Return to the Far North, Fulfill the Oath

A faint strip of dawn whitened the horizon. The rear mountain of the Earth Dragon Sect lay in utter silence. From beginning to end, no one noticed Snow Empress's infiltration or departure.

She swiftly swept past the sect's buildings and through Dragon City's streets and alleys, soon returning to Yan Hongchen's temporary residence. She knocked directly on the door.

Yan Hongchen had been sitting in a chair. The instant he heard the knock, he sprang to his feet. He had waited for several days already; finally, there was news.

Opening the door, Yan Hongchen saw Snow Empress and did not leave her standing outside. Once the two entered, he shut the door and asked how things had gone, hoping for her answer.

Snow Empress raised her hand. In it were a gemstone ring and several ice-flower bracelets. "I got it. It is genuine."

"Now that Senior Snow Empress has obtained what you wanted, can we return?" Seeing the bracelets in Snow Empress's hand, Yan Hongchen knew that she had succeeded.

Snow Empress gave a slight nod. "Of course. If you are willing to trust me, tell me your martial soul and what soul beasts you want. I can give it some thought as well."

Yan Hongchen told her the truth without playing any tricks. He had come here to obtain soul rings in the first place, so it was good to have someone help him consider the options. He also took the opportunity to put in a request for Yi Hongchen. One soul beast or two, it made no difference.

Snow Empress received the answer she wanted, and it was not much different from what she had sensed. However, she had some other thoughts in mind. She would bring them up later—it depended on whether Yan Hongchen was willing.

Snow Empress grabbed Yan Hongchen and prepared to return to the Extreme North. Yan Hongchen sighed helplessly and allowed himself to be carried back by that icy-cold hand, which was not actually uncomfortable.

For now, it was enough to preserve his life and resolve the soul ring issues for both himself and Yi Hongchen. The rest would have to wait until he had gained enough ability to strive for it.

Still, being swung around in Snow Empress's grip left Yan Hongchen rather dizzy. He could not help saying, "Senior Snow Empress, could you change the method next time? I'm a little uncomfortable..." He had not been sleeping well lately, and now he felt even worse.

Snow Empress lowered her head and glanced at Yan Hongchen. A trace of faint, nearly imperceptible amusement flickered through those ice-blue eyes. "When you can run faster than me."

Yan Hongchen choked on his words. Right now, he was nothing but a useless weakling. Who knew when he would gain the ability to fly or wield spatial power?

Snow Empress flashed forward, racing straight toward the Extreme North. Yan Hongchen resigned himself to his fate.

The wind howled, snow mist churned, and the outline of Dragon City rapidly shrank behind them before finally vanishing into the vast expanse between heaven and earth.

Deep within the Extreme North.

Ice Empress sat idly, her emerald-green hair drifting softly in the wind.

She had been sitting there like this for days. The three humans beneath the ice dome had been well-behaved, never once attempting to resist. She yawned and was about to shift into another position to continue spacing out when her expression suddenly changed.

An exceedingly faint intent of wind and snow, perceptible only to her, came from afar. It was a message from Snow Empress.

Ice Empress immediately sat upright, closed her eyes, and received the information contained within that wind and snow.

A moment later, she opened her eyes, undisguised shock flashing through her emerald-green pupils.

Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow... really existed? Snow Empress had actually found it?!

Ice Empress recalled an old incident that had bothered her for many years.

That damned ice silkworm had somehow discovered a place where Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow had gathered and devoured more than half of it.

By the time she arrived, all that remained were a few traces and the fleeing back of that ice silkworm. She had hunted it for years, yet it still escaped in the end, vanishing without a trace.

That matter had left her frustrated for a long time. A heavenly treasure like Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow could only be encountered by chance, never sought. Missing it once might mean missing it forever.

Yet after the darkest willow trees came bright flowers and another village. That human cub actually knew of another location!

Ice Empress stood and waved a hand. The ice dome enveloping Jing Hongchen and the other two instantly turned into countless ice crystals, scattering into the wind and snow. The three were startled and immediately assumed guarded stances.

Ice Empress ignored their reactions and merely said blandly, "Snow Empress has sent word. You are safe. She is bringing that child back and is on the way. She will arrive after some time. I will wait with you."

The moment the ice dome vanished, Liu Yueming could hardly believe her eyes. She stared blankly at the dissipating ice crystals, her entire body seeming frozen in place, utterly motionless.

"Yueming." Yi Hongchen's voice sounded beside her, carrying restrained excitement. "We're all safe now..."

"Snow Empress said she'll be back after a while. Little Yan is safe too."

Liu Yueming had needed Yi Hongchen's support to remain standing. Yi Hongchen cried out, "Yueming!"

Liu Yueming took a deep breath and waved her hand. "I'm fine. As long as Little Yan is safe too..." She only regretted that she still could not protect her child.

"Don't overthink it." Jing Hongchen's voice rang out again, as if he had seen through both their thoughts. "Since Little Yan was able to do this much, what we elders need to do is not blame ourselves, but wait for him to return, and then..."

He paused, his gaze turning toward the distance, toward that boundless field of wind and snow. There was a seriousness in his voice unlike anything before. "Become stronger. Strong enough to protect him, so that he never has to save us again."

After the three humans and one soul beast waited for some time, Snow Empress appeared, carrying Yan Hongchen as she landed steadily near the lotus pond.

When Jing Hongchen and the others saw that familiar figure come into view and arrive before them, everyone finally relaxed. They tightly embraced Yan Hongchen, unwilling to let go.

Liu Yueming even checked Yan Hongchen over. He had merely not rested well and had no other issues. A few days of recuperation after returning would be enough.

Neither Snow Empress nor Ice Empress stopped their reunion. The two of them simply exchanged a few words themselves, with no time to pay attention to the others.

When Jing Hongchen stepped forward respectfully and said, "You two, we will leave the Extreme North now and trouble you no further," he spoke as he prepared to call his family away.

"Wait." Snow Empress spoke first. Jing Hongchen stiffened and instinctively shielded those behind him.

Snow Empress ignored his wariness and merely looked at Yan Hongchen. "You need not be nervous. I am not one to break my word. However, since you came to obtain soul rings, I will choose soul beasts for you so that you do not harm innocents. Once you have taken them, you may leave."

Snow Empress raised her slender, fair hand. On her ring finger was a starlight sapphire ring. The gemstone was roughly the size of a thumb, a deep midnight blue throughout, with specks of starlight-like radiance slowly flowing across its surface. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

She had discovered that this gemstone contained the power of space. Through comprehending that spatial power, she had ultimately used the Emperor Sword to open up a small space, turning it into a ring to wear on herself and storing some items within it.

With a thought from Snow Empress, blue light flashed from the ring, and a crystal roughly the size of a palm appeared out of thin air in her hand.