Being Kept

Yu Tianjue did not answer, but the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress had not truly expected him to answer their question anyway.

The Snow Empress fell silent for a moment, making no attempt to press for an answer, merely casting a glance at the Ice Empress.

Seeing this, the Ice Empress understood immediately and followed the Snow Empress to the side.

It was unclear what the two discussed, but when they returned to stand before Yu Tianjue, their expressions were somewhat complex.

Yu Tianjue was likewise pondering in his heart—if the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress could also empathize with his life simulation, then everything would make sense.

This would explain why the Ice Empress had ignored his grandfather to abduct him directly, and it would also explain the complex expressions that always flickered across the faces of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.

However, this was merely a guess; it was too early to draw any conclusions.

"Why have you appeared in the Far North?"

The Ice Empress's voice was cold to the point of being heartless, yet Yu Tianjue caught a hint of faint anticipation in her eyes.

Before he had figured out the situation, Yu Tianjue felt it best to answer the question honestly:

"To obtain my first soul ring."

To obtain his first soul ring...

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress exchanged a look. The Snow Empress did not speak, while the Ice Empress continued in a cold tone: "Release your martial soul and let us see it."

Asking about my intentions and demanding I manifest my martial soul—is this to confirm whether or not I am the Tianjue from the life simulation?

Yu Tianjue speculated in his heart, but his movements were not slow; he obediently released Xiao Hei.

Although the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress did not intentionally release their pressure, Xiao Hei still curled up at Yu Tianjue's feet as if facing a formidable enemy the moment it appeared, keeping its vigilant eyes locked tightly on the figures of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.

In those eyes, there was more vigilance and hostility than awe.

This martial soul... it is completely different from Tianjue's Ice Dragon martial soul.

A flash of disappointment crossed the Snow Empress's face, but the Ice Empress stared unblinkingly at Xiao Hei's body, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.

This aura of the Ultimate Ice attribute felt very familiar to her.

The Ice Empress took a deep look at Yu Tianjue, then pulled the Snow Empress aside to whisper.

"Xue'er, all signs indicate that he is the Tianjue from our dreams, yet he is not entirely him."

The Snow Empress nodded slightly.

Clearly, her feelings were identical to those of the Ice Empress.

"He has the exact same appearance as Tianjue, yet his martial soul, experiences, and temperament are different. Furthermore, he wears the Ice Crystal Necklace stained with your aura and mine... that is why I say he is Tianjue, yet he is not."

"What do you intend to do?"

The Snow Empress's question immediately put the Ice Empress in a difficult position.

The Snow Empress tilted her head, looking at that small figure, a faint arc appearing on her lips unconsciously: "To me, he is Tianjue."

As these words fell, the Ice Empress's expression shifted slightly.

As if thinking of something, she asked in a low voice: "Xue'er, are you intending to repeat the mistakes of the dream?"

"Repeat the mistakes?"

"No... I only wish to make up for the regrets of the dream."

The Snow Empress shook her head gently.

Although she did not understand why she and the Ice Empress had shared such a dream, for two peerless soul beasts to have the same dream was, in itself, an incredible thing.

Moreover, the emotions from that dream had already influenced her in reality.

All she wanted to do was to make up for the regret from that dream.

"Find a suitable soul beast to sacrifice to him, and send him out of the Far North."

Find a suitable soul beast?

The Ice Empress immediately thought of that dream. The first soul ring Tianjue obtained in the dream was a dying sub-dragon soul beast, the Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon.

It had just broken through to a thousand years of cultivation when it was ambushed by a mortal enemy and left on the brink of death.

If the timing was right, this soul beast should still be alive at this very moment.

Was the suitable soul beast Xue'er spoke of this Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon?

"That Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon is quite suitable. Bing'er, please go and bring it back. Also... for now, do not let that human Titled Douluo find this place."

It was indeed this soul beast; they had thought of the same thing.

As she spoke, the Snow Empress paused slightly before continuing: "If A-Tai goes, that human might be beaten to death. Better to let Xiao Bai go and stall him."

The Ice Empress hesitated for a moment, but nodded, secretly guessing the Snow Empress's intentions.

Xue'er must want to use this familiar soul beast to test Tianjue's reaction and confirm once more if he is the Tianjue from the dream, right?

The Ice Empress sighed inwardly and turned to leave.

Soon, the Ice Empress returned.

With the memories from the dream, the Ice Empress had easily found the dying Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon. It was precisely because she had discovered this soul beast that both the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress became even more convinced of the dream's reality.

Looking at the Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon that the Ice Empress had brought back, Yu Tianjue's expression grew slightly dazed.

Observing Yu Tianjue's reaction, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress immediately exchanged a subtle look.

A moment later, the Snow Empress's features softened, and her voice became much gentler: "This thousand-year soul beast is critically injured. If you were to absorb it on your own, your body would struggle to withstand it, but if it offers a sacrifice, absorbing it will be effortless."

"Once you have absorbed its soul ring, you should leave this place. I will have Bing'er escort you to the vicinity of that human."

At this moment, Yu Tianjue was finally certain that the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress could absolutely empathize with the contents of his life simulations; otherwise, there were simply too many coincidences.

As for this Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon, which had once served as his first soul ring, it was partly because its soul ring was indeed a perfect match for his current martial soul, and partly because the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress were taking this opportunity to test him.

Tsk.

In his life simulations, he lived a life where he didn't have to hunt soul beasts, simply waiting for the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress to find those compatible beasts nearing the end of their lifespans or on the brink of death to offer themselves as sacrifices. He hadn't expected that in the real world, he would still end up being "kept" by the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress...

But honestly, the taste of being kept wasn't half bad.

Without the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, his current physical constitution would at most allow him to obtain a limit-breaking hundred-year soul ring.

Yet now, he could achieve a thousand-year first soul ring... Although a thousand-year first soul ring was becoming a dime a dozen for transmigrators, who would choose to absorb a hundred-year ring if they could manage a thousand-year one!

Yu Tianjue took a deep breath and instinctively looked at the Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon sprawled on the ground, his heart filled with immense emotion.

In the simulation, his first soul ring had been this very Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon. And even more coincidentally, his second soul ring had been the very nemesis that had ambushed this dragon and left it on the verge of death.