In the Snow Empress's bedroom, Myriad Souls Douluo tried to stop Ye Fan from escaping, but his efforts came to nothing.
Then Ye Fan's whisper sounded beside his ear.
The words "cult leader" echoed through his mind, making him tremble uncontrollably. "If the cult leader finds out I failed to protect the Soul Beast Embryo..."
"And that a Soul Elder brat made a fool of me, he'll make me wish I were dead."
Run or stay?
Myriad Souls Douluo wrestled with the choice.
In the end...
After an unknown stretch of time, Zhongli Wu, Minglei, and the Fourth Worshipper finished dealing with the Ice Bear King, who had come looking for trouble. Gravely wounded, the Ice Bear King fled into the distance.
Zhongli Wu returned to the Snow Empress's bedroom.
After hearing Myriad Souls Douluo's account...
Zhongli Wu flew into a rage. He raised his hand, ready to crush Myriad Souls Douluo on the spot.
But Minglei and the Fourth Worshipper stopped him. "Cult leader, Myriad Souls Douluo is still useful. Please spare his life."
Myriad Souls Douluo seized the chance to drop to his knees before Zhongli Wu and beg for mercy.
"Cult leader, spare me!"
"That boy was simply too strange. He looked six or seven, yet he already possessed a spatial Soul Skill."
But what came for him was Zhongli Wu's thunderous palm strike.
At the sight, Myriad Souls Douluo nearly lost his soul from fright.
He hurriedly added:
"Cult leader, I've memorized that Soul Elder brat's aura and Martial Soul."
"His Martial Soul is the Six-Winged Death Angel Martial Soul."
When Zhongli Wu heard "Death Angel Martial Soul," his raised hand stopped in midair. Myriad Souls had clearly caught his interest.
"A Death Angel Martial Soul? I could seal his memories, bring him into the Holy Spirit Cult, and train him."
Seeing Zhongli Wu's interest, Myriad Souls Douluo immediately went on.
"Cult leader, I also saw that he has a ninth-rank Defensive Soul Tool despite his young age."
"Oh!"
This time, Zhongli Wu lowered his hand completely. "Oh? A ninth-rank Soul Tool?"
"Across Douluo Continent and Sun Moon Continent, only one place could produce a ninth-rank Defensive Soul Tool."
Zhongli Wu was speaking to himself.
Myriad Souls Douluo hurriedly agreed. "The cult leader is wise!"
"I thought the same."
Just as Myriad Souls Douluo thought Zhongli Wu had let him off, Zhongli Wu struck again. With a sweep of his hand, he formed a palm from Soul Power and sent Myriad Souls Douluo flying.
"Myriad Souls, I'll spare your life, but you won't escape punishment."
"You'll go to that place and search for clues about the little fellow."
"Minglei, Fourth Worshipper! Go with Myriad Souls!"
"Yes!" all three answered.
In the dim, deathly still Undead Demiplane, gray-white mist roiled without dispersing. Bones lay scattered everywhere, and dense deathly energy spread unchecked.
Ye Fan sat cross-legged beside the God-Sealing Platform. The fierce battle during his escape had drained his Soul Power and shaken his blood and energy, leaving his aura unsteady.
He activated his Life Angel Martial Soul. Its pure vitality slowly neutralized and transformed his mixed Soul Power, repairing his damaged meridians and body bit by bit.
Countless skeletons, undead, wraiths, and monsters were drawn by the aura of life. They gathered around him in layer after layer, eager to move in.
But the spirits of three great Soul Beasts—the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the Ice Empress, and the Demon Ape—stood around the God-Sealing Platform. Their vast pressure swept across the area, and the sharp menace of their beast spirits engulfed it in an instant. Every undead creature trembled, not daring to come a step closer, and fled in panic.
Watching Ye Fan recover in peace, the Ice Empress considered releasing the Snow Empress Spirit. Ye Fan saw through her intention at a glance and stopped her in a low voice.
"Ice Empress, the Snow Empress is in an unusual state. Her consciousness hasn't stabilized. If you release her rashly, she'll attack everything around her without distinction."
Disbelief filled the Ice Empress's jade-green eyes, and she frowned slightly.
"No. The Snow Empress would never forget me."
But because Ye Fan was her master, the Ice Empress abandoned the idea of releasing the Snow Empress and quietly kept watch beside the God-Sealing Platform.
Even so, Ye Fan feared she might do something foolish.
So he recalled her into his sea of consciousness.
"Ye Fan, I was wrong!"
The Ice Empress kept apologizing and begging Ye Fan for mercy.
Ye Fan ignored every plea.
He instructed the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Dark Demon Ape, "I'm counting on you two to guard the God-Sealing Platform."
"Yes!"
Ye Fan then continued using his Life Angel Martial Soul to convert his Soul Power into life Soul Power and heal himself.
Half a month passed, and Ye Fan's injuries healed completely.
Ye Fan reckoned Zhongli Wu and the others might still be waiting in the Snow Empress's bedroom, so he did not open a Spatial Gate right away.
Instead, he chose to spend another half month cultivating in the Undead Demiplane.
During that half month, Ye Fan tried some of the Undead Magic the God of Destruction had taught him. Within the Undead Demiplane, close to the source of the Undead Law, he learned it at an astonishing speed.
After a month, Ye Fan released the Ice Empress again. He said to her, Tian Meng, and the Demon Ape, "Everyone, a month has passed in the blink of an eye."
"I'd guess the people from the Holy Spirit Cult have left by now."
"We can go out."
"Oh, yeah!"
"Finally, we can leave this sunless Undead Demiplane!"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was the first to cheer. But when he caught sight of the Ice Empress's lack of enthusiasm, he held back his excitement and looked toward Ye Fan.
Ye Fan ignored him and continued.
"But the Snow Empress's soul is in a special state. One of you needs to stay in the Undead Demiplane and guard her, to keep undead creatures from damaging the God-Sealing Platform."
"Which of you is willing to stay and guard the Snow Empress's soul?"
"I am!"
The Ice Empress, listless until then, finally regained a glimmer of life in her eyes and volunteered at once.
The other two, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Dark Demon Ape, showed little interest. Neither wanted to remain in the sunless Undead Demiplane.
Ye Fan thought it over. Once I leave the Undead Demiplane, it won't be a big problem even if the Ice Empress releases the Snow Empress's soul.
In the end, Ye Fan agreed. "All right. You'll guard the Undead Demiplane."
"If anything happens, just call out to the Undead Demiplane."
"I'll hear you and come back."
"All right!" the Ice Empress replied, her face full of gratitude.
With that settled, Ye Fan recited a magic incantation and opened a tiny Spatial Gate to the Undead Demiplane. He sent his spiritual power through it to probe the Snow Empress's bedroom. Finding it empty, he wasted no more time. He opened the gate fully, then led the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Dark Demon Ape through it.
"Whew! We're finally out."
Breathing the fresh air of Douluo Continent again, the man and two beasts were filled with emotion.
Ye Fan looked around and found the entire Ice God's Palace quiet.
He decided not to linger. He would leave the palace and the Far North, then return to Mingde Hall.
"Human, die!"
The moment Ye Fan stepped out of the Ice God's Palace, an enormous white figure suddenly lunged at him.
"Ye Fan, watch out! It's the Ice Bear King."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was the first to recognize Ye Fan's attacker: the Ice Bear King they had met not long ago.
Ye Fan snapped to attention. He beat his Angel Wings, accelerating out of the path of the Ice Bear King's attack.
"Ice Bear King, what are you doing?"
Before you continue