Hunting Spirit Beasts in the Extreme North, First Meeting with the Snow Empress

Three days later, everything was ready.

Leng Qishuang personally led the group, bringing Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and two teachers from the academy. The five of them departed from Skywater Academy in a carriage, heading north toward the Extreme North Ice Plains.

After traveling by carriage for nearly ten days, they finally entered the bounds of the Extreme North Ice Plains.

As far as the eye could see, everything was blanketed in white, with mountains and plains covered in ice and snow everywhere.

Leng Qishuang found a small town to use as a base. Once they were settled, she began leading Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er deeper into the ice plains in search of suitable Spirit Beasts.

But after searching for a week, they still found nothing suitable. Just as Shui Bing'er was growing anxious, Meng Chen spoke. "There's a Spirit Beast hiding to the northwest. It should be suitable for your younger sister."

After hearing this, Shui Bing'er told Leng Qishuang. Sure enough, they found a suitable Spirit Beast in an ice valley to the northwest—the Ice Soul Python.

"Big Sister, how did you know there was an Ice Soul Python here?"

Shui Yue'er asked Shui Bing'er curiously.

The two accompanying teachers also looked at Shui Bing'er with curiosity. They were experienced, yet after searching for a week, they had found no suitable Spirit Beast. Shui Bing'er, however, had said there was one here as if she could see the future.

Leng Qishuang's heart stirred as she thought of Meng Chen.

So she stepped in to rescue Shui Bing'er. "All right, stop dwelling on it. Hurry up and hunt the Spirit Beast. The weather on the Extreme North Ice Plains is unpredictable, and we shouldn't drag this out."

Once Leng Qishuang spoke, no one continued dwelling on how Shui Yue'er had discovered the Ice Soul Python.

With Leng Qishuang's strength, knocking out this seventeen-hundred-year-old Ice Soul Python was effortless, after which Shui Yue'er was allowed to kill it.

Absorbing an Ice Soul Python close to the upper limit naturally came with a few complications, but the result was good.

However, just as Shui Yue'er finished absorbing her Soul Ring, the weather suddenly changed.

The previously clear sky abruptly darkened, with black clouds blotting out the sun.

The temperature plummeted. Cold winds howled, carrying fine ice crystals that struck their faces painfully.

"A blizzard!" Leng Qishuang's expression changed drastically. "Quick, head south and find somewhere to take shelter!"

But the blizzard came too quickly.

In just a few breaths, visibility dropped to less than five meters.

The violent wind swept ice and snow along with it, making it impossible to keep their eyes open or even stand steadily.

"Bing'er! Yue'er! Hold on to me!" Leng Qishuang shouted, reaching for her two daughters' hands.

Shui Yue'er tightly grabbed her aunt's hand, but Shui Bing'er only felt the world spin. Her body was swept up by the gale, and she completely lost her sense of direction.

She tried to circulate her Soul Power to steady herself, but the Soul Power within the blizzard was too violent, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

At that moment, Meng Chen acted.

A faint barrier enveloped Shui Bing'er, blocking the violent Soul Power carried by the blizzard. Only then was Shui Bing'er able to steady herself.

But beyond the barrier, she could see nothing.

She did not know how long passed before the violent wind finally died down.

Shui Bing'er crawled out of a snowdrift. Thanks to Meng Chen's protection, she was completely unharmed.

But she had been separated from Leng Qishuang and the others. Looking around, all she could see was an endless expanse of white.

"Mother? Yue'er?" she called out several times, but received no response.

Shui Bing'er's heart sank.

It seemed that she was now alone in these vast Extreme North Ice Plains, lost and without any sense of direction.

"Stay calm. Stay calm." Shui Bing'er took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart and forcing herself to settle down.

"Master, are you there?" she called inwardly.

"I am." Meng Chen's voice sounded, as steady as ever. "Don't panic. Your Master is here."

Shui Bing'er immediately felt reassured. It seemed that as long as her Master was there, she had nothing to fear.

"Master, I'm lost. I can't find the way back."

"Your Master knows. Go south first."

"South?" Shui Bing'er looked around. Everything was white, and she could not distinguish east, south, west, or north at all. "Master, which way is south?"

Meng Chen fell silent for a moment before saying, "Ahead and to your right, there is a large tree covered in ice and snow. The direction its crown leans is south."

Only then did Shui Bing'er understand. She started walking toward the south.

She did not know how long she walked before suddenly spotting a massive iceberg not far ahead. It was crystal-clear throughout, glowing with a faint blue light, breathtakingly beautiful.

As Shui Bing'er approached, she discovered a figure standing beneath the iceberg.

It was a woman with long silver-white hair, each strand gleaming faintly beneath the sunlight. Her features were exquisite beyond compare, coldly beautiful and noble, with an inviolable majesty between her brows, as though she were the ruler of this world of ice and snow.

She was tall and slender, with perfect proportions. Beneath her long dress, the graceful curves of her figure were faintly visible. She possessed both the lightness of a young girl and the charm of a mature woman.

As Shui Bing'er looked at the woman, her heart suddenly began pounding violently.

The woman's presence was too overwhelming. It made Shui Bing'er feel as insignificant as a speck of dust.

"Master, she..." Shui Bing'er called softly in her heart.

Meng Chen's voice carried a hint of reassurance. "Be careful. To you, her strength is... very strong, extremely strong. But don't be afraid. Your Master is here."

Shui Bing'er swallowed and was just about to quietly retreat when the woman suddenly looked over.

Her eyes were blue, like a frozen ocean, staring directly toward Shui Bing'er.

Their gazes met.

Shui Bing'er felt a buzz in her mind, as though an iceberg had crashed into her. Even her soul trembled.

That woman's gaze was too cold, carrying a lofty indifference.

The woman gave a soft sound of surprise. "A human?"

The moment she spoke, she raised her right hand and lightly flicked her slender, fair fingers through the air.

A streak of Ice Blue Light shot from her fingertips, unimaginably fast, flying straight toward Shui Bing'er's face.

With death right before her, Shui Bing'er wanted to dodge, but her body would not obey her.

The woman's pressure bore down upon her like a mountain, leaving her unable to move.

At that critical moment, an illusory Purple Robe Figure flew out from Shui Bing'er's chest and stood before her.

Meng Chen raised his right hand. Chaotic light flowed across his palm as it collided with the Ice Blue Light.

The instant the two lights made contact, they silently dissipated.

Meng Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the woman in white with a faint smile on his lips.

That smile was warm and refined, calm and unhurried.

"Snow Empress, please show mercy. We had no intention of offending you."

The Snow Empress narrowed her ice-blue eyes slightly and examined Meng Chen from head to toe.

Though the figure before her was merely a wisp of a remnant soul, a strange layer of Chaos Energy lingered around him, and his entire being exuded an indescribable, transcendent air.

"You know me?"

The Snow Empress spoke, her tone cold and filled with doubt.

Meng Chen smiled. "The Co-Lord of Myriad Spirit Beasts in the Extreme North—this much information, I still know."

The Snow Empress fell silent for a moment, her gaze moving back and forth over Meng Chen.

She had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, yet this was the first time she had encountered a... soul like Meng Chen, one she could not see through at all.

Just who was this person?

After a moment, the Snow Empress withdrew her gaze and raised her hand.

A snow-white lotus appeared out of thin air in her jade-like palm.

With a casual toss, the Snow Lotus flew steadily toward Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er reached out and caught it. The icy sensation spreading from her palm made her whole body shudder.

This was a Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus!

"Take it and leave this place."

The Snow Empress's voice remained as cold as ever...