At these words, warmth spread through Xu Tianyao's heart.
Given Kong Deming's understanding of Soul Tools, there was no doubt that anything he carried on his person to save his life would be priceless.
"Grandfather, I'll remember your words."
He nodded firmly, then turned and went over to Snow Empress.
Snow Empress had remained silent from beginning to end. Her thoughts were entirely fixed on that divine consciousness from earlier.
Once she saw that the two humans had finished their discussion, she couldn't bear to waste another moment. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a tremendous surge of Soul Power.
In an instant, the heavens and earth changed color once more, and the surrounding winds and snow began to rage again.
Countless snowflakes whirled wildly through the air, forming a blizzard that stretched from earth to sky. The swirling storm immediately engulfed the two of them.
When the winds and snow subsided, Snow Empress and Xu Tianyao had vanished.
Kong Deming was left alone on the ice plain, his gaze fixed for a long time on the direction they had gone.
The core region of the Far North.
A crystal-clear platform of ice hovered in midair, like a lone boat racing through an endless storm of snow.
On the platform.
Xu Tianyao sat cross-legged. He looked as though he were meditating, but his eyes remained fixed on the breathtaking figure ahead of him.
This was the first time he had observed the legendary ruler of the Far North from such close range.
Snow Maiden stood quietly at the very front, her snow-white dress fluttering lightly in the wind.
Her silvery-white hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, looking all the more enchanting against the swirling snow.
Her exquisite face seemed like the most perfect creation in all of heaven and earth, without the slightest flaw.
Just standing there, she was enough to draw the gaze of the entire world.
Xu Tianyao couldn't help staring for a while. After all, whether in his previous life or this one, he had never seen anyone so stunning.
Mengmeng hadn't grown into her looks yet; she couldn't possibly compare with a stunning mature beauty like this.
After staring for quite some time, he sensed that something was amiss. At some point, the air around him had grown cold. Knowing this was Snow Empress's warning, he guiltily turned his gaze away.
This woman, who looked so breathtaking, was no fragile beauty.
She was a terrifying Soul Beast whose cultivation was close to seven hundred thousand years.
If he truly angered her, a single look might leave him dead without a trace.
Snow Empress had naturally noticed the young man's gaze behind her.
In ordinary circumstances, any human who stared at her so brazenly would have long since been turned into an ice statue.
But at that moment, she had no time to concern herself with him.
The summons from deep within her soul was growing stronger and stronger.
In a trance, it was as if an ancient and sacred will were guiding her forward.
So she could only devote herself completely to following that guidance, steadily picking up speed.
They passed over the boundless snowfields, crossed ice peaks that towered into the clouds, and cut through countless icy currents and blizzards.
After several hours, at last the land ahead opened up.
An immense chasm stretched across the far end of the ice plain.
It looked as if a god had swung a blade and cleaved the earth apart.
Cold mist churned within the chasm, and countless ice crystals refracted the sunlight into dreamlike colors.
This was one of the most mysterious forbidden zones in the Far North: the Ice God Great Rift Valley!
The ice platform slowly descended. Snow Empress gazed at the familiar rift before her, a trace of doubt appearing in her eyes.
She had been here many times. All kinds of rare heavenly treasures often formed deep within the Great Rift Valley, so she knew the place extremely well.
Yet through all the countless years of the past, she had never found any trace of the Ice God here.
Not even the slightest hint of an aura.
To the Soul Beasts of the Far North, the so-called birthplace of the Ice God had been nothing more than an ancient legend passed down for countless ages.
But now, as the summons grew stronger and stronger, Snow Empress had no choice but to believe the legend.
For deep within the Ice God Great Rift Valley, she truly could feel a powerful summons and guidance. She was certain that it came from the Ice God.
Taking Xu Tianyao with her, Snow Empress leaped into the unfathomably deep, dark blue rift.
Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm.
The azure Sea God Temple stood quietly above the boundless ocean. Vast divine power took the form of a faint blue glow that rippled endlessly around the great palace.
On the divine throne within the temple, a man dressed in blue slowly opened his eyes.
The man was Tang San.
At that moment, however, his brow was furrowed, his eyes full of confusion and unease.
"Strange..."
"Why has the Destined One's aura suddenly become so indistinct?"
"I could still sense his approximate direction just a while ago, but now it's as if some power has obscured it."
Tang San slowly rose to his feet and stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze seeming to pierce through the endless void toward the lower realm.
"Could some variable beyond my control have appeared in the lower realm?"
The thought filled him with unease.
As he spoke, he intended to draw on the power of the Divine Realm Hub to investigate the lower realm further. But just as his divine consciousness made contact with the Divine Realm Hub, the God of Destruction's warning surfaced in his mind once more.
Remembering how the God of Destruction had stopped him again and again and opposed him at every turn, Tang San's expression darkened.
"Destruction..."
He murmured the name, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes, then slammed his fist onto the table.
The incredibly hard divine stone tabletop instantly filled with cracks.
In Tang San's eyes, the God of Destruction had opposed him at every turn lately and was showing less and less regard for him, the God Realm Enforcer. Clearly, he had brought death upon himself.
Just then, a brisk set of footsteps came from outside the hall.
"Third Brother!"
With that familiar voice, a pretty woman with a scorpion braid came bouncing into the hall.
It was Xiao Wu. She seemed a little more mature and voluptuous than before, and every gesture, every frown and smile carried a special charm.
Xiao Wu had actually come today because she had something to take care of.
Ever since her recent disagreement with Tang San over Tang Wutong, she had felt guilty. She was afraid that if she pressed him too hard, Third Brother wouldn't be able to take it.
Now that she saw Tang San alone in the Sea God Temple, looking so troubled, she assumed he was still fretting over that matter.
So Xiao Wu hurried to his side and asked softly, "Third Brother, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"
"Has the pressure been too much for you lately?"
At that, Xiao Wu pressed her lips together, a hint of apology in her voice.
"If this is about Wutong, don't worry too much."
"With Daming and Erming looking after her in the lower realm, nothing will happen to her."
"You always insist on shouldering everything yourself."
As she spoke, she raised a hand and gently reached for Tang San's cheek.
But in the next instant, Tang San seemed to have been frightened by something. His body recoiled before he could control it.
Looking at Xiao Wu's rosy face, certain unpleasant memories involuntarily flashed through Tang San's mind.
In an instant, he felt a strange, dull ache around his waist.
As the saying goes, at thirty, a woman is like a wolf; at forty, she's like a tiger. Xiao Wu was a hundred thousand years old—could you blame her for being tigerish?
Before you continue