The First Soul Ring

The Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon's gaze was far from friendly; if it had any choice, it would rather die than offer itself as a sacrifice to a human.

Yet, this was a request from the rulers of the Far North... It was truly baffling how this human had such incredible luck, actually earning the favor of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress!

A low growl, laced with a hint of pain, escaped the Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon's throat. Immediately after, its body began to slowly turn ethereal. Its fur, bones, and flesh gradually shed their physical form, transforming into a wisp of pure soul power that surged simultaneously toward Yu Tianjue and Xiao Hei.

In the final moment of its life, it raised its eyes as if to memorize Yu Tianjue's appearance forever, until its massive beastly form dissolved and dissipated bit by bit.

A thousand-year soul ring, radiating a purple halo, slowly condensed and took shape before Yu Tianjue.

Under Yu Tianjue's guidance, the purple ring seeped into his body along his meridians. The surging, yet not violent, soul power instantly washed over every part of his body, and Xiao Hei's form seemed to be undergoing a very subtle change as well.

Under the scouring of the soul power, Xiao Hei's body seemed to become stronger and more refined, with a hint of newfound majesty in its demeanor.

Seeing this, the Snow Empress narrowed her eyes, murmuring to herself as if speaking to the Ice Empress:

"His martial soul... is quite peculiar."

"When ordinary humans release their beast martial souls, they usually take the form of an avatar, but his martial soul exists independently of his body. What surprises me even more is that the soul power from the Mystic Ice Earth-Splitting Dragon's sacrifice didn't just flow into Tianjue's body; it also acted upon his companion."

Listening to the Snow Empress, the Ice Empress nodded repeatedly, adding, "It's like an independent entity. Such a miraculous martial soul is indeed... completely different from him."

The Snow Empress said nothing more, merely watching Yu Tianjue's figure quietly, her eyes occasionally revealing a touch of tenderness.

The Ice Empress, however, appeared somewhat restless.

After hesitating for a moment, the Ice Empress couldn't help but ask, "Are we really going to let him leave? Can't we take him in, just like in the dream?"

"No..."

The Snow Empress shook her head slowly. "His experiences are entirely different; he was born into the human world and belongs to the human world. We shouldn't interfere with his life again. Just being able to watch him grow up safely and make up for the regrets of the dream is enough."

Looking at the Snow Empress, who wore a focused and tender expression, the Ice Empress opened her mouth.

She wanted to say that the Snow Empress's feelings for Tianjue didn't seem like the familial affection formed over years of companionship, but the words died on her lips, and she buried the thought in her heart instead.

Soon, Yu Tianjue opened his eyes once more.

At this moment, a layer of cold frost covered Yu Tianjue's body, and Xiao Hei's size had grown slightly. However, before Yu Tianjue could carefully contemplate the changes after absorbing the soul ring, the Snow Empress spoke softly:

"Since you have absorbed the soul ring, you should leave this place."

As her voice fell, the Ice Empress stepped forward again and, without a word, tucked him under her arm once more.

Feeling the Ice Empress's movements, Yu Tianjue couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Seriously, is there no more dignified way to carry someone?

However, this time, there was no panic in Yu Tianjue's heart—he was now basically certain that neither the Snow Empress nor the Ice Empress would harm him.

As for whether to be open and honest with them about the simulated life...

Yu Tianjue pondered for a brief moment and abandoned the idea.

At least, not now.

Moreover, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress didn't seem to have any intention of bringing it up themselves; it would be better to find a time to clarify things later.

"The human who brought you here is just a few hundred meters ahead. As long as you continue in this direction, you will be able to reunite with him. There are no other soul beasts within a one-kilometer radius, so you don't need to worry about danger."

The Ice Empress set Yu Tianjue down and took one last deep look at him before turning and leaving without looking back.

Yu Tianjue didn't rush to find his grandfather; he simply watched the Ice Empress walk away in silence until she was no longer in sight, then proceeded in the direction she had indicated.

What Yu Tianjue didn't know was that the Ice Empress hadn't left immediately; instead, she had turned back to watch his retreating figure.

Besides the Ice Empress, there was also the Snow Empress.

The Ice Empress wasn't surprised by the Snow Empress's arrival, merely saying softly, "Are we really just going to let Tianjue leave like this?"

"Of course. I want to see what kind of life he can live without the two of us constantly by his side. I am looking forward to it."

"Besides, we don't have a sufficient reason to keep him, do we?"

The Snow Empress smiled faintly. "Unless you intend to tell him everything. As for whether he would believe you, that's hard to say."

"I always feel like he might already know..."

Before the Ice Empress could finish, the Snow Empress interrupted her: "What if he doesn't? Besides, you were the one who said not to repeat the same mistakes. If you are worried about his safety, you could always follow him and protect him from the shadows, just like in the dream."

The Snow Empress had only mentioned it in passing, but the Ice Empress's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Tianjue!"

Seeing the small figure in the distance, Yu Yuanzhen's body jolted, and he rushed over, checking Yu Tianjue from head to toe several times.

"Are you alright, Tianjue? What did that soul beast do to you? Did she hurt you?"

As he spoke, Yu Yuanzhen couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

He had almost thought he would never see his grandson again—after Tianjue was snatched away by that unknown soul beast, a furious Yu Yuanzhen had sped in the direction the beast had fled, intending to rescue him, only to encounter another hundred-thousand-year soul beast on the way.

A hundred-thousand-year Ice Bear King.

Entangled by this hundred-thousand-year soul beast, Yu Yuanzhen found it impossible to break free and was forced into battle.

Just as he had worked himself into a fury, the Ice Bear King turned and left without a moment's hesitation, its movements clean and decisive.

Having wasted so much time, Yu Yuanzhen had assumed his grandson must have already met his end, yet in a sudden turn of events, Tian Jue had appeared right before him!

"I didn't, Grandfather."

"Not long after that terrifying soul beast took me away, it encountered another hundred-thousand-year soul beast. They began to fight, and I seized the opportunity to escape. I was very lucky along the way; I didn't run into any other soul beasts, and I even managed to kill one that had been knocked unconscious by the shockwaves of their battle, absorbing its soul ring."