The Ice Heaven Snow Woman Joins

The winds of the Far Northern Land cut into the cracks between his bones like knives. The endless white icefield stretched beyond sight, while distant icebergs lay frozen blue. Even the air seemed solidified; a single breath made his throat ache with cold. Huo Yuhao wrapped his clothes tighter and trudged through the snow, the crunch beneath his feet especially distinct in the silence.

"Ye Guyi, enter my Spirit Sea first. The Life Gold within it can speed up your cultivation."

Ye Guyi nodded. In an instant, she was transported into the Spirit Sea.

"Tian Meng, why did you come out?" (⊙o⊙)!

"What? Am I not allowed to come out? Hurry up and find Bingbing."

"Alright, Tian Meng." Huo Yuhao was somewhat absentminded as he thought, Convincing the Ice Empress should be easier than it was in that Earthling's memories, right?

Just then, a violent explosion suddenly erupted ahead.

Boom—!

The deafening blast made the entire icefield tremble. The pure white petals of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus scattered through the air, and dazzling white light shot into the sky, dyeing half the night white. Snow Empress was flung away as though struck by an invisible hand, crashing heavily into the thick snow. The ice crystals covering her body shattered into powder. The backlash from her failed transformation made her spit out a mouthful of pale pink blood, staining the snow beneath her red.

Her entire body went limp, and she did not even have the strength to lift a finger. The extreme cold power that had gathered within her surged out like floodwaters through a broken dam. Her Soul Core felt as though it had been torn apart, and the pain made tears well in her eyes. Her snow-white hair lay scattered across the ground, speckled with snow and blood. Her once cold and imposing eyes were now filled with terror and unwillingness—she had been only one final step away from successfully transforming, but this sudden explosion had not only destroyed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, it had also thrown her, the ruler of the Far Northern Land, into her most vulnerable state.

"What was that sound? That was way too loud!"

Urgent footsteps crunched through the snow in the distance, drawing closer and closer. Two men wearing Sun Moon Empire Soul Master robes hurried over. The burly man on the left was tall and carried a dark rectangular soul tool that shimmered faintly blue. The skinny man on the right narrowed his small eyes as his gaze swept over Snow Empress, and a delighted smile immediately appeared on his face.

"My god! Is this... the ultimate form of the Ice Heaven Snow Woman?" The skinny man stepped closer, his voice trembling with excitement. "And judging by this, she just failed her transformation! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

The burly man crouched down and lightly poked Snow Empress's arm with his soul tool. Seeing that she merely let out a weak groan and could not even resist, his eyes instantly lit up. "Are you serious? If we turn such a rare existence into an embryo, we'll never have to worry again for the rest of our lives!"

Snow Empress bit her lips and raised her head with the last of her strength. Her voice was weak, yet still carried unquestionable authority. "You... don't come any closer! I am Snow Empress, foremost of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far Northern Land and its ruler!"

"Snow Empress?" The skinny man froze for a moment before sneering. He crouched before her and looked down at her from above. "So what if you're the ruler? You can't even move right now. Aren't you still at our mercy? If not for that explosion, how would we have had the chance to encounter such a great figure as you?"

The burly man had already begun adjusting the soul tool in his hand. It emitted a low hum, carrying a cold mechanical feel. "Who cares what ruler she is? A rare Soul Beast embryo is what's valuable! A Soul Core after a failed transformation is the most unstable, which gives us the highest chance of successfully making an embryo. This is practically a gift from heaven!"

"You... you have a lot of nerve!" Snow Empress's tears finally fell, sliding down her cheeks and turning into tiny ice grains upon landing in the snow. "You dare lay hands on me? The Far Northern Land will never forgive you!"

"The Far Northern Land? Once we exchange the embryo for money, we'll already be long gone!" The skinny man rubbed his hands together, greed filling his voice. "A top-tier Soul Beast embryo like you will never lack buyers in the Empire. Whether it's the Imperial Research Institute or one of the great clans, they'll all fight to have it. This trip was definitely worth it!"

The burly man nodded and aimed one end of the soul tool at Snow Empress. A transparent dome suddenly extended from its front, glowing softly yet carrying an oppressive aura. "Stop struggling. This soul tool is specifically designed to capture weakened high-level Soul Beasts. You can't even mobilize a trace of soul power right now. Resisting is useless."

Snow Empress tried to summon the last remnants of extreme cold power within her, but her Soul Core seemed frozen solid and did not react at all. She could only watch helplessly as the transparent dome slowly approached. "You... will pay the price!" Her voice was choked with tears, yet still held the pride of a ruler. "The ice and snow of the north will remember your crimes!"

"The price? What does a little risk matter when we can obtain such a valuable embryo?" The skinny man waved his hand, sounding utterly matter-of-fact. "Just cooperate obediently. Once you're made into an embryo, you won't have to suffer anymore. For us, this is a tremendous stroke of fortune."

Is this the scene from the original story where Snow Empress was captured after transforming into a human? It's time for me to act.

"Extreme Tyranny Domain, activate. Dragon God Possession."

