a human?"

Ice Empress nodded, looking at Huo Yuhao.

"With the Snow Lotus, combined with the assistance of Tianmeng's origin, by the time I become a soul spirit, I should be able to provide you with three soul rings and one soul bone."

"But in your past life, you gave Yuhao four soul rings. It doesn't seem like there's much of a difference?" Tianmeng voiced the doubt in his heart.

Ice Empress explained with a calm expression.

"It's different from my past life. Back then, I had no consciousness and instinctively wanted more empty slots. This time, I can actively condense my own power. Added to your origin and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, the result is naturally... each soul ring will bring two skills."

"???" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Huo Yuhao were both stunned. One had to know that the Ice Empress of the past life only brought four skills, and they took up four soul rings.

"Not only that, but the three skills from my past life—Empress Palm, Empress Sword, and Empress Cold Heaven—can be perfected with just one soul ring under my conscious condensation. Although there is still a gap compared to Tianmeng's one-ring-four-skill setup, how about it, Daddy, are you satisfied?"

At the end, Ice Empress looked at Huo Yuhao playfully.

Huo Yuhao nodded blankly, feeling as if he had picked up a million-year soul ring while walking down the street. He felt dizzy. After all, Ice Empress could bring him a total of seven skills, and with the soul bone, that made nine!

"This..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm didn't know what to say either. After a long while, he patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.

"Yuhao, you've really hit the jackpot this time."

"Don't get happy too early. Remember to start attaching from the second soul ring to get the effect I mentioned. Otherwise, once you reach level thirty, my energy won't be able to support giving you three soul rings." Ice Empress tapped Huo Yuhao on the forehead, bringing him back to his senses.

"Alright, don't keep your little girlfriend waiting too long. It's time to take you back to see your parents."

Huo Yuhao's cheeks flushed slightly, and he nodded. He had been here for four days already; it was time to go back. He looked at Ice Empress.

"Then I'm heading back. I will cultivate to the Soul Ancestor realm as soon as possible and then come find you again."

"Mm, Xiao Bai and I will be here waiting for you. Right, take this." Ice Empress nodded gently and handed the object in her hand to Huo Yuhao.

"This is?"

Huo Yuhao looked at the item in his hand. It was an ice sculpture of Ice Empress herself, with an ethereal temperament, and the posture and expression were incredibly lifelike.

"Millennium Profound Ice Marrow. It contains a wisp of my divine sense, similar to the reverse scale Di Tian gave you in your past life. Keep it on you, and I will be able to sense your location. If you encounter danger, it can also help you deter enemies."

Ice Empress paused and continued.

"Of course, if you can run, run. This trick is more useful against soul beasts; it's hard for it to have much effect on humans."

Huo Yuhao nodded and put it into his storage bracelet, saying gratefully, "Thank you, Ice Empress."

Ice Empress smiled, gave Huo Yuhao a hug, and whispered in his ear, "Safe travels."

A man wearing armor yawned, looking at the endless white beyond the city gates with a lack of interest.

He was a guard for this town, and today it was his turn to watch the gate.

He looked at the person beside him and sighed, "Little girl, that person is likely not coming back. I've never heard of anyone who could stay in a human forbidden zone for so many days. You should stop waiting."

Looking toward his side, there stood a girl wrapped up tightly, a scorpion braid extending from the side of her hood and hanging down to her waist.

The brim of her hat was low, and occasionally, when the young girl looked up, one could see her exquisite little face, which was chubby and adorable, making one want to pinch it.

As early as a few days ago, the guard had noticed this girl. She came to the city gate every day without fail, doing nothing but watching the distant, snow-covered landscape.

Other guards had come forward to ask if she needed help, and eventually, everyone knew that there was a little girl waiting for someone at the city gate every day.

The girl did not listen to the guard's advice and shook her head gently. Her eyes beneath the brim of her hat focused intently on the white distance, afraid that she might miss the figure walking toward her.

"He will come back. He promised me."

"Sigh..."

The guard shook his head and leaned lazily against the wall. It had been snowing heavily for the past few days, and no one would choose to travel in such weather; there were days when not even a single person entered the city.

The sky grew dim as night fell. The continuous heavy snow surprisingly stopped, leaving the moon bright and the stars sparse. The accumulated snow on the ground reflected a pale blue glow.

Clenching her fists, Xiao Wu silently lowered her head, her eyes filled with dejection. It had been five days—five days since Huo Yuhao had left.

"What is that?" the guard's voice rang out.

Xiao Wu looked up abruptly, catching a glimpse of a figure flickering in the distance.

It was fortunate that the snow had stopped, widening the field of vision; otherwise, the guard would never have noticed this sudden change.

Before the guard could speak again, the figure beside him had already darted out like an arrow released from a bow.

The oncoming wind blew back the hood, revealing an exquisite face, while her scorpion braid broke free from its restraints, dancing in the night air.

The rabbit ears atop her head indicated that her speed had been pushed to the limit. Crystal-clear droplets fell onto the snow along her path—tears named longing.

Huo Yuhao watched the figure rushing toward him and waved with a smile.

As the distance closed, his expression shifted to astonishment; Xiao Wu wasn't slowing down at all!

The two finally collided—though "collided" wasn't quite accurate; Xiao Wu had wrapped her arms around Huo Yuhao's waist, and the immense momentum knocked him flat onto the snow.

Lying on the snowy ground, Huo Yuhao stared at the stars, questioning his life for a moment. He looked down to find Xiao Wu gazing up at him, her eyes already stained with tear tracks.

He stroked her chubby little face and whispered, "I'm back."

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Wu's expression turned bitter, and she buried her head deep into Huo Yuhao's chest.

Her trembling shoulders, accompanied by soft sobs, left Huo Yuhao scratching his head in confusion.

Why is she crying again?

At a loss for what to do, he could only place his hand on Xiao Wu's head and stroke it gently.

"Didn't I come back? When have I ever lied to you?"

"Couldn't you... have been faster? You had to make me... wait so long."

Xiao Wu's voice came in intermittent sobs, and the strength of her grip around his waist tightened.

Only when Xiao Wu's crying gradually subsided did Huo Yuhao say, "Let's head back to the city; it's cold out here."

Seeing Xiao Wu nod while still buried in his chest, Huo Yuhao immediately performed a kip-up.

Amidst Xiao Wu's exclamation, their positions shifted into a bridal carry, and he said with a grin.

"Boss, do you want to be carried in my arms, or on my back?"

Xiao Wu's face flushed slightly as she whispered, "If you carry me in your arms, won't you see my tear-stained face? I want to be carried on your back!"

"As you command."

After setting Xiao Wu down, Huo Yuhao walked in front, crouched, and patted his back.

The corners of Xiao Wu's mouth curled up as she hopped onto Huo Yuhao's back and shouted.

"Let's go!"

"Off we go!"

Huo Yuhao walked toward the town, their shadows cast upon the silvery-white snowdrifts, as beautiful as a painting.

"Why do I feel like Yuhao suddenly got a clue! Bingbing! Let's do this too; do you want me to carry you in my arms, or on my back?" Tian Meng howled in the mental space.

"Get lost!" came the Ice Empress's crisp, concise, and refined voice.

"Understood..."