Under the Star River (3)

"My only choices are to be decent or to be treated decently?"

"Should I thank you?"

"Thank you for giving me this option?"

The Snow Empress laughed, though it was a laugh born of anger. It wasn't that she looked down on Ye Qingcang. She knew the Ice Empress's personality; she would only submit to those stronger than herself. Even when her time was up, the Ice Empress would never settle for just anyone to live out the remaining decades. So, the fact that the Ice Empress could sit obediently on this human's shoulders could only mean that Ice Empress had been defeated by this human.

Although she was proud.

But it's not blind.

If it were her prime.

Even if this human could defeat Ice Empress, she would not be afraid to fight him.

She, who was 690,000 years old, fought against the Ice Empress, who was 390,000 years old.

It's still a 100% chance of winning.

It's guaranteed to win.

However, as this human just said, she is currently in a weakened state, having been reborn as a human, and her strength is only one-tenth of what it used to be.

In this state, she couldn't even beat Ice Empress.

It's even more impossible to defeat this human.

To take advantage of someone's misfortune.

That's absolutely the truth.

That is to say, it's a bit too honest.

It was so harsh it was almost unbearable.

"If this is your insults."

"I think you could increase the intensity a bit more."

"I know how despicable this is. If I could, I wouldn't want to find you under these circumstances, especially in this state... I'd rather fight you fair and square than manipulate you... But unfortunately, my timing is unfortunate. Before I have the strength to challenge you, all I need are 100,000-Year Spirit Ring, Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, 400,000-year Soul Ring, and so on. When I need an 800,000-year Soul Ring, that will be when I believe I have the strength to challenge you... Look, this is the situation now. You are in the embryonic stage of reincarnation. If you give up now, you will definitely suffer a great loss of vitality, but if you don't give up now... I don't have that much time to wait for you to take shape."

"Of course, there's a third way."

"You can ask Ice Empress to intercede on your behalf."

"All you need is for her to say one word for you."

"I will leave here immediately... I even guarantee that no force in the world will be able to find this place until you have completed your transformation."

"How about it?"

"Give it a try?"

Ye Qingcang made a very tempting suggestion.

But Snow Empress didn't even look at it.

It's not that she doesn't believe in Ice Empress.

It's not that she doesn't believe Ye Qingcang.

Perhaps she will never meet someone who can move her heart in her lifetime. Of course, Soul Beast will do too. The important thing is that the feeling is right.

But she would never settle for less.

Therefore, her relationship with Ice Empress was more like that of an older sister to a younger sister.

Therefore, she was very clear about Ice Empress's character.

Ice Empress would never betray her.

Moreover, if Ice Empress really betrayed her, he wouldn't stand in front of her. Ice Empress wouldn't just be ashamed to the point of taking his own life, but he would at least be utterly humiliated.

As for Ye Qingcang...

It's better to say something than to say it.

That dragon scale definitely added a lot of points.

She could sense the power contained within that dragon scale.

That's a special rule.

She was born from the rules, so she knows them all too well.

Ye Qingcang was able to obtain this dragon scale.

It has already been verified.

Just like pork.

Only those that pass the stamp are said to have passed the inspection.

Although this metaphor is a bit strange to use here, Ye Qingcang is not the pig that was stamped, and this dragon scale is not a seal.

In short, she believed in Ice Empress and Ye Qingcang.

But it was precisely because she trusted these two people!

She didn't want to choose this seemingly wonderful path!

Because the will of Heaven is predetermined!

Every drink and every bite!

One loss, one gain!

While the Ice Empress might plead for her, the moment Ice Empress opens her mouth, her entire future will be ruined. It's a matter of equal exchange. Even if Ye Qingcang could find other 800,000-year-old Soul Beast —like that giant-eyed creature that caused trouble thousands of years ago, the so-called Evil Emperor, the Evil Ye Qingcang Evil Eye Tyrant Master —not only would the difficulty and risk of his hunt increase significantly, but the time and energy wasted would be far beyond what the Ice Empress's mere soul could compensate for. Especially since Ice Empress Ye Qingcang is a powerful figure, every additional step he takes to change his plans for the weak Ice Empress Ice Empress would be enough to bankrupt her. And since she already has no assets, any further bankruptcy would require sacrificing her soul!

You could say that you're sacrificing your freedom to make up for it!

For example, making promises to Ye Qingcang such as being his slave for all eternity!

This is something she doesn't want to see.

Moreover, to put it another way...

Even if Ye Qingcang magnanimous.

No, I don't want it anymore.

She knew Ice Empress's personality.