Golden, white, and silver light surged around the Dragon God, but it was only the last tenth of his power, unleashed without holding anything back. Though the pressure of the ruler of all living things was not even one ten-thousandth of its peak, it still made the icefield tremble and the snow roll in waves. Alarm flashed through the eyes of the two Half-Step Titled Douluo, but relying on their soul power reserves and their vicious soul tools, they immediately raised the Level-Nine Fixed-Installation Soul Cannons on their backs. The cannon bodies hummed and shuddered to the limit as a violet-gold torrent of soul power frantically gathered at their muzzles. The blinding light nearly tore apart the frigid night over the icefield. It was killing power sufficient to obliterate an ordinary Title Douluo.

"Fire!"

A fierce shout rang out, and the Level-Nine Fixed-Installation Soul Cannons erupted. Violet-gold pillars of energy, carrying shockwaves capable of destroying heaven and earth, shot directly toward the Dragon God. The solid ice and snow along their path instantly vaporized, the air warped violently from the heat, and even the surrounding soul power was shredded by the force.

The Dragon God raised a palm to meet it, golden and silver radiance weaving into a shield of light. Yet one-tenth of his power ultimately could not withstand the full-force bombardment of the Level-Nine Fixed-Installation Soul Cannon. The instant the shield met the energy beam, it shook violently and became covered in web-like cracks. A thunderous boom shook heaven and earth as the shield shattered. The raging aftershock slammed into the Dragon God, making the golden, white, and silver light around him flicker fiercely. He was actually forced half a step back, and unstable ripples spread through the light surrounding his dragon body. He had clearly suffered internal injuries. "Tianmeng Restoration."

"Damn it, they actually have Level-Nine Fixed-Installation Soul Cannons. Too bad I only have ten percent of the Dragon God's power."

The two Half-Step Titled Douluo had not escaped unharmed either. The recoil of the Level-Nine Fixed-Installation Soul Cannons made their blood surge, splitting their palms and drawing blood. Nearly half their soul power had been depleted, yet they still stared fixedly at the Dragon God, their eyes filled with fear and ruthlessness. They had clearly entered a desperate, all-out fight.

The two Half-Step Titled Douluo attacked like men making a final counterattack before death, launching one last ferocious assault. "Fire both fixed-installation soul cannons!!"

Huo Yuhao inwardly cried out in alarm. "Golden Tortoiseshell Puppet Defense, Tianmeng Defense."

The Tianmeng Ice Worm used its origin power to help Huo Yuhao strengthen his defenses. "Yuhao, you must block it! This strike can instantly kill a Super Douluo!"

As the smoke dispersed and the lingering power of the energy beams faded, the Golden Tortoiseshell Puppet had long lost all its imposing presence. Half its shell had completely collapsed, two of its limbs had broken off, and its remaining body stood crookedly on the icefield. The undead black mist was so thin that it could barely conceal the bones, while lingering smoke drifted around it. It looked utterly miserable.

Huo Yuhao withdrew the Golden Tortoiseshell into the Undead Demi-Plane to recover.

A voice echoed within Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul. "Yuhao, I used my origin power just now to help you block that attack. You must quickly find the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon King, or else I will..."

Before the Dragon God could finish speaking, he fell into slumber.

"If it hadn't been for the help of the Dragon God and the Tianmeng Ice Worm, I truly wouldn't have been confident in surviving that attack. I can only rely on the Life Gold to heal now. But what happened to those two Soul Masters?"

Huo Yuhao looked toward where the two Soul Masters had been. They had long since been blasted into ashes by their suicidal attack. The Soul Beast embryo containing the Ice Heaven Snow Woman floated intact in the air, as though waiting to be picked. "You are the Ice Heaven Snow Woman?"

A cool female voice came from within the Soul Beast embryo. "I am. What is your purpose?"

"I'll be direct. I am the Dragon God's incarnation. If you join me, you may attain eternal life. I believe you saw the Dragon God's incarnation just now."

"Why should I believe you? Your incarnation just now proves nothing!"

"What if Ditian testifies for me?"

The Ice Heaven Snow Woman looked at Huo Yuhao with doubt and asked, "Are you truly the Dragon God's incarnation?"

"Ditian, tell the Ice Heaven Snow Woman."

"Yes, my lord."

An immensely authoritative voice rang out from within Huo Yuhao's body. "Ice Heaven Snow Woman, I can assure you that he is the Dragon God's incarnation. Are you willing to join him?"

Although the Ice Heaven Snow Woman still found it difficult to believe, her current circumstances did not allow her time to think. "Alright, I agree. I choose to join you."

"Even the strongest of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far Northern Land, the Ice Heaven Snow Woman, has joined my ranks. In the future, I will have another source of support in my attack against Tang San."

A dissatisfied voice rang out within Huo Yuhao's Spirit Sea. "Where's my Bingbing? Little Yuhao, you can't forget Bingbing! I'm going to bring Bingbing to godhood."

"Alright, alright, Tian Meng. Now that the Ice Heaven Snow Woman has joined, why would the Ice Empress refuse?"

"That's right, Little Yuhao. Then let's hurry and find Bingbing."

"How am I supposed to join you? Become your soul ring?"

"More or less. My Martial Soul is rather special. As long as a Soul Beast is willing to join my Martial Soul, that Soul Beast can become one of my new Martial Souls. Moreover, the Soul Beast that joins retains her self-awareness. This new Martial Soul will attach soul rings on its own, one every ten levels, for a total of nine."

"There is actually such a Martial Soul in this world." A trace of resolve flashed through the Ice Heaven Snow Woman's eyes. "Then let's begin. Let me merge into your Martial Soul."