Entering the Secret Realm, the Two Ice Emperors

Early the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone upon the earth, the teams from numerous factions gathered before the stone stele at the secret realm's entrance.

Xu Tianchen noticed that one of the girls among the members Shrek had sent looked somewhat familiar, a little like Zhang Le Xuan. But she was too far away for him to be certain.

"All right, let's open the secret realm together."

Jing Hongchen walked to the front of the stone stele. Upon hearing his words, four people from the original Three Douluo Kingdoms stepped forward as well: Yan Shaozhe from Shrek, Du Bushi from the Body Sect, the Shattering Star Douluo from the Star Luo Empire, and the current master of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, the Heavenly Dragon Douluo.

Then, ten tokens flew toward the stone stele. They circled around it once, and the space before the stele seemed to be compressed by some unseen force. A silver beam of light shot into the sky, piercing the heavens as though it intended to punch a massive hole through them. The disturbance could seemingly be felt for a hundred miles around.

After the silver light vanished, a circular gateway appeared before the stone stele. It was pitch-black within, as if it did not lead to a secret realm at all, but to a void.

As the gateway opened, the ten tokens scattered and flew back to those who had imprinted them with their soul marks.

Xu Tianchen caught the token that flew back into his hand and looked at a deep-purple scythe hanging above the circular gateway.

It seemed to contain an extraordinarily unusual energy. He had never felt such an imposing presence from either Long Xiaoyao or Ye Xishui.

This did not belong to the human level, but to a higher level—godhood!

That scythe was likely meant to inspect the ages of those entering. This was a restriction left behind by a god.

A deep-purple scythe... Could it be her? Xu Tianchen silently guessed, but he was not yet certain. He would have to enter and investigate.

Danger and opportunity had always coexisted. He only hoped the things inside were valuable enough.

Shrek's people were the first to enter. Behind their group of seven followed two youths, who were clearly the sole heirs sent by the Star Luo Empire and the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

The Body Sect's two members also led seven people from the Heavenly Soul Empire inside. But when it was the Dou Ling Empire's turn, an accident occurred.

One person from the group of seven had barely reached the gateway when the scythe hanging above it released a deep-purple blade of light. That person was instantly decapitated, then immediately turned to ashes and vanished.

Upon witnessing this, Tianyang Douluo of the Dou Ling Empire's team looked even more grim.

The scene also made those from the other teams who had intended to sneak in among the crowd abandon their laughable notions of deceiving a god.

"Let's go."

Xu Tianchen led Ao Hongchen and Li Zhengdian behind him toward the circular gateway. As the three stepped through it, their bodies immediately vanished, as though they had been swallowed whole.

On a hill not far from the stone stele stood a graceful green figure. Watching Xu Tianchen enter the secret realm, she held a silver scale that emitted a faint multicolored glow. Yet it no longer carried the flowing aura of life it once had.

She stood there, unnoticed by Long Xiaoyao, Du Bushi, or even Xuan Zi.

Meanwhile, in the Far North not far from the stone stele—

Two peerlessly beautiful figures stood side by side. The one in white had silver hair cascading like a waterfall, and her ice-blue gown resembled a flowing glacier. Her temperament was cold and proud like a snow lotus, giving others the sense that she could only be admired from afar and never profaned.

She was the third-ranked being among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, the foremost of the Far North's Three Heavenly Kings, ruler of the soul beasts of the Far North, the Ice Sky Snow Maiden with 690,000 years of cultivation—the Snow Emperor!

Though the figure beside her was somewhat petite, she carried the majesty of a king. Her jade-green hair was slightly curled, and her emerald eyes revealed sharpness along with a touch of charming playfulness.

She was the seventh-ranked being among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, one of the Far North's Three Heavenly Kings, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion with 390,000 years of cultivation—the Ice Empress!

As the two quietly gazed into the distance, they seemed like twin sisters born of ice and snow. Their beauty was breathtaking, yet they radiated an inviolable supreme majesty.

"Bing'er, why do you think this is? Why is this world so unfair to us soul beasts? Not only do soul beasts need far more time than humans to advance, we also have to endure terrifying lightning tribulations."

"Now even secret realms involving god-level powers impose age restrictions, preventing us soul beasts from entering to explore."

The Snow Emperor let out a soft sigh, her voice filled with sorrow over the injustice of the world.

Seeing this, the Ice Empress stepped forward. Her emerald eyes held the same helplessness as the Snow Emperor's, yet beneath it lay another subtle emotion that was difficult to discern.

She gently linked her arm through the Snow Emperor's. That jade-like hand, capable of freezing ice for ten thousand years, now carried a trace of warmth because of her beloved.

"It's all right, Xue'er. There will always be another way, so don't always be so pessimistic. Humans have a saying: when the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road. As long as we don't give up, there will always be a way out."

"But I'm running out of time. When I tried to condense the Yin-Yang Complementary Twin Soul Cores before, I failed and damaged my origin. I don't want all this cultivation of mine to ultimately become nothing beneath the heavenly lightning. Bing'er, if I still cannot find a way to survive during this final stretch of time, I will leave all my origin and cultivation to you. At the very least, you must live on."

The Snow Emperor's voice carried profound desolation, confusion toward the future, and an unexpectedly resolute determination.

Throughout her long life, she had witnessed countless soul beasts live and die. Some died beneath human hunts; some were devoured by their own kind; some perished beneath the terrifying might of heaven, ultimately reduced to ashes without even bones left behind.

As the ruler of the Far North, she had to ensure that, after her death, powerful soul beasts would still protect this land. Rather than having them both walk into the grave together, it would be better for the Ice Empress to survive and protect their homeland.

Hearing the Snow Emperor's words, the Ice Empress was terrified. She threw herself directly into the Snow Emperor's embrace, burying her head in that broad chest. A glimmer of tears seemed to linger in her emerald eyes.

"Xue'er, don't say that. I don't want your origin—I want you to live. There's still time. There must be a way. Don't say such discouraging things, all right? Don't leave me behind alone!"

She had not expected the Ice Empress's reaction to be so intense. She gently patted the Ice Empress's back and soothed her in a tender voice.

"It's all right, Bing'er. I won't leave. You're right—there is still a way."

"Roar~~ Mother, Auntie Ice, what are you doing?"

A massive white bear ran from afar toward where the Snow Emperor and Ice Empress stood.

"All right, Bing'er. Do you want Xiao Bai to laugh at you?"

The Snow Emperor gently patted the Ice Empress in her arms. Hearing this, the Ice Empress immediately pulled away, though her little face and the corners of her eyes were still somewhat red.

"Would he dare?"

"All right, let's go."

With that, the Snow Emperor took the Ice Empress by the hand and walked toward Xiao Bai. The gloom in her eyes faded considerably as well.