This is a typical example of a stubborn tsundere.

All tsundere types share one common characteristic.

That's being stubborn and inflexible.

I owe you a favor.

Even if I don't admit it.

I admit it in my heart.

Whether you want it or not is your business.

I must still consider this my own business.

Yes, it's that kind of stubborn pride.

Therefore, even if Ye Qingcang Ye Qingcang didn't want it, the fact that he preserved Ice Empress's soul shows that Ye Qingcang is a person who keeps his promises. Because normal people would not cherish what they have after they have tricked him, and would turn around and destroy Ice Empress's soul. Anyway, he has already obtained the Soul Ring, so there is no need to keep a stubborn and arrogant person to cause trouble for him. As for the reason for his actions, he can just make up any excuse.

Isn't it always been the case that the righteous path fights against the demonic path?

I really can't find it.

They criticized those in the demonic path for lacking martial ethics.

With a shout, everyone charged forward shoulder to shoulder.

And then that was it.

That's it.

So, do humans need a reason to kill Soul Beast?

No, you really don't need it!

Racial differences are the biggest reason!

In comparison, Ye Qingcang truly stands out as a breath of fresh air.

Even if Ye Qingcang had a kind heart.

Ice Empress can be stubborn too.

In fact, at this point, it was no longer Ye Qingcang who was restraining Ice Empress, but Ice Empress herself; she had set a price for herself!

Therefore, they want to survive.

All you have to do is open your mouth, and it's within your grasp.

But just like Ice Empress.

She has her own pride too!

She can lose!

But we can't let Ice Empress get involved!

This is the core reason why she ignored Ice Empress from beginning to end, and even ignored Ice Empress calling her "Snow Empress Sister," a very distant title, for fear of giving Ice Empress any reason to soften her heart!

Only by making Ice Empress believe that they hate her.

Ice Empress is not going to show any kindness.

Otherwise, she was 70% sure that Ice Empress would step in to help her.

That is, to plead for her.

All I can say is that Snow Empress) understands Ice Empress) quite well.

They practically seized Ice Empress's Achilles' heel.

Of course, to put it simply, this is just Snow Empress's personal concern.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Reality will not change because of her concerns.

All she could do was accept reality.

"Now, I am faced with only two paths... no, I should say I see and want to take: one is life, the other is death."

"Dying is easy."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that I'm only a fraction of my former strength."

"Self-destruction is still not a problem."

"But since I have proposed a way out, the meaning of which is self-evident."

"That's right."

"I want to live."

"If I wanted to die, I would have died long ago."

"It wouldn't take so much effort to be reborn as a human."

"But I was reborn as a human for freedom, for immortality... I don't know if I should believe you, because if I sacrifice myself to you, even if you preserve my soul, I, without power, am nothing more than an ant that you can kill with a thought."

"I don't like to hand my Destiny over to others."

"So if you can't gain my trust, I can assure you that you will get nothing. You should be the one taking the initiative."

Don't believe me?

"Give it a try?"

Snow Empress generously opened her arms.

Then, it spun around in place.

Because she is currently in a spiritual form.

It can also be described as an out-of-body experience.

The main body is a pinkish-white embryo not far away.

Therefore, there's no need to worry about Ye Qingcang ambushing her.

"It's so difficult..." Before Ye Qingcang could speak, Ice Empress sighed sadly from the side, "Trust is something that can't be seen or touched. It's impossible to gain trust from nothing."

Snow Empress's gaze subtly darkened slightly.

He remained outwardly unmoved.

But I was already starting to get anxious.

Ice Empress meant to give them a helping hand by saying that.

Gaining trust from scratch is indeed difficult, but think about it the other way around: on the spot, isn't there someone who can communicate and coordinate the opinions of both parties? Even if a friend's friend doesn't know the other person, as long as there is this middleman to introduce them, the two friends can get to know each other.

But what if Ice Empress acts as the middleman?

For Ice Empress, this was an immense torment.

I can't bring myself to persuade her to back down.

He advised Ye Qingcang that he couldn't get past the issue from a political standpoint.

Unfortunately, the words had already been spoken, and even though she was a 690,000-year-old Heavenly Snow Woman, she still couldn't reverse time and go back to the past to stop it.

She could only stare helplessly.

I'm so anxious.

But Ye Qingcang is not the kind of person with low emotional intelligence!

He glanced at Ice Empress, who was sitting on his shoulder and pretending to be nonchalant, and then at Snow Empress, who remained calm. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly spoke, almost laying everything bare and clear!

So much so that both Ice Empress and Snow Empress were momentarily stunned!

