Eye of Life

After Ning Tian left, Huo Yuhao stopped concealing anything. As the power of purification surged wildly, the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife gradually revealed its original form.

Streaks of cyan-green light burst from the carving knife, which transformed into something like a cyan crystal. A vibrant sensation of life spread forth as the Life-Spirit Gold finally revealed its true appearance.

The instant the cool crystal touched his forehead, it was pushed away by a warm current of life energy—it was the Life-Spirit Gold's instinctive protection, as though it were confirming its host's condition. He drew a deep breath, and his Sea of Spirit suddenly boiled. Skydream Iceworm's immense spiritual essence surged forward like a tidal wave, colliding with the life patterns within the carving knife.

"Buzz—"

There was no conflict, only an ultimate resonance. His spiritual power formed a fine net that instantly wrapped around the surging life energy, guiding it through his brow and into his meridians. At first, it was merely a trickling stream, but when the first wisp of life energy touched the soul power within him, it seemed to find its home and came flooding in madly, racing through his blood vessels toward every part of his body.

A cyan-gold sheen spread across Huo Yuhao's skin at a visible rate. His meridians were stretched open by that immense vitality, yet he felt no swelling pain whatsoever. Instead, it was like a parched riverbed nourished by spring rain, every inch of him releasing a comfortable hum. He could clearly "see" pale golden light seeping from the gaps in his bones. It was life energy repairing the minute damage left behind by his past cultivation; even his Sea of Spirit was being reforged by this ultimate life force, becoming more stable.

Huo Yuhao's spiritual power was like supple threads, winding around the rushing life energy as it coursed through his body. With every entwining, the life energy became purer, while his spiritual power was stained with even richer vitality. When this fused strength flowed back into his Sea of Spirit, specks of cyan-gold light appeared out of nowhere within that once crystal-clear spiritual world, drifting down slowly like fireflies on a summer night.

When those cyan-gold particles fell upon Skydream Iceworm, they did not disperse. Instead, they seeped into its pearly white worm body like melted gold. Fine cyan-gold patterns emerged across its already massive form, as though this million-year soul beast had been clad in armor brimming with life.

When they fell upon the enormous egg formed from Snow Empress's soul spirit, the egg began to sway, even showing faint signs of hatching.

One had to know that, according to Huo Yuhao's original estimate, he would only have a chance to hatch Snow Empress once his soul power reached the Soul King rank!

"Th-this... how is this possible?" Huo Yuhao abruptly opened his eyes, his Spirit Eye filled with incredulous shock. Even his breathing skipped for half a beat.

His spiritual power locked tightly onto the giant egg floating in the depths of his Sea of Spirit. The shell formed from Snow Empress's soul spirit had originally been pearly white with a hint of ice-blue, like a star encased in ten-thousand-year ice. Yet now, the cyan-gold particles had dyed it with a gentle golden edge. The egg swayed more and more intensely, and fine cracks even appeared across its surface. Faint ice-blue mist seeped from those cracks—the unique aura of Snow Empress's Ultimate Ice—yet it was far more lively than before.

"Thump, thump... thump, thump..."

It was as if a heartbeat was coming from within the shell, weak but distinct. Every beat carried the dual rhythm of ice and life. Huo Yuhao could "hear" subtle sounds from inside the egg, like a sleeping creature stretching its limbs, or a frozen lake beginning to thaw. Every tiny movement tugged at his heart.

"Good heavens! The vitality in this Life-Spirit Gold is way too overbearing!" Skydream Iceworm's voice was full of shock and excitement. Its massive worm body leaned forward slightly, and its cyan-gold patterns flickered unsteadily with excitement. "The essence of Snow Empress's Soul Core is Ultimate Ice. What she lacks most is life activity! Ordinary soul power can only nurture her, but this source life force of the Life-Spirit Gold is practically a scoop of boiling spring water poured over her frozen soul!"

Huo Yuhao's fingertips trembled slightly. He could clearly sense that the cyan-gold particles seeping into the giant egg had not been frozen by the Ultimate Ice. Instead, they burned within the shell like sparks, transforming into strands of life that wound around Snow Empress's dormant soul core. The soul core, which had once been as silent as a dead object, now slowly unfurled under the pull of those threads of life, releasing increasingly distinct ripples of consciousness—it was Snow Empress's aura, carrying a trace of just-awakened confusion, yet more real than ever before.

"Logically speaking, Snow Empress's soul spirit form needs a sufficient soul power foundation to bear her original strength, and you're only at the Soul Elder realm..." Skydream Iceworm smacked its lips, its tone full of disbelief. "But this life force bypassed the limitations of soul power and directly activated her soul activity! It's like replacing the nutrient solution for a flower on the verge of withering. Even if the flowerpot isn't large enough yet, the flower itself has come back to life first!"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in his heart as he focused his spiritual power and carefully wrapped it around the giant egg. He could feel that the shell's vibrations were becoming rhythmic. The ice-blue mist seeping from the cracks had begun to carry faint cyan-gold specks—the Ultimate Ice of Snow Empress and the vitality of the Life-Spirit Gold were blending together. These two seemingly opposing forces now coexisted in harmony, like yin and yang complementing one another.

Snow Empress... he called softly in his heart, his voice filled with indescribable anticipation.

As if answering his call, the giant egg suddenly shuddered. A clear crack spread from its top to its bottom, and the ice-blue mist abruptly thickened. Within the shell, he could vaguely see a slender figure curled up, surrounded by a cyan-gold halo of life. Though he could not make out her features, Huo Yuhao could feel the consciousness conveyed by that figure—not cold majesty, but a faint warmth tinged with dependence.

"It seems we all underestimated the power of the Life-Spirit Gold." Huo Yuhao's voice caught slightly, and his eyes grew warm. He had never imagined that the surprise brought by this Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife would be great enough to awaken Snow Empress's soul ahead of time.

Skydream Iceworm watched the giant egg vibrate more and more violently, then suddenly laughed. "Now this is interesting. Snow Empress has awakened early. With her knowledge, she'll be able to help you greatly in your future cultivation. But..." Its tone shifted, becoming solemn. "Her soul activity has been activated, but your soul power level is still insufficient. You'll have to work twice as hard from now on. Otherwise, once she fully breaks out of the shell, if your soul power cannot support her strength, I'm afraid you'll both be harmed."

Huo Yuhao nodded heavily, an unprecedented light shining in his eyes. He raised a hand and stroked the Life Carving Blade. A gentle throb came from its body, as though it were proudly claiming credit for its achievement.

The blade of the Blade of Life pointed at Huo Yuhao's forehead and stabbed down fiercely. The intense pain was like countless red-hot needles drilling into the center of his brow. Every muscle in Huo Yuhao's body tightened at once, his teeth grinding audibly as cold sweat instantly soaked his back. But in the next moment, the pain was washed away by an even vaster wave of warmth—the softened crystal of the Life Carving Blade seeped in along the lines of his brow, spreading across his forehead like melted glass. At last, it condensed between his brows into a cyan-gold mark in the shape of a vertical eye, its edges flowing with ice-blue patterns that echoed his original Spirit Eye from afar.