This generous portion is truly a testament to our sincerity!

"Although I really don't want to deny what you said, I have to deny you on this matter, Ice Empress... because it's really not difficult, at least not in my eyes... To put it bluntly, it's just a matter of rational versus emotional perspectives, and it's easy for me to switch between states."

"Let go of your emotions."

"From a purely rational perspective."

"Snow Empress... I have no reason to kill you!"

"Don't be angry."

I'm not mocking you.

"But I'm telling the truth."

"My current need is simply a Soul Ring with a lifespan of 800,000 years. The reason I need such a high-lifespan Soul Ring is because I want to increase my physical attributes, maximize my potential at this stage, and build a foundation strong enough to support my future!"

"Less than 800,000."

"The foundation is not solid enough."

"Not enough energy."

"More than 800,000? That's possible, because I created a cultivation technique called Stellar Martial Arts. I won't go into the details here, you just need to know that it's a technique that can absorb various energies to enhance physical fitness... So, even if I were to absorb the soul power of a million-year-old Soul Beast, I could do it. The remaining 200,000 years of Soul Power would be absorbed by my body to drive physical evolution, so it definitely wouldn't be wasted. Conservatively speaking, it would take about 5 million years of Soul Power to push my Sixth Sublimation to perfection. Even without considering my future, because trying to eat too much at once is easy to overeat, uncontrollable power is worse than nothing for me. In short, even without considering these things, just considering the current conditions, even if you add up Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, it would only be barely enough."

"Therefore, there was no forced growth."

"In other words, there's no need to seek immediate gratification."

"I originally planned to hunt down the Evil Emperor because my Martial Soul is quite special; it doesn't matter what type of Soul Ring I absorb. But a friend of mine wants to protect him... I'm someone who respects my friends' opinions, because true friends are rare in this world. If the Ice Empress asks, I'll just settle for second best... Of course, that's beside the point. Let's get back to the main topic... In short, later on, I will inevitably hunt down some beings, including you, but not limited to you, such as the Gods ... Soul Power is energy, and energy has no inherent nature. The Six Treasury Immortal Thieves has given me the ability to absorb all kinds of energy, so don't see this as the end. I hope you see me as a train. You're paying for your tickets now, and I will do my best to pull you to the destination I want you to reach!"

"If you want to get off midway."

"I respect your personal wishes."

"If you are willing to follow me to the end."

"I'm willing to keep pulling you along."

"So, Ice Empress... you don't need to feel guilty. Your condition is very important to me. I don't want you to be distracted by this matter and cause us to drift apart. If you really feel bad about it, then consider this as me buying... the duration of mutual trust between us, like chatting for another five dollars."

"At worst, I'll just go to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Please, Gu Yuena, gather a batch of Soul Beast for me."

"Anyway, I'm going to die of old age soon."

"At worst, I'll just have to bear the lives and blood debts of a few thousand more Soul Beast."

"And for you, Snow Empress."

"I contacted you simply because it's more convenient!"

"It's commonly known as being more convenient!"

"Furthermore, you, the Ice Empress, and the Titan Snow Demon King are the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North. I don't believe you two don't know each other, or even that your relationship is just so-so... You can say it's my intuition acting up, or you can gamble that I'm bluffing you, but whatever you think, I've stated my understanding, and that won't change... So, you don't need to worry about the Ice Empress being in a difficult position, nor do you need to worry about the future. If what you seek is immortality, I can't guarantee anything else, but when I reach level 100 and become a god, giving you one of my two divine positions won't be a problem... Of course, you can roam the world after transforming into a human, but whether you'll be chosen by the Deity, or whether you have the ability to Self-Created Godhood, you only need to know yourself. As for me, I can easily offer any incentive and attract countless Soul Beast to flock to me... For example, I can promise them that I will preserve their souls, and when I become a god, that will be the day I achieve immortality, and they will also achieve immortality along with me!"

Therefore, you are not a necessity for me!

"It's just what I need best!"

"That's all."

"Also, let me digress a bit: I've repeatedly emphasized the importance of a grand vision because even the Gods are nothing compared to me. After acquiring the Soul Ring, I will travel to another star system... Will I remain in a corner of the world, becoming a seemingly immortal local tyrant, or will I venture into the vast cosmos, becoming one of the countless beings who, though not immortal, will lead a vibrant and fulfilling life, competing with numerous Heaven's Chosen, even grappling with the very laws of nature...? Now, you are free to choose your future path!"

Ye Qingcang raised his hand with a determined look in his eyes.

An invitation was extended to the Snow Empress.